12-20-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the December 20, 2013 Smackdown

The show starts with Randy Orton coming to the ring. He says that at TLC he cemented his legacy in the most monumental match in WWE history. He beat Cena & became the “first ever” WWE World Champion (Even though Jericho was the WWF & WCW World Champion 12 years ago but they want us to forget that). And what did the “authority” do to reward him? They put him in a match the next night with Daniel. Orton “beat” Daniel & then when Cena came out to save the day Orton left him lying face down right next to Daniel. Orton is the champion of champions & he just doesn’t care. Then John Cena comes out. Orton can feel the jealousy oozing out of Cena’s pores. It’s pathetic. Orton is standing where he belongs. This used to be Cena’s spotlight & Orton thinks that Cena has a problem with that. Cena needs to recognize that this is Orton’s spotlight now. Then Cena says that Orton needs to relax. Cena is out there to stop Orton from looking like a fool. Their match at TLC was historic because of those 2 titles. Those titles are now unified, which means that is the richest prize in WWE. Cena agrees with Orton that everyone should want to be in Orton’s shoes. If you’re a WWE superstar & you don’t wanna be WWE Champion there’s the door. Cena hates to hit Orton with some truth, that being that Orton got his wish. Orton is the center of WWE. He is their champion. What Orton isn’t realizing is that everyone is now watching him. Orton can no longer get away with anything. This is how Orton will be remembered. Cena tells Orton to ask himself how he wants to be remembered. As a champion of champions or as a giant coward? Orton did what he had to do to win Monday. Cena tells Orton that he didn’t win. Daniel won by DQ. Cena came out here for weeks & told everybody that all Orton does is make excuses & take the easy way out. Cena had his fingers crossed hoping that Orton would show up at TLC & compete as the real man that Cena knows. Orton did that & he won. Orton was a real man less than 1 day. What’d Orton do the next night was he was in hot water? He took the easy way out. That isn’t gonna cut it. Orton sees what Cena’s trying to do, but Daniel isn’t getting a rematch. He doesn’t deserve it & no one deserves to be standing in the same ring with him. Then Daniel Bryan comes out. Daniel tells Orton that he gets it why Orton did what he did Monday & Daniel gets it why Orton won’t give him a rematch. That is because Orton is afraid. Daniel says that Orton is afraid that when he finally beats Randy it will tear down all those little myths that Orton has been told ever since he was a little kid, that he’s better than everybody, but Orton is not better than Daniel. If Orton wants to talk about people deserving stuff there’s 1 thing that Daniel knows & it’s that Orton doesn’t deserve to be called WWE World Champion. Daniel says it’s ok. He’s made peace with that because Daniel knows that when Cena finally gets his rematch he will beat Orton. When he does Daniel knows that Cena will give him a fair shot at the WWE World Title. Then Orton says that what both Cena & Daniel aren’t realizing is that that won’t happen. He won’t let Daniel fight for that title & neither will HHH or Stephanie. The “authority” recognizes Orton’s superiority & the fact that Orton is the only 1 true face of WWE. Then Daniel asks the fans if Orton really is the face of WWE. They say no. Daniel tells Orton that the fans can say it a lot louder than he can & the answer is NO. Then out come The Shield & Orton slides out of the ring. Before The Shield can get in the ring CM Punk then comes out. Then Vickie Guerrero comes out. The authority asked her to come out & announce tonight’s main event (We all know what that is). Punk, Cena & Daniel vs. The Shield. This was the usual, “Start the show with a long promo & have the GM make a match for later” segment. Cena & Daniel were both good with their promos & Orton was ok too. I thought the segment did go too long though.

The Real Americans are in the ring & Zeb has a Deport Santa Claus sign. What is this?

Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston (With Mark Henry) vs. Jack Swagger (With Zeb Coulter & Antonio Cesaro. Big E gets the pin. This was a squash. Cesaro tries to interfere but Henry clotheslines him. Then Big E gives Swagger the big ending & gets the pin.

Brie Bella (With Nikki) vs. Tamina Snuka (With AJ). Brie gets the pin. This was decent. Afterwards Brie shoves AJ.

Sin Cara vs. Drew McIntyre. Cara gets the pin. This was a squash too.

Tensai vs. Brodus Clay. Tensai gets the pin. Brodus splashes Tensai twice. Before he can give him a third, his music plays & Naomi & Cameron come out with Xavier Woods. This distracts Brodus & Tensai rolls him up for the pin. This wasn’t much. I’m not a fan of this angle & I’m also tired of the old, “This person’s music is playing, I gotta get distracted by it” bit.

Then Brodus pounds away on Tensai. Woods hits the ring & ducks a clothesline from Brodus. Then Tensai hits Brodus. Then Woods gives Brodus a rolling clothesline. Brodus leaves, the others dance & I groan.

WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Luke Harper & Erik Rowan. Harper & Rowan win when Harper pins Cody. This was a good match. They were all outside the ring & Bray threw Cody into the post. Then Harper clotheslined Cody for the pin.

Then Bray gets in the ring. He has Harper & Rowan hold Cody. Bray does his weird leaning pose in the corner. Then he goes over to Cody, but before anything happens Daniel Bryan comes out with a chair. Harper runs up the ramp to clothesline Daniel but Daniel ducks & hits Harper with the chair. Then he hits Rowan in the leg with the chair. Then Daniel gets in the ring but Harper slides in & yanks the chair out of Daniel’s hands. Then Daniel gives Harper a roundhouse kick. Then he ducks a clothesline from Bray, takes him down & punches away. Rowan gets on the apron but Daniel drop kicks him off. This was good too.

Damien Sandow is in the ring. He says that he is subjected to the half-witted hoopla (Has he been watching Truth Martini?) that is Christmas. He says that this time of year is about corrupt adults asking for junk that they don’t need, ungrateful children asking for things that they have not earned, the houses are filled with disgusting ornaments. He tells the fans he isn’t finished. Then he says that they have all just proven his point. None of the fans deserve Christmas, which is exactly why this Monday he will personally cancel Christmas. Before he can tell the fans you are all welcome The Miz’s music plays & he comes out. Miz gives us a “really” & says that Sandow is cancelling Christmas. Then he says really a few times. Then he says that he knows Santa & that Santa was in his corner on Main Event. Where Miz comes from they celebrate the holidays. Where he comes from they celebrate Santa Claus. Sandow isn’t Santa Claus & he couldn’t carry Santa’s sack. This was lame. I thought Miz was a heel. It seems like they’re not sure what he is.

The Miz vs. Damien Sandow. Sandow gets the pin. This was too short to be much of anything.

They show a video package on the 50 years of WWE DVD. They also show clips & have comments from Bret Hart & The Undertaker.

Kofi Kingston vs. Fandango. Fandango gets the pin. This was a decent match.

Backstage Renee Young catches up with Daniel Bryan. She mentions the 6 man tag that he has coming, but before that she…Then Renee leaves. Then we see Harper & Rowan surrounding Daniel. Then Bray calls Daniel’s name, comes out from behind some storage trunks & then Harper & Rowan attack Daniel. Bray tells Daniel they could’ve been friends. Harper & Rowan take out Daniel. Bray drops to his knees and sings ashes, ashes we all fall down. This was good. Break time.

Back from break & The Shield is in the ring.

Then they go backstage & referees are checking on Daniel.

Back to The Shield in the ring. Then Punk & Cena come out. Then Vickie comes out. She says that what happened to Daniel Bryan is unfortunate but the show must go on. This match is now a 2 on 3 handicap match (Why’d they have to have Vickie come out & tell us that? I think everyone kinda figured that out).

