WWE Smackdown Results
September 26, 2014
Little Rock, Arkansas
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“Then. Now. Forever.” The WWE video leads us into the show.
The Smackdown video plays, and we’re brought right into the arena for our first match of the evening. Tom Phillips, Michael Cole, and JBL welcome us to the show. A replay is shown from WWE Main Event when The Miz was berating Dean Ambrose only to eat a head-butt and get knocked out.
The Miz w/ Damien Sandow vs. Dean Ambrose
The match begins, and Ambrose immediately goes to punch Miz in the face, but Miz quickly falls down and rolls out of the ring before any connection is made. Miz walks around the ring with Sandow before getting back in the ring. Ambrose gets him in a side headlock before hitting a takeover. Miz fights up and whips him off. Ambrose comes back with a shoulder block before hitting the ropes. Miz leapfrogs him and goes for a knee to the midsection, but Ambrose counters that by avoiding the knee and rolling him up for a two count. Ambrose goes for another punch to the face, but Miz again rolls out of the ring. Ambrose pulls Miz’ hair, so Miz snaps him off the top rope. Miz stomps away at him before sending him into the ropes. Ambrose blocks a hip toss and goes for a short-arm clothesline, but Miz gets out of the ring. Ambrose chases him back into the ring, takes him down, and punches away at him. Ambrose applies a death-lock and pulls the hair before ripping at the nose. Ambrose rubs his face into the mat before chopping the chest. Ambrose rubs his forearm in his face before kicking him in the corner. Miz quickly rakes the eyes and hits the Reality Check for a near fall.
Miz stomps him a few times before talking a little trash. Miz hits the ropes, but Ambrose dropkicks him out of the ring. Ambrose takes him out with a plancha before sending him into the barricade. Ambrose keeps Sandow away before dropping Miz on the barricade. Sandow screams about the moneymaker as Ambrose puts Miz in the ring. Ambrose keeps Sandow off the apron, and he turns into a big boot from The Miz.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Miz stomping Ambrose in the corner. Miz chokes him in the corner, but Ambrose soon pulls himself up. Miz goes for his trademark corner clothesline, but Ambrose takes him out with a forearm smash. Ambrose hits some quick jabs to the face before hitting the ropes, ducking a clothesline, and hitting a pair of forearm smashes to the face. Miz reverses a whip, but Ambrose comes right back with a running cross-body block and some right hands to the head. Ambrose then clotheslines him out of the ring. Ambrose looks to the crowd before hitting a suicide dive on Miz. Ambrose puts Miz in the ring before chasing Sandow away. As Ambrose gets in the ring, Miz catches him with an inside cradle for a two count.
Ambrose catches Miz with a back elbow and hits a tornado DDT for a near fall. Ambrose slaps the mat in frustration before going to the top rope. Ambrose punches Sandow off the apron before going for a missile dropkick, but Miz counters into a Figure Four Leglock. Ambrose screams in pain, but he eventually claws his way to the bottom rope. Ambrose kicks him away, so Miz punches him. Ambrose rebounds off the ropes with a clothesline.
Ambrose starts to get into it until he notices Seth Rollins and Corporate Kane saunter out to the stage. Ambrose stares at them. Miz tries to take advantage of the situation with the Skull Crushing Finale, but Ambrose counters out and hits Dirty Deeds for the win. Ambrose never took his eyes off Rollins and Kane.
Winner by Pinfall: Dean Ambrose
Match Rating: **
Rollins and Kane make a slow walk down to the ring. They get on opposite sides of the apron. Ambrose attacks Rollins until Kane pulls him off. Ambrose punches away at Kane until Rollins tries to stop him. Ambrose powers him to the corner. Kane goes for a Chokeslam, but Ambrose elbows out. Ambrose then pulls the top rope down to get Kane out of the ring. Rollins attacks him and hits a knee to the face. Ambrose rebounds with a clothesline that turns him inside out. Ambrose grabs the Money in the Bank briefcase, avoids a clothesline from Kane, leaves the ring, and runs out of the arena through the crowd with the briefcase.
Stardust is freaking out backstage about stars aligning until Goldust tells him to stop. Goldust says they have the Cosmic Key and those pesky brothers want to take it away from them. Stardust says The Usos can’t have it. Goldust says they won’t get it, and they will never forget the names of Gold and Stardust, the Tag Team Champions.
Big Show will face Rusev in tonight’s main event. Coming up next, we’ll see an Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender Battle Royal. The winner will face Dolph Ziggler later tonight.
