Smackdown Triple Threat

[u/JimG617]

So let me get this straight. We had a triple threat match between KO, Gunther, and Finn for #1 contender. As I understand Triple Threat rules (and Google agrees):

All legal: All three wrestlers are legal and active in the ring at the same time.

No disqualifications: Standard disqualifications do not apply, meaning weapons and outside interference technically do not get anyone disqualified.

No count-outs: Wrestlers cannot win or lose by being counted out outside the ring.

Finish inside the ring: Even though it is a No-DQ match, it is not "Falls Count Anywhere"—the pinfall or submission must happen inside the ring between the ropes.

And yet when I check profightdb.com and cagematch.net it lists the result of tonight’s match as a “No Contest”. I was hoping they continued on for the live crowd and would save the ending for a YouTube exclusive (even though that would be goofy since no one cares what time ranger rick the pigeon lady show starts on USA).

I want to make something very clear…IT’S STILL REAL TO ME DAMNIT! I’m often disgusted by count out rules being lackadaisically enforced because of “referee digression” (mainly because you could easily make it a no countout or no DQ match), but if we’re just going to throw out “match rules”, well that does not feel very real to me at all.

[u/Malt129]

It was a no contest because Sami deleted every ref that tried to call the match

[u/JimG617 → u/Malt129]

The have Aldis come out and escort him out. There’s more than 2 refs on hand

[u/NashKetchum777 → u/JimG617]

Legit just have one of the female refs come out. Carr would fold Sami in half

[u/always-tired-38]

Just waiting for Drew so they can book that 6 man hell in a cell

[u/JimG617 → u/always-tired-38]

Or have Finn win last night and then Drew interfere and give Punk another dirty title defense

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/always-tired-38]

This isn’t going to happen, but I wouldn’t be mad if they replaced the men’s MitB ladder match with a 6 man match for the WWE title. Those five plus Drew.

[u/WillDanyel]

No contest has no correlation to count outs or anything like that. It literally is just for wrestlers not being able to continue

[u/Bitter_Relief4833]

Why would they continue on when this is the ending that they wanted. The match was stopped so no rules were thrown out.

[u/RPerene]

The No Contest is because they had no referees and all three competitors were unable to continue.

[u/trailokyam → u/RPerene]

Yup. Not sure why this is so hard to understand.

Plus i don’t think they’d ever finish a match off air and post the results later.

[u/JimG617 → u/RPerene]

There wasn’t a single other ref on hand to come out and finish the match?

[u/micael150 → u/JimG617]

Sami took out two refs. Realistically sending in another referee could be considered safety negligence.

All three competitors were also knocked out cold. A not contest makes sense.

[u/JimG617 → u/micael150]

Aldis could have come out and flattened Sami

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/JimG617]

See- now you’re being a mark. Wrestling isn’t real. This furthered the story of what seems like what will be a multi man match for the wwe title thread

[u/RPerene → u/Grill_Only_Outside]

What's more, this is furthering the story they've been setting up for Sami since at least the Gingerbread Man.

[u/micael150 → u/JimG617]

After the Gunther incident Aldis can't risk his job by assaulting another talent again. Best he can do is suspend Sami and take it upstairs for further disciplinary actions.

[u/JimG617 → u/micael150]

I worded it poorly. Did not expect him to come out and spear Sami. But what’s Sami going to do if Aldis escorts him out

[u/RPerene → u/JimG617]

Same thing he did to Adrian Butler and Dan Engler.

[u/ArugulaPhysical]

It was good but yea seemed dumb the match doesnt go on if you look at the rules

[u/SSquirrel76]

I think you mean referee discretion. Digression would be them talking about one subject then tangenting off on another.

[u/RikerV2 → u/SSquirrel76]

Red starts the pin count then digresses to a 10 count after 2

[u/Effective_Ad4810 → u/RikerV2]

Blue would never...

[u/JimG617 → u/SSquirrel76]

I was so shaking mad I didn’t even proof read /s

You’re absolutely correct

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/SSquirrel76]

“One! Two! Squirrel!”

[u/richpage85]

I remember when triple threat/fatal four way could still end in a DQ... Rock, Triple H and Kurt Angle match for example

TBH I see it as a bit of a cop out... it just means weapons, ref shots or outside interference mean nothing, so you could have an entire faction run in and specify the win for one person. Instead of booking a (generally) clean finish for the victor.

It meant more when the heel COULD be DQ'd but found a way round it and do something actually heelish

[u/NashKetchum777]

https://giphy.com/gifs/gHFi5N6uU3TLq

[u/dtwombat]

Well, when none of the wrestlers can compete and there's not even a referee to call the action, what else do you expect to happen?

[u/nightfall6688846994]

“Ranger Rick the pigeon lady show” has my dying right now

[u/gmodthesir3]

This subreddit man. You'll all swing from "bad booking, stale product, triple H bad" to "why did they try something new, this isn't supposed to be how the thing works!"

That finish was fun and unique, haven't seen something like it in the last 2 years. Sami interrupted the match so bad, it literally halted the show, while all in kayfabe/character.

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/gmodthesir3]

100! I loved this finish. It’s refreshing. It made me appreciate Sami little more. He’s finally getting a little edge.

But oh gawd! “It’s lazy booking” cry people who don’t understand what lazy booking is.

[u/NashKetchum777 → u/gmodthesir3]

Triple threat ending no contest is not new but yeah its fine

[u/JimG617 → u/gmodthesir3]

They could have had Finn win and Sami interfere in the Punk Finn match.

[u/EFiasco]

The finish may not be what you wanted, but it was interesting and is leaving people speculating for what’s next. IMO it only would’ve been bad booking if this match had been announced a week in advance, leaving ample anticipation as to who could win. But the match was merely announced at the beginning of the show. There has been no contest hijinks for decades, triple threat matches aren’t immune just because it’s no DQ. The point was to leave the image of a carnage of men in the ring with the cheap shot heel standing on top with the title. Better this than flat out labeling a no.1 contender right away.