CM Punk & John Cena vs. The Shield. Punk & Cena win by DQ when The Shield triple stomps away on Punk too long. This match was good but that kind of DQ was lame.

Then Cena comes back in & clotheslines Reigns out of the ring. Then Cena throws Reigns into the barrier. Rollins & Ambrose double team Punk. They get him in the corner but then Cena comes in & sends Ambrose into another corner. Cena & Punk each have the upper hand but then Reigns comes back in & spears Cena. Then Punk jumps on Reigns’ back but Ambrose goes after Punk. Then Ambrose & Rollins stomp on Punk & then Rollins kicks him out of the ring. Then they give Cena the triple power bomb. Then Punk comes back in & goes after Rollins but Reigns & Ambrose grab Punk. Reigns holds Punk on the mat as Ambrose & Rollins stomp away. Then Big E Langston comes out & cleans house on The Shield. Then Reigns comes back in the ring. He & Big E have a stare down. Then Punk comes in holding a steel chair & The Shield leaves. Big E & Punk are still in the ring & Big E poses to end the show. This was really good.

I thought this week’s show was hit & miss. The opening in ring promo was the usual way that Smackdown starts. The handicap match was good but the DQ finish was lame. I liked the post-match stuff where The Shield took out Punk & Cena. I also liked that Big E came out to even the odds but how come he came out after The Shield took out Punk & Cena? Goldust & Cody vs. Harper & Rowan was also really good & I liked that Daniel came out to help The Rhodes Brothers afterwards. The Wyatts attacking Daniel backstage was well done too. Kofi-Fandango was decent, Miz-Sandow was too short to be much of a match, & their pre match banter was lame. Brie-Tamina was decent, Tensai-Brodus wasn’t much & the post-match stuff there was lame. Big E vs. Swagger was a squash. So was Sin Cara vs. Drew McIntyre. Overall I thought this week’s show was a mixed bag. Not awesome but not terrible either.

12-13-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the December 13, 2013 Smackdown

The show starts & they have the 2 world titles hanging above the ring.

Daniel Bryan vs. Erik Rowan. Daniel wins by DQ when Bray trips Daniel.

Afterwards Daniel is in the corner, Harper Irish whips Rowan into where Daniel is but Daniel gets out of the way. Then he ducks a clothesline from Harper, slides out of the ring & gives Bray the flying knee. This was good. The match was decent & I liked that they had Daniel get the better of The Wyatts here.

The Real Americans come to the ring. Zeb says that earlier today he walked around this godforsaken town & out of nowhere this big fat bearded freak appears in front of him dressed in a Santa Claus costume with his hand held out & he looked Zeb dead in his eyes & said Merry Christmas in Spanish. Zeb thought to himself that there’s someone speaking in a foreign language begging for money from a hard working American. To Zeb that sounds like an illegal immigrant. Zeb tells “Senor Claus” that if he could deport him he would. But since he can’t, he doesn’t like people sneaking across the border especially from the North Pole. We the People. This was your typical Zeb anti-foreigner promo.

WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. The Real Americans. The Real Americans win when Cesaro pins Cody. This was a good match.

They show a video package highlighting the careers of John Cena & Randy Orton & hyping up the title unification match.

Time for Bad News Barrett (This gimmick is stupid). He says that on Monday the fans surpassed themselves by voting in record numbers on the WWE App (They have to plug the App too) for the winners of the 2013 Slammy awards. In doing so the fans breathed fresh hope into a group of otherwise hopeless superstars (Says the guy with the hopeless gimmick). He does have some bad news though (The bad news is that Barrett is saddled with this lame gimmick). That being while the fans voted for a group of winners is was all the fans who were the true losers. He says that the fans’ opinions are worthless & they’re forced to live vicariously for a true winner like Bad News Barrett (He’s booked as anything but a winner).

Big E Langston is on commentary.

Mark Henry vs. Damien Sandow. Henry wins by count out when Sandow decides he’s had it.

Then Big E throws Sandow back in the ring & Henry clotheslines him. Then Big E gets on the apron, but Henry shoves Sandow into Big E, knocking him off the apron. Then Sandow bails a Big E gets in the ring. He stars at Sandow & holds up the belt. Then Big E heads up the ramp & chases Sandow to the back. The match was too short to be much of anything. This was about building to the IC Title match.

Natalya is on commentary.

The Bellas vs. Tamina Snuka & Divas Champion AJ Lee. Tamina & AJ win when AJ makes Brie tap. This was decent but short. Then Natalya & AJ look at each other. Natalya points to the belt & AJ holds it up.

John Cena comes to the ring. He says that things are heating up. He talks about the energy the fans had on Monday & says the fans tonight have a bit of that energy too. History was made on Monday when the WWE Champion & the World Champions willingly gave up their titles. Cena points to the 2 belts hanging above the ring & says that they’re 2 titles that guys have worked their entire lives for. 99% of all WWE superstars will never hold on to one of those titles (That seemed like he was kinda burying most of the roster). Why’d they give the belts away? Why is the World Title not in Cena’s hands? Why do both titles hang above his head? Because of the moment this Sunday. The history & impact that this means. This Sunday is monumental. It’s unbelievable. It is so obvious that even a cry baby, conceded simpleton like Orton knows this needs to happen. The sad thing is that Orton doesn’t know what it will take to make that happen. Cena’s known Orton for a long time, 12 years. Along those 12 years he’s had runs where he has called Orton a friend. That means that Cena knows exactly what Orton is capable of. Orton’s brutal, physical, conniving, calculating, he inflicts pain. Orton is what he says he is. He is the Apex predator (whatever that is). But in 12 years you learn a man’s strengths & his weaknesses. Cena says that Orton has a glass jaw. Orton doesn’t like to be hit too much. Anytime things don’t go Orton’s way he runs & hides. This Sunday there’s nowhere for Orton to run or hide. What will happen to Orton when he falls off of a ladder & his eye swells shut? What will happen to Orton when a steel chair is wrapped over his back & tingles down his spine, forcing his hands to go numb? What will happen to Orton when he crashes through a table & his body feels like it doesn’t move? Cena knows what will happen to himself. He will crash through a table & get back up. Cena was built to fight the Apex predator. Cena was built to take the beating of a lifetime because he never gives up & this Sunday Cena will get back up! Orton is great but this Sunday that is where he will fail. Because there will come a point this Sunday where he is hurt & broken. Orton’s body will feel like it can’t move & he will have to make a choice. Does Orton keep going or does he do what he’s done for 12 years? Make an excuse & take the easy way out. This Sunday Orton will make that choice & he will show the world what Cena already knows. Orton just hasn’t got the nuts. This Sunday WWE crowns 1 champion (Or will they). That champ is here. This was a really good & intense promo. Cena can cut good promos when he wants to.

Dean Ambrose is on commentary.

The Usos vs. Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins. Reigns & Rollins win when Reigns pins Jay. This match was really good.

Then Punk shows up on the Tron. He is broadcasting from an undisclosed location. Actually he’s in the arena basement. He says the basement is filthy but he knows it’s The Shield’s clubhouse. It’s where like to send their messages. Punk likes to send messages too. Like the message he sent on Monday when a certain somebody decided to put his hands on him. Then Punk talks about this Sunday. He believes it’s 3 on 1. The Shield against Punk. Punk believes that he is walking into a wholesale slaughter. Punk may be going down but the question that they need to be asking themselves is how many of them he’s taking with him. Punk believes that the last 2 times he’s been in the ring with a member of The Shield he has exposed their weaknesses. Believe in the best in the world. This was a good Punk promo.

Michael Cole announces that there will be a 4 way tag team match at TLC for the tag titles. The Rhodes Brothers vs. Rey Mysterio & Big Show vs. The Real Americans vs. Curtis Axel & Ryback.

