CM Punk's posse has a name, and a stated motivation. But will they appear on Smackdown? Lets find out!
The opening recap promises Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler as the main event, as well as both John Cena and Big Show on the show! That means Vickie will be here as well, right? I can't wait!
We go straight to John Cena making his way to the ring, saying "he knows it's Friday" to the camera before running to the ring. He hits the ring and has a mic, but before he can talk, lets recap his match with Ziggler from Monday, where he overcame the odds, surviving a self-inflicted knee injury and a would-be briefcase shot to beat Dolph. "I want the world to know that this is Friday Night Smackdown! I know, something seems mysterious, do not adjust your television sets at home, I am John Cena. Not a regular so much on Friday Night Smackdown, but especially excited just like all of you tonight, for the main event of this particular Smackdown. Because you'll see it at home and you guys will see it live, tonight's main event involves Mr. Money in the Bank Dolph Ziggler. And there's a reason I focus on Dolph Ziggler, because quite frankly he's heavily focused on me, my business, and pointing fingers at your truly. Tonight, I point the finger directly back at Dolph Ziggler. Dolph Ziggler, a man whose greatest accomplishment is being World Heavyweight Champion... for two minutes. A glorious 120 seconds. And Dolph Ziggler, whose biggest fear, besides all of you finding out he's a man stuck in a teenage girl's body, is losing the Money in the Bank briefcase. Because when that briefcase goes, so does his identity. It's been shown time and time again that he hides behind the power of Vickie Guerrero, yet every week he comes out here, says that he's the Show-Off and says that he can run with the biggest superstars in the WWE. You guys saw the footage, Monday we put that to the test, where Dolph Ziggler was put in a match with me. Five day spoiler alert, he lost. But the reason, the reason I came here tonight, the reason I'm just as excited as all of you, because tonight Dolph Ziggler doesn't just have a match, Dolph Ziggler is in a fight, because tonight for the main event on Smackdown, Dolph Ziggler somehow has to survive a match with Sheamus!" And we're overdue for an interruption, so here comes... Alberto Del Rio? w/Ricardo Rodriguez.
Del Rio has a mic and is talking even as he walks out onto the stage. "Oh Cena, Cena, Cena, Cena, poor Cena. Hey, hey John Cena you shouldn't be worried about Dolph Ziggler, you should be worried about me. Because this is my house, this is my show." "No, no, wait, wait he's wrong, he's wrong. Allow me to correct Alberto Del Rio, last time I checked, this is a WWE broadcast, which means the show belongs to the WWE Universe." "No no no no no no no no, Smackdown is my show, John Cena, gringo stupido. Do I need to remind you that I am a former Money in the Bank winner, or a former Royal Rumble match winner, or do I need to remind you that I am a former two-time WWE Champion." Crowd chants Cena. "Whoawhoawhoawhoa, and most important, John Cena, do you forget that the last time you and I were here in this ring, I destroyed you, I beat you. So John Cena, why don't you leave my show and my ring right now." "I didn't forget any of those things, I remember all of them, but I can't go. You see because I'm very interested in tonight's main event, but since I was here I figured I'd have a match, which I do, with you, now." And Cena pops Del Rio with a sucker punch, leading Del Rio to bail out of the ring. That match is next!
I forgot to mention this in the Survivor Series thread, but Renee Paquette made her WWE debut in the pre-show, as Renee Young. And now tonight she's doing the WWE promotional stuff during the commercials. Welcome back, Renee!
