WWE Smackdown Live 9/9/22 September 9th 2022
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WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from September 9
- Sana Ejaz
- Braun Strowman headlined a special Clash at the Castle fallout episode of SmackDown/Credit: WWE.com
Braun Strowman made a shocking return to WWE Monday night on Raw, and Friday, he rolled into SmackDown to address his comeback and what fans can expect from The Monster Among Men moving forward.
The former Universal champion's comeback headlined a broadcast that also determined the No. 1 contender to Liv Morgan's SmackDown Women's Championship in a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match.
Find out what Strowman had to say and who emerged from the high-stakes bout with this recap of the September 9 Fox broadcast.
Brawling Brutes vs. Imperium
- The crowd reaction to the Sheamus-Gunther tease proved how much their classic encounter in Cardiff meant to the fans and their desire to see it again. So, naturally, the show went to commercial before they could.
- As Sheamus brawled with Gunther on the floor, Vinci broke it up with a baseball slide dropkick to the former, robbing fans of another physical altercation between the rivals.
- The pop for Sheamus' hot tag was extraordinary, proof positive of the effect of Triple H's booking.
Credit: WWE.comOn the heels of one of the best matches in recent WWE history, Sheamus and Gunther captained their respective teams in a blockbuster six-man tag team match to kick off Friday's show in which The Celtic Warrior joined Butch and Ridge Holland to battle The Ring General, Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser.
Given the collection of talent in the ring, fans had a reasonable expectation of a great match and they were not disappointed.
Teases of Sheamus vs. Gunther permeated throughout the contest but, for one reason of another, the fans were robbed of that showdown. That did not stop them from erupting when the former WWE champion exploded into the match and took the fight to Kaiser and Vinci.
Then it happened.
Sheamus and Gunther unloaded on each other and were soon joined by their respective partners as a six-man brawl ensued. The action broke down and despite appearing to injure his knee at one point, Kaiser partnered with Vinci to secure the win with the Imperium Bomb on Holland.
This was an extraordinary start to the show, a fantastic match with a red-hot crowd that continued the feud between the trios and proved that there is still considerable demand for Sheamus vs. Gunther.
Imperium scoring the win was the right call given the newness of it and the need to get Gunther, Kaiser and Vinci over as a unit with the main roster audience, but Sheamus is as over as he has been in years and lost nothing despite his team's defeat. This feud is going to be fire and the efforts of all involved are a big reason why.
Result
Imperium defeated The Brawling Brutes
Grade
A-
Top Moments
Solo Sikoa Joins The Bloodline
- "Deep AF!" Zayn said in response to Jimmy's comments about the depth of The Bloodline in a hilarious one-liner. How everyone involved does not crack up is anyone's guess.
- The heat for Sikoa was off-the-charts, proof that the NXT export's debut was effective.
- "You create problems and I finish them. Solo Sikoa is here to stay and The Bloodline just got bigger and stronger," the younger brother of The Usos warned.
Credit: WWE.comUndisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos and Sami Zayn hit the ring to introduce the newest member of The Bloodline, the twins' younger brother, Solo Sikoa.
The Street Champion issued a warning to the rest of the WWE roster that he only makes The Bloodline stronger, to which Drew McIntyre responded by rushing the ring and chasing the heels off with a steel chair.
The Scottish Warrior threw down a challenge, Sikoa accepted and the brief segment ended with the main event match for later in the night.
This was exactly what it needed to be. Jimmy Uso told the world that Sikoa is their younger brother, a video package introduced him to the audience members unfamiliar with his work in NXT, and he cut a brief introductory promo that doubled as a warning to all that step to The Bloodline.
That McIntyre logically sought revenge and in the process, set up the main event against the guy that wronged and cost him the most significant moment of his career, made this that much better.
Grade
B+
Top Moments
Non-Title Match: Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Toxic Attraction
- A picture-in-picture promo by Toxic Attraction tied in the idea that they would have won the tag titles had Rodriguez and Aliyah had to face them. It's the little things that enhance everything and that seemingly forgettable line laid the groundwork for the story of the match.
