Friday Night Smackdown!

Atlanta, Georgia
November 22, 2013
resul
ts thanks to wrestleview.com

“Then. Now. Forever.” The WWE video leads us into the show.

The Smackdown video plays, and we’re treated to an extremely rare pyrotechnics display. Michael Cole and John “Bradshaw” Layfield welcome us to the show. The main event will see Luke Harper take on Daniel Bryan. Rey Mysterio will also make his first wrestling appearance in about eight months as he teams up with Jimmy and Jey Uso to take on The Shield.

WWE Tag Team Championships
Cody Rhodes and Goldust (c) vs. The Real Americans w/ Zeb Colter

Goldust will start the match out against Jack Swagger. Swagger stands in the middle of the ring and shouts, “We the people” as Goldust crouches in the corner. Goldust calmly walks up to him and begins to mock the hand of the heart by rubbing himself when Swagger attacks him. Goldust ducks a clothesline and takes him down with a hip toss. Goldust punches him, so Swagger pushes him into the ropes and knees him in the midsection. Swagger bounces him in the corner before sending him into the ropes. Swagger lowers his head, so Goldust grabs him by the hair, throws him into the ropes, and connects with a dropkick for a one count. Cody Rhodes is tagged in. Goldust sends Swagger into the ropes, and Rhodes takes him down with a springboard missile dropkick.

Antonio Cesaro quickly tags in from there. Rhodes ducks a clothesline and kicks him before hitting a front suplex for a one count. Rhodes wrenches Cesaro’s arm and pulls at it. Goldust is tagged back in, and he connects with a punch off the second rope. Goldust uppercuts him and tags his brother back in. Rhodes comes off the top rope with a punch to the face. Rhodes flips him over and connects with a running knee to the head for a two count. Rhodes quickly applies an arm bar, but Cesaro quickly fights up to his feet. Rhodes yanks at the arm until Cesaro knees him in the midsection. Cesaro uppercuts him before having a whip to the corner reversed on him. Rhodes then takes him down with a back body drop for a two count. Rhodes goes back to the arm bar before turning to a front face lock. Cesaro shoves him to his corner, but Rhodes fights out. Rhodes then rolls Cesaro up for a two count. Rhodes ducks a clothesline and catches him with a high knee to the face. Rhodes charges at him, but Cesaro back body drops him to the apron. Rhodes quickly fights Swagger off only to be knocked to ringside by Cesaro, who connected with a big boot. Goldust checks on his brother as a commercial hits.

-Commercial Break-

We come back from the break to see Rhodes fighting up from a chin lock applied by Cesaro. Rhodes knocks him off, but Cesaro comes right back with a clothesline. Swagger is tagged in, and he hits Rhodes with a belly-to-belly side suplex for a near fall. Swagger connects with a Swagger Bomb, and Cesaro tags in. Cesaro then leapfrogs Swagger and hits a double stomp on Rhodes for a near fall. Swagger is tagged in. Cesaro catapults Rhodes into Swagger’s arms, who then lays him out with a waistlock slam for a two count. Cesaro is tagged in, and he kicks Rhodes in the arm before applying a chin lock. Rhodes eventually fights up, but Cesaro whips him to the corner. Cesaro then runs into a back elbow. Rhodes moves toward his brother, so Swagger tries to stop him. Rhodes back body drops him over the top rope and kicks Cesaro away as he tries to pull him away from Goldust. Rhodes then goes to tag Goldust, but Swagger pulls Goldust off the apron. Cesaro charges at Rhodes, but Rhodes counters into an Alabama Slam attempt. Cesaro tries to counter into a roll up, but Rhodes sits on his shoulders for a two count. Rhodes then charges at Cesaro, but Cesaro connects with a Very European Uppercut for a near fall. Cesaro whips Rhodes to the corner. Rhodes counters back with a roll up from the corner, but Cesaro doesn’t go down. Cesaro instead props him up on the second rope again, but Rhodes kicks and punches him away. Rhodes then connects with a moonsault block.

