WWE SmackDown Results 10/8/21 - Season Premiere Episode

WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results (10/8/2021): SAP Center, San Jose, CA, courtesy of Matt Boone of RAJAH.com.

This week's show kicks off with Bianca Belair in the middle of making her ring entrance. She enters the ring and we see Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce standing by with a contract signing set up.

Crown Jewel SmackDown Women's Title Contract Signing

Michael Cole welcomes us to the show and the camera pans around the SAP Center. We see Becky Lynch with her title and her feet up at her own table in the entrance aisle. We then see Sasha Banks standing on the announce table outside the ring.

Adam Pearce welcomes us to the season premiere of SmackDown and then Deville tells us it's time to get down to business for the contract signing for the SmackDown Women's Championship at the upcoming Crown Jewel special in Saudi Arabia.

As Bianca Belair is introduced first, we see highlights of Becky Lynch attacking her recently on SmackDown. Then Sasha Banks is introduced and we see highlights from Raw of Belair vs. Charlotte Flair with Lynch running in during that match and Sasha Banks attacking as well. Finally, "Big Time" Becks is introduced.

She says "The Man" has come around to San Jose. She says they love her and asks who wouldn't. She says she's sitting there because she wanted to get a good look at everything. Lynch calls Sasha Banks a disco ball looking fool due to her shiney outfit. She promises payback to Banks for her attack.

Banks asks if Lynch missed her. She asks if she's jealous that her spotlight is bigger than both of them combined. Belair interrupts her and says the only conversation they should be having is about the contract they need to sign. She then addresses the attacks from Lynch and Banks at SummerSlam and on Raw and SmackDown in recent weeks.

Belair calls herself the common denominator in all of this and says it's funny that now that she's in the ring, neither of them want to come get any of this. Things finally get physical as Banks and Belair collide in the ring and then Lynch enters the ring and gets involved. Lynch stomps away at Belair until Banks goes to work on her and puts the boots to her in the corner.

Belair ends up hoisting them both up on her shoulders. Banks falls off but Belair helicopter spins Lynch's legs into Banks to knock her out and then hits Lynch with a KOD to put her through the table. Her music plays and she swings her ponytail around in celebration, playing to the fans.

Rey & Dominik Mysterio Talk King Of The Ring

We shoot backstage and see Rey and Dominik Mysterio. Kayla Braxton walks up and asks what Rey becoming King of the Ring would mean to him when bringing up his first round match in the tournament later this evening. Rey said it would make him sick if Sami Zayn became king, and that's not gonna happen.

King Of The Ring (First Round)
Rey Mysterio vs. Sami Zayn

Now we head back inside the SAP Center where Rey Mysterio's theme hits and out comes the masked Superstar. The fan favorite settles into the ring to a nice pop from the fans as we head to a pre-match commercial break.

When we return from the break we see Dominik watching on at a monitor as Sami Zayn walks up. He tells him he made a good decision to stay back here during the match. He says he needs to be his own man and in his opinion, he's better than his old man.

With that said, Zayn walks off. His theme hits and he heads out inside the SAP Center and begins making his walk to the ring for this, a first round match in the 2021 WWE King of the Ring tournament. The winner of this will move on to face the winner of Finn Balor and Cesaro when they meet in another first round match later tonight.

The bell sounds and we're off-and-running with this one. Zayn goes for his finisher straight out of the gate, but Rey avoids it. Zayn ends up hitting a nice sit-down power bomb on Mysterio for a near fall. Rey fires up on offense and has Zayn in position for the 6-1-9, but Zayn escapes out to the floor at ringside. Mysterio runs and launches himself onto Zayn for a front-flip hurricanrana outside the ring.

Back in the ring, Rey comes off the top-rope with a high spot on Zayn that connects for a near fall. Zayn fights back into the lead and he runs and rams Mysterio like a bowling ball under the bottom rope, shoulder-first into the steel ring post. We see Dominik come out from the back looking at his father struggling in pain with his shoulder on the floor at ringside. On that note, we head to a mid-match commercial as the action continues.

As we settle back in from the break, we see Zayn still dominating the action as he takes it to Rey in the ring while Dominik watches on from ringside. Rey starts to fire up for a comeback and starts hitting high spots on Zayn for near falls, which brings the crowd back to life. Rey gets Zayn on the top-rope and climbs up after him. He connects with a leaping springboard hurricanrana off the top for another close near fall.

Zayn cuts Rey off and goes for the blue thunder bomb, however Rey avoids it and gets Zayn back in the 6-1-9 position. He goes for it but Zayn catches him and walks him to the middle of the ring to hit his blue thunder bomb successfully this time. Rey kicks out of the subsequent pin attempt. Zayn rips off the protector cover of the top turnbuckle in the corner and goes back to work on Mysterio in the opposite corner of the ring.

Now we see Dominik notice this and grab the padding. He goes to put the turnbuckle padding back on. Rey comes off the top with a big spot on Zayn but instead of going for the pin he sees Dominik on the ring apron and not knowing what happened, yells at him to get down. Zayn takes advantage and nails Rey from behind, knocking him into Dominik and covering him for the pin fall victory. With the win, Zayn advances into the next round of the tourney to face the winner of the Balor-Cesaro first round match later tonight.

