By Chris Shore

WWE Smackdown on SyFy
Taped on 4/3 in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] The show opened with a graphic in memory of chief Jay Strongbow...A graphic recapped Team Johnny winning at WrestleMania and David Otunga came tot he ramp to introduce John Laurinaitis. Ace and Otunga went to the ring, and Johnny cut a promo on being fair as the most powerful man in WWE. He put over his "People Power" schtick. They invited Teddy Long to come to the ring to thank him for his years of service.

Teddy made his entrance to decent heat. Ace started to talk and Teddy interrupted him. He said not having a job grants him certain privileges, like telling Ace to go to hell. Teddy said all the guys in the back said he was crazy for showing up tonight, and he would be crazier to go to the ring. Teddy said he couldn't leave Smackdown without thanking the fans for their years together. He had the fans say "Holla, holla, holla," and started to leave.

Ace stopped him from leaving and said he didn't get a chance to finish. He offered Teddy a job, but Teddy told him to shove it. He started to leave again, but Ace said Teddy was forgetting something. Otunga said that the WWE started a college fund for Teddy's grand-kids, but the paper states that whoever is the GM of Smackdown is in control of the fund. Ace said that if Teddy accepted the job, he would make sure the fund was safe. He offered his hand to shake, but pulled it away when Teddy started to shake it.

Ace told Teddy he had to do one more thing, and that was admit Ace was the better man. Teddy mumbled it, then said it into the mic. Ace sent him tot he back. Teddy asked what his job was and Johnny said he hadn't figured it out yet, but to head to the back. Ace announced the no DQ match and then a handicap match of Otunga and Mark Henry vs. R-Truth. Henry made his entrance...[C]

Shore's Slant: No complaint about the performances, but this story line is dead for this viewer.

[Q2] 1. Mark Henry and David Otunga defeated R-Truth at 2:04. R-Truth made his ring entrance with his "tag partner,: the invisible Little Jimmy. Truth got the best of Otunga to start, but Henry tagged in and caught Truth going for a kick and hit the World's Strongest Slam. Otunga begged to be tagged in so he could make the in. Henry obliged. They celebrated in the ring, but Kane's music hit for his ring introduction...[C]

Shore's Slant: Short and simple. Now we can move away from this terrible story, at least for now.

A commercial hyped the live Super Smackdown Blast from the Past next Tuesday. "Mean" Gene Okerland ran down the lengthy list of Legends that will be in attendance...Back in the ring, still photos showed Kane beating Randy Orton at Mania. Orton made his ring entrance...

2. Randy Orton defeated Kane in a no disqualification match at 13:50. The match started as a brawl and spilled to the floor. Orton threw Kane over the announce table. Kane slammed Orton on the ring stairs. They fought beside the ramp to the stage. Kane put Orton on the stage and climbed up. Orton tried to knocked him off, but Kane grabbed the throat.

[Q3] Kane teased chokeslamming Orton off the stage. Orton punched back and tried for an RKO. Kane shoved him away and hit more strikes. Orton hit a DDT on the stage that left both guys down...[C]

Back at 7:00, they were back in the ring and Kane took the buckle cover off. He tried to slam Orton on it, but Orton fought back and tried to whip Kane to the exposed buckle, Kane reversed into the opposite corner and hit a clothesline for two. They tumbled back tot he floor and Orton whipped Kane over the rail. He tried for the DDT from the rail, but Kane powered out and hit a big boot.

Kane tossed a dozen chairs in the ring, which gave Orton time to recover. Each guy got in some chair shots for near falls. Kane laid a chair down for a chokeslam. Orton escaped and shoved Kane into the exposed buckle and followed with the RKO for the win...The announce team hyped a replay of Brock Lesnar's return and Sheamus for next...

Shore's Slant: Another by the numbers no DQ match for these guys/ This feels so eight months ago. Oh, wait...

[Q4][C]

Pictures recapped Sheamus winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Mania...Barry Stevens was introduced in the ring and cut a promo with a lisp. A group from the bottom of the card watched from the back. Ryback made his entr--HOLY HOPPING SHIT! The former Skip Sheffield is gigantic. Wow...

3. Ryback squashed Barry Stevens at 1:09. Three power moves and a pin. His finisher was a fisher lift into a Samoan drop type move. The bottom feeders in the back were impressed...Daniel Bryan and AJ were shown heading toward the ring...

