1/4 Barnett's WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Review: Sheamus and Randy Orton Team Up to take on The Big Show and Antonio Cesaro, plus Wade Barrett vs. Kofi Kingston and more

By Jake Barnett

WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Review
Taped 12/30 in Richmond, Virginia.

[Q1] The WWE Narrator walked us through Ricardo Rodriguez and The Big Show’s drama going back to last Friday’s Show, and said we would get an appearance from the Apex Predator Randy Orton to address The Shield.

Orton opened the show and headed to the ring. He opened and declared his New Year’s Resolution to be the World Heavyweight Champion. Orton then said not long ago it was his show, and lately that hasn’t been the case, but he will change that by announcing his official entry into the 2013 Royal Rumble. Sheamus interrupted and said he wasn’t out there to steal Orton’s “tunder”. Sheamus said he had every right to want another shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, but Sheamus also wanted to announce his entry into the 2013 Royal Rumble.

Sheamus then thanked Orton for assisting him with The Shield on Monday, but Orton retorted and said he didn’t do that to save Sheamus. Orton said the Rumble match was every man for himself. Sheamus replied that he knew how it worked, because he won it the previous year. Orton smiled and said it would be his pleasure to eliminate the previous year’s winner. Sheamus then asked if he Brogue Kicked Orton’s head over the top rope, if that counted as an elimination. They stared each other down as Big Show’s music hit.

Show said if either of those guys wins the Royal Rumble, they’ll be in line for a punch to the face, not the World Heavyweight Championship. He said he would continue to knock out Sheamus in 2013 just like he did in 2012, and he would grind the viper into the ground. Antonio Cesaro entered the arena and said he was tired of typical Americans talking about who would fight who. He went on and said where he’s from, people take action. He claimed fat and lazy American’s should do more acting and less talking. Orton then said he would head up the ramp and RKO the both of them.

Booker T then made an appearance and made a match between Show and Cesaro vs. Orton and Sheamus for the Main Event. The announce team put over Kofi vs. Barrett for later in a rematch from Raw.

Barnett’s Brief: Good opening to introduce some tension, but this was far from spectacular. Nobody really thrilled on the microphone, but they did manage to come across as hating each other, and we got a match out of it. I like the match for later, but this was a pretty pedestrian way to get there.

[Q2] The Miz made his ring entrance for the first match of the show. 3MB then made their entrance, with Heath Slater wrestling.

1. The Miz vs. Heath Slater: Wristlock by The Miz to open up, followed by a nice drop kick. The Miz then applied a chin lock. They worked in and out of the chin lock spot for a bit until Slater punched his way out. Miz got the better of the punch and kick contest and slapped the chin lock back on. Slater managed to reverse, but Miz sent him to the mat when he powered out. Miz mocked 3MB with a bit of air guitar and poked Slater in the eye while McIntrye berated the ref. McIntyre grabbed Miz’s boot and then Jinder Mahal jawed with the ref, which got them both ejected. Miz rolled up Slater after the ejection and got a close near fall…[c]

Slater stomped Miz in the corner and jawed with the ref. Miz charged out and fired back up. He hit a clothesline and lined up for another, but Slater escaped to the floor. Slater got stupid again and jawed with the crowd, which allowed Miz to hit a clothesline on the outside. Miz then dropped Slater on the barricade, and organized an Awesome chant on the outside. Slater sent Miz into the post, and then applied a hammerlock.

[Q3] Slater worked the arm a bit and reapplied arm bar. Miz escaped and got a rollup for two, but Slater popped up and levelled him with a kick. Back on offense, Slater wrapped the Miz’s arm around the bottom rope. The ref broke it up, and the Miz snuck under the bottom rope and hit another pinning attempt for a near fall. Slater hit another kick and did some air guitar, which gave Miz enough time to recover. Miz fired back with a knee lift, but Slater reversed an irish whip and sent Miz into the corner. Slater rolled outside and wrapped Miz’s arm around the post.

Miz hit a back suplex to escape a wrist lock, and then both men traded strikes with The Miz getting the better of it. Miz hit a string of offense, and went for a neck breaker, but Slater pushed him into the corner and hit a neck breaker of his own. Slater then missed a dive into the corner, and Miz capitalized with a running clothesline. He then followed up with a double axe handle from the top, and hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the win.

