Hell In A Cell was a solid pay-per-view overall, with one slight surprise, and a couple of genuine surprises in a couple of the title matches. I won’t spoil for those who are reading this for first-time results, but it was good and leaves a few questions and (hopefully) new possibilities! Read on to find out!
Smackdown! Live Television Report for October 03, 2017 – “Hell To Pay?”
Introduction Segment: Video Promo
A recap of Hell In A Cell with Shane McMahon, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn plays. We then see that A.J. Styles will get a rematch tonight for the United States Champion against titleholder Baron Corbin.
Arena Promo
NEW Tag-Team Champions The Usos walk out. The brothers greet us to “The Uso Penitentiary.” They ask The New Day – the ones they defeated at H.I.A.C. – to join them to converse. The trio – Big E., Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods – strut out. Both teams give props to each other for the (probably) show-stealing Hell In A Cell match they had, and that all the matches they’ve had/have are extraordinary. Jimmy and Jey give respect to New Day, especially with how they feel physically.
Just before they shake hands, The Hype Bros interrupt. Mojo Rawley says that it isn’t fair that The Usos and New Day are the only ones battling for the championships. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin also want an opportunity, as do The Fashion Police/Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango) and The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor).
The Usos challenge the four teams on the outside of the ring to give themselves a shot, and then General Manager Daniel Bryan comes to the stage. He thanks The New Day and Usos for their Hell In A Cell bout, and then orders them to leave the ring immediately, and books a Fatal-4-Way that starts right after the break to determine who wrestles The Usos for the Tag-Team Championship!
Commercials.
Match #1: Tag-Team Fatal-4-Way – The Hype Bros (Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley) VS. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin VS. Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango) VS. The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor)
(Stipulation: Winners become Number One Contenders to the Tag-Team Championships)
Konnor and Rawley begin with a lockup and then Ryder tags himself in. He hits Konnor with a missile-dropkick from the middle rope, and then Viktor enters. Zack soon switches with Chad, who takes Viktor down to the mat with an armbar. Konnor is tagged in and knees Chad, and all teams break the pin-attempt.
Commercials.
Breeze almost gets this with a roll-up on Zack, and then moves from a Broski-Boot try! Shelton is tagged and he gives both Ryder and Rawley spinebusters! Multiple high-risk moves are hit, and then Gable and Shelton hit their finisher on Tyler for the victory!
Winners and #1 Contenders for the Tag-Team Championships: Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin
Locker Room Promo
Interviewer Dasha Fuentes is outside Kevin Owens’ and Sami Zayn’s dressing room, wanting to talk to them.
Commercials.
Video/Arena Promo
WWE’s affiliation with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to find a cure for breast cancer is promoted.
Locker Room Promo
Women’s champion Natalya is with Lana, Tamina, and Ms. Money In The Bank Carmella. She says that they all believe Charlotte Flair shouldn’t be the champion; she walks in and engages in a brawl with Nattie after a sly remark about her father, Ric Flair.
Backstage Promo
Dasha is with NEW United States Champion Baron Corbin. He is ecstatic to “throw” his win in the face of “keyboard warriors and Tye Dillinger.” Later tonight, he will wrestle A.J. Styles in a semi-rematch.
Up next, Becky Lynch takes on Carmella!
Commercials.
Match #2: Single – Carmella (with James Ellsworth, on a leash!) VS. Becky Lynch
Becky sweeps up Carmella right away and pounds away with fists. She tosses ‘Mella with her Becks-ploder, which sends her to the floor. Carmella uses James as a shield and then kicks Becky through Ellsworth’s legs! She slams Lynch’s head on the apron and then brings her back into the ring.
Ms. Money In The Bank wears Becky down with a grounding rear-chinlock, and then kicks Lynch out of the corner. Becky rolls through and traps ‘Mella in her Dis-Arm-Her hold, forcing Carmella to give-in!
Winner via Submission: Becky Lynch
Commercials.
