Spoilers follow for the December 5th episode of Smackdown.
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Smackdown's first image is of Santino Marella in a suit. That's the scariest open I think I've ever seen. He's the general manager for the night, because we're still continuing that.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper
We're also continuing this, apparently. There isn't any point in putting the title on Ziggler, as he's kind of above it now, and yet we continue to give him title shots. It's better on Harper.
The match is fine, but it's still not going to top the first time these two fought for the title. It's almost as if foregone conclusions and DQ finishes can hinder a match. Well, it's not as good just in general, but those two things don't help. Harper winds up retaining with a low blow kick to Ziggler. Ziggler technically wins, but since he won by DQ, he doesn't get the title. This makes sense.
Match Rating: **1/2
Luke Harper grabs a ladder after the match, and goes to powerbomb Ziggler onto it. Ziggler counters into a facebuster, and then shortly after throws a ladder at Harper outside the ring. Santino comes out and makes a Ladder match between the two of them at TLC.
On my channel, a replay of the Tag Team Turmoil match from Raw is shown. The internet says that an "Authority retrospective" is aired. I guess you'll find out what you get. Either way, it's not new content.
Seth Rollins, Kane, Big Show, and J&J Security (Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble) are in the ring next. Rollins starts off talking. He hates Christmas and then hypes TLC. He's against John Cena, Big Show is against Erick Rowan, and Kane is against Ryback. The other two talk about their opponents, too. Santino comes out once again and makes our main event for the night, which will see Ryback and Erick Rowan taking on Seth Rollins and Big Show.
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd vs. The New Day (Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston, with Big E)
Isn't it kind of amazing how Tyson Kidd managed to get his main roster spot back? It's great. Kidd's a real talent. Meanwhile, The New Day recently made its debut and yet there's already a loss on the team's record. They're not losing tonight, though, since Cesaro doesn't really get victories anymore, and having them lose would be stupid.
The New Day wins relatively quickly and almost in squash match form. A double team move puts away Kidd for the win.
Match Rating: **
Stardust and Goldust show up on the big screen to further their "feud," although, really, the feud is about as intense as a marshmallow. The New Day then gets to respond. It's all positive and stuff. I'm still waiting for their inevitable heel turn.
Naomi is shown receiving flowers backstage. They?re from The Miz. Jimmy Uso, her husband, shows up and throws the vase, even though the flowers were just Miz's way of apologizing. Wow, Jimmy sure is the babyface here.
We then get to watch a promo that Jack Swagger made on Main Event. Because Smackdown doesn't have enough flashbacks. Rusev vs. Dean Ambrose is scheduled next.
Dean Ambrose vs. Rusev (with Lana)
Match Rating: N/A
Of course, it isn't going to happen. Dean Ambrose comes out first and talks about how great it was to attack Bray Wyatt's rocking chair. He then hypes TLC.
Lana and Rusev come out and stand at the top of the stage. They refuse to compete, since America is awful. Well, Jack Swagger is awful. And America. Dean Ambrose retorts with how much he tuned them out. Ambrose goes to attack them at the top of the stage, but Bray Wyatt hits Ambrose from behind. Ambrose gets a bit of offense, but Wyatt grabs a chair and winds up hurting his throat with it. Ambrose is taken away on a stretcher.
The Miz (with Damien Sandow) vs. Jey Uso (with Jimmy Uso)
The Miz cuts a promo about wanting to help Naomi, and what Jimmy's problem is. Honestly, this is more of a babyface promo than a heel one. Honestly, Jimmy's not in the right here. Jimmy gets thrown out from ringside before the match even really gets going. Miz wins in a few moves, and is aided by Sandow being silly, which distracts the Uso and allows Miz to hit the Skull-Crushing Finale for the victory.
Match Rating: *1/2
Naomi vs. Brie Bella (with Nikki Bella)
AJ Lee is on commentary. As such, the cameras focus on AJ about 33% of the time, really taking away from the match. Naomi and Brie wrestle a fine match, for what it is, but we don't even get to see all of it thanks to the way it was edited. Interestingly, the edited Smackdown crowd gave Brie a mixed reaction, so I guess that's what WWE is going for. Naomi winds up rolling up Brie for the win, after Nikki and AJ caused a bit of a distraction.
Match Rating: **
Santino and The Bunny have a pep talk backstage after the break. It's ... a thing. Seth Rollins and Big Show then get to have talk. Kane enters the locker room, too.
Ryback and Erick Rowan vs. Seth Rollins and Big Show (with Kane, Jamie Noble, and Joey Mercury)
This is ... as perfectly acceptable as most of the main events. It's fine, for the most part, but it's not terribly entertaining, either. It's back-and-forth, yet really safe, through most of its middle portion, and then there's a bit of a dodgy finish, as we've come to expect. Kane tries to interfere at one point and is ejected, which means that's twice in one night where that's happened, which might be a new record for the year. The confusion means a missed tag, some arguing, and a Shell Shock from Ryback to Rollins for the win.
Match Rating: ***
The Good: The Main Event.
The Bad: Miz/Uso.
Match of the Night: Ryback and Erick Rowan vs. Seth Rollins and Big Show.
