9-5-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the September 6, 2013 episode of Smackdown The show starts with Triple H, Brad Maddox & Vickie Guerrero in the ring (HHH starting EVERY SHOW is way beyond annoying at this point)! The Shield are also at ringside again (That’s gotten old too) & the whole is ONCE AGAIN standing on the stage (This has gotten really stale also & that’s a kind way of saying it). HHH says before they get started he just wants to take a moment to inform everybody that “regrettably” after Monday Cody Rhodes is no longer a WWE super star (For now). HHH wants to explain why as Cody was fired for “just cause.” Cody was disrespectful to HHH (Or as he says “The position of COO). The COO of WWE represents WWE. So as COO HHH is WWE (Yeah we’ve noticed). Cody was disrespectful to all the fans & the roster (Man I’m tired of this crap). That’s something HHH won’t stand for. He gave Cody the chance to fight for his job. He asked Cody to go to the ting & perform his job & Cody failed. HHH didn’t fire Cody, Cody fired Cody (Great so now HHH is giving us a “Bret screwed Bret” line. UGH)! That pains HHH (This idiotic storyline is what pains me)! HHH is friends with Cody. You know how hard this job can be. HHH is friends with Cody, Dustin & Dusty. It’s painful for HHH to have to do that but that’s the burden he takes as COO of WWE. There are hard decisions that have to be made & sometimes when you make those decisions you come across as the bad guy & HHH gets it. He’s willing to accept that responsibility to do what is “best for business.” (I am so tired of hearing that line)! That is why they’re there tonight. HHH is here for the whole WWE roster. HHH wants to have an open form because he feels like there might be some misunderstanding of how business is being done & he doesn’t want anybody to have to fear for their jobs, so he wants this open form. He wants to open the mic up to the WWE Super Stars & he wants them to ask him anything that’s on their mind with no fear. HHH asks who will go first. No one volunteers. HHH knows they’ve got something to say. There’s also a mic on the stage. HHH says that he works for all of them & wants to continue to but he can only work for them all if they open up to him. Everyone has to tell him how they feel (This is beyond stupid)! If they do he will work harder than any man on this planet for the whole roster. He wants the fans & the roster to grow & so does he. But they can only grow if they’re honest with each other. He asks for someone to be open & tell him what they’re thinking (You all know I’m thinking)! Damien Sandow goes first. He supports the termination of Cody Rhodes. Cody exemplifies everything that is “bad for business.” For that Sandow commends HHH as their “Fearless leader.” HHH says this isn’t about them kissing his rear end. He wants this to be open & honest. He pleads for someone to speak up. He asks Alicia Fox if she has something to say. (She should be asking “Why am I not on TV?). But nope she’s got nothing to say. Then Kofi says that ever since HHH fired Cody the whole locker room has been living in fear (What they weren’t before that?) & maybe it’s Kofi but he doesn’t see that as what’s “best of business.” Cody was out there fighting for his life & HHH took his livelihood. HHH says that’s a fair point & he can understand how from Kofi’s point of view Kofi wouldn’t get that. How could he? Then Heath Slater steps in front of the mic & says that no one cares about Kofi’s question (Actually is was more of a comment). Slater’s got something he needs to say (He should be asking why he’s always been a jobber & why he’s in this goofy 3MB gimmick). But nope. Slater says that he’s uncomfortable with their resident giant. He says Big Show just stand around & hardly does anything & just watches everything go on (That’s cause HHH TOLD HIM TO)! That’s Slater’s problem. Then Heath thanks HHH because he thinks he has great style (Are you kidding me?) & that HHH is doing a “great job.” (This is going on WAY too long)! HHH thanks Heath for emptying what was surely the entire content of his mind (He wants the talent not to be afraid of him & then he insults them. This is bad)! HHH continues to plead for someone to open up & be honest (just so he can put them down & call them idiots). RVD is gonna speak. He mentions that HHH is the guy who brought him back to WWE a couple months ago. RVD was under the impression that things were better now. But this whole vibe they’re all feeling is not cool “dude.” HHH wants to say personally that he’s been since probably 200 to have RVD call him “dude.” He wants to say to RVD that he still has the same faith in him that he had a few months ago when he made that call to bring RVD back. RVD is a true super star. Then the fans chant RVD. Then HHH asks if anyone else has anything to say. Ryback’s turn. He’s tired of everyone calling “the big guy” a