Smackdown Results – November 12, 2015

Smackdown
Date: November 12, 2015
Location: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
Commentators: Booker T., Jerry Lawler, Rich Brennan

For the first time in a long time, there’s actual important stuff going on tonight. We’re getting the final three first round matchups in the WWE World Title tournament, which hopefully is the start of a shift back to making Smackdown mean ANYTHING. Then again it could just be laying the groundwork for the move to USA in January so they can pretend it means something and then drop it back to reality. I’ll take what I can get though so let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Rollins destroying anything that ends in CL and being put on the shelf for the better part of a year.

We look at the brackets and recap Monday’s tournament matches.

Here are the Wyatts with something to say, which I’m assuming will involve no selling Monday’s beatdown. Harper says this is how the world works: when the Wyatts show up, blood runs cold. Tonight they’re sacrificing the Usos to Bray Wyatt. Rowan says Bray brings vengeance and sorrow to all who oppose him so tonight they’re bringing pain and humiliation to those who oppose them. Strowman wants us to look at his face and see our annihilation because he will pile the bodies to the sky for the eater of worlds.

Bray isn’t worried about Undertaker and Kane being back because he’s taken pieces of them that they can never recover. Now he lives in the monster’s nightmares and would like to issue a challenge for Survivor Series: their family against his family, two on two. They have until the end of the night to respond.

Braun Strowman vs. Fandango

They’re Fandangoing in Manchester. Fandango goes right at Braun to start and it goes as well as you would expect. Braun clotheslines him out of the air and the standing choke makes Fandango tap (the first man to do that) at 1:30.

Result: Braun Strowman b. Fandango – Standing choke (1:30)

WWE World Title Tournament First Round: King Barrett vs. Neville

The winner faces Owens. Neville promises to finish what Wayne Rooney started on Monday. Barrett gets rolled up for an early two and it’s off to a headlock. A cross body gets two more for Neville so Barrett throws him to the floor and kicks him in the face. Neville is bounced off the announcers’ table a few times and we take an early break. Back with Barrett getting his own near fall off a pumphandle slam.

Neville fights out of a chinlock and tries to flip out of the corner but gets kicked in the ribs to put him down again. Barrett kicks him to the floor again and gets in some posing to annoy the crowd all over again. We hit the chinlock for a bit before the Winds of Change is countered into a crucifix for two. Barrett throws him to the floor again (Lawler: “I think gravity just remembered him.”) but stops to yell at the announcers, allowing Neville to run the barricade for a front flip onto the King. As in the British king.

Back in and a standing shooting star gets two for Neville but Barrett kicks him in the ribs for a string of two counts. Barrett to the referee: “How much is he paying you?” Neville’s lifting German gets two but a release Winds of Change gets the same. The Wasteland is countered into a DDT, setting up the Red Arrow for the pin at 15:28.

Result: Neville b. King Barrett – Red Arrow (15:28)

The Usos are very excited to face the Wyatts tonight because there’s been a rivalry for years.

WWE World Title Tournament First Round: Ryback vs. Kalisto

Kalisto says it’s the size of the fight in the dog but Ryback says feed him more. Some kicks to the legs stagger Ryback and Kalisto slips out of a gorilla press. A very early Salida Del Sol gets two and Ryback throws him to the floor on the kickout but is very staggered. Back from a break with Kalisto getting caught in a spinebuster and a pair of powerbombs. Ryback stays on the back with a hard knee and a delayed vertical suplex but Kalisto knees him in the head to break it up.

Some stomps to the ribs set up a bearhug on the mat as Ryback slows things down. Off to a waistlock for a bit before a big boot puts Kalisto down again. Another big boot misses though and Kalisto knocks him to the floor with a dropkick. Kalisto tries an Asai moonsault but gets caught and kind of slammed on the outside. Back in and the hurricanrana driver is countered into Shell Shock but Kalisto rolls through into a sunset flip for two. The Meathook gets the same and Ryback sets up a belly to back superplex, only to get caught in a super Salida Del Sol for the big upset at 13:11.

Result: Kalisto b. Ryback – Super Salida Del Sol (13:11)

They shake hands post match and Ryback raises Kalisto’s hand.

Video on Wrestlemania tickets going on sale.

Here’s MexAmerica before Del Rio’s match. Colter says this should be the Divided Kingdom because all of the countries hate each other. Del Rio brings up the two soccer team in this city and suggests they unite. They promise to unify the World and US Titles into the MexAmerica World Title.

Stardust now has Ascension style attire. Stardust starts fast with right hands and a clothesline to send Alberto outside but Del Rio sends him shoulder first into the post. Stardust: “OW! MY SHOULDER!” Back from a break with Del Rio kicking him in the head, followed by the corner enziguri for two.

After a quick armbreaker over the ropes, Stardust comes back with some clotheslines but walks into the Backstabber for two. A quick Disaster Kick gets the same for Stardust and he climbs up top with his back to the ring, allowing Del Rio to kick him down into the Tree of Woe. The top rope double stomp advances Del Rio at 10:24.

Result: Alberto Del Rio b. Stardust – Top rope double stomp (10:24)

Here are the full second round brackets:

Roman Reigns
Cesaro

Alberto Del Rio
Kalisto

Kevin Owens
Neville

Dolph Ziggler
Dean Ambrose

We recap Becky Lynch beating Paige on Raw with a handful of trunks, earning her a post match beatdown.

Roman Reigns talks about the WWE Championship being his Mount Everest over the last year. The higher you get, the weaker the footing is. Every time you go 100 feet forward, you fall back another 50. This Monday he has Cesaro who is going to uppercut his face off. Reigns isn’t going to stop no matter what though, because that’s the kind of man he is. As for HHH’s offer on Monday, he doesn’t take handouts because he isn’t like Seth Rollins. He’s bringing the big fight to this tournament so he can be the sole survivor.

Usos vs. Wyatt Family

The lights go out and the Wyatts just appear at ringside for a change of pace. Harper and Rowan hit the ring and clean house before the bell. Jey breaks up a double chokeslam and the brawl goes outside as we’re still waiting on this to officially start. The bell rings with Jey and Rowan getting things going with Erick throwing him to the floor for a clothesline from Harper and we take a break.

Back with Jey in Rowan’s head vice and losing his shirt. It’s off to Harper who eats a right hand to the jaw so Rowan comes in to rip at Jimmy’s nose. Jey can’t slam Rowan and the fans want Harper. Rowan misses a charge and it’s off to Jimmy for two off an enziguri. Jey’s running Umaga attack is broken up by Rowan as everything breaks down. Jimmy gets two off a high cross body to Harper and a Whisper in the Wind to send Rowan outside.

Harper kicks Jimmy in the face and plants him with a Batista Bomb, only to have Jey come back in with a Superfly Splash for two. Luke no sells a superkick but a second knocks him to the floor. A double superkick does the same to Rowan and there’s the double dive. That’s enough for Bray so he and Strowman come in for the DQ at 12:12.

Result: Usos b. Wyatt Family via DQ when Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman interfered (12:12)

The Usos are beaten down until Undertaker’s voice promises to make the Family rest in peace at Survivor Series.

Results
Braun Strowman b. Fandango – Standing choke
Neville b. King Barrett – Red Arrow
Kalisto b. Ryback – Super Salida Del Sol
Alberto Del Rio b. Stardust – Top rope double stomp
Usos b. Wyatt Family via DQ when Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman interfered

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