WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS: Rouseys Open Challenge Brings About a Face from the Evolution (October 28th 2022)
Welcome all to this weeks Smackdown report, with apologies for the delays due to work commitments. Again, there was plenty going on womens wise on the blue brand, including the welcome return of a formerly released and much missed talent for Ronda Rouseys Open Challenge for her Championship. Plus, B Fab and Zelina, Liv and Sonya and Natalya and Shayna Baszler all get physical, Scarlett and Karrion Kross get up to their usual chaos and Maxxine Dupri faces a post LA Knight split shortcoming.
The first womens appearance of the evening goes to Sarah Rowe, as another hype vignette happens to hype her re-arrival alongside the more vicious Viking Raiders. Sarah can be heard mentioning how tonight they celebrate the gods, for without their guidance they would be blind. Erik and Ivar declare that with the gods, they now see. Sarah concludes that the gods have opened their eyes, and Valhalla awaits.
Another womens appearance quickly follows in the form of Maxxine Dupri, accompanying Mansoor and Mace of Maximum Male Models to in ring competition against the New Day. Maxxine is shown having to try and compose herself after her comrades lose, with Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston picking up the win over the heel duo instead.
A little later, Kayla Braxton welcomes Sonya Deville into the backstage ring for an interview. She asks the once Authority figure if she looks to answer Ronda’s later open challenge, but Sonya isnt impressed at Kayla giving out that question, because why would she tell Kayla and ruin the element of surprise? But she can inform Kayla as to who wont be answering, and that is Liv Morgan. Liv had one loss at Extreme Rules, and come out of it broken, broken after carrying a championship she didnt deserve, which Sonya knows and Kayla knows too. Kayla says nothing, just exiting the set as a rageful Liv Morgan heads over to brawl again with Sonya. Sonya tries to one up Liv by driving her back first into nearby equipment but Liv shakes it off and goes back to a fast flurry of shots. Liv then takes the scrap to the floor, with officials, Jessicka Carr included, rushing in to attempt to separate both ladies. Adam Pearce tries to keep back Liv but she gets loose and charges back to Sonya again, but Pearce joins another official in forcing Liv back, while Jessicka gets some help in restraining Sonya.
Shortly after that, out comes the Smackdown Womens Champion Ronda Rousey, introduced by Samantha Irvin as she executes her open challenge, which had been pre revealed last week. Ronda enters to more boos than cheers, and more boos ring out when she declares that the belt is back where it belongs. The WWE Universe are in luck because shes in the mood to prove it with an open challenge, though she does not expect the fans to be grateful to have an actual active champion who defends the title at a moments notice. She doesnt expect the fans to recognise that because only the greatest recognise greatness and they are all too mediocre to know what they are looking at. She wishes to get the formalities out of the way and asks which woman is lucky enough tonight.
Answering to that open challenge, as rumored, and to a new theme song, is the returning face, Emma, formerly Tenille Dashwood. One of a few women involved in the Womens Evolution in NXT makes her way to the ring to face Ronda in what is her first match against Ronda, and her first match in a WWE ring in five years.
We return to see Jessicka Carr in the middle of the ring, raising Ronda’s championship in the air before the bell is officially rung and Ronda’s first defense since her title win, and Emma’s return match gets underway. Emma and Ronda lock up to kick things off, followed with Ronda getting the upper hand and taking Emma into a corner. Ronda agrees to release, backs away to let Emma out then they lock up once again, with Ronda one upping Emma again, but with arm drags then a face palm to drive her downward to the mat. Ronda floats into her own Pipers Pit set up, but Emma slides down Ronda’s back to get free then scores a surprise roll up on Ronda of which the champion escapes before the count of two. Emma attempts another roll up, but it ends with another early kick out by Ronda before two.
Ronda knocks Emma with a single kick, then mouths off as Emma rolls outside to regroup. Ronda follows her out then gets relentless as she drives Emma into the steel steps from the commentary table side, going for a running knee afterwards to Emma only for Emma to get out of harms way, leading to Ronda’s knee meeting the steel instead. Emma rolls a now hurt Ronda into the ring and re-enters the ring before the count of eight, dodging Ronda’s attempted corner attack and momentarily locking the Tarantula on Ronda from behind the ropes. Emma releases from Ronda and ends up heading to the top rope, then connecting with a leaping crossbody onto Ronda which gets Emma her first near fall of the match.
Emma attempts her crossbody in the corner but Ronda appears to have strategised as she kicks Emma and delays a possible connection. Ronda slides to the outside, kneeing Emma from there then chokes Emma on the ropes before knocking her back into the ring with a running knee. Ronda rolls Emma into a fresh submission but Emma manages to separate and starts to fend off Ronda, firstly with a back kick then a rebound clothesline coming off a jumping knee from Ronda. When Emma gets to her feet, she meets Ronda with a load of forearms, then ducks a clothesline coming off Ronda’s whip reversal, taking to the ropes herself then headscissoring her way into a Side Russian Leg Sweep that takes Ronda down. Emma ends up atop Ronda for a cover, another which ends with Ronda kicking out at two.
