My WWE SmackDown, 21st September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com 

WWE Hall of Famer Edge kicked off the show by explaining that he now watches the WWE product as a fan, not a performer. He then showed a VT of Kane and Daniel Bryan hugging it out and then arguing on last Monday's Raw. 'The Rated R Superstar' said that he'd never seen anything like it and was perplexed by it all. Daniel Bryan himself then came out and claimed that Doctor Shelby had helped him find inner peace, this was short live though as Edge began having fun by winding him up with chants of "Yes!" and "No!" Kane then also joined them and began arguing with his tag partner.

A confused and frustrated Edge then began screaming at Kane, asking what had happened to the once 'Big Red Machine', also reminding him of all that they'd put each other through. Kane amusingly offered Edge a hug to make amends, so he accepted and even offered a left out Bryan a chance to get in on it. But instead Damien Sandow interrupted them and claimed that this kind of behaviour was ruining the company. Edge decided to settle things by setting up a match (that GM Booker T agreed to) between Sandow and Kane. It was one of the best opening segments to a pro wrestling show I've seen in a while. All four men were on form, especially the three in the ring. Bryan and Kane are the most consistently entertaining act in WWE right now for me.  

Damien Sandow defeated Kane in a fair match up that never really went beyond decent. Sandow is competent in the ring but he's still not quite there yet and has work to do. 'The Intellectual Saviour' picked up the one-two-three after Bryan distracted his tag partner at ringside, allowing Sandow to apply a Straight Jacket Neckbreaker. It's a big win for Sandow pinning Kane like that, a good sign for him.

Backstage an angered Kane hunted down Bryan, but instead came across Doctor Shelby. Bryan shortly popped up from a bin behind (which looked hilarious) and after both Tag Team Champions were calmed down by Shelby they agreed to make amends. Doctor Shelby also suggested getting Bryan a match to make up for causing Kane to loose, which he liked. It was another superb segment between them.   

Sheamus and Randy Orton beat Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio in an enjoyable tag team bout. All four men put in standard solid displays (typical for all of them really) and provided an entertaining contest, superior to the average tag team ones we get in WWE and the rather lacklustre main event of this weeks Raw.   

Cody Rhodes defeated Daniel Bryan in a passable match that never got the chance to get going. It's a shame it wasn't allocated a bit more time, could've been much better I reckon. Rhodes grabbed the winning pin after Kane had a little payback and distracted Bryan with his pyros, giving Rhodes the chance to apply the Cross Rhodes for the victory.

Backstage after the tag champs once again argued over who was better, but soon noticed Sandow and Rhodes laughing at them. Rhodes stated that they were a "spectacle" and a poor unit. Kane and Bryan defended themselves by challenging both men to a tag team match, causing them to walk away in separate directions.     

Brodus Clay won via disqualification versus Heath Slater in a rather nothing bout. The actual wrestling wasn't anything special, it was what happened after that was interesting. As the match was taking place Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal ran in and helped take out Clay with Slater. Hopefully this is the start of a new faction that are tired of being underutilised in the company and are taking action, giving these talents some much needed relevance and creating a hopefully interesting group. I'll be very disappointed if they drop the ball with this one.

Santino Marella beat Antonio Cesaro in comedy match for the most part, it was quite mediocre to be honest. Marella's cobra was once again distracted by Aksana, but this time she was accidentally pulled into the ring and damaged her foot. This caused the referee to be distracted and Marella to grab a quick pinfall win. Afterwards an angered Cesaro dumped the hurt Aksana. Hopefully this means the end of the awful acting skills of Aksana on our screens.  

Daniel Bryan and Kane won via DQ versus Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a fair tag contest. The match never really excelled at anything, but the entertaining part came after the bell rung. Bryan came to his partner's aid by snatching the steel chair that Rhodes had used on Kane (which caused the DQ) and him and his tag partner began taking out their opponents and various other teams that had been watching the bout, all the while with big smiles on their faces. It was a glorious end to the show as both men stood tall over the seas of bodies.

Overall it was a very enjoyable show, thanks mainly to the inspired duo of Kane and Daniel Bryan. Edge's surprise appearance was a pleasant surprise too and his segment with the tag champs was fun. We also had a solid outing involving Sheamus, Orton, Del Rio and Ziggler. Compared to most SmackDown's recently I'd call it a big success.    

