3-16-12 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the March 16, 2012 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with Christian returning with The Peep Show. He comes to the ring and welcomes the fans to the return of The Peep Show. He says that this will be a very exciting and interesting Peep show because on the WWE website they said that there will be a 12 man tag match at WrestleMania and mentions that it will be Team Long vs. Team Johnny. He says that this match will affect the future of WWE because the winning means that guy be GM of both Raw & Smackdown. Then he introduced Johnny Ace and his team captain David Otunga. They come to the ring and wave to the fans as they get booed. Johnny welcomes Christian back and says that he and David are honored to be on his Peep show. The Christian says that it is an honor to have Mr. Excitement and Captain Charisma in the ring together. Then he mentions that people say that his next guest has no honor and he introduces Teddy Long. Long & Aksana come to the ring. Then Christian says that once this is all said and done one of these 2 guys will have total control over both shows, which is unheard of. He says that it got to thinking that maybe he should do something unheard of too and he offers both the chance to convince him why he should be on their team at WrestleMania. He lets Long go first but he doesn’t say anything and Christian asks him he’s looking at him and rolling his eyes. He mentions that he is a former 2 time World Champion and that Teddy has to admit how good Christian is because he carried Smackdown on his back. Then he says that whichever team he will be on will be the winning team and says that this is Teddy’s chance to convince him why he should be on his team and suggests that he makes it worth Christian’s while. Then he tells Long to give him what he deserves. Long was about to say what Christian deserves but Christian cuts him off and says that he deserves one more match for the World Title. Long says that Christian got what he deserved and he respects everything that Christian had done in the ring. Then Long says that he won’t beg Christian to be on his team because when Team Teddy wins at WrestleMania any guy that wants a Title they will have to earn it. He then says that no one will get a Title match if they annoy or disrespect him. Then Ace chimes in and asks Long what he knows about respect. Then he says that he respects Christian’s talents. He tells Christian that would be an honor for him to be on Team Johnny at WrestleMania and that when his team wins, he gives Christian his word, which everyone knows is as good as gold then Christian will get a World Title match. Christian then says that he appreciates the offer and that when the opportunity comes he won’t fail unlike Teddy Long who fails at everything. He says that tonight is the night that the tides will turn because Christian is joining Team Johnny. Then Christian’s music plays and Johnny takes out a Christian t-shirt. Then Long tells Christian that since he is back then he will be in action tonight. Ace tells Long that isn’t gonna happen because Christian isn’t medically cleared due to Teddy. Johnny says that he looks after the talent.  Then Long says that since Christian can’t or won’t compete tonight than David Otunga will. Then Long introduces the newest member of Team Teddy Kofi Kingston. Then Kofi & Santino come out and the match is next. This was the typical Teddy-Johnny type segment. Christian was good with his promo but this whole feud is idiotic.

Kofi Kingston vs. David Otunga. Kofi gets the pin. Teddy Long & Johnny Ace were on commentary. Christian tripped Kofi and the referee asked what Christian was up to. Then Teddy takes his head set off and goes to tell the referee what happened and the referee kicks Christian out of ringside. Teddy and Christian argue for a bit and Christian is all pissed off as heads to the back. Then Johnny Ace leaves the announce table and he and Long argue AGAIN! While this is happening Otunga takes his belt off but before he can use Santino gets up on the apron and snatches it out of his hands. Otunga then punches Santino off the apron and then Kofi hits Otunga with Trouble in Paradise for the 3 count. This match was more of a backdrop for the Teddy-Johnny story line, but since the 2 guys in the match will each be on one of the teams I was ok with it.

