Reviewing the 5/6/11 episode of Friday Night Smackdown…
1. The classic three prospective #1 contenders in a match to determine the opponent for the World Champion was avoided this week on Smackdown. In fact, while such a situation may have looked like the most logical on Smackdown, GM Teddy Long instead went in a very strange direction. I can’t remember when a title match was determined by a popularity contest by the GM. T. Long polled the WWE Universe(Live Event fans) to see who they wanted to see face Christian out of the choices of Mark Henry, The Great Khali and The Viper Randy Orton. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know who the fans would choose in that situation. Seems like a cheap way to get into a Christian vs. Randy Orton title match. And almost too quickly at that as the match was made for the same night.
2. Does WWE think monsters such as Mark Henry and Kharma have to laugh to be more menacing/frightening? I think it’s a different take and works for Mark Henry since they’ve tried so many different takes with him, but it really seems weird to see Kharma laughing like some witch. She never needed it before and doesn’t need it now. That fall Alicia Fox took on her shoulder after Kharma’s clothesline was pretty tough to watch.
3. From last week’s hesitation to shake Ranjin Singh’s hand to this week questioning him on his handling of his “brother” allowing him to look ridiculous in the tutu on Raw, it looks like new WWE superstar Jahinder Mahal’s problem might be more with Khali’s handler/intepreter than with Khali himself. At least this week he acknowledged Khali and shook his hand.
4. LEAK IN THE CORRE: Ezekiel Jackson and The Big Show seemed to step it up this week and brought the best out of each other. While they aren’t going to have any technical masterpieces, it was hard hitting and really helped showcase Zeke on the verge of his official babyface turn, which seemed to have happened later in the show when his own team confronted him. Although it was made to be questionable who walked out on who as Zeke walked out on The Corre first after picking up the win via their distraction of beating on Kane outside the ring until Show came to help. Show reentered the ring only to be clotheslined and pinned by Zeke. The Corre confronted him in the locker room about leaving them behind postmatch and preceded to outnumber and clobber him. The potential match ups Zeke could have with The Corre, Mark Henry and other heels on the Smackdown brand should bring fresh match ups and a shot in the arm to the big man’s career. To be honest, I have to admit I don’t really see The Corre having much of a chance in a 6-Man tag match against Kane, Big Show and Ezekiel Jackson.
5. It might be time for Layla to get some new music. Especially since the Lay Cool theme song is made for a heel and has sporadically and erroneously been used for babyfaces at different times.
6. I found very humorous the hidden message in Theodore Long talking about giving the WWE Universe what it wants in booking a match between Randy Orton vs. Christian for the World Title. Or what I thought really was meant–> Randy Orton as WWE Champion, a possible message sent through Long from Vincent Kennedy McMahon to Christian supporters. What I found even more humorous was an ironic inadvertent comment/message from Chavo Guerrero talking about how Sin Cara is a thief. While obviously Chavo was talking in storyline about Sin “stealing” his moves, I found it really funny he said this on commentary right before Sin Cara used TNA superstar Kazarian’s Flux Capacitor to finish off Tyson Kidd. That being said, it is great to see Chavo back on Smackdown and on the cusp of a feud with Sin Cara. I truly hope it gets mileage like Chavo’s feud with Rey Mysterio. Adding Shaul Guerrero couldn’t hurt either if WWE wanted to introduce Eddie’s daughter and Chavo’s cousin to the WWE Universe since she is under contract. Interacting the Guerreros with Sin Cara on either side was mentioned before by myself and loyal reader and Pulse commentator Mr. Jospeh Hargrove on more than one occasion in the comments section. Let’s hope WWE is lurking around this fine website. Seriously, Chavo deserves the opportunity and is going to deliver in contests with the exciting Sin Cara, who by the way, had a brief, but exciting match with the Broken Hart Tyson Kidd. I’d love to see Kidd or Cara face off with Daniel Bryan in the near future.
7. Speaking of Daniel Bryan, he faced Sheamus in a hard hitting match up between the two newcomers to Smackdown. Bryan is going to have big shoes to fill in order to keep the match quality high following in the footsteps of the ever consistent Rey Mysterio on Smackdown. Bryan delivered here against the much bigger Sheamus who also held up his own end of the entertaining match. The finishing sequence was very well pulled off as after Sheamus escaped the LeBell Lock reaching the ropes and rolling to the outside, he overcame/avoided a Bryan dive to outside by kicking him in the face before he could leave the ring and then hit another Brogue Kick inside the ring “for good measure” as Booker T described it to finish off the WWE’s most notable Vegan. If not for the Main Event, this one had me as the match of the night.
8. Lines Of the Night:
a. On Kharma staring down Alicia Fox after no selling a kick from her from behind:
Booker T – “Kharma’s looking at her like she’s a chicken bone.”
b. After he and his stablemates laid out Ezekiel Jackson in the locker room:
Wade Barrett – “It’s been a pleasure working with you Zeke.”
9. Match of the Night:
WWE World Title Match
Christian (c ) vs. Randy Orton
This was a hell of a contest. Lots of counters to show both wrestlers or superstars or entertainers rather, sorry WWE, well scouted each other and the match was exciting from start to finish. This was actually a dream contest from a Smackdown perspective that was given away on free TV. The ending, while not popular to a lot of fans, does give the impression that anything can happen and it’s not the first nor last time it was done. It’s sad for Christian’s tenure as champion to end so quickly, but there is always tomorrow and you never know a bitter out of control heel turn could always be around the corner. I do think WWE possibly missed the ball in not making sure Christian sold the loss in the ring more by ending the show with Christian in the middle of the ring on his knees mourning the loss of his dream. While maybe considered or dismissed as overdramatic, I think it would have sold it more to be devastating than shocking. It’s not shocking Randy Orton won by no means. It’s more disappointing or sad or devastating and that’s what it should have been sold as. That’s just me, though. Great contest. Loved the finishing sequence which featured another innovative way to finish someone off with the RKO.
10. Final Show Thoughts:
Kudos to WWE on their video packages as usual. The Rock’s birthday celebration recap from RAW was very well done. WWE also made great use in reusing those celebrity birthday wishes there as well as using celebrity comments in their BA Star campaign against bullying to give off a vibe that WWE is hip to those celebrities in Hollywood. More importantly, It’s a great message and it’s an awesome case of a company using it’s power and influence to spread a very important bigger than the show message out there to it’s viewing audience. A very responsible and smart thing to do and I applaud WWE for it’s efforts there. Last week I was unsure of the direction of Smackdown and where they went after the draft. I am curious, interested and invested in seeing where they go from here. With the roster turnaround, the team of writers have their work cut out for them here on Smackdown. If this show is any indication, they do seem to be on a lot better track than I would have thought. The follow up to the title change and where Smackdown goes towards Over the Limit will be important towards keeping this momentum and interest.
Show MVP:
Randy Orton
I have to give it to Randy Orton again. It was WWE’s goal to reestablish him as the man on the Smackdown brand and he came out looking like the Apex Predator they make him out to be. It’s just a shame it came at the expense of Christian and his all too brief title reign. I will say Christian did go down fighting and with a solid match and effort. I look forward to the dvd of Extreme Rules, which even if it wasn’t a solid event, it’d be worth it to enjoy and experience Christian’s much deserved title win.
That is all.
M.C. Brown
You can find me on Twitter as
ShocXwavE