-Commercial Break-
Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender Battle Royal
Heath Slater vs. Diego vs. Titus O’Neil vs. Fernando vs. Bo Dallas vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Xavier Woods vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Big E vs. Damien Sandow vs. Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger
As soon as the bell sounds, a massive brawl breaks out. Bo Dallas almost immediately eliminates one of Los Matadores. I think it was Fernando. Cesaro and Swagger are trading punches. Dallas eliminates Sin Cara and celebrates by putting his arms up in the air. Justin Gabriel sneaks up behind Dallas and nearly eliminates him, but Dallas stays on the apron. Sandow hits The Miz’ kneeling DDT on Diego before throwing him out of the ring. Sandow taunts the crowd before eating a right hand from Cesaro. Big E, Woods, and Kingston are concentrating on Dallas in one corner. Dallas punches them all away. Kingston begins to lock up with Gabriel. Kingston then eliminates him with a monkey flip over the top rope that looked really clunky. Slater tries to attack Swagger, but he’s punched away. On the other side of the ring, Woods charges Cesaro, but he gets a flapjack over the top rope for his troubles. Big E, angry over his friend being eliminated, clotheslines Cesaro. Big E goes to throw him out of the ring, but Cesaro hangs on. Cesaro then gives Big E a military press before O’Neil breaks it up! Cesaro punches away at O’Neil, but O’Neil gets the better of him with some right hands of his own. O’Neil stops to save Slater from being eliminated. Big E military presses Cesaro, but Cesaro gets out and military presses Big E out of the ring!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Cesaro, Swagger, O’Neil, Slater, Dallas, Sandow, Kingston, and Ryder still in the ring. O’Neil slams Ryder down in the corner while Slater works on Swagger in another corner. Cesaro nearly eliminates Sandow, but he hangs on. O’Neil puts Ryder on the top rope. Ryder tries to punch him away, but O’Neil winds up punching him over to the floor, eliminating him. O’Neil then turns his attention to Swagger. Swagger quickly eliminates O’Neil. Slater attacks Swagger after the elimination before yelling at “Gator” at ringside. Swagger then catches Slater trying a slingshot, and he dumps him over the top rope. Slater and Gator are both gone. Sandow all of a sudden finds himself in the center of the ring while Cesaro, Kingston, Dallas, and Swagger stare at him from all four corners. Sandow says that he is a stunt double and he is awesome. They all attack Sandow before throwing him over the top rope.
We’re down to the final four of Swagger, Kingston, Dallas, and Cesaro. Cesaro quickly goes to work on Dallas while Swagger and Kingston go at it in another corner. Cesaro nearly eliminates Dallas, but he rolls back in from the apron. Kingston springboards to the shoulders of Swagger. Swagger dumps him over the top rope, but Kingston hangs on to the top rope. Dallas tries to eliminate him by biting his hand, but Kingston pulls him over the top rope with a head-scissor. Dallas lands on the apron next to Kingston. Dallas backs him into the ring post. Kingston comes back with a pendulum kick to eliminate Dallas.
Cesaro quickly attacks Kingston as he tries to get back into the ring. Kingston kicks him down, and Swagger follows up with a Swagger Bomb on Cesaro. Kingston jumps off the top rope with a seated senton on Swagger. Swagger tries to catch him, but he stumbles to the opposite corner with Kingston and collapses. That looked dangerous. Kingston is in pain. Swagger goes for a Swagger Bomb on Kingston, but Cesaro catches him and throws him to the apron. Cesaro tries to punch him off, but Swagger punches him away. Kingston hits a springboard head chop on Swagger, but he stays on the apron. Kingston nearly eliminates Cesaro, but Cesaro hangs on to the top rope and rakes the eyes. Cesaro throws Kingston into Swagger. Cesaro then press slams Kingston into Swagger to knock them both over the top rope for the win! Cesaro will face Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental Championship later tonight!
Winner: Cesaro
Match Rating: ** 1/4
The commentators make fun of the people who bought Night of Champions for $54.95 on PPV compared to watching on the WWE Network for $9.99. Yeah, that’s the way to get people to want your product. Make fun of your paying customers.
Renee Young interviews Jimmy and Jey Uso. They say they’ve got their face paint, their gear, and the crowd. The only thing they don’t have is the WWE Tag Team Championships, but that’s coming soon.
The Usos will face Gold and Stardust for the WWE Tag Team Championships, next.
