WWE Smackdown Lowdown 4/20/2012

 WWE Smackdown - April 20th, 2012

A week out from Extreme Rules and the card is slowly coming together.  There's still a bit more to hammer out, but WWE has no qualms about waiting until the last minute...or just not announcing stuff.  Awful practice, but we all come crawling back anyway.

Daniel Bryan is out to open, so this episode is already looking good.  The crowd is shown gleefully chanting YES YES YES, but the audio is completely altered to be moderate booing.  Ludicrous, as we can SEE the people chanting and all of their signs.  WWE is deliberately trying to teach people how to 'properly' react to someone; the guy is getting over of his own volition, so just embrace it.  Meanwhile, a YES YES YES t-shirt is on sale at wweshop.com.  Hypocrites.

Bryan tells us that at Wrestlemania, Sheamus took the easy way out.  It's a pretty typical heel excuse, but it's kind of true; Sheamus did blindside him.  At Extreme Rules, there will be no distractions, now that ties with AJ have been cut.  Bryan also points out that ER is in Chicago; the same city where he won Money in the Bank, which helped get him to where he is now.  Bryan says he will shock the world again.  Bryan can and will beat Sheamus twice in one night to reclaim the World Heavyweight Title.  Bryan will show everyone how he wins - By wrestling.  Did Sheamus take the coward's way out?  YES.  Does Bryan have the advantage?  YES.  Will he walk out the World Heavyweight Champion?  YES! YES! YES!

AJ comes out on the stage and approaches the ring.  Bryan tells her to go away and she tells him "No."  This is the only way she can see him and work on their problems.  Bryan tells her that he got rid of his problem.  She wishes Bryan good luck at Extreme Rules and Bryan proceeds to wish that AJ hadn't come out...that he had never met her...that he had never said "YES" to her...and that she had never been born.  He tells her there is no chance of them getting back together.

Brutal come down on the poor girl, but I'm encouraged by more TV and mic time for her, as she's a bit more solid in the ring and on the mic than most of the divas.

Match 1 - AJ vs Natalya

Natalya comes out and when the bell rings, she attempts to console AJ, who has basically shut down on her feet.  A bit more consoling and AJ thwacks Nattie in the face with a slap and proceeds to go ballistic on her in the corner.  After a couple of pull off attempts, the ref disqualifies AJ, who has left Natalya a bruised lump in the corner of the ring.

Winner: Natalya via DQ

This is the aggression, the breakdown, the potential turn that I've been calling for and hoping for from AJ, since at least Wrestlemania.  A bitchy little diva is the character AJ played best in FCW, so a return to a character she plays well (much like Bryan's return to his old indie-days egotist character) could be a driving force behind a push for her.  But this is WWE and she's female, so I'm not holding my breath.

Damien Sandow makes another appearance via video, speaking words written by a moderately intelligent writer trying to sound very intelligent.  That's three weeks now; it's time to debut and do something.

Match 2 - Hunico vs Brodus Clay

Clay asks for the music to be cut and introduces his little brother...Hornswoggle dressed up like Clay.  Michael Cole begins to name dinosaur species because he's an expert paleontologist.  I hate everyone at this point.  Hunico shoves 'Swoggle down, prompting a headbutt and body shots from Big Brodus.  A back body drop, followed by popping Camacho on the apron leads us to the usual T-bone suplex and Splash finish that we all know and yawn at by this point.

Winner: Brodus Clay via pinfall

Dancing ensues and nobody cares.  Introducing Hornswoggle into the mix is not the kind of change I've been asking for, WWE.  Apparently Hornswoggle was a participant, because he is announced as a winner alongside Clay.  Dumb.


Teddy Long is looking for Aksana in the back and is met by Titus O'Neil and Darren Young (Of NXT and Superstars/Smackdown non-fame, respectively) and John Lauranaitis.  Johnny has brought the young men in, when Teddy did not.  This is apparently part of people power, just like anything else Johnny does.  Johnny plunks a Queen's Guard hat on Lon and tells him he's not to speak the rest of the night.  Yes we get it...you're in London.  How about you feature William Regal instead of a hat?

Matt Striker interviews Randy Orton who cuts the same old promo - I can be sick and twisted, Dad's tough.  That's about all he said.

Match 3 - Jimmy and Jey Uso vs Titus O'Neil and Darren Young

Young starts for his team, but the Usos quickly take over.  Chops and quick tags, as expected from a decent tag team.  The Usos land their double team elbow drop for two.  Darren Young gets a boot up and stomps away, then tags in O'Neil.  O'Neil delivers an inverted atomic drop and Darren Young gives the Uso of the moment a drive-by hairpull for a slam and a two count.  O'Neil follows with stomps, forearms and European uppercut.  Young tags back in and delivers a boot and a swinging neckbreaker. 

Young locks in a bodyscissors, leading to Uso fighting up and out, landing a right hand then tagging , allowing a Samoan drop.  This is followed by an ass attack in the corner.  O'Neil breaks the pin attempt, and a blind tag is made.  The new guys debut their double team finisher:  O'Neil lifts the opponent like the Hart Attack and Young jumps off the middle rope with what was either supposed to be a lariat or a neckbreaker - It looked more like a lariat, but we'll see next week.


