Shore's WWE Smackdown Hitlist: AJ and Daniel Bryan steal the show, Sheamus vs. Chris Jericho doesn't disappoint, still too little build for WrestleMania 28, and Big Show kills Drew McIntyre's slight heat
Mar 18, 2012 - 05:16 PM |
By Chris Shore
WWE Smackdown Hits
Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan: Even though I hated the finish, the match was very good, and I get the need for the finish. It was nice to add a personal element to the weakly built World Heavyweight Title match, and Jericho was in desperate need of a win. Still, a match with contestants of this caliber deserves more than no build and a countout finish. It's a match worth seeing, even if I can't tell you to go out of your way to see it.
Daniel Bryan and AJ: Could this guy do more to draw heat than his talking segment with AJ? I knew it was a work and still wanted to choke him pout afterward. Bryan hasn't been perfect in this heel run, but he has found his stride with this character and continues to sell me every week. And AJ plays her part perfectly. Pointing out that they are like Savage and Elizabeth was a mistake in my mind, but not one that kills the angle. I would just let people make that connection on their own. Still, if there is something on this show to go out of your way to see, it/s this promo.
WWE Smackdown Misses
Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny: Everything surrounding this match, from the Peep show, to the overbooked mess that was the opening match, was a miss. Th only redeeming moment came when Johnny held up Christian's shirt like it was a big sports signing, but even that couldn't save the segment. Yes, I hate the whole underlying storyline as a whole, but it was more than that here. None of it felt special or important, especially Christian's return. That may be the biggest miss of all.
Big Show squashes Drew McIntyre: This was just awful. Show didn't need the win, nor did he gain anything from it. And all they managed to do was suck the tiny amount of heat McIntyre had managed to get from his assault on Hornswoggle last week. I will never understand why WWE builds guys up for a second just to chop them back down.
Kane vs. Randy Orton: Besides the lame "handshake" angle itself (which Booker T should have put over big since that's his Twitter gimmick) Orton was terrible in his delivery. I give WWE credit for finding something to make this feud mean more than just two random guys thrown together, but could they have possibly found a lesser reason that this? Orton deserves the WrestleMania payday, an I'm genuinely happy he is getting it. But surely they could have found something more interesting.
WrestleMania hype: Once again the show failed to deliver much to build for WrestleMania. We had the weak Orton/Kane announcement, and the much needed, but perhaps too little too late, Bryan vs. Sheamus moment. But none of that made me want to see Mania any more than I did coming into the show. And it's not like I'm jacked to the roof already, there is plenty of room in my excitement meter to push me up. With only two weeks left, the verdict is quickly coming for WWE. And right now, it doesn't look good.
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