-Commercial Break-
WWE Tag Team Championships Match
Jimmy and Jey Uso vs. Gold and Stardust (c’s)
Lilian Garcia gives the ring announcements after both teams make their entrances. Stardust will start the match against Jey Uso. They lock up, and Stardust quickly applies a hammerlock. Jey elbows out, but Stardust quickly comes back with a hip toss. Stardust misses a kick to the head, and Jey rolls him up for a two count. Jey chops the chest a few times before sending him to the corner. Stardust goes for a slingshot, but Jey doesn’t go underneath him. Jey body slams him before clotheslining him out of the ring. Goldust runs in, and The Usos punch him out of the ring. The Usos then take them out with stereo dives over the top rope!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Jimmy avoid a splash from Goldust in the corner and make the tag to his brother, Jey. Jey comes in and delivers a pair of clotheslines to Goldust. Jey chops the chest before sending him to the opposite corner for a back body drop. Jey picks up a near fall for that. Goldust drops Jey to the apron, and he elbows Stardust as he tries to get a cheap shot in. Goldust then snaps his arm off the top rope before throwing him into the turnbuckle and dumping him to the floor. Stardust bounces Jey off the commentary table a few times before Jimmy comes over. Jey punches Stardust away, but Stardust hangs on to him and tags in Goldust. Goldust slams his arm off the mat before applying a chin lock. Jey fights out of it, but Goldust quickly comes back with a double knee arm-breaker. Stardust is tagged in, and he stomps Jey for a two count. Stardust kicks and punches away at him before dropping a knee. Goldust tags in, and he punches him down for a near fall. Goldust rips his shirt off and punches him into the ropes. Jey comes back with a right hand, but Goldust quickly chop blocks the knee. Stardust tags back in, and he punches him. Stardust hits the ropes, and Jey takes him out with a clothesline. Goldust tags in and stops Jey from making the tag. Jey fights him and Stardust off before giving Goldust a back body drop over the top rope. Goldust tries to cut him off, but he takes a Samoan Drop!
Jimmy and Stardust are tagged in. Jimmy hits a pair of clotheslines on him before kicking and punching him. Jimmy then hits a dangerous looking exploder suplex on Stardust before catching Goldust with an enzuigiri. Jimmy hits a running hip bump to Stardust before missing a superkick. Stardust puts him over the top rope. Goldust goes for a rolling cannonball on The Usos, but they catch him and drop him on the barricade! Stardust then takes The Usos out with a reverse springboard senton Michael Cole calls the Falling Star. Stardust throws Jimmy into the ring for a near fall. Stardust goes to the top rope, but Jimmy catches him in electric chair position. The Usos then connect with the Doomsday Device! Jimmy hits a Superfly Splash, but Goldust hits him in the back of the head with a title belt to cause a disqualification!
Winners by Disqualification: Jimmy and Jey Uso
Gold and Stardust retain the WWE Tag Team Championships
Match Rating: **
Big Show will face Rusev. Big Show promised Mark Henry on WWE Main Event that he would knock Rusev out.
Replays are shown from earlier in the night when Dean Ambrose fought off both Seth Rollins and Kane before stealing the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Seth Rollins is complaining to Kane backstage about what Dean Ambrose did. Kane tells him to calm down before saying that he still has the contract. Rollins needs to forget about the briefcase. Rollins says he knows that he’s the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion whenever he decides to cash it in, but that’s not the point. The point is when Ambrose took his briefcase, he crossed the line. Rollins despises everything Ambrose represents. If Ambrose doesn’t return his briefcase in the exact condition he took it in, he’ll make the cinder blocks look like child’s play.
-Commercial Break-
Replays are shown from Total Divas when Natalya brawled with Summer Rae on the side of a road.
Natalya and Rosa Mendes vs. Summer Rae and Layla
Natalya and Summer Rae will start the match out. Summer quickly runs away at the sound of the bell and tags in Layla. They lock up, and Natalya rolls her up for a one count. Layla kicks her before wrenching the arm. Natalya twists out and applies one of her own. Layla quickly rolls her up for a no count. Natalya goes for the Sharpshooter, but he wiggles away. Summer is tagged in, and Natalya brings her in the hard way. Natalya hits a discus clothesline before hitting a snap suplex. Natalya knees her in the corner. Summer begs her to stop and wants to be friends. Natalya calls her a “lying piece of crap.” Summer pulls her into the corner and kicks away at her for a one count. Layla is tagged in, and she kicks Natalya. Summer then tags in, and she chokes her with her boot. Layla and Summer tag in and out, each hitting a strike before tagging out. Layla chokes her while hanging over the top rope before sweeping the feet. Summer is finally tagged in, and she applies a body scissor. Natalya powers up, but Summer takes her down by the hair. Natalya avoids a leg drop and kicks her away.
Layla and Rosa are tagged in. Rosa hits a pair of clotheslines before hitting a dropkick for a two count. Layla kicks her in the head for a one count. Summer runs in, and Natalya takes her out. Layla then kicks Natalya out of the ring. Layla then rolls Rosa up for the win.