Goldust and Swagger are tagged in. Goldust ducks a clothesline and hits a pair of his own. Swagger counters a whip, but he lowers his head and takes an uppercut. Goldust lays him out with a spinebuster before knocking Cesaro off the apron. Goldust then connects on Swagger with the classic ten punches in the corner. Swagger counters a whip into the corner and charges, but Goldust comes right back with a powerslam. Cesaro pulls Goldust out of the ring before the pinfall is counted. Goldust kicks Cesaro off and pulls the top rope down to get Swagger out of the ring. Rhodes then dives over his brother to take both Swagger and Cesaro out with a plancha. Goldust throws Swagger into the ring and goes to the top rope. Swagger gets him in position for an electric chair drop. Goldust begins punching, so Swagger face plants him and applies the Patriot Lock. Goldust claws toward the ropes, so Swagger pulls him further away. Rhodes then runs into the ring to take him out with a Disaster Kick. Cesaro quickly takes Rhodes down and connects with a Cesaro Swing that featured twenty-two lighting fast revolutions. Goldust then clotheslines Cesaro out of the ring. Swagger quickly comes up from behind and rolls him up for a near fall. Goldust immediately follows up with the Final Cut for the win!

Winners and still WWE Tag Team Champions: Cody Rhodes and Goldust
Match Rating: ** 1/2

Rey Mysterio will team up with the Usos to take on The Shield later tonight. Ryback is seen walking backstage. He’ll issue an open challenge, next.

-Commercial Break-

Ryback is already in the ring. Ryback says being a bully isn’t a bad thing. He’s been a bully all his life, and he enjoys it. Ryback says he enjoys pushing people around. Looking around at all of the average morons in the crowd, he could push each and every one of them around, and there is nothing any of them can do about it. That’s not a bad thing for him, the Human Wrecking Ball. Ryback says he’s issuing an open challenge for anyone in the back who is man enough.

The Great Khali’s music hits, and he comes out to the ring to answer the challenge.

Ryback vs. The Great Khali

Ryback quickly kicks and punches Khali to the corner before hitting a shoulder thrust. Ryback goes for the ten punches, but Khali pushes him off. Khali then clotheslines him down. Khali puts him in the corner and chops the chest. Ryback chops him back, but Khali just puts him in the corner and chops him to show him how it’s really done. Khali then turns him around and chops his back before clotheslining him out of the ring. Khali goes outside to retrieve him, and he bounces him off the steel steps. Khali then rolls him in to the ring. Ryback rolls out of the ring as Khali gets back in. Khali grabs him from inside the ring, so Ryback snaps his arm off the top rope. Ryback then gets in the ring and stomps Khali down in the corner. Ryback charges, but Khali gives him a back elbow. Khali then big boots him down before hitting a pair of clotheslines. Khali then floors him with a Brain Chop for a near fall. Ryback got his fingers on the bottom rope.

Khali picks Ryback up, but Ryback escapes. Ryback then ducks a clothesline and connects with a Meat Hook Clothesline. Ryback signals for his finisher. Ryback then lifts Khali up and delivers an impressive Shell Shocked for the win!

Winner by Pinfall: Ryback
Match Rating: * 1/4

AJ Lee is talking with Tamina Snuka backstage when Vickie Guerrero walks up to them. Vickie says she apologized to the Authority for what happened on Monday Night RAW. Vickie says this is all Brad Maddox’s fault. Nonetheless, AJ was only doing what the Authority asked her to do. She’s a General Manager, so she was pretty easy to beat. AJ nods in the affirmative on that. Vickie says Survivor Series is this Sunday, and AJ will be in the seven-on-seven Survivor Series Elimination Match. AJ’s team is represented by women who aren’t on the Total Divas show. AJ needs to show them that she’s a fierce leader. To do that, Vickie is putting her in a two-on-one handicap match against the Funkadactyls, tonight. AJ says she isn’t medically cleared to compete. Vickie says she hopes AJ feels better, but she talked to the doctor, and he doesn’t know when she first injured her ankle. Per doctor’s orders, AJ is medically cleared to compete. AJ asks if Vickie is trying to punish her. AJ begins to flip out, but Vickie says she isn’t trying to punish her. She’s just doing what’s best for business. Vickie laughs as Tamina pulls AJ away from her.

