smackdown

Vickie, Christian, Swagger, Ziggler, Rhodes, Otunga, and Barrett talks about Triple H and how they will walk out:

What I Liked:

Adding Wade Barrett with this group complaining and rebelling against Triple H is a nice touch. They talk about how they need him to relinquish control. I loved everyone the microphone, especially Rhodes. You listen to him yell to the crowd, his tone and aggressive voice makes you believe what he says is real. He is a great and unique heel who knows how to get the crowd heated. I also enjoyed seeing Del Rio, who should have a big part in this as well, even if he is not directly involved with what Triple H is doing to everyone else.

What I Disliked:

The segment ended with Del Rio wanting a match, wanting to compete on Smackdown. He should be fighting against Triple H, not shying away from him. You can only add so many people against The Game, and having Del Rio here was just unnecessary. I would rather have him in a feud for his title, not in the mix with all of the other guys who need something like this to keep a spotlight on them.

Grade of Segment: B+

Alberto Del Rio vs. Sin Cara(blue)

What I Liked:

The continued action in the ring, whether it was submission holds or athletic flying ability. It was good to finally see Cara lose clean and without controversy. Both men can work in the ring, but Cara got enough offense so he was not squashed. The match should have gotten more time, as neither man really worked in deep of his arsenal of moves.

What I Disliked:

Having the other Cara come out briefly to attack him was something we continue to see. Change up the feud a little bit, do something with these guys besides blind sided attacks after the match.

Grade of Segment: B-

Air Boom vs. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler:

What I Liked:

The guys attack Air Boom before the match even starts. They assault Kofi and Bourne before the match, which shows you the aggression and emphasis on building these guys as a tag team. You establish them as the heels who need to do anything it takes to win, even attacking before the match. Kofi having to work basically alone in the match, showing a weakness in the tag champs was a good touch. The pace of the match was fast and more of a fight than a match. Also, Bourne came in to pick up the pace, but was stopped in his tracks immediately.

What I Disliked:

There really wasn't anything that stood out to me that I disliked. I would of had Swagger and Ziggler continue to beat down Air Boom after the match, getting them in more "trouble" with Triple H. They easily could be a target and fined or suspended. We need to see the guys who are against Triple H show something more than a victory. There needs to be as much of a build in the ring as there is on the outside.

Beth Phoenix vs. Alicia Fox

What I Liked:

Having Alicia Fox scream which, to me, is an interesting way to make Beth and Natalya be feared by all of the other divas. They seem to be in full fledge with them dominating the diva division.

What I Disliked:

A :30 match. Seriously, you can give them a few minutes, maybe a move or two by Fox. They never look weak, unless they get a cheap loss from Kelly Kelly. There never seems to be much relevance with Phoenix on Smackdown. Why not have Kelly Kelly come to Smackdown, or whoever will be next in line? This could build more of a program. I also feel whoever is next, needs to have the mental advantage. They need to have a divas really try to get in the head of these two somehow, trying to make the matchup a little more even. They never will have the strength, so this could be something that makes us want to care about the Divas.

Grade of Segment: D

The Big Show Returns:

What I Liked:

What a great acting performance by Show. You saw jubilation, sincerity, and vengeance in his eyes. Big Show really made us believe that his injury did more to him than he thought. He talks about his dogs, his personal life, and begins to cry. I really enjoyed the back and forth talking from Show and Henry. Henry making it about his time and when he wants shows you that he is in charge, and still does not really fear anyone. He is a smarter character now after winning the World Title.

What I Disliked:

Knowing that in a few months, this could be a World Heavyweight Championship match. They have fought before, and it is not what people want to see. We know what we are going to get in that match, and that is a slow paced slugfest. It really does not have a memorable spot, or a guy who can go for more than ten minutes. When being in a program with another 400 pound guy, you have limitations and really need to be sharp. Either way, both men will battle and it will be a boring and uneventful title match.

Grade of Segment: B-

Ezekiel Jackson vs. Jinder Mahal:

What I Liked:

Seeing Jackson back on Smackdown was nice, as I feel he has been so irrelevant since losing the IC Title. He should have been continued to be built as a strong face, but that was given to Sheamus. Well deserved, but Jackson was shown how his ability in the ring has lacked progression. He hit a plateau recently, with no growth.

What I Disliked:

The match overall. It was sloppy, meaningless, and took time away from someone who was not seen on the show. DANIEL BRYAN. Mr. Money in the Bank takes a backseat to this garbage.

Grade of Segment: D

John Lauranitis weasels into Theordore Long's office. Says he is on Long's side.

Christian and Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton and Sheamus:

What I Liked:

The pace, the action, the climax of the match was great. You got great matchups in the ring, different personality traits, and different offensive moves from each guy. Orton came in strong, and his professionalism in the ring shows how great he is. He may be a little played for some people, but you know what you are going to get. The double teaming of Rhodes and Christian was also nice to see. They both have a lot of similarities. I really liked how Orton was the one getting beaten down, and the hot tag was to Sheamus and not the other way around. The RKO was thunderous to end the match.

What I Disliked:

What would harm Orton and Sheamus if they lost? Christian and Rhodes could have benefited more from a victory, could have won cheap, and give them more credibility. You need to see the guys who walked out, and who are against Triple H, be successful. Or maybe they could lose by controversy and fuel their fire against the COO.

Mark Henry and The Big Show Brawl:

What I Liked:

The nice spear from Show. He looked athletic and quick for recently coming back. Also, seeing Show clean house and try to attack Henry was interesting enough where it kept my attention. They continue to brawl, as Show slams Henry through a table. Nice spot as well.

What I Disliked:

Long interrupting in the brawl. He never interrupts when Henry continues to beat down his opponent. Why did he come out? It lost so much steam and was a crowd killer. They have the show open-ended, with questions to be answered. Henry and Show at Vengeance? I hope not, but it looks like that is what they are leaning towards. I also do not like Show returning right now. Why not have him cost Henry or attack him after a title match. Make it more of an impact, and more memorable. I just think they are really rushing something that not many fans care about anyways.

Grade of Segment: C

Smackdown's Grade: C

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