WWE SmackDown Results: November 11 Winners, Ratings, Reaction & Analysis
0 out of 7
Credit: WWE.com
History beckoned The Usos on Friday night as part of an episode of SmackDown headlined by their defense of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.
A win would see them become the longest-serving WWE Tag Team Champions. To achieve this, however, they had to overcome the challenge of current record holders, The New Day.
Did they succeed, thus continuing their reign at the top of the division and The Bloodline’s dominance over the company as a whole, or did Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods bring their reign to a crushing conclusion?
Find out now with this recap of the November 11 show.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. The Usos
2 out of 7
Credit: WWE
Two teams with extraordinary in-ring chemistry and a legacy of stunning matches, The Usos and The New Day wrote the final chapter of their historic feud in a fantastic opener. A fiery crowd clinging to every high point, near drop and false finish, elevating the overall quality and rewarding fighters for their hard work.
Kingston’s hot tag to Woods, the near fall of a double top rope splash by the champions and Midnight Hour’s teased title change had fans on the edge of their seats.
Kingston, making a last ditch effort to preserve New Day’s legacy, jumped off the top rope and into the arms of his opponents, who drove him into the mat with the 1-D for the win and title defense successful.
It was a fantastic match between two teams who are as responsible as anyone for preserving the art of tag team wrestling in this generation. Others get their due, but it often feels like we take The Usos and New Day for granted, perhaps because of the time on TV and the exposure they’ve received over the years. .
With much hype surrounding the contest and an abundance of historical discussion, they rose to the occasion and delivered another classic in a long line of them. It was fantastic, no hyperbole.
Results
The Usos beat The New Day to retain
To note
A+
Best moments
- Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman were shown watching from behind the scenes, the pressure being put on The Usos to retain and write history.
- Michael Cole gave Big E props for his involvement in New Day’s historic run as champions.
- Jey covered her ears as fans chanted “Sami”, refusing to acknowledge The Honorary Uce.
- Woods exploded in the ring with a super hot tag from Kingston.
- Woods coming off the Usos double splash and Jimmy narrowly coming off Midnight Hour were two effective faux finishes that totally had the crowd biting.
SmackDown World Cup Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Santos Escobar
3 out of 7
Credit: WWE
The SmackDown World Cup kicked off in the second match of the night as Shinsuke Nakamura took on Legado del Fantasma’s Santos Escobar, who was joined at the squared circle by Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde and Zelina Vega.
A competitive back-and-forth contest gave way to late heel interference as the contestants and commentary team emphasized the power play Escobar and Co. enjoyed.
The distraction caused by Nakamura grounding Del Toro and Wilde at ringside allowed Escobar to recover enough and deliver a Phantom Driver avalanche for the eventual victory.
Escobar looked impressive here and Legado del Fantasma continued to establish himself as a force on SmackDown. Defeating Nakamura adds credibility to the faction and makes Escobar one of the potential early favorites for the World Cup tournament.
With a little more time and without the pesky mid-game ad, it probably would have been even better. For now, it has served its purpose by kicking off the tournament and legitimizing Escobar.
Results
Escobar defeated Nakamura
To note
C+
Best moments
- Nakamura annihilated Del Toro and Wilde at ringside.
- Escobar’s ghost rider was both dangerous and perfect from the top rope.
Bray Wyatt makes a friend; Six-Pack Challenge No. 1 Contender’s Match
4 out of 7
Credit: WWE
LA Knight joined Megan Morant for a backstage interview but was interrupted, first by Bray Wyatt’s video bumpers and then by the man himself. A tense interaction between the two gave way to the former Universal Champion swinging the selfish heel with a headbutt.
It might sound like a random first feud for Wyatt, and it might be, but it was an intriguing segment that set the stage for The Eater of Worlds’ first foray into the squared circle.
Back in the arena, Shotzi, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, Xia Li and Lacey Evans faced off in a Six-Pack Challenge Match for the opportunity to challenge Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
A chaotic match saw the story involving Morgan and Deville continue. Rodriguez also teased increased intensity before Shotzi delivered Never Sleep Again for the win and pinned Evans.