They show a clip of Bruno Sammartino talking about winning the WWWF Championship at Madison Square Garden from “The History of WWE” DVD. They had a lot of great interviews in there as well with guys like Pat Patterson, Ivan Koloff, and Ken Patera.

Luke Harper will take on Daniel Bryan later tonight in the main event.

-Commercial Break-

Bret Hart, Booker T, and Mick Foley will host the kickoff show for Survivor Series this Sunday.

The Funkadactyls vs. AJ Lee w/ Tamina Snuka

The Funkadactyls don’t have to tag in. They quickly give AJ a double dropkick. AJ rolls out of the ring and goes to leave, but the Funkadactyls surround her and spank her before throwing her into the ring. Tamina Snuka blocks the Funkadactyls from getting to AJ, but they knock her down. They then grab AJ and throw her into the ring. Tamina grabs Cameron as she gets in the ring, and she viciously slams her down at ringside. AJ then clotheslines Naomi down from behind. AJ hits Naomi with a neckbreaker for a one count. AJ picks Naomi up, bounces her off the turnbuckle, and hits a snapmare. AJ applies a chin lock, but Naomi soon fights up. AJ jumps on her back, so Naomi powers her to the corner. AJ grabs her by the ankle, and Naomi takes her down with an enzuigiri for a near fall. Tamina gets on the apron, so Cameron pulls her off the apron. AJ kicks Naomi in the midsection and knocks Cameron off the apron. AJ then runs into the Rear View for the loss.

Winners by Pinfall: The Funkadactyls
Match Rating: 1/2 *

Bray Wyatt is somewhere backstage with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Wyatt says it occurred to him that it was real, and he felt it. Now, when he closes his eyes, he sees memories that are not his own. It made him understand that the world needs fewer revolutionaries and more revolutions. How could you possibly understand when people like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan walk into a room and people’s eyes light up like they’re a mythological being? They say things like, “Can you believe this? It’s CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. Please pinch me.” Wyatt says they are but men. Men who breathe and bleed exactly like you, yet you revere them as so much more as if they have the power to lead the world to some promised land that does not exist. The meek shall inherit the earth according to his father. Wyatt says they are the reapers walking upright, and her hand guides them. Follow the buzzards!

The Shield makes their way to the ring. They’ll face the Usos and Rey Mysterio, who is making his first televised wrestling appearance in many months, next.

-Commercial Break-

The Shield vs. The Usos and Rey Mysterio

Charles Robinson, my favorite referee of all time, is the official for this match. Dean Ambrose will start the match against Jimmy Uso. They lock up, and Ambrose powers him to the corner and punches him a few times before rubbing his forearm in his face. Jimmy comes back with some punches and head-butts of his own before having a whip to the corner reversed on him. Jimmy puts the brakes on and clotheslines him down. Jey Uso tags in, and he uppercuts Ambrose down for a one count. Jey wrenches the arm, but Ambrose quickly knees him in the midsection and tags in Seth Rollins. Rollins goes to the top rope, but Jey elbows Ambrose away, and he uppercuts Rollins as he jumps off. Jey gets a one count and tags Jimmy back in. Jimmy drops a leg on Rollins and wrenches the arm, but Rollins punches him down. Ambrose is tagged back in, and he kicks away at Jimmy before punching him back to the corner. Rollins kicks him down before tagging Ambrose in again. They send Jimmy into the ropes, but he ducks their double clothesline attempt. Jey blind tags in when Jimmy hit the ropes. Jimmy clotheslines Rollins, and Jey punches Ambrose. They both then clothesline Ambrose and Rollins over the top rope. They quickly lay out Roman Reigns as he runs in before taking Ambrose and Rollins out with stereo planchas!

