6/14 Barnett's WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Coverage Review: The final show before Payback features Sheamus, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, plus The Shield and more

By Jake Barnett

WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Coverage Review
Taped Tuesday, June 11th in Greensboro, North Carolina

[Q1] Footage was shown of Big E vs. Chris Jericho from Monday, and the narrator hyped a tag team match between Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E. Footage was then shown of the Team Hell No and The Shield’s ongoing saga, and then advertised a six man between them later on tonight…

Daniel Bryan’s music hit and he walked to the ring deliberately. The announcers said something must be on his mind. Daniel nodded with the yes chants from the crowd. He told the crowd that if people would have asked him when he first started in WWE if he would have been the World Champion, he would have said yes. If he was asked if he would have lost that title in 18 seconds, he would have said no.

If he would have been asked about becoming tag team champions with anyone on the roster, he would have said yes. He then said if he ever thought if he would be with Kane for 9 months, he would have said no. He called Team Hell No one of the best tag teams ever, and then asked Kane to come out. Kane did, and said he knows why he asked him out there, but it’s not the time and he is focused on their six man with The Shield.

Bryan said everything needed to be out in the open, and said he was proud of what they had accomplished in and out of the ring together as partners and friends. Bryan then said after he wins the Tag Team Championships with someone else at Payback, he won’t be tagging with him anymore. Kane asked if he was breaking up with him. Kane reminded him that the same thing will happen if he wins the US Title on Sunday.

Bryan said that they could still tag if he won the US Title, but not if he and Randy won the Tag Titles. The conversation quickly devolved from there. Bryan said they would be called Team RK No, and Kane was offended they had nicknames. Kane reminded him that it was no sure thing they could win the Tag Titles, because not even they could beat The Shield, and that he didn’t even like Randy Orton. Bryan said that on Sunday he would be victorious and prove he wasn’t the weakest link, and said that when he did it would imply something. Kane growled and asked Bryan if he thought that he was the weak link. Kane pressured him and Bryan said Yes, then Kane grabbed him by the throat.

Randy Orton then interrupted and said that he needed Bryan at 100%, and if Kane chokeslammed him, he would get an RKO in return. Bryan then accosted Orton about not needing his help, and Kane said they could sort it out and that he was leaving. At that point, The Shield showed up on the tron and Ambrose and Rollins said that they were amusing. Ambrose said The Shield is unstoppable and he’d be upset too if he had failed to beat The Shield for 6 months with Superteams. Reigns said they would lose tonight, and again on Sunday, and that the hounds of justice run this yard.

Sheamus was shown walking towards the ring…[c]

Barnett’s Brief: Good stuff from the babyface trio, and a very good short promo from The Shield. Their involvement on Sunday should be fun and this segment set up the main event well. I hope the rest of the card holds my interest.

[Q2] Sheamus made his entrance and footage of his beat down at the hands of Damien Sandow last week was shown. Antonio Cesaro was already in the ring. Damien Sandow’s music hit before the bell ring. Sandow said that the man across from him spoke five languages, and Sheamus can barely speak one. He said he’s beaten him intellectually and physically, and on Sunday he would host his Irish Wake.

1. Antonio Cesaro vs. Sheamus: Cesaro slapped the taste out of Sheamus’s mouth early, and Sheamus quickly beat him out of the ring. Cesaro took a powder, and came back in for more punches and clubs from Sheamus. Cesaro fired back a few times, but Sheamus hit a powerslam a few seconds later for a one count. Zeb Colter was shown talking to Renee Young, presumably about Cesaro. Cesaro hit a Greco Roman throw and clotheslined Sheamus out of the ring. Cesaro dove on Sheamus at ringside, but got caught and driven into the barricade…[c]

Cesaro and Sheamus traded blows. Sheamus hit a backbreaker for a near fall, and Cesaro rolled outside. Sheamus followed and got run into the ring steps by Cesaro. He dumped Sheamus back in the ring and covered for a two count. Sheamus bled from scratches on the shoulder, as Cesaro airplane spun him by the neck for a near fall. Sheamus hit a back body drop and charged back. He hit a spear in the corner, but caught a spear as a he came off the ropes for a two count. Cesaro then hit a double stomp for another near fall.

Sheamus caught him with high knee and then tossed him to the apron for clubbing blows. He then hit an Irish Curse Backbreaker for a near fall. Cesaro elbowed out of a forward roll slam and hit a Death Valley Driver type move for a near fall. He then shoved Sheamus into the corner, who popped out with a Brogue Kick for the win.