Big Show (With Rey Mysterio) vs. Ryback (With Curtis Axel). Big Show gets the pin. This wasn’t much & thankfully it was short.

Then Axel hits Big Show from behind. Big Show grabs Axel’s throat & he sends him into Mysterio. Mysterio trips Axel into the ropes & then gives him the 619. Then Big Show gives Axel the KO punch. Who’d Ryback & Axel tick off?

Out go the lights & The Wyatts show up on the Tron. He’s been wondering about Daniel. Bray wanted to prove him wrong. Bray saw something in him. How could Bray have been such a fool? Bray put his neck on the line for Daniel. Then he screams deceiver & lies. Then he makes like he’s crying but it sounds that maniacal laugh he does. Then he says that there’s a place in the meadow, a place you can hide, walk with the reaper, leave this world behind. That’s Bray’s special lullaby song to Daniel. Bray sings that to all his pets before he puts them down. He will see Daniel Sunday. This was the usual creepy promo we get from Bray.

They show a Damien Sandow video package for some reason.

Next up was supposed to be Kofi vs. Del Rio but Miz comes out & gives Kofi the skull crushing finale on the floor. This was ok for what it was. I’m still not sure what the point of this Kofi-Miz feud is.

Time for more of the Michael Cole-HJHH interview. Cole says that Orton has asked for time on Smackdown to publicly apologize to HHH & Stephanie for his “actions.” Will HHH let him? HHH says absolutely. Will they accept Orton’s apology? HHH says that depends on how the apology is put out there. It’s all on how it’s said. HHH will look Orton in the eye to find out how sincere he is. That will determine I accepts Orton’s apology. Thankfully this was short. I’m way beyond tired of these interviews.

Randy Orton comes to the ring. He says that on Monday an unspeakable accident took place. It was supposed to be a historical night. The championship ascension ceremony was taking place but in broke down into a melee (Like all of those segments do) that caused Stephanie to be trampled forcibly down on the mat. Orton can’t get that image out of his head (This is coming from the guy who put his hands on the same woman almost 5 years ago). She was lying there unconscious & he’s glad she’s ok. Orton is out here right now because he wants to apologize to HHH & Stephanie but he wants to do it face to face (This way HHH can make his obligatory TV appearance). King of Kings plays & HHH comes out. Orton says that he & HHH have been to hell & back. They’ve fought many wars as friends & enemies. HHH knows Orton better than anybody (I thought Cena did). HHH has gotta know that what happened Monday was an accident. Orton says if there’s any doubt in HHH’s mind then he can take a look at the footage. They reshow what happened Monday. Then Orton says that if HHH still doubts him…Then the fans chant yes. Then Orton says that if HHH still doubts him he has more footage. He has a slow motion clip from a different angle that will prove his innocence. They show the slow motion clip. Now that HHH has seen the tape HHH knows that a lot of things happened that night. Things went wrong. Many people have many things to apologize about but Orton doesn’t care about that. All Orton cares about is this. He’d like HHH & Stephanie to accept his humble apology. HHH says that if Orton called him out there to show him footage, well he didn’t need to see that. He’s watched in over & over. Those are his cameras in case Orton’s forgotten (This is terrible). Then HHH says that a lot did go wrong Monday & a lot of people have a lot of things to apologize for & HHH isn’t 1 of them because he is the authority. That means he apologizes for nothing (Spoken like a true McMahon). They both know HHH can fire Orton for this. Then the fans chant yes again. HHH won’t do that because that isn’t what’s best for business (Can the drop that annoying saying?). Since a lot went wrong Monday, for this 1 time & he tells Orton to mark his words that there won’t be a second time. This 1 time HHH will accept Orton’s apology. Orton thanks HHH. Then he says that he knows HHH has his back. He always has (What?). Then Orton says that after everything went down on Monday Orton looked up & he saw something. He needs HHH to respond to what happened with this. They show HHH & Cena helping up Stephanie. All Orton wants is an explanation. Orton was lying right there in the ring, looking up at Stephanie & the director of operations standing next to Cena (I knew that was gonna come into play). What is Orton supposed to think? Orton is HHH’s man. After he beats Cena this Sunday every superstar in the back past & present will know that Orton is the greatest of the great. That he is the greatest superstar of this generation or any other. When he beats Cena this Sunday he will be the champion of champions. What Orton needs to know from HHH is if “the authority” has the same amount of faith in Orton as Orton has in himself. HHH tells Orton not to worry about it & they shake hands. Then HHH tells him that they know exactly where their faith lies. HHH leaves & Orton stands in the ring & looks up at the 2 world tiles to end the show. This was painful. I’m really tired of this HHH-Randy Orton angle.

I thought this was a good show for the most part. I liked the Daniel-Rowan match at the start & I also liked that Daniel got the better of The Wyatts here. Bray’s promo on the Tron later was good too. The HHH-Orton in ring segment at the end was a crappy way to end the final show before TLC. That segment really dragged. Cena’s promo though was really good. The Usos vs. Rollins & Reigns was also good & I liked Punk’s post match promo on the Tron. The Divas tag match was decent & short, Henry-Sandow was too short to be much of a match & Big Show-Ryback was ok for what it was. The Rhodes Brothers vs. The Real Americans was also good. I’m not sure what the point of the Kofi-Miz feud is but having Miz take out Kofi before Kofi’s match with Del Rio was ok for what it was. Overall though I thought this was a good show this week. They did a solid job with their final hype to TLC.

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.

11-22-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 22, 2013 Smackdown

The show starts with WWE tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. The Real Americans for the Titles. Goldust & Cody win when Goldust pins Swagger. This match was awesome & a great way to kick off Smackdown!

Ryback is in the ring. He says that being a bully is not a bad thing. He’s been one all his life & he enjoys being a bully. He enjoys pushing people around. When he looks at all the average “feed me morons” fans he can push them around & there’s nothing any of them can do about it. That’s not a bad thing for Ryback the human wrecking ball. He’s issuing an open challenge to anyone who is man enough. Out comes Khali.  

Great Khali vs. Ryback. Ryback gets the pin. This was the kinda match you’d expect from these 2.

Backstage they show Tamina & AJ. AJ talks about how she will be Divas Champion forever. Then Vickie Guerrero comes by. She tells AJ that she apologized to HHH & Stephanie for what happened on Raw. Everyone knows this was all Brad’s fault. But AJ was only ding what HHH & Stephanie asked her to do. Vickie is just a GM & was easy to beat. Then Vickie brings up the 7 on 7 tag team elimination Divas match for Survivor Series & how huge this is (That match will be painful). AJ’s team is represented by women that are not on Total Divas. AJ needs to show her team mates what kind of a fierce leader she is. So tonight Vickie is having AJ face Naomi & Cameron in a handicap match. AJ says that she’s not medically cleared to compete her ankle was injured, etc. Vickie talked to the Dr. & he doesn’t get where her ankle wasn’t injured. So per doctor’s orders AJ is medically cleared. Then AJ asks if Vickie is trying to punish her. Then AJ calls Vickie spiteful, ungrateful & vindictive. Vickie then says that she isn’t trying to punish AJ. She is just doing what’s best for business. Tamina & AJ walk off as Vickie laughs. This was lame. Monday AJ was the baby face against Vickie & now she is back to being the heel tonight.

They show a video of John Cena visiting Oxford University.

Naomi & Cameron vs. Divas Champion AJ Lee. Naomi & Cameron win when Naomi gets the pin. This wasn’t much. Tamina got involved & took out Cameron, so this was mostly Naomi vs. AJ.

