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Shore's WWE Smackdown Hitlist: Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger finally delivers, Fandango draws good heat, The Shield continue to impress, Kofi Kingston and Wade Barrett are booked into a corner

Posted in: Shore Editorials, MUST-READ LISTING
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Apr 20, 2013 - 03:15 PM

By Chris Shore

WWE Smackdown Hits

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger: This was the match of the week, and the match we should have gotten from these two at WrestleMania. The saving grace of this sagging feud was the in-ring skills of the men involved, yet this is the first match that delivered on that skill set. I hope the feud is over soon, but I do like the edition of Dolph Ziggler to the mix to give Swagger and Zeb Coulter something different to talk about.

Randy Orton and Sheamus vs. Big Show and Mark Henry: Even though this was a mostly meaningless match, it was still a pretty good TV main event. It's obvious these four men are going to be involved at Extreme Rules, but under what format remains to be seen. My best guess is a fatal fourway with the winner getting a shot at Ziggler. If that builds on the underlying tension between Sheamus and Orton, that could be a good thing for everyone involved.

Fandango: The opening segment was perhaps the smartest wrestling segment I saw all week. Fandango was cheered when he stepped through the ropes, but the quick dip and drop to Lilian drew instant heat from the crowd and Lilian was never in danger of getting hurt. That's how you walk the fine line between encouraging the fans and yet encouraging them to do what you want.

The Shield: Even though they haven't been fleshed out like I hoped (and still hope), I cannot get over how much I like Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. They consistently let the former John Moxley do the bulk of the talking, only adding their comments like punctuation to his sentences. They continue to look strong and competent in the ring, and in their promos. If only we understood what "justice" meant to them, think of how good the act could be.

WWE Smackdown Misses

Wade Barrett vs. Kofi Kingston: Everything about this match is a miss, from the short duration of the match to the fact that it even happened. Both of these guys need wins in a bad way, yet the put them in a situation where one of them had to lose. The worst part is they feel like they did something here. Does anybody see Kofi Kingston as a bigger deal now that he's beat Wade Barrett? Yeah, me either. And just to prove my point, reverse the question. Would anyone have found Barrett a bigger deal if he beat Kofi? I'm still not feeling it either. This was as much dumb as it was a miss.

Primo, Epico, and Rosa vs. Hornswoggle, Great Khali, and Natalya: A goofy Santino segment is fine. A goofy Santino segment followed up with a serving of Khali trying to be funny and Natalya wasted is too much for this viewer to enjoy. To quote Charles Barkley, "Turrible."

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