6-14-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the June 14, 2013 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with Daniel Bryan coming to the ring. He says that if you would have asked him when he first debuted in WWE if he would be the World Champion he would have responded with yes. If you would have asked him if he would lose the world title in an 18 second match he would have responded with no. If you would have asked him if he could win the tag titles with anyone on the roster he would have said yes. Did he think that he would spend 9 months with Kane? No, but that doesn’t change the fact that team hell no is 1 of the best tag teams in WWE history. He asks Kane to come to the ring. Out comes Kane. He knows why Daniel called him out here, but this isn’t the time or the place. The only thing that Kane is interested in is their 6 man tag match with The Shield tonight. Daniel says they need to get everything out in the open. The last 9 months have been an incredible ride. They’ve been in battles together. They’ve been an awesome team in the ring & Daniel is proud of what they have done outside of the ring to become better partners. But at Payback Kane won’t be Daniel’s partner. Daniel then says when he wins he is going to be the tag team champions with someone else. He puts his hand on Kane’s shoulder & the fans chant hug it out (I think). Then Daniel says that he won’t be teaming with Kane anymore. Kane asks if Daniel is “breaking up” with him. Kane then says that Daniel should know that the same thing will happen when he beats Dean Ambrose for the U.S. Title this Sunday. Daniel supposed Kane could be right but they can still team if Kane wins the U.S. Title. The part that he doesn’t think Kane gets is that Daniel & Randy are going to be the tag champions. Vickie was wrong, it won’t be Team RK Never, it will be Team RK NO! Kane says Daniel is making up cute little names & is acting like it’s a given that he & Orton will win. Kane doesn’t see how Daniel could since they (Kane & Daniel) couldn’t beat The Shield. Then Kane mentions that Daniel despises Orton. Daniel then says that Kane is saying that he doesn’t think Daniel can do it. Kane says that personally he doesn’t think so. Daniel says it’s because he is the weak link. That’s not what Kane said. Daniel says that he & Randy had The Shield beat last Friday & at Payback he & Randy will win & Daniel will prove to everybody beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is not the weak link. Kane will have to sit back & know that Daniel & Randy did something that Kane & Daniel could never do. Daniel says that can only mean 1 thing. Then Kane asks if Daniel is saying that he is the weak link. Daniel says Kane might be right. This might not be the time. Kane tells him to answer him. Daniel shouts yes. He says that Kane is the weak link. Then Kane grabs Daniel’s throat and then cue Randy Orton’s music & out comes the “Viper.” He tells Kane that he can’t let him do that. Orton gets why Kane wants to choke slam Daniel & Orton wouldn’t mind watching but Orton needs Daniel at 100 % this Sunday. Whatever Kane does to Daniel directly affects Orton. If Kane choke slams Daniel then Kane just might start a chain reaction that will cause Orton to hit Kane with an RKO. Kane tells Orton to stay out of this. Orton says that if Kane wants to do this he is ready. Daniel tells Orton that he never asks for him to come out. Orton tells Daniel that he came out to help him because Kane was going to choke slam him through the mat. Daniel says that he never asked for Orton to save him. Orton asks what about the whole partner thing. Kane’s had enough. Daniel & Orton can work this out. He will see them in the ring later. Daniel says that Kane is running away like he always does & always has. Then Daniel tells Orton that he doesn’t need him out there to save him. Then The Shield shows up on the Tron. Rollins tells them to do what they gotta do & not to mind them being on the Tron. The Shield wants to watch because it’s kinda funny watching them out there. Ambrose says that it’s like a car wreck. Then he says that after 6 months of getting beaten & embarrassed by The Shield he would be mad too. The thing is Kane, Daniel & Orton aren’t mad at The Shield, they’re mad at each other. Is that because after all these months of trying to put together every super team imaginable to try & beat them & have found out every time that The Shield is unstoppable, unbeatable & untouchable? The real question is if they now believe in The Shield. Ambrose it looks like they do. Ambrose than says that there’s no reason for Kane, Daniel & Orton to be arguing right now because tonight is just gonna be like every other night when they face The Shield. Reigns says that Kane, Daniel & Orton will lose and they will lose again at Payback. This is why the hounds of justice run this yard. Then The Shield’s music plays as Kane, Daniel & Orton continue to argue. This was a really well done opening promo segment. Daniel was awesome as usual here & Kane was good too. I also liked Orton’s mic work here. The Shield showing up on the Tron was a fitting touch also. I like that they’re having The Shield be this dominant force and the dissention between Kane, Daniel & Orton has been good too.

