To say that Jim Cornette wasn’t impressed with the latest edition of Friday Night SmackDown would be an understatement. In fact, Cornette claims that if he went have proposed such a show to Vince McMahon during his time with WWE, he would have been fired.
Due to Fox Sports showing the Fifa World Cup, Friday Night SmackDown moved over to FS1. The show was headlined by the finals of the SmackDown World Cup between Santos Escobar and Ricochet, and featured Shayna Baszler, Gunther and Sheamus vs. Sami Zayn.
Jim Cornette Says Vince McMahon Wouldn’t Have Stood For Lacklustre SmackDown
During the latest edition of the Jim Cornette Experience, the legendary manager rand down his thoughts on the card. An exasperated Cornette concluded that WWE hadn’t even tried, and that he would have been fired for producing such as show when he worked for Vince McMahon.
“So Fox didn’t air Smackdown because of the World Soccer Cup or whatever… They threw their hands up and they said just just go, we’re not even gonna try. Do you want to hear what the matches on SmackDown were? I didn’t watch it. I read the recap to determine whether I should and quickly got the answer to that. But would you like to just hear what the matches were? [Brian – If it’ll keep this short? Yes.] Okay.
Sheamus wrestled Sami Zayn, and that alone might not have been bad. And The Bloodline actually helped Sami win this. So Sami beat Sheamus. So boy howdy you didn’t see that coming. But there was no Roman Reigns, there was no Paul Heyman, because it wasn’t network TV and they didn’t bring out all the big guns. And to honestly spend two hours of my life to watch Sheamus versus Sami, meh.
Because the rest of the programme, Shayna Baszler versus Emma, a non-title match between Kofi Kingston and Gunther and again, I love Gunther, I love to watch Gunther, [but] against Kofi f*cking Kingston? And the main event apparently, or the match they put in the main event spot was Pablo Escobar against Ricochet. That was the show.
If I was Tony Khan right now, I’d be screaming. I’d be screaming you f*cking asshole wrestlers I’ve signed, you can’t get your sh*t together and get along with each other and stop trying to get out of my contracts long enough to beat a company in a promotional war that’s not even f*cking trying anymore. SmackDown Main Event Pablo Escobar and Ricochet, one of three all star matches on a two hour programme. If I had turned that into Vince McMahon 25 years ago, he’d have fired me.”
The December 2nd episode of SmackDown also featured the return of Tegan Nox who was released back in November 2021. In the main event, Ricochet defeated Escobar to win the SmackDown World Cup and earn a Intercontinental Title shot against Gunther.
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