They show Daniel Bryan standing outside the Divas locker room and AJ comes out in a black dress and she says that it doesn’t fit. Then Daniel tells AJ to turn around and then he says that the dress looks much better on a mannequin. Then he tells AJ that they will be the new power couple in WWE and that she needs to look the part. Then he mentions couples like Macho Man & Elizabeth and Triple H & Stephanie. He then says that he is the World Champion and he wants AJ to be a champion too. Then he tells her that she will be in a match tonight that could lead her to a match for the Divas Title if she wins. He tells her that he will be in her corner tonight and all she has to do is listen to him. AJ thanks Daniel and they kiss. Then Bryan tells AJ that her match is next and that she should get ready and will be right there waiting. This was a decent segment. Daniel Bryan is really good in role.   

AJ vs. Nikki Bella. AJ gets the pin. Daniel Bryan came out after the entrances to his theme music doing the “yes” bit and he cheered on AJ. The Bellas tried the twin magic but Bryan pointed it out to the referee. While that was happening Brie got up on the apron and pulled AJ down by the hair. Then Nikki went for a slam but AJ turned it into a roll up for the pin. This was decent.

Backstage Matt Striker interviews Cody Rhodes and mentions that Cody has been talking about Big Show’s WrestleMania losing streak. Then he asks Cody how he plans to defend the Intercontinental Title against Big Show at WrestleMania. Cody says that 364 days out of the year Big Show is a destroyer but on that 1 day, the grandest stage of them all he is a choke artist. He then mentions that Big Show hasn’t won a singles match at WrestleMania and tells Striker to watch how he will beat a giant and he walks off. Striker then mentions that Cody will face Khali next. This was good Cody promo. He’s really good in the heal role too.

Great Khali vs. Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes. Cody gets the pin. This was ok for a Khali match.

They show Randy Orton walking backstage and he’s headed to the ring to talk about Kane next.

Randy Orton comes to the ring and says that usually when he has a problem he doesn’t come out and talk about it. Most likely he hunts down whoever it is. Then says that for the past few weeks he feels like he is the one who is being hunted. By Kane. Orton says that they are going down a path that will lead to them destroying each other and that’s ok with him. But before that happens he needs to know why Kane chose him. Then he says that he is not John Cena and that he embraces hate and hate embraces him. Then he calls Kane out and he wants him to explain himself because when the time comes that Orton has to put him down he wants to know why he had to do it. Orton waits for a bit and then Kane’s pyro goes off. The lights were out for a bit than Kane’s red lights come on and his music plays and he comes out on the stage. Then Kane says that Orton is demanding an explanation. Kane asks if it makes Orton feel uncomfortable living in the unknown. He says that normally he would enjoy watching Orton twist in the wind and being unsure of how, when, or why Kane would strike next. But since Orton asked so politely he will clue him in because it is obvious that Orton has forgotten about what it is and Kane says that it is something that he obsesses over. The show a street fight they had back on July 22 where Orton used a Singapore cane and gave him an RKO on a steel chair. Then Michael Cole mentions that Kane shook Orton’s hand after the match, which is uncharacteristic for Kane. Kane then says that he watches that match every day to remind himself of what he has become and that is a retched, mangled retch of humanity. Then he says that the person who shook his hand is gone and has been replaced by the monster that he always should have been. Then he says that the journey is not yet complete. He says that WWE isn’t big enough for both of them. Then he says that he needs closure and that he will not become whole again till he completely decimates Orton. Then Orton tells him to come to the and see if Kane can finish what he started. Kane walks halfway down the ramp and then stops and he says that slaughtering him right now wouldn’t satisfy him. Kane says that when he ends Orton he wants it to be on the biggest stage possible. He says that he wants Orton’s demise to happen at WrestleMania. Then Kane sets his pyro off and he and Orton stare down each other. This was a decent segment. I thought both cut really slow and calculating promos about what they’ll do.

Drew McIntyre comes to the ring for his match. Before the match Teddy Long shows up on the tron and welcomes Drew back. Then he mentions that he signed a year long no cut contract last week when Johnny Ace was in charge. He says that he is excited that Drew’s back because it gives him a chance to put Drew in a match with this man. Big Show’s music plays and he comes out and Drew has the usual “what’ve I done to deserve this” look.

