WWE SmackDown Review - October 29, 2015

Was it trick or treat for Dolph Ziggler and The Miz?

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Roman Reigns def. Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens by Count-out (Non-title)

What will it take for WWE to learn not to give Reigns a live mic in front of an audience? The crowd didn't roast him as much as they've done in the past, but it's never a good idea, especially when it's not kept brief and to the point. On the bright side, Owens received some meaningful mic time for the first time in recent memory and he made the most of the opportunity. The subsequent match they contested was quite good and part of it was due to it being something we've never seen before in a singles match. Thankfully, Owens wasn't pinned, so both men were wisely protected here.

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The Lucha Dragons def. The Ascension, The Dudley Boyz, and Sheamus & King Barrett in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match

It was slightly strange that there was nothing on the line in this match, but it just goes to show how stacked the tag team division is right now. It's filled with talent and it's nice that other teams are getting spotlight including the Dragons who surprisingly picked up the win here. The Dudley Boyz are apparently feuding with Sheamus and Barrett, so neither duo lost anything in losing here. It was a fun four-way, but the best part about it was The New Day on commentary. They're a riot behind the booth and their commentary work in this match only solidified why they're the best thing going in WWE right now (see RJ's latest article for more on that).

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The Wyatt Family stand over a fallen Cesaro.

Dolph Ziggler def. The Miz in a "Trick or Treat" Street Fight

Are Ziggler and Miz involved in a program right now? No. Was this match completely necessary? No. But dammit I love Halloween so I couldn't care less. I always enjoy these type of matches when it comes to the holidays and although it didn't last long, it was kept short and sweet (like candy!). We also got some storyline progression with Tyler Breeze attacking Ziggler after the bout and showing new-found aggression, but I hope it's not long before we hear him speak for the first time (on the main roster, that is). 


Paige def. Natalya

Only days after Paige turns heel, they seemingly give us the blow-off in her feud with Natalya that's been building for about a month. It could be continuing past this point, but based off what happened afterward, it looks like she's transitioning into a rivalry with Team B.A.D., so this was somewhat of a waste. The match wasn't bad by any means, but it was way too short to be anything of note. Hey, at least Paige didn't lose coming off her hot heel turn! That's certainly a start.


United States Champion Alberto Del Rio def. R-Truth (Non-title)

I'm still of two minds on Del Rio being back. Good for him that he's making much more money than he was before, but he was played out when he left last year. Sure, he's a great wrestler and we got more of a taste of that in this quick squash match, but I need more than this "MexAmerica" angle to really get invested. That's not enough and I fear they're only doing it in light of what's going on with Donald Trump right now. We'll see where it leads, but on the bright side, seeing Del Rio show off his skills in the ring is always a treat.


The Wyatt Family def. Dean Ambrose, Cesaro and Ryback

It's too bad six-man tag team matches are done to death in WWE otherwise this would have felt more special had they not been done every week. That said, I absolutely love the idea of Braun Strowman, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan wrestling together while Bray Wyatt watches from ringside. That's how it was when Wyatt first arrived on the scene and the less wrestling his character does, the more meaningful it is when he steps through those ropes. It was a standard six-man for the first half, but all hell broke loose down the stretch and made for a fantastic final few minutes. The chaos that ensued was extremely entertaining to watch and The Wyatt Family were the right team to go over.


​Overall Show

I figured going in that this was going to be a throwaway show given that it was holiday-themed, but I liked it for what it was. Granted, I'm bias because I love Halloween, but for those that don't, the only thing I'd suggest checking out would be the main event. All six competitors deserve credit for putting forth an incredible effort, but the rest of the show is mostly missable (with the exception of The New Day's hilarious commentary). Happy Halloween, folks!

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