Who will be on top in the Mile High City?

The Last Time is Now continues through SmackDown, with Finn Balor VS Penta and Carmelo Hayes VS Bronson Reed, live from Denver, Colorado!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• WWE United States Championship Open Challenge: Ilja Dragunov VS JD McDonagh; Ilja wins and retains the title.
• The Last Time is Now Tournament Opening Round: Carmelo Hayes VS Bronson Reed; Melo wins and advances.
• #DIY VS Fraxiom; DIY wins.
• The Last Time is Now Tournament Opening Round: Finn Balor VS PENTA; Penta wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

The Vision is in the ring.

Denver, Colorado boos Paul Heyman, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed, but mostly Logan Paul. Heyman starts his usual introductions, “I have a vision for WarGames, and I shall bestow that wisdom upon each and every single one of you.” The fans boo, but Heyman says that in WarGames, five of our heroes, five main event superstars, will be locked inside the double cage! Bron Breakker will take a bite out of every one of their asses! Five heroes, five WarGames participants, five main eventers, will be locked inside a double cage, where they will be Tsunami’d, Tsunami’d, etcetera by the OTT, the Original Tribal Thief, Bronson Reed!

Five heroes, five main event superstars, will learn about WarGames. How you’ll need an evil, ruthless, violent strategy that proves you are a miserable rotten excuse of a human being, the lowest form of scumbag on Planet Earth, just someone so putrid that the Devil himself would sell out to you so that when you die and go to Hell, there’s no competition in running the place! To wit, Heyman gives us such a man. It is his privilege to introduce us to Logan Paul! Heyman hands the mic to Logan, the fans boo as hard as they can, but Logan says, “Ey, yo, Denver, why don’t you shut your mouths? Because I got a lot to say!”

Logan says he has five things, actually. But he’s interrupted by “USO~!” Jey & Jimmy walk out on stage and swagger down the ramp. They each have mics, and Jey says nobody wants to hear what Logan’s gotta say. Now, OG Heyman, you sure your mind right? Heyman’s out here running his mouth like The Usos didn’t just drop the whole crew on Raw. The fans “YEET!” for that. Heyman says first off, Jey & Jimmy made a mistake pissing off Logan. Bron holds Logan back, and Heyman says second, let’s get this straight: When Heyman created The Bloodline, he did so in order for the family to eat! So that The Usos didn’t need to live off of Roman anymore!

And now, the first thing Heyman taught them was that the numbers game always wins. The fans already chant for “O T C! O T C!” and Heyman frowns. Bron says that guy’s not here! He’s never here! Heyman counts it out: Bron, Logan, Bronson, and even Heyman himself is four. The Usos are just two. That means they’re outnumbered, and that means they’re about to get their asses whipped. Or are they just that stupid? The fans also chant for “C M PUNK! C M PUNK!” #BigJim says see, they did learn from the best. This is SmackDown, and Heyman really thought The Usos would show up here alone? Because CODY RHODES is here!

The fans cheer and sing along with Kingdom, “WHOA~ OH~!” But uh, where’s The American Nightmare? Wait! By his tour bus backstage! DREW MCINTYRE snarls as he leaves Cody a bloody mess! Logan pretends to be shocked but now The Usos hurry backstage to go find where that is! Bron says start a timer. Backstage staff already helps Cody out of his bus as The Usos arrive. They hurry to get Cody medical attention, but did the Scottish Terminator’s preemptive strike just guarantee his team the advantage going into WarGames?

SmackDown returns and…

Medics are checking Cody and Drew drives by, “See you at WarGames, champ!” Drew drives off into the night, The Usos beside themselves with frustration. Is there anything that can be done about the Scottish Terminator and that loophole Heyman used to recruit him?

WWE United States Championship Open Challenge: Ilja Dragunov VS ???

The Mad Russian Dragon once again steps into the ring, and he’s willing to face anyone that wants it. And tonight, it’s the IRISH ACE, JD MCDONAGH! NXT UK revisited, will JD bring that gold to the Judgment Day? Or will NXT UK history repeat itself here in the US?

The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and it is time to see who lives the American Dream!

The bell rings and the two circle. The fans rally, the two tie up, and they go around. They end up on the ropes, go along into the corner, then JD pulls hair. Ilja fights back, the ref counts, and JD lets off slowly. But then JD cheap shots Ilja with a body shot! But then Ilja BOOTS JD! The fans fire up, JD and Ilja fire forearms, then Ilja pops up to ENZIGIRI! JD sputters, Ilja waistlocks, but JD fights with elbows. JD wrenches but Ilja facelocks. JD fights off the suplex, tries one himself, but Ilja fights that off. They end up on ropes again, and JD wrenches to CHOP! JD whips Ilja into ropes and Ilja sputters! The fans are torn but SmackDown goes picture in picture.