John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio w/Ricardo Rodriguez: The match begins when we return. Lockup, Del Rio grabs the side headlock. Cena launches him off the roipes, goes under, leapfrogs over, then hits a hiptoss. Del Rio rolls out of the ring to regroup with Ricardo. Cena moves to catch Del Rio as he starts to re-enter the ring, but Del Rio hangs him over the top rope, then goes on the attack. Now it's Cena rolling out to regroup, but Del Rio pursues and kicks him by the announce table. His head is slammed onto the announce table, then he's rolled back into the ring. Del Rio goes up top! Flying axehandle hits! 1, 2, no. He hits kicks in the corner on Cena. Cena comes back with kicks and punches, taking Del Rio to the other corner. Whip, reversed, and Cena goes down hard hitting the corner. Del Rio with a stomp on the head, then he mocks 'You can't see me'. Running boot takes Cena down. He wants another one! A second running boot drops Cena. He wisely does not go for a third, instead picking Cena up for a snap suplex that gets two. Dolph Ziggler is watching on a monitor backstage, as Del Rio applies an armbar. Cena slowly starts getting to his feet, but Del Rio knees him in the gut and takes him down with a forearm. He wants another suplex, but Cena blocks and hits his own! Cena goes for a charge on Del Rio in the corner, but Del Rio ducks away and Cena hits the ringpost hard. Del Rio waits for him to rise, then hits the stepladder enziguiri to the arm. You know, Del Rio, when that hits the head you win matches! Del Rio wraps the arm around the ropes to wear it down, then goes up top again. Another flying axehandle hits! Cena kicks out again at two, so Del Rio kicks him in the back, then applies a top wristlock. The match will continue!
After the break, we return to Del Rio on the top rope again, but his senton misses! Cena ducks a clothesline, and hits a flying shoulderblock! Another! Del Rio's clothesline is ducked and Cena hits his modified back suplex. "You can't see me!" Off the ropes, and the Five Knuckle Shuffle hits. Del Rio staggers up and Cena has him measured for the AA, but Alberto slides down Cena's back and hits the Backstabber instead! It only gets two. Del Rio complains to the ref, before kicking the downed Cena. He wants the cross armbreaker now, and picks Cena up, but Cena counters into a swinging neckbreaker (!). Cena goes out to the apron, and heads up towards the top rope. He doesn't do this much anymore, and now we see why as Del Rio hits the stepladder enziguiri to the head this time! But Cena kicks out! Del Rio wants Cena to get up so he can do it again, but Cena ducks it this time and wants the STF! Del Rio won't let him lock it in, rolling over and kicking him off, then landing a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker (!!) on the rebound. Cena kicks out again. Del Rio looks annoyed, and he's going up to the top rope again. This flying axehandle is countered by the rare Cena dropkick, and both men are down! Cena is stirring first, and both men get up. Cena wants the AA, but Del Rio drops out of it and wants the cross armbreaker, but Cena rolls through Del Rio's application of it and rolls him over for the STF! Del Rio is a long way from the ropes, but he's trying to turn to the side. He starts prying Cena's fingers to try to escape, then manages to reach to the ropes to break the hold. Del Rio bails to the apron, and Cena wants to bring him right back in, but Del Rio grabs Cena and locks in the armbreaker over the top rope! That's illegal, but he milks the count to four before releasing. Kick to the gut by Del Rio, but his attempt to sunset flip back into the ring is caught by Cena with a fireman's carry! Del Rio AGAIN slides down the back, and lands a nice bridging german suplex! 1, 2, no! Del Rio picks Cena up and positions him on the top rope, then down into the Tree of Woe. He chokes Cena with his boot, then backs across the ring. He charges Cena, who pulls himself up, causing Del Rio to run into the ringpost. Cena slowly turns himself around up top, and it's been a while since he's done this. Top rope Fameasser hits! 1, 2, 3, Cena wins! That was the Sicilian Slice when Nunzio did it, right? As Cena poses for the fans on the ramp, though, Dolph Ziggler runs out to level him from behind with the briefcase. Ziggler smirks as he surveys the damage he's done.
