10/4 Barnett's WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Coverage: The last chance to build WWE Battleground, with RVD, Fandango, Alberto Del Rio, Los Matadores, Ryback and more in action

By Jake Barnett

WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Coverage
Taped on 10/1 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

[Q1] A video aired that covered Randy Orton's show closing beat down of Daniel Bryan from Monday's Raw. The Smackdown intro then aired, and Big Show's music hit in the arena. He walked out to a nice reaction. Cole then chimed in on commentary and welcomed us to Baton Rouge. Show said lately he had been pretty ashamed of himself. He did some very bad things to good people, and then introduced a video package of his torture at the hands of the McMahon's.

A Big Show chant broke out and he thanked the crowd for it. He said he had done those things because he had no alternative, and the McMahon's were holding the job over his head. Because he was a giant, there aren't a lot of job options out there. He told the crowd they don't understand what it was like to be forced to do things that they didn't want to. He said what he'd done had made him into a crazy person, a lunatic, and it was unforgivable. He asked for understanding, and said that Stephanie McMahon had called his wife and had her admit he wasn't the man he used to be.

He asked the crowd to understand how that would feel, and said he's at his wits end. He doesn't know how to deal with the frustration, and it made him threaten the COO of the WWE on Monday. Show then said had he gone through with his threat, he would have been fired, and perhaps it would have been for the best. He then said because of that threat, he was in a three on one handicap match with the Shield later in the show. He said they would be facing a lunatic Giant, and if he was going down he was taking the Shield with him. Big Show was then interrupted by Triple H, who walked out on to the ramp.

Triple H said he wanted to get this straight. Big Show was now ashamed of what he'd done? He said Big Show's financial and marital problems were on him. His frustration was on him. The fact that he can't pay his mortgage and was about to lose his house was on him. Because he considered Big Show a friend, and he doesn't know why at this point, he wanted to help him and made sure Big Show didn't owe anything to the bank on his house anymore. Big Show doesn't owe the bank anymore, he owes Triple H. Triple H didn't want to see him lose his house or his family.

How did Big Show show his appreciation? He threatened to knock him out. He told Show if he didn't get his emotions in check, he wouldn't be living in his house anymore, Triple H would. As far as tonight went, he was giving Big Show an opportunity. But because of Big Show being a lunatic giant, he was changing the main event. The Shield would face Big Show later with their partner, Randy Orton. As far as their personal problem goes, they are cool.

Backstage, RVD and Ricardo headed towards the ring next...[c]

My Take: This story blows. How does Triple H just pay off somebody else's mortgage without their consent, and hold it over their head? Why wouldn't he do that to Daniel Bryan? The performances are fine, and both guys actually delivered their lines well, but the lack of logic drives me up a wall.

[Q2] Fandango made his ring entrance with Summer Rae. Ricardo introduced RVD following the dance routine.

1. RVD vs. Fandango: Fandango did an Elvis Pelvis bit, and RVD did his thumb pointing. They traded strikes and RVD followed up with a monkey flip out of a corner. Fandango dumped RVD onto the apron and hit a shoulder block that send Van Dam out to the barricade...[c]

Van Dam hit a springboard thrust kick and a clothesline, followed by another kick. He then hit rolling thunder and did more pointing. He went up top for the Five Star Frog Splash, and Summer Rae got Fandango DQ'ed by pushing him down. Fandango hit a falcon arrow and then rolled to the outside to look for a weapon, but got distracted by Ricardo. Van Dam recovered and hit a baseball slide and a springboard DDT. They set up Fandango for the Van Terminator and barely made it across to lightly push the trash can.

Rob Van Dam defeats Fandango by DQ at 6:20.

The announce team plugged the main event...[c]

My Take: They should make things more awkward between Ricardo and RVD. Maybe dress Ricardo up in a chicken suit and have him announce in Esperanto. The crowd loved the Van Terminator, but there wasn't much else about this whole thing to like.

[Q3] Ryback was shown in the ring, and Heyman was at ringside while the announce crew plugged Ryback vs. Punk at Battleground. R-Truth made his entrance and JBL did the call the and response, presumably just to make me angry.

