Csonka’s Smackdown Review 02.07.17

Csonka’s Smackdown Review 02.07.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Non-Title Match: Baron Corbin defeated Miz, IC Champion Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles @ 13:07 via pin [***½]
– Apollo Crews defeated Dolph Ziggler @ 1:05 via pin [NR]
– The Vaudevillains, The Usos, and The Ascension defeated American Alpha, Slater & Rhyno, and FaBreeze @ 10:05 via pin [**]
– Non-Title Match: WWE Champion John Cena defeated Randy Orton @ 13:35 via pin [**¾]

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– We open with a video package on the Cena vs. Orton rivalry.

The 912th edition of @WWE #SDLive is LIVE NOW on @USA_Network! And we are getting ready for @JohnCena vs. @RandyOrton one-on-one TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/oSKOw8kdJN

— WWE (@WWE) February 8, 2017

Daniel Bryan is Here: Bryan is out to kick off the show, and gets the hometown love from the crowd. He’s glad to be home, and brings up his retirement last year. The last year has not been easy, but he is grateful, grateful to be the GM of Smackdown, to come to Seattle and give the fans the best show possible. And soon, very soon, he will be a dad. The Miz arrives to ruin the party. Miz gives Bryan the sad face and says “boo hoo,” Bryan had to retire. Miz tells him to become a stay at home dad, notes Bryan can’t wrestle any more and says he can’t wrestle. Bryan says that never stopped Miz. Miz says Bryan doesn’t respect him and says Bryan can’t wrestle any more, but he can and at Elimination Chamber (the fans try their hardest to drown him out.) Miz is not amused, and then Corbin arrives. He says Miz needs to know when to shut up, because he talks too much. Miz thinks they should partner up at the PPV, but Corbin threatens to take him out right now. Bryan sarcastically asks Corbin not to punch Miz in the face, and Ambrose arrives. Ambrose says they are being cute and mocks Miz’s wardrobe. He then claims he will be a double champion after the PPV. AJ Styles arrives, and asks if they are done. He wants to know if they are done playing fantasy. Styles says he has beaten them all, and doesn’t care about any of them. He only cares about being WWE Champion and will win his title back. Miz claims it will not happen, and Bryan books them in a fatal four-way match for tonight… NEXT.This was a good, overall segment as they all got some time to talk; the Miz and Bryan stuff still works, and the crowd ate it up.

Miz vs. IC Champion Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin: Ambrose controls early, dumping Corbin and Miz. Ambrose and Styles work back and forth, Ambrose cuts him off on the springboard attempt and he crashes to the floor. Corbin takes control, taking out Styles as he tries another springboard. But he posts himself, Miz then DDTs Styles for a near fall. Miz mocks Bryan, does the Bryan kicks, but Ambrose rolls him up and we get rapid fire near falls between Ambrose, Miz and Styles. We then take a commercial break. Post break, we got a tower of doom spot, Corbin covers Miz for a near fall, and then covers Styles for a near fall. Miz laid in corner kicks to Corbin, but then ran into deep six for the near fall. Styles cuts off Corbin with a PELE, and then hits the forearm and covers for 2. Miz fights off the clash, hits the running knee and that gets 2. v fires up with clotheslines to Miz, and a neck breaker to Styles. He sends Corbin to the floor, hits the suicide dive and then slams Miz and Styles to the barricade. Then hits the elbow drop press to Corbin, but Styles makes the save. Styles hits the asai DDT, but Miz makes the save. Styles fights him off, springboard forearm to Miz but Maryse pulls him to the floor end of days by Corbin finishes Styles. Baron Corbin defeated Miz, IC Champion Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles @ 13:07 via pin [***½] This was a very good match to kick off the show, with the guys working hard, keeping a great pace and avoiding the traps of the multi-man match. Corbin winning was the right call; he needed it the most and gained the most from the win. Styles had things in hand, but Maryse saving Miz distracted him long enough to allow Corbin to pick up the win. This was tremendously fun.

– We get a Luke Harper promo; he never had anything and has nothing to lose. Orton stole his family and is a liar. He knows how to fix it, but cutting the head off of the Viper is too easy. At Elimination Chamber, he will eliminate Orton. Pencil that match in.

– Nikki Bella is here for an interview from an undisclosed location. Natalya also joins us, and they are separated due to their recent brawls. Phillips asks is they can reconcile, but Nikki says that the Natalya she knew is dead to her. Natalya says Nikki has no friends, only followers. She will expose Nikki for the poor wrestler and human being she is. Natalya says she has never lied, and is upset that Nikki turned Bret against her. Nikki says Natalya is crazy and bitter. Nikki says that no one respects Natalya anymore, and Natalya promises to put her on the shelf and says she will never have a baby. Nikki says Natalya has only been good at wrestling, and when she wins, Natalya will have ruined her family legacy. This just fell off a cliff, as Natalya says Cena will move onto a smarter and prettier woman, and one that is better than Nikki; if she wasn’t married, Cena would be with her. It just fell into that “bitches be crazy” thing WWE loves, but at least they tried to add heat to their match.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews: Ziggler has completely owned Kalisto the last few weeks, so Crews is trying to get revenge for his little buddy. Crews hit a dropkick at the bell, sent Ziggler to the post and then missed a charge and posted himself. The DDT by Ziggler followed, Crews blocked the superkick and rolled up Ziggler for the win. Apollo Crews defeated Dolph Ziggler @ 1:05 via pin [NR]

Ziggler got overconfident, and this time he took the quick loss. The feud between these guys will continues, I can see them in a three-way on the PPV pre-show.