The commentators argue about whether the attack was justified, then segue to a recap of The Shield's attack on Kane and Daniel Bryan, leaving out the latest involvement of The Ryback. And here's why, as we cut backstage to WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan, looking up to WWE Tag Team Champions Kane. They don't seem quite as dysfunctional as usual, but here's Kofi Kingston to drop by and stand between them. "Guys, look. I know that you're not going to magically start getting along, especially after what happened on Raw, but tonight we've got a six man tag team match against Wade Barrett and the Prime Time Players. You guys just have to get on the same page. Can you do that?" "I don't see why not. My tag team partner is one of the most powerful, destructive forces in WWE history. He can and will eviscerate anyone who stands in his way." "And my partner is one of the most dangerous submission specialists in WWE history, who can and will make men twice his size squeal in pain and tap out. In other words, the world hasn't even begun to see just how dangerous and lethal we can be, but they're about to, starting TONIGHT. So you want to know if we can get along? The answer is YES!" "YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!" Both Kane and Bryan yell "YES!" in unision, as they head off together. Kofi, somehow, doesn't seem comforted.
Backstage, John Cena and Booker T are having a conference in a hallway. "The guy who hits me in the back is Dolph Ziggler? I am glad I'm here tonight, because I tell you, as soon as he gets out there, BAM!" "I need you to calm down." "Calm down? I just got jacked!" "I know you're upset, I would be too. I need you to do me a favour, aight? I don't need my show breaking down, aight? Now this match between Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler, I need you to let that match take place, dawg. Aight? I'm talking about greatness, aight? Now, after my business is taken care of, you feel the need to handle your business, go! By all means, you can do that! Just do this for me, aight? Just one time." "You're lucky we go back a long way. Alright."
The Great Khali w/Hornswoggle vs. David Otunga: Otunga opens the match with devastating muscle poses. He tries a kick, but Khali catches it. He gets shoved off the ropes and taken down with a clothesline. Hornswoggle attacks on the outside with a buttsplash. Otunga looks ready to go after him for revenge, so Khali comes out to pursue Otunga. JBL: "I saw Hornswoggle backstage and he said he wasn't happy. And I said, I'm sorry little fella, which one are you?" Khali takes Otunga down with a clothesline. Back into the ring, Otunga tries to cut Khali off as he enters, but to no avail. Khali connects with the brain chop, and that does it. Khali gets the win. The two start dancing. Yeah. Up next is the six man tag match!
WWE Tag Team Champions Kane, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston vs. Wade Barrett and the Prime Time Players: JBL on the Prime Time Players: "As commentators, they're good wrestlers." Aw, no love for Titus? Kane and Bryan enter together to Kane's theme, and Bryan noticably is not mad at the crowd. After their mutual beatdown on Monday they seem on the same page, but for how long will that last? We start with Kane and D-Young. Kane immediately lands an uppercut, and starts pounding away on Young in the corner. He mouths off to Titus, then drops Young with another shot. Kane chokes him under the bottom rope. Whip to the friendly corner, and Kane tags Bryan. Kane whips Bryan towards the corner for his corner dropkick! Bryan lands corner kicks, which aren't yes or no kicks today, because he's all business. Tag back to Kane, as Bryan snapmares Young into the Kane low dropkick. Young kicks out. Kane with the arm-wringer, a shoulder-block, then a kneedrop to the arm. Kane maintains the hold, until Young flips back to his feet. Whip to the ropes, Young hits a clubbing forearm and immediately tags O'Neill, who takes a boot to the face. Kane clotheslines him out to the floor and tags Bryan, who hits the running knee off the apron! Fans chant "Yes!" as Bryan nods. Can they keep it going after the break?