Big Show vs. Drew McIntyre. Big Show wins when the referee stops the match. This was a squash. Big Show pounded Drew the whole match. Then he gave him the choke slam followed by the big right hand and the referee checked on Drew and then stopped the match. I don’t get why Drew is still stuck in Jobber Ville. They show Cody Rhodes watching in his dressing room on a monitor.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Mark Henry. Henry gets the pin. This was a squash.

Chris Jericho comes out for his match with Sheamus but before that he gets the mic. He says that before he destroys Sheamus he wants to talk about what he said about CM Punk and his dad on Raw. He says that a lot of fans want him to apologize for what he said but he won’t. Then he says that the fans think he went over the line but you can’t go over the line when you tell the truth. He says that the truth is that Punk is a fraud, mentioning that he has the tattoos to try to hide that he has alcoholic genes. He says that he has figured out Punk and that he knows Punk better than Punk knows himself. He says that Punk cried as a kid because of his dad and that every time he unleashed one of his pipe bombs that he wishes that he could say what he says to his parents and his family. The fans chant CM Punk. Then Jericho says that every time Punk comes to the ring and hears the fans chant his name hiding beyond the wall of the sarcastic anti hero he really wishes that the demons in his head would go away but they never will. Then he says that Punk wishes that he is the best in the world at what he is but he isn’t. Then Jericho says that he is the best in the world at everything that he does while Punk pretends to be. Then Jericho says that Punk wishes he was him and says that Punk is a Chris Jericho wanna be just like the fans. He says that they’re all Jeri clones who will never be what he is because he proves every night that everything that he says is true. Then he says that he will prove it tonight when he beats Sheamus, he will prove it at WrestleMania when he beats Punk and when he leaves the stadium in Miami April 1 he will prove it by walking out as the WWE Champion. Then he says that at the WrestleMania after party he will have a cocktail, take a nice big drink hold the glass up and he will make a toast not just to himself but he will toast Punk and his pathetic father. He tells the fans to go ahead for one of the last chances that they will get to chant Punk’s name. The fans chant CM Punk and Jericho chants CM Drunk and then he says, “pipe bomb.” And he drops the mic. This was a really well done Jericho promo. The guy really is awesome at what he does!

Sheamus vs. Chris Jericho. Daniel Bryan & AJ come to ringside to watch. Jericho wins by count out when Daniel Bryan goes after Sheamus on the outside. Sheamus & Jericho fought outside the ring for a bit and then Sheamus threw Jericho back in the ring. He was going to also, but he got distracted by Daniel and then Jericho knocked him from behind off the apron and then Daniel kicked Sheamus, leading to the count out. Afterwards Sheamus goes after Bryan but he & AJ run up the stage. Then Jericho poses on the turnbuckle and when he climbs down and turns around Sheamus gives him a brogue kick. Daniel watches on from the stage as Sheamus looks at him from the ring to end the show. This was a really good back and forth match and the finish made sense since both guys will be challenging for the WWE & World Titles at WrestleMania.

I thought that this was decent show overall. I wasn’t really into the Teddy Long-Johnny Ace stuff at the start of the show and the Kofi-Otunga match was ok. Jericho cut a great promo before his match and the match he had with Sheamus was really good and the finish made sense. The rest of the show was hit and miss. I thought the Orton-Kane segment was ok and did a decent job in building to their WrestleMania match. I have no idea why Drew McIntyre continues to be booked as a jobber and the match with him and Big Show was a complete squash. The Yoshi-Henry match was q squash too. Yoshi is a really talented guy. He has great matches on NXT and Superstars. They really should let him do more on Smackdown. Cody Rhodes cut a good backstage promo about how he will take care of Big Show at WrestleMania and his match with Khali was ok too. The AJ-Nikki Bella match wasn’t much but the pre match Daniel Bryan -AJ segment backstage with Daniel saying they were going to be the new power couple was good. On the whole I thought this was a decent show.