12-6-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the December 6, 2013 Smackdown

The show starts with Fandango & Summer Rae in the ring & Damien Sandow on commentary. Fandango will be facing Big E.

Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston vs. Fandango. Big E gets the pin. This was mostly a squash.

Then Sandow gets in the ring, he & Big E have a stare down & Sandow tells Big E he will be IC Champion in 2 weeks. Then Big E holds up the belt & tells Sandow to come get it.

Randy Orton comes to the ring. He says that in 10 days at TLC it will be champion vs. champion. Cena’s World Title & his WWE Title will be up for grabs. Orton plans on proving that he is the champion of champions & he also plans on proving that he can overcome what Cena did to him Monday. They reshow the “atrocity” that happened at the end of Raw. Even though Orton’s broken on the inside he’s not whining like every other super star. In 10 days at TLC Orton will prove to the world that he is what he says he is. That being the greatest super star of this or any other generation. Orton knows that he’s not the most likable of characters but it doesn’t matter because he doesn’t like the fans either. He also doesn’t like anyone in the back. He never has & he never will & he certainly doesn’t like John Cena. However, he does like Stephanie & HHH (That makes no sense since they’ve been feuding for years but we’re supposed to forget that happened). “The authority” has done wonders for this company & they truly know what’s “best for business” (I’m so tired of that line & The Authority is 1 of the most idiotic names I’ve ever heard). Sometimes Orton doesn’t appreciate all they’ve done for him. He’s taken some of the things they’ve for him for granted. Which is why he’s in the ring yapping right now. Because he wants to publicly apologize. Not to the fans, not to anyone in the back, not to his friends & family. He wants to apologize to HHH & Stephanie. Then out comes Daniel Bryan. He says that Orton needs to apologize to all these people for impersonating a champion. Out of all the title matches that Bryan & Orton had Daniel thinks it’s safe to say that not once did Orton ever legitimately beat him. Then Daniel says that just because he has been targeted by the Wyatts Orton shouldn’t forget about all those times that he’s screwed Daniel over. Daniel hasn’t forgotten & he isn’t done with Orton. Then Daniel says that whoever wins the “unification” title match at TLC & becomes champion of champions, as soon the winner turns around Daniel will be waiting at the front of the line for a title match. Then Daniel says that since they’re both out there & Daniel’s looking into the face of WWE he kinda feels like putting a knee right into it. Then Daniel challenges Orton to a match for tonight. Orton says no. Then Daniel asks the Oklahoma fans if they wanna see him vs. Orton tonight. They cheer for that of course. Then Daniel & the fans chant yes & Orton backs up the ramp looking upset. This was a decent in ring promo. Daniel was good like usual but Orton was his usual boring self. I don’t really get why they’re having Daniel vs. Orton in a non-title match after the headlined 3 PPVs in a row, only for Daniel to get de-pushed. This company doesn’t make sense.

WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Curtis Axel & Ryback. Axel & Ryback win Axel pins Cody. This was a solid match & it was surprising to see Axel & Ryback win.

Time for Bad News Barrett (The only bad news is this stupid gimmick Barrett’s stuck with). He says that it would be easy for him to give the fans the kind of news they’d like to hear. He could tell the fans they’re important, loved & valued but he isn’t gonna do that because he’s got some bad news. The fans are none of the above. They’re cowardly, gullible sheep who will ultimately fall on one another to the slaughter. This gimmick is stupid.

Next up was supposed to be Kofi vs. Del Rio but Del Rio attacks Kofi before the bell. He throws Kofi into the barricade & then kicks him while he’s down. Then he throws Kofi back into the ring, waits till Kofi gets to his knees & then he kicks Kofi in the head. Then he pulls Kofi by the hair & whips him with his ring towel. Then he locks the arm breaker on Kofi. This was ok.

They reshow The Shield laying out Punk from Raw 2 weeks ago.

Backstage we see The Shield. Reigns says that Punk has been trying to put The Shield to sleep but he can’t touch them. It if were up to Reigns he’d hit Punk with one spear & break every rib in Punk’s body. Then Rollins tells Reigns to take easy. Then he says that they want CM Punk tonight but so bad to the point that he can’t make it to TLC. All 3 of them can get a hand in finishing the job. Whoever faces Punk tonight has one responsibility. To remind the fans what happens when you don’t believe in The Shield. Then Reigns says that whoever faces Punk will need to be relentless & cut throat. It will take someone who can end any match (he snaps his fingers) just like that. Then Reigns says that they’re dealing with the best in the world. It will take the baddest man in The Shield to take him out. Then Ambrose says that “in other words, me.” This was a solid promo.

CM Punk vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose. Punk gets the pin. This was a really, really good back & forth match.

