Spoilers follow for the August 22nd episode of Smackdown.
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Smackdown begins with Randy Orton walking down the ramp, ready to cut a promo. We find out that Tom Phillips has joined the Smackdown commentary team, because I guess it can't make anything worse. He got some pretty decent reviews for his commentary on NXT and Main Event, so now he's up with the big boys. Orton's promo starts by telling us that one victory does not mean Roman Reigns has won anything. He'll be more focused next time and destroy Roman Reigns. He's going to use Rob Van Dam as an example tonight.
Seth Rollins' music hits after Orton is done talking. He's in a match now.
Seth Rollins vs. Jack Swagger
Rollins begins the match on the offensive, working over Swagger's still-injured ribs, but Swagger eventually gets the momentum. He hits more than a couple of moves on Rollins and looks to be doing well. The fight eventually goes outside, and Rollins dominates for a while. After tossing Swagger over the barricade, he rolls back into the ring. Swagger gets back in for a count of nine, but Rollins his the curb stomp, which sends Swagger back out and eventually gives Rollins the countout victory.
Match Rating: **1/2
Bo Dallas comes out to deliver an "inspirational" talk to Swagger after his loss. It's just like on Raw.
Backstage, Kane puts The Miz in a match against Roman Reigns tonight. Miz doesn't look too happy about it.
Rusev (with Lana) vs. Sin Cara
We've gone back to Rusev squash matches we've already seen. Lovely. Rusev destroys Sin Cara after his opponent gets in a bit of early offense. A kick and The Accolade later, and the match is over.
Match Rating: *1/2
Lana cuts a promo about how disrespecting Russia and Vladimir Putin will lead to you getting crushed by Rusev. Mark Henry appears on the Titantron and then storms the ring. He scares Rusev and Lana away.
Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam
We're shown during the commercial break that Randy Orton attacked RVD backstage while he was being interviewed. van Dam sprints down to the ring instead of doing his normal entrance. Van Dam dominates the early part of the match, hitting most of his big moves in the process. After missing a move, Orton begins destroying RVD outside the ring. He starts throwing RVD around, using the arena, steel steps, announcer's table, and eventually a steel chair. Both men are counted out for a draw. RVD might have just been written off TV for a while.
Match Rating: **
Roman Reigns is interviewed backstage after the commercial break. Reigns says he wishes that Orton would come after him, because he has no fear. Reigns will get revenge on The Authority. And stuff. Reigns is boring.
Natalya vs. Paige
I'm sure that someday these two will get to have a great match. But not while AJ keeps coming out to distract Paige. AJ does just that, and starts skipping around with Paige's championship. Paige chases AJ up the ramp. AJ gives the title back. Upon returning to the ring, Paige gets caught in the Sharpshooter and taps out for the loss.
Match Rating: **
Goldust and Stardust vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan
These two teams put on good matches but I feel like we've seen enough of them for a while. Not of the individual teams, but of them fighting each other. It's just ... it's enough. They're exciting, and they do a little bit different each time to try to change things up, but we could maybe not do it anymore.
After a typical match, Goldust gets a rollup victory. More intriguing is the post-match beatup from the Wyatt-less Family, which re-establishes them as monsters and people to be feared, not cheered.
Match Rating: **1/2
Roman Reigns vs. The Miz
Orton came down to ringside right at the start of the match. He teases taking a cheap shot at Reigns for basically the entirety of the bout. The idea is that Reigns will have to overcome the distraction and The Miz in order to win. And he does, because he's Roman Reigns. He wins in very squash-y fashion, very quickly and decisively.
Match Rating: *1/2
Orton enters the ring afterward and attacks Reigns. They brawl for a while. Orton tries to do what he did to RVD earlier but Reigns winds up stopping him and hitting him with the chair. Orton escapes the ring and Smackdown ends with Reigns standing tall in the ring. Shocking.
The Good: Rollins vs. Swagger
The Bad: Rusev vs. Sin Cara
Match of the Night: Seth Rollins vs. Jack Swagger.
