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8/31 Shore's WWE Smackdown Live Coverage: Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes, Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow, and Randy orton vs. Dolph Ziggler

Posted in: WWE TV Reports, MUST-READ LISTING
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Aug 31, 2012 - 07:00 PM

By Chris Shore

WWE Smackdown on SyFy
Taped on 8/28 in Green Bay, Wisc.


[Q1] The opening video aired, followed by the pyro, and Josh Matthews and Michael Cole checked in on commentary. Lilian Garcia, who looked like she was wearing a large t-shirt, introduced Sheamus. Sheamus started his promo by putting over Triple H as the toughest guy he had ever faced. He said Triple H was everything his opponent at Night of Champions, Alberto Del Rio, wasn't. He started to say more, but Damien Sandow's music hit to cut him off.

Sandow said he was there to help everyone, especially Sheamus. Sheamus said he could use all the help he could get. Sandow agreed, saying Sheamus was as stupid as he was gigantic. He said Sheamus was championing someone who had taken his gang and beaten Sandow up. Sheamus said he remembered and it was great. They mouthed back and forth and Sheamus dared Sandow to get in the ring. Sandow said he found Sheamus unworthy, and therefore he had saved Sheamus from the intellectual thrashing he was about to receive. He said he would take his leave and told Sheamus he was welcome.

Booker T's music hit and he said he came out because he agreed with Sandow. He said nobody wanted to see an intellectual thrashing, but they did want to see a physical thrashing. He did the cheap pop gimmick by saying they were in Green Bay, and then booked Sheamus vs. Sandow for later. Booker said his catch phrase and left Sandow looking worried...Rey Mysterio was shown walking backstage...[C]

Shore's Slant: Pretty basic opening. It was more like something you would see at a house show than a major TV angel, but I dig Sandow's gimmick so I enjoyed it. It feels like a waste to have these two fight now when it could be worth money down the road, but that's WWE for you.

Back from commercial, Rey and Cody Rhodes made their ring entrances. Cody had a cut in video saying the reason Mexican stars wore masks were to hide their fear and ugliness...

[Q2] 1. Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes. Rey hit a drop kick that setup 619 very quickly, but Cody dumped him to the floor instead...[C] Back from commercial, Rhodes was in control and hit a twisting spine buster for two. Rey had a long hope spot where he hit a flying head scissor and kick to the head, but Cody came right back with a running knee for two. Rey came back with a 619 setup, but Cody caught the feet and tried to pull the mask off. Rey flipped him over into a roll-up for a surprise victory...

Rey Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes at 9:24.

Post-match, Cody attacked Rey and beat him down. Sin Cara ran out and made the save. He hit a low drop kick that set Cody up for the 619 and Rey finally hit it. Sin Cara pulled out a mask and put it on Cody's head and he and Mysterio hugged...

The first part of Daniel Bryan's anger management class--with the goat kid--aired...Eve made her entrance to join the announce team while a video recapped her losing to Kaitlyn in the battle royal last week...

[Q3] Kaitlyn vs. Natalya was hyped for next...[C]

Shore's Slant: An OK match with Cody and Rey. I know this is nitpicking, but why did Sin Cara take the time to grab an extra mask before going to save Rey? Silly.

Natalya and Kaitlyn were already in the ring when the show came back. A graphic showed some of the Twitter banter the two women had this past week....

2. Natalya vs. Kaitlyn. Natalya took early control and hooked an abdominal stretch and then picked up Kaitlyn's leg to make a cool visual. Natty hit a discuss clothesline and fell on Kaitlyn in an awkward moment for two. Kaitlyn rolled Natty up for the surprise win. Eve put the win over and then they hyped the Divas title match at NoC...

Kaitlyn defeated Natalya at 2:46.

Matt Striker interviewed Booker T and played the video of AJ and Vickie fighting on Raw. Booker said he had high hopes for AJ, but it looked like the pressure was getting to her. He said she should have never made the Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler match and said AJ was definitely off her rocker.

Vickie Guerrero walked up and stepped to the mic. She said all of AJ's friends had turned their back on her. She said she had received several emails asking her to do something about AJ. She said she went to the Board and they promised to do something. She said if they didn't, she would. She walked off, and Booker looked...well, Booker's face is hard to read sometimes...[C]

Shore's Slant: Not a great Divas match, but mercifully short. Eve wasn't all that impressive either, but she didn't stink. It's nice to see they have a plan with AJ, but Booker T's face acting isn't getting anything across.

[Q4] A video recapped the CM Punk vs. Jerry Lawler angle from Raw...The second part of the Daniel Bryan anger management class aired...The Sheamus vs. Sandow match was hyped for next...[C]

Sheamus and Sandow made their ring entrances...

3. Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow. Sheamus grabbed Sandow's beard and hey played that gimmick for a while. Sheamus hit a couple of clotheslines and Sandow rolled to the floor. Sheamus followed, but Sandow shoved him into the stairs and hit a bulldog on the floor. He rolled in the ring and told the ref to count. Sheamus made it in at eight, and Sandow continued his attack.