Before the next match starts Damien Sandow come out. He tells Sheamus that they man standing across from him speaks 5 different languages. Sandow would argue just like unwashed masses Sheamus can barely speak 1. Then Sandow says that he has humiliated Sheamus intellectually & physically. This Sunday at the Payback Kickoff  Sandow will play host to Sheamus’ Irish wake.

Sheamus vs. Antonio Cesaro. Sheamus gets the pin. This was a good back & forth match. I like that they had Cesaro get a good amount of offense in here.

Then as Sheamus poses on the stage Sandow comes out & hits Sheamus from behind.

Time for a Wyatt family vignette.

Now time for a CM Punk video package. This was good.

Backstage Teddy Long is on his cell phone in the GM office. He’s anxious for Punk’s return Sunday. Also the rest of Smackdown will be jamming. He’s going to enjoy himself by having a Hardee’s burger because they’re sponsoring Smackdown tonight. Before he can dig in to his burger in come Dolph, Big E & AJ. Long says he’s about to eat & asks what they want. Big E says they’re sorry to bother him since he looks so busy. Dolph mentions that this is his triumphant return to Smackdown (Returning to a show in segment that’s plugging burgers isn’t triumphant). It’s been a month since the world champ has graced this show by being on it. Long is glad to have Dolph back. Dolph then says that he is 2 days away from the biggest world title defense in his career at Payback. Then he says that he must be hearing wrong because Long is forcing Dolph to compete in tag team match tonight against Del Rio & Jericho. Long hasn’t got time for this, he has a show to run (And a burger to eat). Dolph says that Smackdown is nothing without the face of Smackdown, that of course being him. Dolph says that maybe Long should rearrange his thoughts because tonight will just be a taste of what he will do to Del Rio Sunday. Dolph, Big E & AJ leave. Long is about to bight into the burger but Big E comes back in, takes it out of Long’s hands & eats some of it. This was pointless. Why did they waste Dolph’s Smackdown return on a burger plug segment? I really hope they start pushing him better.

Great Khali vs. Heath Slater. Slater gets the pin. This wasn’t much.

Chris Jericho & Alberto Del Rio vs. Big E Langston & World Champion Dolph Ziggler. Del Rio & Jericho win when Del Rio pins Ziggler. This was a good match but I don’t get why they had Dolph get pinned cleanly in his first match back.

Backstage Renee Young interviews Chris Jericho. She congratulates him on winning the tag match. Then she mentions that this Sunday Jericho will face Punk. She asks for some of his final thoughts. Jericho says this Sunday at Payback the match between him & Punk is 1 of those rare matches. This is a match that has taken on a life of its own almost because as much of the people watching as the 2 guys involved. Punk is from Chicago and the fans will be cheering for Punk in his home town, but Jericho isn’t exactly a stranger to Chicago either. Jericho has had a lot of great, memorable, classic Y2J moments in Chicago including his debut against The Rock back in 1999. Whether the crowed is 100 % for Punk or 100 % for Y2J, or if they’re 50-50, 70-30 or 47-53 it doesn’t matter because this match will exceed the expectations of their first 2 matches that he & Punk had on PPV. You’re not going to wanna miss Jericho-Punk 3. In comes Paul Heyman. He offers Jericho his hand & wishes him the best of luck on Sunday. Jericho doesn’t fall for it. Then Heyman says that Punk says luck is for losers, which is fitting because the odds are against Jericho. Jericho needs the luck Heyman is offering him. Chicago is CM Punk’s home town & Punk also has Heyman in his corner & Heyman will have the best seat in the house this Sunday when the referee counts 1-2-3 or accepts Jericho’s tap out; & the ring announcer says the winner of the match & the best in the world…Then Jericho slaps the mic into Heyman’s mouth. Then Jericho says pipe bomb & says he will see Heyman Sunday. This was a good backstage interview bit. Both Jericho & Heyman were great on the mic as usual.

