Jonathan Dehn
WWE Smackdown
10/25/2013
Birmingham, Alabama
-We start the show with HHH and Michael Cole in the ring doing a sit down interview, which is quite a boring pose for them to take. HHH doesn’t address The Big Show directly due to the pending lawsuit, but still says means things about him, regardless. Anyways, this goes on for a bit with HHH kind of getting over on Michael Cole. Daniel Bryan interrupts and tells HHH that he will prove him wrong. HHH remained seated for this, which seemed a bit disrespectful. Bryan says that the best thing for business is for no one to get involved.
The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family w/Bray Wyatt
The Miz is on commentary for this match. Rowan and Jey start the match. Jey takes out Harper but gets beaten down. Harper enters and hits a big boot. He follows with that alligator spin and a sit out slam. Jimmy breaks it up at two. Jey gets the tag and hits a shoulderblock from the top. He follows with a Samoan drop and hits the butt smash in the corner. The Usos dump the Wyatts. Jimmy gets a splash, but Harper halts the momentum.
Bray steps out of his chair, which leads to The Miz running around the ring and clubbing Bray Wyatt. Miz runs up the ramp with Rowan in pursuit. The Usos hit stereo superkicks on Harper for the win.
Final Thoughts: There just wasn’t much of a match here to talk about. The Miz needed to get something in his feud with The Wyatt Family, though.
Nikki Bella w/Brie vs. AJ w/Tamina
AJ runs away from Nikki to start, but takes a drop toehold and a Thesz press. AJ returns and gets two from the rope assisted whiplash on Nikki. AJ gets a neckbreaker for two. Nikki escapes from AJ’s clutches and gets a couple of clotheslines and a dropkick. Nikki misses a corner charge and sells the shin injury while Tamina takes out Brie just because. AJ slaps on her Black Widow for the win.
Final Thoughts: Well, nothing to really talk about here. AJ had to win a match some time.
-So, Bray shows us that they caught The Miz. The Miz is knocked out and chained up against some bleachers, with “liar” written on his chest. Miz was originally supposed to team with Bryan and Rhodes Brothers to take on Randy Orton and The Shield. This should knock him out of the match.
Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater w/Jinder Mahal vs. Los Matadores w/El Torito
Before the match begins The Real Americans come out onto the stage. Drew and Diego begin the match. Diego gets a headscissors, but Drew gets a jawbreaker and brings in Heath. Drew gets a kneelift and Heath gets a knee drop. Drew returns and they get a double suplex for two. Drew takes an armbar and misses a charge. In comes Fernando and he takes down Drew. Heath gets knocked from the apron. Diego comes in they get a double team assisted downward spiral for the quick win. Cesaro and Swagger taunt them from the ramp after the match. Jinder comes in and gets the mini gore and a moonsault to the outside. Zeb takes the microphone and calls Los Matadores deviants for dressing a man in a bull costume and says that The Real Americans will prevail.
Final Thoughts: There’s not much in the way of wrestling tonight. It’s too bad. Still, I like that they’re moving away from the first finisher that Los Matadores used.
Ryback and Paul Heyman vs. CM Skunk
Paul has the microphone before this no disqualification match. He introduces this imposter. I would have rather it be CP Munk. This is just an indy guy with a small resemblance to Punk. Ryback begins to tear apart this guy with the white stripe through his hair. Really, he does. Ryback hits some powerbombs and tags Paul into the match. Heyman grabs a kendo stick and beats up the imposter. Ryback comes back in on demand without the tag and hits the clothesline and Shell Shocked. Paul stands over the guy for the win. Paul takes the microphone after the match and predicts victory over CM Punk.
Final Thoughts: I don’t have an opinion on this. The stripe through the hair was a bit much.
-In Vickie’s office, Langston interrupts her laughter at CM Skunk and asks to be in the main event, replacing The Miz. Vickie hesitates at first to place him in without HHH’s permission, but Big E twists her arm after comparing her to Brad Maddox’s inability to work on his own.
-Alberto Del Rio stands on the stage, Mexican flag standing with him. He speaks of himself being a superhero for Mexico. Of course, he only cares for those in his class. Anyways, he’s of a higher class than Cena and will prove it.