The ref checks Ilja and his face. Ilja is somehow still in this, dizzy as he is, and the ring count begins. JD goes out to fetch Ilja and THROW him into barriers! Ilja falls in a heap but JD drags him back up. JD puts Ilja in the ring, covers, TWO! Ilja is toughing it out, but JD CLOBBERS him! Ilja goes to a corner, JD storms up on him, but Ilja CHOPS! Ilja ROCKS JD, but then drops to his knees from the pain in his face. JD AX HANDLES him down! JD drags Ilja up, wrenches and he hits a BIG back suplex! Ilja writhes while JD simply does stretches to taunt him. JD drags Ilja up to wrench and scoop, but Ilja goes for a headlock!

Ilja CLUBS away on JD, but JD ROCKS him in return! And he ducks the jumping enzigiri! JD drops the leg, brother! Ilja writhes again while JD takes his time catching his breath. JD paces, then drags Ilja up for a forearm to the back! And an ELBOW to the shoulder! JD clamps on a chinlock, grinds him down, but Ilja keeps his shoulders up. Ilja fights to his feet, claws at JD, and puts him in the corner. Ilja CHOPS, and CHOPS, then whips corner to corner. JD reverses and Ilja hits buckles hard! JD snarls and checks his chest before he brings Ilja back up. JD scoops for a BACKBREAKER! Ilja writhes, JD goes to the corner, and JD climbs up.

JD leaps to AX HANDLE! Cover, TWO! Ilja stays in this and SmackDown returns to single picture. The fans rally up but JD grabs at Ilja. Ilja CHOPS JD! JD SLAPS Ilja! Ilja CHOPS, JD fires a forearm, and Ilja UPPERCUTS! They go back and forth, and Ilja fires up! But JD gives him Kawada Kicks! Ilja CHOPS back! JD fires a forearm, Ilja CHOPS, then CHOPS the leg, CHOPS the back, and he dodges a lariat! CONSTANTINE SPECIAL! Both men are down and the fans fire up! Ilja checks his face, checks his leg brace, and rises again. The fans rally up behind Ilja as he stalks JD. Ilja brings JD up to CHOP! JD fires a forearm! Ilja UPPERCUTS!

The two trade shots again and again, then CHOP and CHOP! JD fires fast hands, but Ilja ROCKS him! And SNAP GERMANS! Ilja holds onto the waistlock and he drags JD back up! Ilja deadlift GERMAN SUPLEXES! The fans fire up and want that “One More Time! One More Time!” Ilja himself says he’s having fun as he lifts JD again. JD hooks a leg to fight the lift, so Ilja CLUBS JD, then rains down HAMMER ‘N’ ANVIL ELBOWS! Ilja then clinches, GOTCH LIFT SUPLEX! The fans fire up again and Ilja roars! Ilja goes to the corner, climbs up top, and SUPER SENT- NO, Ilja has to bail out as JD dodges! JD runs up, Ilja waistlocks, but JD switches.

JD shoves Ilja, CONSTANT- NO, SPANISH FLY!! Cover, TWO!! Ilja survives and JD is furious! The fans fire up again but JD drags Ilja over. JD rains down fists to keep Ilja down, but Ijla still rises up! Ilja and JD fire forearms back and fort, Ilja CLUBS JD, and Ilja has the lift! JD throws hands, slips free of the bomb, and he suplexes Ilja! They go up and over the ropes and to the floor!! The fans go nuts, the ref hurries to check both JD and Ilja, and SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and now Ilja has JD up top! The fans cheer as he goes to the very top, for a SUPER DUPER PLEX!! And a roll through, but JD pulls Ilja’s hair! JD rises to BRAINBUSTER! Cover, TWO!!! The fans are thunderous as Ilja survives again! JD drags Ilja back to a drop zone, and Denver says “This is Awesome!” as JD goes up top. MOONSAULT, but he rolls through as Ilja dodges! JUMP BOOT! Then a BACK SUPLEX SLAM! But Ilja falls, his own head and neck still bothering him. Ilja goes to the corner, and declares “UN! BE! SEIG! BAR!!” TORPEDO- BUSAIKU KNEE!! JD drags Ilja to the drop zone!

JD is up top again, MOONSAULT! Cover, TWO?!?! Ilja survives and no one can believe it! The fans rally up again as JD sits Ilja up. Ilja goes to headlock but JD slips out to keep the wristlock. JD tries the ripcord but Ilja digs his heel sin! Ilja HEADBUTTS JD, then reels him in! POWER- NO, JD slips out and HEADBUTTS! Ilja rebounds, TORPEDO MOSCOW POINT-BLANK!! Ilja then hauls JD up, to POWERBOMB! AND H-BOMB FOREARM!! Cover, Ilja wins!!

