By Chris Shore

Smackdown on SyFy
Taped on 10/16/11 in Mexico City, Mexico.

[Q1] The opening video aired, followed by Alberto Del Rio's music and a GIANT pop. Josh Matthews, Michael Cole and Booker T welcomed us to Smackdown as Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez entered to a hero's welcome. Del Rio said he was going to face John Cena for the title at Vengeance in a last man standing match. He said he was supposed to face Big Show, but that wasn't going to happen.

A video showed Del Rio getting the stair shot and ten count from Cena on Monday. He said it was his dream to compete for all the people, but John Cena denied them that privilege. He said something in Spanish and the crowd popped again. His music hit and he started to leave. Teddy Long's music hit and Teddy said the WWE doctors had cleared Del Rio to compete and that Del Rio just wanted to duck the match. Del Rio said he would make Big Show tap. Teddy made a plea to the crowd and then announced the match was back on…

Mark Henry made his entrance as the announce team hyped Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara in the mask vs. mask match…[C]

Shore's Slant: I am so happy that WWE didn't try to wipe out the cheers and pipe in boos for Del Rio. It would have been too obvious. I don't know how Del Rio vs. Big Show makes me care about either man's match at Vengeance, but I'm sure the crowd will love it.

After a shot of Aztec temples, the announce team hyped Mark Henry vs. Big Show at Vengeance. A video recapped the Henry vs. Morrison match from Raw, and then Morrison made his entrance to a huge pop…

1. Mark Henry defeated John Morrison at 3:19. Henry whipped Morrison over the rope and to the floor immediately. He followed and rolled Morrison back in the ring. Henry worked poer moves, including a head-butt and a neck twist.

[Q2] Henry charged at Morrison in the corner and Morrison got his foot up. Morrison managed to hit the Chuck Kick, the running knee (stiff looking too), and Starship Pain. Henry basically no sold them and popped Morrison in the air, caught him, and hit the World's Strongest Slam for the win…The announce team hyped Cody Rhodes addressing the WWE Universe later…[C]

Shore's Slant: Standard pre-PPV match for the monster heel. He shows a little vulnerability to a smaller guy than he is facing, but just a hair, and then kills the little guy. I couldn't care less, but it wasn't bad. Morrison is over in Mexico if nowhere else.

Backstage, Christian and Vickie Guerrero were discussing how to say "one more match" in Spanish. Vickie acted like she didn't know. What the hell? Teddy walked up and told Christian he had to face Sheamus this Sunday. Christian yelled at Teddy and walked off.

Teddy told Vickie that since she got what she wanted, he was going to get what he wanted. He said Dolph Ziggler would have to defend the US Title against Zack Ryder on Sunday. Vickie said that meant Ziggler had to wrestle twice. Teddy said she had it figured out and walked off. Ryder popped in the frame and did his catch phrase. Vickie did her screaming gimmick…

The announce team setup a video that told the Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara story complete with Spanish news clippings of Sin Cara that may or may not have been relevant to the current story…Wade Barrett made his ring entrance…[C]

Shore's Slant: More matches no one really cares about. I thought Sheamus vs. Christian had already been announced. It was so obvious, but in a bad way. This PPV could not feel less special at this point. It really couldn't.

[Q3] Back from commercial, Wade Barrett cut a promo that I had a hard time hearing due to the audio mix. He said something about the great Barrett uprising…

2. Wade Barrett defeated Daniel Bryan at 5:13. Bryan attacked quickly and scored a quick roll-up. They ran a series of reversals until Barrett hit a sidewalk slam for two. Barrett worked Bryan's back on the apron. Bryan came back after a nasty looking collision that may have hurt Barrett for real. Bryan jumped off the top rope, but Barrett caught him on his back and hit wasteland for the win…[C]

Shore's Slant: Good five minute match. Daniel Bryan's continued losing streak will be OK if they build him right for WrestleMania, but I don't think they will. I still think the best story on the show could be Bryan over Mark Henry in the classic David vs. Goliath match. Place would come unglued.

Sheamus made his ring entrance as a video showed his match with Del Rio and Christian's interference last week.

[Q4] Zack Ryder was out next to a weak response. Vickie got a mixed reaction from the crowd, but Ziggler drew good heat. Christian came out to a lukewarm reaction…

3. Sheamus and Zack Ryder defeated Christian and Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) at 3:57. Ziggler and Ryder started, and it only took a moment for the heels to pull a double team sneak attack to take control. Ryder got a hot tag to Sheamus at 3:00 and Sheamus destroyed Ziggler. Christian prevented the Irish Cross, but ran up the ramp. Ziggler took the Brogue kick for the pinfall…

Shore's Slant: Dolph Ziggler is channeling Shawn Michaels with the way he sells. He made that Brogue kick look legit. My wife even gasped. Fun match, but useless really. Did Sheamus need the heat? No, no he did not.