Backstage we see The Wyatt Family. Bray says that what happened to him was real. He felt it. Now when he closes his eyes he sees memories that aren’t his own, but it made him understand that the world needs less revolutionaries & more revolutions. How can anyone possibly understand this? People like Punk & Daniel can walk into a building anywhere & people’s eyes light up as if they’re watching some mythological beast walking into a room. They say things like, “Can you believe this? It’s CM Punk & Daniel Bryan. They’re right here before us, etc.” Punk & Daniel are men who bleed the same way everyone does yet the fans treat them both as so much more. Like they have the power to lead the world on some mystical revolution, some wonderful promise land that doesn’t exist. Bray’s dad told him when he was a kid that the meek shall inherit the Earth 1 day. They’re the reapers walking upright & they are guided by “her” hand. Follow the Buzzards. This was a good promo but I couldn’t hear some of what Bray was saying.

Rey Mysterio & The Usos vs. The Shield. Mysterio & The Usos win when Mysterio pins Ambrose. This was a solid match.

Big Show is in the ring. He says that despite what HHH & Stephanie would say; that he came back for a paycheck, that’s not true. He came back to make HHH & Stephanie’s lives a living hell. The best way that he can do that is to rearrange the face of WWE & become the new WWE Champion. It’s been almost 10 years since Big Show has been WWE Champion. This could be his last opportunity. This Sunday when Big Show steps in that ring at Survivor Series he is laying it all on the line. He’s bringing every choke slam…Then Randy Orton’s music hits & out comes the champion. Orton says there are no maybes about it. Big Show’s finished. Big Show had a good career & will be a first ballot Hall of Famer but he is all washed up. The only reason that Big Show got his job back & is facing Orton for the title is because he filed a law suit like some kind of coward. Then Orton says that Big Show thought that he got 1 over on HHH & Stephanie but he didn’t. The only reason they brought Big Show back was to punish him. This Sunday Orton will punish Big Show. Then Big Show says that Orton’s real tough talking 50 yards away. Why doesn’t Orton get in the ring, get all up in Big Show’s face just like he did to HHH &Stephanie this past Monday. Then they reshow the Orton-HHH-Stephanie backstage office bits from Raw. Then Big Show says that it looks like someone went to mom & dad 1 too many times. Then Big Show says that Randy Orton has all the talent in the world & should be a locker room leader. Orton should be the face of WWE & it should’ve happened years ago. All Orton’s ever done is what is best of Randy Orton. Orton bid his time & waited till somebody handed him the WWE Title. Now Orton’s all alone. When Big Show gets his hands on him this Sunday no one’s coming to save Orton. No one will be his rescue. The sad truth is that Orton isn’t the face of WWE. He is just a spoiled brat. Orton says that he is not a spoiled brat & can beat Big Show by himself. He will beat Big Show without anybody’s help. Big Show figured that Orton might say that so let’s what’s happened every time the 2 of them are alone. Then they show a video package of Big Show choke slamming Orton through the announce table. Then Big Show tells Orton to hold onto that championship real tight. That title is the only thing that defines him as a man. This Sunday Big Show will take what Orton covets most. This Sunday Big Show is taking that WWE Title. This was solid but I thought it was a bit long. Big Show cut a good promo. He showed intensity but Orton’s promo was a bit weak.

Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston & Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow & Curtis Axel. Big E & Dolph win when Big E pins Sandow. This was solid but kind of on the short side.

Then Axel gets the IC belt & goes to hit Big E with it but Big E ducks & Axel rolls out of the ring.   

They reshow the video package of fans getting WrestleMania 30 tickets.

Backstage Renee Young interviews Alberto Del Rio. Renee would like to take this opportunity to remind the fans what has happened between Del Rio & Cena these past few weeks. They reshow Del Rio attacking Cena’s arm from Raw 2 weeks ago & then they reshow him putting Cena through the arm wrestling table from last week’s Smackdown. Then Renee says that Del Rio wasn’t the only 1 to get the upper hand. This past Monday Cena drew Del Rio into the ring. Then they reshow the Cena-Del Rio segment from Raw. Then Del Rio says that he wasn’t ready. He never saw that coming, but if he wanted to hurt Cena he could have. Del Rio’s done enough to that perro. Cena stole his world title. If Cena wants to say that his arm is ok that’s good. He tells Cena to enjoy his moment from Raw but hiding behind a sling won’t help Cena this Sunday. At Survivor Series there’re no more fun & games. Del Rio will hurt Cena & he will hurt him bad. In 2 days Cena is tapping out. Del Rio will take back what is his, that being the World Title. This was a solid Del Rio promo. He was a lot more subdued than usual.

Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper. Daniel gets the pin. This was a solid match. Daniel was outside the ring, Bray & Rowan were standing over him. Then Punk’s music played & he came out. He had a stare down with Harper. Then Daniel rolled up Harper for the pin.

Then Harper gives Daniel the big boot. Rowan goes to clothesline Punk, but Punk ducks & goes after Bray. Then Rowan grabs Punk from behind & Bray punches him. Then Rowan throws Punk in the ring & Harper clotheslines Punk. Then Rowan gets in the ring & splashes Daniel in the corner. Then Bray gets in the ring. Harper & Rowan hold up Daniel & then Bray gives him Sister Abigail. Then Bray kneels over Daniel & Punk & says follow the buzzards. This ends the show. This was good. They actually did a solid job in the final build to this match.

Before I get into my overall thoughts there was a match where the Primetime Players beat 2 of the 3MB guys that they apparently decided to cut out. 3MB were also dressed like the Freebirds.    

I thought this was a solid show overall. I loved the tag title match! That was easily my favorite part of the show. Bray’s promo was the usual weird & creepy kinda promo that we get from him & that was solid also. I also liked the Daniel-Harper match & the post-match attack by The Wyatts to Punk & Daniel at the end. Alberto Del Rio’s backstage promo was solid also. He was more subdued here than he usually is & I thought that made the promo better. The Naomi & Cameron vs. AJ match was short & what you’d expect from a divas match. The same for Khali-Ryback. The Big Show-Randy Orton promo was solid but I thought it was a bit too long. Big Show cut a good promo, showing a lot of intensity but Orton’s promo didn’t do it for me. Big E & Dolph vs. Axel & Sandow was solid too & of course Sandow lost cleanly. Mysterio & The Usos vs. The Shield was solid too. Overall I thought they did a bit more to interest fans in wanting to see Survivor Series. They actually did more than just mention that it’s this Sunday. I thought they did a solid job building to the Punk & Bryan vs. Rowan Harper & the traditional Survivor Series 10 man tag.

11-8-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 8, 2013 episode of Smackdown

They kick off the show with a video package on The Wyatt family attacking CM Punk & Daniel Bryan.

The actual show starts with CM Punk coming to the ring. He says that the phrase best in the world seems to mean a lot of different things to different people. To The Wyatt family best in the world means a 3 on 1 beat down. The Wyatts have a problem & that problem is the best in the world. Punk doesn’t know why they decided to attack him & no one is brave to get that close to them to ask. Punk doesn’t care what the reason is, he’s here to fight. Punk’s used to being outnumbered, but when he is he is never out gunned. He squashed the biggest rat the WWE has ever seen & that was Paul Heyman. If it’s a fight The Wyatts want Punk says why not right here right now ON SMACKDOWN. Face to face, no back jumping. Punk is here & is here all night long. He isn’t going anywhere till they show & he can kick them in their faces. Then out comes Curtis Axel. He says that Punk needs to shut his mouth. Axel doesn’t care about The Wyatts. They can wait in line. Punk & Axel have some unfinished business. Because of Punk, Axel’s mentor/father figure Paul Heyman is in a hospital bed in Europe. But Axel will make Heyman proud. Axel talked to Vickie & she granted him a match with Punk & that match is right now. This was a good opening promo. Punk & Axel were both good on the mic here & it led right to their match.