Winners: Darren Young and Titus O'Neil via pinfall

Pretty standard tag match to introduce O'Neil/Young as a fixture on Smackdown, with a clean win over an established team.  Shame about the sloppy finisher, but these things happen; next week we'll hopefully get another chance to see what exactly they aim for it to be.  With the Colons getting squashed by Big Show/Khali for no reason recently, we may be looking at the next Tag Title contenders.


Raw Rebound to Punk/Jericho, preceded by a "Jerichoholics Anonymous" card.  I guess Jericho has an "in" with the production team.

Match 4 - Alberto Del Rio vs Big Show (Intercontinental Champion), non-title

Del Rio's intro really needs the pyro back - the shower of gold after getting out of a stupidly expensive car was a nice touch.  The Usos get pyro; I'm sure it's in the budget for 'Berto.  Big Show opens strong with a headbutt, then throwing Del Rio into the turnbuckle and delivering a chop.  Show then stands on Del Rio's neck...that cannot possibly be fun.  Show lights up Del Rio's chest with a frying pan chop.

Big Show drops an elbow for a two count.  Don't see that too often.  He then chokes Del Rio in the ropes, followed by a body shot.  Del Rio ducks the next strike and chop blocks Show.  He follows with a jumping stomp, boots to the midsection and a double foot stomp.  Del Rio goes to work on the arm, then kicks Show in the head and drops his leg across the arm.  Del Rio straps on a keylock and then kicks Big Show's elbow.  Then back to the keylock.  Show powers out and attempts a Chokeslam, but Del Rio escapes and delivers another chopblock, then a kick to the back for two. 

More work on the arm, which is nice to see from a submission guy.  Del Rio goes for the spin into the Cross Armbreaker, but Show powers him up in an odd looking belly to back to escape.  Both men are down, and once Del Rio hits his feet, Big Show catches an attempted kick, following with a slap and a clothesline.  Show whips Del Rio to the corner and then gives a body attack, followed by a spear.  Ricardo Rodriguez gets the ref's attention from the apron and Cody Rhodes hits the ring, delivering a Beautiful Disaster to Big Show.  Del Rio gets the three count.


Winner: Alberto Del Rio via pinfall

Cody puts the boots to Show, who gets to his feet, prompting Cody to bail into the crowd and run for his life.  If this leads to a good rematch and Cody getting his title back, I'm okay with it.  If it leads to Big Show whooping his ass again, I'd rather just see this program fall to the wayside.  Cody seems willing to attack giants - maybe there will be a giant-killer gimmick in the running for him?


Match 5 - Danny Lerman vs Ryback

McIntyre and Slater watch in the back; WWE is once again trying to teach everyone how to react to people in the ring.  Stop this; fans can decide for themselves, regardless of how many boos you pipe in for Daniel Bryan.  Lerman delivers a couple of kicks, which Ryback doesn't seem to notice.  Ryback grabs one of the kicks, and delivers a leg trip, then bashes Lerman into the mat.  Ryback then deadlifts Lerman up and delivers a fall away slam, which was cool.  Ryback delivers a brutal lariat, which can only mean his unnamed finisher is to follow - It's still a bit of a cross between a Muscle Buster and a Torture Rack Samoan Drop.


Winner: Ryback via pinfall

Ryback continues to beat local jobbers, which is fine for a time as he establishes his signature moves in the ring and his mannerisms.  New this week: After the match, Ryback yelling at the crowd and camera "FEED ME MORE".  Apparently Ryback eats his opponents.  Good source of protein, I guess.

A replay of Brock Lesnar’s sit down interview from Monday night is shown.  This was a different type of interview for WWE, with a different kind of verbiage from Lesnar.  For once, I’m more than okay with this replaying.

In the back, Teddy Long is now in full Queen’s Guard uniform.  William Regal strolls by and tries to get a rise out of him.  To his credit, Long stays still and stone faced.   It’s nice that Regal appeared on the London show, but some kind of presence outside of NXT from him would be appreciated.  Next to pass Long is Aksana, with Antonio Cesaro (Claudio Castignoli from ROH and other indy feds) on her arm.  Apparently his story in WWE is different than in FCW:  In FCW, he was a Swiss soldier.  In WWE, he is a former rugby player seeking a chance to become a WWE superstar.  Simple, but if it gets him on TV, I’m all for it.  I had predicited Regal would be associated with him, but it looks like that isn’t the route they are taking. 

The six-man tag main event is next, pitting Bryan, Henry and Rhodes against Sheamus, Orton and Khali.  Before the match can really get started, Rhodes sneaks around the ring and clips Khali at the leg, taking him out.  Big Show passes Khali as he is escorted to the back and inserts him into the match.

Match 6 – Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes vs Sheamus(World Heavyweight Champion), Randy Orton and Big Show

Back from the standard “a change happened” commercial break, Orton is opening up on Rhodes with punches in the corner.  Rhodes whips Orton to the opposite corner, but takes a returning clothesline from Orton for a quick one count.  Rhodes is happy to tag out to Bryan, who comes in and takes a hip toss from Orton.  Orton brings in Sheamus to take on his Extreme Rules opponent, but Bryan quickly bails and tags Rhodes back in.  After a break in the corner, Bryan tags in but eats an elbow, some strikes and boots from Sheamus.  Back to Rhodes, who takes a rolling fireman’s carry for one. 