Triple H has done great things as Chief Creative Officer in WWE, including getting as many women on TV as possible, but he needs to do a better job of building stars and stories in the SmackDown division.
We’ve seen multi-woman matches determine the final No. 1 contender several times, and the matches usually feature women who have been underserved by the creative process.
Shotzi’s win is a big call and hopefully the start of a steady run for her. It would have meant more had there been a win build or consistent on-screen appearances from half of the women involved.
Yes, there are enough moving parts for Triple H to handle as the supervisor of five hours of television a week, but this is one area that could use some attention to make these matches mean more.
Results
Shotzi beat Deville, Evans, Li, Morgan and Rodriguez
To note
VS
Best moments
- Morgan and Deville rekindled their rivalry, with the former dominating the latter while continuing to show the nascent side of herself.
- “Hi, pretty girl,” Morgan Deville quipped.
- Cole did a solid job of reminding the audience of Shotzi and Rodriguez’s recent history as tag team partners, explaining why they might be more inclined to help each other out.
- Rodriguez pulled out a table from under the ring. She set up Deville for a powerbomb, but Morgan interrupted him with a cross block. A clumsy landing led to a sloppy spot that left all three women on the ground.
- Backstage, Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler faced off against Shotzi, with the latter putting the new No. 1 contender to sleep.
SmackDown World Cup Match: Braun Strowman vs. Jinder Mahal
5 out of 7
Credit: WWE.com
Braun Strowman followed up his win over Omos at Crown Jewel with another impressive win, this time over former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal in a SmackDown World Cup first round match.
The monster among monsters overcame an early heel strike to put Mahal away with the Monster Bomb, as Wade Barrett called it.
It was a one-sided beatdown that did more to potentially telegraph Strowman winning the tournament and challenging Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship than anything else.
Results
Strowman defeated Mahal
To note
VS
Best moments
- Mahal claimed that no man could stop him in his quest to win the SmackDown World Cup. Strowman’s entrance was interrupted and the look on his face sold the fear of the modern-day Maharaja.
B-Fab vs. Zelina Vega… or not
6 out of 7
The reported match between B-Fab and Zelina Vega in the ongoing feud between Hit Row and Legado del Fantasma never started as the Viking Raiders made their return, flanked by Sarah Logan.
Erik and Ivar wiped out five male superstars. Vega escaped unscathed; B-Fab, not so much.
Logan shook her off with a pop-up headbutt, leaving B-Fab prone before standing with his team to close the segment.
This was one hell of a reintroduction for The Viking Raiders. Logan looked like a badass here and completely immersed herself in her haunting new look. It was better than anything we’ve seen from this particular team so far in their WWE run.
With Triple H at the helm and apparently understanding this act better than anyone before him, the trio should thrive in ways that have not been allowed before.
Results
No competition
To note
A
Best moments
- Cole feigning confusion over who Logan first knew about the former Riott Squad member’s change in appearance and attitude.
The Bloodline closes SmackDown
7 out of 7
Credit: WWE
The WWE Universe now gets a taste of what the men’s War Games match at Survivor Series will look like, thanks to Friday’s show’s closing segment.
Roman Reigns and The Bloodline hit the ring, no doubt to bask in their accomplishments of the past week, until Butch and Ridge Holland of the Brawling Brutes cut him off. Sheamus returned and Drew McIntyre followed suit as the European contingent battled the high heel faction to close out the show.
Some will think the War Games match should have more stars to justify its place on the Survivor Series card, but the Brutes and McIntyre are outmatched and should guarantee a damn good match against The Bloodline.
It also sets up a storyline where Sheamus can win and earn Reigns a shot at the Royal Rumble, keeping both men busy as WWE enters its most important time.
To note
A
Best moments
- “It’s not easy being my cousin,” Reigns said before reminding the world how recognized and celebrated he has always been.
- Sheamus’ mic cut him off multiple times, leading to Reigns improvising and taunting him for not even being able to get it to work.
- The pop for McIntyre was huge and indicates his popularity hasn’t waned despite the loss to Reigns in September.
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