WWE Super Show-Down preview

On Saturday, October 6, the WWE Network presents Super Show-Down. This is a live pay-per-view from Melbourne, Australia and also one of those shows that’s technically a “glorified house show.” But this “glorified house show” has one hell of a card — one that includes The Undertaker and a returning John Cena — really living up to the “super” part of its name. Let’s look at the match-ups... 

Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy, for the Cruiserweight Championship (205 Live)
The story: Buddy Murphy is WWE’s “Best Kept Secret,” and since 205 Live, in general, is also WWE’s best kept secret, that should tell you just how good he actually is. (He’s very good.) Cedric Alexander, however, has been the Cruiserweight Champion since WrestleMania and has had to deal with sociopath Drew Gulak and narcissist Buddy Murphy coming for his championship from all angles. He’s just recently finally put Gulak in the rear view, and now it’s time to move on from Murphy, once and for all.
Prediction: This match should honestly be dope provided it’s treated like “a weekly 205 Live match” and not “a 205 Live match on the Kickoff Show, if we can remember it.” (I guess the fact that this is actually even booked on the show, unlike the United States Championship, is a good-ish sign.) Buddy Murphy being the hometown boy also should help get the crowd into it. As for the whole hometown-advantage-actually-being-a-disadvantage in WWE, I feel like it’s actually been a while since that’s actually been the case. As someone who actually does watch 205 Live, I can say it needs a shake-up, and Buddy Murphy as champion could be that shake-up. But the real shake-up should be someone like Alexander or Murphy being allowed back on RAW. And not as someone physically bigger’s manager. 

The New Day (c) vs. The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro), for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship (SmackDown)
The story: The New Day needed competition, and The Bar they are definitely competition. Seriously: There was a tournament for #1 contendership and The Bar won that tournament, and now they’re having a match at Super Show-Down.
Prediction: Sorry, Sheamus and Cesaro: New Day rocks. 

Bobby Lashley & John Cena vs. Elias & Kevin Owens (RAW)
The story: Well, in the case of John Cena, he just needed a match for this card. But Lashley (along with 205 Live star Lio Rush), Elias, and Kevin Owens all have something going on right now. Owens wants revenge, because he blames Lashley for his best friend Sami Zayn being sidelined with an injury. Elias also wants revenge, because Lashley has been interrupting his concerts regularly, and it’s not like he was given any explicit permission to “walk with Elias.” Owens, on the other hand, was given said permission, and he and Elias have been making quite the dynamic duo lately. (Don’t trust him, Elias!)
Prediction: While Owens and Elias have been a well-oiled machine as a team lately, John Cena hasn’t even been on RAW. Not to hype up the match, not to develop tag team chemistry with John Cena. There will surely be some miscommunications from the Lashley/Cena team, and we all remember their past. (Okay, that’s not true: Their past is Lashley losing to Cena in an attempt to win the WWE Championship, at the Great American Bash pay-per-view in 2007.) In WWE, good teamwork is never indicative of a team actually winning, but it should be the case for Elias and Kevin Owens here. 

Naomi & Asuka vs. The IIconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce) (SmackDown)
The story: The IIconics’ mean girl shtick eventually fell on Naomi, who had to deal with it alone when her only two friends on SmackDown—Becky and Charlotte—decided to enter into a blood feud. After weeks of losing to their devious tactics and then finally getting the upper hand—only to be jumped—Naomi got a new friend in Asuka, who’s not a fan of bullies. While main roster WWE and NXT continuities don’t tend to mesh (unfortunately), one thing that’s crossed over is just how much-unearned bravado Billie Kay and Peyton Royce have against Asuka… despite her proving every chance they possibly give her that she can destroy them instantly.
Prediction: Here’s hoping WWE just absolutely panders to the Aussie crowd and both Buddy Murphy and The IIconics get big wins at this show. (Sorry, Cedric Alexander. Sorry Naomi and Asuka.) 

Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins (Nikki & Brie Bella) vs. The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, & Sarah Logan) (RAW)
The story: The Riott Squad have a couple of problems. First of all, they’re not fans of The Bella Twins returning—relics of the Divas era, mind you—and just taking spots in the WWE and Monday Night RAW female Superstar hierarchy. As for Ronda Rousey, unlike Alexa Bliss and the rest of Team “In Your Dreams,” they have no personal problem with the RAW Women’s Champion… but they’re also already tired of her championship reign and would rather Ruby Riott be champion instead. That’s kind of just what happens when you’re the champion: Challengers every which way.
Prediction: Really, I just hope Liv Morgan has been given the all-clear to compete in this match—since a couple of kicks from Brie Bella recently concussed her—but the poor Riott Squad are still probably going to fall to Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins. 

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair, for the SmackDown Women’s Championship (SmackDown)
The story: Becky Lynch is the heroic underdog champion of SmackDown LIVE, and she has to put away the villainous Queen down once and for all. Please don’t fact check any of this.
Prediction: Long live Becky Balboa. 

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns) vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre (RAW)
The story: Braun Strowman joined forces with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre (who are now the RAW Tag Team Champions) to be “The Dogs of War” to The Shield’s “Hounds of Justice.” And now The Dogs of War’s strategy is to divide and conquer, specifically in the form of recruiting the new and improved Dean Ambrose to their side and away from his brothers. They’ve been making some good points too, like how Ambrose is the only one in his crew right now who lacks a championship title or how Rollins and Reigns pretty much forgot him when he was out due to injury or how solo Ambrose (back in the SmackDown LIVE days) was WWE Champion, and now he’s just second fiddle. So the question is: Whose side is he on?
Prediction: Ambrose is on The Shield’s side. He keeps saying that—and getting his ass kicked to defend that—but no one will listen to him. Maybe they will at Super Show-Down. 

Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz, for the #1 Contendership to the WWE Championship (SmackDown)
The story: If you’ve been paying attention to either men’s wrestling careers for the past eight years—or at least the past few months of WWE storytelling on the SmackDown LIVE brand—you pretty much know the story. Not only did Miz defeat Bryan at SummerSlam (punching him in the face… with brass knuckles), Miz’s Mrs. (Maryse) pinned Bryan’s Bella (Brie Bella) at Hell in a Cell during the feuding pairs’ mixed tag team match. So now Bryan and Miz are fighting for the #1 Contendership to the WWE Championship.
Prediction: After months of failure—as great as it has been to see Brie Bella constantly punch Miz in the face, definitely the highlight of her return to in-ring action—against The Miz (and Maryse), it’s hard to believe Daniel Bryan will pull out the win here. Plus, as much as Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles (or Samoa Joe) will be amazing if/when it finally happens, The Miz just has Bryan’s number. 

AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe, in a No Count-out, No Disqualification match for the WWE Championship (SmackDown)
The story: At Hell in a Cell, AJ Styles retained the WWE Championship but not without controversy—he actually tapped out to the Coquina Clutch before he got the three-count (as he had also turned it into a pinning predicament), but the referee didn’t see it. So Joe demanded that SmackDown General Manager Paige make his necessary rematch a No Count-out, No DQ match… which won’t necessarily change the poor officiating issue from their Hell in a Cell match, but I guess at least addresses the aspects of their SummerSlam match (where AJ lost by DQ, as he’s technically 0-2 when it comes to actually beating Joe). Also, there’s still some stuff about AJ’s family.
Prediction: AJ Styles’ historic title reign sure has featured a lot of fluke and lackluster victories from him, hasn’t it? Samoa Joe should rule SmackDown LIVE with an iron fist—with Wendy Styles as his queen—but even with a stipulation that supposedly benefits him, he’s not winning the championship.

Triple H (with Shawn Michaels) vs. The Undertaker (with Kane), for The Last Time Ever (RAW)
The story: In WWE’s universe—not to be confused with the “WWE Universe”—Triple H vs. The Undertaker is one of the greatest sports entertainment feuds of all-time, on par with The Rock/Stone Cold or even Shawn Michaels/The Undertaker. In reality, it’s kind of not? But they’ve been promising that this is “The Last Time Ever” for this match, so let’s all just pretend it is that important so they don’t try to do it again.
Prediction: Unfortunately, all signs point to this leading to a tag team match in Saudi Arabia, meaning three things: 1. This won’t be the last time ever. 2. The one good wrestling retirement (Shawn Michaels) will be “ruined.” 3. Ugh, the whole Saudi Arabia deal. Whatever, give the win to Undertaker. Neither of these men need this win or this match, and this era they always say is ending never seems to end anyway.