Bryan and AJ made their way to the ring. The crowd was turned way down. Bryan started a promo and said he was thinking about where it all went wrong. He took AJ's hand and bowed his head. AJ took the mic and said he was a great wrestler and a great person. She said she was there to support him and so was everyone else. The crowd did the "Yes!" chant.

[Q5] Bryan said the people weren't supporting him, they were mocking him. He said if they weren't mocking him. He said if they were supporting him, they wouldn't have chanted "yes" for the Rock. He said even if they were supporting him, it didn't make it better that AJ cost him his title. He started yelling at her about beating two giants in the cage and then winning the Elimination Chamber. He got super-intense, even with his face turning red.

Bryan said she was never going to ruin his life again. She stuttered while asking a question and Bryan cut her off and said he was breaking up with her. She begged him to come to the back and talk, but he said he was through talking. He told her to get out of the ring. She tried to beg again and Bryan screamed at her to get out and turned his back. AJ left the ring and Bryan continued to no sell her...[C]

Shore's Slant: Great promo from Bryan. I don't know if this is a hard turn to the bad ass character he played in the indys or not. I do know I have liked his act with AJ so maybe this is a short term thing or a swerve. We'll have to see/ The best promo I've heard Bryan cut in WWE.

Still photos put over the Hell in a Cell match from Mania...Cody Rhodes was on commentary. Big Show made his ring entrance. Heath Slater was already in the ring. Before the match started, they showed the Embarrassing WrestleMania Moments for Cody...

[Q6] 4. Big Show squashed Heath Slater at 1:15. Show won with the spear and chokeslam. Post-match, Show dared Cody to get in the ring. Cody tried, but couldn't because Show tried to grab him. Show knocked out Slater with the WMD. Cody tried one more time to get Show, but Show ran him off...

A video recapped Chris Jericho's attack on CM Punk. Cole reported that Punk had contusions to the back of his head. Booker T said it was over the line what Jericho did. Backstage, the Bellas were talking to Johnny. Sheamus walked up and asked if Ace wanted to see him.

Ace said yes and sent the women out. He told Sheamus he needed to act more professional as champion and stop kicking people's heads off. Sheamus said he would only kicked the heads off people who deserved it. He told a Lucky Charms tale about his cousin that tied to Ace and said his cousin was forced by the people to see how far he could stick his head up his own ass...[C]

Shore's Slant: Meaningless match and more silly garbage from Sheamus. WrestleMania didn't change much on the blue brand, did it?

5. Nikki Bella defeated Beth Phoenix at 1:00. Kelly Kelly made her way tot he ring before the match started. Beth attacked Nikki and beat her down. She stopped to take a swipe at Kelly. Nikki used the distraction to hit her finisher on Beth for the win...

An "In Memory" video recapped Chief Jay Strongbow's career...[C]

Shore's Slant: Classy stuff from WWE on Strongbow. It looks like Kelly vs. Beth again. Oh joy. Cue my Twitter follower who is a Kelly mark.

A pre-tape showed a guy named Damien Sandow talking philosophically and said he intends to save us from our ignorance...Cole took a shot at Booker T and said Sandow was talking about him. Matthews set up the Raw Rebound that recapped Brock Lesnar's return. Cole put over that there were 4000 tweets per minute talking about WWE during that segment...The announce team hyped the Stooges on Raw...Alberto Del Rio made his ring entrance...[C]

[Q8] Sheamus made his ring entrance as a video recapped how this match was made...

6. Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) defeated Sheamus by disqualification at 11:30. Del Rio took quick control, but Sheamus knocked him to the floor with a clothesline...[C] Back at 6:40, Sheamus hit his slingshot shoulder tackle for two. Sheamus stood on the apron for another and Del Rio kicked him to the floor. Del Rio slammed the arm on the stairs and rolled Sheamus back in the ring to work it.

Sheamus fought back with a backbreaker. He hit all his offense and set for the Brogue kick. Ric Rod climbed on the ropes and Sheamus kicked him down. Del Rio brought a chair in the ring, but Sheamus knocked him down. He picked up the chair and the ref, who had been getting Ric Rod out of the ring, ran over to him. Del Rio sold a chair shot and the ref disqualified Sheamus. Del Rio and Ric Rod went up the ramp, so Sheamus kicked the ref instead...

Shore's Slant: Ho hum match that had a terrible finish. Yes, I hated that finish when Eddie Guerrero did it too, but at least Eddie pretended to be knocked out instead of that mess. Well, WrestleMania brought big news to Raw but did very little for Smackdown. I'll have more tomorrow on the Smackdown hitlist and All Access podcast with Jake Barnett. Thanks for following 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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