My WWE SmackDown, March 2nd 2012 Recap

Royal Rumble winner Sheamus started things off by saying how excited he was about main eventing WrestleMania and facing Daniel Bryan for the World Heavyweight Title. 'The Great White' also admitted that Bryan, since winning the World title has reminded him of himself back when he first won the WWE Championship, when he was "wrapped up in my own ego." But Sheamus explained that Bryan just needed someone to "knock his block off" and set him straight, which he was more then happy to do on April 1st in Miami. 

Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler then interrupted the number one contender, with Ziggler claiming that no one was actually interested in Sheamus' story. After some more back and fourth between the three, Teddy Long joined them and announced that Ziggler will be facing Sheamus right there and then. It wasn't a bad segment to start the show.

Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler in a decent contest. It had a bit of a drab start but gained excitement towards the final third of the bout. There was also a nice near fall when Jack Swagger raced in, only to be Brogue Kicked by Sheamus, seizing the chance Ziggler then leg drop bulldogged Sheamus for the close pinfall.

Santino Marella defeated Heath Slater in a short comedy match. I'm still predicting that Santino and David Otunga will be involved in some sort of team match betweenTeddy Long and John Laurinaitis at WrestleMania to determine a new GM for both Raw and SmackDown.   

Backstage Natalya confronted Eve about her treatment of Zach Ryder and how wrong it was. Unfortunately Natalya is also still being reduced to the unflattering farting gimmick, she deserves better.

Eve defeated Natalya in an acceptable Divas match up with a roll up pin. Maybe we'll see a mixed tag team match at WrestleMania with Eve and someone versus Ryder and Natalya? WWE would be daft not to capitalise on the heat Eve is receiving right now.   

Cody Rhodes claimed that he saved Big Show from being embarrassed at WrestleMania when he helped eliminated him from a battle royal on Raw a few weeks ago to see who would face CM Punk on the big stage, due to Show's poor record at 'Mania. Big Show soon interrupted the Intercontinental Champion, scaring him off into the crowd. Show warned Rhodes that if he wouldn't come to him, then he'd have to go to Rhodes. But Teddy Long halted him and official booked Cody Rhodes versus Big Show for WrestleMania with the intercontinental Championship on the line. I'm so relieved that they're putting the title on the line, I was worried they'd diminish it again like they did when they didn't bother having it on the line between Rhodes and Orton during their feud last year. Like it wasn't worth putting on the line.

Big Show defeated Mark Henry in an average and, as usual with these two, slow paced bout. Although there was a nice near fall (another one for the night) after Mark Henry applied the World's Strongest Slam to Show.

Backstage Teddy Long, finally having enough of his loosing streak, warned Drew McIntyre that if he lost his match coming up he would be fired.   

Justin Gabriel defeated Drew McIntyre in a short and quite forgettable match, which I found odd since it was Drew's final chance, they could've certainly added some more drama to it considering the stipulation. Afterwards Teddy Long confirmed that Drew was indeed fired. 

Daniel Bryan won via count out versus Randy Orton in what had been a heated and solid main event match. Both men went back and fourth, with 'The Viper' obtaining most of the offense during it. It's a shame we couldn't have had more time allocated to the match. 

During the match Kane had made his way out and began brawling with Orton after the ten count had been made. 'The Big Red Monster' eventually gained the upper hand and Chokeslammed Orton in the ring. He then grabbed a mic and said "Welcome back Randy, welcome back." Well I guess we know who Orton will face at WrestleMania, although I was personally hoping for Del Rio instead.

Backstage Laurinaitis, impressed with Kane's display, planned a match for next weeks SmackDown between Kane and Teddy Long's mistress (or whatever), Aksana. What a heel, eh? 

