Friday Night SmackDown aired tonight on Halloween from inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah as we are less than 24 hours away from Saturday Night’s Main Event tomorrow night.
After the commentators recapped last week’s attack at the hands of Jade Cargill at the start of the show, Tiffany Stratton walked into the ring and was visibly upset. Yelling into the microphone and demanding that the show’s theme music be cut, the WWE Women’s Champion declared that she would not wait until tomorrow night and made it known that she wanted Jade to come out to the ring right then and there.
However, general manager Nick Aldis made his way out instead, telling her to think things through. Him and her both know that she is “cleared as tolerated” – that is, no physical contact before her match tomorrow night, as he cannot have anything jeopardizing it from happening. Stratton remained defiant, telling Aldis that she doesn’t care what the doctors told her after last week; for the storm to be strong, Jade sure seems to be a coward. Stratton resumes her yelling for her to come out and face her.
Cargill’s music hits and as she walks down the ramp, Aldis reiterates that there is to be no physical contact between the two until tomorrow night, calling for security which prompts officials to rush in. Cargill says that the situation isn’t that serious and that she wasn’t planning on doing anything, and that it doesn’t serve her, having busted her head in last month’s triple threat and tasting her own blood. Now, she knows what she wants and what she wants is the Women’s Championship, so tomorrow at Saturday Night’s Main Event, “Taffy Time” is up.
Stratton decides to exit the ring anyways to attack her, but she is stopped by security as Cargill backs away. Getting back into the ring, Stratton holds her title up high as Cargill walks off.
Cathy Kelley was backstage in the locker room to interview Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. The roving reporter of Team Blue congratulated the two on their successful Women’s Tag Team title defense on Raw earlier this week, and wanted to ask them about The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) attacking them afterwards. Bliss said that if The Kabuki Warriors have a problem with them, they know where to find them, but they’re just chasing what they already have. Flair agrees, saying that everybody wants what they have because it works; she usually doesn’t let people in, but she let “Lexi” in, and thinks the life of Bliss is better because of it.
Bliss calls her “unbelievable” as The Queen shifts the conversation to her partner’s opponent tonight, Nia Jax. Flair says that Jax still lives in fear, so she’s not healed, citing that as the reason she has no friends, believing it is “classic Gemini behavior”. While Bliss is initially confused by Flair’s words, she goes on to say that Jax has been living in bitterness for years, so tonight, she’s going to remind her why she outgrew her. Bliss then tells Flair “let’s go” and they leave, but not before Flair tells Kelley that Bliss is showing “classic Leo behavior”. Kelley then wishes good luck to Bliss as the segment ends.
Note: Alexa’s reasons for outgrowing Nia aren’t exactly true. Bliss and Mickie James called her fat and easy to be manipulated in 2018.
The match between Jax and Bliss was up next. Jax immediately pounced on her former friend, but Bliss did her best to fight back throughout, with Flair looking concerned for her partner as she watched from the outside. With Flair helping Bliss get back in the ring, the tides began to turn in the Ohio native’s favor, hitting multiple kicks in The Irresistible Force’s direction. With Jax nearly down, Bliss tried a crossbody to put her away but only got a 2 when Jax kicked out. Jax then tried to ram her body into Bliss, but she would run into the ring post when Bliss moved out of the way. With the champion now getting on the top turnbuckle, Jax grabbed her just in time to get into position for a Samoan drop. Although Bliss kicked out, Jax continued the assault outside the ring and got into it with Flair, pushing her slightly.
The end of the match came right after, with Jax setting up an Annihilator on Bliss, but Flair got up on the ring apron to distract her, which worked as while she was instructed to stay outside of the ring, Bliss took advantage by kicking Jax and pinning her by grabbing both knees for the win.
A rundown of the Saturday Night’s Main Event card was followed by another segment in the hallway between Tiffany Stratton and Nick Aldis. Aldis maintains that she is not at 100 percent to face Jade Cargill tomorrow but Stratton is intent on defending her title and beating her. Now running into Kiana James and the Women’s United States Champion Giulia, James says that judging by the shape she’s in, Tiffy Time is coming to an end, and should have accepted her offer for backup; that way, she’d have someone to blame when Jade dissolves her tomorrow. Stratton argues with James and says she can find the time to beat her ass like she did last week. Giulia steps in and tells Stratton that she won’t be talking like that after tomorrow, or not at all. Stratton, now annoyed, walks off.
Chelsea Green then walks in and tells “Nicholas” that they are 9 days from Giulia destroying “the most historic WWE run ever” as the “first-ever, longest reigning, most dangerous Women’s United States Champion”, and it’s becoming a little scary (and not in a “cute little Halloween spooky-ooky” way) that Giulia will break her record. Alba Fyre says that justice must be served, and Green wants a match. Aldis is skeptical about booking the match, but The Beautiful Madness takes a liking to the idea; if Green thinks she is the better champion, she can prove it. Aldis decides to make the match for next week, and Giulia bids “arrivederci” to Green and Fyre before her and James walk off.
Green and Fyre make fun of her afterwards, and speculate over the fact that Green will be the “first and fourth-ever, longest reigning, most dangerous” champion, when appearing right in front of them was Nikki Cross wearing a bloody version of her creepy white dress, scaring them into running away.
Saturday Night’s Main Event airs tomorrow night on Saturday, November 1st, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time / 4 p.m. Pacific Time on Peacock in the United States and Netflix in other countries, from the same venue featuring a title match:
- Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill
Friday Night SmackDown airs next week from inside the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, with the following set to take place:
- Women’s United States Championship: Giulia (c) vs. Chelsea Green
- Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax
As always, make to share your thoughts on this week’s episode of SmackDown in the comments below, and have a happy Halloween/Halloweekend and/or Day of the Dead for all who celebrate.