CM Punk vs. Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel. Punk gets the pin. During this Punk was on the top rope going for an elbow. Then out go the lights & The Wyatt Family Tron shows up. The lights come back on & no one’s there. Axel then gets Punk in the Perfectplex but Punk kicks out at 2. Then a bit later Punk hits Axel with the GTS for the pin. WINNER – CM PUNK. This was a good match. The only downer here was that Axel got Punk in the Perfectplex & Punk kicked out. When Curt Hennig used that move you knew the match was over. Now Axel uses the same maneuver & everybody kicks out of it.

Then we hear Bray Wyatt’s laugh over the sound system. Then the lights go out again & Bray shows up on the Tron. He stares into the camera & then blows out his lantern. This was good too. I like that they’re having Bray play mind games with Punk & hinting that the might attack. Good stuff.

The Usos & R-Truth vs. 3MB. The Usos & R-Truth win when Truth pins Jinder. This was a solid match.

In the Goldman Box AJ plugs the return of Total Divas. Then she says let’s focus on who really matters. That being the Divas Champion. This was a decent promo.

Naomi & Cameron vs. Tamina Snuka & Divas Champion AJ Lee. Tamina & AJ win when AJ makes Cameron tap. This was a decent match.

Alberto Del Rio comes to the ring. He says that he is more than just a world class athlete. He is a Mexican world class athlete. That makes him better than the rest of the world. It also makes him better than any of the gringo fans. Del Rio should still be World Champion but the title was stolen from him by John Cena. The fans cheer for Cena because they don’t know what’s good for them. If the fans were smart they’d see Cena for what he really is, a thief. Cena is walking around with something that he doesn’t deserve. The gringo/American fans don’t know this, but at the cell PPV Del Rio was sick. He had a fever, his knee, elbow & neck were all hurting & he had to be the doctors to let him compete that night. Any of the lazy American fans would’ve called in sick but not Del Rio because he is Mexican & he has pride. After his rematch with Cena he will tell every gringo the champ is here. Then out comes Cena. Normally Cena gets excited when he’s lout here (Just like he is right now) but today’s a little different. We just heard that Del Rio is “sick” & we’ve done nothing for him. Cena feels bad & will fix this. He tells Michael Cole to write down what he’s gonna say. Then he pretty much says that he will send Del Rio a get well fruit basket & a get well card that plays music when you open it (Man this is terrible. Why does Cena always have to cut these kinds of promos?) Then he will write him a message. “Dear Alberto, sorry you weren’t feeling well, sorry you’re not the world champ. Get well soon bro. Your friend John Cena. P.S. watch the JBL & Cole show.” Del Rio says that everything is a joke to Cena (That is pretty much true. His character does make jokes of everything!). Del Rio then says that this is not funny & that Cena is acting like a stupid little kid (That says it all right there). Del Rio wants Cena to leave his show right now. Then Cena says this is where it gets good (It is?). If Del Rio wants Cena to leave how about Del Rio makes him? The World Champion is 2 feet away from Del Rio. Cena isn’t calling in sick & he’s not taking the night off. Cena says that Del Rio has his rematch & says this week’s Smackdown should be a championship addition (That really doesn’t make sense since the champions are on the shows all the time) & Del Rio has his World Title rematch tonight. Del Rio says that’s exactly why he is here. Del Rio wants a referee out here right now. He wants a doctor too because Cena is going back to the hospital. Del Rio is going to take back his title & he will break Cena’s arm tonight. Then out comes Vickie Guerrero. She is in charge & the World Title rematch will not happen tonight. That will take place at Survivor Series because that is what’s “best for business.” (I’m tired of that phrase too)! Then Cena says that Vickie is “sick too.” She has diarrhea of the mouth (Man can someone tell Cena that these promos are why a lot of fans boo him?) Then Cena says that Vickie has done 2 things since she came to WWE that have been “best for business.” Those were when she got canned as GM & whenever she shuts up or some idiotic crap like that. Del Rio never thought that he would say this but “Little Juanito” is right. Cena agrees. Then Vickie says that she has already picked opponents for Cena & Del Rio to face tonight. Later tonight Cena will face Ryback & since Del Rio is just as disrespectful as Cena he will face this monster right now. Out comes Khali. This was terrible. Del Rio cut a decent promo but then when Cena came out it went south. The only part that was true was when Del Rio said that Cena makes everything a joke & acts like a stupid kid. That was it. The rest of this was a waste. I’m also beyond tired of Vickie too!

Great Khali vs. Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio wins by submission. This was your typical Khali match.

Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper. Daniel wins by DQ when Rowan comes in. This was a solid to good match. Daniel gets the yes lock on Harper & Rowan comes in to break it up, leading to the DQ.

Then Harper & Rowan pound on Daniel & then hold him as Bray gets on the ring apron & taunts Daniel. Then CM Punk storms the ring & goes after Harper. Punk kicks Harper out of the ring was Daniel does the same to Rowan. Then Punk & Daniel stare down Bray. Bray has this sadistic smile & does the maniacal laugh as the family heads up the ramp. This was good. I’m liking this angle. It’s a shame Daniel is out of the WWE Title picture but having him be in a program with The Wyatt family has been good. Daniel & Punk are a good team & this angle has been good so far.  

Time for a look back at the Big Show-WWE law suit & the retched ending to Raw.

Then they show more Michael Cole’s interview with HHH from wwe.com. This time Cole brings up Kane being in a suit. HHH says that some people thought that was odd, but Kane asked for a chance. Kane is now the “director of operations.” What will Kane’s responsibilities be as director of operations? HHH says, “You will see.” Cole asks if HHH trusts Kane. HHH says absolutely. Cole asks how HHH can say that after what Kane’s done to his family (What I’d like to know is how can Kane trust HHH after that dreaded storyline from the fall of 02?). HHH says that all we need to know is that he trusts Kane & that is all that should matter. Then Michael mentions that fans were interested in seeing Kane dressed up (I wasn’t) & that cooperate Kane was trending on Twitter. Then Cole reads a Tweet from Kane that says he’s always watching. HHH tells Cole not to judge a book by its cover. Kane is a complex guy. HHH has known him for 17 years (The Kane character has been around for 16 years but WWE was never the greatest with numbers). If Cole was any kind of a journalist he would know that Kane is not just a 1 dimensional monster & the world will see that in time. Then Cole mentions that 2 weeks ago Kane was in the ring addressing Stephanie & he said that HHH & Stephanie are on a power trip, they’ve abused authority & ruined lives but it was “best for business.” Then Kane said that the monster is there’s to unleash (Like it wasn’t unleashed before. This doesn’t make sense but nothing in WWE does). Then HHH says, “Yes he is.” I’ve had enough of these interviews. This whole angle with HHH & Stephanie being the heels running the shows is stale & I’m really hoping that someone realizes that this angle isn’t what’s “best for business.”

World Champion John Cena vs. Ryback. Cena gets the pin. This was a good match.

Then Del Rio comes in & goes after Cena. He rams Cena’s injured arm into the post & then kicks it. Then Del Rio gets in the ring & Cena gets a few punches in, eventually sending Del Rio out of the ring. Del Rio looks to get back in but Cena holds him off. Del Rio retreats as Cena stands in the ring to end the show. They had Cena get the upper hand once again! Why would anyone wanna see this match at Survivor Series when Cena managed to run Del Rio off here!? They should’ve had Del Rio lock Cena in the arm breaker & then standing tall holding the title, but no. Cena always has to come out on top! This is why fans aren’t into him. Because they know he will never lose!

