Picture
Sheamus brutalizes World Heavyweight Champion Big Show.
Entertaining Miz TV segment with all the members of both Team Foley and Team Ziggler appearing. It did an effective job of establishing tension between the teammates of both teams and almost everyone played their roles well on the mic. Furthermore, it set up the many matches for throughout the night, so this was a successful start to the show.

Good match between Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston and Damien Sandow. The action could've easily been better, but it seemed as if they were holding back a bit, which is a good thing if they'll be eventually feuding at some point. This was a nice win for Sandow with it being over the Intercontinental Champion, but it wasn't what I expected it to be.

Fine six-Divas tag team match with Kaitlyn, Layla and Natalya defeating Divas Champion Eve, Aksana and Alicia Fox. Regardless of Natalya's and Fox's random face/heel turns that I never knew occurred, the match itself was alright, but the main focus was furthering the feud between Kaitlyn and Eve. The action was at least given some time, even if it wasn't a five star classic. It helped give Kaitlyn more momentum going into her Divas Championship match on Sunday, so that's all that mattered.

Solid tag team match with Randy Orton and The Miz defeating Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler. I have throughly enjoying Miz's organic face turn up to this point, and his mannerisms and entertaining antics throughout this bout were fun to see. Since they were in Miz's hometown of Cleveland, it was nice to see him pick up the victory for this team. The post-match RKO was expected, but at least it further foreshadowed dissension between Team Foley.

Picture
Randy Orton shockingly delivers an RKO to hometown hero The Miz.
Strong segment featuring Sheamus and World Heavyweight Champion Big Show. Sheamus displayed true intensity on the mic, something that's been missing from his character for quite some time now. Show was also pretty good in his role as well and really drove home the fact that he's been a dominant World Champion thus far. Having Sheamus getting escorted from the building was also a nice touch and added an extra layer to this feud that wasn't originally there.

Brief match between Kane and Wade Barrett. The action lasted under a minute, but the post-match brawl wasn't anything special. It was mostly basic with Team Foley getting the better of Team Foley and each Superstar being given their moment to shine. Nonetheless, it  was still solid build for the Survivor Series elimination tag team match on Sunday, which it desperately needed in order for it to have any relevance at the event.

Fun match between United States Champion Antonio Cesaro and Sin Cara. Cara pulled off a handful of high-flying maneuvers that Cesaro sold well, so each Superstar looked good coming out of this. Cool finish with Cesaro hitting his European uppercut out of nowhere on Cara and scoring the victory shortly thereafter. R-Truth didn't do much on commentary, but at least this provided hype for the United States Championship match on Sunday.

Throwaway match with World Heavyweight Champion Big Show defeating The Great Khali. The action was slow and plodding as you expect, so why even bother having it? This match benefited no one (especially not the viewers), so it was merely meaningless. However, the post-match parking lot brawl was intense and enjoyable. Both guys looked liked absolute monsters and established the bad blood between the two. I've been pleasantly surprised with how WWE has handled this feud so much better in recent weeks as opposed to how it was prior to Hell in a Cell.

Overall, a good show that was all about building towards Survivor Series and it was certainly successful in that aspect. Some of the matches on this edition of SmackDown were good, but none were good enough to the point where they're worth a second look. While nothing all that exciting happened, the show really helped me has anticipating Sunday's event with the extra hype they put into Big Show vs. Sheamus and Team Foley vs. Team Ziggler respectively.

 


Comments




Leave a Reply

    Categories

    All
    News
    Opinion
    Previews
    Reviews


    Archives

    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010


    Author

    Picture
    B/R Featured Columnist Graham "GSM" Matthews
    Since becoming a wrestling fan in April 2008, I’ve seen my passion for the product grow as each day passes. While I may have started watching wrestling later than some would think, it doesn’t mean that my love for the business is any less existent. Although I had a brief experience writing for the WWE Universe (WWE’s social networking site at the time) in late 2009, it wasn’t until May 2010 that I was introduced to a larger audience in the form of Bleacher Report. Since being accepted to write for the site, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to write as a Featured Columnist (as of March 2011) and hone my craft as a journalist. As a senior in high school, I plan on attending college next year to major in the field of journalism. Aside from Bleacher Report, I also submit my work to the likes of PWMania, Kayfabe Kickout, Pro Wrestling Powerhouse and other established sites.  

    Outside of watching wrestling, I’ve been training in MMA since January 2010, where I currently hold a second degree green belt status. Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve traveled to a variety of places that include Europe, Australia, Jamaica and other luxurious locations. I’ve attended a number of Raw and SmackDown tapings over the years, as well as a number of indy events and house shows. My ultimate goal is to one day work for the WWE and encourage others to pursue their lifelong dream as well.

    Through my writing, I look to inspire, entertain and enlighten others with my vast knowledge of wrestling history. I strive on maintaining a positive mental attitude in both my wrestling writings and life in general. Of course, I couldn’t have attained as much success as I have without the continuous support of my faithful followers, so for that, I genuinely thank you. As best said by Heidi Johnson, “Always concentrate on how far you have come, rather than how far you have left to go.”