Spoilers follow for the October 24th episode of Smackdown.
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You know, it's really weird. I completely forgot that Hell in a Cell was this coming Sunday. I thought we still had another week or two. Maybe it's because the main event -- Cena/Orton #512 -- only really got solidified this week. I mean, the card doesn't even look bad; it just feels like the PPV is still a little while away. But it's not. This Smackdown is it before we head to onto the WWE Network and watch Hell in a Cell.
Smackdown kicks off with Dean Ambrose coming down to the ring. We have a new ring announcer for Smackdown now: it's Eden, who used to do the ring announcing for NXT but now has been promoted, since Justin Roberts' contract wasn't renewed.
We flashback to the Mick Foley segment of Raw, since it was awesome, and then Ambrose gets a mic. Ambrose claims to be indestructible and someone who breaks the laws of physics. Ambrose hypes the PPV and then calls out Seth Rollins. Rollins appears on the screen. He says he'll call out Ambrose later, and that he's so much smarter than Ambrose, and so on. I feel like this feud needed to get its conclusion a while ago. It doesn't seem particularly heated anymore.
Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando, with El Torito) vs. The Miz and Damien Sandow
Sheamus is on commentary. That's rarely a good thing.
Los Matadores continue to the most entertaining high-flying team that has nothing going for it and that nobody seems to care about. They get to do a few moves, but this is mostly a squash match. The Miz winds up winning with a Figure-Four Leg Lock. Sandow did it outside the ring to the other matador, which was kind of funny.
Match Rating: **
A Stardust/Goldust promo is cut. Bo Dallas joins them. It's really funny.
Alicia Fox (with Paige) vs. AJ Lee
Paige actually does managing, which is pretty swell to see. She coaches Alicia Fox during the match. It's not a long match, and the finish comes when AJ pushes Alicia into her manager, then uses a schoolgirl for the win.
Match Rating: *1/2
After the match, a Wyatt Family vignette airs. We've seen it before. I think. Much like Wyatt's promos, these vignettes are difficult to distinguish between.
Next up, we get to see a taped interview between Big Show and Michael Cole. Well, taped within the taped, because Smackdown is taped anyway. Big Show wants to address what happened on Raw between Rusev and the American soldier. The soldier decided to come into the ring, which was wrong, but apparently Rusev is still the heel. Whatever. Big Show tries to defend the soldier's actions. Big Show is mad at Rusev for taking a cheap shot. He once again apologizes for ripping down the Russian flag. He seems close to crying at one point. We don't need this giant man crying. He loses any intimidation factor.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Cesaro
I'm really glad we're getting this feud. Both men are really good workers and their matches together, thus far, have been solid. This one is no exception. It's exciting, has a bunch of near-falls, and definitely does its job in getting us hyped for the 2-out-of-3 falls match the two are going to have at Hell in a Cell.
Dolph Ziggler wins, because he had to after Cesaro won their last bout. This sets up the PPV match.
Match Rating: ***
Nikki Bella, Summer Rae, and Cameron vs. Natalya, Naomi, and Brie Bella
Seriously, where is Eva Marie?
Brie never tags out. She gets in some offense, but the second she gets knocked down, Nikki tags in, hits her finisher, and the match is over. Nikki's team wins.
Match Rating: *1/2
Nikki gets a mic after the match to remind us of a couple of things: (1) She's so much better on the mic than her sister, and (2) the stipulation for their PPV match, which sees the loser be the other's personal assistant for 30 days.
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) and Mark Henry vs. Goldust, Stardust, and Bo Dallas
Has anything gotten more stale than the feud between The Usos and anyone else? These 6-man tag matches are always fine but rarely great or even different from each other. Sheamus or Mark Henry, The Miz or Bo Dallas -- none of that matters. I've lost interest.
Bo Dallas wins with his finisher, hitting it on Mark Henry after Henry took out Stardust with the World's Strongest Slam. Can Henry please complete his heel turn? Pretty please?
Match Rating: **
Dolph Ziggler is interviewed backstage. Cesaro interrupts before he says anything important. They make the match I mentioned earlier, the 2-out-of-3 falls match. It could be the match of the night.
For our main event segment, we're not getting a match; we're getting Seth Rollins "calling out" Dean Ambrose. Rollins has security guards with him, and has stacked the ring full of weapons. Rollins talks about how he'll destroy Ambrose. With weapons. Rollins talks for a long time before Dean Ambrose finally comes out. The numbers get to him at the start, but Ambrose eventually overcomes them, beating up both security guards. Joey Mercury gets put through a table. Rollins escapes. They stare each other down to end the show.
The Good: Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler.
The Bad: 6-man (or woman) tag team matches.
Match of the Night: Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler.