Winner and ADVANCING in the King of the Ring tournament: Sami Zayn

Hit Row Coming Soon, WWE Draft Updates

After the match we see Rey and Dominik dealing with their situation while Zayn poses in the King of the Ring crown and robe at the top of the entrance way. We then shoot backstage and see Kayla Braxton and Seth Rollins preparing for the "In Defense of Seth Rollins" segment -- which is up next.

On that note, we head to another quick commercial break. We return from the break to a "Hit Row coming soon" vignette and then we shoot to Michael Cole and Pat McAfee at the commentary table. They run down some updates following the draft and the new roster.

In Defense Of Seth Rollins

Now we move on to the "In Defense of Seth Rollins" segment. First, we are introduced to an elaborate video package that tells the history between Seth Rollins and Edge up until this point, including his home invasion last week.

Once the package wraps up, Kayla is standing by with Rollins and asks if he thinks he crossed the line with his actions last week. He says let's take a look at that. He talks about being embarrassed and humiliated leading up to and coming out of SummerSlam. He talks about beating Edge in a sanctioned match and he is not celebrated for that, he is demonized for it.

He says for the past couple of weeks he's been the bigger man and he's come out and challenged Edge. He asks if anyone has heard a single word from Edge about that. He says he told him he was going to go to his house. He says he went there to get an answer to his challenge.

With that out of the way, he says he doesn't think he has crossed the line. Worse, he's pissed that he still hasn't gotten an answer to his challenge. He asks why he's even talking to her about this. He says she has no power to do anything. He excuses himself while he goes looking for someone who does.

Queen's Crown (First Round)
Zelina Vega vs. Toni Storm

We head back inside the SAP Center in San Diego where Zelina Vega's theme hits and she makes her way down to the ring for an opening round match in the Queen's Crown tournament. As she settles in the ring, a split-screen "earlier today" interview airs with Vega talking about why she is going to win.

Vega continues playing to the fans as we head to a pre-match commercial break. She will be going one-on-one against Toni Storm in the first round Queen's Crown tourney bout when we return.

As we settle back in from the break, the wild child from the 80s, Toni Storm, makes her way out and heads down to the ring. As she settles in the ring, a split-screen "earlier today" interview airs with her dropping a bunch of 80s references and explaining why she is going to win the Queen's Crown tourney.

The commentary duo of Cole and McAfee break down the brackets for the tourney, noting the winner of this match will move on to face the winner of the other opening round bout in the tourney set for tonight between Liv Morgan and Carmella.

The bell sounds and we're off-and-running with this one. We see that SmackDown is the number one trending topic on Twitter in the U.S. Meanwhile, Vega goes to work on Storm, dominating the offense in the early goings. Storm starts fighting back after a couple of minutes. McAfee talks about how this tourney will go down in history so it's important to be the first to win the inaugural installment.

Storm's lead in the offensive driver's seat is short-lived, as Vega cuts her off and goes back to work on her. Storm tries fighting back again but Vega counters with an amazing code red and scores the pin fall victory. With the win, she advances to face the winner of the Morgan/Carmella opening round bout later tonight.

Winner and ADVANCING in the Queen's Crown tournament: Zelina Vega

Paul Heyman Proves His Loyalty To His Tribal Chief

The commentary duo of Cole and McAfee talk about last week's SmackDown being the most social show on all of Friday night and large in part due to the first pick in the draft. We see a video recapping this and then we return live and hear the familiar sounds of Roman Reigns' theme.

Reigns heads out along with The Usos and The Bloodline trio soak up the reaction from the San Diego fans before making their way down to the ring.

As Reigns settles in the ring, we head to a commercial break. When we return from the break, Reigns insists that everyone acknowledge him. He brings up what Heyman did during the draft and demands everyone acknowledge him as well. Reigns puts his hand on Paul's shoulder and tells him he loves him. He says his cousins love him, too, and they consider him part of the family.

He tells Heyman he wants him to be wise right now. He wants him to come clean and tell the truth. The fans start chanting "Suplex City!" He addresses the chants and gets back to Heyman, saying he wants him to admit that he is responsible for Brock Lesnar's free agency.

Paul says he's in a terrible situation because no matter what he says it's gonna sound like he's spinning things. He brings up being faithful and being with his family for 40 years. Reigns lifts Heyman's head up to insist on eye contact and tells him to continue. He tries to convince that Lesnar is a liar. He says he'd have to be stupid to do what he's accused of. He says Reigns wouldn't choose a stupid man to be his wise man.

Heyman tries sucking up a bit more and Reigns cuts him off. He says he doesn't want him to tell him that he's gonna beat Lesnar. He wants him to look into the camera and tell Brock. Heyman looks nervous. He says don't worry because he'll protect him -- because he can. The fans chant "We want Lesnar!"