bully. HHH says that’s a fair point. Then HHH mentions Monday & says that it’s not Ryback’s fault that Dolph was injured when Ryback got to the ring. Ryback did his job the way he’s supposed to. Ryback beat Dolph but he get criticized for it when it’s not his fault. Tonight HHH will give Ryback the opportunity to redeem that. Tonight Dolph will face Ryback in a rematch from Monday. Then HHH says that this is great. They’re all “opening up.” Before they go any further HHH would like to say 1 thing. He mentions that Daniel Bryan is not on the stage. Daniel not being there is symptomatic of Daniel’s problems. Daniel’s problem is his ego & says that it’s out of control. Daniel’s ego has gotten so big in the last few weeks that he can’t even be bothered to stand on the stage with the rest of the “little people”. Daniel’s “bigger than that.” HHH says that’s a shame because he wanted to look Daniel in the eye & tell him what he will be doing tonight. The show Big Show looking upset after what happened Monday. HHH says that Daniel will be in this ring & he will get the opportunity to which member of The Shield he wants to face tonight (This again?). Then HHH says that this has been really helpful for him & he’s happy for the people who spoke up & he would like to “reward” them. Kofi spoke up & that means a lot to HHH. Kofi’s a true locker room leader & HHH would like to “reward” him by having him face Curtis Axel in a non title match. Then he says that RVD will get the chance to get in the ring right now & face the guy he is about to introduce. He is “The face of this whole thing.” (Enough with this whole “Orton is the face of WWE” crap)! HHH brings out the champ, Randy Orton. This was WAY too long & very painful to watch! Need I say more? Alberto Del Rio is on commentary for Van Dam’s match. Rob Van Dam vs. WWE Champion Randy Orton. Orton gets the pin. During the match Del Rio threw Ricardo into the turnbuckle. Then RVD dove outside on Del Rio. Then Orton threw RVD into the announce table & gave him the IE DDT on the floor. Then back in the ring Orton gave RVD the RKO for the pin. WINNER – RANDY ORTON. This was actually a good back & forth match. Orton leaves & then Del Rio gets in the ring & beats on RVD & then locks him in the arm breaker. Then they show a Real Americans video package with Zeb Coulter narrating. This is another gimmick I’m tired of. Backstage Renee Young interviews Daniel Bryan. She asks for Daniel’s reaction about HHH mentioning that he wasn’t on the stage earlier. Daniel says that he doesn’t think he’s a better person than anybody. He was told by management not to go out there because he wasn’t invited. Then Daniel says that if by “ego problems” does HHH mean that Daniel wants to be WWE Champion? Then the answer to that question is yes. As far as facing 1 Shield guy, everyone knows that it won’t be 1 on 1. Daniel will let The Shield decide who wants to get beat up first before the other 2 jump in because Daniel knows that he can beat any member of The Shield just like he knows that he can beat Orton for the WWE Title. Good Daniel Bryan promo. Backstage we see AJ Lee. She runs into Layla, Aksana & Alicia Fox. AJ knows that they don’t entirely like but she’s used to it (I thought AJ & Layla were buddies now! We’re supposed to forget that too?). She wanted to tell them that she would rather defend her Divas Title against any of them than any of those “Total Divas” (She’d rather face any 1 of these 3 than Natalya). Those “E! Network darlings” that are covered in sparkles. Then she says that Natalya, The Bellas, Naomi & Cameron think that just because they’re pretty that gives them a shot at the title (I doubt that’s what Natalya really thinks). It’s more than just the Divas Title. The “Total Divas” think they’re better than the other Divas. AJ says these 3 are so talented & their talent is being “wasted” & their TV time is being taken. AJ isn’t gonna let that happen. They all agree. AJ has an idea. What if they…Then they cut away to go back to the ring. This was a typical Divas segment. Not much to it. Dolph Ziggler vs. Ryback. Ryback gets the pin after Dean Ambrose (who apparently showed up out of nowhere to do commentary) distracts Dolph. Dolph went after Ambrose & then Ryback clotheslined Dolph. Then back in the ring Ryback gave Dolph shell shock for the pin. WINNER – RYBACK. This was ok. Kofi Kingston vs. Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel. Kofi gets the pin. This was a solid match. The fans cheered for Curtis Axel since they’re in Minneapolis. They show the Wyatt family video that they showed Monday. Backstage we see Paul Heyman on his cell phone all worried. Then Renee Young comes by. She says that if Curtis Axel is defeated in the handicap elimination match at NOC like he was just a little while ago then Heyman will find himself alone in the ring with Punk. Does that concern Heyman? Heyman says to just ask if he is afraid. Is he stressed? Are his nerves frazzled? Tonight was a judgment error. Heyman & Axel overlooked Kofi because Heyman has been so “concerned” over Punk’s obsession with getting his hands on him. That wasn’t Curtis Axel’s fault. That was Heyman’s strategy & he takes accountability for it. It was Heyman’s mistake. It was a mistake he & Axel will never make again & a mistake they won’t make at NOC. If Punk gets by Axel & Punk gets his hands on Heyman Punk will rip him limb from limb. Punk promised to break Heyman’s face. He bets Renee would probably like to see that. Heyman then says that Punk promised that he will show the whole world a side of himself that the fans might not be comfortable with. This will be Punk at his worst. Heyman always accepted Punk at his worst. But Heyman’s worst is a lot better than Punk’s. Heyman promises. Then Renee says that Punk also said that he guaranteed that he would beat Curtis Axel & that he would give Heyman the beating of his life. Heyman is upset by this & then he walks off & slams a door. This was the usual good promo we get from Heyman. Naomi vs. Brie Bella. The match goes to a no finish when AJ, Aksana, Alicia & Layla come in. Layla, Aksana & Alicia go after Naomi, Cameron & The Bellas as AJ watches. Then the brawl goes into the ring. AJ picks up Brie by the hair & Layla gives Brie a round house kick to the head. Then AJ gets the mic & says, “Ladies & nerds your WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee.” This actually wasn’t that bad. AJ is really good & the other Non Total Divas got some TV time. Los Matadores are “coming soon.” Yay. Zeb Coulter, Jack Swagger & Antonio Cesaro are in the ring. Zeb tells real Americans everywhere to say we the people. Thank God that was all. The Usos vs. The Real Americans. The Real Americans win when Cesaro pins Jimmy. This match was solid too. Backstage we see Big Show in the GM Office. Then HHH comes in & says that Big Show has had this look on his face all day. HHH asks Big Show what’s going on. Big Show says that HHH knows exactly what’s wrong. HHH says it’s 3MB. HHH can’t believe those guys said that to him. This is the Big Show. A legend in this business, a locker room leader. Who are 3MB to say anything to Big Show? It was disrespectful & HHH is not gonna let anybody disrespect Big Show (Except for himself of course). Big Show has the weight of the world on his shoulders right now. HHH gets that Show has a lot of rage boiling up inside of him. HHH will let him get some of it out. He wants Big Show to go to the ring & HHH will send 3MB out there. Then he tells Big Show to take his giant fist, ball it up real tight & treat those guys like human stress balls. He tells Big Show to blow off some steam because he deserves it. This wasn’t as bad other HHH segments. Time for the Raw Rebound (Can they get rid of that?). Big Show vs. 3MB. Big Show wins when he pins Heath Slater. This was a total squash (No surprise there). Then as Big Show walks up the ramp The Shield’s music hits. They make their way to ringside through the crowd like always. Then HHH comes out. He & Big Show head to the back. That was entirely pointless. Break time. Back from break & The Shield is in the ring. Then out comes Daniel Bryan. Which Shield guy will he be taking on? The bell rings & all 3 Shield guys are still in the ring. Then Reigns gets in Daniel’s face & makes like he will be facing Daniel but then Rollins attacks Daniel from behind. Daniel Bryan vs. WWE Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins. Daniel gets the pin. This was a decent match but a bit short. Reigns & Ambrose got involved too of course but Daniel fought them off. Then Daniel does the yes chant on the stage out comes Orton & he hits Daniel from behind with the belt. Then Orton stands over Daniel & holds up the belt to end the show. This whole bit with Daniel getting knocked out/beaten by Orton & then Orton standing over him at the end of every show is too predictable & it’s just plain idiotic! I thought this was a mixed bag show. The HHH “town hall” segment was the usual painful crap we’ve been getting from him. Daniel-Rollins was decent but short & I’m tired of Orton standing over Daniel at the end of EVERY show! Kofi-Axel was solid & I liked Heyman’s promo backstage, The Usos vs. The Real Americans was solid too & the Big Show-HHH segment wasn’t too bad & Big Show vs. 3MB was a squash. I also liked having AJ aligning herself with Aksana, Alicia & Layla to take out the “Total Divas” The Naomi-Brie match wasn’t much but having those 4 comes out & brawl with Naomi, Cameron & The Bellas was pretty good. Dolph-Ryback was ok but there wasn’t really much to it. Daniel Bryan’s promo was good too. I liked that he said that no matter which Shield guy he’d be facing the other 2 would get involved anyway. The RVD-Orton match was also good. So overall I thought this week’s show was hit & miss.