Spoilers follow for the July 11th episode of Smackdown.
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Following our obligatory Raw flashback, Smackdown opens with Rusev and Lana coming down to the ring. The main event tonight is Rusev vs. Roman Reigns, which would be exciting except for the fact that we know it won't end clean so that both men can keep looking strong. Lana is here to cut a pro-Russia, anti-Canada promo, since WWE is still in my home country. It's brief, though, as Roman Reigns' music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Reigns continues to get better on the mic and with his facial expressions. Lana is better, though, and that's apparent during this segment. A referee comes out to make sure they fight later, not now. Lana and Rusev eventually leave.
Cameron vs. AJ Lee
Cameron carries the first bit of the match. She throws lip gloss at AJ (maybe should have been disqualified), does some hair pulling, hits a couple of strikes, and looks to be in control, although AJ winds up no-selling (as part of the match's story) and then taking control. Cameron tries to escape, but Naomi throws her back in. AJ wins with a shining wizard.
Match Rating: *1/2
Renee Young interviews Randy Orton backstage. She asks him about Kane, and he hypes up Battleground. Then he talks about Chris Jericho, hyping up their match later tonight.
Fandango (with Layla) vs. Adam Rose (with Summer Rae)
Wasn't Dolph Ziggler supposed to be with Summer Rae now? Whatever. Rose and Fandango get about two seconds of actual match before Layla and Summer Rae start brawling outside the ring. Fandango goes out to separate them and gets counted out. He gets bopped in the face by one of them, and shouldn't that have been a DQ? Again, whatever. I care so very little.
Match Rating: *
Renee Young interviews Chris Jericho backstage. He hypes up the Jericho/Wyatt match, claiming it's the first time the two will face each other in history. Apparently we've forgotten the time they squared off on NXT. Or we're attempting to forget it. IT was good, people, so hopefully now that Wyatt's had more experience, their next bout will be even better.
Titus O'Neil and Heath Slater vs. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso)
Hmmm... We've got the Tag Team champions against two men who compete for the (fake) Jobber Championship. I wonder who's going to win. Unsurprisingly, The Usos are victorious. Slater works most of the match against one of them, and loses after getting hit with a superkick after going for a top-rope maneuver.
Match Rating: *1/2
The Usos are interviewed in the ring afterward to hype up their Battleground match. One of them does a parody of the commentary team. Prediction: Usos are losing at Battleground.
Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
Orton and Jericho are two of the best workers in the WWE, and while they usually only save their best work for PPVs, they put on a consistently solid match whenever they're in the ring. You're unlikely to see a poor Orton or Jericho match. They're perfectly fine here. It's not the most entertaining match, but it was fun, relatively long, and had a couple of good spots. It had both men looking strong and on equal ground, which is important to see. The Wyatt Family's quick flash appears, which distracts Jericho. Orton hits the RKO off the distraction for the victory.
Match Rating: ***
<color=red>Special Referee (Fandango) <color=red>Match: Summer Rae vs. Layla
A Money in the Bank rematch. Layla kisses Fandango. Then Summer kisses Fandango. The two Divas try to battle, but Fandango separates them. Both Divas attack Fandango and then the two dance together; apparently they're now a team. Or something. I don't know what WWE is doing with this feud, but I'm intrigued even if I'm not particularly entertained.
Match Rating: *
Curtis Axel (with Ryback) vs. Goldust (with Stardust)
The match might've featured Goldust, but it was more about Stardust than anything. He did a bunch of things at ringside, and the camera cut to him almost as much as the match. Goldust and Axel work a pretty clean match -- although one dropkick spot was noticeably bad -- and Goldust eventually picks up the win. After the match, Ryback tried to beat up Goldust, but Stardust stops him. The two "dust" men celebrate in the ring afterward.
Match Rating: **
Diego and El Torito vs. Bo Dallas
Yes, this is a handicap match. El Torito never gets tagged in. Diego hits a couple of moves, Dallas hits one, and then the match ends because Dallas won after hitting his finisher. Dallas then throws Torito over the top rope, pretends to care if he's hurt, and then hits his finisher on the bull. It would seem more heelish if people cared about Torito.
Match Rating: *
Rusev (with Lana) vs. Roman Reigns
Jericho and Orton would have been a better main event. I'm starting to buy Reigns as a main eventer, but Rusev isn't and Reigns still needs to get better in the ring before he can reach the point at which he can be a singles main eventer. Right now he needs to be carried. Rusev dominates most of the match as a result, with Reigns only getting in a bit of offense near the end. But, as we all knew would happen, we don't get a clean finish. Orton comes out and attacks, giving Reigns the win via DQ.
Match Rating: **
Orton and Rusev knock out Reigns afterward and Smackdown ends with Orton taunting Reigns.
The Good: Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton.
The Bad: Bo Dallas vs. Diego/El Torito. Fandango vs. Adam Rose.
