My WWE SmackDown, 2nd August 2013 Recap

RVD wallops Christian with a nice kick. Photo credit: WWE.com

World Champion Alberto Del Rio started things off by thanking the fans, for nothing that is, reminding them that they turned on him when he was trying to be their champion. Which was true, but a lack of character will have that effect. He also sincerely thanked SmackDown GM Vickie Guerrero for allowing him to choose his own opponent for SummerSlam, just like John Cena. So after mentioning a few possible options, Del Rio revealed his personal announcer Ricardo Rodriguez as his hand picked challenger.

An upset Vickie Guerrero then stormed out and expressed her disappointment in Del Rio's choice so instead booked a Triple Threat between Christian, Rob Van Dam and Randy Orton to determine his opponent for the big event. I was most happy with that match line up, and they duly delivered, but I'll get to that later...

Cody Rhodes pinned Jack Swagger in a fair, if unmemorable bout. Both men looked okay in the ring, nothing that significant or remarkable to take away from it though. During an interview afterwards Damien Sandow attacked Rhodes from behind, eventually taking him out by slamming his head into a nearby container. 

Big E Langston beat Sin Cara in a pedestrian outing. Big E understandably dominated for the most part, with Sin Cara managing a few offensive moments in there. Unfortunately the whole thing lacked in excitement or interest.

CM Punk forced Fandango to submit in a decent contest. Both men gave stellar showings and delivered a match that exceeded my expectations. In a nice finish Punk rolled over after applying a superplex on his opponent and latched on an Anaconda Vice for the win. It's always a treat to see his signature submission move make a return.

AJ Lee (c) defeated Kaitlyn to retain the Divas Title in passable encounter. It wasn't a great bout by any means, but it was wisely kept short and at least had a twist (which you could admittedly see coming a bit) when Layla betrayed Kaitlyn by preventing a spear on the outside and revealing how friendly she was with the Divas Champion afterwards.  

Christian bested Randy Orton and Rob Van Dam in a Triple Threat to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. And what a tremendous main event this was, with engaging action and superb displays from the opening. Every man put in a great effort here, which is hardly a surprise considering the talent involved. For the finish Orton attempted to hit Christian with an RKO after taking out RVD with one, but failed when 'Captain Charisma' reversed it into a backslide pin for the one-two-three. As a sentimental favourite of mine I was very happy with Christian winning.

The victor shook hands with both of his competitors after, only to then be attacked by Del Rio and finally kicked in the head by the World Champion. 

Overall it was a mixed bag of a show, with a few fairly average match ups that felt more like filler and a couple of enjoyable ones, including the terrific main event. My highlights were CM Punk versus Fandango and (take a wild guess) the Triple Threat.   

My WWE SmackDown, 17th May 2013 Recap

Orton clobbers Swagger in the solid main event. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz kicked things off with his show 'Miz TV', where he brought out his guests Randy Orton and Big Show. After showing footage from last Friday's SmackDown, the two Extreme Rules opponents each spoke about how they were going to win their match of the same name on Sunday, with Show talking about how the only weapon he required was his fist and Orton claiming that he refused to loose in his hometown of St Louis.  

Jack Swagger (or rather Zeb Colter), Mark Henry and Alberto Del Rio then each came out and stated how they would be victorious this Sunday in their respective match ups. It was all a bit drab. Sheamus then arrived and finally suggested that rather than talking, he fancied a fight instead and everyone began to brawl in the ring, with Orton, Sheamus and Del Rio chasing off their rivals. Teddy Long then (of course) strolled out and booked them all in a six-man tag main event. 

The Shield (Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) bested Jimmy and Jay Uso in a fair tag contest. Everyone involved looked decent, but there was nothing exceptional about the match. Afterwards Kofi Kingston raced in to help the Usos as The Shield were about to finish them off, but was quickly tossed out of the ring. But the US Champion wasn't done as he then chased off the trio (including his opponent on Sunday, Dean Ambrose) with a steel chair in hand. 

Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) beat Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a pretty pedestrian and forgettable tag bout, much like their one on this Monday's Raw. I just can't really find the interest for either team. 

Chris Jericho defeated Antonio Cesaro in a largely stellar effort from both men. While it maybe didn't quite live up to my expectations (as a big fan of both talents, although I think that's just me being picky) it was an enjoyable back and fourth affair. After the bell rung Fandango attempted to attack Jericho from behind but was thwarted when Y2J saw him coming and beat him out of the ring. Jericho also applied a Codebreaker to Cesaro after he tried to attack him too.

The Miz bested Damien Sandow in a decent outing. I wasn't expecting much here so it was a pleasant surprise at what a fun watch it was, with a worthy display from both men. Cody Rhode's guest commentary was also a good listen at times.