Winner: Ilja Dragunov, by pinfall (still WWE United States Champion)

Another instant classic from Irish Ace and Mad Russian, and Ilja still has JD’s number! Ilja shouts, “Bring them on! Bring them all on!” Will anyone ever take this title off the man who embodies intensity?

Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair walk ‘n’ talk backstage.

Lil’ Miss Bliss says she is very proud of The Queen for showing up on Raw. Charlotte says she’s doing this for Alexa, it doesn’t mean she trusts anyone else, okay? Sure, sure. But about that… Surprise, they meet up with Rhea & Iyo! Charlotte can’t believe this, but Alexa pushes her into the room so Charlotte and Rhea can have a chat. Alexa and Iyo go off on their own while Charlotte and Rhea stare down across the table. Can Queen and Mami come to an understanding?

Backstage interview with Nick Aldis.

Cathy Kelley is with the SmackDown General Manager and asks for an update on Cody’s health. Aldis wishes he had an update, but Cody is still being checked. But as soon as he hears of anything, he will… Aldis spots something off to the side and excuses himself. Aldis then storms up to The Vision! Heyman has Bron stand down, Bronson says not now. Heyman says they can’t handle another suspension. Aldis tells them that he doesn’t know exactly what Heyman  has planned, but he does know it’s nothing good. So he’ll be clear about a few things: The only reason Bronson Reed is here in Aldis’ building tonight is because of the tournament match with Carmelo Hayes. On that, Aldis’ hands are tied.

Kind of like they are with this whole Drew situation. But Heyman, understand that tonight is not WarGames, it is SmackDown. So as far as Aldis is concerned, Drew is still suspended, persona non grata. Heyman says yes, Aldis is the GM, Heyman respects him. They got off on the wrong foot. Heyman understands the persona non grata, Drew is not here in the building or the locker room. He is outside, and he even left, because they all respect the suspension. That’s all! Heyman has no cause to have beef. But as for Bronson, the only help Bronson needs is finding opponents stupid enough, like a Carmelo Hayes, to step into the ring with him. So have a great show.

Heyman leads The Vision away, says Aldis needs to be nicer to Logan Paul, and they go to gorilla. Will the Colossal Aussie prove his Tsunami can go a mile high? Or will he fail to demolish H1M?

Ilja Dragunov returns backstage.

And right there waiting is Tama Tonga. The Good Bad Guy tells him, “It’s coming.” Tama then heads out, only for Ciampa to step in. And the Sicilian Psycho tells Ilja, “Don’t you worry about Tama. The guy who’s taking that title from you is looking you dead in the eye right now. You’re lucky I’m dealing with them Fraxiom brats first, or else you wouldn’t be holding that right now.” Ilja says yeah, okay, sure. Luck? Ciampa really is just a jackass. Ilja heads out now, Gargano steps in, and he says don’t worry about that, they gotta lock in on the tag match. DIY fist bumps, but will they make it through Nathan Frazer & Axiom to then go for the Mad Russian’s gold?

The Last Time is Now Tournament Opening Round: Carmelo Hayes VS Bronson Reed w/ Paul Heyman!

SmackDown returns and Auszilla makes his entrance, The Oracle by his side. The bell rings, and Melo fires off on Bronson! Bronson THROWS Melo to the corner, then runs up, but Melo dodges to fire off more shots! Melo CHOPS, CHOPS, CHOPS, but Bronson SHOVES him and CLOBBERS him! The fans boo but Bronson snarls as he stalks Melo. Bronson brings Melo around to HEADBUTT him down! Bronson then stands Melo up in the corner to CHOP him down! Melo sputters, Bronson drags him up and HEADBUTTS him down! But Melo CHOPS, CHOPS, CHOPS again! Bronson just DECKS Melo!

Bronson CHOKES Melo in the the corner, steps off as the ref counts, and then runs to KNEE Melo down! Bronson eggs Melo on, the fans boo, but Bronson drags Melo up. Bronson whips Melo, ELBOWS him down, and then pushes him down just to rain down fists! Bronson HEADBUTTS Melo down, then raises the one. The fans boo, they do NOT acknowledge the Tribal Thief. Bronson hauls Melo up, but Melo turns that into a DDT! The fans fire up but Heyman is worried. Melo covers, TWO! Bronson is tougher than that but Melo runs up, FADE AWAY JUMPER DDT! Cover, TWO! Bronson survives, but Melo DROPKICKS him to the outside!

