By Chris Shore

WWE Smackdown Hits

Shield Video: The Shield video was very cool precisely because it was very different. I mentioned in my report that there was an NWO feel to the video, and that's the best way to describe it. It seemed outside the norm and roughly put together, like you would expect from a group of outsiders. It was hands down the best thing on the show. Sadly, it was also the only Hit.

WWE Smackdown Misses

Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett: Even though I mention Orton vs. Barrett here, everything I say can be applied to the other two longer matches on the show. The matches suffered from two major problems. First, we've seen these matchups only about 17,384,977,252,332 times each so what is there new to see? Second, they didn't even try to have good matches. It looked like everyone went out and put in just the right spots and moments to get through, without trying to tell a story. They all looked like matches from guys who are just starting to learn ring psychology, not guys who have been, and remain, at the top of the card. Three opportunities and three misses. That's a strike out where I come from.

Great Khali and Hornswoggle: While there is some sense in putting two guys who can't really wrestle together so you only have to spend one segment on them both, Khali and Hornswoggle remain a miss for this viewer. There's nothing to this act. It's chop, chop, chop, Horny does something "outlandish," Khali takes a powder, Horny gets beat up, chop, chop, chop, tadpole splash. That's it, that's every match. Comedy has its place in wrestling, and no doubt these guys are a hit for the live crowds. But comedy also needs to have some skill behind it to work for longer than 30 seconds. Sadly, that skill isn't present with these two.

3MB vs. Brodus Clay and the Usos: This wasn't a miss. This was a miss, fall down in the dirt and hurt yourself moment. It is very, very rare that a match on WWE television just flat stinks, but we hit the lottery Friday night. It is exceptionally frustrating when you consider how good everyone in this match can be in the ring (Brodus being the possible exception, though his heel move set is better than his babyface one). Granted the worst of it was the finishing sequence, but that was a good chunk of the match when you consider the whole thing went two and a half minutes. It was simply awful. I was stunned them how bad it was, and even now I find it hard to believe what I saw.

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