PUTTIN’ THAT SMACKDOWN…What Happened Last (Tuesday) Night [Apr. 9th, 2015]

Greetings, Enthusiasts!  Smackdown came through again in moderate fashion, I would say.  Like RAW before it, it wasn’t particularly spectacular but it was a good base of wrestling entertainment.  I found myself pleased and satiated for a typical Thursday night and I like this current state of contentedness.  Let us hope that this is a foundation and though a bad night is guaranteed, with a stable base they should be few and far between.

We begin our evening in Dallas, Texas and to greet us is our favorite hero, Daniel Bryan.  He speaks of the Intercontinental Championship and how he plans on keeping and defending it with all the strength and courage he’s got!  That is until, Wade “Bad News” Barrett comes out to beg to differ.  Oy!  You and I both know that the title rightfully belongs to me.  You come out here, with your winter shin-guards in spring and talking all sorts of nonsense about hard work and perseverance.  What really matters is good ol’desire, mate!  You got to bloody want it.  And I want it!  That title’s mine and I’ll tear it from your dead, cold hands if I haveta!  But wait a second there, fella.  Out comes a Sheamus, ready to dispute claims as well.  I’m happy if Daniel doesn’t keep the title but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about you getting it.  Me mid-section has been feeling a wee bit chilly.  I think I’d like to cover it up and an Intercontinental Championship Belt should do the trick.  I think you’re gonna need more than that, buddy.  Dolph Ziggler, with a single cornrow down the center of his head, makes his appearance and remembers when that title was his.  I enjoyed wearing that belt and I plan to wear it again so, both you guys can go find yourself a pub and stay there where you belong.  Big words from a little man.  Big Show can’t help but overhear the barbs and comes out to brag some more about being awesome as he joins the party in the ring.  I don’t know why you guys even bother talking.  Like I couldn’t take any one of you jokers out right now.  What you all need to understand is that once I’m ready to take the Intercontinental Championship, I will.  At about this time, Roman Reigns’ entrance music hits and he starts his walk to the ring and Big Show rolls his eyes. This fucking guy…Look, Reigns no one is talking about you.  Why don’t you just turn– Yet, Reigns doesn’t bother about talking about title hopes.  He simply slides in and starts wailing on Big Show.  Everyone else decides that brawling makes sense and the melee ensues.  So, the main event was supposed to just be a tag team showdown with Ziggler and Bryan against Sheamus and BNB but now Big Show and Reigns are in the mix too.  That’s where that 6-Man-Tag went.

As for the first match of the night, it’s Tyson Kidd & Cesaro up against Kofi Kingston and Big E. Langston of the New Day.  Well, it’s obvious that We the Audience aren’t too taken with this New Day and I’m not surprised.  I never thought the gimmick had any mass appeal and so, the WWE is going with the negative trend and leading the New Day into a Heel-Turn, which may work. To make the New Day a bad one could have some campy charm.  If they keep a good bit of humor and make their feuding prankish it might just take, in a backhanded manner.  In any case, these fellows have a good match as can be expected.  Kidd & Cesaro have been delivering and though the crowd doesn’t care for them, I’ve always liked Kingston and Langston does well for a guy his size.  The teams are creative in their offense but it’s Kidd who nails Kingston for the win.

To follow, Curtis Axel continues to lead his deluded charge and this time, it’s against Neville again.  This match is fast paced and to the point yet, I don’t have any problem with this.  We’re still getting used to this new upstart and I hope that he’s put to good use.  As We all know, the WWE can go out of its way to ruin a good thing and so, the collective hope is they don’t do that with Neville but, you just never know.  They think they’re doing a good job most of the time.  Yet, they do when they really put their heads to it so, I won’t write them off just yet.  In any case, Neville finishes Axel off the same way he did the first time out with the Red Arrow and Neville is allowed to bask in preliminary glory.

Next up, we’re led into some Divas action between Natalya and Alicia Fox with Cameron acting as guest referee.  Apparently, some of the Divas aren’t happy about the ploy of having a Divas Battle Royal at Extreme Rules and since it was partially Nattie’s idea, Alicia Fox and to a lesser degree, Cameron have taken some offense, which is why we have tonight’s match.  It wasn’t a bad match but it wasn’t the greatest either.  Cameron was kinda fun as the ref and I think it kept things interesting.  I didn’t fully get her turn on both ladies at the end but, she’s a baddie so I guess it doesn’t matter.