Sheamus defeated Antonio Cesaro at 10:58.

Barnett’s Brief: Strong match with a finish that felt pretty telegraphed. I didn’t really mind it, but it kind of took you out of the moment. Otherwise a crisp match for both men and Cesaro looked especially good on offense.

[Q3] Sandow clipped Sheamus from behind as he was going up the ramp and left to boos. Sheamus recovered and a CM Punk video was hyped…[c]

A CM Punk video package about his claims of Best in The World was shown, and plugged his return for WWE Payback on Sunday vs. Chris Jericho. Backstage, Teddy Long plugged Hardees as the sponsor of Smackdown, and told his friend on the phone that he was going to have a cheeseburger. Ziggler appeared with AJ and Big E and said he was two days away from the biggest title defense of his career, and complained about being booked in a Tag Match later against Del Rio and Jericho.

Teddy basically blew him off, and Ziggler said tonight would only be a taste of what would happen on Sunday. The heels left, and then Big E came back and took a couple of big bites from his Cheeseburger. In the arena, The Great Khali made his ring entrance…[c]

Barnett’s Brief: Should I be surprised the World Champion’s only promo time on Smackdown this week was during a Hardees Commercial?

[Q4] 3MB made their ring entrance. Health Slater is wrestling.

2. The Great Khali vs. Heath Slater: Khali slapped around Slater for a while and hit an overhead chop. Khali got distracted by the rest of 3MB and hit a big chop on Mahal from the ring to the floor. Slater used the distraction to hit his finisher a get a victory.

Heath Slater defeated the Great Khali at 1:44.

Barnett’s Brief: Well, that was brief. I’ll give it that.

Ricardo Rodriguez was brought out to introduce Del Rio. Chris Jericho then made his ring entrance, followed by the heels.

[Q5] 3. Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston: Del Rio and Ziggler began, but Ziggler tagged out before they could start. Big E and Del Rio locked up and traded some offense. Del Rio hit a nice side kick and tagged in Chris Jericho. Jericho hit some chops and an enziguri followed by low dropkick for two. Langston hit some shoulder charges in the corner and then a clothesline.

Ziggler tagged in and put the boots to Jericho before some gyrations and an elbow drop. Langston tagged back in and Jericho hit a dropkick and tagged in Del Rio. Langston welcomed Del Rio to the ring with a clothesline, but he quickly recovered and hit a back stabber. Langston tagged out and Ziggler bailed to the outside away from Del Rio…[c]

Jericho tossed Big E into the steps and taunted him. He then ran him into the apron and back into the ring. AJ slapped Jericho, and then Big E send him off the apron into the barricade. Big E went back outside to run Jericho into the ring apron. Big E ran into Jericho at full clip and kept him from making a tag. Ziggler tagged in a worked over Jericho a bit, and then Jericho hit him with a running bulldog. Del Rio tagged in hit a kick in the face to Del Rio. Del Rio ran in and cleared Langston from the ring.

Ziggler then hit Jericho with a drop kick and sent him to the outside. Ziggler then turned his attention to Del Rio but got rolled up for a surprise pin.

Chris Jericho and Del Rio defeated Big E and Ziggler at 11:19.

Barnett’s Brief: A fun match that was not as long as it seems due to a long commercial break. Ziggler takes another non title loss, but it was in a good match and it was portrayed as a fluke. Del Rio and Jericho turned in good performances and the crowd was into both of them.

After the match, a major portion of the opening promo was replayed, and then Kaitlyn was shown in the back walking towards the ring…[c]

[Q6] Backstage, Chris Jericho was interviews by Renee Young about his match against CM Punk. He said his match on Sunday has taken on a life of it’s own. He said Punk is from Chicago and the crowd will be for it’s home town hero. He said he also had great matches and moments in Chicago, and no matter where the crowd falls they will exceed the expectations of their first two matches. Paul Heyman walked up and offered Chris Jericho luck and a handshake. Jericho refused it, and Heyman said he truly would need it because the odds are against him. Just as Heyman was about to call Punk best in the world, Jericho slapped the mic into his mouth and said see you Sunday.

Aksana was in the ring. Kaitlyn made her entrance and the footage of Big E and AJ humiliating her on Monday was shown.

