411’s WWE Smackdown Report 09.07.12

Greetings pilgrims and welcome to this weeks Smackdown recap.

Regular host Larry Csonka is taking another well-deserved break and as will probably be a regular guest gig, I will be his back up. As some of you may now I was the regular writer of The Wrestling Sandwich up until a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately real life that includes for kids, a wife, a full time job and general chaos has meant that The Sandwich as a regular column is now out of the question. It will pop up from time to time when I have something to say but for now it’s in hibernation.

But that’s not the end of me

Excitingly fellow Australian, Ask411 writer Mathew Sforcina and myself will soon be diving into the world of podcasting after I iron out a few recording bugs that have been plaguing my set-up. Stay tuned for that coming attraction.

That’s it for the personal crap…do you know your enemy?

++++

Highlights of the Sheamus/Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez interaction from RAW. We also see the David Otunga tout saying that legal action is coming.

We cut to Albert, Ricardo and Otunga leaving Booker T’s office.

We’re joined by Josh Matthews and Michael Cole on commentary.

ADR, RR and DO all make their way to the ring. Ricardo’s selling of Monday’s Brogue Kick is nothing short of awesome. ADR takes the mic…he reminds us that he beat Randy Orton two weeks ago, last week he beat Kane and on RAW he destroyed John Cena. And even though he’ll face Seamus at Night of Champions he’s still not happy. The Brogue Kick should be banned because it gives Sheamus an unfair advantage. Kicking someone in the head is a criminal act. Ricardo is his friend and Sheamus may have caused him permanent physical and moral (yes moral) damage. ADR’s cross arm break is poetry. The Brogue Kick is a criminal act. Otunga takes the mic and shows us a video package of the carnage the brogue can cause. He wants compensation from Booker T which brings out the GM. Booker is angry that Otunga took a closed door conversation and made it public so he gets the crowd to vote on if The brogue Kick should be banned which of cause they vote against.

++++

Match #1 Cody Rhodes & The Miz vs. Sin Cara & Rey Mysterio
Rey and Miz start with a lock up. Miz cheap shots at the break and pounds on Rey who then slips out of suplex attempt and tags in Sin Cara. The masked duo hit simultaneous kicks to the IC Champ and Sin Cara works on the arm as we go to break…

…back from break and Rhodes is now in the ring but Sin Cara is still in control. He tags Rey in who head scissors Cody and goes for the 619 but Miz gets Cody out of the way and the heels sucker Rey outside, Cody attacks from behind to get control. Both head back to the ring and Cody applies the arm lock. Rhodes tries a corner charge on Rey who counters with a drop toe hold and tags in Sin Cara who nails a flying cross body block, reverse handspring elbow, head scissors and a swank kick to Codys head. Sin Cara goes up but misses a dive, which give Rhodes the chance to tag Miz who commences to kick the crap of Sin Cara. Running clothesline to the corner and a double axe-handle from the top rope gets a 2 count. Cody gets tagged back in and he holds Sin Cara upright for a long while in an apparent delayed vertical suplex but turns it into a drop suplex but only gets one off the pin attempt. Rhodes puts on the rear chinlock but Sin Cara is quickly up and tries a bulldog but Cody blocks it, Sin Cara tries again but during the motion he rolls over Cody shoulder and gets a modified curtain call. Both men tag out and Rey comes in a house of fire and kicks Miz in the head for a two count. The two trade pin attempts a few time but Cody accidently kicks Miz trying to break one of the attempts, Sin Cara takes Rhodes out to the floor and then hits a corkscrew plancha which is called correctly by Michael Cole of all people thus providing another sign of an impending apocalypse. Rey takes advantage of Miz’s dazed state, gets the 619 and drops the dime for the win.
Winner: Rey & Sin Cara via pinfall. The simple truth about this match…the crowd loved Rey and was only lukewarm about Sin Cara. In saying that, t his is the absolute perfect way to use Sin Cara right now. He can be the highspots guy in tag team matches and leaves the grunt work to the talented worker. It also serves as a learning curve helping Sin Cara learn the WWE style for the eventual change over between him and Rey. The match itself was okay if a little spotty with no real psychology. Rating **

++++

Daniel Bryan is walking backstage. He runs into Hornswoggle who wants a hug. Instead they settle on a handshake but Hornswoggle stamps on Bryan’s foot leaving Daniel more than a little annoyed.

