The October 6 episode of SmackDown featured a stacked card, comprising matches of several past and present champions. Action inside the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri acted as the prologue to Fastlane. WWE’s upcoming PLE, scheduled for October 7, will emanate from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Here’s all that took place on SmackDown October 6, 2023.
Notable moments from the episode
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Rhea Ripley looked to have made peace with JD McDonagh, as the Irish wrestler received endorsement from Mami. Ripley told Damian Priest, who questioned McDonagh’s presence, that it was her who had asked him to be present. While plans for McDonagh are yet to be revealed, he is likely to extend his services to the heel stable.
Cody Rhodes, and Jey Uso returned to SmackDown to help John Cena and LA Knight, who were outnumbered by The Judgment Day and McDonagh and The Bloodline. The four managed to take on their opponents before laying waste to McDonagh. This also saw Cena and Rhodes reunite for the first time after “The Champ” acknowledged “The American Nightmare” earlier this year.
Ripley was also seen usurping Roman Reigns and urging Paul Heyman to finalize a deal without taking permission. The riveting backstage segment would leave many guessing about the nature of the deal. However, during the melee, Heyman shook his hand with Ripley, telling her he had authorization from Reigns. This resulted in Mami telling her boys to attack Cena and Knight. So, the deal could be a working relationship between the two stables, but we’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out the exact details.
Bobby Lashley picks up win in first match TV match in five months
The Almighty Bobby Lashley had been missing from in-ring action for months now. In fact, his last televised match had taken place on the May 12th episode of SmackDown. Returning to the squared circle, Lashley locked horns with Rey Mysterio. The Hall of Famer was humbled by Lashley, who showed his understudy- The Street Profits- how it’s done.
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In the opening match of the night, Charlotte Flair and Asuka teamed up to take on Iyo Sky and Bayley of Damage CTRL in a tag team match. The Queen and The Empress of Tomorrow won the encounter, just hours before they’re scheduled to trade blows in a Triple Threat Match at Fastlane. The two-seasoned wrestlers will be eyeing Sky’s WWE Women’s Championship.
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Dragon Lee picked up his first main roster, just a week after enduring a heartbreaking loss against Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American Championship. Lee took on former United States Champion Austin Theory, pinning the star to secure his victory.
The match between LA Knight and Jimmy Uso ended in a disqualification as Solo Sikoa interfered. It ensued a melee as a bevy of stars, as John Cena also got involved. Judgment Day interfered and joined hands with The Bloodline as trouble loomed for the babyfaces. But Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes made the save. The faces took out The Bloodline-Judgment Day alliance to close the show.