When we return, Young tries to hiptoss Kofi, but Kofi lands on his feet and hits a dropkick for two. Kane tags in, and Kofi holds him for a kick. Kane ties Young up in the ropes and mauls his face. Stomps along the ropes, and Kane tags Bryan. Double whip, double hiptoss. Bryan covers for two. European uppercuts by Bryan. JBL: "World's toughest vegan into the match! Not the hottest vegan ever. Pamela Anderson was a vegan. Before electricity, she was smoking." Young gets the elbow up to cut Bryan off, and Titus makes a blind tag. Bryan whips Young off the ropes, Young reverses, and he throws Bryan into the big boot of Titus on the apron. Titus starts the beatdown, with a big slam, and the seal bark. Tag back to Young, and they hit a double shoulderblock. Legdrop by Young. Backbreaker by Young! His cover only gets two. Young applies a surfboard. As Bryan fights up, he segues to a waistlock and pulls him to the corner, where Titus tags in. Titus lands a single kick and then tags Barrett, who comes in for the first time. Pumphandle slam hits! It gets two. Barrett applies the rear chinlock. Bryan starts fighting up in response to the "Yes!" chants. Barett whips him to the corner, but Bryan gets the elbow up. He comes charging out of the corner right into the Winds of Change! Bryan kicks out at two. O'Neill makes the tag, landing a punch to the ribs. Knee to the face in the ropes, and Young lands a legdrop on Bryan behind the ref's back. Titus sets Bryan up for his arm-holding slam, then tags Young. Front suplex of Young onto Bryan, who kicks out. Now Young has the rear chinlock, with a knee in the back too. Bryan gets back to his feet, and starts fighting out. The two trade blows, with Bryan coming out on top. Whip, reversed, northern lights suplex on the rebound by Young for two. Young asks O'Neill to get his boot up, but Titus apparently isn't listening, so Young just makes a normal tag instead and holds Bryan for a free shot from Titus. Backbreaker by O'Neill, then a second one, and he tosses him away. The commentators start trading Daniel Bryan facts, with JBL saying Bryan has a dog named Asparagus and Josh recycling the old 'he doesn't own a television' line. Titus sets up in the three point stance, but his charge meets Bryan's boots. JBL: "Maybe you should be a colour commentator, because you're sure not a play-by-play guy." That gets a chuckle from Josh. Bryan crawls over towards the tag. Titus tags Young, Bryan makes the hot tag to Kane! Kane takes Young down with an uppercut. Clothesline by Kane. Whip to the corner, clothesline! Other corner, another clothesline! Kane gives Barrett a shot too, then catches Young with a side slam. Cover gets two, so Kane climbs to the top rope. Top rope clothesline hits! Titus breaks up the cover, so Kofi springboards in with a high clothesline, and gives Barrett on the apron Trouble in Paradise too! Young clotheslines Kofi over the top rope, landing on the apron himself. He hangs Kane up on the top rope when Kane comes after him, then climbs to the top rope. Kane catches him coming off with the choke, and hits the chokeslam! Then Kane... tags Bryan in willingly! Bryan goes up top, and the flying headbutt connects! The NO!lock is applied, and Young taps out. They co-existed! The winning team raises their hands, and Kane sets off his pyro. High-five between Bryan and Kane!
Backstage, we join Matt Striker w/Ridiculous Mustache. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the man that will challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Chairs match at TLC, Sheamus." "Oh yeah, what's going on Striker?" "I'm good, I'd like to get your comments about your match tonight with Dolph Ziggler." "Ah yes, well, as we all know the good news is that thanks to Booker T, John Cena will not be getting involved in our main event match tonight. The bad news is for him however is that he has to face me. And it gets worse because, as far as I'm concerned, I'm not actually facing Dolph Ziggler tonight." "How so?" "Well y'see, because of the last couple of weeks, of all the running away, attacking from behind, crying like a baby, pulling a referee in front of himself to save his title, every opponent I've been in the ring with, to me, is lookin' like the Big Show. And that's bad news for blondie. Because that means I'm going to fight harder, punch harder and hit harder than Dolph Ziggler has ever experienced in his entire life. And when I'm done with Ziggler, he's going to be begging for John Cena to come down and put him out of his misery. Y'see, you and me know, Ziggler considers himself a bit of a show-off. Well tonight, after our match, he can walk around and show off his head. Because I'm going to kick it clean off his shoulders." That'll be our main event, but up next, a recap of The Shield!
It's the Raw Rebound! CM Punk vs. Kane with The Shield running in! We saw this on Raw!