Winners by Pinfall: Summer Rae and Layla
Match Rating: 1/2 *
Replays are shown from WWE Main Event when Mark Henry sort of turned heel on the WWE Universe. Big Show then calmed him down and guaranteed to knock Rusev out on Smackdown.
Renee Young is backstage with the Big Show. She asks about what happened on Main Event and his match against Rusev. Big Show says Mark Henry has the World’s Strongest Heart. Henry took the loss hard. They have a strong bond. Lana and Rusev want to degrade Henry and America. In America, you have that freedom. Freedom isn’t free. It comes with a price. Jack Swagger told Rusev, “We the people.” Mark Henry told him, “That’s what I do.” Big Show says to Rusev, “I’m The Big Show, and I’m gonna knocks your ass out.”
Big Show will face Rusev in the main event of the evening. We’ll have a medical update on Roman Reigns, next.
-Commercial Break-
They show the same exact update they’ve given on Roman Reigns all week.
Cesaro will face Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, next.
-Commercial Break-
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler (c)
The bell rings and both men try for a lock up, but nothing results from that. They finally get a collar-and-elbow tie up, but Cesaro backs him into the ropes and is forced to break it. Cesaro takes him down with a front face-lock, but Ziggler fights up and applies a waistlock. Cesaro backs him to the corner and punches him down. Cesaro sends him to the corner and goes for a monkey flip, but Ziggler lands on his feet. Ziggler then hits a hip toss. Ziggler drops an elbow for a one count. Ziggler punches him in the corner, but Cesaro comes back by powering him over the top rope. Cesaro throws Ziggler into the barricade before deadlifting him back into the ring for a one count. Cesaro applies an overhead wristlock, but Ziggler fights out. Ziggler goes for a neckbreaker, but Cesaro counters with a back suplex. Cesaro taunts the fans before applying an abdominal stretch. Cesaro uses the ropes to apply more pressure. Ziggler eventually gets out with a hip toss. Cesaro stomps him before going to the second rope. Cesaro drops an elbow for a two count. Cesaro then applies a chin lock. Ziggler eventually fights up and gets out with a jawbreaker.
An angry Cesaro runs into a back elbow. Ziggler avoids a splash in the corner, and he goes for an avalanche on Cesaro, but Cesaro catches him with a European Uppercut. Cesaro approaches Ziggler, and he eats a dropkick. Ziggler tries to follow up with a famouser, but Cesaro counters into a powerbomb attempt. Ziggler counters into a sunset flip roll up. Cesaro grabs the bottom rope, but the referee doesn’t see it and counts him down.
Winner and still WWE Intercontinental Champion: Dolph Ziggler
Match Rating: * 1/2
Cesaro argues with Mike Chioda at ringside about the missed call.
Renee Young is backstage with Rusev and Lana. Renee asks how they feel about the match against The Big Show. Lana speaks in Russian before saying she forgot Renee doesn’t understand, so she’ll translate it into Renee’s primitive language. History will repeat itself when The Big Show suffers the same fate as Mark Henry. He may be a giant, but anything in Rusev’s way, he crushes. Rusev speaks in his native tongue, and they walk off.
They show a gameplay trailer for WWE 2K15.
-Commercial Break-
Rusev w/ Lana vs. Big Show
The bell rings, and Big Show quickly knocks him to the corner with some body shots. Big Show sends him to the opposite corner and clotheslines him there. Big Show puts him in the corner and chops the chest. Big Show sends him to the opposite corner and hits another clothesline. Big Show hits some more body shots before putting him in another corner. Big Show shushes the crowd, but Rusev hits a throat thrust. Rusev punches him back into the ropes. Rusev wends him to the ropes, but Big Show catches him with a sunset flip for a near fall. Big Show then knocks Rusev out of the ring with a shoulder thrust. Big Show starts a USA chant as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Rusev snap Big Show off the top rope. Rusev gets in the ring, and Big Show runs over him with a shoulder block. Big Show talks a little trash before head-butting him down. Big Show shushes the crowd and viciously chops the chest. Big Show laughs at him before punching him in the midsection and repeating the chop. Big Show hits a butt bump before taking a chop block from Rusev. Rusev goes to work on the injured leg with kicks and elbow drops. Rusev continues to drop elbows on the leg before applying a leg lock. Lana happily claps for Rusev at ringside. Big Show uses his leg to pull Rusev flat and kick him in the face. Big Show then takes him down with a sidewalk slam for a near fall.
