This week was the final WWE SmackDown before the WWE Survivor Series: WarGames (2024) set to take place tonight at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Pre-announced matches & segments for this week’s WWE SmackDown:
- Cody Rhodes vs. Carmelo Hayes
- Jey Uso vs. Jacob Fatu
- Piper Niven vs. Lash Legend vs. Michin
- Roman Reigns sits down with CM Punk
Final Womens Wargames Face-off
WWE SmackDown kicked off with a segment featuring Reha and the company making their way to the ring to deliver one last statement ahead of their War Games match. All Ripley, Belair, Naomi, Sky & Bayley expressed their feelings and told the world what they were going to do inside the WarGames before the Women’s World World Heavyweight Champion Liv Morgan and company made her way out to the ringside.
The Women’s Champion Nia Jax made comments on the previous tensions between Iyo Sky & Bayley — referencing how Damage CTRL kicked her out when she won the Royal Rumble earlier this year. Jax also mentioned the previous rivalry between Bianca Belair and Damage CTRL.
Bayley then added a little reality check about the fact that how Jax has been manipulating Tiffany Stratton ever since she won the Money In The Bank 2024. Things got heated when Ripley and Morgan exchanged words before Reha and her team started rushing to the stage to attack Liv Morgan and her team of Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton & Candice LeRae.
With WWE Survivor Series: WarGames (2024) just a night away, none of the womens were in the mood for waiting anymore as they all started brawling on the stage before security finally arrived to separate them all.
The womens wanna fight, let them fight WarGames.
Rating: 7 /10
Andrade vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at WWE SmackDown
The show then featured a singles match between Andrade and the returning Shinsuke Nakamura. This was the first Nakamura had appeared in a match on WWE TV since April 2024. WWE also relieved the new entrance and gear for the King of Strong Style.
Nakamura had hold of Andrade in the early goings of the match before Andrade finally got things in control for a moment before Nakamura took him down again.
The crowd was all behind Shinsuke as Andrade delivered a dropkick on Nakamura on the top rope, dropping him on the floor outside the ring. Andrade then delivered a moonsault on the Nakamura — outside the ring from the top rope.
Both the superstars delivered everything they could find in their arsenal but it was Shinsuke Nakamura who got the win after he ripped off the padding from the turnbuckle causing Andrade to hit his face first as his lights went off.
Nakamura then delivered his signature Kinshasa to pin Andrade. The momentum is all in favor of Shinsuke Nakamura as he challenges LA Knight for his WWE United States Championship at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames (2024) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
LA Knight also rushed to the ringside, looking for a fight with Nakamura but was immediately misted.
Result: Nakamura def Andrade
Rating: 7 /10
Backstage segment featuring Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano
The show then featured a backstage segment where Ciampa was seen extremely angry about the fact that Johnny Gargano was prioritizing his friendship with the Motor City Machine Guns over the World Tag Team Championship.
Ciampa also gave Gargano a week before he would do things his way.
Kevin Owens backstage promo on WWE SmackDown
A promo package was then aired featuring Kevin Owens where he told his side of the story about his attack on Cody Rhodes after the WWE Bad Blood 2024 PLE, saying that he shook hands with one man who tried to end his career for the last 4 years.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Cody Rhodes
Hayes made his way to ring with a microphone in hand. He said that he agreed with whatever Owens said against Cody which visibly just made the Champ angry.
Rhodes, who has been angry ever since KO attacked him after the WWE Bad Blood 2024 PLE showed Hayes why he is the current Undisputed Champion in the WWE.
The two men tried delivering every offense in their book, but the champ somehow always got the better of the Hayes. Rhodes also got Hayes locked into the figure-four leg lock. Hayes somehow made his way out from the hold as he continued to battle Rhodes.
Cody somehow managed to deliver a Cody Cutter on Hayes following up with a Cross Rhodes to win the match.
Result: Cody Rhodes def Carmelo Hayes
Rating: 8 /10
Roman Reigns sits down with CM Punk
Just a night before their WarGames match against the New Bloodline of Solo Sikoa, Reigns, and Punk had a one-on-one conversation where they tried to settle their differences. The segment also revealed that Paul Heyman has made a promise to CM Punk in exchange for joining their team.
Reigns also asked Heyman about what the favor is, to which he said let’s get through the WarGames first and then we will talk about it.
I wonder what it could be, a championship shot or maybe something even crazier…
Michin vs. Lash Legend vs. Piper Niven – Womens U.S. title tournament
All women displayed power as the match rolled out. Michael Cole also talked about an old dumpster match between Niven and Michin. The match was going all good as Chelsea Green got herself involved in the match before B-Fab also made her way out to the ringside.
Lash Legend also delivered a chokeslam to Piper Niven in the middle of the match which was incredible to see. Legend then carried the momentum forward as she delivered a powerbomb on the Michin. Niven then delivered a Running Senton on the women in the middle of the ring for a close count on Legend before Michin broke it.
Lash Legend then delivered a Lash Extension on Niven for a 3 count before Michin delivered a Senton from the top rope onto the Legend and Niven to pick up the win as the pinned Piper Niven.
With that win, Michin has now advanced to the Semi-Finals of the Women’s United States Championship tournament along with Bayley and Chelsea Green.
Result: Michin def Lash Legend & Piper Niven
Rating: 7 /10
Trainers Room segment of LA Knight
A backstage segment then took place where Byron Saxton went to talk to LA Knight after what happened earlier on the show between him and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Knight made his prediction on what’s going to happen at the WWE Survivor Series: WarGames (2024) saying that will drop Nakamura on his head with everybody saying, LA Knight.
Jey Uso vs. Jacob Fatu
The main event of this week’s WWE SmackDown was a WWE Survivor Series: WarGames advantage match. The winner of the match was set to earn the WarGames advantage for his team.
The Samoan Werewolf dominated the match in the early goings as Jey Uso was troubled to find a way. Jey finally got a little bit of the match in his side as drove Fatu in the ring post a couple of times. Fatu seemed to be unstoppable as he drove Jey into the ring, and then delivered a moonsault.
Fatu acknowledged Solo as he shouted “I love you Solo” in the middle of the match. Fatu then delivered a devesting Samoan Drop onto the Jey Uso.
He then went to the top rope to deliver a Swanton Bomb but Jey got the knees up. He then speared Fatu in the middle of the ring before delivering a Uso Splash but Jacob Fatu kicked out.
The crowd went wild, shouting “This is Awesome” as Jey delivered a suicide dive on the Fatu — outside the ring. Fatu then delivered a Samoan Drop onto the Jey Uso on the commentary table.
Fatu then took Jey into the ring to deliver one final moonsault to earn the WarGames advantage for his team.
Result: Jacob Fatu def Jey Uso
Rating: 7.5 /10
My thoughts on this week’s WWE SmackDown:
This week’s edition of WWE SmackDown delivered all the final moments before the annual WWE Survivor Series: WarGames (2024). WWE gave all screen time to add more hype to the upcoming PLE along with building stories for the upcoming WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in just two weeks.
The tension is boiling up everywhere on the card. What will the landscape of WWE SmackDown be looking like next week as we now head to the WarGames?