4. Aksana vs. Kaitlyn: Kaitlyn freaked out at the footage from Monday at the tron and her and Kaitlyn brawled all over the ring and out to ringside several times. As the ref tried to stop the match, Kaitlyn slapped him hard. Eventually Aksana escaped and just left up the ramp. The match never really got started and had no end.

A video package was then shown for John Cena and Ryback’s 3 Stages of Hell match. After the video, Curtis Axel made his ring entrance with Paul Heyman. The match was of course presented to us by Hardees? Ok…[c]

[Q7] Video of Curtis Axel being inserted into the Intercontinental Championship Match from Monday was shown. Wade Barrett was in the ring. He grabbed a microphone and said he wanted to chat with Paul Heyman. He asked him why on earth they should have that match, when he could injure Curtis Axel so he couldn’t compete on Sunday. He even admitted a small chance of Axel hurting him. He then asked Heyman if they should just leave it until Sunday. Heyman then went to confer with Axel when The Miz’s music hit.

Miz did his really bit and asked what those two would rather do besides fight tonight? Go to starbucks? Go on dancing with the stars? He then started a fight chant and the bell rang.

4. Wade Barrett vs. Curtis Axel: Both men traded offense early, until Del Rio hit a kick to the gut that set Axel out to ringside. Barrett jawed with Miz and sent Axel into the ring steps. Barrett continued to jaw with Miz, and ducked an elbow from Axel that hit the Miz. Axel hit Barrett coming back into the ring with a swinging neck breaker from the second rope and got a quick pin.

Curtis Axel defeated Wade Barrett at 2:00.

After the match, The Miz hit a Skull Crushing Finale on Axel. A Wyatt Family promo then aired. The Shield made their ring entrance for the Main Event after the Wyatt Family segment…[c]

Barnett’s Brief: I agree with Barrett. Why did that need to be a match? Also, the Kaitlyn stuff earlier was apparently the beginning of a nervous breakdown. Since anybody with half a brain would have seen that anonymous stalker thing coming, they are pretty much portraying her as an emotionally stunted naïve teen girl. It’s not flattering for a grown woman on television.

[Q8] All hands on deck already in the ring with a big Yes chant from the crowd.

5. Orton, Bryan and Kane vs. The Shield: Bryan took down Rollins early and made a quick tag to Kane, who hit a suplex and a low drop kick on Rollins. Ambrose tagged in, and Kane hit him with a big boot. Orton tagged in and put the boots to Ambrose. He then hit some European uppercuts and a clothesline in the corner. He followed up with a snap suplex and tagged Bryan. Bryan hit a few kicks and got backed into the wrong corner. Reigns tagged in and hot a power slam for a two count. The Shield made round robin quick tags to put a beating on Bryan.

Bryan fired back with a knee lift to Ambrose and tagged out to Orton. Orton hit a quick powerslam on Ambrose and Rollins. He then tried a double rope DDT, but The Shield caught up to him. Ambrose took control with some punches and kicks…[c]

Ambrose controlled Orton and tagged in Reigns. He dropped some punches on Orton and covered for a two count. Orton avoided a clothesline and hit an inverted back breaker. Reigns tried to charge at Orton while he recovered, but Orton moved. Both men tagged out and Kane and Ambrose got into it. Kane hit some clotheslines and a side slam for a two count. Kane missed a top rope clothesline and tagged out to Bryan.

Bryan cleaned house and hit multiple drop kicks and a dive to the outside. He hit two more running dropkicks to Rollins and got a very close near fall that the crowd ate up. He then layed into Rollins with kicks and hit Reigns and Rollins with a kick to the head. He then went up, and Ambrose tried to push him down, but he fought him off. He then tried a diving headbutt but nobody is home. Rollins covered but Bryan kicked out last second.

Ambrose tried to interfere again, but Kane sent him out of the ring. Reigns hit a spear on Orton. He tried to hit one on Kane, but was sent into the time keepers area. Rollins went up top, but Kane pushed him into an aerial RKO from Orton. Bryan applied the Yes Lock and got the tap after a few seconds while the crowd went nuts.

Daniel Bryan, Kane and Orton defeated The Shiel at 13:17.

Barnett’s Brief: A very cool moment for that live crowd, and it translated wonderfully to television. The match played out like many of the other six man tags with fantastic action, but the finish played out beautifully and the crowd was very into the match down the stretch with Orton and Bryan on offense. I’ll have more to say about the match and the show later on tomorrow in the All Access Podcast.

Do you have questions, comments and concerns? Contact me at barnett.jake@gmail.com or on twitter @barnettjake.