5/3 Shore's WWE Smackdown report: Ryback vs. Daniel Bryan, Kane vs. The Shield, Randy Orton vs. Damien Sandow

By Chris Shore

WWE Smackdown on SyFy
Taped on 4/30 in Detroit, Michigan

A video recapped the Raw six-man main event…Michael Cole, Josh Matthews, and JBL checked in on commentary and Ryback made his ring entrance to decent heat. Ryback cut a promo and said he knew John Cena was hurt and that's why he couldn't team with him against the Shield. Ryback said Cena put himself at risk and he was the one who lost the match, and afterward he hobbled around like a weak and wounded animal. He said the law of the jungle said the bigger, stronger, faster, etc. animal eats the weaker. He closed with "Ryback rules." Daniel Bryan was out next to a great pop…

1. Ryback vs. Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan used his speed early, but Ryback knocked him down more than a few times. Bryan conned Ryback into coming to the floor and then hit a dive on him. That pissed off Ryback, who beat Brian down in the corner. Brian tried to use speed again, but Ryback gorilla slammed him over the top rope to the floor…[C]

Bryan went for a sunset flip, but Ryback slammed his head against the mat several times. Ryback hit a powerslam for two. Bryan fought back and hit the ropes. Ryback went for a Thesz press, but Bryan went low and twisted Ryback into a single leg crab. Ryback powered out, but Bryan hit a clothesline and his drop kick in the corner. He hooked the leg on the rope and then a running kick on the leg. He finished the string with a missile dropkick for two.

Bryan went for a ranna, but Ryback caught him and tried to powerbomb Bryan over the top rope. Bryan held on and they both spilled to the floor. Bryan tried the diving knee from the apron, but Ryback caught him and drove him back into the post. Ryback rolled Bryan back in the ring, hit 2 dead lift powerbombs, the meat hook clothesline, and Shell Shocked for the win…

Ryback defeated Daniel Bryan in 13:00.

The announce team narrated the triple threat match recap video, and then Del Rio picking a ladder match as the stipulation. Backstage, Renee Young, whose name I had to friggin look up again, asked Ricardo Rodriguez how he felt about tonight in his match against Zeb Colter. Ricardo answered in Spanish and kissed Young on the cheek. Del Rio walked up and told him to calm down and led him away…[C]

Shore's Slant: Pretty good opening match and mercifully brief promo from Ryback. I think he should have concentrated more on being right about Cena, but that's neither here nor there. Bryan made him look like a beast at the end, which I appreciate, but why job Bryan out when he's been losing all the matches with the Shield already?

Zack Ryder was in the ring, still with no spike in his hair. Fandango and Summer Rae made their ring entrance to boos and singing. Odd sound…

2. Zack Ryder vs. Fandango. Ryder got in a few spots, but Fandango ducked the Rough Ryder and hit his side Russian leg sweep, followed by the career shortening top rope leg drop, for the win…[C]

Fandango squashed Zack Ryder at 2:19.

Backstage, Kaitlyn was walking with flowers and bumped into Natalya and Khali. Natty asked about the flowers and Kaitlyn showed her a text she got that said the person loved her and couldn’t wait to tell her himself. Natty said Khali gave great dating advice. Khali said, "BLARGGGGHH VERGHHH SOVIGNERG DREGGHHERGH." Natty said, "See," and then left with Khali…

Shore's Slant: What the #&@% just happened?

A video recapped John Cena's involvement with World Wish Day… Renee Young interviewed Zeb Colter about his match with Ricardo. Zeb butchered her name and called her a part of the "lame stream media." Zeb blamed being sick for the loss, but said he got up and went to work like a real American does. He said his win was given to an illegal immigrant and said Ricardo was guilty of theft. He said he would rectify that tonight. He closed with "We the people." Ricardo and Del Rio made their entrance…[C]

Ricardo and Del Rio strategized as Dolph Ziggler was introduced on commentary, along with AJ and Big E Langston. Zeb and Swagger made their entrance to serious heat…

3. Ricardo Rodriguez (w/Alberto Del Rio) vs. Zeb Colter (w/Jack Swagger). Colter pie faced Ricardo, so Ricardo grabbed his beard, dragged him to the mat, and rode him like a Shetland pony. Swagger jumped on the apron and that allowed Coulter to attack Ricardo from behind. Ricardo fought back and went for a shoulder tackle, but Swagger came in and clotheslined him to cause the DQ…

Ricardo Rodriguez defeated Zeb Colter by disqualification at 1:44.

Teddy Long's music hit and he came out and restarted the match as a tag match…[C]

Shore's Slant: Even Ziggler on commentary lampooned this as obvious.

4. Ricardo Rodriguez and Alberto Del Rio vs. Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger. The match was joined in progress. Del Rio put Swagger in the cross arm breaker and Big E and Ziggler hit the ring. Dear god…

Ricardo Rodriguez and Alberto Del Rio defeated Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger by disqualification at 1:16 of TV time.

Long's music hit again and he made it into a triple threat match. I quit…

5. Ricardo Rodriguez and Alberto Del Rio vs. Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston. In the end, the match broke down and Del Rio took out everyone and went for Colter. Ziggler ran in and hit a DDT and once again the match broke down. Ziggler went for a roll up on Del Rio, but Del Rio hooked the cross arm breaker for the submission victory…

Ricardo Rodriguez and Alberto Del Rio defeated Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston at 5:48.

