WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Review
Taped 2/19 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
[Q1] The narrator recapped the results of Elimination Chamber, and focused on Jack Swagger's resurgence with Zeb Colter as his mouthpiece. He then went over the Rock revealing the new WWE Title, and Cena putting his WrestleMania opportunity on the line at WrestleMania.
Lilian Garcia handed things over to Ricardo Rodriguez, who introduced Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio opened and told the crowd that he retained his title at Elimination Chamber, and said as a result he would go to WrestleMania. He then acknowledged Jack Swagger as his opponent, and mentioned that Swagger has a new mission and attitude. Del Rio said Swagger believes he is everything that is right with America, and Del Rio is everything that is wrong.
He mentioned Swagger and Colter blaming America's problems on Immigrants taking jobs and opportunities from people like him. Del Rio exclaimed that America was built on the backs of hard working immigrants, who were chasing the American Dream to build a better life for themselves and their families. He said he as the World Heavyweight Championship because of the opportunities afforded to him by America. He then said Swagger claims he wants a hand out, but he wants Swagger to come out so he can put his hands on his face.
Instead, we got Randy Orton. Orton paused to bask in a chant before telling Del Rio he was going to do his best to stay cool. Orton said at the Chamber something was taken from him by Jack Swagger. Orton said part of him respects Swagger for what he did, but the larger part of him wants to take out his aggression on Swagger tonight. Orton then asked Del Rio to step aside for one night so he could take a shot at Swagger, and if he had to fight Del Rio to get at Swagger he would.
Booker T then interrupted and said his plans for tonight were a Champion vs. Champion match with Del Rio and Wade Barrett. And Orton would get his wish and get a one on one match with Jack Swagger. Backstage, Sheamus was shown walking to the ring for a match next...[c]
Barnett's Brief: A solid opening segment that got to the point. I liked Del Rio's opening salvo against Swagger, because it allowed him to show empathy as a babyface and further the story. Orton was also good, but he didn't get much time to dig into anything on the mic.
[Q2] A commercial aired during the break that advertised next week as Social Media Smackdown, which basically sounds like regular Smackdown with more tweets and touts on screen from WWE Fans. Sheamus made his ring entrance, followed by Damien Sandow. Sandow had a microphone and said tonight we will all witness the destruction of the false idol Sheamus. He said Sheamus' only purpose was to drag people further into the bowels of their own ignorance, and his reign of terror would come to an end tonight.
1. Damien Sandow vs. Sheamus: Sheamus and Sandow started with a punch and kick contest. Sheamus hit a short arm clothesline, and a moment later hit another. He then clotheslined Sandow to the outside and followed him to the floor. On the outside, Sheamus tossed Sandow inot the barricade a couple of times and then tossed him back into the ring. Sheamus hit a vaulting shoulder block over the top rope, and then followed up with elbows in the corner.
The ref separated them in the corner, and Sandow exploded out with a clothesline. Sheamus quickly recovered and tossed Sandow out to the apron and hit his clubs to the chest. Sandow then retreated to the outside and hit behind the announce table...[c]
Sandow had Sheamus in a chin lock and followed up with a Side Russian Leg Sweep and the Elbow of Disdain for a two count. Sheamus tried to punch his way back to his feet, but Sandow clotheslined him back down. Both men continued to brawl around the ring, until Sandow snap mared Sheamus over and applied a chin lock. Sheamus fought to his feet, but Sandow quickly too back control and reapplied the hold. SHeamus eventually mounted some offense and hit a spear in the corner, followed by two double axe handles. Sheamus picked up Sandow for a slam, but Sandow escaped and hit some knees to the chest.
[Q3] Sandow went for the Terminoose, but Sheamus escaped. Sheamus then went for a Brogue Kick but missed. Sandow hit a low dropkick. Sheamus recovered quickly and hit White Noise, and then a Brogue Kick for the win.
Sheamus defeated Damien Sandow at 13:01.
Barnett's Brief: A good match that Sandow got a fair amount of offense in. Sandow also got a very good reaction for his promo at the beginning of the match. Sheamus continued to tread water here. He gets a good reaction, but he doesn't have much positive momentum at the moment.