The fans fire up with H1M and says HIS time is now! But then Bron & Logan hurry out here to make sure Bronson is alright. The fans boo, Bronson shakes out the stars, and SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and Bronson ROCKS Melo. Bronson whips Melo corner to corner hard and Melo falls to his knees! Bronson clamps on with a chinlock but the fans rally for Melo as he endures. Bron tells Bronson to squeeze, Heyman tells Melo to just give up now. Melo fades, but he gets a second wind! The fans fire up as Melo rises, and he JAWBREAKERS free! Bronson staggers, Melo swings, but Bronson ducks to hit a BIG back suplex! Cover, TWO! Melo survives but The Vision coaches Bronson to keep at it. Bronson drags Melo up, brings him around, and back suplexes, only for Melo to land out! SUPERKICK!

Bronson wobbles, Melo runs, but Bron distracts the ref! Logan TRIPS Melo! As if fans didn’t have reason to boo Logan before! Bronson then ELBOW DROPS onto Melo’s back! Bronson covers, TWO! Melo is still in this and the fans fire up! Bronson scowls, he drags Melo up, and he HEADBUTTS Melo down! The fans chant, “Logan Sucks! Logan Sucks!” Bronson gives last rites, but Melo avoids the senton! Then ghost pin! TWO! Bronson escapes, but Melo ENZIGIRIS! Melo mule kicks, runs, and KNEES Bronson in the face! Bronson wobbles, Melo springboards, FLYING LARIAT! The fans fire up and Melo feeds off the energy!

Bronson is on the apron, Melo reels him in, but Bronson shoves him back! Melo BOTOS Bronson, then FADE AWAY GUILLOTINE LEG DROP! Bronson sputters, Melo slingshots, APRON DDT! The Vision freaks out as Melo goes up! FROG SPLASH!! Cover, TWO!! Bronson survives, he knows splashes, but Melo feels how close he is! The fans rally as Melo rises, and he pounds the mat. “Let’s Go, Melo!” Bronson rises, Melo runs, but Bronson denies the First 48! WORLD’S STRONGEST SLAM! Then a SENTON! Bronson goes up, up, and the fans freak out already! TSUNAMI FLOPS!! Melo avoids disaster and the fans are fired up!

Bronson sputters, goes to ropes, and Bron coaches him. But Melo hits that FIRST 48! Bronson flops out of the ring again, Bron & Logan are there, but Melo builds speed! Melo FLIES onto them all! Down goes The Vision! The fans lose their minds as Melo hurries to haul Big Bad Bronson, but that’s a lot of deadweight! Melo pushes Bronson in, goes up, DEEP IMPACT!! Cover, TWO?!?! Heyman can breathe again as Bronson survives! Melo is beside himself, but the fans continue to rally behind him. Melo talks to himself to just keep going. Melo goes back up, for NOTHING BUT- NO, Bronson dodges, and LARIATS!!

Melo is turned inside-out, but he kinda clips Bronson at the same time. Melo tumbles out, and Bron rips off his shirt! The fans boo and bark as the straps come down! Bron runs in as Logan distracts the ref, but JEY USO SUPERKICKS BRON!! The fans fire up as now The Usos brawl with Bron & Logan! No more Vision ringside and Melo hurries up. Bronson BLASTS him off the apron! Melo hits the desk, slumps down, and now Heyman distracts the ref! Bronson goes out after Melo, hauls him up, but CODY RHODES IS BACK! Cody POSTS Bronson!! And CROS RHODES to the floor!! Cody helps Melo into the ring!

The fans fire up as the American Nightmare gets outta there! Bronson is down, the ring count begins, and Heyman is stunned! Bronson rises at 6 of 10, then 7, but he’s still down at 9! TEN!! MELO WINS!!

Winner: Carmelo Hayes, by count-out (advances to the next round)

The Vision were so focused on H1M, they totally lost focus on the hornet’s nest they’ve been stirring up! Melo moves on, will he be the one to meet John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event? Meanwhile, Cody gets the mic to call out Drew! “I said I was done with you, and now I don’t wanna be done at all! And your friends… Bronson, you’re probably the best in that group, but you won’t figure it out ’til you’re looking up at the lights! Bron Breakker, where’s he at? Historically speaking, a Steiner is NEVER better than a Rhodes! Logan Paul, get your drone up, do a flip, none of us care! And BROCK LESNAR!

“BROCK LESNAR, don’t forget the last person who beat you here was ME! And not once, but twice! And Mr. Heyman, look at me. If I learned anything from that WrestleMania photo, it’s that you’ve represented every one of those guys on screen. You know what I’ve discovered is our relationship? You build them, and I beat them!” The fans fire up for that! Cody says, “WarGames, the Match Beyond, is not just a match, it’s my DAMN BIRTHRIGHT! And I’ll see you in San Diego!!” Cody Rhodes is fired up, he has Denver fired up, but will nothing stop Cody and his team as they tear into The Vision?