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http://i55.servimg.com/u/f55/16/09/70/40/smackd10.png
Smackdown's first image is of Santino Marella in a suit. That's the scariest open I think I've ever seen. He's the general manager for the night, because we're still continuing that.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper
We're also continuing this, apparently. There isn't any point in putting the title on Ziggler, as he's kind of above it now, and yet we continue to give him title shots. It's better on Harper.
The match is fine, but it's still not going to top the first time these two fought for the title. It's almost as if foregone conclusions and DQ finishes can hinder a match. Well, it's not as good just in general, but those two things don't help. Harper winds up retaining with a low blow kick to Ziggler. Ziggler technically wins, but since he won by DQ, he doesn't get the title. This makes sense.
Match Rating: **1/2
Luke Harper grabs a ladder after the match, and goes to powerbomb Ziggler onto it. Ziggler counters into a facebuster, and then shortly after throws a ladder at Harper outside the ring. Santino comes out and makes a Ladder match between the two of them at TLC.
On my channel, a replay of the Tag Team Turmoil match from Raw is shown. The internet says that an "Authority retrospective" is aired. I guess you'll find out what you get. Either way, it's not new content.
Seth Rollins, Kane, Big Show, and J&J Security (Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble) are in the ring next. Rollins starts off talking. He hates Christmas and then hypes TLC. He's against John Cena, Big Show is against Erick Rowan, and Kane is against Ryback. The other two talk about their opponents, too. Santino comes out once again and makes our main event for the night, which will see Ryback and Erick Rowan taking on Seth Rollins and Big Show.
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd vs. The New Day (Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston, with Big E)
Isn't it kind of amazing how Tyson Kidd managed to get his main roster spot back? It's great. Kidd's a real talent. Meanwhile, The New Day recently made its debut and yet there's already a loss on the team's record. They're not losing tonight, though, since Cesaro doesn't really get victories anymore, and having them lose would be stupid.
The New Day wins relatively quickly and almost in squash match form. A double team move puts away Kidd for the win.
Match Rating: **
Stardust and Goldust show up on the big screen to further their "feud," although, really, the feud is about as intense as a marshmallow. The New Day then gets to respond. It's all positive and stuff. I'm still waiting for their inevitable heel turn.
Naomi is shown receiving flowers backstage. They?re from The Miz. Jimmy Uso, her husband, shows up and throws the vase, even though the flowers were just Miz's way of apologizing. Wow, Jimmy sure is the babyface here.
We then get to watch a promo that Jack Swagger made on Main Event. Because Smackdown doesn't have enough flashbacks. Rusev vs. Dean Ambrose is scheduled next.
Dean Ambrose vs. Rusev (with Lana)
Match Rating: N/A
Of course, it isn't going to happen. Dean Ambrose comes out first and talks about how great it was to attack Bray Wyatt's rocking chair. He then hypes TLC.
Lana and Rusev come out and stand at the top of the stage. They refuse to compete, since America is awful. Well, Jack Swagger is awful. And America. Dean Ambrose retorts with how much he tuned them out. Ambrose goes to attack them at the top of the stage, but Bray Wyatt hits Ambrose from behind. Ambrose gets a bit of offense, but Wyatt grabs a chair and winds up hurting his throat with it. Ambrose is taken away on a stretcher.
The Miz (with Damien Sandow) vs. Jey Uso (with Jimmy Uso)
The Miz cuts a promo about wanting to help Naomi, and what Jimmy's problem is. Honestly, this is more of a babyface promo than a heel one. Honestly, Jimmy's not in the right here. Jimmy gets thrown out from ringside before the match even really gets going. Miz wins in a few moves, and is aided by Sandow being silly, which distracts the Uso and allows Miz to hit the Skull-Crushing Finale for the victory.
Match Rating: *1/2
Naomi vs. Brie Bella (with Nikki Bella)
AJ Lee is on commentary. As such, the cameras focus on AJ about 33% of the time, really taking away from the match. Naomi and Brie wrestle a fine match, for what it is, but we don't even get to see all of it thanks to the way it was edited. Interestingly, the edited Smackdown crowd gave Brie a mixed reaction, so I guess that's what WWE is going for. Naomi winds up rolling up Brie for the win, after Nikki and AJ caused a bit of a distraction.
Match Rating: **
Santino and The Bunny have a pep talk backstage after the break. It's ... a thing. Seth Rollins and Big Show then get to have talk. Kane enters the locker room, too.
Ryback and Erick Rowan vs. Seth Rollins and Big Show (with Kane, Jamie Noble, and Joey Mercury)
This is ... as perfectly acceptable as most of the main events. It's fine, for the most part, but it's not terribly entertaining, either. It's back-and-forth, yet really safe, through most of its middle portion, and then there's a bit of a dodgy finish, as we've come to expect. Kane tries to interfere at one point and is ejected, which means that's twice in one night where that's happened, which might be a new record for the year. The confusion means a missed tag, some arguing, and a Shell Shock from Ryback to Rollins for the win.
Match Rating: ***
The Good: The Main Event.
The Bad: Miz/Uso.
Match of the Night: Ryback and Erick Rowan vs. Seth Rollins and Big Show.
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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.
