[5.0] "This was much weaker smackdown compared to the previous one , there were some good matches , but a really lackluster main event doesn't help things. My favorite match is Dragon vs Cedric , which I'm not even surprised was match of the night , they worked liked they owed the audience an absolute classic of a match. I can't say it was a classic , but it was a really good and entertaining match, I liked their first match better though . I felt like that was a more entertaining showcase than this one , still really good as expected. My last favorite match was the main event , as it wasn't really a match as it was a angle to further the build to survivor series. I liked the first half , I felt like Charlotte was working really well and guiding the other women well. I also felt like Iyo was working solid . Kairi though was kind of the weak link of this match , she is fantastic if given a chance as seen on the indies, but here it felt like she was working at a snails pace. Also the ending was really confusing , the ref not immediately calling for the dq didn't make sense . Though I did like th post match angle , as I felt they did a good job setting up wargames for survivor series. Kevin Owens was a highlight of the whole smackdown , getting suspended , being funny on commentary. He stunned Grayson Waller , he was absolutely amazing here , I want to see this Kevin Owens more often , cause this was gold. Match ratings Bobby vs Carlito 5/10 , Dragon vs Cedric 7/10 , La Knight vs Grayson Waller 7/10 , Women's main event 4/10."

[8.0] "Despite the matches being a bit subpar the show was exceptional otherwise. The story progression, the promos and KO on commentary made this a truly enjoyable show."

[7.0] "This show has a very nice balance between stories, segments and wrestling itself in a really solid way. Santos Escobar heel turn was really emotional, you can feel his emotions while he was attacking Rey, the anger, the pain, the envy towards Carlito. Rey's acting was also on point, and Zelina crying like a little sister watching his two older brothers fight was the icing on the cake. My only complain about it is I think they should've waited at least one more week, 'cause there was no previous heat between Carlito and Santos to provoke that kind of reaction on the latter. I'm yet to watch Santos' promo after this, but the only way I'd accept the turn being done now is if Santos' confesses he was jealous of Carlito since he got into the LWO. Then we had Damage CTRL, who I believe it's at their peak now with Kairi and Asuka in their ranks and Io gaining more power on the stable. The power struggle between her and Bayley has been slowly cooked since they arrived to SmackDown and I also like the role Dakota is playing here, trying to get along with both, but most likely she will join Io's side at the end of the day. Asuka joining the stable is cool, but a bit weird after all the grudge they had for the past year and the constant turns she made this year. Then we have Kevin Owens on commentary, a complete goof in a good way, and his mockery of Grayson Waller and Austin Theory was funny. The excuse of having to go beat em' up because they "messed" with Kevin Patrick was gold, but I don't get why would he get suspended just because he is doing commentary for one night. He is a wrestler, it doesn't make sense. A lame way of taking him out of TV. Then we move on to Dragon Lee vs Cedric Alexander, and OMG, that match was like exploding all the fireworks you have at once. 6 minutes of pure frenetic action and cool looking moves. Amazing match by both men, just like their first match. LA Knight vs Grayson Waller was a really good match, the best performance Grayson had in the Main Roster, and the Main Event was ok for what it was. This was a good show, that just need more interesting things to get even better."

[5.0] "This week's show was a real disappointment. I was looking forward to an episode without The Bloodline story. Given that it was the first Smackdown after Crown Jewel but it didn't live up to the expectation. The opening segment was a bit awkward, but what came afterward was an awful match between Carlito & Lashley. Even Escobar's heel turn didn't feel like a big thing. Dragon Lee vs. Cedric Alexander was the best match of the night, but again that wasn't such a difficult thing to accomplish. LA Knight vs. Waller was worse than I expected. They got the time but failed to deliver. The bright spot was LA Knight's promo. He roasted Waller big time. Damage CTRL's promo and the main event failed to deliver as well. Both felt rushed, especially the 6-woman tag team match. Asuka's turn was a nice touch, but for the longest time, I couldn't figure out if the was a heel or a face. I hope that the build-up for War Games will be better. Finally, having KO on commentary was hilarious!"

[5.0] "I thought Asuka was already heel so I am surprised by everyone calling it a heel turn. The Santos one though was a good proper heel turn interested in seeing where it goes. War games will be very interesting given the battle lines drawn so far. LA Knight hopefully stays near the top unlike Romans past opponents. Match wise this show was on the lower end, but story wise it pretty decent."

"Great show. 2 very well executed heel turns from asuka and santos. One thing I would say though is that this is like the third time asuka has turned heel in the last 6 months. Hopefully wwe have finally made up their mind about her being a full on heel. Cedric vs Dragon was fantastic for the time it was given too. YEET"

[5.0] "An advancing show in terms of story that left a lot to be desired in the ring with some matches that went too long (opener) some matches that went too short (Lee/Cedric) and an inconclusive ending leaving something more to be desired. A transitional show but not one as enjoyable as Raws or NXTs this week."

[10.0] "one of best episode storytelling wise ! what a episode 1. Santos is gonna be huge star coming out of this heel turn i liked the slow burn story they were telling about LWO 2. More Dragon lee vs cedric ! i think this is the best way to make main roster love lee & see how good he is . 3. LA knight cooking waller was amazing plus KO commentary was cherry on top 4. Imagine thinking 2 months back that Damage cntrl will be one of best faction on wwe ! Pray for Bailey she is gonna get kicked out !"

[6.0] "A paint by numbers and largely dull episode of Smackdown - fairly common refrain on that one, then. Dragon Lee v Cedric Alexander was the best match on the show, followed by Knight against Waller. The opener was decent booking, with Lashley's group getting momentum and them kicking off the likely Mania programme between Escobar and Mysterio."

[5.0] "Damage CTRL were the center point of this Smackdown episode with the Asuka turn who is joining Damage CTRL. Bayley might be out of the group soon when they turn on her. That was good. Besides that Smackdown had some build for the Survivor Series, LA Knight with another Stone Cold Impression Promo and too many recap clips and slow pacing. The other stuff wasn't much interesting."

[7.0] "A very newsworthy episode of SmackDown to kick off their Survivor Series build. First we had Santos Escobar turn on Rey Mysterio, something that appears to have been brewing for months. Then they started what's likely to be Bayley's face turn, as IYO SKY and Dakota Kai revealed they accepted Kairi Sane into Damage CTRL behind Bayley's back. Asuka later turned on Bianca Belair and affiliated herself with Damage CTRL (and reuniting the Kabuki Warriors) - WarGames is going to end up with a mass beatdown on Bayley, I can feel it. Everything else on the show was middling, including Kevin Owens getting himself suspended for some reason."