Your Intellectual Saviour Damien Sandow makes an entrance, mic in hand. "Allow me to beg your indulgance for a moment. My name is Damien Sandow, and for the last several months I have attempted to enlighten all of you. An attempt which has proven to be futile. As your intellectual saviour I pledge that I cannot, nay, I will not abandon all of you. However, I will not be focusing on the masses. I have decided in my infinite wisdom that I will be redirecting my efforts and sharing my knowledge with all of you on an individual basis. Silence! Therefore, I will be selecting one member from the audience to be my apprentice! Now who amongst you is worthy of such an esteemed position? No. No. Absolutely not. I have no idea how they even let you in the building. No. You. Security! If you will please escort this.. person in the yellow shirt to the ring." He's pointed out a fan in a CM Punk GTS shirt. "Now as I have stated, my efforts are refocused on an individual basis, but you can all learn something, so I suggest you all pay very close attention." Sandow and the fan, who's quite short, get into the ring. Well, maybe he's just short compared to Sandow. The fan raises his hands and yells "Woo!", prompting Sandow to reply "Stop that.". "You have the privilege of having the opportunity to become my apprentice. I will ask you a series of three questions which you must answer correctly. Question number one: How many wheels on a tricycle?" "Three." "Very good." "Woo!" "Sir. Bad form. Question number two: How often does the United States hold presidential elections?" "Every four years." "Smarter than he looks. Question number three: What is the orbital velocity of Jupiter's moon, Europa?" Ah, we're going Python-esque. "I have no idea." "You ignoramus! The answer is 13.74 km/s! Congratulations, you have embarassed yourself, you have embarassed your family, and you have embarassed the entire state of Louisiana! Your- SILENCE! Your public display of ignorance is surpassed only by that ridiculous haircut, leave my ring, you are dismissed. Leave my ring, leave the building, leave this town, leave this state, leave the United States of America! Wait! Wait. You're welcome." Sandow smirks, as his music plays. He has a match after the commerical break!
Damien Sandow vs. Tyson Kidd: Hey, remember when Kidd eliminated two people in his Survivor Series match? Yeah, he gets no entrance here. Kidd with kicks to the thigh, and Sandow bails out of the way. Kidd goes for a plancha, but Sandow ducks away from that as well, so Kidd lands on the apron. Sandow grabs his leg and pulls him down face-first onto the apron, then rams him back-first into it. Back into the ring they go, and Sandow stomps away. Sandow poses and takes a bow. Side russian legsweep sets up the Cubito Aequet, which gets two. Crossface chickenwing is applied. Kidd gets back to his feet and punches out of the hold, but takes a clubbing forearm. Off the ropes, Kidd ducks the clothesline and hits a crossbody for one! Thigh kicks by Kidd, then a spinning kick. Kidd charges Sandow in the corner and Sandow gets a boot up, but Kidd catches it and spins him around backwards, then lands a kick to the back of his head! Kidd with another kick, off the ropes with a dropkick, but Sandow kicks out. Sandow rolls out of the ring again, and Kidd hits a suicide dive to punish him! He's thrown back into the ring, and Kidd goes for the springboard elbowdrop, but Sandow gets the knees up. Sandow takes advantage and hits Terminus for the win. He celebrates, as expected, with the Rotation of Illumination!
Backstage, Dolph Ziggler is approached by Matt Striker w/Ridiculous Mustache. You know, it's Movember, maybe I should lay off him. It's not nearly as ridiculous as Canadian sportscaster Jay Onrait's Movember 'stache anyway. I guess we'll see if he still has it next week! "Dolph, is it safe to say tonight that you feel as if, as if you have something to prove after losing to John Cena this past Monday night on Raw?" "You call what happened to me a loss? That was more like a handicap match, AJ ran down and got involved in my business. And by the way, the golden boy, Mr. Hustle, Loyalty and Respect John Cena didn't seem to mind taking full advantage of the situation, yet somehow I'm the bad guy in all this. And I'm sure tonight will be no different, another handicap match for Dolph Ziggler. Because I'm sure John Cena respects Booker T SO MUCH that he's just going to mind his own business. John Cena is not to be trusted. John Cena hid an affair with AJ for over a month. John Cena is the biggest liar in the history of WWE, and liars get what's coming to them. A Money in the Bank briefcase shot to the back of their skull. I'm the Show-Off. I'm the showstealer, I'm the sole survivor, I am so damn sick of being so damn sick! And I am the best thing going in sports-entertainment today. And Sheamus, thinks when he's looking across the ring tonight he's looking at Big Show when he's looking at me, he'd better look again. Because when he's looking my way, Sheamus is looking at the next World Heavyweight Champion. Show... off." Our main event is later tonight!
