By Chris Shore

WWE Smackdown Hits

Team Hell No and Randy Orton vs. Team Rhodes Scholars and Wade Barrett: Even though this was a random pairing, and even though we saw nothing from the heels as build to this, I have to admit that the interactions between Team Hell No and Randy Orton were pretty fun. Not to mention the match itself, what little we saw of it, was also well wrestled. This is the enigma of Smackdown. Because they aren't trying to do too much, the matches are often better. Of course that often means the build is left lacking. I think Randy Orton is a heel by the end of WrestleMania, so it's fun to see them sneak in things like this before he goes back to that character.

Big Show and Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio: I liked the opening segment, clichéd as it was, and I thought the match was also very good. The water spot to end the match was a little weird, but Josh Matthews and JBL did enough to carry it. Ziggler and Sheamus were almost afterthoughts in the match, but Ziggler's antics at the start make me more convinced than ever that he is about to cash in. Of course, I've said that before.

The Shield: I'm still digging the unique videos from The Shield, but I am also concerned about their act starting to stall. Mick Foley is a great foil to their "injustice" gimmick, what with the hardcore bar he set that many younger guys feel they need to reach, but I still don't feel like that is enough to motivate their actions. It could be, with a little more explanation from them, but they haven't done enough yet to convince me that this is the reason why they act. I hope they give us more soon because I don't want to see the hottest act in WWE become victims of their own success.

WWE Smackdown Misses

Kofi Kingston vs. Antonio Cesaro: Once again, Kofi Kingston is the jobber to the mid-card, and I don't understand why. This match was not bad, and I liked how they got into the finish, but Cesaro gained nothing from this, and Kofi flounders yet again. If that isn't a miss, I don't know what is.

Raw Replays: This infuriates me more than anything else WWE does because it doesn't make a lick of sense. Who is watching Smackdown that didn't also watch Raw? I would hazard a guess that the answer is virtually no one. When Smackdown was on network TV, I forgave this as not everyone has cable still in 2013. But with both Smackdown and Raw on NBC Universal cable channels, I cannot imagine the audience that doesn't see Raw makes up a significant enough population to waste time that could have been spent giving longer matches or additional promo time for the numerous stars who need it.

The Miz vs. The Puerto Ricans: Where to begin on this one? Miz burying Primo and Epico, while logical, only served to spotlight what a waste of time this whole thing was. Then there was the actual wasted time. And then there was Miz pulling out the Figure Four on Primo. I'm hoping this is a short time thing with Miz using the move, and I'm begging WWE to not make this the beginning of a transition in Miz's character to a more Flair style babyface. Miz needs something, no doubt, but it isn't more Ric Flair in his act.

Khali vs. Tensai: Do I really need to explain why this was a miss? Putting aside the actual lack of wrestling in the match, what was accomplished? Does anybody think Khali is more compelling now that he chopped Tensai down? Is he now a bigger threat to the Royal Rumble? It bugs me when I see segments like this that have no real purpose other than to fill time. I could write a series of articles on what would have been better in this segment than this.

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