SmackDown In A Nutshell: It’s Fight Night For The Bloodline

It’s a big SmackDown in a Nutshell from Pittsburgh, and it’s fight night for the Bloodline!

As in…well…Jimmy and Jey Uso are once again defending their tag titles. This evening, they put them up against Sheamus and Butch.

But, if you were paying attention…the show is in Pittsburgh, and it’s giving us a birthday party for native son Kurt Angle.

It will be interesting to see who all gets involved, but there is only one way to find out.

Outside of those two big items, we’ve got some other things brewing.

Ricochet and GUNTHER battle next week for the Intercontinental Championship, but will they tangle tonight too?

New Day have an unexpected NXT tag title shot on Saturday…could we see that come into play too?

There’s only one way to find out, so as it’s fight night for the Bloodline, let’s get things started, shall we?

It’s time for…

SmackDown In A Nutshell: It’s Fight Night For The Bloodline

Let’s crack this one open and find out!

Best Match of the night:

Flip a coin between the tag matches.

Up first, the Brawling Brutes versus The Usos.

No Drew, but no problem. Still a very good TV match, and good length.

Similar length and similar quality was the six man. And, because they brawled, there is a built-in excuse as to how New Day loses at Deadline.

Worst match of the night:

I’d say Legado versus Viking Raiders…but Baszler and Rousey versus Morgan and Nox wasn’t far behind.

I didn’t hate the first match ending, because it fits how things have gone and it gets Hit Row some revenge…but as matches go, it was a throw away.

Baszler and Rousey have been looking crazy good…but not here. The Raquel distraction also just felt odd.

Star of the Night

I shall give this to Jimmy and Jey, with a nod to Solo and Sami.

Seriously I have no idea how Solo keeps a straight face.

Spot of the Night:

I shall give a nod to the faithful old milk truck spot.

Jobber of the Night:

Poor Butch took the loss.

Upset of the Night:

Like the match or not, Morgan and Nox going over Rousey and Baszler was an upset.

Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:

One day soon we will find out who is behind the mask. We do know it isn’t this Hall of Famer…

And…considering all the conflicting reports we’ve heard about the progress of Gable Steveson…how is this for…maybe the kid is alright?!

Botch of the night:

My knock here will be how WWE did a Deadline promo package…which finished showing New Day versus Pretty Deadly.

And then Michael Cole came back from it and talked as though that match was on the show, but not featured in the package.

LOL Moment of the night:

Yes, the milk shot was good and nostalgia.

But for me, I will take the family reunion.

Noteworthy Moment:

Well…this certainly feels like Karrion Kross is telling Rey someone needs to put him out of his misery…

Equally, this is interesting. Sami going to get cleaned up?

Plus…John Cena back to close out 2022? Interesting.

I have to think this is more than to pop a rating on a night that might not be drawing the eyeballs. Is Cena coming back for the Rumble?

With Theory on RAW…this won’t be setting up THAT match…right?

Overall lowlights:

A couple kind of duds in the matches, but I’ve said all I needed to say there.

Less a lowlight, more confusion…but Steveson has been drafted to RAW (way back when). Then appeared sporadically.

Since, we’ve heard that he’s both doing badly, and was injured and is now doing OK.

Now he’s on SmackDown, random and unannounced, and we are wondering…one-off, or more?

In fairness, not a lowlight. Maybe more a “huh?” or a borderline botch.

Overall highlights:

Forgetting the issues with where and how and all…getting Steveson onto TV again is good. He didn’t look too awkward.

Seeing him alongside Angle, I can’t help but wonder if we will see Angle and Steveson similar to Corbin and JBL.

I would not be opposed to it…nor would I hate some semblance of a World’s Greatest Tag Team reformation. As bright a future as Gable likely has…having him work with a vet or two will help ease things.

Sami…The Bloodline…need I say more? Next week with Reigns back on the show in Chicago (interesting…) should be good.

After the final bell:

On one hand, the tag team fanboy here loves seeing tag matches carry the show.

But…we did have a lot of them, for a two hour show that was capped off by a non-wrestling main event.

With Steveson side by side with Kurt to vanquish Alpha Academy…will we see a tag match debut for Gable soon? Rumble perhaps?

I will give WWE credit…with a lack of PLE in December, they are getting creative to keep things interesting.

It was a big fight night for the Bloodline…and for Kurt Angle too.