I really liked this episode of Smackdown! There were a few good matches, and there was also a nice blend of comedy and intensity. If I were to grade the show, I would go with a B grade.
The Good
I cannot say enough about the opening match. Cody Rhodes vs. Booker T was very enjoyable. It played up all the aspects this business should. One man was bad (heel). The other was good (face).
Each man wanted the gold and would not stop at any cost. Lucky for us, they put on an excellent show, and Cody won clean. Yes, clean. Thank you Booker for a nice run. I look forward to whatever it is you choose next in WWE.
Also, I want to give a shout out to all of the backstage segments tonight! Goldust continued to make himself known to fans in 2011 (now 2012). Aksana had yet another great appearance. Zack Ryder finally got out of the "assistant" role he never should have had in the first place. Again folks, he needs to be more serious! I have said it for months and will continue to say so.
Major props to Alicia Fox backstage! Her and AJ had a nice exchange with Daniel Bryan, but Ms. Fox was the star, as usual. Even the Drew McIntyre story had some nice moments in the backstage area.
Finally, I would just like to state how much I loved the segment with Big Show and Daniel Bryan. A heel turn is coming, folks. That has been apparent to me for a long time now. Very interesting...
Back to the arena, I loved the Hornswoggle vs. Heath Slater match. It was a teaser for the Royal Rumble, but it did its job. My man picked up another win, and Justin Gabriel got some shine this week afterwards. Nicely done!
To open up the second hour was a promo segment by Wade Barrett. He chose his words wisely about Randy Orton, but I liked that. It set up his return for "anytime, any place." Whether it is the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania or during the summer, it doesn't matter. He will be back!
Of course, he was interrupted by Sheamus. That led to a nice exchange before Jinder Mahal made his way down to the ring. This did three things. First, it put more substance between Barrett. Second, it gave Jinder a nice spotlight this week. Thirdly, Sheamus was bested one week, but he is sure to get his revenge next week against Mahal.
Drew vs. Santino was a fun match. It was yet another chapter in the Drew/Teddy saga. I will wait until next week to see where this is going. For now, Santino has himself a new role in WWE, and I am very interested in seeing him every week on the Blue Brand.
Quick thumbs up to the Michael Cole vs. Daniel Bryan video clip! That was amazing.
Once again, Rosa Mendes shined. Did anybody really care about Air Boom vs. Primo and Epico? I was too focused on Rosa. My three "it" girls all did a wonderful job tonight. Alicia, Aksana and Rosa all showed off their skills! Air Boom lost, and the tag titles seem to be in jeopardy down the line.
The main event World Title match was fine. Bryan vs. Show was never going to be much, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Mark Henry was amazing at commentary, as expected. He can add so much to a show without being risked inside the squared circle.
I understand the story behind the "weak" ending, so I was fine with it. WWE needs a big story going into the Royal Rumble, and Smackdown has a very intriguing main event scene.
The Bad
Hunico defeated Ted DiBiase in a short match. I wanted to care. I really did. I tried, but I just couldn't. The finisher used by Hunico was very nice. I must admit that. Make me care about these two, WWE!
The Ugly
Tamina beat Natalya in a short match as well. I have no problem with the outcome. I just did not see a reason for this to take place. Why not hype up their father's WWE history a little bit more. How about give this some build? No. It happened all in five minutes. Then it was over.
As you can see, I found this Smackdown show to be entertaining. The "good" far outweighed anything else, and every performer did a fine job. What did you folks think? Let me know...
REMINDER: I am now on Twitter @JustinWatry! I give every new follower a special shout out, so do not be shy...thanks.
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