[Q5] Sandow hit his finisher off a Sheamus miss in the corner, but Sheamus barely gave him the full two count before kicking out. The crowd didn't act like they realized that was his finisher, and Sandow and the announcers didn't sell it as such either. Sheamus came back and hit his clubbing blows, but Sandow kept rolling out of the ring over and over. Sandow finally rolled out the ramp side of the ring and fled to the back to give Sheamus the victory...[C]

Sheamus defeated Damien Sandow by count out at 6:49.

The announce team hyped the main event and Triple H's speech for later...[C]

Shore's Slant: An OK match, but Sandow's not been built up enough to matter yet. This will help some, and I'm happy they protected him with the count out, but it just didn't have the juice it needed to be a big deal. Still, a decent match that gives promise for the future.

Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers was shown in the audience...The Prime Time Players were in the ring and a video showed the tag team brawl from last week's Smackdown. Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd were also in the ring...

4. The Prime Time Players vs. Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel. Gabriel and O’Neil started. A Tout from the Usos aired in the cut screen, and then a tweet from Epico put over he and Primo. The match broke down quickly and Young hit his gut buster finisher for the win...

The Prime Time Players defeated Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd at 3:09.

[Q6] The final installment of anger management aired...Alberto Del Rio was hyped for next...[C]

Shore's Slant: Whatever on the tag teams. We'll still end up with a multi-team match at NoC. Hearing Cole put over the tag division "heating up" gives me a glimmer of hope, but not much. The Kane thing was funny the first time. This replay is killing all the good will they built on Monday.

Josh Matthews stood in the ring and introduced Del Rio. Ricardo Rodriguez came out first and he introduced Del Rio again. Del Rio came out in a cool ass roadster and came tot he ring. Matthews started to ask him about beating Orton, but Del Rio cut him off and said he didn't just beat Orton, he made him tap. A video showed Orton's loss to Del Rio last week. Matthews asked Del Rio how he planned to beat Sheamus considering Sheamus has beaten him every time.

Del Rio got pissed and said that what Kane did to Josh was nothing compared to what he was about to do to him. He started to close on Matthews, but Kane's pyro popped. Matthews fled to the timekeeper's area and Kane made his entrance. Del Rio and Ricardo left the ring and Kane took the mic and said his anger management counselor said he had to apologize to Josh. He said he was sorry and thanked Josh for being part of his recovery.

Del Rio started to leave, but Teddy Long's music hit and he came to the ramp. He said Del Rio better hope Kane was getting good grades in anger management because he was in a match for right now. Del Rio was pissed...[C]

Shore's Slant: Anybody want to bet on how this plays out?

5. Kane vs. Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez). The match was joined in progress. Matthews sold being scared and Cole tried again and again to get him to forgive Kane. Foreshadowing run amuck. Kane was firmly in control and setup for the chokeslam. Ricardo grabbed Kane's leg for just a second. Kane grabbed Ric Rod, which allowed Del Rio to hit a backstabber for the win.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Kane at 2:46 of TV time.

[Q7] Post-match, Kane hit the floor and the announcers fled. Kane caught Matthews and threw him to the ground. He grabbed him and apologized over and over for losing his temper. He rolled Matthews in the ring and then hit a chokeslam before popping his pyro and leaving the ring as Cole failed to strike the right tone...The Triple H speech was hyped for next...[C]

Shore's Slant: Yes, I read the spoilers, but even if I had not this was painfully obvious. Matthews and Cole were so over the top at the start of the match that they might as well have just said, "Kane's going to kill Josh here in a second." The worst part of this was Cole was terrible trying to get this over. He sounded more bemused than anything.

Back from commercial, Cole used his serious voice to sell Josh's attack a slow motion video showed Matthews being helped out...

Shore's Slant: TOO LITTLE TOO LATE COLE!

A video recapped the Triple H speech from Raw...

[Q8] Dolph Ziggler made his ring entrance...[C]

Randy Orton made his ring entrance...

6. Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. Randy Orton. Ziggler took control first and hit a diving clothesline. He went for the big jumping elbow, but Orton moved. Orton moved again on a corner splash and started his offense run. He tried for the rope DDT, but Ziggler dropped the arm on the top rope. Orton came right back though and dragged Ziggler over to the corner for a superplex for two.

Ziggler hit a surprise move for two and setup for the Zig Zag. Orton held the rope and hit the rope DDT instead for a near fall. Orton setup for the RKO, but Ziggler slid to the floor. Orton followed and rolled him in the ring. Orton followed, ducked a Zig Zag attempt, and hit the RKO for the win. Before Lilian Garcia could announce him the winner, Vickie took the mic and said, "And still the Money in the Bank winner, Dolph Ziggler." Ziggler rolled from the ring selling the move and Orton just stared at Vickie...

Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler at 7:10.

Shore's Slant: A good match, but nothing special. I would like to see this go about 20 minutes for the title. I get Dolph can sell the Bible to the devil, but must he lose constantly? It's not just that I'm a fan, it just gets predictable and boring. Overall a C- Smackdown that didn't drag too bad, but wasn't all that entertaining either. I'll have more tomorrow on the Smackdown Hitlist and the All Access audio review. Thanks for reading along with me 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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