They reshow the Kaitlyn-AJ-Big E bit from Raw.

Kaitlyn was supposed to face Aksana next but Kaitlyn was so pissed about what happened Monday that she went after Aksana before the bell rang. This goes in & out of the ring, the referee attempts to pull Kaitlyn off but she hits him too. Aksana manages to bail up the ramp as Kaitlyn cries in the ring. This was decent.

Time for a Cena-Ryback video package.

Wade Barrett & Curtis Axel are in the ring for a match, but before that we get a few words from Barrett. Before they start this match up Barrett wants to chat business man to businessman with Heyman. Barrett asks Heyman why they’re about to have this match right now. Barrett could easily injure axel tonight & then Curtis wouldn’t be capable of competing for the IC Title at Payback. There’s even a very small chance that Curtis Axel could injure him. Should they fight now or would it make business sense to just leave all this till Sunday. Out comes The Miz. He’s surprised that Curtis & Barrett don’t wanna fight tonight. Would they rather go to Starbucks, sit in the same booth & share a latté? Or maybe they’d like to go on dancing with the stars & compete as a couple. They could be called The Brit & The Twit (The Twit is Vince for thinking this is good story telling). But no 1 wants to see them dance (or hear Miz talk). What the fans do want is to see Curtis & Barrett go at it. Miz asks the fans if they wanna see them fight & of course the fans cheer (or maybe it was pumped in crowed noise since this is a taped show). Then Miz leads the fans in a fight chant. Then the bell rings. This was idiotic. I’m (as Miz would say) really tired of Miz & his shtick. I “really” am!

Curtis Axel vs. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett. Curtis gets the pin. This was a decent but short & kinda pointless match. Then Miz gets in the ring & gives Curtis the skull crushing finale. That was dumb. They give Joe Hennig this new gimmick & they continue to make him look weak (and that’s a mild way of saying it).

Time for another Wyatt family vignette.

Kane, Daniel Bryan & Randy Orton vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose and WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns. Kane, Daniel & Orton win when Daniel makes Rollins submit. This was a really good match. Afterwards they even had Lillian say that The Shield lost their first 6 man tag. Kane, Daniel & Orton celebrated in the ring in a really neat visual to end the show.

I thought this was a solid show for the most part. The opening segment was a good start to the show & I liked the main event 6 man tag. All 6 guys have been really entertaining to watch! I also liked the Jericho-Heyman backstage bit. They were both great on the mic as always. Del Rio & Jericho vs. Dolph & Big E was solid but I hated that they had Dolph get pinned in his first match back. Wade Barrett’s promo was decent before his match with Curtis Axel, but I wasn’t a fan of The Miz promo. The Barrett-Axel match was decent but it was way too short & pointless. Then Miz giving Curtis his finisher afterwards was dumb too. I was ok with Kaitlyn beating the crap out of Aksana. The Wyatt family vignettes have been good too. The Teddy Long-Dolph-Big E-AJ backstage segment was awful & a waste of a Smackdown return for Dolph. Khali-Slater wasn’t much but it was surprising that Slater won. Sheamus-Cesaro was also good. I liked that they had Cesaro get a lot of offense in. So overall I thought this was a good show.