-R-Truth tries to sell more merchandise, but Santino steps up and steals his job, since he has his own promo code for the website. Truth does what he can, and goofs off behind Santino. I would have rather they just have Truth do this once a month.
The Great Khali w/Hornwoggle and Natalya vs. Fandango w/Summer Rae
Fandango gets a chop, but gets knocked down. Khali gets a couple of corner chops, but Fandango comes back and slugs away. Khali gets a boot up in the corner and hits a couple of clotheslines. Summer Rae distracts Khali, gets pulled outside by Natalya, slaps her, runs into the ring, and there’s a no contest as a result. Fandango separates the fight and gets brain chopped.
Final Thoughts: This main event better be worth it.
Daniel Bryan, Big E Langston, Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. The Shield and Randy Orton
Cody and Dean begin the match. Cody gets some strikes in the corner and gets a backdrop off of a corner whip. Goldust enters and gets an elbow drop. Goldust slugs away and gets a clothesline off of the whip. Cody returns and tosses Dean outside. We have a quick commercial break. We return with Big E in the ring with Rollins. Big E absorbs some chops and hits a belly to belly suplex. Cody returns and gets a sunset flip out of the corner for two. Rollins catches the right hand and pulls Cody’s forward into the second buckle. Reigns enters and works in the corner. Cody recovers and brings in Bryan to chop away at Reigns.
Bryan takes a dragon screw legwhip and stomps down from the surfboard. Langston returns and drives some shoulders into the corner. Goldust tags in, dives into the ring, and gets two on Reigns. Roman misses a corner splash, and Goldust comes off of the top with a crossbody for two. Cody reenters with some right hands, and gets two from a transitional uppercut. Reigns drives Cody into the corner and Ambrose enters.
After getting some work done, Orton is tagged in to a mixed reaction. Men boo, and women squeal. Cody gets a high knee off of the whip and gets two. A face first suplex gets two for Cody. Goldust comes back with right hands in the corner on Orton. Cody is back, but gets raked in the eyes and dropped on the top rope, stomach first. Randy loads up and knocks Cody to the outside with a right hand. Ambrose enters, and gets a Russian leg sweep against the barrier on the outside. Orton pops back in and takes too long to drop a knee. Cody gets some punches in the corner, but Orton reverses with a backbreaker before we go to break.
We return with Reigns getting two from a suplex on Cody. Ambrose returns with a stomp. Rollins tags in and keeps up the pressure. Cody gets a jawbreaker but can’t make it back to the corner for a tag. Ambrose returns. Cody fights back on Reigns, who tags in. Cody deals with Rollins coming off the top. Goldust gets the hot tag and takes Rollins to the woodshed. Reigns get a blind tag, and retakes control after this false hot tag. Quick tags are exchanged as Goldust gets taken apart in the corner.
Rollins and Reigns go for a double team, but Goldy comes off of the second buckle with a back elbow for both of them. Bryan is in and kicks the match up a few hundred notches, smashing everyone with dropkicks. Bryan flips out of the corner, but dives outside onto Orton.
Back inside, Bryan gets the missile dropkick, and nips up. The arena becomes unglued as Bryan hits the buzzsaw and gets the Yes! Lock. Reigns interrupts, and Big E doesn’t take kindly to that. Rollins leaps into Langston’s arms as Goldust spills out with Reigns. Rollins escapes The Big Ending (straps weren’t down) and dropkicks Big E to the outside. Rollins eats a Disaster Kick for his treachery. Cody splashes down onto Reigns and Rollins. Ambrose avoids a corner dropkick from Bryan and tags in Orton. Randy hits the hanging DDT. Big E steps in and interrupts the RKO, and shoves Randy into Bryan for the Cena Killer for the win.
Final Thoughts: ***3/4. Very, very good match that I wish wasn’t buried on Smackdown. There’s some good false hot tags here, some great swarming from The Shield, and the ending breakdown is just outstanding stuff. Slogging through the first hour and a half of the show is worth it for this.
–Watch the main event. Everything else was a chore.