A video aired that recapped the press conference that announced WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans in 2014. The announce team plugged the matches announced in the opening segment, and a Fandango vignette aired...[c]
A video package aired that put over the Shield's continued dominance. Kaitlyn then made her ring entrance along with Layla. Aksana and Tamina must have entered during the video package.
Layla and Kaitlyn vs. Tamina and Aksana: Layla and Aksana had a dance off for a moment, before Layla kicked Aksana and then tagged in Kaitlyn. Tamina feigned entering the ring and distracted Kaitlyn, which allowed Aksana to send her to the floor. Tamina then hit a clothesline on the outside. Aksana then hit a side suplex in the ring for a two count. Aksana tossed Kaitlyn into the corner and did a bizarre stripper crawl over to her that took way too much time.
Aksana continued the assault with a head scissors and then used her knees to drive Kaitlyn's head into the mat. Both women tagged and Layla hit a nice kick on Tamina. She followed up with a dropkick and an LOL. Tamina picked up Layla for a Samoan drop, but she blind tagged Kaitlyn, who entered and hit a spear for the win.
Kaitlyn and Layla defeated Tamina and Aksana at 4:01.
Barnett's Brief: Wow, there was a lot of fake tanner on the mat in the wake of this match. This was much better than what we saw from the women last week. Kaitlyn continues to look more comfortable in her role as Divas Champion.
[Q4] A recap of The Rock's successful title defense at Elimination Chamber and his Raw Celebration was shown. The announce team then plugged Cean vs. Punk for Monday's Raw. Jack Swagger was shown backstage with Zeb Colter. Wade Barrett walked up and said he was happy to agree with them, and he was happy someone was talking about the problems with the country. Colter interrupted and said they had a misunderstanding, and that Barrett didn't talk like him and wasn't from here, so he was part of the problem too. They walked away and Barrett looked dejected. Randy Orton then made his ring entrance...[c]
Barnett's Brief: Just in case you thought Colter was obsessed with skin color, WWE needed to show you he hates white immigrants too.
Swagger and Colter made their ring entrance.
3. Jack Swagger (w/ Zeb Colter) vs. Randy Orton: Both men tied up and struggled for an advantage around the ring. Swagger attempted a quick roll up, but Orton kicked out and immediately hit a European Uppercut. Orton stomped on Swagger in the corner until Swagger kick out his knee. Orton recovered and hit a back suplex and covered for a two count.
Orton hit a nice drop kick, and then stomped on Swagger's joints. He finished the sequence with a jumping knee drop for a near fall. Swagger rolled to the outside and managed to get a hold of Orton and wrapped his knee around the post. In the ring, he attempted an Ankle Lock, but Orton shoved him away and out to the floor. Orton then rolled out and hit Swagger with a clothesline...[c]
Swagger and Orton brawled center ring. Orton tossed Swagger to the apron for his DDT, but Swagger slipped back into the ring. Both men ended up on the outside, where Swagger sent Orton into the steel steps. Swagger tossed him back into the ring for a near fall. Swagger hit a sidewalk slam for another near fall. Orton recovered and sent Swagger back outside the ring. He then dropped Swagger ribs first on top of the barricade. Swagger got back in the ring, and hit a running shoulder on Orton's knee to take control. He then hit a Swagger Bomb.
[Q6] Orton blocked Swagger's vertical suplex and hit one of his own. He then sent Swagger into the ring post and hit a series of clothesline. Swagger countered an inverted backbreaker and hit a clothesline. He went for another Swagger Bomb but Orton got up and kicked him in the chest. Orton then hit his hanging DDT and fired up for the RKO. Colter pulled Swagger out to the apron, which allowed him to hit a thumb to the eye of Orton and hang him on the top rope. Swagger then rolled up Orton and used the ropes for leverage to get the win.
Jack Swagger defeated Randy Orton at 17:11.
Barnett's Brief: Great match, with both men looking dominant at various times throughout. Swagger felt so good about it he got high and went for a joyride after the show. We'll see where this goes next week.