I thought this was a mixed bag show overall. The Punk promo at the start was good & I liked Curtis Axel’s promo too. The Punk-Axel match was also good. Cena-Ryback was good too but having Del Rio come out only for Cena to run him off made Del Rio look weak. The Cena-Del Rio promo was terrible. Del Rio cut a good promo but then when Cena came out it went south. Del Rio saying that Cena makes everything a joke & always acts like a dumb kid was the truth about Cena’s character. Daniel-Harper was good too & I liked the post-match stuff with Rowan & Punk coming in. I’m tired of the HHH interview. I can care less about what Kane’s new role is. The 6 man tag was solid & the Divas tag match was decent too. I liked AJ’s Goldman box promo about she matters more than Total Divas too. So on the whole I thought this week’s show had its good & bad spots.

11-1-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 1, 2013 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with a backstage promo from The Shield. Ambrose says that he is getting a little sick of The Usos. The Shield is tired of The Usos sticking their noses in their business. They’ve beaten the Usos time & time again. They’ve proven that The Usos aren’t contender & that they’re not threats. The Usos are just speed bumps & tonight it’s no contest. Then Rollins says that The Shield united can beat any team on planet Earth. They’ve proven it over & over. Tonight The Shield proves that The Usos are no exception. Then Ambrose says that he & Rollins will make sure that justice gets served. Then Reigns says to believe in The Shield. This was a good backstage promo & a refreshing way of kicking off Smackdown.

The Usos vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins. The Usos win when Jimmy pins Ambrose. This was a good match. Reigns was at ringside of course. Then as Reigns looks to go after 1 of the Usos Big E Langston’s plays & out he comes out to even the odds. Why do they have to play the guy’s music when he comes out? Anyway Jimmy winds up getting the clean pin on Ambrose with a rollup.

Afterwards Ambrose beats on Jimmy & tosses him out of the ring. Then Big E gets in the ring & clotheslines Ambrose. Then he sets up Ambrose for the big ending but then Reigns comes in & clips Big E’s knee. Then Big E & The Usos stare down Reigns but Rollins & Ambrose hold Reigns back. The Shield hops over the guardrail & Big E & Reigns glare at each other. This was good. I liked that they started Smackdown with a backstage promo that was followed up with a match. The post-match stuff was good too. I can see them having Big & The Usos vs. The Shield. Possibly at Survivor Series.

John Cena comes to the ring. Then they reshow clips of his match with Damien from Monday. Then Cena says that he knows that the fans are getting warmed up. He is excited. He’s been busy this week. He got to come back to WWE Sunday & beat Del Rio for the World Title. Then the next night he had his first title defense against Damien Sandow & he retained the title. Cena’s not excited about what happened, but about the action that is about to happen because the World Champ is HERE! The World Title that he & Fridays will real comfortable. It’s a new day (pretty much the same as the old day). The fans cheer & he says this is Tampa & the fans can do better. They cheer louder. Cena’s putting every WWE super star on notice. He’s holding the World Title but the business card is exactly the same. The World heavyweight champ is HERE! You want some come get some. Then out come The Real Americans. Zeb tells Cena that they haven’t been formally introduced. He tells Cena his name & he congratulates Cena on winning the World Title. More importantly Zeb wants to thanks Cena for beating Del Rio & sending him 1 step closer to sneaking back across the same boarder that he snuck across to get to America in the first place. Then Zeb says that unlike these people who have no moral values whatsoever to speak of, Cena has a lot in common with The Real Americans. Cena is a real American hero, a real American patriot & a real American legend. Just like The Real Americans. Then Zeb invites Cena to join their fight & to become an official real American (Brother). To show their respect & admiration for Cena they say We the people. Zeb asks Cena what’s it gonna be & offers Cena his hand. Cena does the you can’t see me gesture. Then Cena asks, “We the people.” Cena sees 3 dumb people. He asks Swagger what happened to him (Nothing as far as I know. He is still a jobber). Then Cena says that Swagger looks like Biff from back to the Future (I doubt that any of the kid fans know what that is). Then Cena tells them to make like a tree & get out of here. Then he says some other meaningless stuff. Then he gets to Cesaro. He says that Cesaro has been impressive lately. Cena’s heard about the giant swing but Cena can’t concentrate anything but those giant nipples (Man did he have to say that)? Then he rags on Cesaro, saying more meaningless stuff that I’m not gonna recap. This leaves Cena with Zeb. We haven’t got enough time on the show to talk about Zeb. He looks like Yosemite Sam who had 1 too many zimas & walked into a soup kitchen with the folks from Duck Dynasty (Why does Cena always cut these idiotic promos?). Cena says that Michael Cole knows what he is talking about. Then he tells The Real Americans that he is kidding & just having fun (You might be Cena but I’m not). But he does have a problem with The Real Americans. The same problem that the fans have with them. Cena then says that every week they come out & bad moth everybody. Freedom of speech is their right but it is Cena’s right to tell them what the fans think & what Cena knows. They’re full of Brittney Spears’ initials (Really? He brought Brittney into this? That was kind of a weird of saying what they’re full of). He tells them to figure it out They’re full of B.S. (What is this)?  Then he says that Cesaro is new around here. Cena tells him that in America B.S. stands for…Bad stuff (Like this promo)! They want him to join the Real Americans? He tells the goon squad to do themselves a favor. Take a look at real America. Referring to the fans. This right here is the land of the free & the home of the brave. That means these people can think, act, look like & say whatever they want, just like the Goof Troop (What?) That is the American way. Then Cena says that right now the real American way is for Zeb, Swagger & Cesaro to march their butts out of Tampa Bay or there will be repercussions. Then Damien Sandow’s music plays & he comes out. Sandow calls Cena a hypocrite. Cena doesn’t know the first thing about American values. In America we make our opportunity just like Sandow made his opportunity when he stabbed his best friend in the back & won the MITB (Which he cashed in on Monday & lost)! Cena wouldn’t know anything about that because ever since Cena arrived in WWE & especially since he’s returned from his triceps injury Cena’s been handed everything. Sandow is just out here to look Cena in the eye & tell him man to man that Cena is a false champion. Despite what Cena or any halfwit in this building thinks Sandow is still the uncrowned World Champion. Then Sandow tells Cena that his sole purpose in life is to end the Cena era in WWE & he will do that by any means necessary. You’re welcome. Then they all surround Cena but then Cody & Goldust hit the ring to help Cena out. The heels leave the ring & the baby faces tell them to come back in. Then out come Vickie Guerrero. She says that as the GM of Friday Night Smackdown she will have order. Since these 6 guys feel like fighting tonight will be Cena & The Rhodes Brothers vs. Damien Sandow & The Real Americans in a 6 man tag. This was the usual long winded promo that kicks off Smackdown. This time they had it second on the show. Man was this promo idiotic! Cena was back to usual lame kiddy promos here! I have no idea why they have Sandow saying that he is still the uncrowned world champion since he lost cleanly to Cena Monday! The whole thing with Zeb offering Cena a spot with The Real Americans was lame too. Having The Rhodes Brothers come out to help Cena was decent & Vickie’s promo setting up the 6 man tag was weak. Why say who will be teaming up to face who when there are 3 faces & 3 heels in the ring? We know who will be teaming up with whom! Like I mentioned this was the usual long winded promo to set up a tag match for later in the show.

Michael Cole announces that Shawn Michaels will be on Miz TV later. Then they reshow that terrible promo that he cut from Monday. Then they reshow Daniel being attacked backstage by the Wyatt family.

Then they reshow Punk beating Ryback & the Wyatt family coming out & lying out Punk afterwards.