Arena Promo
Kevin Owens limps out, complete with left arm bandaged. “At Hell In A Cell, I did exactly what I said I was going to do. I sent Shane McMahon to hell! And now, Shane McMahon is gone and he is never coming back. And you people should be counting your blessings, not just for that, but because on Sunday night, you almost lost me to. Because at one point, during the match, I saw it; I was blinded by that white light you hear so much about. And I felt, I felt my soul start to separate from my body. And I began to ascend, and it was such a bizarre feeling. It was like I was floating outside of my body looking down at myself. And then, all of a sudden, here I was standing in a long, long line, at the Pearly Gates. And you know, I don’t like standing in line very much, so I was pretty aggravated. As I’m standing there trying to figure out a way to cut in front of everybody, I was waived to the front by St. Peter himself; that’s right. You know what happened as I stood there? St. Peter looked at me and said, ‘Kevin, as much as we would all love to have you up here, they need you down on Earth. They need Kevin Owens.’ And he even provided me with my very own Guardian Angel – Sami Zayn!”
Owens brings out Sami, who makes his usual entrance to a meek pop. Before Zayn can talk, Kevin reiterates to Sami that he did not know Zayn was going to help him at Hell In A Cell. He thanks Zayn, but Sami thanks him. He states the moment that Owens powerbombed him on the apron made him see how it really is. Sami recalls how he’s spent his career playing to the fans and that only led him to “mediocrity.” Zayn says that his “opportunity” that was touted to him by Commissioner Shane McMahon when he was drafted to Smackdown! never really happened, and relents that Kevin was correct all along. They hug and give each other props.
Commercials.
Match #3: Tag Team – Aiden English and Rusev VS. Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura
Orton starts out hot on Rusev, but Aiden helps on the outside to give him and Rusev an advantage.
Commercials.
Aiden and Rusev are still in control over Randy; Nakamura has not tagged in at all. English runs off of the ropes but is caught in a powerslam; Randy manages to tag Shinsuke, who cleans house on Aiden and Rusev! He lines up English for the Kin-Sasha and hits it after Orton drives Rusev to the mat with an RKO!
Winners via Pinfall: Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura
Backstage Promo
Rene Young inquires A.J. Styles if he can get the United States Championship again. He is sure he can!
Commercials.
Video Promo
Erik Rowan and Luke Harper appear in new gear. They both proclaim “there is no conscious, there’s no ‘moral compass;’ the ‘virtuous’ will fall; the ‘wicked’ will rise; broken bones; severed spines; Harper; Rowan; Bludgeon Brothers.”
Arena Promo
Bobby Roode declares that his match with Dolph Ziggler at Hell In A Cell was “absolutely GLORIOUS!” However, he still isn’t finished with Dolph Ziggler, so he says “if you want to fight, let’s fight.” Dolph walks out to no music and says that he was superior in the ring, and that Bobby’s ring entrance was all he had. He insinuates that Roode had to cheat by holding his tights to win and shows the clip. Ziggler demands for his rematch and Bobby obliges, challenging Dolph back to engage immediately! Ziggler teases and then backs away.
United States champion Baron Corbin is shown walking through the halls and gloating with his title.
Commercials.
It is announced that Bobby and Dolph will wrestle on next week’s Smackdown! Live!
Match #4: Single for the United States Championship – A.J. Styles (Challenger) VS. Baron Corbin (Champion)
A.J. governs the first bit by consistently sending Baron to the outside for breaks.
Commercials.
Baron slides in and hits a harsh clothesline! He works over Styles for a bit until A.J. gets some momentum with fast hands and feet! He low-dropkicks Baron and then attempts a fireman’s-carry knee, but Corbin drops out. He slides to the outside, and then Styles baseball-slide-dropkicks him over the commentators’ table!
A.J. puts Corbin back in the ring and slingshots from the apron with a mini-forearm! He then hits the fireman’s-carry-neckbreaker for a near-fall! Baron regains after catching Styles running into his Deep-Six spinning-backdrop! He places A.J. on top of the turnbuckle and goes for a suplex but Styles slides out and whips him into the ringpost! He clamps on the Calf-Crusher, Corbin slams A.J.’s head. He goes for End of Days, but Styles flips out and hits his Pele Kick! Baron tumbles to the floor, and then tosses Styles as he ran from the apron!
He rolls A.J. back and completes this with End Of Days!
Winner via Pinfall and STILL United States Champion: Baron Corbin
Post-match, Rene Young asks Baron if he has any words for the fans; Corbin berates them and is going to enjoy their heartache as he continues his reign to close the show.
End of Smackdown! Live.