A video recap was shown of the events from Monday surrounding Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon. When that was over, a trailer was shown for Wade Barret's cameo in Dead Man Down. Wade Barrett was then interviewed backstage about it when Sheamus walked up. Sheamus insulted Wade's acting and then Barrett retorted and asked him whether he was having as much fun when The Shield beat him two nights in a row. He said he thought it was hilarious and then walked away with Sheamus steaming. The Miz made his ring entrance for a match with Cody Rhodes next...[c]
Barnett's Brief: I know when I tune into WWE, I want to see video recaps of things I've already seen and trailers for movies I'm not interested in.
[Q7] Cody Rhodes made his ring entrance.
4. Cody Rhodes vs. The Miz: Rhodes got in early offense by attacking the injured shoulder of the Miz. He locked in a hammer lock, and then hit a nice kick and a drop kick a moment later. They traded kicks and punches a bit until Rhodes hit a knee to the temple after rolling through a sunset flip. Rhodes then applied a wrist lock and used his leg as a lever to tweak his shoulder.
Miz avoided a kick from Rhodes and hit one of his own. Rhodes avoiding a charging Miz in the corner and sent him shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Rhodes went for an Alabama Slam, but Miz slipped out and applied the Figure Four for the win.
The Miz defeated Cody Rhodes at 3:55.
A youtube video of Colter and Swagger was shown. He said America was set up as a land of opportunity, but is now a den of despair. He claimed America has been robbed of it's wealth by immigrants searching for a handout for their carloads full of kids. They said that it was robbing the country of it's productivity and it's soul. They claimed to be generous, and if people wanted a hand out, they would buy them a one way ticket to wherever they came from...[c]
Barnett's Brief: The Miz still can't get the figure four right. Colter and Swagger's youtube video was pretty much a repeat of what they've been saying since they started with this. I hope they add some knew wrinkles, as this will have a short shelf life if they just keep it on repeat.
[Q8] Wade Barrett made his ring entrance, followed by Alberto Del RIo. Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter then made an entrance and stood on the ramp.
5. Wade Barrett vs. Alberto Del Rio: Del Rit hit some leg kicks and a hip toss. He continued the assault with more kicks to the chest and back of Del Rio. Barrett rolled to the outside and got mocked by Ricardo. Barrett chased him around the ring and ate a kick from Del Rio, who slid underneath the bottom rope...[c]
Barrett and Del Rio brawled around the ring. Del Rio climbed the turnbuckle, but Barrett dumped him to the outside, and he took a hard landing on the apron first. Barrett then sent Del Rio into the ring steps, and then covered him for a two count. Barrett dodged a Del Rio clothesline and hit a kick to his gut. Barrett hit a pump handle slam and covered for a near fall. Barrett choked Del Rio on the second rope, and then hit some knees and a big boot tos end him to the outside.
Barrett eventually threw Del Rio back into the ring and covered for two. He continued the assault with three elbow drops for another near fall. Del Rio fired back with a drop kick from the second rope to get back into the match. He then hit a couple of clotheslines and a tilt a whirl backbreaker. He then followed up with a superkick to a kneeling Barrett for a close near fall. Del Rio fired up in the corner but got caught with his Winds of Change slam. Del Rio hung Barrett on the ropes and hit elbows and a backcracker for a near fall. Del Rio started a Si chant and was going to go for a Cross Armbreaker, but Swagger started towards the ring and broke he was distracted.
Barrett took advantage and laid him out, and fired up for the Bull Hammer. Del Rio avoided the elbow and locked on the Cross Armbreaker for the win.
Alberto Del Rio defeated Wade Barrett at 12:47.
Barnett's Brief: Another solid match, but I was hoping they'd do more to advance the Swagger and Del Rio story with them at ringside. Barrett could have really benefited from even the cheapest of wins, and I don't think Del Rio would have suffered from a distracted loss. Overall, this was a much better pace than last week's show, and we got some good action. Too much of the show was recaps and video packages, but what we did get for action was solid. I'll have more to say tomorrow with Chris Show in our weekly Smackdown All Access Podcast available here on ProWrestling.Net or on iTunes.
Questions, comments, or concerns? Contact me via e-mail at barnett.jake@gmail.com or on twitter @barnettjake.