2/1 Shore's WWE Smackdown live coverage: Rey Mysterio makes an appearance, Elimination Chamber announcement, Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler

By Chris Shore

WWE Smackdown on SyFy
Taped on 1/29 in San Diego, California.

The voice over video was the Vince McMahon story, which is a little odd seeing as how it didn't happen on Smackdown, and Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show. Del Rio was shown backstage dressed like The Manly Man William Regal and holding a sledgehammer. Josh Matthews and JBL checked in on commentary and said Del Rio was waiting for Show…

Booker T was in the ring with several wrestlers. Booker T put over John Cena's win at the Rumble and picking the WWE Championship. Booker said the question was who was going to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship. He said all the men in the ring (and Dolph Ziggler who was on the floor) were former champions and he was going to give them a chance to be champion again. He said there were only six spots in the chamber, and Jack Swagger's music cut him off.

Swagger cut a promo on the way to the ring and said someone was left out of the shindig. Booker as Swags where he had been. Swagger said living the life of a real American and said he didn't like where WWE was headed. He told Booker to put him in the match and he would do the rest. Booker said Swagger had to earn it and started to say more about the number of guys there, but Ziggler cut him off.

Ziggler said he already had the Money in the Bank briefcase and he didn't see a reason to be in a match as brutal as the chamber. He started to walk off and Booker said he might chicken out of the chamber but he couldn't chicken out of his match with Del Rio later. Booker said the other six men where in matches and needed to impress him and Teddy Long and they would decide. He announced the opening match of Hell No vs. Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio. Rey made his ring entrance…

Shore's Slant: The segment itself was OK, but I really liked that they used Ziggler's briefcase to have him worm out of the chamber. It's the little things that make all the difference sometimes. Good to see Swagger back, but I think I hate his look more now than I did with the spikey hair frat guy look. He needs to update that character quickly if he is going to get over again. Also, I am watching the show in a rather unconventional manner due to some technical issues, so no quarter hour marks tonight.

2. Hell No vs. Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio. Rey and Kane started the match. Rey looked like a kid dressed up at Halloween. Rey flew around well, but you could tell he hasn't been working out hard during his hiatus. Both partners tagged in and Sin Cara ran his lucha style on Bryan. Rey tagged in and Bryan reversed a head scissor into a facebuster type move to take control, but Rey came right back with a 619 setup. Bryan rolled to the floor and chanted "No" to Mysterio…[C]

Back from commercial, Bryan shoved Sin Cara off the top rope and missile drop kick. Kane tagged in and hit a side slam for two. Kane and Bryan worked as the heels, but did not use heel tactics. Sin Cara reversed a whip into a DDT and both men dove for hot tags.

Mysterio ran the hot comeback and sent Kane to the floor. Rey and Bryan rolled through a ranna and Rey hit a kick to the head for two. Rey dropped Bryan into a 619 setup. Kane recovered and grabbed Rey for a chokeslam. He kicked Sin Cara to the floor, but Rey reversed the lift and spilled Kane to the floor.

Bryan grabbed Rey and put him in the No Lock. Sin Cara recovered and hit a dropkick on Bryan and a diving splash on Kane on the floor. Rey hit 619 and the top rope splash for the win…

Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio defeated Hell No in 11:00.

Post-match Kane and Bryan argued at ringside…A video recapped the Del Rio vs. Big Show feud again. Del Rio was still backstage as Matt Strike called a question over to him about waiting for Big Show. Del Rio said he was just getting some air and to leave him alone…[C]

Shore's Slant: An OK match. They hit all the right spots and there was nothing technically wrong with it, but it was for the San Diego crowd, not to mean something other than another feather on the scale of the pending breakup of Hell No.

Great Khali, Natalya, and Hornswoggle came to the ring. 3MB was already in the ring. A video showed what happened between them on Raw…

2. Great Khali (w/Natalya and Hornswoggle) vs. Jinder Mahal (w/3MB). Khali took a bump for no reason and the chopped his way to a near victory. Drew McIntyre got on the apron and waggled his junk at Natalya, so Khali chopped him dead. Hornswoggle grabbed Slater's leg and Slater chased him under the ring. Khali hit the Punjabi Plunge on Mahal for the win and Horny got away…

Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal at 1:54.

Backstage, Booker complained about Swagger showing up out of the blue. Teddy said it was his idea since Swagger was a former champion. Booker looked upset, but before he could say anything, Rhodes Scholars walked up and said they were disbanding the team. Sandow recited a poem about friendship and he and Cody hugged while Booker looked at Teddy.

Booker said it was cool they were splitting up because he was putting Sandow in a match with Sheamus. Cody said he would be there in spirit and left. Booker made a "road kill" joke and laughed too hard before telling Sandow he was welcome…[C]

A video recapped the Vince McMahons storyline, again. A "WWE.com exclusive" showed Vince doing the stretcher job with Stephanie with him. JBL put over the attack and Josh Matthews gave the hip surgery information. He wished Vince a speedy recovery…[C]

Shore's Slant: I hate to see Rhodes Scholars breakup, but it must mean one of them is getting a push. Guess we will see what happens over the next few months. Booker was bad over the top with the road kill joke. And is he going to turn on Teddy? IS that what we are setting up here?