Kaitlyn pinned Aksana in a drab encounter for the most part. The wrestling was unremarkable throughout, which wasn't a major shocker considering who's involved. Watching the female talent on NXT is a pretty big contrast, they actually look like they've got something to prove and want to impress. The most entertaining thing about the match was actually JBL and Michael Cole teasing Josh Matthews about being Kaitlyn's secret admirer on commentary, very funny.  

Randy Orton, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio beat Jack Swagger, Big Show and Mark Henry in an entertaining six-man tag main event. From the opening bell we had solid action, with every man using their time in the ring effectively. Orton managed to eventually gain the one-two-three after RKOing Swagger as he applied a Patriot Lock on Del Rio. Good end to the show, although nothing on the finale to this week's Raw.

Overall it was an unremarkable show for the majority, like most of the time with the blue brand this year there was nothing you could imagine yourself still thinking of a few months from now, with no inspiring feuds or storylines at all on the show at the moment. The highlights for me were Jericho versus Cesaro and the main event. Now onto Extreme Rules! Which I'm actually fairly optimistic about, should be decent. 

My WWE SmackDown, 26th April 2013 Recap

Jack Swagger pinned Alberto Del Rio in a No Disqualification match. It was enjoyable for the most part, and definitely the best match in their series, with the weapons adding some much needed interest and excitement. Swagger also needed to redeem himself with a win here, which he gained after a Gutwrench Powerbomb onto a ladder.

Layla bested Aksana in a passable Divas outing. To be fair to her, Aksana did give a better display than normal, which isn't saying much I know.

Fandango toppled Justin Gabriel in a pretty forgettable affair. The wrestling was okay, nothing special. The London fans in attendance were at least still 'Fandangoing'.

Wade Barrett pinned William Regal in a disappointedly short and average match up. As a Regal fan (not just because I'm English) I was hoping for his televised bouts to last a little longer this week. Ah well.

Big Show beat Sheamus in a fair bout. Both men put in worthy efforts, but the match just failed to grab me like their great PPV ones last year. Show grabbed the win after Henry distracted the Irishman, allowing him to KO Sheamus with a trademark punch.

Mark Henry won via disqualification versus Randy Orton in a decent enough encounter after Sheamus gained some retribution by Brogue Kicking Henry. It was never anything remarkable but it wasn't bad.

The Undertaker defeated Dean Ambrose in a mostly stellar main event. Undertaker did seem a bit limited here but nonetheless both men delivered a good watch, with decent action throughout. 'Taker won via his Hells Gate (triangle choke) submission hold. Afterwards Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns then attacked the 'Dead Man' and put him through the announcer's table with the trio's signature triple powerbomb. Good decision here, leaving Shield to go out on a strong note.

Overall it was rather pedestrian SmackDown, containing matches that were decent enough but never must see. The only real highlight I'd recommend to people would be the main event, which was a good watch. And where was Ziggler? The World Champion was absent for the second week in a row on the blue brand, which is just baffling to me. 

My WWE Raw, 22nd April 2013 Recap

The Dead Man takes it to Reigns. Photo credit: WWE.com

Paul Heyman kicked things off by revealing that after his client Brock Lesnar challenged Triple H on last week's Raw to a Steel Cage match, he'd since received an email from 'The Game' that explained that he'd answer the challenge on next week's show.

Heyman went on to call the COO gutless for not being in attendance for the show in London, but Triple H proved him wrong and joined him in the ring. After accepting Brock's offer for Extreme Rules, Triple H then pedigreed his manager, much to the excitement of the goofy Lawler on commentary. 

R-Truth pinned Antonio Cesaro in a decent enough contest. While quite short they both made the most of their time and gave worthy efforts. I'm still worried by this slump Cesaro has taken as of late, loosing to the likes of Kofi and Truth is never a good sign. Why did his push suddenly suddenly come to a halt? He has the look and ability to make it in WWE.

Damien Sandow bested Brodus Clay in a pedestrian match up. It wasn't awful on any level, but there was just nothing particularly engaging about the action. The fans got so bored they began to entertain themselves with various chants during it, although they were pleased with the victor.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Chris Jericho in a largely stellar outing. While most of the wrestling was exciting and engaging, there were a few slightly sloppy moments here and there that let it down a bit, but I think that's probably just me being a bit picky. A good watch on the whole. The biggest reaction from the crowd (who did a few of the chants and Mexican waves that the New Jersey fans did a couple of weeks ago throughout) actually came when Fandango's music hit, which caused Y2J to become distracted and Zig Zagged by Ziggler for the one-two-three.

Tensai beat Cody Rhodes in a fair, if forgettable bout. To be honest I wasn't engaged by this tag feud to start with, and that hasn't changed.

In an amusing background segment Daniel Bryan tried to convince Kane to go over some plans for their match with 'Taker against Shield later on, which included diagrams and everything! So Kane explained that his brother would arrive when he arrived, and didn't take orders from anyone. The Shield then attacked the tag champs, although you never saw their faces. 