The announce team plugged Kofi vs. Barrett for later…[c]

The Miz defeated Heath Slater at 16:19.

Barnett’s Brief: Well, that was a nice long match early in the show. A surprising amount of time and offense for Slater, which isn’t a bad thing. I think 3MB is stupid, but the guys in it are talented. The Miz looked great as well, I just hope they find something for him to do.

The announce team recapped Wade Barrett’s IC Title Win, and Matt Stryker interviewed him backstage. Stryker said he wanted to take Barrett back to Monday Night, and Barrett said he didn’t care where Stryker or any other media types wanted to take him. Barrett assured the crowd and the television audience that he would defeat Kingston, and he would be out of chances.

Khali, Hornswoggle, and Natalya made their ring entrance, and they showed the stupid Mae Young segment from Monday again…[c]

[Q4] Primo and Epico entered with Rosa Mendes.

2. Rosa, Primo and Epico vs. Natalya, Khali and Hornswoggle: Rosa and Natalya tied up early. Nattie went for the sharpshooter, but Rosa kicked her in the head and tagged out to Epico. Nattie tagged in Khali, and Epico immediately bailed and tagged in Primo. Khali ragdolled Primo around a bit and then slapped him in the chest. Hornswoggle then tagged in and slapped Primo in the chest. Hornswoggle then kicked Primo in the knee and hit a stunner, and then did the same to Epico.

Epico tagged in again and hit a drop kick on Hornswoggle. Hornswoggle manage to hit a head butt to the chest and a punch on Epico and snuck between his legs to tag Khali. Khali smashed Epico in the corner and Primo ran and got swatted away to the outside. Khali then hit a big chop and it was over.

Natalya, Khali, and Hornswoggle defeated Rosa, Primo, and Epico at 3:32.

After the match, Stryker interviewed Kofi. He said this match is his last shot, and he’s backed in a corner, but he always comes out fighting. He said Barrett can say he’s running out of time or running out of chances, but tonight Barrett will run into Trouble in Paradise.

Barnett’s Brief: Thank Odin that match was only 3 minutes.

[Q5] Kofi Kingston made his ring entrance, followed by Wade Barrett.

3. Wade Barrett vs. Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Title: Kofi backed Barrett into a corner, but the ref backed him up. They traded blows all over the ring, and then Kofi applied a wrist lock. Barrett escaped and ran the ropes, and Kofi jumped out of his way a few times and eventually hit a wheel kick. Barrett rolled out side to buy time, but Kofi followed and sent him into the stairs.

Kofi hit a springboard punch on Barrett, but Barrett recovered quickly and sent him hard into the corner. Barrett followed up with punches to the ribs and a short arm clothesline for a two count. Kofi ducked a punch and hit a backslide for a two count. He then tried a couple of different rollups that got two counts as well. Barrett charged at Kofi and got dumped to the outside. Kofi then followed up with a splash over the top rope. Barrett sent Kofi into the apron and then back into the ring. Barrett tried to milk the ref count to get himself counted out, but Kofi threw him back in last second…[c]

Barrett landed a power clothesline and applied a chin lock in Kingston. Kofi worked his way out and traded blows with Barrett, who got the better of the trade and hit a knee lift and a top rope elbow on Kingston. Barrett tied up Kofi in the ropes and hit some knees, followed by a boot that sent Kofi out to the floor. Kofi answered the ten count at nine, and Barrett resumed beating him up. Barrett hit some strikes and knees and lifted Kofi to the top rope. He then attempted a superplex, but Kofi knocked him back in to the ring and hit a splash for a near fall.

[Q6] They both traded more punches, and Barrett sent Kofi into the corner. Kofi hit a wheelbarrow kick, followed by the SOS for a near fall. Kofi then hit another kick to the head and a boom drop. He then fired up for trouble in paradise, but Barrett avoided and hit a sidewalk slam for a near fall. Kofi avoided a clothesline and hit Trouble in Paradise, but Barrett rolled out of the ring. Kofi struggled to get Barrett back in the ring, and could only get a two count. A moment later, Barrett went for the Bull Hammer, but he missed when Kofi jumped to the second rope. Kofi dove at him, and got caught with the elbow on the way back. Barrett covered for the three count.