Big Show clenches his fist and goes for the Knockout Punch, but Rusev ducks it and hits a big thrust kick for a near fall. Rusev applies a chin lock, but Big Show fights up and elbows out. Big Show hits a pair of clotheslines before clotheslining him in the corner a pair of times. Rusev ducks a clothesline, but Big Show comes right back with a Chokeslam! Big Show clenches the fist, but Lana grabs his ankle. Big Show pulls her into the ring with just a step forward, and she looks terrified. Lana sheepishly waves at him. Rusev then attacks Big Show with the Russian Federation flag to cause the disqualification.
Winner by Disqualification: Rusev
Match Rating: * 3/4
Rusev sets up for a big kick on Big Show as Lana claps at ringside. Big Show blocks it and connects with a Knockout Punch! Rusev is out cold as the arena chants USA! Lana is stunned at ringside, as Big Show stands tall in the ring.
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Quick Match Results
Dean Ambrose def. The Miz
Cesaro won a #1 Contender IC Title Battle Royal
Jimmy and Jey Uso def. Gold and Stardust via DQ (WWE Tag Titles)
Summer Rae and Layla def. Natalya and Rosa Mendes
Dolph Ziggler def. Cesaro to retain the WWE IC Title
Big Show def. Rusev via DQ
Highlights: http://www.wwe.com/videos/playlists/smackdown-highlights-sept-26-2014
Mike’s Quick Thoughts
* I really enjoyed the match between Dean Ambrose and The Miz. The Miz, once again, is the perfect foil for a face. His cowardice really makes the match fun. There aren’t many heels that are comfortable being the wimp anymore. Miz is really running strong with it. I don’t think it hurts him to trade the Intercontinental Championship back and forth with Ziggler. It would hurt more if he were a face. As a heel, it doesn’t matter. Ambrose was a lot of fun in this one as well. The match doesn’t mean anything in the long run, but it was at the very least entertaining. Ambrose the fought off Kane and Seth Rollins before stealing the Money in the Bank briefcase. We’ll see if this is a one night only thing or if it’ll continue onto RAW, which would be the first time in a while a storyline started on Smackdown that meant anything.
* That was a really good battle royal to determine the #1 Contender for the WWE Intercontinental Championship later in the night. There weren’t any huge names in there other than the obvious ones at the end, but everyone worked hard and put on a really good effort. Having been to a lot of WWE house shows, this show so far, except for Ambrose stealing the briefcase, is seemingly right out of their recipe book for a good house show. It’s a glorified house show, but it’s way more entertaining than the drivel they’ve been putting out over the last few weeks. I’ll take a glorified house show Smackdown any day of the week. Hopefully it continues on this way for the rest of the show.
* Another really good match for the WWE Tag Team Titles. Wow, this show is actually good. It’s been a while since I’ve said that about an episode of Smackdown. What a pleasant surprise. These two teams went out there and put on a PPV quality performance. The DQ finish pushes the storyline further because it was a count-out that made Goldust and Stardust turn heel. They don’t like it when a non-finish happens to them, but they’re more than happy to use those tactics to keep the titles for themselves. It was the right move. All week, starting from the PPV and on, pretty much every big match has ended in a non-finish. This is the only one that I was OK with.
* The divas match was predictably horrible. I figured Rosa Mendes would be the biggest offender, but while she’s bad, the three moves she was allowed to do were passable. Natalya and Summer Rae were brutal. Just an absolutely uninspired mess. It’s like Nikki Bella and Natalya as the worst trash talkers I’ve heard in quite some time.
* The match with Ziggler and Cesaro was ok. I was hoping for more, but they probably don’t want to give too much of what they can do away. The missed call by the referee (it was nice to hear them call Mike Chioda by name so it’s not like he’s a nameless, worthless being in the ring) almost guarantees we’ll see this again on RAW. I don’t want to see a feud between Cesaro and Ziggler only because I loved the match with Cesaro and Sheamus so much. How cool would a Best of Seven Series be with Cesaro and Sheamus?
* I really enjoyed the Big Show/Rusev match up until the finish. I’m just so tired of non-finishes. Every big match ends like this. Watching the old Attitude Era shows, so many matches had clear finishes. Yes, Rusev is undefeated and it looks like they want this to be a feud heading into Hell in a Cell for the eventual Mark Henry heel turn; I’m just using this as a bully pulpit. It’s just lazy, uncreative booking. There’s no question that WWE has been terrible lately and matches with non-finishes are a major contributor to that feeling. Is it too much to ask for a little creativity? Don’t let this fool you. This was a good show, way better than RAW has been, but there are huge issues in WWE right now that need to be addressed.
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