SmackDown/205 Live Thread 12/20/16: It's So Cold In The D

[Steveweiser]

Always wanted an excuse to post that, and today's a good one, as SmackDown and 205 Live are both taking place in Detroit tonight, in one of the last live WWE shows from the Joe Louis Arena before the Red Wings move in the summer. And we've got a couple of matches set...

Before Dolph Ziggler claimed his shot at WWE Champion AJ Styles for next week's show, Dean Ambrose managed to eliminate Luke Harper from the four way contest. The Wyatt Family's henchman wasn't too happy about that, and as a result we have a singles match tonight, with Ambrose colliding with Harper. Ambrose did well to pin Harper last week with other men around, now it's one on one, so can the Lunatic Fringe claim a big win, or will Harper prove he's not just Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton's lackey?

Speaking of Orton and Wyatt, they thought they had challengers last week, as the Hype Bros won the Tag Team Battle Royal to claim number one contendership. Instead, Zack Ryder sustained a major knee injury, and so he and Mojo Rawley have had to step aside. Instead, the three men Ryder was in the ring with to end the match will get another chance to claim a title shot for their team, as Heath Slater takes on Konnor and Tyler Breeze in a Triple Threat Match. Next week in Chicago, the Wyatt Family will defend against either Beauty & The Manbeast, The Ascension or Breezango, which team will it be?

We still don't know for sure who attacked Nikki Bella at the Survivor Series. Natalya insists it's not her, but last week, she shoved Bella, which could have confirmed Carmella's claims. Will we be any closer to finding out who it was tonight? And in the SmackDown Women's Title picture, Becky Lynch got her rematch with champion Alexa Bliss last week, only for Bliss to claim an injury and get counted out. We're fairly sure she was trying to get out of the match (even going so far to say on Talking Smack that she hadn't been treated in the medical room at that point), but we'd imagine she won't be running from the Irish Lass Kicker for too long.

Last week on Tribute To The Troops, Apollo Crews scored a non-title victory over Intercontinental Champion The Miz, so surely he's the one in line for a shot at the six-time champion. Will we learn any more about a future title shot date for Crews, and what will Miz say about the situation (a lot, we'd presume)?

We have another special guest this week - Ryan Phillippe currently stars in the USA series "Shooter", in which Randy Orton recently made a cameo appearance. He's been in WWE before, most notably the night R-Truth was blown up by MacGruber, so what does Phillippe have in store tonight?

Following SmackDown, at 8/7c on USA, is 205 Live, which is back to being live this week - in this week's main event, the newly evil Neville teams with The Brian Kendrick to take on Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann and TJ Perkins; plus we're likely to see more from Jack Gallagher and Ariya Daivari, and the further tensions between Cedric Alexander and Noam Dar over the heart of Alicia Fox. All that and more from 10/9c on the WWE Network, followed by Talking Smack!

[CeilingFan]

Dec 20, 2016 8:31:53 GMT -5 Steveweiser said:

Always wanted an excuse to post that, and today's a good one, as SmackDown and 205 Live are both taking place in Detroit tonight, in one of the last live WWE shows from the Joe Louis Arena before the Red Wings move in the summer. And we've got a couple of matches set...

Before Dolph Ziggler claimed his shot at WWE Champion AJ Styles for next week's show, Dean Ambrose managed to eliminate Luke Harper from the four way contest. The Wyatt Family's henchman wasn't too happy about that, and as a result we have a singles match tonight, with Ambrose colliding with Harper. Ambrose did well to pin Harper last week with other men around, now it's one on one, so can the Lunatic Fringe claim a big win, or will Harper prove he's not just Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton's lackey?

Speaking of Orton and Wyatt, they thought they had challengers last week, as the Hype Bros won the Tag Team Battle Royal to claim number one contendership. Instead, Zack Ryder sustained a major knee injury, and so he and Mojo Rawley have had to step aside. Instead, the three men Ryder was in the ring with to end the match will get another chance to claim a title shot for their team, as Heath Slater takes on Konnor and Tyler Breeze in a Triple Threat Match. Next week in Chicago, the Wyatt Family will defend against either Beauty & The Manbeast, The Ascension or Breezango, which team will it be?

We still don't know for sure who attacked Nikki Bella at the Survivor Series. Natalya insists it's not her, but last week, she shoved Bella, which could have confirmed Carmella's claims. Will we be any closer to finding out who it was tonight? And in the SmackDown Women's Title picture, Becky Lynch got her rematch with champion Alexa Bliss last week, only for Bliss to claim an injury and get counted out. We're fairly sure she was trying to get out of the match (even going so far to say on Talking Smack that she hadn't been treated in the medical room at that point), but we'd imagine she won't be running from the Irish Lass Kicker for too long.

Last week on Tribute To The Troops, Apollo Crews scored a non-title victory over Intercontinental Champion The Miz, so surely he's the one in line for a shot at the six-time champion. Will we learn any more about a future title shot date for Crews, and what will Miz say about the situation (a lot, we'd presume)?