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http://i55.servimg.com/u/f55/16/09/70/40/smackd10.png
Smackdown begins with Randy Orton walking down the ramp, ready to cut a promo. We find out that Tom Phillips has joined the Smackdown commentary team, because I guess it can't make anything worse. He got some pretty decent reviews for his commentary on NXT and Main Event, so now he's up with the big boys. Orton's promo starts by telling us that one victory does not mean Roman Reigns has won anything. He'll be more focused next time and destroy Roman Reigns. He's going to use Rob Van Dam as an example tonight.
Seth Rollins' music hits after Orton is done talking. He's in a match now.
Seth Rollins vs. Jack Swagger
Rollins begins the match on the offensive, working over Swagger's still-injured ribs, but Swagger eventually gets the momentum. He hits more than a couple of moves on Rollins and looks to be doing well. The fight eventually goes outside, and Rollins dominates for a while. After tossing Swagger over the barricade, he rolls back into the ring. Swagger gets back in for a count of nine, but Rollins his the curb stomp, which sends Swagger back out and eventually gives Rollins the countout victory.
Match Rating: **1/2
Bo Dallas comes out to deliver an "inspirational" talk to Swagger after his loss. It's just like on Raw.
Backstage, Kane puts The Miz in a match against Roman Reigns tonight. Miz doesn't look too happy about it.
Rusev (with Lana) vs. Sin Cara
We've gone back to Rusev squash matches we've already seen. Lovely. Rusev destroys Sin Cara after his opponent gets in a bit of early offense. A kick and The Accolade later, and the match is over.
Match Rating: *1/2
Lana cuts a promo about how disrespecting Russia and Vladimir Putin will lead to you getting crushed by Rusev. Mark Henry appears on the Titantron and then storms the ring. He scares Rusev and Lana away.
Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam
We're shown during the commercial break that Randy Orton attacked RVD backstage while he was being interviewed. van Dam sprints down to the ring instead of doing his normal entrance. Van Dam dominates the early part of the match, hitting most of his big moves in the process. After missing a move, Orton begins destroying RVD outside the ring. He starts throwing RVD around, using the arena, steel steps, announcer's table, and eventually a steel chair. Both men are counted out for a draw. RVD might have just been written off TV for a while.
Match Rating: **
Roman Reigns is interviewed backstage after the commercial break. Reigns says he wishes that Orton would come after him, because he has no fear. Reigns will get revenge on The Authority. And stuff. Reigns is boring.
Natalya vs. Paige
I'm sure that someday these two will get to have a great match. But not while AJ keeps coming out to distract Paige. AJ does just that, and starts skipping around with Paige's championship. Paige chases AJ up the ramp. AJ gives the title back. Upon returning to the ring, Paige gets caught in the Sharpshooter and taps out for the loss.
Match Rating: **
Goldust and Stardust vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan
These two teams put on good matches but I feel like we've seen enough of them for a while. Not of the individual teams, but of them fighting each other. It's just ... it's enough. They're exciting, and they do a little bit different each time to try to change things up, but we could maybe not do it anymore.
After a typical match, Goldust gets a rollup victory. More intriguing is the post-match beatup from the Wyatt-less Family, which re-establishes them as monsters and people to be feared, not cheered.
Match Rating: **1/2
Roman Reigns vs. The Miz
Orton came down to ringside right at the start of the match. He teases taking a cheap shot at Reigns for basically the entirety of the bout. The idea is that Reigns will have to overcome the distraction and The Miz in order to win. And he does, because he's Roman Reigns. He wins in very squash-y fashion, very quickly and decisively.
Match Rating: *1/2
Orton enters the ring afterward and attacks Reigns. They brawl for a while. Orton tries to do what he did to RVD earlier but Reigns winds up stopping him and hitting him with the chair. Orton escapes the ring and Smackdown ends with Reigns standing tall in the ring. Shocking.
The Good: Rollins vs. Swagger
The Bad: Rusev vs. Sin Cara
Match of the Night: Seth Rollins vs. Jack Swagger.
<color=D6D9DA>_________________________________________________________________________________
If you wish to be notified whenever I post something new, please join this <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/2-50-Reviews>user group.
For an archive of all my previous WWE reviews, please go <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.846764-Marters-WWE-Reviews-Archive>here.
Talk to me on the Twitter, <url=https://twitter.com/martertweet>@martertweet.
