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6/21 Barnett's WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Coverage Review: Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, Christian, AJ, Sheamus and more in action on this week's show

Posted in: WWE TV Reports, MUST-READ LISTING
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Jun 21, 2013 - 07:00 PM

By Jake Barnett

6/21 WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Coverage Review
Taped Tuesday, June 18th in Dayton, Ohio.


[Q1] We got a flashback to Payback that showed all the major hits from the show. The Narrator spoke over the footage to say that Payback comes in many forms and stages. The Narrator then questioned what lies ahead for all the superstars who competed on the show. Cole welcomed us to the arena and Daniel Bryan made his ring entrance. He didn’t seem much worse for wear from Monday, or at least it wasn’t immediately apparent.

The crowd started a Yes Chant, and Bryan soaked it up for a few seconds. He said on Monday, something happened to him that had never happened before. He said he had never in his career had a match stopped for a medical reason. He said he told the doctors on Monday he wanted to continue, but officials and doctors disagreed. Bryan went on to say that the doctors said they did it for his health, but he believed they did it because they thought he was the weak link.

He said worst of all, Orton was to blame. They then showed a clip of the match from Monday and the doctor stoppage, as well as the post-match stuff between Orton and Bryan. Bryan said that rather than disagreeing with officials and raging against the machine, but instead he picked him up and patted him on the head like he was his little brother or a little dog. He then said that he saw nothing but pity in his eyes, and tonight he didn’t care what anybody thought, because he would beat Orton tonight. He then started a yes chant, but Orton interrupted it.

Orton had an exasperated look on his face as he got to the ring. He shook his head and said “Dan, you got it all wrong.” He claimed he and others were concerned for his wellbeing. He kept coming and coming no matter what, and he said it made him respect him even more. Orton claimed he picked him up and put his arm around him because of respect. Bryan rejected everything he said and told him he saw no respect in his eyes, just pity. He said he knew he thought he was the weak link, and he said so on Monday.

Bryan said he would take all his pity and shove it down his throat. Orton said he was way out of line. He said tonight he was going to hurt it, and when the refs stopped their match later tonight, he wouldn’t be walking out of the arena. Orton then told him to respect that, and walked up the ramp. The announce team put over Wade Barrett getting a return match on Curtix Axel. Sheamus then made his ring entrance for the opening match, and the announce team said he lost a handicap match on Monday and was looking for revenge on Team Rhodes Scholars…[c]

Barnett's Brief: Some decent logic from both men, which allows this feud to continue despite both men getting babyface crowd reactions. Bryan leaned more heelish than Orton here, but the storyline obsession justified it well enough.

[Q2] Cody Rhodes made his ring entrance with Damien Sandow in tow wearing a suit.

1. Cody Rhodes vs. Sheamus: They brawled early with Sheamus getting the better of it. Then we got more back and forth with Sheamus hitting a nice suplex and a top rope snap mare of sorts. Cody bailed outside to regroup and then he used the ring skirt to trip Sheamus to the outside. He then sent Sheamus into the post and the barricade outside.

Cody kept control and worked on the arm and shoulder of Sheamus that he sent into the post. He hit a running knee to the face and covered for two. Sheamus recovered and ran at Cody, but he moved and Sheamus went shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Cody avoided a shoulder block over the rope and caught Sheamus’s arm and applied a Fujiwara arm bar. Cody dropped the bad shoulder on the top rope, but Sheamus fired back out of nowhere.

He hit several axe handles and a forward roll slam. He threw Cody into Sandow at ringside and went for White Noise, but Rhodes reverse into a pin for a two count. Sheamus quickly applied the Texas Cloverleaf afterwards for the submission win. Sandow spazzed out and hit a blindside attack on Sheamus that left him lying in pain in the ring.

Sheamus defeated Cody Rhodes at 5:34.

The announcers put over Sandow getting the last laugh, and Cole and JBL introduced the latest Wyatt Family video. Curtis Axel made his ring entrance after the video…[c]

Barnett’s Brief: So, what kind of story are you telling in the ring when Rhodes works on Sheamus’ shoulder all match, and it doesn’t even play a factor in the finish? I mean, I liked the action just fine, but it’s like they never got around to finishing their story in the ring. The Wyatt Video was good as always, but I’m ready to see them now. I don’t need more vignettes.

[Q3] They did in ring announcements for both Barrett and Curtix Axel. Gave it a big match feel that was nice.

2. Curtix Axel vs. Wade Barrett: The Miz joined on commentary and put over Curtis Axel. Barrett started out by stomping on Axel in the corner and then dropped an elbow for a two count. Barrett then walked into a standing dropkick and Axel took over. He hit some big punches and dropped an elbow from the second rope.