Shore's Slant: Wow, they took a long way to get there. It's a cheesy gimmick to keep changing the match, not to mention a little bit predictable, but I guess I can think of worse ways to fill the time. Plus, the live crowd loves shit like that.

Backstage, there was a camera on the floor that picked up audio of somebody getting their ass kicked. The Shield picked up the camera and cut a promo on putting Cena and Undertaker down. They said they were going to do the same to Kane next. They set the camera down and Daniel was out on the floor…[C]

Shore's Slant: Still don't understand what their motivation is, but I still like it. Another good promo segment from The Shield.

A video recapped the Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar feud…Backstage, two refs and a trainer found Daniel Bryan on the ground and helped him up and to the trainer's room… Randy Orton made his entrance to a huge pop. Damien Sandow was out next. No promo and no reason for this match. Awesome…

6. Randy Orton vs. Damien Sandow. Orton started strong, but Sandow knocked Orton from the ring to send the show to break…[C] Orton hit a back suplex as soon as the show came back and went on to hit the rope DDT and RKO for the win…

Randy Orton defeated Damien Sandow in about 9:00.

Post-match, Big Show's music hit as he came out cutting a promo. Show said Orton was an amazing individual, but not such a great team player. Show said if Orton's ego wasn't so big, perhaps they would have beaten the Shield and Orton wouldn't have gotten knocked out. Sandow attacked Orton from behind and hit his neckbreaker. Show laughed at Orton and said that was funny, but there would be nothing funny about what he does to Orton at Extreme Rules. Show left as flustered Orton in the ring…

Shore's Slant: Wow, Sandow looked like a total chump there. I guess he got the big spot at the end, but it didn't feel like he got back what he lost in that virtual squash match. Don't let the long time fool you, at least half of that was commercial time. Show essentially challenged Orton here, but I still think we get a Fatal Fourway with Henry and Sheamus by the time it’s all said and done, even if that match comes next month

Backstage, Matt Striker asked Kane about Daniel Bryan's condition. Kane said he was going to make the Shield pay for what they did to Daniel and his brother. He said he knew they were going to take him down eventually, but he was going to take as many of them with him as he could. He said they were all going on a journey to a place called hell…[C]

Shore's Slant: This would have been much more effective if Bryan hadn't been in the Ryback match earlier. By being in two stories on the same night he waters down his effectiveness for both.

The Raw Rebound video was the six-man tag match again… An arm-wrestling table stood in the ring, and Mark Henry made his ring entrance while a video recapped the silly tug-of-war segment from Raw. Sheamus made his entrance to a huge pop.

Henry demanded Sheamus wipe his hands on a towel. Sheamus did, but then Henry stalled right before they lock-up. Henry told Sheamus to stop eyeballing him. They argued and locked up and the ref said go. They went back and forth, with Sheamus almost winning, but Henry powered him back over for the victory.

Josh Matthews announced Henry as the winner and Sheamus took the mic. He congratulated Henry on having the strongest right arm and challenged him to the left arm. Henry said he won and started to leave. Sheamus said that was fine if Henry was scared. Henry got in his face and accepted the challenge. This time Sheamus stalled right before the lock-up. As soon as the ref said go, Sheamus punched Henry and then hit him with a Brogue kick…

A video recapped the Shield taking out Undertaker and then Dean Mabrose vs. Kane was hyped for next…[C]

Shore's Slant: I don't understand why we cheer the babyfaces who act like heels just because they are heeling on heels. I realize Steve Austin made a gazillion dollars doing that, but I didn't get it then. Schadenfreude I guess.

The Shield made their ring entrance. Kane was out next, but he attacked all three men with the tag title belt. He took out Reigns and Rollins and then climbed in the ring to start the match…

7. Dean Ambrose (w/The Shield) vs. Kane. Kane slammed Ambrose all over the ring and ringside area. He knocked Ambrose from the top rope to the floor to send the show to break…[C] A video showed Rollins hitting a knee breaker during the break to take control. Ambrose worked over the legs on the ring post, but took his time crawling to the top rope and Kane slammed him off.

Kane started his comeback and hit the diving punch and the chokeslam. Kane did the throat cut and picked up Ambrose for the tombstone. Rollins jumped on the apron. Kane kicked him off on he crashed into the announce table. Ambrose clotheslined Kane over the top, but Kane dragged Ambrose to the floor as well. Kane slammed Reigns into the stairs as Ambrose rolled back in the ring. Kane rolled in, but Ambrose hit a low dropkick and then his forward DDT for the win…

Dean Ambrose defeated Kane in 11:00.

Post-match, The Shield attacked, but Kane fought them off. They attacked again and got him down. They setup for the triple powerbomb, but Kane kicked Reigns away. He grabbed both Rollins and Ambrose for chokeslams, but Reigns hit the spear and they final hit the triple powerbomb. The Shield posed with the tag title belts and then left with them to close the show…

Shore's Slant: Nice little brawl and story to close the show. It looks like a tag title match at Extreme Rules, and I would surmise a Shield win. I still wish I knew more about their motivations, but I sound like a broken record. Jake Barnett will have more tomorrow on the hitlist, as well as our weekly All Access audio review. Thanks for reading tonight.

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