- A post-match video package looked at the interaction between Adam Pearce and Ronda Rousey from last week before Michael Cole announced that discipline has been dealt behind closed doors and will not be made public.
Credit: WWE.comOriginally scheduled for the semifinals of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament, the non-title match between champions Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah and Toxic Attraction's Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne finally took place Friday night.
Jane and Dolin controlled the majority of the match, working over the smaller Aliyah before a hot tag to Rodriguez turned the tide back in the favor of the champions. Rodriguez dominated and finished Jayne off with the Tejada Bomb for the win.
It is somewhat interesting that Triple H would bring Toxic Attraction back up to the main roster just to put over the champions, but at least it provided some closure to the idea that things may have been different had Rodriguez and Aliyah had to go through Jayne and Dolin on their path to the titles.
The champions are building a reputation through wins, but they still feel very much like placeholders until Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky inevitably take the titles. Whether that is Monday night is the question.
Perhaps a loss to Dolin and Jayne to enhance the idea that they are an inexperienced team that faces a very real threat to their reign Monday night would have been a better idea.
Either way, Rodriguez is very much a star in the making and should be among the biggest deals in women's wrestling sooner rather than later.
Result
Rodriguez and Aliyah defeated Toxic Attraction
Grade
C+
Top Moments
Fatal 5-Way No. 1 Contender's Elimination Match
- Rousey entered the arena in her pink gi, a tribute to her trainer, the late "Judo" Gene LaBell.
- Evans started the match with a bang, rocking Natalya with the Women's Right.
- The rapid-fire eliminations of everyone but Rousey and Deville really hurt the overall quality and meaningfulness of this match.
Credit: WWEThe next contender to SmackDown Women's Champion Liv Morgan was determined Friday night in a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match.
A shorter-than-expected match saw Natalya, Lacey Evans and Xia Li eliminated in short order, leaving MMA alumni Ronda Rousey and Sonya Deville to square off with the coveted title opportunity at stake.
Despite a game Deville dipping into her submission bag to try and choke Rousey out, Rowdy forced her way out of the hold and applied an armbar that left the former WWE official with no choice but to tap out.
The outcome was probably the right one given the story that has been told to this point. Rousey vs. Morgan at Extreme Rules is a logical choice, even more so if it ends up being a gimmick match that prevents a referee screw-up.
The criticism for this one comes from the fact that it was as short as it was. The talent was not given the opportunity to shine and taking into consideration the layout of the match, it's apparent that they never were supposed to.
Rousey winning may have been a sure thing but a few more minutes and the chance for Li and Evans, in particular, to get some stuff in would have made for a better final product than what this ultimately was.
Backstage, Rousey reconnected with Shayna Baszler. After a brief back and forth, the new No. 1 contender told The Queen of Spades that, whoever she was ready to break bones again, she should let her know.
That tease of a reunion between them makes for intriguing storytelling and sets Baszler up to either join Rousey in an unstoppable team of ass-kickers or turn on her longtime friend for questioning whether she had gone soft.
Result
Rousey defeated Deville, Li, Evans and Natalya to become No. 1 contender
Grade
C-
Top Moments
The Street Profits and Hit Row vs. Maximum Male Models and Los Lotharios
- Dawkins soared over the ropes and Top Dolla looked to follow but Maxxine cut him off, instigating a confrontation between her and B-Fab.
- After the match, the WWE production team set the table for the return of Braun Strowman to SmackDown with a great, albeit short, video package that explained just who The Monster of Monsters is to those unfamiliar with him.
Credit: WWEma.će and man.soor of Maximum Male Models teamed with Los Lotharios to battle Hit Row and The Street Profits in the culmination of a feud that began weeks earlier.
The high-energy, nonstop action of the contest highlighted the babyfaces but also reminded the audience that, for all of the models' flamboyance, they are still talented professional wrestlers to be taken seriously by any opposition.
ma.će and man.soor appeared to have victory in hand following a rollup of Top Dolla following a distraction but the big man recovered, tagged Ashante Thee Adonis into the match and executed their double team finisher for the win.