Alba Fyre talks with SmackDown staff.

Slaygent A wants to make sure tonight goes well for Chelsea Green. But speaking of, The Hot Mess is coming in hot, saying “they” are coming. Chelsea hides in her locker room while Alba deals with Kiana James & Giulia. Miss Management asks where Chelsea is, and Alba says she’s been dealing with her celebration details all day. Kiana says that’s convenient. Giulia tells Alba off in Japanese, then leads the way out. Chelsea then sneaks back out and says she’s not feeling good about tonight. The vibes aren’t vibing, the moon isn’t mooning, maybe they shouldn’t do her celebration. Alba says relax, there has been a lot of preparation put into this.

Chelsea says no, as the greatest women’s champion of all time, it is her duty to make sure the fans have the perfect experience, because that’s how selfless she is. Just reschedule. Alba says alright, and she goes to make phone calls. Chelsea then turns around and Jade Cargill is there! “Greatest women’s champion of all time, huh?” Well, yes, Chelsea said it. Then say it again so Jade can show you what a REAL champion looks like. Chelsea says sorry, gotta go, hasta luego! The Hot Mess runs from The Storm, but will nothing stop Jade from showing Chelsea that she IS #ThatB*tch?

Sami Zayn rallies his team.

He tells Rey Fenix, Shinsuke Nakamura & Motor City Machine Guns that they’ve had enough. Enough of it! Week after week, MFT targets them all individually, but now they’ve got a big problem on their hands! Because now these five are standing here united! They are standing here shoulder to shoulder, and what you are looking at is an international coalition! Five of the very best from around the world! One of the best tag teams from the United States over the last two DECADES in MCMG! Tell ’em, Guns! Alex Shelley says they’ve known Sami a long time, and if you mess with him, you mess with all of ’em!

Chris Sabin says that they may not be part of the same family tree, but they’re brothers in arms! They have each other’s backs! Sami says MFT made a big mistake lighting a fire under the King of Strong Style, Shinsuke Nakamura! Nakamura tells MFT in Japanese that they indeed regret angering him. And then Rey Fenix, one of the best luchadores to come out of Mexico in the last decade! ORALE, talk to ’em, amigo! Fenix says in Espanol that these five are the best in all of the WWE today! Sami says this ends once and for all! Next week, the Thanksgiving tradition returns! 5v5 Survivor Series style Elimination Tag!

MFT, you are going DOWN!! The Sami Zayn Coalition is all fired up, will they cook Solo Sikoa & MFT like a bunch of turkeys? Or will MFT give out beatings like a Black Friday sale?

#DIY VS Fraxiom!

Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa have been on edge with the US Championship Open Challenge, but now they look to clear out the roadblocks. Will Johnny Wrestling & The Psycho Killer make sure #NoOneWillSurvive? Or will Nathan Frazer & Axiom be the undeniable truth of the SmackDown Tag Division?

SmackDown returns as DIY makes their entrance, and the teams sort Ciampa starts against Frazer. The bell rings and Frazer dodges Ciampa to fire off fast hands! Frazer CHOPS, then tags Axiom. Frazer whips, Ciampa reverses, Frazer slides under and the speed blitz is on! DDT! on Ciampa! Gargano runs up, but into a mule kick, front kick, and then ASSISTED DROPKICK! The fans fire up and Frazer DIVES to take out Ciampa! Axiom DIVES onto Gargano, then sets Gargano up for Frazer’s DIVE! Axiom then DIVES onto Ciampa! The fans fire up again as Axiom puts Ciampa in and climbs up. Tag to Frazer, FROG SPLASH followed by a FROG SPLASH! Cover, Gargano breaks it!

Axiom is after Gargano but Gargano TOSSES him out first! Gargano drags Ciampa to safety, tags himself in, then goes after Frazer. Gargano DECKS Frazer, DECKS him again, then brings him around. Gargano drags Frazer up to DECK him again, then soaks up the heat. Frazer fires body shots, Gargano CLUBS him down, then back suplex. Frazer lands out, tag to Axiom! BOOT for Gargano, but then Gargano sends Frazer at Axiom! Axiom goes up and over, but into a SUPERKICK! Ciampa then YANKS Frazer down! Ciampa sends Frazer hard into steel steps! The fans are torn but DIY pats themselves on the back, and SmackDown goes picture in picture.

Gargano shows off the “Don’t Call My Friend a Jackass!” shirt, matching Ciampa’s “Don’t Call Me a Jackass!” shirt. Ciampa shakes out his arm, stomps Frazer, and Gargano bumps Axiom off buckles. Axiom kicks in return, then CHOPS and ROCKS Gargano on repeat. Gargano ROCKS Axiom, then tags Ciampa. DIY stomps a mudhole into Axiom, but they stop as the ref counts. Ciampa flexes to soak up the heat, then he goes back to Axiom. Axiom fires a body shot, then he hurries for his corner! Frazer is still down, and Ciampa BOOTS Axiom. Ciampa drags Axiom up and around, then claws at the mask! The ref reprimands so Ciampa DECKS Axiom.