2. R-Truth vs. Ryback: Ryback picked up R-Truth and rammed him into a corner. Truth replied with a knee and a punch that dropped Ryback. He rolled to the outside and got a pep talk by Heyman, who called R-Truth a bully. Ryback picked up Truth for a press slam, but Truth fought out and landed on his feet. He followed up with a top rope missile dropkick for a two count. Truth then went for an axe kick, and missed, and Ryback hit him with a meat hook clothesline. Ryback followed up with shellshocked for the win.

Ryback defeated R-Truth at 2:14.

Axel climbed into the ring wearing slacks and a dress shirt, and rolled up his sleeves. He hit a clothesline to the back of Truth's head as he struggled to his feet, and then trash talked him. Backstage, Alberto Del Rio was interviewed in by Renee Young. She asked him if he saw what RVD did to Fandango earlier. He sais yes, and that he would use one on Sunday, except he would put RVD in it and send him back to the dump where he belonged.

She then asked him if he thought Dolph Ziggler could disrupt his momentum heading into Battleground, but before he could answer a production worker walked up with the broken trash can from earlier and presented it as a gift from RVD. Del Rio flipped out and walked off...

My Take:Ryback and Heyman were good as usual, but the match was too short to be memorable in any way. I couldn't care less about Truth or Axel, but the Del Rio interview was pretty good. I think the hardcore match on Sunday could be a real spectacle given how skilled both men are in that environment.

[Q4] Alberto Del Rio made his ring entrance, followed by Dolph Ziggler. WWE introduced some videos of RVD's most hardcore moments from it's YouTube Channel. Damien Sandow joined on commentary. Cole and Sandow spoke about the Ziggler vs. Sandow Battleground kickoff match.

3. Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler: Ziggler and Del Rio battled back and forth early on, and Del Rio rolled to ringside to regain his composure. The announce team dared Sandow to cash in, but he declined and said he would do it the noble way. Cole mentioned that doing it after a hardcore match wouldn't be very noble. Ziggler hit a dropkick in the ring that sent Del Rio back to the outside...[c]

A Machete Kills preview aired, and it looks ridiculous and awesome. During the break, Del Rio kicked Ziggler's ass all around ringside. In the ring, Ziggler hit a nice dropkick, but missed a spear in the corner and ate the post. Del Rio hit a back suplex and then applied a chin lock. Ziggler escaped and Del Rio made an ill advised attempt to pull Ziggler to the outside from the apron. Ziggler pushed of and hit a dropkick that sent Del Rio to the floor.

Ziggler hit a top rope facebuster, and both men were down. They both got up at the same time and traded blows. Ziggler hit a neck breaker and a flying forearm. He then went for a fameasser, but Del Rio avoided it and hit a tilt a whirl back breaker for a near fall. Del Rio jumped from the top rope right into a dropkick for a very close near fall that the crowd loved. Del Rio got a near fall after an enziguri. Ziggler hit a fameasser for another close fall. The then applied the sleeper, but Del Rio ran into the corner and Ziggler hit the turnbuckle. Del Rio hit a double stomp from the second rope, but missed a side kick.

[Q5] Del Rio rolled him up, but only got two. Del Rio then hit a sidekick for a close near fall. Ziggler avoided the cross arm breaker, and Ziggler hit a fameasser for another near fall. Del Rio avoided the Zig Zag, and applied the cross arm breaker for the victory.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler at 13:38.

Sandow reiterated that he could cash in whenever he wanted, and then announcers plugged the main event.

My Take: A very strong TV match that had quite a few near falls. I'd watch this one on YouTube if you get the chance, even if you don't have time to watch the whole show. It was really fun for the last five minutes.

Slater and Mahal were in the ring from 3MB. Slater complained about the “bull” and how it cost him the match on Monday. Los Matadores then made their entrance with El Torito.

4. 3MB vs. Los Matadores: Deigo started with Mahal. He hit an arm drag, and tagged in Fernando, and they did a double team suplex. Fernando hit a nice clothesline, and then did a double team slingshot into a splash that looked great. Slater tagged in, as did Diego, and Slater hit a few punches and applied a chin lock. Diego did a headstand in the corner and moved right into a head scissors and the crowd popped. Fernando tagged in and took out both members of 3MB. He then hit a spinning neckbreaker on Mahal, and then they hit their team finisher that JBL pronounced as Este Cara (I'm probably butchering that, please correct me) for the win.

