411’s Instant Analysis 1.27.12: Friday Night Smackdown

We are now just days away from the 25th Royal Rumble and Smackdown isn’t just the usual go home show! Tonight is the return of the Viper Randy Orton! I must say I am genuinely looking forward to Smackdown this week as the show has suffered slightly with the absence of Orton. Well let’s get started with the last Smackdown before the official Road to Wrestlemania begins!

Opening Segment – Big Show is Back

At the beginning I thought this would be the same old Big Show promo, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Big Show has been known to have a softer side, one of the few three dimensional characters in the WWE, and this was the focal point of this segment but just went it was getting too much Daniel Bryan came down and taunted the temper of the giant which was brilliant as Bryan looked like the evil heel and Show looked dominant and aggressive going into Sunday. Even Mark Henry seemed like he was on a roll tonight as his no nonsense attitude once again was a highlight, seriously this guy is hilarious and he needs a show on WWE.com or something. The whole segment was just brilliantly done and I am excited for their match at the Royal Rumble, something I can’t say I was before the show. Henry is playing the tough heel to perfection, Bryan is coming on leaps and bounds with his character and Big Show managed to show emotion but still look dominant. Loved this!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Cody Rhodes v Justin Gabriel (Non-Title Match)

I’ve always liked Justin Gabriel so I have no issue with him getting a rematch here, I just hope this is the last of their matches as Smackdown has a serious habit of repeating the same matches over and over and over until it becomes unbearable! As for the match, it was decent although was way too short for anything of note to have happened. Gabriel looked good in the match, not so much in the defeat as the camera angle showed Gabriel’s head being protected during the Cross Rhodes so barely his shoulder actually hit the mat. Ok match but would have liked to see what these guys could do with 10 or 15 minutes more.

After the match there was a short backstage segment in which Drew McIntyre still isn’t fired! I like the guy and all but this storyline is dull as a box of rocks. Liked the new tag team of Santoshi (or Yoshitino) though.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Sheamus v Drew McIntyre

What’s funny about this is back in 2009 the way both of these guys were pushed you’d think that this would have been a marquee match to look forward to but sadly the WWE and their goldfish thinking have booked McIntyre to be a joke. I was actually surprised that a guy who just got beat off of Santino Marella got so much offence into someone of the stature of Sheamus, didn’t last long though as Sheamus went all hulk and kicked Drew into unemployment (maybe). The match was all right but again was really short, shorter than usual for a WWE match, which dragged it down considerably.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Yoshi Tatsu & Santino Marella v Epico and Primo

A rare sighting of Yoshi Tatsu in an actual match! The biggest problem I had with this was how much offence Santino actually got, due to his comedy routine any time Santino gets the better of someone it makes them look like crap! McIntyre now looks a joke and I seriously wonder if he will ever reclaim the position he once had. Epico and Primo looked better because they won but Tag Team Champions should be able to annihilate guys like Marella. Santino is funny but he makes people look terrible and that needs to stop, he is either a jobber or competition for champions he can’t be both!

There was a backstage segment with Bryan and Henry after the match, which was pretty dull.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Wade Barrett v Randy Orton

When this one was announced at the beginning of the show I thought it was a huge mistake having Randy Orton return to face Barrett on a simple go home show of Smackdown. But the actual execution of this one was way more angle than match and I much preferred it that way as now they can build to the eventual blow off of this feud somewhere down the line. Barrett was still able to escape without getting too much of a beat down and Orton was able to get a sliver of retribution, although only a little so that we are left wanting more. I really enjoyed the way this was booked as Barrett looks like a slimy bastard who will do anything and Orton looks like an unstoppable force both of which are heading to the Rumble! Great booking but I think with an added in brawl with everyone in the locker room this should have been the main event, I mean that is the traditional way to advertise the Royal Rumble match after all.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Hunico v Ted Dibiase

Ok seriously this is getting out of hand how many times are they going to repeat this god damn match? Smackdown has a very entertaining main event scene but my god is their mid card nothing but repeats, it is really annoying having to watch the same crap every week. What annoys me more is that Hunico has a bodyguard who could easily have stepped in to have a match with Dibiase one week or even have a handicap match or tag match or something that deviates from the boring same old one on one match between these two! After the match was far more entertaining than the match itself, why couldn’t they just have had Dibiase come out for a promo and have Hunico and his stupid bike interrupt and attack him then crush his hand? Anything to make this different would have been welcome but it was just regurgitated bullshit!

Rating: 1 out of 10 (It was short and genuinely annoyed me)

Brodus Clay v Alex Reilly

Before this there was a weird ass segment in which Natalya farted! Wow just wow…

First a rare Yoshi sighting and now Alex Reilly! It is indeed a good day to be a rare WWE superstar spotter! I have to admit the Funkasaurus gimmick is stupid and ridiculous but it is hilarious and is really a highlight of every show. I just wonder how long Clay can keep having squash matches like this before the gimmick gets old, and I think it is safe to say that it will eventually get old. Funny segment and a rare appearance from A Ry!

Rating: 7 out of 10

Aksana v Natalya

This literally lasted 3 seconds! This is just bullshit. Tamina came down and fought with Natalya after the match, to be honest I don’t care anymore if this happens again I’m vetoing Diva’s matches.

Rating: 0 out of 10

Mark Henry v Big Show

This wasn’t much of a match as Henry went down with an injury about 3 minutes in and Bryan and Show clearly scrambled to do something to end the show. I’m not going to pan this as when there is an injury that is extraordinary circumstances and Bryan and Show tried their best to make the end compelling but it clearly wasn’t the planned ending. Henry going down with an injury is a shame as he really is one of the best things on Smackdown for the past 6 or so months but he seems to be hurting himself more and more recently. I think Henry should take a break for a few weeks to heal up as the guy has been working through a groin tear, which can’t be comfortable, love the guy for trying but he is a top star now and he should be proud of that. As for the closing segment, it was average but clearly wasn’t what was planned.

Rating: 5 out of 10

FINAL THOUGHTS

Trash of the Night – Aksana v Natalya

Moment of the Night – Opening Promo with Show/Henry/Bryan

Final Analysis – Smackdown is a seriously odd show to rate as whole because you have really good stuff like Orton/Barrett and the Show/Henry/Bryan stuff yet you have bullshit like Aksana v Natalya and Hunico v Dibiase part 234! Smackdown does have a big problem of just repeating matches endlessly with no storyline being furthered or new aspect, like last week Huncio/Dibiase in a flag match yet their nationality has never been a part of their feud nor has it become part of it! That stuff annoys me as well as the Divas stuff. But even that aside the matches were criminally short this week and while the major feuds were furthered I felt like the show was on fast forward. Broken down there were good to great segments but as a whole this one was a stinker.

Show Rating: 5 out of 10