WWE SmackDown live results: Wyatt & Orton vs. American Alpha

Date: November 29, 2016
Location: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC

The Big Takeaway —

Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton defeated American Alpha in a really good main event. They will face Heath Slater & Rhyno at TLC for the tag titles.

Also, AJ Styles killed James Ellsworth, and Dean Ambrose is pissed.

Show Recap —

Renee Young, wearing a leather jacket, greeted us in the ring for a Women’s championship contract signing and introduced both women. The SmackDown set is filled with chairs and ladders and tables. Bliss kicked Renee out of the ring and insulted her fashion sense. She called Lynch’s successful title defense dumb Irish luck.

Lynch said Bliss reminded her of her 4 year old cousin because she’s obsessed with glitter and complains a lot. Lynch signed the contract while Bliss mocked her for trying to be a role model. Lynch reminded Bliss she had a headline match at WrestleMania, was SmackDown’s first women’s pick, and the champion, while Bliss has actually accomplished nothing.

Bliss acted like she was about to puke because Lynch makes her sick and said she would pour ice water on Becky’s hot fire. Bliss signed the contract while mocking Lynch’s speech and said she grew up on a potato farm. Lynch attacked her and set up a table for an Exploder off the top, but Bliss fought her off and pushed Lynch through the table.

They announced Ambrose Asylum with guest James Ellsworth for tonight.

Dolph Ziggler & Kalisto defeated Baron Corbin & The Miz (w/Maryse) via DQ

They went to commercial like 30 seconds into the match. Corbin took control immediately on Ziggler and sent him to the outside. Miz tried tossing him into a ladder for some reason, but Ziggler countered into a jumping DDT. Corbin tried to attack him too, but Ziggler countered and hit a superkick. Kalisto made the hot tag and ran wild on Miz.

Miz cut him off with a big boot and attacked Ziggler (not the legal man) outside the ring, launching him into the barricade. Kalisto hit a suicide dive on Corbin, Miz tossed Kalisto back in the ring, Maryse dumped the ladder on Ziggler, and Kalisto hit the Salida Del Sol on Miz. Kalisto had Miz pinned, but Corbin hit him with a chair for the DQ.

They mentioned earlier that it was JBL’s 50th birthday.

American Alpha were getting ready backstage when Dasha Fuentes asked if they were ready for the unpredictable Wyatts. They quipped that Jason Jordan can make the Wyatts levitate with suplexes and Chad Gable could make their lights go out. All Jordan and Gable care about are the tag titles and they claimed to be the top team on SmackDown. They finished by saying the Wyatts better run.

Elsewhere, Bray was about to deliver a message to American Alpha, but Orton delivered the message instead. Basically, he said they would do what it takes and asked Luke Harper if he was willing to do the same. Bray told Harper to take care of Kane tonight.

Carmella came to the ring for a match but first, she had a message for Nikki Bella’s boyfriend, John Cena. She wanted to apologize to Cena because she was going to hit Nikki in her chest so hard with a chair that her “Bella twins” would pop out. She said some other stuff when Nikki ran out (to her music). She wildly attacked Carmella until the referee held her off long enough for Carmella to escape. This was dumb.

They aired a video package of Ellsworth’s ladder match victory over AJ Styles last week.

Ambrose Asylum with James Ellsworth

Ambrose has the same cheesy set as before, minus a plant. He introduced Ellsworth and people chanted his name. His t-shirt is too big. Ambrose told Ellsworth he needs new boots, and asked if he ever imagined being here. Ellsworth said he couldn’t have imagined this 6 months ago, but he kept coming back and now he’s a WWE superstar.

Ellsworth thanked Ambrose and would do anything he needed. Ambrose struggled to come up with a compliment, but concluded that Ellsworth must have good karma from a previous life. He also figured Ellsworth could thank him by washing his car or picking him up a 6-pack. Ambrose moved on and asked who Ellsworth was rooting for this Sunday. Ellsworth said it would be on honour to face Ambrose, but he has beaten AJ Styles three times. That brought out Styles.