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http://i55.servimg.com/u/f55/16/09/70/40/smackd10.png
You know, it's really weird. I completely forgot that Hell in a Cell was this coming Sunday. I thought we still had another week or two. Maybe it's because the main event -- Cena/Orton #512 -- only really got solidified this week. I mean, the card doesn't even look bad; it just feels like the PPV is still a little while away. But it's not. This Smackdown is it before we head to onto the WWE Network and watch Hell in a Cell.
Smackdown kicks off with Dean Ambrose coming down to the ring. We have a new ring announcer for Smackdown now: it's Eden, who used to do the ring announcing for NXT but now has been promoted, since Justin Roberts' contract wasn't renewed.
We flashback to the Mick Foley segment of Raw, since it was awesome, and then Ambrose gets a mic. Ambrose claims to be indestructible and someone who breaks the laws of physics. Ambrose hypes the PPV and then calls out Seth Rollins. Rollins appears on the screen. He says he'll call out Ambrose later, and that he's so much smarter than Ambrose, and so on. I feel like this feud needed to get its conclusion a while ago. It doesn't seem particularly heated anymore.
Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando, with El Torito) vs. The Miz and Damien Sandow
Sheamus is on commentary. That's rarely a good thing.
Los Matadores continue to the most entertaining high-flying team that has nothing going for it and that nobody seems to care about. They get to do a few moves, but this is mostly a squash match. The Miz winds up winning with a Figure-Four Leg Lock. Sandow did it outside the ring to the other matador, which was kind of funny.
Match Rating: **
A Stardust/Goldust promo is cut. Bo Dallas joins them. It's really funny.
Alicia Fox (with Paige) vs. AJ Lee
Paige actually does managing, which is pretty swell to see. She coaches Alicia Fox during the match. It's not a long match, and the finish comes when AJ pushes Alicia into her manager, then uses a schoolgirl for the win.
Match Rating: *1/2
After the match, a Wyatt Family vignette airs. We've seen it before. I think. Much like Wyatt's promos, these vignettes are difficult to distinguish between.
Next up, we get to see a taped interview between Big Show and Michael Cole. Well, taped within the taped, because Smackdown is taped anyway. Big Show wants to address what happened on Raw between Rusev and the American soldier. The soldier decided to come into the ring, which was wrong, but apparently Rusev is still the heel. Whatever. Big Show tries to defend the soldier's actions. Big Show is mad at Rusev for taking a cheap shot. He once again apologizes for ripping down the Russian flag. He seems close to crying at one point. We don't need this giant man crying. He loses any intimidation factor.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Cesaro
I'm really glad we're getting this feud. Both men are really good workers and their matches together, thus far, have been solid. This one is no exception. It's exciting, has a bunch of near-falls, and definitely does its job in getting us hyped for the 2-out-of-3 falls match the two are going to have at Hell in a Cell.
Dolph Ziggler wins, because he had to after Cesaro won their last bout. This sets up the PPV match.
Match Rating: ***
Nikki Bella, Summer Rae, and Cameron vs. Natalya, Naomi, and Brie Bella
Seriously, where is Eva Marie?
Brie never tags out. She gets in some offense, but the second she gets knocked down, Nikki tags in, hits her finisher, and the match is over. Nikki's team wins.
Match Rating: *1/2
Nikki gets a mic after the match to remind us of a couple of things: (1) She's so much better on the mic than her sister, and (2) the stipulation for their PPV match, which sees the loser be the other's personal assistant for 30 days.
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) and Mark Henry vs. Goldust, Stardust, and Bo Dallas
Has anything gotten more stale than the feud between The Usos and anyone else? These 6-man tag matches are always fine but rarely great or even different from each other. Sheamus or Mark Henry, The Miz or Bo Dallas -- none of that matters. I've lost interest.
Bo Dallas wins with his finisher, hitting it on Mark Henry after Henry took out Stardust with the World's Strongest Slam. Can Henry please complete his heel turn? Pretty please?
Match Rating: **
Dolph Ziggler is interviewed backstage. Cesaro interrupts before he says anything important. They make the match I mentioned earlier, the 2-out-of-3 falls match. It could be the match of the night.
For our main event segment, we're not getting a match; we're getting Seth Rollins "calling out" Dean Ambrose. Rollins has security guards with him, and has stacked the ring full of weapons. Rollins talks about how he'll destroy Ambrose. With weapons. Rollins talks for a long time before Dean Ambrose finally comes out. The numbers get to him at the start, but Ambrose eventually overcomes them, beating up both security guards. Joey Mercury gets put through a table. Rollins escapes. They stare each other down to end the show.
The Good: Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler.
The Bad: 6-man (or woman) tag team matches.
Match of the Night: Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler.
<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.