Ambrose is thrown back in the ring as Jey gets on the apron. Jey kicks Reigns off the apron as he charges at him, and he goes to the top rope. Jey goes for a cross-body block on Ambrose, but he moves at the last second. Rollins is tagged in, and he picks up a near fall.

-Commercial Break-

We come back from the break to see Jey punching away at Rollins before Rollins takes him down with an enzuigiri. Ambrose is tagged in, and he delivers a short-arm clothesline before dropping an elbow for a two count. Ambrose then ties Jey in the straightjacket. Jey fights up, but Ambrose knees him in the midsection and goes for a neckbreaker, but Jey counters into a backslide pin for a two count. Ambrose then ducks a clothesline and applies a sleeper hold. Jey fights up once again, and he punches out. Jey then hits the ropes, but Ambrose follows him and knees him in the midsection. Reigns is tagged in, and he suplexes Jey back into the ring from the apron for a near fall. Reigns punches Jey before tagging Rollins back in. Rollins kicks away at him before whipping him hard into the opposite corner. Rollins then talks a little trash. Rollins picks him up and whips him hard to the corner again. Rollins then backs up and charges for an avalanche, but Jey moves. Rollins quickly tags Reigns in, and he knocks Jimmy off the apron. Reigns then ducks a clothesline and takes Jey down with a modified back suplex. Jimmy and Mysterio run in to break up the pinfall. Ambrose runs in, and he knees Jimmy out of the ring. Reigns begins to talk trash to Jey before pushing him into his corner. Jey quickly elbows Ambrose in the face before sidestepping Reigns as he charges. Reigns hits the ring post shoulder first. Rollins quickly tags in, but he is unable to stop Jey from tagging in Rey Mysterio.

Mysterio ducks a clothesline from Rollins before taking him down with a head-scissor takeover. Mysterio charges him in the corner, but Rollins back body drops him to the apron. Mysterio quickly punches him away and takes him down with a top rope seated senton. Mysterio then hits the ropes, ducks a clothesline, and takes him down with a Samurai DDT, but Ambrose breaks up the pinfall. Jimmy quickly runs in and superkicks Ambrose out of the ring. Reigns runs in, and he blocks a superkick from Jimmy. Reigns pushes him off, ducks a clothesline, and lays him out with a vicious spear. Jey goes to the top rope, but Reigns ducks his attack before taking him out with a spear. Reigns lifts Mysterio up for a powerbomb, but Mysterio counters into a hurricanrana over the top rope. Mysterio then dropkicks Rollins into position. Ambrose quickly tags in and clotheslines Mysterio as he goes for a 619. Rollins then takes the Usos out with a flipping senton over the top rope! Ambrose goes for a powerslam on Mysterio, but he slides off and dropkicks Ambrose into position. Mysterio connects with the 619 before going to the top rope for a falling body splash for the win!

Winners by Pinfall: The Usos and Rey Mysterio
Match Rating: * 3/4

Luke Harper will take on Daniel Bryan in the main event of the evening. Big Show is seen backstage. He’ll be out to call out Randy Orton, next.

-Commercial Break-

Big Show calls out WWE Champion Randy Orton

Big Show says this Sunday at Survivor Series, he’s going to face Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. He’s spent the last few months fighting tooth and nail with the Authority to get back into the WWE because this is where he belongs. Big Show says despite what the Authority is trying to tell them, he didn’t come back for a paycheck. He came back to make the Authority’s life a living hell, and the best way he could do that is to rearrange the face of the WWE and become the champion. It’s been ten years since he’s held the WWE Championship in his hands. This could be his last opportunity, but this Sunday, when he steps into the ring at Survivor Series, he’s laying it all on the line.

