Smackdown opens with Booker T being attended to by officials and trainers. We get told the Cody Rhodes attacked Booker before the show opened and they give us a replay of what happened before the show went on the air. Cody goes on commentary as Booker gets walked to the back. Michael starts the show off very annoying. Go figure. Lillian Garcia is back. I enjoy some good eye candy when it doesn’t act like it knows how to wrestle.
First match of the night is a beat the clock challenge with Wade Barrett taking on Ezekial Jackson. Barrett has been on a role as of late and this beat the clock is a competition with Randy Orton on who can defeat their opponent the quickest. The person who wins their match and does it in the quickest time gets to pick the stipulation for their match at TLC. Barrett defeats Ezekial in just under eight minutes. It’s interesting that they wasted time on giving Ezekial buildup promos over the last month or so just to have the guy lose in eight minutes. Barrett looks good against a bigger guy like Ezekial and that goes to show how much Barrett has improved during his short time with the company. Barrett cuts a promo after the match and we get told that Orton will face Dolph Ziggler later on tonight.
Otunga and Teddy Long exchange words about what happened last week with Otunga in the street fight. Long books Otunga in a match tonight with Sheamus. Daniel Bryan comes out next to cut a promo. Michael Cole interrupts. Bryan and Cole exchange words and Bryan goes outside to go after Cole and Rhodes nails Bryan as Cole continues to yell at him. I hate listening to Michael Cole. Looks like Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan can now give us a match. I still think TLC might be a good time for Bryan to cash in, but I’ve been saying that since he won the damn briefcase.
Zack Ryder wrestles and defeats Heath Slater in a short match. Apparently Slater is just a common Smackdown jobber these guys. Good add to the Ryder Revolution to keep the hype going. Cole ranted like a whiny little bitch during this entire match and Josh Matthews pointed it out. I’m not sure if this match was for Ryder or if it was just filler time to put over Michael Cole as the guy that won’t shut up. I can honestly almost picture Cole taking over as RAW GM soon(we could only be so lucky to get him off commentary).
Ted Dibiase and Jinder Mahal go one on one next. Mahal looks so much more badass than he actually is. Dibiase gets a good pop from the crowd. I’m starting to think Zack Ryder is on to something good with this whole connecting with the fans idea. To be honest it looks like the “Dibiase posse” role may have taken Dibiase’s career from life support to the ICU. I wouldn’t say he’s in the clear just yet though as this is only a feud with Jinder Mahal. Dibiase and Mahal put on a pretty solid match that keeps the crowd alive with high spots. Dibiase picks up the win to continue his momentum. It seems safe to say that Mahal will never have a role bigger than Muhammad Hassan did despite the fact that he has a good look and potential appeal as more than a low-mid card heel. I wonder if this rivalry will continue after this with Mahal possibly interfering in Dibiase’s match next week or something.
Big Show went to the American Country Awards and put Trace Adkins through a table. WWE in the main stream can be fun. Show comes out to cut a promo. Show mentions that it’s been nine years since he held a World Championship by beating Brock Lesnar. Show says it’s time for him to become World Champion again. Mark Henry comes down and wants to say something to Show’s face but won’t come in the ring unless Show agrees not to put his hands on him. After some bickering, Show agrees not to hurt him. Henry says some things and says they’re going to have a fight for the decades. Henry says let’s let bygones be bygones and may the best man win. Henry extends his hand for a handshake; the two eventually shake hands. Henry sucker punches Show to the ground and Show gets up and takes him down. Show grabs a chair and hits Henry and they get broken up by officials.
Hornswoggle is the guest ring announcer for the next match of Sheamus taking on David Otunga. Hornswoggle says he’s always wanted to do this and Cole says he wants to drive his head through the announce table. This was the funniest thing Cole said all night. They go back and forth and give us a short match with Sheamus picking up the win. It’s good to see the Sheamus character showing personality while Creative has nothing to do with him. Why not take a guy like Del Rio out of the title picture and let Sheamus kick his ass week in and week out? I know I would be entertained for at least two matches. On a side note, Josh Matthews has really stepped up on commentary while they push Michael Cole’s ranting and raving heel persona. Otunga doesn’t look horrible in the ring, which makes me wonder if he may have been nursing an injury during the time that he’s been just running his mouth backstage all these weeks. It’s disappointing to see his former partner wrestle the squash matches on Superstars and at live events when you know McGillicutty is far more talented than Otunga.
Hornswoggle celebrates with Sheamus after the match.
Daniel Bryan and Cody Rhodes are the next match of the night. Rhodes and Bryan put on a solid match from bell to bell. These guys definitely have potential for future matches with the sort of chemistry they demonstrated here. Bryan’s kicks are amazing and look like they actually hurt. The match ends with Booker T coming down to attack Rhodes. We get the look within mystery video again as the match ends. I’m pretty sure it’s Jericho. Enough said on this. Bryan sold the rib injury well during the match and made it seem like the injury might come into play for a little while longer.
We get another segment with Aksana and Teddy Long. Aksana asks Long to help her get her own show on WWE Network. We get a boob tube reference. Rhodes interrupts and asks Long if he saw what happened out there. Rhodes demands a match with Booker T and Long makes it for TLC with the Intercontinental Title on the line. Rhodes asks Aksana what she’s looking at and she says nothing. She keeps staring at him as he walks away. Cole complains about Long not doing his job well and watching the show. Striker interviews Orton and asks him about his thoughts on needing to beat Ziggler in under eight minutes. Orton said Wade Barrett did Dolph Ziggler a favor tonight by not forcing him to suffer slowly. The good news for Dolph is that it will be over quickly and Orton says he has Barrett exactly where he wants him.
Orton and Ziggler give us another good showing. Orton dominates the majority of the match. Barrett comes down and knocks Orton down on the outside with 30 seconds to go. Orton crawls into the ring and hits the RKO on Ziggler to score the pinfall with two seconds left on the clock! Barrett comes into the ring and attacks Orton after the match. Orton recovers and Barrett goes up the ramp and looks down at ringside. Orton looks pissed as he grabs Ziggler and puts him through the table with a powerbomb! One would assume this means the match at TLC is a tables match. Cole and Matthews say the same thing.
Smackdown was far better this week than last. The wrestling was sound and helped push storylines towards TLC quite nicely. Show and Henry are the only dull spot for me as I’m sick of their feud. I hope it doesn’t go into the new year. The heat between Barrett and Orton feels like the most important part of Smackdown right now, and both guys have done a terrific job working with other talent to produce good matches. That’s all for this one. RAW column and TLC predictions will be up Tuesday and Wednesday. My second Know Your Role piece should be out this week as well. Until next time, you’ve been ThunderStruck!