Backstage Renee Young interviews Rey Mysterio. She says that Rey has held both the WWE & World titles. She wants his opinion on what it would mean to any super star to hold both titles at once (I guess we’re supposed to forget that Jericho held both 12 years ago). Rey says that there is a ton of pressure holding one title, but to be recognized as champion of champions, that puts a test to any man’s fortitude. In come The Real Americans. Zeb says that Rey should take a citizenship test. Zeb tells Rey who he is since they “haven’t been formally introduced.” Then he asks Mysterio why he wears that mask. What & who is Mysterio running from? Since Zeb’s never seen any documentation of Rey’s papers all of Rey’s titles reigns should be taken out of the record books. “Mr. Mysterio. If that is your real name.” Rey tells Zeb that he is a 619er, meaning that he was born in San Diego. Then Rey says that the only thing that should be stricken from this arena is these 3 hypocrites. Zeb’s sorry Rey feels that way. Then he says they should put Rey to the test tonight. Zeb challenges Mysterio to match on behalf of The Real Americans. The Real Americans vs. Rey & a partner if Rey can find someone to team up with him. This was weak. Mysterio talking about being WWE & World champion didn’t really make sense since he won & lost the WWE Title in the same night (I think) & his 2 World Title Reigns weren’t memorable. Plus this Zeb Coulter-Real Americans gimmick is stale.     

Natalya vs. Tamina Snuka. Natalya gets the pin. This was a decent match but kinda short. AJ was on commentary too & Natalya eyed her.

They reshow a Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio match from 12-7-12 for some reason. That was “This week in Smackdown history.” I have no idea why the showed this.

The Real Americans are in the ring. Then out comes Rey Mysterio. Who will Rey team with to face Cesaro & Swagger? Big Show.

Big Show & Rey Mysterio vs. The Real Americans. Big Show & Mysterio win when Mysterio pins Cesaro. This was ok. Mysterio took the beating & then Big Show cleaned house on the heels.

They show a video package on the WWE & World Titles. The show past WWWF/WWF/WWE & NWA/WCW/World Champions. They show Bob Backlund, Buddy Rogers, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Edge, Eddie Guerrero, Undertaker, Mysterio, Harley Race, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Bruno Sammartino, HHH, Shawn Michaels, Booker T & Steve Austin. Who will be “champion of champions” after TLC? It was nice seeing the clips of the past champions but the World Title IS NOT the same as the NWA/WCW Title.

They show more of the Michael Cole-HHH interview. HHH says that it’s hard to say if this will be the biggest match in history (We all know that it won’t be) but it is the biggest match for this generation. There will only be 1 champion, this is the biggest thing that’s happened in a long time. HHH thinks this will be one of those moments that happen every now & then. It will be remembered forever (They’ll want us to forget it ever happened eventually). HHH guarantees that when TLC end there will be 1 champion (I’m still predicting that Cena & Orton will swap titles). The king of kings will crown the champion of champions. Whatever. I’m tired of HHH & I have a feeling that with all this hype of guaranteeing 1 champion that it won’t happen.

Time for more Bad News Barrett (That’s bad news for the fans). He actually has some good news. After TLC we’re guaranteed to have only one champion. That man will stand atop a precipice so high that he will breathe rarified air & will be the champion of champions. However, Barrett does have some bad news for that man. The champion will have a target painted on his chest & will be hunted, punched & pummeled from every angle. Traps will be laid for this man. This man will be the envy of the locker room. As such he is doomed to destruction. Why did they give Barrett this gimmick?

Daniel Bryan vs. WWE Champion Randy Orton. Orton gets the pin. Daniel is on the top rope about to head butt Orton. Then out go the lights. They come back on & Harper & Rowan are at ringside. This distracts Daniel & Orton hits the RKO for the pin. Then Orton holds up the title as he stands on the stage & then goes to the back. The match was good & I knew The Wyatts would get involved somehow.

Then The Wyatt Tron comes on again & out go the lights. Then Bray shows up on the Tron. After saying tick tock a few times he tells Daniel that he doesn’t mean to keep haunting him like this, but how many times must Daniel cross this burning bridge before he realizes that he doesn’t have to fight this war alone? At TLC Daniel will finally realize what he is. Then he tells Daniel to join them & that ends the show. This was the usual kinda promo we get from Bray.

I thought this was a decent show for the most part. The Daniel-Orton in ring promo was a mix. Daniel was good & Orton was dull. Their match at the end was good though & so was Bray’s promo afterwards. The Shield promo was good too & the Punk-Ambrose match was the best part of this show. Great match! I liked the video of the past champions but making like the World Title is the same as the NWA/WCW Title is idiotic & insulting! Speaking of idiotic that’s what the Bad News Barrett gimmick is. The Mysterio-Real Americans backstage promo was kinda weak & the Big Show & Rey vs. Real Americans match was ok but nothing memorable. Natalya-Tamina was decent but kind of short. Big E-Fandango was mostly a squash. I was ok with Del Rio attacking Kofi before the bell ever rang. The Rhodes Brothers vs. Axel & Ryback was solid & it was surprising to see Axel & Ryback win. Will they be challenging Goldust & Cody for the tag titles? We’ll find out. Overall I thought this was a decent show this week.