Match of the Night: Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton.
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Following our obligatory Raw flashback, Smackdown opens with Rusev and Lana coming down to the ring. The main event tonight is Rusev vs. Roman Reigns, which would be exciting except for the fact that we know it won't end clean so that both men can keep looking strong. Lana is here to cut a pro-Russia, anti-Canada promo, since WWE is still in my home country. It's brief, though, as Roman Reigns' music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Reigns continues to get better on the mic and with his facial expressions. Lana is better, though, and that's apparent during this segment. A referee comes out to make sure they fight later, not now. Lana and Rusev eventually leave.
Cameron vs. AJ Lee
Cameron carries the first bit of the match. She throws lip gloss at AJ (maybe should have been disqualified), does some hair pulling, hits a couple of strikes, and looks to be in control, although AJ winds up no-selling (as part of the match's story) and then taking control. Cameron tries to escape, but Naomi throws her back in. AJ wins with a shining wizard.
Match Rating: *1/2
Renee Young interviews Randy Orton backstage. She asks him about Kane, and he hypes up Battleground. Then he talks about Chris Jericho, hyping up their match later tonight.
Fandango (with Layla) vs. Adam Rose (with Summer Rae)
Wasn't Dolph Ziggler supposed to be with Summer Rae now? Whatever. Rose and Fandango get about two seconds of actual match before Layla and Summer Rae start brawling outside the ring. Fandango goes out to separate them and gets counted out. He gets bopped in the face by one of them, and shouldn't that have been a DQ? Again, whatever. I care so very little.
Match Rating: *
Renee Young interviews Chris Jericho backstage. He hypes up the Jericho/Wyatt match, claiming it's the first time the two will face each other in history. Apparently we've forgotten the time they squared off on NXT. Or we're attempting to forget it. IT was good, people, so hopefully now that Wyatt's had more experience, their next bout will be even better.
Titus O'Neil and Heath Slater vs. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso)
Hmmm... We've got the Tag Team champions against two men who compete for the (fake) Jobber Championship. I wonder who's going to win. Unsurprisingly, The Usos are victorious. Slater works most of the match against one of them, and loses after getting hit with a superkick after going for a top-rope maneuver.
Match Rating: *1/2
The Usos are interviewed in the ring afterward to hype up their Battleground match. One of them does a parody of the commentary team. Prediction: Usos are losing at Battleground.
Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
Orton and Jericho are two of the best workers in the WWE, and while they usually only save their best work for PPVs, they put on a consistently solid match whenever they're in the ring. You're unlikely to see a poor Orton or Jericho match. They're perfectly fine here. It's not the most entertaining match, but it was fun, relatively long, and had a couple of good spots. It had both men looking strong and on equal ground, which is important to see. The Wyatt Family's quick flash appears, which distracts Jericho. Orton hits the RKO off the distraction for the victory.
Match Rating: ***
<color=red>Special Referee (Fandango) <color=red>Match: Summer Rae vs. Layla
A Money in the Bank rematch. Layla kisses Fandango. Then Summer kisses Fandango. The two Divas try to battle, but Fandango separates them. Both Divas attack Fandango and then the two dance together; apparently they're now a team. Or something. I don't know what WWE is doing with this feud, but I'm intrigued even if I'm not particularly entertained.
Match Rating: *
Curtis Axel (with Ryback) vs. Goldust (with Stardust)
The match might've featured Goldust, but it was more about Stardust than anything. He did a bunch of things at ringside, and the camera cut to him almost as much as the match. Goldust and Axel work a pretty clean match -- although one dropkick spot was noticeably bad -- and Goldust eventually picks up the win. After the match, Ryback tried to beat up Goldust, but Stardust stops him. The two "dust" men celebrate in the ring afterward.
Match Rating: **
Diego and El Torito vs. Bo Dallas
Yes, this is a handicap match. El Torito never gets tagged in. Diego hits a couple of moves, Dallas hits one, and then the match ends because Dallas won after hitting his finisher. Dallas then throws Torito over the top rope, pretends to care if he's hurt, and then hits his finisher on the bull. It would seem more heelish if people cared about Torito.
Match Rating: *
Rusev (with Lana) vs. Roman Reigns
Jericho and Orton would have been a better main event. I'm starting to buy Reigns as a main eventer, but Rusev isn't and Reigns still needs to get better in the ring before he can reach the point at which he can be a singles main eventer. Right now he needs to be carried. Rusev dominates most of the match as a result, with Reigns only getting in a bit of offense near the end. But, as we all knew would happen, we don't get a clean finish. Orton comes out and attacks, giving Reigns the win via DQ.
Match Rating: **
Orton and Rusev knock out Reigns afterward and Smackdown ends with Orton taunting Reigns.
The Good: Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton.
The Bad: Bo Dallas vs. Diego/El Torito. Fandango vs. Adam Rose.
Match of the Night: Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton.
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