Heyman looks at the camera and begins talking. He says he has to give Brock a ton of credit. He tells him he out-smarted the wise man on this one but he says he knows what will happen at Crown Jewel. He says they had this conversation years ago. He talks about knowing Undertaker met his match when he met Brock Lesnar. He says Lesnar has met his match and his name is Roman Reigns. He says Reigns will beat him at Crown Jewel. He says that's not just a prediction, Brock Lesnar, that is a spoiler ... and you can believe that. He drops the mic.

Seth Rollins Wants A Response From Edge Tonight Or Else ...

We shoot backstage and see Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville talking when in comes Seth Rollins. He asks if Edge is going to be here tonight or not. They tell him he was scheduled to be here -- before Rollins broke in his house. Seth informs them he's going to the ring and if Edge doesn't accept his challenge, it's not going to be good. He gives them a picture he stole from Edge's house and says if they see him first, give this to him for him.

Queen's Crown Tournament (First Round)
Carmella vs. Liv Morgan

Now we head back inside the SAP Center where Carmella's theme hits and she makes her way out and heads over to the crown and robe set up at the top of the entrance ramp. We head to a commercial break with another opening round match in the Queen's Crown tourney waiting on the other side.

As we return from the break, Liv Morgan makes her way out and heads down to the ring. We see Carmella with her face protector on again and now the bell sounds to get this one off-and-running. We see some back-and-forth action early on.

Morgan looks to be close to finishing Carmella on the mat at one point, however shortly after, Carmella takes back over and ends up finishing her off. With the win, she advances in the Queen's Crown tourney and faces the winner of the other first round bout later tonight.

Winner and ADVANCING in the Queen's Crown tournament: Carmella

Mace With A Message For SmackDown Locker Room

We shoot backstage where Kayla Braxton introduces Mace. Mace comes in and says he doesn't see anyone in the SmackDown locker room who can match his strength. All he sees is prey. He's not coming here to compete, he's coming here to anihilate. He walks off.

Happy Talk With Baron Corbin

From there, we head back inside the SAP Center where Baron Corbin makes his way down to the ring for this week's installment of the Happy Talk with Baron Corbin talk show segment.

We return from the break to Corbin sitting in his chair on the set in the ring. He jokes with Madcat Moss about tubas and then Kevin Owens' theme hits.

Owens hits the ring and attacks Corbin and Moss but they eventually get the better of him and beat him down. They leave him laying to end the segment.

Naomi Confronts Sonya Deville, Match Made For Next Week

We see Naomi confronting Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville backstage. She asks why she is not in the Queen's Crown tournament. She talks about being a former champion. Sonya tells her she's simply not worthy. She tells her she's gonna have a match with her next week.

King Of The Ring (First Round)
Finn Balor vs. Cesaro

The familiar sounds of Finn Balor's theme hits the loud speakers inside the SAP Center as he makes his way out and heads down to the ring. Another King of the Ring first round match will be up next when we return from the break.

We return from the break to another look at the new roster coming to SmackDown in two weeks following the 2021 WWE Draft. From there, we hear Cesaro's theme and he makes his way down to the ring for the final first round KOTR match on SmackDown.

The bell sounds and we're off-and-running with this one. Balor starts off well but Cesaro quickly takes over. Cesaro dominates the action as we head into a mid-match commercial break as the match continues.

As we settle back in from the break, we see Balor in the beginning of a fired up comeback. He hits a crazy sling blade to avoid the neutralizer from Cesaro. This leads to Balor going on a hot run until Cesaro cuts him off with a big european uppercut.

Balor flies to the floor splashing on Cesaro to shift the momentum back in his favor. He hits the coup de grace off the top for the pin fall victory. With the win, Balor advances to face Sami Zayn next week in the semifinals of the KOTR tournament.

Winner and ADVANCING in the King of the Ring tournament: Finn Balor

Becky Lynch Begrudgingly Signs The Contract

We shoot backstage and Becky Lynch is in the middle of confronting Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce. She is all worked up about things being unfair and asks why Belair and Banks are both in the match for the title. Lynch finally signs the contract that was never inked due to the brawl in the opening segment earlier this evening.

Seth Rollins Challenges Edge

Now we shoot back inside the SAP Center again and we hear the familiar sounds of Seth Rollins' theme. He burns it down as he heads to the ring and we head to a pre-segment commercial break.

When we return from the break, the commentators run down some matches for next week's SmackDown and then we return inside the arena where Rollins is still standing in the ring.

Rollins goes on to verbally taunt Edge, trash-talking his family and saying he's no longer an inspiration for his wife and children or even his fans. Finally, we see Edge pull up outside in an escalade. He exits it and quickly gets into the building and makes his way towards the ring.

Finally, Edge's theme hits and "The Rated-R Superstar" sprints to the ring and spears Rollins. He continues to attack him outside the ring. He breaks a leg off a steel chair and goes to attack Rollins with it but Rollins escapes out of the ring and back-tracks.

Edge gets on a microphone as Rollins stares at him from the entrance ramp. Edge says --"you...me ... hell in a cell." He starts to show an evil grin and Rollins starts to look worried. We see highlights of his attack again and that's how this week's show goes off the air. Thanks for joining us!