The Primetime Players come to the ring. Then The Wyatt Family Tron comes on. Bray says that we live in a world where false heroism is a sickness & it must be dealt with. Bray knows what plagues everybody. He holds the cure in the palm of his hand. “Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.” Then the lights come back on & Harper & Rowan are in the ring.  

The Primetime Players vs. Luke Harper & Erik Rowan. Harper & Rowan win when Harper pins Titus. This was a decent but short tag match.

Then Bray gets in the ring as Harper & Rowan hold Titus. Then Darren goes after Bray but Bray gives him Sister Abigail.

They reshow Kane beating Miz & then handing his mask over to Stephanie.

Miz is in the ring for Miz TV. His scheduled guest for tonight was supposed to be Shawn Michaels but Shawn Michaels has left the building (I popped for that since they always used to announce that back in the early 90s). Miz knows that he isn’t Michaels but he has something to say. If it weren’t for Michaels, Orton would not be WWE Champion. But like it or not as “the authority” says Orton is the face of WWE. Out comes Randy Orton. He appreciates Miz’s view but Miz is wrong. With or without Michaels Orton proved that he is better than Daniel. If Miz wants to know where Michaels is & why he didn’t show up? The reason is because Miz is no longer relevant. No one cares about Miz or Miz TV. Then Orton mentions that he beat the crap out of Miz in Miz’s hometown & the fans practically cheered for Orton. It isn’t up to Orton, but if it were then he would have Miz join the unemployment line with Big Show. Then he mentions that Monday Big Show violated the restraining order while he was in the ring celebrating his win over Daniel & celebrating his 11^th WWE Title reign. Then he says that Big Show came out, violated his restraining order & he knocked Orton out. He bets the fans all enjoyed that. Then he says that because of that knockout HHH & Stephanie have banned Big Show from WWE for life. Orton asks what the fans think about that. Then he asks Miz how that makes him feel. Before Miz can say anything Orton gives him an RKO. This was the usual promo we get from Orton but thankfully it was pretty short.

Natalya & The Bella Twins vs. Alicia Fox, Tamina Snuka & Divas Champion AJ Lee. Natalya & The Bellas win when Natalya makes AJ tap. This was a decent match.

Time for a look back at the end of Raw.

They show Michael Cole interviewing HHH on wwe.com. Cole brings up the law suit that Big Show has filed against WWE. Cole mentions that David Otunga was asked to dissect this law suit. The McMahon family should take this law suit very seriously. Then Cole reads what Otunga had to say. That being that Big Show had been victimized by wrongful termination, breach of contract, slander based on false information & discrimination. Big Show was forced to come to work & do stuff outside of his agreement, etc. Who cares? This is painful. Then HHH asks if he is supposed to be concerned with this meaningless law suit & Otunga’s thoughts. If Michael wants breaking news how about this? As of this moment Big Show is banned from WWE for life (We heard that from Randy Orton before). This was idiotic!

World Champion John Cena and WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow & The Real Americans. Cena & The Rhodes Brothers win when Cena pins Swagger. This was a really good match. Then the champions pose in the ring & hold up their titles to end the show.

I thought this was a decent show overall this week. I liked the backstage promo from The Shield at the start of the show & The Usos vs. Rollins & Ambrose was good too. I liked post match stuff with Big E, The Usos & The Shield too. It was nice that they actually kicked off the show with a quick backstage promo that lead right to a match. The Cena-Real Americans-Sandow in ring promo was terrible. Cena was back to his usual hokey self here & the heels all looked like losers. I liked Cody & Goldust coming out to help Cena & Vickie making the 6 man tag was predictable. The 6 man tag was a really though. Major props to all those guys! The Miz-Randy Orton Miz TV bit was weak but thankfully it was short. The Michael Cole-HHH interview was terrible. I’m tired of this Big Show vs. HHH angle. The 6 Divas tag was decent too. I’m hoping that Natalya will challenge AJ for the Divas Title since she made AJ tap clean. The Primetime Players vs. Luke Harper & Erik Rowan was decent but short. So for the most part I thought this was decent show this week.

10-25-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the October 25, 2013 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with Michael Cole in the ring. He’s going to interview HHH. Cole mentions that the cell PPV is 2 days away. Then he mentions the Big Show stuff from Raw & wants HHH’s thoughts on that. HHH hopes Big Show is proud of himself. Big Show’s reactions resulted in 6 people being canned. They were canned because Big Show wanted to make himself a hero. Speaking of heroes Big Show has done what all heroes do their backs are up against the wall. He has filed a lawsuit. HHH says that means that he & Stephanie have been advised by their lawyers to give no further comment on Big Show. He can only say that Show has been fired & will remain fired & since Big Show’s no longer part of the WWE “Universe” (Man I hate that word) that means Show’s been was he’s always been & that’s irrelevant. Hunter is focused on hell in a cell right now & he says Cole can ask his questions. Cole asks if HHH is worried that Big Show will show up & throw everything into disarray (Pretty much asking if we’re gonna get the same non-finish we got at Battleground) & what about Big Show showing up tonight? HHH asks what part of he can’t comment on Big Show did Michael not get. He says Cole wants to play Barbra Walters & asks the hard hitting questions for the fans. That’s ok but he tells Michael not ask him about things that he isn’t at liberty to talk about. Michael asks if HHH is at liberty to discuss the Cena-Del Rio World Title match. HHH says absolutely. Just like the fans, he can’t wait to see Cena return. HHH knows what it’s like to come back from that devastating kind of injury. He knows what Cena’s gone through to return early & it’s Amazing. HHH can’t wait to see the World Title match because it will be epic (We all know Cena’s winning the title). Then Michael mentions that the WWE Title has been vacant for 6 weeks & on Sunday inside the cell Daniel Bryan will face Randy Orton for that vacated title. The fans have votes for Shawn Michaels to be the referee. Shawn has guaranteed that there will be a new WWE Champion crowned on Sunday. HHH is thrilled with that guarantee & he’s thrilled that the fans picked Michaels to be the guest referee. HHH wants nothing more than to have a definitive WWE Champion. Michaels guaranteed that & he is the right guy for the job. Michaels knows better than anybody what through your mind when the cell starts to lower. It’s 5000 pounds of steel that can destroy a guys & his confidence or something like that. Cole then mentions that there have been some disagreements between Hunter & Shawn in recent weeks. The biggest being Daniel Bryan. HHH & Shawn have been friends for 20 years. In those 20 years they’ve been best of friends but they’ve also been very fierce competitors against each other. What they have always come back to though is a common ground. They share similar beliefs in a lot of things. One of those similar beliefs is how WWE should operate & “What’s best for business.” (I’ve had enough of that saying too). HHH knows that when it is all said & done Shawn Michaels will do “the right thing.” Then Cole asks HHH what the “right thing” is. (The right thing would be to end this crappy storyline)! Then out comes Daniel Bryan. Cole leaves the ring. Then Daniel says the right thing is to let him & Orton settle this once & for all. Regardless of what anyone does, that includes HHH, Big Show, The Shield, HHH’s house keeper, gardener & whoever HHH wants to throw out there, inside the cell no one gets in & no one gets out till there is a definitive winner. Daniel knows that Michaels is HHH’s best friend. We’ve heard a million times (It feels like WAY more than that) but Shawn is also his own man. Shawn won’t favor either Daniel or Orton. Michaels will do what it “best for business” & Daniel will prove HHH wrong after everything that HHH has said to him. When Daniel does that, he will become WWE Champion & as much as HHH might hate it he will also be the new face of WWE. YES! YES! This was the usual way that Smackdown starts. This promo was far too long & I’m tired of HHH. I’m really hoping they have Daniel win the title Sunday. I’m also hoping that they don’t have Michaels turn heel on Daniel & cause him to lose. Stacking the deck against Daniel anymore than they’ve already done would make this even worse!