Styles basically said this segment sucked. Styles said Ambrose would be better off with a ventriloquist’s dummy and at least the dummy has a chin. Ambrose informed Styles he lost to this dummy three times. Styles flipped his wig and said it was all Ambrose’s fault. Styles demanded respect from Ambrose, and if he didn’t get it, he would beat it out of him. Styles said he would finish Ellsworth after he destroys Ambrose.

Ambrose said championships are won with the mind as the crowd loudly chanted “AJ Styles.” Ambrose blew through it, got in Styles’s face, and said Styles would be looking up at him as he takes the WWE Championship. Styles pushed Ellsworth into Ambrose who fell into the ladder. Styles then dropped the steel steps on Ambrose. Ellsworth stood up to Styles, but Styles just knocked him down easily and dropped a ladder on him.

Ellsworth managed to find himself leaning upside down against the side of the ring, so Styles cracked him over the back with a chair. Styles then gave Ellsworth a Styles Clash off the steel steps and onto the floor, which looked scary as hell. The referees tended to Ellsworth, who is already dead. This wasn’t much of a segment until the very end.

Paramedics took Ellsworth out on a stretcher. After a break, they wheeled him into an ambulance. Ambrose was with them, and admitted this was his fault. He said he would fix this.

Kane defeated Luke Harper

This was the second match of the show. The previous one ended over 45 minutes ago. As usual, they went to break quickly into the match. Harper was in control and the crowd chanted “Let’s go Kane.” Kane made a comeback in slow motion, including clotheslines and a sidewalk slam. Harper cut him off with a dropkick, but Kane came back with a powerbomb for two. Kane missed a flying clothesline and Harper hit a superkick for a nearfall. Kane hit a superplex and each guy traded strikes, but Kane got the better of it and hit a weak-looking chokeslam for the win. About a 10 minute match and it wasn’t good.

The voiceover guy read an ad for Roadblock. The graphic read “Roadblock: End of the Line,” but he only said “Roadblock.”

Backstage, Renee caught up with Becky Lynch who was icing her back. Lynch said she has a spine bruise but would defend her title no matter what. Renee informed her that Bliss has challenged her a tables match. An emotional Lynch said she didn’t care what the match was and would get her revenge on “that little bitch.” Renee was stunned. This was good.

Tag Team Titles Number One Contenders Match: Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton defeated American Alpha

Heath Slater and Rhyno watched from the back. Rhyno was eating chips. Not that it matters, but Jordan doesn’t look so big standing next to Randy Orton. Jordan had the better of his opponents for a while until Bray cut him off. They worked him over until Gable hit a blind tag and nailed Orton with a crossbody. Gable then applied an armbar over the ropes, but after letting go, Bray knocked him off the top to the outside.

The heels worked over Gable after a break. Bray tossing Gable around was quite a bit of fun. The crowd chanted “RKO” during Orton’s turn, presumably to get him back on the good side. Orton hit a beautiful superplex, leading to both sides tagging out.

Jordan made the hot tag and tossed Bray around, including hitting an overhead belly-to-belly. Gable took out Orton with a cannonball outside the ring and Bray nailed Jordan with a running body block. Jordan hit a German suplex and fired up, but the lights went out and Luke Harper appeared.

Bray grabbed Jordan for a Sister Abigail, but Gable blocked it. They set up for Grand Amplitude, but Orton popped in the ring and nailed Gable with an RKO. Bray dodged a running shoulder block from Jordan and hit Sister Abigail for the win. Really good match that went about 16 minutes.

Fuentes caught up to Slater and Rhyno backstage and asked how they would get ready for the Wyatts. Slater said the Wyatts need to get ready for them. Styles interrupted and said nobody cared about them. Rhyno crumbled up his chips and got in Styles face. Styles seemed amused until Ambrose suddenly ran in and wildly attacked him. Slater and Rhyno cheered on Ambrose who beat the crap out of Styles as the show went off the air.

Final Thoughts —

The main event was excellent and gave American Alpha a chance to shine despite the loss. Hopefully this helps them get back on track. Styles destroying Ellsworth was great and the closing angle with Ambrose was good too. Nothing else on the show was particularly good, however.