SmackDown In A Nutshell: Still Setting Up Survivor Series

We end another wrestling week with another SmackDown In A Nutshell. This week’s mission: still setting up Survivor Series.

As in, both the men’s and women’s teams have work to do and members to add. Sure, we know about Jey Uso and Kevin Owens, for example, but that’s about it.

We can expect another qualifier or two before the night is through.

Plus, let’s not forget, we have the rematch between Sasha Banks and Bayley, for Banks’ recently won SmackDown Women’s Championship.

There’s also going to be more on the Tribal storyline, as we see how cousins Roman Reigns and Jey Uso function together…if they do at all.

It should be an interesting week, with one goal in mind.

Still setting up for Survivor Series!

So, without any further delays, let’s crack open this Nutshell!

Best Match of the night:

The first one, right out of the gate. Sasha Banks and Bayley.

This match tied up the Banks/Bayley program, one would think. It also sets up a possible Carmella/Banks program, based on the fun after the match.

Worst match of the night:

Flip a coin, I wasn’t a fan of either of these matches-and they were back to back.

First up, the women’s triple threat to determine a spot in the Survivor Series match. Above all else, why give this match less than five minutes of run time?

Next, Seth Rollins and Otis. Sure, the Murphy stuff furthers that program…but Otis just had the briefcase…and now he’s losing quickly.

No harm in losing to a former champion like Rollins…but at least give the guy a bit more time to work?

Star of the Night

I am admittedly taking the easy road here…but I like what I saw from both of SmackDown’s top champions.

Roman Reigns (and Paul Heyman) are doing the right things. Has to make someone in Stamford wonder why they waited so long to make Reigns a heel again.

Also, toss Jey Uso in the mix…

Sasha Banks (and Bayley) delivered another in their long line of great matches.

Spot of the Night:

Not a big spot, but certainly a notable one. Carmella is back, and she made the SmackDown Women’s Champion well aware of her presence.

Carmella dropped Sasha Banks with a nice face plant.

Jobber of the Night:

Not going to lie…really felt like Otis got jobbed out tonight.

Upset of the Night:

None comes to mind.

Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:

Tough to go with any tonight…but I will throw this one out there.

I am curious to see to what extent they take this whole tribal chief concept. Tonight, we saw Reigns seem to be unhappy at who Jey was talking to, and what about.

Botch of the night:

In the main event, I am pretty sure there was one…

Uso went for a suicide dive to the outside on Kevin Owens. It looked to me as though Jey did not make it clean through the ropes, and KO had to work to make things safe and watchable.

I could be wrong, of course…

LOL Moment of the night:

Billie Kaye, offering her assistance to the Street Profits. “I was on RAW, I know the secrets of the locker room”. And the Profts shot back?

“So were we”…

Noteworthy Moment:

I am still not quite sure how I feel about the Mysterio-Rollins stuff still going on…I haven’t been overly enthused by it, going back to them on RAW.

That said, I will say that there seems to be something bigger coming. And I am not the only one curious or invested in seeing where WWE tries to take it next.

Overall lowlights:

I really don’t care for the shorter matches.

I would, for the most part, prefer they take the 1 or 2 short matches, and instead give us one of those as a bit of a longer match.

Overall highlights:

While I may have not liked the entire flow of the show, for the most part it worked.

We had a strong open and a relatively good close, and satisfying progression for most of the programs.

After the final bell:

Overall, a decent show. Nothing really to rip apart.

SmackDown is still setting up for Survivor Series, and this edition of SmackDown continued that effort.