Ciampa throws his shirt off before he drags Axiom up and CHOPS! Axiom ends up in the corner, Ciampa CHOPS him again, then brings him back up. Axiom CHOPS back, ROCKS him, and reels Ciampa in. Ciampa fights the suplex to scoop and SLAM Axiom! Then he STOMPS Axiom down! Cover, TWO! Axiom toughs it out but Ciampa drags him up. Axiom UPPERCUTS! Ciampa headlocks, axiom powers up and out, and he DROPKICKS Ciampa down! Ciampa and Axiom both crawl for the corners, hot tag to Gargano! Gargano clamps onto Axiom with a wristlock, but axiom fires haymakers! Axiom reaches out, Gargano keeps him back, and SmackDown returns to single picture.

Axiom throws more shots, but Gargano kicks low. Gargano whips Axiom but Axiom BLASTS Ciampa! Gargano runs up, Axiom goes up and over! Hot tag to Frazer! Frazer springboards to AX HANDLE Gargano down! Frazer CHPOS Gargano in a corner, whips, but Gargano reverses. Frazer goes up and over, keeps on moving, and he ducks ‘n’ dodges to LEAPING ALRAIT! The fans fire up, Frazer SUPERKICKS Ciampa, then he STANDING SHOOTING STARS onto Gargano! Cover, TWO! Frazer hurries to a corner, climbs up, and PHOENIX- NO, Gargano avoids it! Frazer rolls through, Ciampa tags in! SHATTER MACHINE!! Cover, TWO!!

Frazer survives as DIY decided to #SayYeah. Ciampa CHOPS Frazer down, stalks him to the ropes, but Frazer grabs said ropes. Ciampa YANKS Frazer up, Frazer lands out and slides under to roll Ciampa to a cover, TWO! Ciampa kips up to DROPKICK in one move! Then he STOMPS the hands, and he KNEES Frazer! Ciampa brings the kneepad down but Frazer PELES! Hot tag to Axiom! Axiom goes up top, he leaps, but into the BARE BONE KNEE STRIKE! Tag to Gargano, Ciampa underhooks, CHASING THE FAIRYTALE ENDING!! Cover, FRAZER SPLASHES IT APART!! Ciampa is furious and he TOSSES Frazer out!

Axiom dodges Ciampa to SUPERKICK! Gargano GAMANGIRIS Axiom, then he goes up! Axiom GAMANGIRIS in return! Axiom climbs up now, takes Gargano to the very top, SUPER DUPER SPANISH FLY!! The fans are all fire dup, but Axiom has to DECK Ciampa first! Frazer is up to FLY out onto Ciampa! A rough landing for both men, the ref checks on them, but that lets Candice CLAW at Axiom’s head! SHE YANKS THE MASK OFF!! The fans boo, Gargano covers, DIY WINS!!

Winners: DIY, by pinfall

How was this “Do it yourself” when Candice is the reason they won!? Candice just humiliated El Nino Anonimo, but will Gargano & Ciampa soon have gold for the holidays?

SmackDown checks on Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley.

Did the lighting get more dramatic in that room? Either way, The Queen and Mami just stare each other down as they sit at the table. Rhea says, “Look… Whatever went down between us, it was to prove who was the best. I wanted to be the best, you wanted to be the best, and I’m not saying that we won’t get back on that path at some point, but for WarGames… I’m willing to put it all to the side. And I don’t know whether you know it or not, Charlotte, but after everything that we’ve been through, I’ve always respected you.

“And honestly, if someone were to ask me, ‘Who’s someone that you would wanna go to war with? Who’s someone you want to stand there side-by-side with?’ I’d say Charlotte Flair.” Charlotte is a little surprised to hear that, but then she stands up. Rhea stands up, too, and Charlotte says, “Yes. Yes, you can.” Rhea says, “Good. Then you can trust me, too.” They shake on it, and now these highly decorated superstars are on the same page. But with this issue out of the way, they can all address the real problem: Who will be their fifth teammate?

The Last Time is Now Tournament Opening Round: Finn Balor VS PENTA!

The Prince and the Man with Zero Fear have fought many times already this year over many different prizes, but this could be the most important one yet! Will Finn make this tournament rrreeeeal? Or will there be #CeroMiedo on the road to John Cena’s final match?