This was a lot of fun involving all four competitors and the tease of a side brawl between B-Fab and Maxxine Dupri was a nice addition to the chaotic conclusion.
The right team went over, the heels got some solid stuff in along the way, and the crowd remained red-hot for all of it through the referee's three-count, making this one a success.
Result
Hit Row and The Street Profits defeated Los Lotharios and Maximum Male Models
Grade
B-
Top Moments
Braun Strowman Steamrolled Alpha Academy
- Gable reminded the audience that Alpha Academy got its start on SmackDown.
- Gable took exception to Strowman's attack on Monday night and claimed that, if Otis had seen the former Universal champion coming, he would have "decimated Braun Strowman and left him lying."
Credit: WWERaw's Alpha Academy appeared on the brand on which Chad Gable and Otis first partnered, to confront Braun Strowman and ruin his return to the blue brand. Gable talked trash on Seattle, really building heat for himself ahead of The Monster Among Monsters' arrival.
The big man entered the arena to a big pop and teed off on Otis while the 2012 Olympian hid, then attempted a sneak attack on Strowman.
The bearded badass obliterated the tag team and ended his beatdown with an awe-inspiring powerbomb of Otis to put an exclamation point on things.
Strowman instantly enhances the babyface side of the SmackDown roster and gives Roman Reigns another contender to his throne. It was something that was much-needed and with apparently no movement on the Bray Wyatt front, he fills that role perfectly.
If there's a complaint about his comeback to this point, it is that it has come at the expense of the tag teams in WWE. Monday night, he beatdown four teams that did not need to have their credibility damaged and tonight, Alpha Academy had their legitimacy stripped away once more.
There are ways to reintroduce a talent without hurting those that are already there. This was not one of them and it hurts the overall grade of the segment as a result, even if the brand is better off for having a former world champion back.
Grade
C
Top Moments
Drew McIntyre vs. Solo Sikoa
- As McIntyre rolled early, The Usos interjected, pulling Sikoa to the floor and slowing the babyface's momentum.
- Sami Zayn sacrificed himself, running interference by putting himself in the way of a Claymore, only for Sikoa to rock McIntyre with a superkick.
- The Usos attacked McIntyre on the floor, behind the official's back, before The Street Profits made the save. Ford wiped the tag champions and Zayn out with a top-rope dive.
- The screen turned black and white upon Kross' arrival and the show literally faded to black, two interesting production choices that separate the heel from the rest of the roster, if nothing else.
Credit: WWEDrew McIntyre's attempt at revenge was stunted by the relentless Karrion Kross and his sinister second, Scarlett Bordeaux, in the closing moments of Friday's main event.
A competitive main event between The Scottish Warrior and Solo Sikoa featured incessant interference by The Usos and Sami Zayn before The Street Profits arrived to even things up. When McIntyre finally leveled The Street Champion with a Claymore, inadvertently sending him to the floor, Kross attacked and applied the Straight Jacket.
Kross choked McIntyre out while Bordeaux watched to close out the show, which literally faded to black.
There was a lot to unpack here, not the least of which is Triple H keeping McIntyre busy as he continues to feud with The Bloodline in pursuit of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship held by Roman Reigns, but also with Kross, who has twice attacked and established dominance over the Scottish Warrior.
McIntyre is clearly the top babyface on the show and by positioning him both in the main event scene while keeping him attached to a guy in Kross who will be around to compete against every week in ways that Reigns simply will not, Triple H is giving him every opportunity to be the top dog that he should have been in 2020 had the COVID-19 pandemic thrown a wrench into plans.
The Street Profits making the save suggests they are the favorites to win the Fatal 4-Way Tag Team No. 1 Contenders Match announced for next week pitting them against New Day, Los Lotharios and Alpha Academy.
That would put them in line for another match with The Usos and while the in-ring would be great, it is a match we have seen countless times over the last six months and is hardly the fresh pairing fans would hope for from Triple H.
The match was good, the stuff with Kross to close out the show was great and the crowd was red-hot for the Profits involvement, though, so this is an easy thumbs up. How it ages given the booking that follows it will ultimately determine if it was a success.
Result
No contest
Grade
A
Top Moments