Randy Orton’s music hits, and the WWE Champion comes out to the stage to interrupt his Survivor Series opponent. Orton says there are no “maybes” about it. Big Show is finished. Sure, he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he’s all washed up. The only reason he got his job back and is facing him for the title is because he went and filed a lawsuit like some sort of coward. Big Show thought he had something over on the Authority, but he doesn’t. They brought him back to punish him. At Survivor Series, that is exactly what Orton is going to do to him. Big Show says Orton is really tough talking fifty yards away. Big Show then challenges him to come in the ring and get in his face like Orton did to the Authority on Monday. Big Show asks if Orton remembers getting in the Authority’s face on Monday. Big Show then has them show a replay of Triple H telling Orton that he will be alone at Survivor Series.

Big Show says it looks like someone went to mommy and daddy one too many times. Big Show says the problem with Orton is that he thinks he’s better than everyone because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Big Show says Orton has all the talent in the world. Orton should be a locker room leader and the face of the WWE, but it should have been years ago. All Orton has done is what’s best for Randy Orton. Orton bided his time and waited until someone handed him the WWE Title. Now, Orton is all alone. When he gets his hands on him at Survivor Series, no one is coming to save him. The sad truth is that Orton isn’t the face of the WWE. He’s just a spoiled brat. Orton says he isn’t a spoiled brat. Orton says he can beat Big Show all by himself and without anyone’s help. Big Show then tells them to show a video of what happens when Orton is alone in the ring with him. A video then shows all the times Big Show has taken Orton down in the past few weeks. Big Show tells Orton to hold on to the championship really tight because that’s the only thing that defines him as a man. This Sunday, Big Show will take what Orton covets most. This Sunday, he’s taking the WWE Championship. Big Show stares coldly at Orton as his music hits.

R-Truth is backstage, and he does a promo as Pretty Ricky for WWE Shop products.

Dolph Ziggler is walking backstage with the new WWE Intercontinental Champion, Big E Langston. They’ll be in action, next.

-Commercial Break-

Damien Sandow and Curtis Axel vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston

Dolph Ziggler will start the match off against Damien Sandow. Ziggler ducks a lockup attempt, and he dropkicks Sandow down. Ziggler starts the ten punches in the corner, but he stops to clothesline Curtis Axel off the apron as he tries to interfere. Sandow then takes Ziggler’s head off with a clothesline. Sandow puts him in the corner, and he tags in Axel. Axel punches and stomps Ziggler down before tagging Sandow in again. Sandow knees away at him before hitting a Russian leg sweep. Sandow hits the Cubito Aequet and tags Axel in. Axel pushes him into the ropes and hits a dropkick. Axel celebrates before talking a little trash to Langston. Axel then blindsides Langston with a right hand. Ziggler then takes Axel down with a big DDT.

Langston and Sandow are tagged in. Langston hits a pair of clotheslines before knocking Axel off the apron. Langston sidesteps Sandow as he tries to hit him, and he avalanches him down. Langston then hits the ropes hard before hitting a big splash. Langston takes the straps down and goes for the Big Ending, but Axel runs in to chop block the knee. Ziggler quickly runs in, and he delivers a famouser to Axel. Langston then gets to his feet and lays Sandow out with the Big Ending for the win.

Winners by Pinfall: Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston
Match Rating: 3/4 *

Langston starts to celebrate until he turns to see Axel charging at him with the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Langston ducks the shot, and he punches Axel in the midsection. Langston hits the ropes for a big clothesline, but Axel quickly rolls out of the ring before it connects. Langston then holds his title up.

A video airs that highlights the event at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the presale of WrestleMania tickets.

Daniel Bryan will take on Luke Harper in the main event.

-Commercial Break-

They show some of the celebrities that are attending tonight’s event. Chilli from TLC is there along with Monica, a Grammy award-winning artist. Elsewhere at ringside, Josh Reddick of the Oakland A’s is there alongside Zack Wheeler from the New York Metropolitans. Reddick’s beard has been trimmed down considerably after losing the “beard-off” to Daniel Bryan.

