Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for October 18, 2024

The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Jacob Fatu) heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Solo says The Bloodline is "the present and the future" and that he is the Tribal Chief, and that he has a crated a bigger and stronger family and Bloodline. He says that Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso cannot do anything about it, and that "Main Event" Jey Uso wants nothing to do with it. He says Roman will continue to get beat down unless he comes down to the ring by the end of the night and acknowledges him. "Main Event" Jey Uso suddenly shows up from out of the crowd and heads to the ring, then says he is not out here to fight Solo, for at the end of the day, he still cares about him. Jey says he just wants to talk to Solo one-on-one and tells him to think about what he is doing to the family and The Bloodline, as while nobody has bigger issues with Roman, he became his own man, and it paid off. He says that fighting over the ula fala is not the way to do it, as it is earned and not taken, and Solo knows better. He says that if he wants to end Roman's power, then he should do it without dividing the family. Solo asks Jey if he is done wasting him time before proclaiming that he is trying to unite the family, then tells Jey to stop calling him "little brother," as he is the Tribal Chief and he has room for him and Roman if they just acknowledge him. He also says he does not want Jey to follow Jimmy's footsteps due to where it got him before asking Jey if is he is in or out. Jey asks Solo why he had to get Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu if he wanted to unite the family, as there is a reason he and Roman stayed away from them, then threatens to knock Jacob out if he keep staring at him. Jey then tells Solo that the next time he sees him, things will be different. Solo has to hold Jacob back.

#DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) beats Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) and The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) in a WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's qualifier. Ciampa pins Wilson, and Montez pins Prince, but Wilson was the legal man for his team, and that gives #DIY the victory and the ability to qualify.

Backstage, Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso arrive at the arena and suddenly meets "Main Event" Jey Uso. Jey tries to leave, but Roman stops him and tells him that the family is proud of him. Jey says "No yeet," then leaves. Roman then tells Jimmy "I told you."

Backstage, Nia Jax finds out from Tiffany Stratton on the phone that Tiffany has the flu, and General Manager Nick Aldis tells Nia that she will need another tag partner. Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae show up, with Candice offering to take Tiffany's place, and after Aldis makes it official, Nia demands Candice hold up her end of the bargain or else she will destroy her.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill are seen in the front row before the next match.

Lash Legend beats Piper Niven after Jakara Jackson puts a stop to Chelsea Green's distraction.

Backstage, Jimmy Uso meets with Roman Reigns and tells him that he needs to talk to "Main Event" Jey Uso. Roman says Jey made it clear, then says it is time to do things his way and that he will fix things tonight. Jimmy asks him how he will do that, and Roman says he will acknowledge Solo Sikoa.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. Cody says that the next leader does not always look like the last one, but when it comes to the Crown Jewel Championship, it is all about being the first one. He poses some "what if" scenarios where world champions from different companies faced each other, then says there will be a definitive Crown Jewel champion. Cody says he will not disparage Gunther, as he is widely respected by peers and legends alike and many are terrified of him, yet he is not terrified, and even if he was, he would not bet against himself leaving as Crown Jewel Champion. Cody admires the look of the championship, then says beauty is only skin deep, and says that when he came back to WWE, he wanted to take "the John Cena schedule," and he has done that and then some and he is not finished yet. He then says that he is leaving Crown Jewel as champion because he wants his daughter to know that he was the first to be champion, then invites Gunther to stand in the ring with him next week to ask him his reasons for wanting the title.

We see footage from after Bad Blood where Kevin Owens attacks "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes near Cody's tour bus.

We hear from Kevin Owens. He says he has been in WWE for over ten years and that while he has had a lot of ups and downs in that time, it has never felt as bad as it is right now. He says he has been told not to come to SmackDown after what he did to Cody Rhodes and calls it "unfair and ridiculous," and it makes him realize how appreciated and valued by the company. He also says he cannot believe that Randy Orton betrayed him and that he cannot get over it, and while people can say what they want to say, he would never had done that to Orton. Owens says he thought what they had was different and that he cannot believe Orton picked Cody over him, and that with everything going on, he does not know "if or when" he can come back.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis is met by Randy Orton. Orton says he wants to get his hands on Kevin Owens at Crown Jewel, but Aldis says this is something he cannot do right now because of upper management. Orton says that he knows who he needs to talk to, then leaves.

The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) beat Legado del Fantasma (Berto and Garza) and A-Town Down Under (Grayson Waller and Austin Theory) in a WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's qualifier and in their WWE debut.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Andrade and Carmelo Hayes. Both men start arguing, then fighting, and officials have to restore order. Carmelo grabs his chain, then wraps it around his hand and punches out Andrade.

Nia Jax and Candice LeRae beats Bayley and Naomi after Indi Hartwell shoves Bayley into the ring post behind the referee's back.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis says Carmelo Hayes and Andrade have been escorted out of the building, then says that their seventh match needs a special guest referee who hates both men equally. LA Knight shows up and says he has beaten both men twice, and if Aldis wants him to referee, he will do it and he will call it down for the middle, for whoever wins will see their championship chances go up in smoke.

Roman Reigns heads to the ring. After Roman asks the crowd to acknowledge him, perhaps for the last time, Solo Sikoa shows up and heads to the ring. Roman mentions Solo telling "Main Event" Jey Uso that the family and The Bloodline (Solo, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Jacob Fatu) is stronger now, then states that he does not see anything that tells him that they are better off; if anything, they are divided and broken. Roman says that he told his father that he can fix this, and all he wants to do is put them back in the promised land with titles around their waists and paydays coming from the heavens, and asks what he has to do. Solo says that all Roman has to do is acknowledge him, and Roman says "I acknowledge you." Solo says that is not good enough, and demands he acknowledge him as Tribal Chief or else. Roman screams "Or else what?" Solo laughs, saying Roman has never changed, and because of that, he will never change, either. He then snaps his fingers, and the rest of The Bloodline show up carrying out a beaten-down Jimmy Uso. Solo tries to take out Roman, but Roman fights back, and when The Bloodline rushes at him, he also takes them down, and Solo gets a Superman Punch when he gets back in the ring. Roman then notices the ula fala, and as he puts it on, Solo hits him with a low blow from behind before The Bloodline overpowers Roman. Solo then hits Roman with the Samoan Spike, then hits another one on Roman while he is down before Jacob Fatu places the ula fala around Solo's neck.

This week on The SmackDown Lowdown: #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa)! The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley)! Meta-Four (Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson) (and Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill)!

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!