– Post match, Ziggler beat down Crews with a chair, and there as so much sympathy for Crews that the fans chanted “one more time!” Kalisto made the save, Ziggler beat him down with chair shots and the fans again wanted more.

– We get a Black History Month video on Rosa Parks.

– Bryan then books Ziggler vs. Crews & Kalisto in a handicap match. I was close.

Dual Contract Signing: This is the contract signing for both Bliss vs. Naomi & Lynch vs. James. Naomi had to wear her gear because of her entrance; the others got to wear street clothes. James but herself and Bliss over as the superior athletes, and said Renee as a cosplay journalist, and took over the segment. She then claimed that this whole division was built off of her desire to be the best, and Lynch is trying to take all the credit for the revolution. James has waited 7-years to return and get the credit she deserves. She will prove that she created the revolution and created Lynch, because without her, there would be no Lynch. James’ reinvention will begin with the destruction of Lynch. Lynch claims she respected James until she cost her, her title. Things got tough, and James bailed for 7-years. Lynch says she will walk right through her, and bring some straight fire and slap James into the past. Bliss says Lynch is low class, buts over James for beating Trish Stratus at WrestleMania. Bliss then shoots on Lynch’s dyed hair, and says that this is her division. She then said she forgot about Naomi, but it’s ok because she will beat her on Sunday. Naomi reminds her that she pinned her twice, and threatens to snatch her bald. She is looking to go to Mania, in her hometown as the champion. She hit Bliss with a high kick and we got the big brawl. Naomi wiped out James and Bliss with a dive as she and Lynch stood tall. Good segment overall as they were focused on selling the PPV matches as something important, the complete opposite of the catty Nikki & Natalya segment. They have a chance to deliver on the PPV, as they have more matches to work with and I hope they kill it.

American Alpha, Slater & Rhyno, and FaBreeze vs. The Vaudevillains, The Usos, and The Ascension: The heels couldn’t get along early, allowing Gable to get some run until the Vaudevillains cut him off. English controlled for a bit, but Gable fought back and tagged in Jordan, they ran wild with double teams but FaBreeze tagged themselves in as it broke down and we took a break. Post break, The Usos worked the heat on Slater. The crowd wanted Rhyno, but the heels worked quick tag and kept Slater isolated. The heels argued over who would get to pummel Slater more, allowing Slater to get the hot tag to Rhyno. Rhyno ran wild, hit a spinebuster but it broke down big time. Bodies to the floor, mass brawling and Alpha clears the ring. Jordan tossed Gable onto the pile of bodies on the floor. Rhyno speared Konnor, but ate the big knee off the ropes by Viktor, and picked up the win. The Vaudevillains, The Usos, and The Ascension defeated American Alpha, Slater & Rhyno, and FaBreeze @ 10:05 via pin [**] This was solid, but a bit too chaotic, and not in a good way. This all feels so thrown together because they haven’t done anything with the division since the Wyatts lost the belts. It was solid build for Sunday’s tag title match, and the Ascension surely needed a win.

– They mention the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express going into the WWE Hall of Fame, no video.

– John Cena will be on ESPN this week.

– Orton vs. Harper is official for Sunday’s PPV.

– Bray Wyatt is at ringside.

WWE Champion John Cena vs. Randy Orton: They worked a basic back and forth to begin, Orton slowed the pace and worked his stomps and then sent Cena to the floor. Orton followed, slamming Cena to the steps and we took a commercial break. Post break, Orton cut off Cena’s comeback and then they teased finishers. Orton looked for the draping DDT, but Cena sent him to the floor. Cena followed, looked for an AA but Orton escaped and slammed Cena onto the announce table. Back in the ring, Cena fired back with rights. Proto bomb by Cena, five-knuckle shuffle followed and then hits the AA for a near fall. Cena up top, Orton cuts him off and hits the draping DDT out of the corner. Orton fired up, hit the RKO, but Cena survived. Bray is not pleased. Cena blocks an RKO, goes for the AA but we get a ref bump. Orton taps, but there is no ref and Bray hits the ring for the big beat down. Cena fights back, but Bray hits sister Abigail. Luke Harper arrives, stands off with Bray and then levels him with the lariat. Orton then eats an AA from Cena and he’s done. WWE Champion John Cena defeated Randy Orton @ 13:35 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good match, but nothing special. The angle came off well, setting up the Chamber and Orton vs. Harper, but I just felt that the match was missing some energy. They weren’t even playing the hits, it just felt as If they were playing it safe.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

I thought that tonight’s show was an overall good effort, with the focus being strongly on the Chamber PPV. It was nothing that blew me away and wasn’t great, but it was easy to watch and did its job as the final sell for the PPV.