We also see David Otunga and Booker T. debating the legality of The Brogue Kick. Booker promises to think about it but Otunga says this isn’t good enough and asks Booker to come to the training room.

Highlights of “The Hug” between Daniel Bryan and Kane from RAW.

++++

Match#2 – Daniel Bryan vs. Zack Ryder
Lock up to start and Ryder tries a surprise roll-up which gets a two count. Daniel is unimpressed and kicks the living shit out of Ryder for over a minute. That’s not a figure of speech as he literally kicks the living daylights out of him. Zack flukes a clothesline and gets his own boot to the face. Bryan begs off and asks Zack for a hug. Initially Ryder refuses but like the tanned, mental midget, fool he is he goes for the hug and Bryan quickly turns it into the No Lock for the win.

Bryan quickly break but jumps straight back to the hold and refuses to break. The ref reverses the decision much to the delight of the crowd and utter outrage of Daniel Bryan who proceeds to lose his mind.
Winner: Zack Ryder by decision reversal. Match was nothing but all story. Daniel Bryan is my favourite wrestling character right now and hopefully ripe for a decent run at the top again. The way he has taken a simple word and gets the crowd going for his shtick is amazing. Now that he’s incorporating the hug into the match and so seamlessly at that…he is a wrestling god.

++++

Randy Orton is walking…

Damien Sandow is out. He has to get something off his chest. Booker T. put him in a match last week with Sheamus and he was not prepared and he needs proper time to prepare for his opponents which is why he has never been pinned. He’s appalled that people on social media outlets have called him a coward. He calls all these anonymous social media users the real cowards. Instead of using Twitter they should read a book. When Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity he didn’t tout about it….and Randy Orton is out.

Randy is out here to fight he says, Sandow says that this can’t be but Orton says that Booker has approved it and it’s on.

Macth#3 – Randy Orton vs. Damien Sandow
Dolph Ziggler and Vicki are out to do commentary.

Lock up to start and Orton gets a side headlock. Sandow escapes and gets his own applied. Orton escapes and gets a shoulder block and Sandow bails to the floor for a breather. Back in and we lock-up again and they jockey into the corner and Sandow takes control with a few punches and shoulders to Orton midsection. He whips Randy to the corner, Orton reverses but Sandow goes to ground and slides out for another breather. He gets back in and Randy quickly gains the upper hand again and Sandow bails once more but Randy follows and nails a clothesline on the floor then rams Sandow’s head into the ring apron and announce table. Ziggler distracts Orton and Sandow takes advantage and smashes Orton into the corner post. Both head back into the ring and Sandow gets a two count. He quickly starts laying some knees into the arm of Orton as we go to a break…

..back from break and Sandow has Orton in a rear chin lock, Cubito Aequet elbow gets a two count. Sandow misses a knee drop and then misses a corner charge. Orton gets the running clothesline and powerslam and hits the IEDDT and sets up the RKO but Sandow runs for the hills and Randy gets the count out win. Ziggler goads him on the way out and Randy takes exception and they brawl from the floor to the ring. Randy gets the upper hand and Sandow is back from the dressing room but Randy catches him with the RKO and Ziggler takes his turn to run to the back.
Winner: Randy Orton via count out. This match was a million times better than the Seamus/Sandow debacle from last week. I’m fine with the chicken-shit heel run-away ending but when Sandow came back it should have lead to Orton being laid out. He’s leaving and no longer the second top star they have and thus protecting him is relatively useless. Rating **

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Otunga and Booker are looking at x-rays of Ricardo’s neck. Otunga states RR has bulging discs calling it reversal of the normal cervical lordosis. Otunga demands satisfaction and wants the Brogue Kick banned. Booker T makes Otunga vs. Sheamus for the main event.