SmackDown returns and Penta makes his entrance. Finn goes after Penta early but Penta is ready! The bell rings as the brawl is on, and Penta has Finn in the corner! The ref counts, Penta backs off and the fans fire up. But Finn TACKLES Penta and rains down fists! Penta kicks free, but Finn trips him again to STOMP him! The fans boo but Finn soaks up the heat. Finn drags Penta up, ROCKS hm and CHOPS him, then puts him in a corner. The fans chant for “CERO MIEDO!” while Finn stomps Penta. Finn whips, Penta ducks ‘n’ dodges, and then RANA! Finn stumbles to a corner, Penta GAMANGIRIS!

Penta sits Finn down, headstands, and he DROPKICKS! Cover, TWO! Penta is frustrated but he keeps after Finn in the corner. Finn kicks low, bumps Penta off buckles, and then fires shots. Penta sputters, Finn brings him up to whip corner to corner, but Penta dodges! Finn hits buckles, Penta runs to SLING-DOG! Finn tumbles out, Penta builds speed, and Penta FLIES! Down goes Finn at the ramp and the fans fire up while SmackDown goes to break.

SmackDown returns again and Finn has Penta up top, only for Penta to fight him off! Penta HEADBUTTS Finn down, then CROSSBODIES! The fans fire up as both men are down again! The standing count begins, both men stir at 4 of 10, then Finn stands at 5. Finn huffs ‘n’ puffs and storms up to KICK Penta. Finn ROCKS Penta with a right but the fans rally behind Penta. Finn whips, Penta KICKS the backdrop away, then he rallies with LARIAT after LARIAT! Penta whips Finn to a corner, Fin goes up and over, but then Penta sweeps the legs! Finn hits buckles, Penta SUPERKICKS him down! Cover, TWO!

The fans rally as Penta keeps his cool. Penta pump handles, but Finn slips through to dragon sleeper! EYE- NO, Penta slips around, fireman’s carry, and he RAMS Finn into buckles! Penta then carries Finn to center, but Finn slips free! EYE OF THE HURRICANE! Cover, TWO! Penta survives and Finn is stunned! The fans rally up and Penta crawls to ropes. Finn rises up, goes after Penta, and kicks him around. Penta frowns but Finn kicks him more and more. The fans rally as Penta blocks the kick! Finn wants Penta to calm down, but Penta CHOPS him! Penta CHOPS again, then he scoops to BACKBREAKER!

Finn staggers away to a corner, Penta runs up, and he stops another kick! Penta has the leg, uses it in the lift, STRETCH MUFFLER BUSTER! Cover, TWO! Finn survives, the fans rally up, and Penta traps Finn’s arm. Penta CLUBS away on Finn, grabs the other arm, DARK SACRIFICE! Finn writhes, Penta pump handles again, but Finn victory rolls it! TWO!! Finn SLINGBLADES Penta down! Finn gets moving, and he SHOTGUNS Penta into the corner! Penta is down, Finn climbs up! COUP DE- NO, Penta dodges! Finn stumbles, Penta has LA MAGISTROL! TWO, and Finn swings, but into the half nelson!

Penta pump handles, PENTA DRIVER! Cover, TWO!??! Finn survives, “This is Awesome!” as Penta gets Finn up. Finn RAMS Penta into the corner, Penta rebounds to DESTROYER!! Cover, PENTA WINS!

Winner: Penta, by pinfall (advances to the next round)

The first round is complete and now we are on to the quarterfinals! Penta VS Solo, Gunther VS Melo, Jey VS Rusev, but BREAKING NEWS on that! Sheamus is out with a shoulder injury! LA Knight would have been facing the Celtic Warrior, but the Raw & SmackDown General Managers WILL find a suitable replacement. The Mega Star keeps facing wild cards, but will he be able to beat them all?

Solo Sikoa speaks.

The Would-be Tribal Chief applauds Penta. “Congratulations. Tonight was your night. But come Monday, your time is up, and my time is now. Because next week, I am going to make an example out of Sami. Sami’s five against my five, his boys against my family. And he really thinks he has a chance. Sami, you really think you have a chance against My Family Tree, huh? Well you don’t stand a chance!” Tonga Loa says, “HELL NAH!” Solo tells Fenix that he gets put six feet under! Loa adds, “Pushing up daisies!” Shinsuke Nakamura will be sent back to Japan! Loa adds, “Sayonara, sucka!” Solo says MCMG will not have enough ammo to take them all out! Loa says MCMG ain’t got a shot!

Solo says for Sami himself… When the smoke clears and it is just Sami and Solo, Solo will put Sami away for good. The ultimatum has been sent, but will MFT survive the Survivor Series weekend? Or will it end when the “family tree” is cut down?

Charlotte Flair heads to the ring!