Wade Barrett defeated Kofi Kingston at 16:47.

Barnett’s Brief: Great match from these two, but really just the same match they’ve been having for a while now with a different finish. It’s a hard thing to complain about, but it didn’t feel fresh to me. In any case, a great story was told in the ring and the finish makes sense.

Layla was in the ring to start, and then Tamina made her ring entrance.

4. Tamina Snuka vs. Layla: They tied up to begin, with Tamina pushing Layla out to the floor between the ropes. Tamina then rammed Layla into the barricade. Layla tried for a rollup, but only got a one count. Tamina rubbed some of Layla’s fake tanner off on the mat, and then locked in a chinlock with Layla in the splits position. Tamina tried another cover, but only got two. Layla fought back with some kicks and a facebuster to gain some momentum.

Layla went for LOL out of the corner, but Tamina caught her and hit a Samoan Drop. Tamina then climbed to the top and hit the Superfly Splash for the three count.

Tamina defeated Layla at 3:18.

[Q6] Mathews put over a Raw rebound as next…[c]

Barnett’s Brief: Pretty much a squash there. I’d say it’s a lock that Tamina will be champ before long.

A recap aired of the closing segment of Monday’s Raw. They basically replayed the entire thing. Mathews reiterated that CM Punk has been cleared to wrestle and that he will face Ryback in a TLC match on Monday for the WWE Title. They then put over the Raw appearance of The Rock. Big Show then made his ring entrance for the Main Event…[c]

Antonio Cesaro made his ring entrance. He was then followed by Randy Orton and Sheamus.

5. Sheamus and Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro and Sheamus: Cesaro and Sheamus started out and tied up. Cesaro held a head lock briefly and hit a stiff shoulder block. Sheamus fired back with two shoulder blocks of his own and tagged in Orton. Orton hit a European uppercut and a vertical suplex for a two count. Sheamus tagged back in and ate a back elbow from Cesaro. They traded blows with Sheamus getting the better of it. Orton tagged back in and floored Cesaro with a European uppercut. Rapid tags now, with Cesaro finally getting some strikes in on Sheamus and making a tag to Big Show.

Show hit some headbutts and sent Sheamus to the mat. Show went to knock Orton off the apron, but missed wildly. Orton and Sheamus double clotheslined Big Show over the top rope, and Cesaro bailed to the floor to check on him…[c]

Sheamus hit clubbing blows to the chest of Cesaro on the apron, and then suplexed him back into the ring for a two count. Show hit a blind tag on Cesaro. Sheamus clotheslined Cesaro, but ate a big spear from Big Show. Show worked power offense on Sheamus. He hit a body slam and a big elbow for a two count.

Sheamus avoided a Big Show splash in the corner, but got caught with a chokeslam for a very close near fall. Show lined up for the KO Punch, but Sheamus ducked and hit a Brogue Kick to the side of his head. Both men tagged and Orton cleaned Cesaro’s clock with clotheslines. He then went for a hanging DDT, but Cesaro avoided it. Sheamus tagged Orton when he didn’t want him to, and hit White Noise on Cesaro. Orton was not happy about it at ringside.

The crowd chanted for the Brogue Kick, and Sheamus fired up for it. Orton slipped in and hit the RKO, and Sheamus looked at him dumbfounded. Sheamus went for the pin and got the three. Both men stared each other down after the match.

Randy Orton and Sheamus defeated Antonio Cesaro and Big Show at 14:07.

Barnett’s Brief: Well, if you didn’t see that coming, I have some lakefront property in Florida that you might enjoy a timeshare on. Honestly, they couldn’t have telegraphed that main event any better with that opening segment. In any case, it was well wrestled, but there were no surprises to be had. The same could be said for the rest of the show, really. There was nothing to really complain about, but nothing that really wowed me either. Chris Shore and I will have more to say on Audio tomorrow morning. Thanks for following along with me.

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