The Usos vs. 3MB, Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal w/Drew McIntyre: Good to see McIntyre back, even though he still doesn't get to wrestle for the team apparently. Apparently the JBL Show debuted today on WWE.com. Anyone going to check that out? Slater and Jey Uso start, Slater showboats until he's bulled into the corner and given repeated shoulderblocks. Tag to Jimmy Uso, a Jey headbutt takes Slater down, and a second-rope headbutt from Jimmy gets two. Slater dodges a corner charge but Jimmy pulls up before hitting the turnbuckles and punches Slater. A distraction by Jinder on the apron lets Slater take Jimmy down and stomp away. Tag to Jinder, the fun one, who continues stomping. Butterfly suplex gets one, and a rear chinlock is applied. Knee to the gut, and Jimmy's whipped to the corner, but he takes Jinder down with double-chops. Tag to Jey, who leaps over Jinder and takes Slater off the apron. Forearms to Jinder, and a kick to the gut, followed by an uppercut. Samoan drop! Running Umaga butt smash, and Slater breaks it up. Jimmy takes Slater out of the ring, but as the ref is ejecting him Slater kicks Jey in the back, letting Jinder set up the Uncle Slam! 1, 2, 3, and 3MB wins again. Cue the air guitars!
A recap of the Sheamus/Cesaro match and aftermath follows. But up next is our main event! Dolph Ziggler makes his entrance before the commercial break. The match is next!
Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus: Lockup, Sheamus powers Ziggler into the corner, and Ziggler immediately rolls outside. He re-enters the ring, circling once more. Lockup is ducked, Ziggler goes behind for a waistlock, but Sheamus elbows him. Headlock takedown by Sheamus. Ziggler up, shoots him off the ropes, but Sheamus shoulderblocks him down. Sheamus runs off the ropes, Ziggler ducks under, leapfrogs over, then takes Sheamus down with a clothesline. He follows that up with a Flair strut! Sheamus is back up and starts beating him down in the corner. Whip off the ropes, but Dolph kicks him with his head down. Sheamus levels him with a back elbow anyway. Scoop slam by Sheamus, off the ropes, windmilling elbowdrop gets one. Sheamus goes for a short-arm clothesline, but Dolph ducks and shoves him out of the ring. Dolph follows and tries a crossbody off the apron, but Sheamus catches him, and delivers a fallaway slam on Ziggler into the barricade! JBL: "What a fallaway slam by Sheamus. That reminds me of somebody." Josh: "I've never seen anyone do that slam with the power and impact that we just saw from Sheamus." JBL: "I'll ignore that." Sheamus throws Ziggler back into the ring, and Ziggler rolls through it to go out the other side, needing more time to regroup. Sheamus pursues him, as Ziggler is starting to crawl up the ramp. Sheamus throws him right back in, and hits a shoulderblock to try to set up the clubbering, but Ziggler counters by hanging Sheamus over the top rope. Standing dropkick sends Sheamus to the outside, and us to our last commercial break!