We have another special guest this week - Ryan Phillippe currently stars in the USA series "Shooter", in which Randy Orton recently made a cameo appearance. He's been in WWE before, most notably the night R-Truth was blown up by MacGruber, so what does Phillippe have in store tonight?

Following SmackDown, at 8/7c on USA, is 205 Live, which is back to being live this week - in this week's main event, the newly evil Neville teams with The Brian Kendrick to take on Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann and TJ Perkins; plus we're likely to see more from Jack Gallagher and Ariya Daivari, and the further tensions between Cedric Alexander and Noam Dar over the heart of Alicia Fox. All that and more from 10/9c on the WWE Network, followed by Talking Smack!

One of Beavis and Butthead's best video reviews ever

[revolver86]

Man, I totally forgot they were in town, tonight. I haven't been to a live wrestling show since Mania 23 and am always too broke or space out when they come to Detroit. And yes, it is very cold, right now.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Slater v Breeze v Konnor? That's some kind of "Press random on Superstar Select" business right there.

[Deleted]

I'd like to see Alexa show up on crutches or in a wheelchair trying to weasel her way out of another match with becky, but gets caught faking and has to defend again, only this time she gets disqualified. Which will set up a no countout, no dq match next week, because of natural storyline progression and not HISTORY HISTORY WHAT WE ARE IS HISTORY MAKING

[Hypnosis]

Why is Smackdown having guests every week now all of a sudden? 

[häšhtå.gdālėÿ]

Well, this one is a skip for me on the grounds that I can't deal with Dolph Ziggler. A switch just got flipped when he won last week, and it wasn't even an "I'm mad" thing it was a "Why should I even care?" thing. I've got better stuff to do than watch a show that 90% of the time drives me nuts.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

I can't believe how much I am advocating for Konnor to win that damn match

I love Slater but god damn it I want to see a Weird Demon Feud for the Titles damn it!!

[Deleted]

Ambrose/Harper's this week so I'm definitely going to watch.

[Steveweiser]

Miz vs. Apollo Crews for the IC Title tonight as well as Styles/Ellsworth (hopefully at last) kicking off the show in a WWE Title match.

[edgestar]

Dec 20, 2016 11:57:01 GMT -5 @kn said:

Ambrose. I'm definitely going to watch.

Me

[Deleted]

Hoping tonight will kick some life into SmackDown a bit or something, or maybe debut someone new though I wouldn't count on it. Still enjoying the show but becoming a bit disenfranchised with how repetitive it's getting and how much the lack of depth on the roster is really starting to show.

And yeah, please just have AJ murder Ellsworth and be done with it. I still like Ellsworth and want to see him stick around but very ready for this feud to be done with.

[edgestar]

Lunatic Ginge is ready

[Hypnosis]

Dec 20, 2016 18:08:13 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

Hoping tonight will kick some life into SmackDown a bit or something, or maybe debut someone new though I wouldn't count on it. Still enjoying the show but becoming a bit disenfranchised with how repetitive it's getting and how much the lack of depth on the roster is really starting to show.

WWE should have gone through with trading Zayn.   No reason for him and Owens to still be on Raw together after a major blow-off match.

[AdamAFL was sooooo wrong]

As per usual, can't wait for tonight's show. Hope AJ destroys Ellsworth and puts him out of commission until the Rumble though, I feel that story has run its course and would like to see Ellsworth out of the picture until possibly eliminating Ambrose at the Rumble, furthering their story and giving Ambrose a mini-feud before they set up whatever he'll be doing at 'Mania. At least, that's how I'd do it anyway. Miz vs. Crews I feel should have been next week to give the match a bit more build rather that one throwaway segment on SD and a non-title victory on Tribute To The Troops which I didn't even know had happened until I read this thread. Looking forward to more Becky/Alexa shenanigans, pulling for Breeze in the three-way dance and hoping for another entertaining 2 hours of wrestling from SDLive.

[Deleted]

Honestly, I think at WM it'll end up being Ambrose and Styles vs Wyatts. Ambrose is already in this Wyatt thing and surely Styles is losing the belt to Cena before then. Idk what else Styles would be doing besides facing one of those 2 so I can see him and Ambrose teaming up. Sure, they wouldn't want to team up but they'll be forced to. Orton's made comments about wanting to tango with Styles and I know that Ambrose/Wyatt feud they were gonna do this year was held off on, I can see it'll lead up to that.

[Deleted]

Tonight is a no go for me.

I'm at a hockey game, but I will follow.

[taker1990]

Dec 20, 2016 16:08:58 GMT -5 Steveweiser said:

Miz vs. Apollo Crews for the IC Title tonight as well as Styles/Ellsworth (hopefully at last) kicking off the show in a WWE Title match.

Present wrapping time.

[Deleted]

Damn, wish I could've gone tonight. Next time for sure, hopefully when it's not so f***ing cold.

[crash1984]

After last week I have decided that I am bringing the Counter out of retirement for one night.

Tonight's Counter: Sing References