Ronda escapes a far corner to again avoid taking the corner crossbody, then pulls Emma from that corner via an ankle lock. Emma rolls through and almost hurls Ronda into another corner, almost as Ronda blocks meeting the corner. Emma ducks to avoid Ronda’s follow up kick then suplexes her out of the corner. With Ronda impacted by that, Emma takes advantage of Ronda’s grogginess to connect with her crossbody to the defending champ in another corner, a new pin attempt then following which Ronda kicks out of moments before a count of three. Emma double underhooks Ronda right after, but Ronda blocks her oncoming move, transitions into Pipers Pit but then finds her opponent escaping from it. Ronda avoids Emma’s offense and pushes her to the ropes, raking the eyes of Emma which goes unseen. A gloating Ronda teeters over to Emma, scoops her up and slams her via Pipers Pit, then finalising with the armbar to make the Aussie tap out. Ronda wins the match, retaining the Smackdown Womens Championship.
Ronda then makes her way backstage, holding her retained championship and greeted by a praise full Shayna Baszler, who compliments her performance. They hug and Shayna mocks Emma, calling her the new girl whose name she supposedly doesnt know. Natalya walks into the scene, and she confronts Ronda. She doesnt know if Ronda is the baddest woman on the planet, or the luckiest, because if Natalya had been the one who answered the open challenge, she’d be champion right now. Shayna sneaks up behind the Queen of Harts then ambushes her once tag team partner, eventually causing her to fade via Submission. Ronda compliments Shayna over her regained ruthlessness, that that is who she missed, then they leave alongside one another.
Following is an appearance by Zelina Vega, as Legado Del Fantasma are accompanied by their new associate for in ring action, the group taking on Hit Rows Ashante Adonis and Top Dolla, who have a mystery partner as enlisted by B Fab. B Fab joins Top Dolla and Ashante as they make their way to the ring, then their comrade and partner for the night is revealed to be Shinsuke Nakamura. Pre Bell, Hit Row and Shinsuke ambush Legado, and all the boys go at it, B Fab urging Zelina for a fight but she casually stays put on the outside. When Zelina sees Hit Row one upped by Shinsuke and Hit Row, she enters the ring to try and get Santos to re-focus, only to turn and step into a pump kick from B Fab. Zelina is down, B Fab is laughing and the crew from Hit Row join in Shinsukes taunt towards Santos heading into the commercial break.
When we return, that Six Man Tag gets underway between Hit Row and Shinsuke and the Male Members of Legado Del Fantasma. Unfortunately for Legado Del Fantasma, its not a successful outcome this time around, as Shinsuke levels Cruz Del Toro in the final moments with a Kinshasa for the three count. Shinsuke and Hit Row win the match.
We also see Scarlett this week, accompanying Karrion Kross as the former NXT Champion clashes with Madcap Moss in his first match back ahead of Crown Jewel. Kross not only gets the submission win in the end over Moss, compliments to a distraction from Scarlett, but warns Drew McIntyre post match in a promo with him still clasped to and choking out the already defeated Madcap Moss.
(The New Day vs Mace and Mansoor w/ Maxxine Dupri)
(Mansoor, Mace and Maxxine Dupri on Smackdown Fallout)
(Sonya Deville, Liv Morgan, Adam Pearce and Jessicka Carr Backstage Segment)
(Emma vs Ronda Rousey; WWE Smackdown Womens Championship Match)
(Emma on Smackdown Fallout)
(Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler and Natalya Backstage Segment)
(Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde w/ Zelina Vega vs Ashante Adonis, Top Dolla and Shinsuke Nakamura w/ B Fab)
(Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett vs Madcap Moss)
Thoughts On This Match:
While i wish the crowd were more amped for Emma’s return, im happy to see her back. I was hoping for either a DQ or a no contest to close rather than Emma taking a loss in her return match, but i can totally see Triple H having Ronda go over one of the women credited for the womens evolution in NXT as a way of giving more heat to Ronda. I would have rather seen Dana return to Smackdown to save Emma from Ronda and put aside past differences, or Summer Rae even return to make the save because they have history, are real life best friends and now WWE has a Womens Tag Team Division, even if sparse, it’d be an opportune time. Summer and Emma might not be able to beat Ronda and Shayna, nor Dana and Emma, but they are two NXT OG’s whereas Shayna was a part of NXT’s follow up generation. I cant see Summer returning to the company on a full time basis to be honest but id love for it to happen, or a Dana and Emma reunion alternatively. At the moment it looks like Natalya is turning face and maybe challenging Ronda at Crown Jewel, or shes teaming with Emma against Ronda and Shayna. I think two storylines could easily be set up there, from Natalya getting sick of Emma being credited over the Womens Evolution over her and turning on her, to Shayna eventually turning on Ronda. Heck, maybe our Rumble winner for next year is Shayna, especially after being robbed by Charlotte years back, but time will tell.
– Catherine
Cattie's Womens Wrestling 