Ziggler is stomping away on Sheamus as we return. Stinger Splash in the corner! Ziggler gets two from that. Elbow to the back of Sheamus' head, and a punch drops him. Jumping elbowdrop gets two with a lax cover. Chinlock applied. Sheamus hits a back suplex to break the hold, and both men are down. Sheamus blocks Ziggler's punch and retaliates. Clothesline! A second one is cut off with a drop toe hold onto the second rope, and Ziggler follows with a kick to the face from the apron. Sheamus is in the ropes, so the pin is broken up. Ziggler chokes him with his boot in the corner, and stomps away. Headbutts by Ziggler in the corner! Another Stinger Splash is countered by Sheamus who elevates Ziggler up over the top rope, but he catches himself and lands on the apron. Sheamus takes advantage to grab him for the ten punch clubbering! He suplexes Dolph back into the ring, and Sheamus goes up top. Ziggler pops up to cut him off but Sheamus punches him to stop him. Ziggler is up again, so Sheamus leaps over him and rolls into the middle of the ring, then tries a Brogue Kick, but Ziggler ducks! Jumping DDT by Ziggler connects! 1, 2, no! Ziggler slowly gets back to his feet, as Sheamus is still down. Ziggler wants Sheamus to get up. Fameasser is shoved off, and Sheamus hits the Irish Curse on the rebound! 1, 2, no! Now Sheamus looks to be getting frustrated. Ziggler with a kick out of the corner, then another. Sheamus lifts him anyway for a powerslam, but Ziggler drops behind him and runs him into the corner, rolling him up from there for two before Sheamus powers out. Sheamus lifts Ziggler for White Noise, but Ziggler rolls through into a sunset flip, which Sheamus rolls through to try to grab the Texas Cloverleaf! Ziggler is fighting, but he gets lifted straight off the mat to get turned onto his back. But wait, here comes the Big Show, who's up on the apron. Sheamus breaks the hold to attack Show, who counters with headbutts, bringing on the DQ. Big Show with a punch to the gut of Sheamus, and now Ziggler joins in and stomps him. As expected, here comes John Cena to the rescue! Cena goes after Big Show because he's closer, but Show shoves him to the corner, as Sheamus turns the tide against Ziggler. Cena dodges a corner charge by the Big Show, just in time for Sheamus to feed him Ziggler for the AA, which connects! But Big Show grabs both Cena and Sheamus for the chokeslam. They counter and double suplex him instead! A double shoulderblock takes Big Show to the outside! Cena and Sheamus stand triumphant in the ring, as Big Show impotently rages on the outside. Cena and Sheamus hug and raise each other's hands. Will this set up a tag team match next week? We'll find out then, but for now, we're out!
If WWE doesn't start making YOU IGNORAMUS shirts within the next month, I don't know anything anymore.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
I really liked the main event, even if there was no realistic way to do a clean finish. And I think that after they finish up their current programs, they really ought to consider putting together Cena and Sheamus as tag champs. They could do some really fun big power offense together.
Originally posted by Big BadIf WWE doesn't start making YOU IGNORAMUS shirts within the next month, I don't know anything anymore.
Sandow's Apprentice: idea is great (ask Ted DiBiase, er, Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, not the other one) but execution was so-so. The bit required a punchline that never came. Sandow needs to be funnier with his routine. Wit is a symbol of intelligence.
JBL rattling off the vegans sexier than Daniel Bryan was my highlight.
Oh, and:
Josh: "Look at that fall away slam. No one has ever executed it with the power and ferocity of Sheamus." JBL: "I'll ignore that."
(edited by John Orquiola on 1.12.12 0938) @CMPunk “@ZackRyder: @CMPunk She played me bro” I got your back.
Cena vs. Del Rio was unusually very good for a Smackdown opener between Alberto Del Rio and John Cena. And this was, what, an hour after they taped the long Cena/Sandow match? It seems almost negligent to use Cena like that.
I complained after Raw that I thought Cena/Ziggler had lost the TLC stips to Punk/Ryback, but they've been mentioning the briefcase so much that it might be a ladder after all. Maybe Cena beat Ziggler clean to earn/goad him into putting the briefcase up which he will then lose.
Hell No, Rey & Sin Cara, and Rhodes Scholars had been planned to be in a tag title ladder match on this show before Cody got hurt, then it was going to be the same match with the PTPs as the heel team. But Bryan and Kane getting united, getting pissed, and going over strong makes me think they're going with them against the Shield instead.