My WWE SmackDown, January 27th 2012 Recap

Big Show started off SmackDown and apologised publicly for accidentally barging through AJ a couple of weeks ago on the show. He stated that AJ had forgiven him but was having trouble forgiving himself. He also told us how he'd always felt like an outcast, a "freak" until he'd found a home in WWE. But after the incident with AJ he admitted that he wasn't sure that he had the heart to carry on his career there. Daniel Bryan then joined Show and said that as a kid he believed that the WWE was a place for "athletes, not genetic freaks" and added that Big Show's remorse was false. That he had fooled everyone into believing how sorry he was. He then charged at him with a barrage of insults which eventually ended in him slapping Big Show. After which he screamed at him "You're not a man, you're a monster!" That was the boiling point for Show who then charged at the World Heavyweight Champion and gave him a stern warning before tossing him aside. 
This was then the cue for Mark Henry to arrive, who wanted to remind both men that at the Royal Rumble he was also joining them in the Steel Cage match for the World Heavyweight Title. He also got straight to the point and added that he didn't care about Big Show's hurt feelings or a "95 pound girl in a training bra," just the World Title. Teddy Long then informed them that Big Show would face Mark Henry on the show later on, much to Bryan's delight. It was a pretty decent start to the show,Daniel Bryan's heel promos are still being delivered very solidly.     
Cody Rhodes defeated Justin Gabriel in quite an entertaining match up. The only thing I would say is that it would have benefitted with maybe a little more time allocated. Rhodes has been mentioned as a possible victor of the Royal Rumble match, but I'm predicting that he'll face his brother Dustin Rhodes at WrestleMania instead.    
Sheamus defeated Drew McIntyre in a very enjoyable bout with both wrestlers putting in a good effort. I'm certainly not McIntyre's biggest fan, nor have I ever been but I have to admit that he looked pretty good here. I can see this storyline possibly leading to Drew getting a very big win fairly soon, and maybe turn face in the process.
Epico and Primo defeated Santino Marella and Yoshi Tatsu in a short but adequate tag team match. It was nice to see Yoshi appear on the blue brand for a change.    
Backstage Daniel Bryan advised Mark Henry to seriously hurt Big Show in his match before the Royal Rumble on Sunday. He used the times that Big Show had injured Henry and AJ to try and convince him.
Wade Barret spoke before his match with the returning Randy Orton and claimed that he had it on very good authority that Orton had "allowed his ego to get the best of him." That Orton was returning too soon form his injury and that his spirit had been broken by Wade himself. Then 'The Viper's' music hit and we saw Orton make his way from the backstage area (nice touch I thought) and race to meet Barrett on the ramp where they began exchanging punches before the bell had even rung.
The fighting continued with Orton gaining the upper hand, but for some strange reason they never commenced the match. Instead they had referees and then other wrestlers come down under Teddy Long's order and try to separate the two men. During this Barrett managed to escape, but Randy wasn't done as he then RKO'd all the wrestlers surrounding him. It was a nice return for Orton, and very well received by the crowd in attendance. It's also very well received by myself, who felt that Orton was one of the most consistent performers in the company last year. And someone who was also involved in the best in-ring feud of last year with Christian.      
Hunico defeated Ted DiBiasse in a fast paced and nicely executed bout. I've fast become a big fan of DiBiasse's work in the ring over the last few months. For me he's earned a push on SmackDown (along with the talented Hunico) possibly a feud with a top level heel?  And some more time on the mic wouldn't hurt either.  
After the match Hunico stomped on the injured hand of DiBiasse while his bodyguard Camacho held him down. An excuse for the time off Ted's most likely going to have now for the legit injury. 
Brodus Clay defeated Alex Riley in a squash match with his What The Funk finisher. The uber charismatic 'Funkasaurus' Clay had a little moment with Riley before the match where they compared dance moves, until he had enough and suplexed Riley. Boy has Riley's career gone downhill, he was the same guy that cleanly defeated former WWE Champion The Miz on pay-per-view last year, right?    
Aksana defeated Natalya with a quick roll up pin after Natalya went to the ropes to call out for Tamina. Afterwards Natalya applied the Sharpshooter on her until Tamina came to Aksana's rescue and then Superfly Splashed Natalya. Well at least Tamina's certainly gotten more interesting, even if that means ripping off her Dad's old gimmick.   
Big Show defeated Mark Henry via count out in a nothing match. Mark Henry collapsed during the bout and couldn't make it back to the ring in time. It's thought that as Henry swung for a punch he actually hyper-extended his knee at the taping, so they had to quickly finish the match up. 
Afterwards Daniel Bryan ran in and attacked Big Show with a steel chair. Unfazed by this, Show gave chase until Bryan managed to dropkick him in the knee and continue the attack with the chair. Once back in the ring, Bryan applied the LeBell Lock until Big Show powered out of it. Show then Chokeslammed the World Champion, leaving a warning sign for the triple threat on Sunday at the Rumble.  
Overall, yet again, it was an enjoyable show for the most part. SmackDown unlike Raw right now gives us a healthy dose of enjoyable and solid match ups. Plus the rivalry between Henry, Show and Bryan has progressed brilliantly. With the storyline making sense and not being rushed like most have over the last year. I'm sure the Cage match won't be any classic but it should have it's entertaining moments considering what Bryan's been able to do with Henry and Big Show in the ring so far.
Next up people: The Royal Rumble!  

