Smackdown: Go-home show nothing to write home about
After a string of entertaining episodes of Smackdown, Friday night’s show was a disappointment, especially considering that it was the final Smackdown before Sunday’s Over the Limit pay-per-view. The show wasn’t terrible, but if you didn’t watch it, you certainly didn’t miss anything.
The highlight was a decent non-title match between world heavyweight champion Jack Swagger and Kofi Kingston, which Kingston won thanks to a distraction by The Big Show.
I’m not thrilled with Swagger getting pinned yet again (I’ve lost count of how many times he has jobbed since winning the title), but at least he didn’t lose clean, and Big Show costing him the match adds fuel to their feud. Plus, Kingston pinning the world champ gives him momentum heading into his match with Intercontinental champion Drew McIntyre on Sunday.
Other thoughts on Friday’s show:
Swagger interfering in Big Show’s match against McIntyre – which resulted in Big Show winning by disqualification – was predictable, but it made sense since Big Show had done the same thing to him earlier. Swagger attacked Big Show after the match, targeting the big right hand that Big Show uses to deliver the knockout punch. …
The show opened with CM Punk shaving the heads of three male “fans” looking to join the Straight Edge Society. Rey Mysterio eventually came out on the ramp and had a verbal exchange with Punk. This segment was not nearly as heated as other recent ones involving Punk and Mysterio. At the conclusion, Punk, Luke Gallows and Serena attacked the three bald pledges, which didn’t really make sense to me. …
Gallows placing the guys’ hands on their hearts during their induction was a nice touch. …
The tag team match that saw Mysterio and MVP defeat Punk and Gallows was fine but nothing special. …
Clips of The Big Show mocking Swagger’s accomplishments – including imitating Swagger’s toothy grin – were somewhat amusing. …
The Divas tag team match in which LayCool defeated Kelly Kelly and Tiffany was fun to watch. It was fast-paced and all four competitors showed athleticism and put forth good efforts. …
Layla and Michelle McCool were referred to as “self-professed co-WWE women’s champions.” I’m glad WWE is making it clear that it is not officially acknowledging McCool as a champion. I still don’t care for the angle, but at least McCool is not going to be allowed to defend a title she doesn’t hold (at least that’s the impression I got). …
When Christian said that his guest on The Peep Show was going to be someone he has never seen eye to eye with, it was a huge letdown when it turned out to be Hornswoggle. They don’t see eye to eye – get it? Groan. After some lame “comedy” with Christian and Hornswoggle and an appearance by Vickie and Chavo Guerrero, Dolph Ziggler mercifully put an end to the nonsense, as he attacked Christian and laid him out with the Zig-Zag. The only redeeming aspect of this segment is that it was a means to establishing a Christian-Ziggler program, which should be good. …
There were two throwaway matches on this show. One saw JTG defeat Caylen Croft, and the other was a squash victory for the tag team of Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins over two enhancement guys. Archer and Hawkins aren’t bad in the ring, but the big question is if they will ever be able to connect with the audience. …
While Swagger was attacking Big Show, Matt Striker said, “Swags the Dog is barking.” If you have young children or live in Australia, you understood the reference.
Comments
Even though Smackdown was nothing special I'm still looking forward to attending Over The Limit tomorrow night.
Will be my 3rd live event and 2nd Pay Per View I've attended.
Posted by: Leonhart | May 22, 2010 7:24 PM
Yeah, I thought this was a pretty weak show. I was particularly disappointed with the Punk segment, which seemed like SOP SES stuff. It also seems pretty clear to me that Punk's not loosing tomorrow night. Rey joining the SES would have been much better a few months ago. Then you have Punk demand Rey unmask, which he refuses, leading to a a match where if Punk wins, Rey unmasks, and if Rey wins he's out of the SES (which Rey would win, ending the program). I still think that's what might happen, though it seems a little long now. I could also see Punk winning, then immediately throwing Rey out with a beatdown. Which, yes, would be kind of pointless. Hey, I'm not the booker.
