Smackdown Live Match Ratings And Notes For 11/21 From Sean Ross Sapp: Debuts, Championships, Lumberjacks

Opening segment

  • Shane McMahon brings out KO and Zayn and runs them down. This is fine, but a waste of ten minutes.
  • Shane McMahon threatens to fire them, but Daniel Bryan cut him off. Bryan says that he had to sent Orton at home to avoid a potential issue.
  • Bryan books New Day vs. KO/Zayn in a lumberjack match.
  • Spending the first 15 minutes to book a pointless lumberjack match is a Friday Night Smackdown move.
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Shelton Benjamin (w/ Chad Gable) defeated Jey Uso (w/ Jimmy Uso)
5.25/10

  • I usually couldn't care less about these one on ones matches between tag team members, but I've not seen Shelton singles matches done to death. or Usos either really. 
  • This is a fair match, most of it is during the commercial. When we come back, both guys trade kicks and get distracted by Jimmy Uso and Chad Gable.
  • A superkick only gets two from Uso. Shelton moves out of the way of a splash and gets paydirt for the win. 
  • Shelton isn't where he was when he left WWE, but still not bad.

Backstage Crappenings

  • PRINCIPLES!? That's what Baron Corbin re-asks KO and Zayn. Bobby Roode turns them down too. They run into Rusev and Aiden English backstage looking for help.
  • Naomi is backstage in a terrible verbal segment. She's jumped by the debuting Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan. Becky gets attacked too. 
  • Shane McMahon leaves the venue.

The Bludgeon Brothers defeated Hype Bros

  • The Bludgeon Brothers debut qualifies as a REAL PROPER™ ASS KICKING.
  • They use a double crucifix bomb to win.

Styles and Mahal

  • Styles cuts a promo about losing not being what he's going after, even though he 
  • Styles wants to face Jinder Mahal now, but Jinder shows up on the tron and cuts a shitty promo saying he'll invoke his rematch clause at Clash of Champion.
  • The Singh Bros attack Styles. Man, Mahal is terrible.Styles hits a Styles Clash on one. 

Smackdown Women's Championship
Charlotte (c) and Natalya go to a no-contest

  • Middle turnbuckle spot is the new Tower of Doom.
  • Natalya does far too much posing mid-match for my liking. Especially a championship match.
  • This is a solid back and forth match. Charlotte does a head and arm backbreaker, then reverse STO's Natalya into the buckle. 
  • Charlotte's over-rotating moonsault works because Natalya got the knees up.
  • Riot, Logan and Liv attack Natalya and Charlotte.
  • NXT got more chants Tuesday than Saturday
  • Charlotte sells like a million bucks for Riot's finish.
  • OMG! People are ringside, we better have a seizure while holding the goddamn camera!

Lumberjack match
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defeated New Day
5.25/10

  • Nobody touches Kofi Kingston, but they all attack Zayn. Owens kicks Tyler Breeze. Ha!
  • Xavier Woods is dressed as a lumberjack. Mike Kanellis, The Colons, Tye Dillinger are out at the ring. The Colons are definitely future Bludgeon Brothers victims. 
  • Sami Zayn shadow boxes and sarcastically dances. What a gem.
  • "Sharks don't have hands, Saxton"
  • Kevin Owens gets knees on a senton attempt. That looks painful, but not as painful as a Big E suplex and splash hot tag.
  • Baron Corbin accidentally cracks Bobby Roode and all the lumberjacks spill out into the ring, then back out. 
  • Zayn manages to squeak out the win!.
  • Kofi jumped on to Rusev and English after they helped Owens and Zayn. KO runs away, leaving Zayn to get beaten up. 
  • Backstage KO begs Bryan to not fire him. Bryan books him against Randy Orton next week.
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