Barrett fired back with a clothesline and some kicks to the ribs. He then hit a snap suplex and got a near fall. Barrett hit some knees with Axel wrapped up in the ropes, and then gave him a big boot that send him tumbling backwards to the floor. He ran Axel into the apron and then jawed with Miz on commentary.

Axel went for a Perfect Plex, but Barrett avoided and hit another Big Boot for another near fall. Barrett then went for a top rope elbow, but Axel avoided it and hit his signature spinning neck breaker for the clean victory.

Curtis Axel defeated Wade Barrett at 4:32.

After the match, Miz went into the ring and took over his suit coat and tie. Heyman thought better of a brawl and pulled Axel out of the ring and up the ramp. For some reason, Miz loosened a couple of buttons on his shirt anyway, just for dramatic effect perhaps. The announce team said they would show some of Mark Henry’s faux retirement speech next…[c]

Barnett’s Brief: An ok match from Barrett and Axel, and I liked the pre-match ring announcement for the title match. Miz was nearly unbearable on commentary, and I would have been happier with a Barrett vs. Axel feud rather than Miz vs. Axel. I hope this means Barrett moves onto something interesting.

[Q4] Henry’s post speech interview with Renee Young was shown after the promo. AJ made her ring entrance with Big E Langston.

Barnett’s Brief: Needless to say, watch the Mark Henry retirement segment from Raw if you haven’t seen it yet. The story they are telling with Mark Henry going to obscene lengths to get to John Cena is one that could be memorable. It certainly started out with a bang.

Natalya was shown in the ring for the next match. A video package of the Kaitlyn saga was shown, and AJ was shown laughing.

3. Natalya vs. AJ: Natalya worked power early on and went for a quick Sharpshooter, but couldn’t get it applied. She then applied another interesting hangman submission I hadn’t seen before, but AJ grabbed the ropes. AJ applied a sleeper and jumped on Natalya’s back. Nattie busted out, but AJ hit a kick and covered for a two count…[c]

Natalya hit a nice suplex for a near fall. She then did an airplane spin, but AJ bit her hand and then applied the black widow for the submission victory.

AJ defeated Natalya at 5:54.

[Q5] Backstage, Kaitlyn and Layla were shown observing AJ on the monitors. Aksana walked out and asked Kaitlyn if that was the move that AJ beat her with. She then bashed Aksana with a water bottle and threw her around the backstage area. Divas ran in to separate them.

In the arena, Chris Jericho made his ring entrance with full light brite splendor. The announce team said he would take on Alberto Del Rio. They then showed a clip of Orton and Bryan’s confrontation from earlier tonight. Ricardo Rodriguez was then brought out to introduce Alberto Del Rio. He still had the bucket.

4. Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Jericho: Both men brawled early and traded strikes and chopped. Jericho stomped away in the corner. Jericho ran into a boot in the corner and Del Rio took his turn with stomps. Jericho avoided a charging Del Rio and he flew through the second rope to the outside, and then Jericho hit a springboard drop kick and a baseball slide to the outside. Ricardo distracted Jericho, and Del Rio hit super kick as he came in the ring…[c]

Barnett’s Brief: The AJ and Kaitlyn story still comes off to me as one of those only possible in wrestling stories, but it’s not bad for what it is. The match between Natalya and AJ wasn’t half bad. Could have used more actual TV time. It was only about 2 minutes that we could see.

Jericho hit a knee lift, but got sent out of the ring and then got tossed into the barricade by Del Rio. Del Rio hit another kick and tossed Jericho back in the ring. Jericho then avoided a charging Del Rio and sent him shoulder first into the post. Jericho went for the Walls, but Del Rio spun out of it. He then hit another kick, but Jericho kicked out again. Del Rio then missed an enziguri, and Jericho capitalized with a splash from the top for a two count. Jericho then hit a running bulldog and hit a lionsault, but he couldn’t make a cover.

Del Rio hit a kick to the gut and signaled for the cross arm breaker. Jericho went for another Walls attempt, but Del Rio countered into the cross arm breaker. Jericho reversed again into the Walls of Jericho and the crowd lost it. Jericho had to release to go after Ricardo Rodriguez, who got a turn in the Liontamer. Ziggler hit the ring and beat down Del Rio, and Jericho got DQ’ed.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Chris Jericho at 10:34.

After the match, Jericho took out his frustration with Ziggler by hitting him with a Codebreaker. Del Rio and Rodriguez hit the ring again, and picked him up for a kick to the face. Del Rio then celebrated up the ramp.