Denver cheers The Queen as she steps out on stage, but she is then joined by Alexa Bliss, Iyo Sky, and Rhea Ripley, in that order. These four now go to the ring together, the fans all cheer, and it is Rhea that gets the mic. Rhea smiles as the fans all cheer for each member of this all-star team, and Rhea says, “At MSG, the Kabuki Warriors, Nia & Lash, they didn’t realize that we were as united as we were. And that’s a real big problem for them. Because it’s moments like those that you find out who is real, and who is fake. And if I’m going to war with someone, I wanna make sure I’m going in there with the right people.

“People like my friend over here, Iyo Sky.” The fans cheer as Rhea and Iyo side-hug, and Rhea says, “Someone who is as skilled as they are dangerous. And I know if anything were to go down, she’d be the first one to come in swinging.” The fans cheer that! Rhea says, “And then we have Alexa & Charlotte.” The fans “WOO~” and Charlotte even hip bumps Alexa. “Two of the most decorated women within this division. And look, we might not be the best of friends. But at the end of the day, I know that I can trust them, and they can trust me. With that being said, that is only four people. And in WarGames, you’re gonna need five.

“So I would like to introduce to you guys tonight our FIFTH member!” The fans cheer, because it is A J LEE! The icon is here, but then so are Nia, Lash, Asuka & Kairi! They ATTACK from behind, and it takes AJ a moment to realize what’s going on! AJ hurries to the ring, but then BECKY LYNCH BODIES HER! The fans boo as The Man beats down AJ! Asuka beats up Iyo, Lash DECKS Alexa, Nia puts Charlotte in a corner, then Kairi helps Asuka keep Iyo down. Nia sends Charlotte to Lash for that HAYMAKER! Kairi URAKENS, Asuka ROUNDHOUSES< and Iyo falls in a heap! But Rhea EDDY GORDO KICKS Nia!

Lash stands Rhea up, but Rhea HEADBUTTS her! Rhea SUPERKICKS Asuka, then swings on Kairi. Kairi dodges, Becky trips Rhea up! Nia SPLASHES Rhea in the corner! Nia HEADBUTTS Rhea, sits her down, and the Kabuki Warriors shove Iyo out! Lash makes sure Rhea is in place for the A-NIA-LATOR!! Nia bounces a bit to rub it in while the fans all boo. Becky joins these bad girls in the ring, and she is THEIR fifth member! Who will survive when WarGames enters The Big Time?

My Thoughts:

A great SmackDown with just a week left before Survivor Series, with great interweaving of stories between WarGames and the Last Time Is Now Tournament. Very good promo from Heyman and Usos to set up that bit of Drew going after Cody using another loophole of the suspension. Good promo from Aldis with The Vision, and of course Cody & Usos get involved to help Melo against The Vision later. Great move for Melo to win either way, he kinda needed this tournament more than Bronson anyway. The only problem is Melo now runs into Gunther, and if the rumors were true, Gunther is gonna win out, so we can hope that at best, Melo pushes Gunther to his limit.

Penta VS Finn was a great main event match, probably one of the better matches between these two. Great win for Penta, and he might win against Solo given Solo has the Survivor Series style 5v5 next week. Very good promo from Solo with Loa as his hype man, and a very good promo from Sami’s team. But even with that good promo, something tells me MFT wins. They keep teasing MFT VS Wyatts, as well as Tama VS Ilja, so MFT would need momentum going into each of those matches. Ilja VS McDonagh was awesome, just like their NXT UK and NXT USA showdowns, but it is in line with those that Ilja retained. And whenever we get Ilja VS Tama, that is gonna be a show stealer, too.

DIY VS Fraxiom was great stuff, and Candice stealing Axiom’s mask was an oddly unexpected move. DIY stays afloat in the tag division, even with Ciampa wanting the US title, so hard to say if DIY goes after the tag titles before the end of the year or what. Very good promo from Chelsea & Alba with Kiana, Giulia, and then Jade. The walls are closing in on Chelsea, which is always fun to do on a Heel. At the same time, I feel like Chelsea could be the conduit to a feud between Giulia and Jade which could be a lot of fun. Either way, that championship celebration probably gets “ruined” next week as part of the go-home to Survivor Series.

And great stuff with the Women’s WarGames build. Alexa tricking Charlotte into a sit-down chat with Rhea was good stuff, and it was almost an absurdist comedy for the lighting to change so drastically on Charlotte and Rhea after they were alone. But obviously, Charlotte and Rhea are going to focus on common enemies for right now. As I figured from Raw, AJ Lee and Becky Lynch are joining this match, and they kinda wrapped things quick with that brawl, the ambush, and Becky shaking Asuka’s hand, burying the hatchet in relation to their own past feuds. As it stands, can’t really say who will or who should win, but both WarGames matches are going to be a lot of fun.

My Score: 8.9/10