Renee Young is backstage with Alberto Del Rio. Renee has them roll some footage of Del Rio attacking John Cena on RAW two weeks ago. Del Rio hit him with a steel chair before wrapping his arm in the chair and applying the Cross Arm Breaker. Then Del Rio put Cena through a table last Friday on Smackdown. Renee then has footage shown of Cena getting the better of Del Rio this past Monday on RAW. Cena had his arm in a sling as a decoy to get Del Rio in the ring. Del Rio tells Renee that he wasn’t ready. He didn’t see that coming, but if he wanted to hurt Cena, he could have. He’s done enough to him since Cena stole his World Title. If Cena wants to claim his arm is ok, then that’s fine. Del Rio tells him to enjoy his moment from RAW, but lying behind a sling isn’t going to help him this Sunday. At Survivor Series, there are no more games or fun. He’s going to make Cena pay. He’s going to hurt Cena, and he’s going to hurt him bad. In two days, John Cena is tapping out. Del Rio is going to take back what’s his: the World Heavyweight Title.

Daniel Bryan is seen walking backstage. He’ll be in action against Luke Harper, next.

-Commercial Break-

Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper w/ Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan

The bell rings, and Harper immediately shoves Bryan into the ropes. Bryan escapes his grip and punches, but Harper soon grabs him and pushes him into the ropes again. Harper then begins to club away at him before pulling at his hair. Harper goes to pick Bryan up off the mat, but Bryan catches him in a Yes! Lock attempt. Harper quickly scurries out of the ring to rethink things with Bray Wyatt.

-Commercial Break-

We come back from the break to see Harper whipping Bryan into the barricade. Harper grabs him and repeats it a second time. Panels from the barricade fell off from the impact. Harper gets in the ring to break up the count-out, and then he quickly leaves the ring to whip Bryan into the steel steps. Harper throws him back into the ring and picks him up by the hair to uppercut him down. Harper picks him up again to uppercut him. Harper tries a third time, but Bryan counters into a backslide attempt. Harper doesn’t go down, but Bryan is able to duck a clothesline. Bryan kicks away at him before blocking a kick and taking him down with a dragon screw. Bryan grabs the leg, but Harper kicks him off. Harper charges at him, but Bryan catches him with a drop-toe-hold into the turnbuckle. Bryan goes for a running dropkick, but Harper counters into a Truck Stop for a near fall. Harper drops an elbow for another two count.

Harper shoves him to the corner and slaps him in the face. Harper then whips him into the corner, but Bryan scales the turnbuckle and backflips over him. Bryan then ducks a clothesline and takes him out with a running elbow to the throat. Bryan begins to kick at him while he’s on his knees. Bryan goes for a big roundhouse, but Harper counters into a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Wyatt gets up from his rocking chair in disbelief. Harper begins to crawl over to him before booting him in the face. Harper backs up, and he boots Bryan in the face again. Harper then proceeds to do a gator roll to Bryan before locking in a side headlock. Bryan begins to fight up, but Harper takes him down with another gator roll. Harper then applies a bear hug. Bryan fights up, drops to his back, and kicks him in the face. Bryan then rolls him up for a near fall. Harper then charges at Bryan, but Bryan pulls the top rope down to get him out of the ring. Bryan then takes him out with a suicide dive.

Wyatt gets up from his rocking chair, and he distracts Bryan by advancing toward him. Harper then slaps Bryan down from behind. CM Punk’s music hits, and the crowd goes crazy as he comes out to the stage. Erick Rowan prepares to fight Punk. In the ring, Harper advances toward Bryan, but he’s caught in a small package. Bryan picks up the unlikely victory.

Winner by Pinfall: Daniel Bryan
Match Rating: * 1/4

CM Punk is happy with what he’s seen. Bryan gets to his feet, and Harper takes him down with a running big boot. Punk charges to the ring, ducks a clothesline from Rowan, and begins to punch away at Wyatt. Rowan soon restrains Punk to allow Wyatt to slap him in the face. Punk is thrown into the ring, and Harper lays him out with a Discus Clothesline. Wyatt gets in the ring as Rowan avalanches Bryan in the corner. Harper and Rowan hold Bryan up for Wyatt to hit with Sister Abigail. They then drag Punk and put him next to Bryan. Wyatt kneels at the side of them, and he yells, “Follow the buzzards!”