Jonathan Dehn
WWE Smackdown
10/04/2013
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
-The Big Show comes out to the ring to start the show, and recaps what has led us to this point. The Big Show is mad and claims that The Shield will be facing a borderline lunatic in giant form. The Big Show asks the crowd to understand his terrible situation. HHH then comes out to go over on Show, tossing Randy Orton into the match, as well. Furthermore, since Show forgot to declare bankruptcy or something, HHH has bought Big Show’s mortgage, and can now toss him out onto the street should Show get out of line. Have we found concrete evidence that Big Show knows how to read?
Fandango w/Summer Rae vs. Rob Van Dam w/Ricardo Rodriguez
They begin the match with dueling mannerisms, and Fandango takes control with an elbow and slugs away in the corner. Summer Rae sure is getting over. Stephanie will have to humble her soon. RVD hits the monkey flip but misses a charge and gets knocked off of the apron and to the floor. We come back from the break to see RVD get back into it with a kick from the second rope and a couple of clotheslines. RVD gets Rolling Thunder and Summer Rae crotches RVD on the top rope for the DQ. Fandango beats down Rob after the match, but a distraction from Ricardo helps RVD take control of this brawl. Rob comes back in with a tornado DDT and brings a trashcan into the ring. Ricardo holds the trashcan in place, and Rob hits the Van Terminator to send a message to ADR.
Final Thoughts: This was a nothing match, but I appreciated building up the hardcore match for Sunday, and I love to see a Van Terminator.
Ryback w/ Axel and Heyman vs. R-Truth
Ryback overpowers Truth to start, driving him into the corner. Truth, however, fights back and sends Ryback outside. Heyman reminds Ryback that Truth is a bully. Ryback hates bullies! So, Ryback goes for a press slam. Truth fights out and gets some right hands and a missile dropkick from the second rope. Truth misses a kick, and Ryback fights back against the bully with the Meathook and gets the Shell Shocked for the squash. After the match, Axel rolls up his sleeves and beats down Truth a bit more.
Final Thoughts: This was not a great way to set up an IC title defense.
-Renee is backstage with Alberto Del Rio, and asks how he feels about Rob Van Dam’s earlier actions. ADR calls him trash, and that he’ll use the trashcan as a receptacle for RVD after he retains his title. A backstage worker delivers the trashcan to ADR that was used on Fandango earlier. Del Rio throws the can to the ground and is none too pleased.
Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler
Damien Sandow is at the table for the match to perform a hasty build to his PPV kick-off match with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler gets a couple of quick rollups to start the match. Del Rio bails out of frustration. There’s a funny spot as Cole and JBL implore Damien to cash in the briefcase right as Del Rio walks around the table. Del Rio takes control with a couple of headbutts. Dolph flips out of a backbreaker and hits that great dropkick of his. Del Rio recovered on the outside and we go to break.
We return with Alberto in control, slamming Dolph’s head into the mat. He gets two after a grounded kick. ADR goes to the chinlock. Dolph gets a sunset flip, a dropkick, but goes into the post on a wild corner charge. Del Rio follows up with a belly to back suplex for two and gets that chinlock again. Cole and JBL continue to poke and prod at Sandow to cash in the contract tonight. Del Rio finds himself on the floor after another dropkick, but drags Dolph’s throat against the top rope. Del Rio goes up, but Dolph pops up and hits a facebuster from the top. It’s really a shame that Dolph’s run with Del Rio was ended prematurely.
Dolph follows with punches in the corner and gets a neckbreaker and a big clothesline. Ziggler misses a bulldog and ADR gets the backbreaker for two. Dolph is the master of the dropkick, catching Del Rio with another after ADR comes off the top. Del Rio gets the armbreaker and a corner enzuigiri for two. They go up top, but Dolph wiggles out and gets a sunset flip bomb for a close fall. Del Rio misses a right hand and Ziggler jumps on top with the sleeper hold. Del Rio escapes by running Ziggler into the corner. Del Rio hits the double stomp from the second rope. That looked nice and brutal.
Del Rio misses the Si Kick and Dolph gets another roll up for two. Ziggler misses a corner splash and then Del Rio kicks him in the jaw. Dolph just kicks out of it. Del Rio goes for the cross armbreaker, but Dolph rolls through and gets the Fameasser for a super near fall. Del Rio avoids the Zig Zag, presses Dolph and gets the cross armbreaker for the win.
Final Thoughts: ***3/4. This was an excellent match that was nearing PPV quality with the near fall teases. Sometimes, it feels like Dolph is still working out the kinks of working as a babyface, but he and Del Rio were just terrific here and the two have excellent chemistry. It’s still a sad match to watch in that Dolph surely has what it takes to work in the main event but this showcase was the best thing to happen to him in months. A match like this for Dolph feels like a fluke, as he looked strong.
Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal vs. Los Matadores w/El Torito
Before the match, they show a quick and comical interview that Heath and Jinder had with Renee were they dread The Bull mascot of Los Matadores. Still, what a terrible gimmick. Heath gets outclassed to start by Diego, but brings in Jinder, who gets his legs swept out. In comes Fernando, and they hit a double team move. There’s a ‘rana and a blind tag leading to a double team splash. Jinder hits an elbow coming out of the corner, and in comes Heath to get the chinlock.
Fernando does a handstand in the corner and gets a headscissors. Heath gets dumped to the floor and a double team slam gets the win for Los Matadores. After the match, Heath and Jinder get dumped and El Torito splashes onto them from the top. I’m not sure how the physics work there.
Final Thoughts: Every time I hear the Los Matadores music, I dislike it more. It’s too bad that this gimmick is such an assault on the senses.
-Renee is backstage with Heyman and The Guys. After writing off Truth as a tin can challenger, he is adamant in saying that CM Punk will never come after him again after Ryback takes care of him at Battleground.
Aksana vs. Brie Bella w/Nikki Bella
It’s nice to see that Brie is in a good mood like nothing happened on Monday. Brie gets a clothesline to start and gets two. Brie gets a good dropkick and hits a knee into the ropes. Aksana fights back and trips Brie into the ropes, and gets some stomps and a couple of quick elbow drops. Aksana has a nice vicious streak in the ring. Aksana dumps Brie and does her sexy crawl much to the delight of the masculine nature of the crowd. Aksana cuts off the comeback with shoulderthrusts in the corner. Brie gets a boot up and hits a facebuster from the second rope for the win. AJ steps out onto the ramp after the match with Tamina and makes fun of the prospective children that Brie and Bryan will have.
Final Thoughts: * and just a solid, quick match. AJ and Brie should have a decent match at Battleground. Also, Brie and Nikki did a much job selling this promo from AJ.
Big E Langston vs. Kofi Kingston
Langston clubs to start and gets a belly to belly and a big splash that gets two. Kofi gets the superfluous foot up in the corner but gets caught after coming off the top. Kofi reverses a slam into a rollup for a surprising win. The Wyatts come out after the match. They trap Kofi on the ramp and Wyatt deals out a cryptic warning to Kofi.
Final Thoughts: They might as well not even have the match begin. Still, the shot of Kofi being trapped on the ramp was a pretty good visual.
The Shield and Randy Orton vs. The Big Show
Dean starts with Big Show and gets slugged at in the corner. Big Show gets a slam and headbutt. Rollins enters and takes more of the same punishment that Dean received. Reigns reluctantly tags in after Rollins gets tossed into the corner. Big Show hits a shoulderblock, and in comes Orton. Big Show gets the chop in the chest a couple of times, but Ambrose distracts and Orton brings in Rollins to hit a flying from the top. Rollins stomps and brings in Reigns to do more of the same. Orton comes in and does some stomping, and gets two from a kneedrop. Orton counters a chokeslam into a DDT for two.
Reigns comes back in and grabs a chinlock. Big Show gets out with a suplex. Big Show hits a couple of clotheslines and gets the Dick Spear. They all gang up on him and Big Show keeps them at bay but takes a spear from Reigns. The fans call for Daniel Bryan to make the save, but he doesn’t as Orton hits the RKO. Orton preps the chair around Big Show’s neck while the Usos run in. The crowd erupts as Bryan runs down to join the action and takes it to Orton with about thirty kicks. Ambrose breaks up the Yes! Lock and Orton runs off before Bryan kicks Dean in the head and knocks him out with the Cena Killer to end the show.
Final Thoughts: *1/2 for the match, but the angle was fun. Bryan is so much fun as the unhinged babyface who just kicks and slugs everyone to pulp, instead of having him try to do comedy on the microphone. So, it was good to see him bounce back a bit and get to use evil glares and be mad.
–I’d say that Smackdown is back on the right path with this show, save for HHH owning Big Show’s house and the potential for WWE to hire an actress to play Big Show’s wife. Dolph and Del Rio had the time to go out and have a terrific match on free TV. Roles are more defined in the Divas feud, with AJ back to being a heel and The Bellas showing more face behavior. I wasn’t a fan of the Ryback squash of R-Truth, as it served to make Axel look like a chump, but he’s the rightful fall guy for this group. But definitely check out Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio from this show. It’s just a terrific segment