What, exactly, is the point of having Hawkins and Archer squash enhancement talent? Does anyone really think this will do ANYTHING as far as getting these guys over? I know that I flipped the channel as soon as I saw who all four guys in the ring were.
Posted by: Ken Raining | May 22, 2010 9:07 PM
To be honest, the moment that Christian said someone he hadn't always seen eye to eye with i kinda guessed it was a reference to height, but i expected someone like the great khali given that WWE.com is doing there big men thing. On a side note Kev, i was just wondering if you could tell me whether or not they show the 'From the Vault' segment every week in the US too? because it's something we get here in the UK, and it always makes me want to switch off, they don't even bother showing decent matches.
RESPONSE FROM KE: We do not get thos segments.
Posted by: Nick Jolley | May 22, 2010 9:38 PM
Honestly, I wouldn't be offended if they used the Freebird Rule for Lay-Cool on the women's championship.
Additionally, it would be a huge heel move to have Vickie allow them to defend as a team for at least a while until Teddy put a stop to it at, say, SummerSlam.
Posted by: EazieCheeze | May 22, 2010 9:44 PM
It's too bad Christian's guest wasn't Lester, the guy who loves chicken.
By the way, I couldn't help noticing that Chavo and Hornswoggle were in the same segment. For the love of all that is good and pure, WWE, do NOT give us another "feud" between those two!
Posted by: Rob Brown | May 22, 2010 10:35 PM
Matt Striker says some dumb s***. Every other line out of his match his a witty pun or phrase, like "I went down to the crossroads" (after the Cross Rhodes). JR used witty language, too, but not at the rate that the former schoolteacher does, and what he said was funny. All of the announcers in WWE SUCK.
Posted by: Cliff | May 23, 2010 12:22 AM
The over the limit ppv should be retitled No Buys.
Posted by: Elevation | May 23, 2010 1:02 AM
What are your thoughts on Kofi in the ring Kev? It appears to me hes been a little sloppy as of late, even though it really doesnt matter since hes way over wit hthe fans and still one of the most athletic guys on the roster. I was just wondering if you noticed a little less execution on his part as well, or if im just seeing things
RESPONSE FROM KE: Honestly, I haven't noticed any difference.
Posted by: Chris 2.0 | May 23, 2010 1:46 AM
I have to say as soon as he said his guest would be someone he never saw eye to eye with I knew it would be Hornswoggle. Something about the way he said "eye to eye" to imply a pun - led me to believe it would be a joke guest meant to be less important than vickie. And much shorter made more sense in that respect than much taller.
Posted by: Jeremy Hale | May 23, 2010 2:45 AM
Score another one for Matt Striker with references to boxing legends Aaron Pryor and the late Alexis Arguello. Striker is no JR but nor does he suck.
Did Dolph Ziggler fall asleep in a tanning bed?
Posted by: Aaron Goldstein | May 23, 2010 3:43 AM
"Matt Striker says some dumb s***. Every other line out of his match his a witty pun or phrase, like "I went down to the crossroads" (after the Cross Rhodes)."
One of the dumbest things I've heard from him was when he said something about how CM Punk was the shepherd of the Straight Edge Society and that he saw Rey Mysterio as the "ultimate sheep".
Those are two words that just do not go together, unless your goal is to make everybody think you're an idiot.
Posted by: Rob Brown | May 23, 2010 7:47 AM
MVP tagging with Mysterio during the past few weeks is making me think that he could be one of the masked men.
Posted by: loco | May 23, 2010 11:39 AM
Yo Kevin, if you were to watch FNS on Hulu you would get a From the Vault match
It's a perk of me having a social life on Friday nights...I can catch it on Hulu Sat and see one of those vault matches near the middle of it too
Posted by: SOUTHERN MISS ELITE | May 23, 2010 7:52 PM
Cliff, you must be young and not a fan of Eric Clapton. "I went down to the crossroads" is a lyric in one of his great songs, not surprisingly called Crossroads.