Moving right along, we come to the second installment of Bray Wyatt vs. Erick Rowan.  Naturally, Wyatt has a nice, long chat with us first.  I don’t mind Wyatt bending our ears but at times, I feel it is a bit much.  I understand establishing his character but I’m not sure I fully buy it, especially as him being the “new face of fear”.  Not in the slightest afraid of him.  He comes off campy to me and how easy it is for me to mock his promos doesn’t help.  Observe…

           

                                                WYATT:

Everyone tries and tries to understand.  They try so hard to listen.  They listen and listen…Never hearing.  People don’t always hear me.  But what I’m saying is loud and clear. What I am saying is the Truth!  It’s always there.  Lying right there…underneath the surface.  Erick Rowan did not see the Truth.  He couldn’t hear it!  So I, like a momma bird, swallowed it down, spat it back up and fed it to him, bit by bit.  But he made a mistake.  He bit my hand.  And now he will be punished…once and for all…

See.  I can write for Wyatt in my sleep.  Backwoods preacher can be kinda fun.  Yet, it does make it hard for me to take him seriously.  If Wyatt is going to go the Rob Zombie way of horror, he needs to start getting more maniacal or become more of a parody and add some humor in.  I’ll put it this way; The Undertaker’s music still gives me chills.  Wyatt’s music, simply makes me want to wave my phone in the darkness.  Scary?  Anyway, as for the match it was a little disappointing for me.  Not because it wasn’t well executed but I would like to see Rowan do more than job.  Luke Harper has been getting booked fairly well and I think Rowan is just as good in the ring.  Creative needs to find something for the both of them to do.  Maybe Wyatt can try to regain them and Harper signs back on but Rowan resists.  I don’t know, something to make use of them.  They’re good ring workers; I want them put to work.  Nevertheless, the match is a little less dramatic than their first meeting and Rowan attempts to prove he’s learned more in the Light but Wyatt’s darkness is just too much and he snuffs Rowan out again with Sister Abigail.

To follow, we have a bit of fluff with The Miz coming out to do a round of MizTV to promote his new WWE Studios movie The Marine 4 that he stars in with Summer Rae.  The fact that there are sequels to this is not completely surprising but I am curious to see who purchases or rents these movies.  I’ve only seen parts of the first one and that’s Cable TV movie quality at best yet, from what I saw, I could see some its charm.  The Miz comes out and is an arrogant ass as always and Summer Rae soon comes out to be a bit of a pissy B.  Yet, it’s Damien Sandow that steals the show by coming out and laying The Miz out and then, feeling vindicated and confident sees a “doable” Summer Rae and plants a big smooch on her to end the segment.

This brings us to the Main Event 6-Man-Tag with Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Roman Reigns up against Big Show, Wade Barrett and Sheamus.  This was the typical 6-man affair that we tend to see yet, it was fun enough.  To be honest, though Big Show is a lumbering giant at best, I like how he’s just been using his size of late instead of trying to cleanly wrestle.  Truthishly, this just makes sense, especially with his current heel status.  Ziggler is his scrappy self and attacks Big Show with no fear but Big Show, being so ginormous, simply treats him like a rag doll and tosses him this way and that whenever he gets the chance.  Daniel Bryan manages to handle Big Show with some effectiveness by managing to get him into a YES! Lock but again, Big Show manages to just power out of it and send Bryan flying.  Sheamus takes a good piece out of Bryan too but before Sheamus can suplex him from off the ropes, Bryan finds some life and battles back into his share of the match.  He manages to hold his own and gets to the point where you’re not sure if he’s gonna be able to get back to the Faces side to make the tag but, musters up just enough strength to jump over and hand the hot-tag to Roman Reigns who blazes in to blow through Wade Barrett.  Barrett takes more than he gives but when he gets a chance to dish something out, he goes for the jugular and lands a solid kick to Reigns’ face.  Unfortunately for Barrett, Reigns just seems a little too ready to go this evening and annihilates Barrett in swift, definitive fashion that gets him a nice pop from the crowd.  There was a little talk about the internets that this could have been edited but given the spoilers, it would seem Texas is warming up to Reigns.  I get the feeling he kinda has that effect (^_~) Well, I was pleased.  Not blown away nor bored, but satisfied.

See You Monday,

-Nicole Alexis.