Big E Langston toppled Zack Ryder in a brief squash match. Ryder managed to get in a bit of offense, but it was for nought. Obviously someone in the back is keen on Langston, which isn't shocking considering his look and build. I just hope he can improve himself in the ring a bit, although I'm not holding my breath. 

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) bested The Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan in a terrific six-man tag bout. From the opening bell it was a gripping contest containing a high standard of wrestling, with Rollins and Bryan being the top two performers for me. Here's hoping this isn't the last time we see these six lock horns. 

Fandango pinned William Regal in a short but fun outing while it lasted. Regal understandably (and deservedly) received a tremendous ovation in London, England (I love our fans here) and gave a decent showing. Unfortunately the bout was kept brief and Fandango gained the winning pin with a swinging reverse STO. Afterwards Jericho then gained some payback by throwing Fandango off of the stage and dancing with his dance partner (who's now Summer Rae from NXT).   

AJ Lee outdid Layla, Aksana, Tamina and Naomi in a Divas Battle Royal to become number one contender to the Divas Title. As tradition for these it was a forgettable match with mediocre wrestling, but it also showed off how awfully thin the roster of semi-capable female performers there are on the main roster, they seriously need to bring up more talent from developmental and NXT (such as Paige, who as a Diva that really stands out I could see becoming a big name).  

Mick Foley called out Ryback and asked him what had changed so that he'd walk away and refuse to help Cena last week. Ryback retorted by stating that he loved watching Shield attack Cena last week, and called Foley a "pathetic" excuse of a man who just keeps coming back to plug something and shouldn't be around anymore. As he then went face to face with the Hall of Famer, Cena ran out and confronted his Extreme Rules foe.

The Shield then made their way out so Cena left Ryback to it as retribution for last Monday, but soon returned with a steel chair and chased off the trio (who bested 'Taker, Bryan and Kane earlier, remember?) and also AA'd Ryback for good measure. The Foley and Ryback segment was nicely executed, with some good intensity towards the end, but after that it felt a bit too familiar and hardly advanced anything in this feud.

Overall it was a decent Raw this week, with the Foley Ryback segment, crowd enthusiasm, Regal appearance, Ziggler versus Jericho and the great six-man bout being the highlights. Other than that it ranged from fair to average, which I can forgive for the stronger parts. 

My WWE SmackDown, 19th April 2013 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Fandango kicked things off by dancing/flirting with Lilian Garcia, but soon dropped her and claimed how bad her dance skills were. His opponent Santino Marella then joined him and and made a few lame jokes then danced to Fandango's theme. It wasn't a great opening to the show.

Fandango pinned Santino Marella in an average outing. Unlike his dancing Fandango showed little flair in the ring and both men gave rather pedestrian displays.

Kofi Kingston bested Wade Barrett in a largely pedestrian contest. There were a few decent moments but to be honest the match ups between these two tend to start to blur together for me, there's never anything remarkable or that exciting that seems to occur when they lock up. Plus the amount of times Kofi's had a push killed off has almost numbed me to him getting a win because I just don't see it leading to anything significant. 

Backstage Sheamus gained some payback on Mark Henry when he barged him through a railing during an interview. Just before that when quizzed as to why he'd been attacking Sheamus as of late, Henry replied with "Because it's what I do" well at least that's all cleared up then. What a nonsensical feud. 

Alberto Del Rio beat Jack Swagger in a decent enough encounter. As with each of their contests there is solid wrestling but just a lack of real interest there. Swagger's lost momentum fast since Elimination Chamber and Del Rio has a lack of any character, and it's hard to invest in a match when you have little interest in the participants themselves.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) appeared on the big screen and  claimed that Ryback looking on at them taking out Cena on this week's Raw was evidence that he realised they were delivering real justice. They also said that while The Undertaker has an unbeaten streak at WrestleMania, they have an unbeaten streak period and that his  time "is up" come next Monday when they face him and Team Hell No in a six-man tag bout. I'm very much looking forward to that one.

The Great Khali, Hornswaggle and Natalya bested Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes in an average mixed tag match. The quality of the bout was hardly a surprise, I mean Epico and Primo could only do so much with the limited Khali and Hornswaggle. 

Big Show and Mark Henry toppled Randy Orton and Sheamus in a pretty unremarkable tag bout for the most part. There were fair periods but unfortunately they were overrun by pedestrian action and dull submission holds. Afterwards Show and Henry celebrated together and seemed pretty close-knit, could they be forming a new team? The tag division could use more relevant teams right now.

Overall it was a mediocre and forgettable show for the majority, with only the Shield promo and Del Rio versus Swagger encounter bordering above average, and even they weren't anything that special. Poor offering form the blue brand this week, and that's saying something.