Rhodes answers back with an arm wrench and a knee to the gut, which he follows with a knee drop for two.  Sheamus counters a neck breaker attempt and sends Rhodes out of the ring, but Rhodes skins the cat then takes forearms from Sheamus.  Sheamus follows with a suplex into the ring, but Rhodes lands on his feet and dropkicks Sheamus, sending him to the outside.   With a prone Sheamus on the floor, Bryan drops off the apron and lands a low dropkick (seems like Bryan loves to dropkick Sheamus outside the ring).  With Sheamus weakened, Bryan is more than happy to tag into the match.  Bryan attacks Sheamus on the apron then puts the boots to him.  Henry is tagged in and stomps on Sheamus, the stands on his chest.  Henry clubs Sheamus and chokes him in the ropes.  Rhodes tags in and continues the laying of the boots upon Sheamus.  Rhodes then strikes Sheamus into the corner and, you guessed it, lays boots.

 Rhodes then settles into a hammerlock/chinlock combination.  Sheamus powers up to his feet and backs into the corner to shake Rhodes off, but Rhodes catches him with a drop toe hold into the ropes, then straps on a chancery.  Sheamus powers out again and counters an attempt at the Beautiful Disaster with a shot to Rhodes’ face.  Sheamus makes the tag to bring Randy Orton into the match who delivers clotheslines and a powerslam.  Orton drops Rhodes with the second rope spike DDT, then coils for the RKO.  Bryan hits the ring to run interference, but takes a powerslam from Orton.  Henry is next in the ring and hits Orton with a clothesline.  Rhodes hops on Orton for a two count.  We have a commercial break and Henry tagging in. 

Back from break, Henry has Orton in a neck wrench (seems like anytime we come back from commercial with Henry in the ring, it’s a neck wrench).  Orton fights up to his feet, but takes a Henry headbutt, then Bryan tags back in.  He stomps away at Orton, then whips him to the corner for a signature running dropkick for a two count.  Bryan scoop slams Orton and heads up top, but airballs a diving headbutt.  Both men tag and Henry and Big Show square off.  Big Show clotheslines Henry, then whips him to the corner, followed by a running ass attack, then hitting the ropes for a spear, but Rhodes kicks him in the small of the back as he hits the ropes, leading to Henry landing a clothesline.  Rhodes tags in and attacks Big Show’s arm.  Bryan tags in for some stomps, then Henry tags in for a headbutt.  The quick tags continue with Rhodes back in and attacking Big Show’s legs, followed by a figure four. 

Show doesn’t sit up and takes a two count.  Rhodes tags Henry, who splashes Show while still in the figure four.  Another two count.  Bryan tags back in and DDTs Big Show while he is on his knees for another two.  The fight spills out of the ring.  Sheamus lands clotheslines in the corner and a powerslam for two, which Rhodes breaks up.  Rhodes ends up outside and takes the WMD from Big Show, taking him out of the match.  Sheamus blocks  Bryan’s attempt at the Yeslock and whiffs a Brough Kick attempt.  Bryan scampers to the corner to tag in Henry, who headbutts Sheamus, but ultimately takes a Brough Kick.  Sheamus makes a desperation tag to Orton, who coils up behind Henry who landed neck first across the middle rope.  Big Show tags Henry with the WMD from the outside, and he stumbles into Orton for an RKO and the three.

Winners: Big Show, Sheamus and Randy Orton via pinfall

A standard, but fun six-man tag to close the show.  The faces get the better of the heels who have breaking their balls for weeks and Sheamus is kept relatively apart from Bryan.  A few punches or slams are no big deal, but it’s an excellent call for them to not have landed much offense on one another.  A lot of quick tags from the heels; no egos there, just trying to take their opponents out.

Hopefully next week will continues some of the developments we’ve seen here this week:  AJ’s character has a new facet that should be utilized.  Cody Rhodes is fighting giants.  Antonio Cesaro has had TV time and Damien Sandow continues to cut promos.  I’m sure next week will have some more “Johnny makes Teddy Long miserable” moments, but these are just something we have to deal with at this point.  I’m interested to see if Bryan likes the new crazed AJ or if he’ll continue to rebuke her, causing her to snap further.  Some new life in the divas division is always needed, and AJ is able to back it up in the ring; it would be nice to see her try and impress her submission wrestler ex-boyfriend by strapping on the Octopus on her opponents over a few weeks. 

If WWE is smart, they’ll continue to keep Bryan and Sheamus apart.  I could do without the same old Brodus Clay act next week, but I think at this point we’re guaranteed a Funkasaurus sighting once a week.  As Raw is 3 hours next week, I’d bet that we see him Monday night.  Speaking of three hours Raws, this was supposed to be a draft show, but that has been pushed back a couple of months, so as of now this is a theme-less three hour Raw…I’m not especially excited about that.