My WWE SmackDown, January 6th 2012 Recap

Cody Rhodes (c) defeated Booker T to retain his Intercontinental Championship.The title bout was a solid and exciting encounter between the two, with some nice near falls towards the end. Definitely their strongest outing so far together in the ring. Rhodes, just like he did against Orton in the Street Fight towards the end of last year looked like he belonged with higher calibre talent here with the legend Booker T.

Backstage a brimming Cody once again had another encounter with his older brother Dustin Rhodes aka Goldust. He bragged about beating Booker, compared himself to their father Dusty (who he claimed he was well on his way to surpassing) and warned him that although he was a “joke” he wasn’t yet a “laughing stock. But that can change real quick.” I’m liking this storyline between the two, definitely got some interesting possibilities to it. I imagine if they do go all the way and face off at WrestleMania (which seems most likely) then it could well be Dustin’s final ever match at the Mania. What better way would there be for him to go out then to face his own brother at the biggest stage?

Hornswaggle defeated Heath Slater in an Over The Top Rope challenge comedy match, it was about as entertaining as you’d expect. Well It wasn’t like Slater’s career was exactly sky rocketing since his return anyway was it? Afterwards Slater booted Hornswaggle in the head, followed by Justin Gabriel coming to Hornswaggle’s rescue and applying the always awesome 450 Splash.  

Hunico defeated Ted DiBiase in a fast paced match with some superb action. With Orton out of action for as long as he’s going to be I think this is an opportune time to start pushing DiBiase once again. Give him a proper feud with Hunico to work on. 

Wade Barrett announced that Randy Orton’s wrestling career is now finished due to his fall down the flight of stairs on last weeks SmackDown. Since ‘The Viper’ was no longer a participant in the Royal Rumble, Barrett claimed that there were now no obstacles in his way to stop him from winning the match. Sheamus had something to say about that as he then joined Wade and warned him that “You are going to have some problems. And I’m going to be the biggest one.”

 Jinder Mahal also made his way out and slapped ‘The Great White’ in the face. So naturally Sheamus didn’t take too kindly to that and began to beat on Mahal until Barrett also began attacking the Irishman. Sheamus managed to fight his way back until Barrett applied the Winds Of Change to halt him. Mahal decided to take advantage of the downed wrestler and latched in a Camel Clutch for good measure. I quite like Jinder Mahal myself, I think he looks solid enough in the ring and has shown some personality as of late. He just needs to maybe get a fluke win over Sheamus to get things going. At least he’s involved in a decent feud right now, that’s a start.     

Santino Marella defeated Drew McIntyre in a quite forgettable and average bout. As per the stipulations Marella is now the assistant to GM Teddy Long on SmackDown. After the match Long warned McIntyre that this was “strike two” and if he looses next week he could very well be fired. I personally am not a fan of these loosing streak story lines, they do nothing at all for the person involved in them. I’m not McIntyre’s biggest supporter (find him rather boring and average in the ring, although he has improved) but with his return to the blue brand he could have instantly made an impact by destroying a big name and making himself relevant once again.  

Epico and Primo defeated Air Boom in a fast paced and decent tag team bout. Although it wasn’t the strongest match between these teams it was still worth a watch for sure. I always enjoy it when these two teams are facing off, I’d like to see a title match between them at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view myself. They deserve a spot on a big card like that.

Backstage during an interview with Big Show, Daniel Bryan interrupted and berated him for not winning a World Title for nine years previous to his championship win at TLC. He also mentioned how he’d actually worked hard around the World to become a great wrestler, as apposed to Big Show being born a “genetic freak.” I’m liking this new cocky, heelish side to Bryan. He’s always had the technical ability and skill on the mic (as proven with his feud with Miz and Cole last year) but now he’s showing a lot more character. It should also be interesting to hear Michael Cole on his side on commentary when he fully turns.     

Tamina defeated Natalya in a brief and rather average Divas match up. I’m still not totally convinced by Tamina, Natalya definitely deserves better treatment then this too.

Daniel Bryan won via DQ against the Big Show to retain his World Heavyweight Championship. The main event was a solid, back and fourth match up. The most exciting parts taking place when Bryan locked in a few submission holds on Show for a tense break out. The disqualification occurred when Bryan shouted abuse at Henry at ringside (Henry had been on commentary for the bout) causing Henry to push the World Champion in front of the referee. Afterwards Bryan elatedly celebrated with fans akin to how he’d done after his win at TLC for the World Title in another heel movement by the champ.