The Miz is on commentary.

The Usos vs. Luke Harper & Erik Rowan. The Usos win when Harper gets pinned. This wasn’t really much of a match. Bray gets out of the rocking chair. Then Miz goes after Bray & than Rowan chases Miz up the ramp to the back. Then The Usos double super kick Harper for the win. WINNERS – THE USOS.

I really wish they’d give us a match with no shenanigans. The matches have clearly become background to the storytelling & I’m not into that. Have a match with a clean finish for once. And I mean a match that isn’t a squash.

Nikki Bella vs. Divas Champion AJ Lee. AJ wins by submission. This was a decent but short match. Tamina also threw Brie into the steel steps.

They reshow the John Cena video package highlighting his career that they showed on Monday.

Backstage Bray Wyatt shows us that he & the others got The Miz. Rowan’s sheep mask in on Miz’s head, they have his hands tied to a fence, his shirt’s ripped open & he has liar spray painted on his mid-section. Harper & Rowan take mask off Miz & we see that Miz is unconscious. Bray tried to warn Miz but now Bray fears that Miz will truly understand what it means to follow the buzzards. This was a decent & creepy Wyatt segment.

3MB are in the ring. Then out come Los Matadores. How often can they have Los Matadores squash 3MB!? Then out come The Real Americans. Thankfully there’s no Zeb promo yet. They just watch the match on the stage.

Los Matadores vs. 3MB (Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre) AGAIN! Los Matadores win when McIntyre gets pinned. This was mostly a squash.

Then Jinder Mahal gets in the ring. Torito mocks him, Jinder charges, Los Matadores pick up Torito & Jinder slides out of the ring. Then he gets back in & Los Matadores ram Torito into Jinder. Then Torito gives Jinder a spring board Asai moon sault. This gimmick is idiotic but the guy in the Torito costume can go (And I mean he’s a good worker. But the gimmick can go away).

Then Zeb gets the mic. He wants to tell the 3 boarder hopping banditos something. Zeb didn’t risk his life so that some illegal immigrant could attack him. What type man kidnaps another man & puts him in a bull outfit? Men that partake in deviant behavior. But at hell in a cell America will take a step in the right direction when The Real Americans prevail & that’s no bull. We the people. So now we got Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans set for Sunday.

Ryback & Paul Heyman come to the ring for a no DQ handicap match. But Heyman has something to say. He says that what we are about to bear witness to is a demonstration of the team work that will happen this Sunday in the first ever 2 on 1 handicap match inside the cell. Heyman introduces the guy they’ll be facing tonight CM Skunk. Punk’s music plays & out comes a guy in a CM Punk hoodie. The guy also has on a Punk t-shirt & has some of his hair sprayed white. This is lame.

CM Skunk vs. Ryback & Paul Heyman. Ryback & Heyman win when Heyman gets the pin. During the match Heyman gets a Singapore cane from under the ring & clobbers CM Skunk. Then Ryback gives the guy the marching muscle buster. Then Heyman puts his foot on the guy’s face for the 3. This was a “comedy” squash.

Then Heyman says that for those who wanna boo & say this was a parody of Punk Heyman wants to assure everybody of how deadly serious he & Ryback are about this Sunday. This Sunday Heyman’s monster Ryback will take every inch of that cell & use it to his advantage when he grabs Punk by the back of the head & scrapes Punk’s face over every inch of that cell. Then Heyman will get in the ring & thanks to his monster Ryback he will once again pin Punk & prove to everybody especially Punk that his name is Paul Heyman & that he is the BEST in the world. This was the usual good promo we get from Heyman.

Backstage we see Vickie Guerrero in the GM office having a laugh over the CM Skunk name. Then in comes Big Langston. He says we all saw The Miz go down. That means there’s an open slot in the main event for tonight. Big E wants in. Vickie asks Big E what makes him think he belongs in her main event. Big E says that a lot of people have talked about him being a young, inexperienced rookie. He is young but he is hungry & wants a shot. Vickie will run it by HHH & get back to him. Then Big says that Vickie is the GM & shouldn’t she be making the decisions. Or did he walk into Brad Maddox’s office? Vickie will let Big E be in the main event but tells him not to compare her to Brad. This was a decent & short backstage segment. I didn’t like Vickie having a laugh about Punk rhyming with skunk. I know Vince thinks the fans are idiots but he doesn’t need to have a character on his show tell us “this is funny because it rhymes.” I found that really insulting!

Alberto Del Rio comes out on the stage. He says that this Sunday he will prove to everybody that Cena is fooling himself. Cena isn’t ready to face the World Champion. Del Rio knows that Cena thinks he’s like Superman. Is Cena losing his mind? Del Rio is a real life Mexican super hero. He stands for loyalty, justice & he stands for the Mexican way (That was funny). Right now in Mexico they’re throwing parades for Del Rio & building monuments in his honor. They’re naming their kids after him because let’s face it Latin people just love Alberto Del Rio. Then Del Rio says he will be honest with us. He doesn’t speak for all Latinos. He only speaks for those who share his class & sophistication & that is the reason why he doesn’t speak for any of the fans in the building. Plus they have their own hero. They have Cena. Cena with his pale skin & blue eyes is the perfect representation of a gringo. That is why this Sunday Del Rio will lock Cena in the arm breaker & never let go. Then he says that the “gringos” in the building & the peasants from his country have 1 thing in common. They can kiss his…Then he winks & show what they can kiss (as if no one could figure that out). This was a decent promo.

R-Truth is about to do his WWE shop ad. Then Santino comes in with his “cobra.” Santino wants Truth to give him a chance to be the best salesman in WWE (This is gonna be stupid). Truth lets him have the floor. Santino plugs WWE merchandise & that’s pretty much it. This was pointless.

Great Khali (with Hornswoggle & Natalya) vs. Fandango (with Summer Rae). The match goes to a no finish when Natalya & Summer Rae go at it. Fandango pulls Summer Rae off of Natalya & then Khali head chops him./ This was pointless. Why is Natalya back with Khali & not challenging AJ for the Divas Title?

Daniel Bryan, Big E Langston & WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton & The Shield. Daniel, Big E, Goldust & Cody win when Daniel pins Orton. This was a good match & easily the best part of this show. Daniel & the fans do the yes chant & that ends Smackdown.

I thought this was a filler episode overall & for the go home edition before a PPV that isn’t good. The Michael Cole-HHH in ring interview segment was long & painful. The HHH character is really tiresome. I’m really hoping they don’t have Shawn Michaels turn heel o Daniel Sunday. They might have Kane return & choke slam Daniel; since the Kane character debuted at the first cell match 16 years ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long). The 8 man was a good match & easily the highlight of the show for me.  Khali-Fandango was pointless & I’m not sure why Natalya’s back with Khali. She deserves better than to be in a feud with Khali against Fandango & Summer Rae. Del Rio’s promo was decent & I though his line about fighting for the Mexican way was kinda funny. The CM Skunk vs. Ryback & Heyman was a “comedy” squash & Heyman cut his usual good promo afterwards. The Big E-Vickie bit was a mixed bag. Langston’s promo was good here but I HATED that they had Vickie laughing because Punk rhymes with Skunk. Vince, the fans aren’t that stupid! Los Matadores vs. Heath & Drew was a pointless squash & so was Zeb’s promo. No one’s gonna get the PPV to see Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans. The Usos vs. Harper & Rowan was short & not much of a match. I did like the backstage bit with the Wyatt family. Having Miz be unconscious was good & Bray cut his usual creepy promo. Overall though for the final episode before a PPV they didn’t really do anything to make me or anybody wanna see this PPV.