Admittedly, though, the lyrics aren't much without Clapton's guitar playing.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/e/eric+clapton/crossroads_20051297.html
Posted by: Bob Buscaglia | May 23, 2010 8:19 PM
Vance Archer had no charisma on ECW and that didn't change on Smackdown. I thought a lot more would be made about Hawkins now having a new tag team partner as Ryder is on a solo career. It barely got a mention.
Big Show showed he has some personality and he should use it more often. He has another dynamic other than being a big, strong, bully.
Kofi has been looking sloppy and I think Randy Orton berated him in the ring a few months ago when their feud was getting run. Randy hit Kofi with a set up for his RKO, and Kofi wouldn't stay down as Randy tried to pump it up by slamming his fists on the mat like he normally does. Randy finally got up and looked skyward before just ending and screamed at the top of his lungs that Kofi was, "Stupid! Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!" Kofi often misses jumping up to the top rope in the corner and his opponent has to visibly catch him and prop him up on the top rope. Sloppy.
Why did Chavo come back if he is just going to job every week?
Christian coming back to the WWE, for what? Just to be a quality jobber? There is no title for him to take since the Cruierweight is gone. If they brought it back, think of some of the top young and some really good veteran talent they could have going at it!
Posted by: The Mythical One | May 23, 2010 8:55 PM
Hey Kev
in reference to a earlier comment about the from the vault segments... We get them in the uk to make smackdown last the full 2 hours as they don't show as many commercials over in the uk as they do on the US showing of smackdown, so they fill the time with a old smackdown match.
The matches are always dire and definitely makes you want to switch channels for example a typical match they'd show would be say Chavo Guerrero vs someone on a forgettable episode of smackdown
Posted by: Shammers | May 23, 2010 10:00 PM
kev,
how do you know our slang?
Posted by: delliott | May 24, 2010 6:52 AM
kev,
how do you know our slang?
I believe Kev was referring to wags the dog, who accompanies the wiggles. I am sure Kev (considering he has kids) has been made to sit through many a wiggle tape.
Now for knowing that the Wiggles have Wags the dog (whilst not having children) I am going to go watch 10 WWE PPVS in a row... just kidding but I may watch a couple from 02-03 just to remember some great rivalries ...
RESPONSE FROM KE: Not only have I sat through the DVDs, I've seen The Wiggles in concert! That Dorothy The Dinosaur sure can cut a rug.
Posted by: Angelique | May 24, 2010 9:28 AM
Curt Hawkins has been doing a pretty darn good job on Florida Championship Wrestling. It is ashame that Smackdown didn't pair him with Jackson Andrews, with whom he has good chemistry in FCW. Andrews is Hawkins' "personal giant" in the FCW angle, and the guy is a legit 7-footer with decent athletic skills. If they do another season of NXT, I would be surprised if Andrews and Kaval were not the headliners.
Posted by: LarryB | May 24, 2010 12:55 PM
Randy Orton is the 'Legend Killer'
Hornswoggle is the 'Career Killer'
*see Chavo, Finlay, and the final few months of DX
Posted by: eee | May 24, 2010 7:17 PM
"I believe Kev was referring to wags the dog, who accompanies the wiggles. I am sure Kev (considering he has kids) has been made to sit through many a wiggle tape.
Now for knowing that the Wiggles have Wags the dog (whilst not having children) I am going to go watch 10 WWE PPVS in a row... just kidding but I may watch a couple from 02-03 just to remember some great rivalries ...
RESPONSE FROM KE: Not only have I sat through the DVDs, I've seen The Wiggles in concert! That Dorothy The Dinosaur sure can cut a rug."
I though he might be refering to an angels song... which arnt really known outside of Australia
Posted by: delliott | May 24, 2010 8:26 PM