A video showed Christian hitting a spear on Sheamus on the stage during the break…Cody Rhodes was in the ring and said he exorcised a demon two weeks ago. A video showed him putting the bag on Orton and doing the crazy laugh. Cody said Orton had caused him pain both with the ring bell and his time in Legacy. He said Orton discarded him as a reward for his loyalty, so when he got the chance to prove his value he did.

[Q5] He demanded Orton come out and admit he was wrong about Cody, and that he made a mistake. Orton's music hit and the crowd went insane. Orton said the only mistake he made was allowing Cody to breathe after costing him the title twice. He said the pain he had caused Cody would be nothing like what he would do at Vengeance. He said it was time for a preview and came to the ring

The baggers attacked and Cody hit Orton from behind. He slammed Orton into the post, but Orton fought back and tried to curb stomp on the chairs. A bagger stopped him, so Orton curb stomped him, and hit a nasty looking rope DDT on the other. Cody fled, and Orton hit an RKO on the DDTed bagger…[C]

Shore's Slant: Orton's gimmick is kind of old and worn out. He's so intense all the time. A little nuance would do him some good. Cody is not getting over. Vince loves it, which explains a lot, and I was digging it at first. But it's just not evolving and developing like I had hoped.

4. Sin Cara (M) defeated Sin Cara (H) in a mask vs. mask match at 13:20. Hunio got little reaction, Mistico got a giant pop. Mistico got the early control with his big cross body on the floor. Hunico came back with a dropkick in the air, but Mistico spilled him to the floor…[C]

[Q6] Back at 6:15, Hunico hit a double underhook backbreaker for two. He continued to work the back with rest holds and slams. Hunico missed a sprkingboard elbow into the corner to allow Mistico a chance to hit a couple of hot armdrags, but Hunico came back with Samoan slam for two.

Hunico went to the top, but Mistico caught him and hit a hurricanranna. He followed with a senton for a near fall that the crowd popped huge for. Mistico jumped for a spinning head scissor, but then flipped it down into a reverse armbreaker for the submission victory. Post-match, Hunico didn't want to remove his mask, so Mistico fought him and snatched it off. Booker acted like it was unmasking Kane, calling Hunico "hideous." Mistico celebrated in the ring…

Shore's Slant: The Mexican crowd popped for this because it was their guys, not because the story was worth a damn. They rushed through this too fast for anybody to care. The match was good, probably the best we've seen out of these guys. Imagine how much more it could have been with a well done story.

[Q7][C] A crazy Brodus Clay hype video played…Beth and Natalya were in the ring, all dressed up. They said they weren't jealous of the Barbie doll Divas, or mad. They said they were mad at the fans for wanting to see the Barbie dolls. They said they had made many cry, and a video showing them putting Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox in the Pinup Strong submission. Beth said at Vengeance, it was Eve's turn to cry.

Eve's music hit and she came to the ring. She said she used to think Natty and Beth were beautiful women, but they were bitter now. She said she wanted to be clear, she was no Barbie doll. Beth got in her face saying Eve was growing to cry, and Eve shoved her, sending Beth flying back and her boobs flying everywhere. She quickly covered herself and Eve left the ring laughing…Big Show was shown getting ready backstage…[C]

Shore's Slant: It would appear Beth also ripped her dress according to Dot Net reporter Jake Barnett (who will be joining me for all access audio tomorrow). I don't know if she actually had a wardrobe malfunction, but I'm sure the Zapruder film just saw that piece of film and shook its head in understanding. We will know soon enough. Also, I laughed my ass off when Beth went down. Not sure that was the emotion they were trying to invoke, but it's what they got.

Ric Rod introduced Alberto Del Rio. Big Show was out next to a great pop. Mexico was happy to see WWE on this trip…

[Q8] 5. Big Show defeated Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) by Disqualification at 12:50. Show tossed and chopped Del Rio all over the ring…[C] Back from commercial, Show continued his plan to toss Del Rio everywhere. Del Rio finally hit a kick on a kneeling Show and refused to let him get up. He hit the arm cracker on Show and covered, but Show tossed him away. He went for a chokeslam, but Del Rio slipped out and hit a chop block.

Del Rio locked on an armbreaker, but from the back, and it didn't even look like it might hurt. Lame. Show turned over, lifted Del Rio in the hold, and…well, take a guess. He tossed Del Rio. He called for the chokeslam again, but Ric Rod jumped on his back, causing the DQ. Show knocked him out, then Del Rio, then Mark Henry who had run in. Show stood strong to end the show…[C]

Shore's Slant: Terrible, boring match with a weak finish. I knew we would get garbage, but this was worse than I thought. I don't know why they feel the need to make Henry look beatable like that. It's Big Show, he can beat anybody on paper, so you don't need to show us that. All it does is weaken Henry. Unless Henry goes over clean, then it was OK. But I have a bad feeling that they feel like they need to protect Big Show. Just like they did here.

I'll have more to say tomorrow on the hitlist and the All Access Smackdown Audio review podcast. And don't forget I will be back Sunday with full review and results of WWE Vengeance. Thanks for reading along 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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