El Torito celebrated post match with the team, and hit an acrobatic splash on 3MB.

Los Matadores defeated 3MB at 3:14.

[Q6] Backstage, Renee Young was joined by Heyman, Axel and Ryback. She asked Heyman what he thought of his client's chances on Sunday. He said Axel's opponent thinks he's the truth, but his dreams of being champion are fiction. Heyman then turned to CM Punk, who he said would meet a hero's fate on Sunday. Punk would learn that he would never defeat Heyman, and that he and Ryback were many times more ruthless and cunning than he was. He said Punk would look up at the lights at his big beautiful Ryback, and his lord and master Paul Heyman, the best in the world.

My Take An alright match that showed off the new team's tag team synchronization. They feel very much like a team, at least. The post match promo by Heyman was excellent as usual, but didn't cover any new ground.

[Q7] Big E Langston made his ring entrance. Cole taught us how to install the WWE app, you know, because you couldn't figure that out. Kofi Kingston then made his entrance. Footage was shown of Kofi Kingston defeating Fandango last monday, and Bray Wyatt's involvement.

6. Big E Langston vs. Kofi Kingston: Big E hit a nice splash early on. He also caught Kofi comign off the top rope, which Kofi reversed into a quick rollup finish.

Kofi Kingston defeated Big E Langston at 0:48.

After the “match”, Bray Wyatt walked out and Harper and Rowan surrounded Kofi. Wyatt called him a shining example of a declining civilization. He said he didn't know it yet but the laws had failed him. On this sabbath, the first would fall. Follow the buzzards...[c]

My Take: Throwaway match, obviously, but the Wyatt promo at least indicates some forward progress. We'll see something from them on Sunday.

Kofi Kingston vs. Bray Wyatt was announced for Battleground. A recap was shown of the Rhodes family and McMahon segment from Monday.

[Q8] The Shield made their ring entrance, followed by Randy Orton. Big Show then made his entrance...[c]

My Take: Vickie Guerrero was almost telepathic in how quickly she made that match for Battleground. The Rhodes video was well done. Stephanie is much better as a ruthless heel than Triple H has been lately, and this video proves it.

Big Show vs. Randy Orton and The Shield: Big Show worked over Ambrose early and then Reigns. He dominated Orton, too, when he tagged in with slaps to the chest. Show knocked Ambrose to the floor and Rollins tagged in and hit a diving knee from the top rope. Rollins hit some strikes and tagged in Reigns. Reigns cotinued the assault briefly and tagged Orton back in.

Orton stomped on Show and dropped a knee for a two count. Big Show went for a choke slam but Orton reversed into a DDT. Reings tagged in and applied a headlock. Show escaped and hit a couple of clothesline and a spear. The match broke down and everybody but Reigns attacked Big Show. Show fought them off and punched a chair away from Ambrose. The ref called for the bell at that point.

Show picked up Rollins for a chokeslam, but Orton hit him with a chair. Reigns then speared him, and they picked him up for an RKO. The crowd chanted Yes and Daniel Bryan, as Orotn set up a chair around Orton's head. The Usos ran out to help out Big Show, and cleared the Shield from the ring. Bryan then ran out and attacked Orton with kicks and punches.

The crowd went mental. Bryan eventually applied the Yes lock, but Ambrose broke it up. Bryan got up and kicked Ambrose in the face, and then hit what I will coin the Beardbuster on him after he got up. Bryan celebrated with Yes Chants and a raucus crowd to close the show.

Big Show defeated Randy Orton and The Shield at 8:04.

My Take: A very fun close to the show. The match didn't do anything for me, but Daniel Bryan woke up a crowd that was desperate to see him. They reacted for everything and went crazy when he finally got a hold of Orton. Overall this was show that needed to be great and it wasn't. I liked a few things, but the weird moments and odd performances overall made this a below average show. I'll have more to say with Chris Shore in our Smackdown Podcast that goes up tomorrow.

Questions, comments or concerns? Contact me at barnett.jake@gmail.com or on twitter @barnettjake.