Del Rio was still out back looking for Big Show…A video recapped The Royal Rumble match and Cena's win…Sheamus and Damien Sandow made their entrances as a video showed Sheamus putting Sandow through the table on Monday…

3. Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow. Sandow gained quick control and worked primarily strikes on Sheamus. Sheamus powered back and started pounding on Sandow in the ropes. The Shield's music hit and Sandow left.

Sheamus fought Damien Sandow to an apparent no contest in 3:15.

The Shield came through the crowd and Seth Rollins hit the ring first. He took a Brogue kick and the other two members attacked. Sheamus looked like he might beat them for a moment, but he was eventually overpowered and took the powerbomb…[C]

Shore's Slant: Another good attack from the Shield. I'm starting to think Jason Powell's idea of The Shield vs. Sheamus, Cena and Orton in the other chamber match will come to pass.

Orton and Wade Barrett made their ring entrances. A video recapped Bo Dallas eliminating Barrett from the Rumble and then beating him on Raw…

4. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett. Barrett took quick control with a big boot and a neck breaker for two. Barrett hit his knees and Big Boot in the ropes for two. Orton fought back and they spilled to the floor. Barrett slammed Orton back into the post and went for the Bull Hammer, but Orton moved and Barrett hit the post. Orton dragged him back onto the apron for the rope DDT. He followed with the RKO for the win…[C]

Randy Orton defeated Wade Barrett at 4:07.

Shore's Slant: Remember when Barrett beat Orton clean? Yeah, nobody else does either after that.

Backstage, Striker tried to interview Barrett, but Barrett saw Dallas and attacked him from behind. He knocked him down and stomped him behind some equipment…Kofi Kingston made his ring entrance.

5. Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger. Swagger literally tossed Kofi around the ring as JBL put him over huge. Kofi had a couple of hope spots, but Swagger would immediately come back with power moves. Kofi started his comeback with a monkey flip. He went for Trouble in Paradise, but Swagger caught him. They spilled into the corner and Kofi hit the pendulum kick. He followed with a drop kick that sent Swagger to the floor.

Kofi followed and hit a Superman punch from the stairs. He went for his kick again, but Swagger moved and Kofi kicked the announce table. Swagger rolled him back in the ring and hooked in the ankle lock for the submission victory…

Jack Swagger defeated Kofi Kingston at 7:02.

Backstage, some security guys came up and asked Del Rio to put the pipe down. My bad, I thought it was a sledgehammer. Del Rio told them something in Spanish that made them leave. He saw a tour bus pulling up and hid behind a car. Big Show stepped out of the bus. And Del Rio ran up and swung the pipe. Show moved and Del Rio broke the back windshield of a car. They destroyed the car fighting in and around it. Big Show ran to another car and sped away…[C]

Shore's Slant: Swagger didn't seem that over with the live crowd. He didn't show any ring rust, but they didn't do a whole lot with this either. He needs a new look and he still needs to get away from that ankle lock.

A video recapped CM Punk vs. Rock on Monday night… Ziggler and company made their ring entrance…[C]

Del Rio and Ricardo were backstage and Ricardo wore a neck brace. Del Rio made Ricardo stay behind because he was injured. Ricardo didn't like it, but agreed. Del Rio got a great pop, even without Ricardo…

6. Dolph Ziggler (w/AJ and Big E Langston) vs. Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez). Del Rio took quick control, and the San Diego crowd loved him. Ziggler countered with a DDT and took control while Matthews gave his "AJ is a mastermind" line for JBL to act on. I have said since NXT that Josh has the sweets on AJ. Not that I blame him.

Del Rio came back with a kick and climbed to the top rope. AJ stood on the apron to distracted the ref and Langston made Del Rio fall backwards from the top. It was a rough looking bump too. Del Rio recovered and hit Langston. Langston climbed on the apron and the ref threw him from ringside…[C]

Back from commercial, Ziggler hit a big drop kick for a near fall. He went to the top, but Del Rio swept the legs and then kicked Ziggler in the left arm. He followed with a superplex that had both men down. Del Rio recovered first and hit a superkick on a kneeling Ziggler for two. Del Rio got the crowd clapping and setup for the cross arm breaker. Ziggler slipped out and hit the Fameassor for two.

Ziggler missed a splash in the corner and Del Rio hit a backstabber in the ropes for two. Ziggler came right back with a drop kick that knocked Del Rio out of the air. Ziggler went for the Zig Zag, but Del Rio slipped out and hooked in the cross arm breaker for the win…

Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler in 14:00.

Big Show suddenly appeared on the screen and showed he had Ricardo with him. Del Rio started to head their way, but Show told him to stop or he would snap Ricardo like straw. Del Rio stayed on the apron. Show said if Del Rio ever attacked him again he would hurt Ricardo, Del Rio, or anybody else that got in his way. Ricardo tried to beg Big Show off. Show said he was going to let him go, and then knocked him out. Del Rio ran to the back and screamed for a doctor as he held Ricardo…

Shore's Slant: High drama to close out Smackdown, both in the ring and without. The ending of the match was just spectacular as they went back and forth. Dolph has never looked stronger in a loss. And Big Show once again was masterful on the mic. He continues to have banner segments no matter who he is paired with. I'll have more tomorrow with Jake Barnett on the Dot Not Podcast and one of us will have the Hitlist for you as well. Thanks for watching along tonight.

Questions? Comments? Anyone, anyone? Let me hear from you. Email me at css3238@gmail.com or tweet me @TheShoreSlant with whatever is on your mind.

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