++++

Match#4 – Triple Threat Tag Team Match: The Primetime Players vs. Primo & Epico vs. The Uso’s
Kofi and R-Truth are out for commentary duties.

Primo, Darren Young and Jay Uzo start. Primo gets the backcraker on Young. Epico and Primo do rapid fire tags and beat on Young some more. Titus is in and nails a bicycle kick (take note) and dominates Epico and Jay. The PTP’s try some double-teaming on Jay but he blocks their offence but gets dropkicked by the lurking Epico. Young gets a northern lights suplex on Epico for a two count but Epico nails a bulldog on Young…Jay and Epico nail each other in a double clothesline spot but Jay manages to tag Jimmy and he cleans house. Samoan drop on Darren Young, tags Jay back in and then Jimmy takes Titus, Epico and Primo out on the floor with a plancha as the crowd is finally awake for the match. Jay goes up top to hit a highspot on Young but Primo stops him, attempts a superplex but Young stops that, gets Primo in the powerbomb position but Young counters that and drops Primo onto his knees. Jay takes advantage of the prone Primo and his the superfly splash but Young breaks the count at two, gets rid of Jay and steals the pin for the win.
Winner The Primetime Players via pinfall. Short an inoffensive match. As seems to be the way these days the most obviously talented team The Uso’s are fodder for everyone else. Hopefully they will get their go soon enough. Rating *½)

++++

Dolph is talking to Teddy Long backstage. He wants Randy Orton at Night of Champions. Tedy rightly points out that Ziggler isn’t a champion but will recommend to Booker to make the match.

Wade Barrett is up next!!!!!!

++++

Match#5 – Wade Barrett vs. Yoshi Tatsu
I like the new bearded look of Barrett. It hides the week chine and gives him a much rougher persona to go with the new fighter gimmick.

Barrett takes guard as if he’s in a fistfight. Yoshi slips in behind Barrett who doesn’t like that and nails a bicycle kick (take note) for a one count. Barrett’s moveset is now that of a scrapping fighter and he pounds on Yoshi with kicks and punches. He lays into his ribs, nails a headbut then a reverse kick and finally a big elbow to Yoshi’s head for the win.
Winner: Wade Barrett via pinfall. As far as re-debuts go this could have been worse. The main thing is that Barrett just isn’t another wrestler. He’s a fighter being a wrestler and that makes him somewhat different from the pack but only just. He certainly seems to be carrying himself more like a star and has definite charisma. We’ll see what happens. Rating DUD

Post match Barrett says he’s bored with these types of matches and wants to be in the main event now. If not he’ll be open for business.

++++

Match#6 – Sheamus vs. David Otunga
Alberto Del Rio is out with Otunga.

Lock up to start. Otunga gets some punches in early but Sheamus easily takes control with a clothesline. He quickly goes for the brogue kick but Otunga avoids it and kicks Sheamus to the floor. He gets back in but meets some more blows from Otunga who then nails a shoulder tackle for a 2 count. Otunga locks in the rear chinlock but Sheamus is quickly up and over powers Otunga with a couple of double axe handles, the 10 clubbing forearms to Otunga’s chest, White Noise and make the signals for The Brogue Kick…and out comes Booker to inform Sheamus after careful deliberation he will be banning the kick.

Alberto is extremely happy in pants about this news. Otunga tries to take advantage of the distraction but Sheamus quickly gains control, hits the Irish Cures and the cloverleaf submission for the win
Winner: Sheamus via submission. Match was all about the storyline and the surprisingly heelish decision to ban the Brogue Kick. While Otunga was hopelessly outmatched it was a short energetic match that didn’t suck and hammered home that even without the Brogue, Sheamus can kill you in other ways. Rating *1/2

Overall: As with most Smackdown’s now this show serves as a commercial for RAW with some good matches. Nothing offensive but nothing memorable. I enjoyed it for what is was and you can do much worse…like watch RAW. However there is one big sticking point. David Otunga is battling to ban the Brogue Kick but we see Titus O’Neil and Wade Barrett both did versions of this same kick on the show. Silly booking crap like this is just annoying.