Barnett’s Brief: A very good match with a great finish. Jericho showing some resentment towards Ziggler was nice, and the post match attack by Del Rio was vicious and heelish.

3MB were in the ring, with Drew McIntyre set for action. Christian then made his ring entrance.

5. Christian vs. Drew McIntyre: Christian tossed McIntyre out to the floor early, and hit a baseball slide. Christian tossed him back into the ring and hit a drop toe hold onto the second rope. He then leaped to the outside and hit a punch to the face. McIntyre caught Christian coming off the rope and hit a side slam. Christian hit a diving elbow and cleared Slater from the apron. He then went after Mahal, but got stopped by McInytre. Christian flipped out of a back suplex and hit the Killswitch for the win.

Christian defeated Drew McIntyre at 3:54.

Christian grabbed a mic and said it feels great to be back on Smackdown after ten long months, and even better to be back out in front of every one of his peeps. He said every knows why he came back ,and that was for that one more match…..but The Shield interrupted him. The surrounded him and mugged him, and finished him off with a triple powerbomb.

Barnett’s Brief: Christian looks great in his return. 3MB means nothing, but Christian was very smooth and I’m intrigued by where they are going with him and The Shield.

I rejoined the show after a power outage during a video package that showed Lesnar’s attack on Punk. Paul Heyman was interviewed by Renee Young backstage. Heyman said the mani pedi circuit were talking about Paul Heyman and CM Punk. Since she was so interested in dragging out people’s personal lives, how was her relationship with his father? What about her dad ripping her prom date out of the car? He then said since Punk made it very clear that they were just friends, and thus their relationship was strictly personal, he wouldn’t air their dirty grievances on TV.

He then asked why she didn’t ask about Curtis Axel’s first IC Title Defense, or wasn’t she paying attention to that at all? Randy Orton then made his entrance for the main event.

Barnett’s Brief: A good promo from Heyman. I don’t know what part of the show I missed. I’m going to try determine that later and fill in my report.

[Q8] Bryan made his entrance during the break.

6. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton: Both men traded flurries of offense early. Orton hit mounted punches and a European uppercut. Orton hit a stomp and a couple of headbutts. Bryan surged back hit mounted punches of his own, but didn’t stay on offense for long. Orton hit more kicks and punches, but Bryan avoided the last one and applied a kneebar. Orton worked his way out of the hold and applied a side head lock.

Bryan went for the Yes Lock a couple of times, but couldn’t get Orton to the ground. Orton eventually got back to base and hit a back suplex. He then hung Bryan on the ropes and tried to suplex him to the outside. Bryan countered the first attempt, but Orton hit the second and he dropped him to the floor…[c]

Orton hit a standing drop kick to stop Bryan, who was picking up steam. Orton covered for a near fall. He set Bryan on the top rope, and laid in some punches. Orton then climbed to the top for a Superplex, but Orton headbutted out of it. Bryan then hit a missile drop kick, and both men ended up answering a ten count. Bryan hit another running drop kick and about a dozen kicks, followed by a seated dropkick for a close near fall.

Bryan sold frustration and yelled that he wasn’t the weak link to Orton. Bryan ran the ropes and walked right into a powerslam. Orton then fired up and hit a European uppercut. Bryan hit a backslide for another near fall. He then hit kicks to the head and chest for a very close near fall. Bryan then climbed up top and got crotched by Orton. He looked to be attempting a headbutt. Orton measured a punch and finally hit his superplex and covered for another near fall that popped the crowd.

Orton threw Bryan out to the apron and hit a second rope DDT. Orton then played to the crowd and called for the RKO. Bryan rolled to the outside, and Orton suplexed him onto the barricade in a repeat spot from Monday Night. Orton then set up a DDT from the apron to the floor, but Bryan sent him flying into the apron. Bryan then ran and hit a knee on Orton against the barricade, followed by a suicide dive that connected this time. Bryan and Orton both tried to make the ten count, with Orton failing to make it by ten.

Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton by count out at 14:48.

After the match, Bryan demanded the ref restart the match, and that he was going to refuse to take a count out victory. He started a yes chant, but the show closed before anything happened.

Barnett’s Brief: A very good match that made sense in the context of this feud. Orton didn’t need another win, but they didn’t want to give away a pinfall or submission on television. Both men wrestled their asses off here, and I’m looking forward to their future matches. Overall, this was a slightly above average edition of Smackdown. There weren’t any major storyline advancements, but they did manage to get a lot of stories some attention on the show. I’ll have more to say in Dot Net’s All Access Podcast tomorrow.

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

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