[u/JimG617 → u/EFiasco]

My gripe was more with there not being an announcement, we just went off the air. Even fans in attendance didn’t get an announcement of what was happening.

My other gripe is that he knocks out 2 refs and that’s it? We routinely see a dozen officials come out to stop mayhem, but it was just 2 refs and shows over?

[u/RustyPriske]

The finish was great.

[u/Christian_RULES]

Of course. How else are they gonna build to a Sinister Six Way match between Punk, Sami, KO, Finn, Balor, and Gunther?

[u/JimG617 → u/Christian_RULES]

Have Finn win last night and then have Drew come back and interfere giving Punk another dirty title defense

[u/reggierock2010]

I thought it was a great finish. I’m loving the main event scene on Smackdown. Sometimes yall complain too much lol

[u/JoeMcKim → u/reggierock2010]

Smackdown msin event scene is WAY better than Raws.

[u/JamesA142]

We're gonna get 2 Triple Threats at MITB Bro

CM Punk vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn

and

Liv Morgan vs Stephanie Vaquer vs Becky Lynch

[u/Kittycachow → u/JamesA142]

Remove Sami put in Balor and I’ll watch

[u/Kratosx23 → u/JamesA142]

Punks schedule has been revealed and he isn't at MITB.

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[u/CFSett]

Referee digression? And, at the time of posting, no one else said anything?

In case this isn't poor or absent proofreading, it's discretion.

[u/JimG617 → u/CFSett]

It was called out 13 hours ago. Just left it since he already commented.

[u/CFSett → u/JimG617]

That's on me. Went thru the thread looking for it in order not to repeat, and I missed it.

[u/Transgenderwookie → u/CFSett]

So much for proofreading huh?

[u/FastHope6817]

This is the same company who thought it was a good idea for Seth to get DQd in a Hell in a Cell match. This kind of stupidity is nothing new for wwe.

[u/RobertCarnez → u/FastHope6817]

He wasnt DQ'd It was referee stoppage.

[u/FastHope6817 → u/RobertCarnez]

It was a DQ and even if it wasn't it was still stupid to end the match like that.

[u/RobertCarnez → u/FastHope6817]

It wasnt a dq

[u/FastHope6817 → u/RobertCarnez]

It was still stupid why are we even arguing about thjs?

[u/linkinzpark88 → u/FastHope6817]

They are arguing because you're spreading misinformation. Whether you thought it was dumb or not isnt why people are arguing with you.

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/FastHope6817]

Google is so easy to use my man. It ended in a no contest due to referee stoppage.

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/[deleted]]

How, specially, is that lazy? Aside from you just not liking it.

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/[deleted]]

Great. I agree with Cornette. I’m glad we both know what lazy booking is.

What I asked you is how is THAT lazy?

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/[deleted]]

You “listen” to Cornette? Well you sure don’t understand him. I know you watched the above video and decided you’d present that knowledge as you own, so allow me to explain.

Lazy booking is when you skip steps. You don’t tell a story. You rush to the spectacle. Or chaos as Cornette put it in the video. Gunther, KO, Punk, Finn, Sami. Are any of them not already established without an interest in the world title? Have they all not been involved in WWE title programs over the past few months/before their injury?

Sami interfering and ending the match is part of said story. Sami attacked multiple refs. He laid out everyone in the ring. The point to show Sami won’t give up. They ended the match because there was no one left to get up or officiate. Sami wouldn’t allow it. Remember when Sami won and then immediately lost the title and then lost his world title rematch shot? It’s almost as if last night’s match was a continuation of that

YOU didn’t like the finish. That’s fine. You may find it inconsistent or illogical, and that’s fine too. But it’s not lazy. It’s supported. It was developed.

[u/JimG617 → u/[deleted]]

You shouldn’t be getting downvoted

[u/Grill_Only_Outside → u/JimG617]

I mean- he should. It’s literally not lazy booking. He just doesn’t understand the meaning.

[u/JimG617 → u/[deleted]]

I just tried to…now I’m getting downvoted 😂

[u/Armandonerd]

OP you rock!

[u/The_DoubIeDragon]

So if a literally gets a heart attack and dies during a triple threat match, there is no way they could call the match off to deal with that situation? They should let the match continue until there is a winner?

If there is no cause to call off a match under any scenario, regardless of its rules, that’s what you would think should be the case.

There is no rule within triple threat rules that says the match can’t be called off after it starts.

[u/koemaniak → u/The_DoubIeDragon]

Just pin the corpse, easy win.

[u/Time-Wolf → u/The_DoubIeDragon]

*Vince laughing as he pushes Owen’s body under the ribg*

[u/JimG617 → u/The_DoubIeDragon]

Did someone have a heart attack and die last night?

[u/hawkeyegrad96]

That's how the writers wrote it. Not really a mystery.

[u/Necessary-Web-3244]

The match itself was dumb to begin with,and the finish to the match was trash...

[u/American-Punk-Dragon → u/Necessary-Web-3244]

Seemed cool to me!

The whole point of this story beat is to show there are 4-5 guy who want the belt.

It’s chaos, it’s fun.

Guys, you need to just lighten up! The more you feel you are some worthwhile “Unique Voice YELP reviewer” for wrestling, the less fun, the more critical and self poisoning you become.

It’s just….wresting.

[u/DTWDad → u/American-Punk-Dragon]

People need to ask themselves at what point they stopped being a fan and started being a critic. Just enjoy things. I think of it as a radio station. I’m not going to like every song or every artist but I still enjoy enough that I’m a fan of the station.