SmackTalk 07.09.12

What stood out for me with this week's SmackDown was the treatment of Damien Sandow. 'The Intellectual Saviour of the Masses' got to share the ring with Randy Orton, marking the second week in a row Sandow had been booked alongside a headliner. Allowing Sandow promo time against the Ortons and Sheamuses of the roster will help to portray him as a bigger name. Wrestling them will do the same.

While his loss to 'The Apex Predator' wasn't the best way of protecting him it was at least done for a reason. It's part of Sandow's intelligence gimmick: he has stated he wants time to study his opponents for weaknesses before facing them. It's something that sets him apart from the rest of the roster. Anything that does that has to be a good thing.

Damien Sandow was the star of the show

 
The main story of the show was the banning of the Brogue Kick. Alberto Del Rio, having hired David Otunga as his legal representative, stated that 'Great White's' preferred finisher is a move too dangerous for the wrestling ring. Throughout the course of the episode we saw Otunga referring to various videos and x-rays in an attempt to get the move outlawed by General Manager Booker T.
 
For the majority of the programme it appeared that Booker wasn't going to give the heels what they wanted. That changed in the closing moments of the show though. During a match between Otunga and 'Great White' Booker came to the ring to announce that the Brogue Kick was indeed no longer a valid option for Sheamus.
 
That didn't bother the Irishman. He simply used his new favourite move, the Texas Cloverleaf, to get a win via submission.
 
While a storyline revolving around the banning of a move feels dated and ever-so-slightly WCW it was nice to see that David Otunga has been paired with somebody in a pseudo-managerial role. As I wrote last week that position plays to his strengths and allows him to make a more positive contribution to the product. Hopefully he can be hooked up with an act that requires a mouthpiece (Del Rio doesn't) in due course.
 
Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated IC kingpin The Miz and the company's most high profile, talented jobber Cody Rhodes in a heated tag scrap. Mysterio pinning 'The Awesome One' could set up a title match between the two for Night of Champions. Longer term it will help ready the masked duo for their rumoured tag team championship run with the Prime Time Players.

Pairing Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio is a good move. It will allow Mysterio to give Sin Cara’s popularity a boost and should ultimately lead to a rivalry between the two. That’s the former Mistico’s best chance at establishing himself as a WWE mainstay.

Alberto Del Rio promo, featuring David Otunga, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Booker T

Tweet 1: Otunga Tout video. That'll ramp those ratings RIGHT up.

Tweet 2: Ricardo in a neck brace is great. That sounds bad...
Tweet 3: Otunga being used in what is essentially a managerial role is also great. It plays to his strengths and doesn't require much wrestling.
Tweet 4: Maybe one week SmackDown will start with a wrestling match. That'll always be the dream.
Tweet 5: As things stand right now we're getting ADR saying that the Brogue Kick should be banned. I imagine Otunga is going to back him up.
Tweet 6: Are we actually meant to believe that the Brogue Kick broke Ricardo's neck? C'mon, fella...
Tweet 7: "And now my friend may have permanent physical and moral damage" - Alberto Del Rio, perhaps not understanding the meaning of moral
Tweet 8: "I'm David Otunga" - David Otunga
Tweet 9: #BrogueKickmontage
Tweet 10: Booker T is gonna axe kick that sucka.
Tweet 11: That opening segment achieved NOTHING.

Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara v The Miz and Cody Rhodes

Tweet 12: Rey and Cara are apparently going to be used as a regular team. I suggested that a year and a half ago. Good way to turn Cara eventually.

Tweet 13: Did the Cole and Miz commentary combo really get rave reviews? Who from? #moreliesfromidiotCole
Tweet 14: "I think rey's going to be able to help Sin Cara out a lot here in WWE" - Michael Cole, speaking truth on multiple levels
Tweet 15: Maybe Rey's wearing the question mark vest because he has a new offensive tattoo on his chest.
Tweet 16: "Oh man! What a move!" - Josh Mathews on what looked like a botched move
Tweet 17: Why is Sin Cara stood on the floor? Why isn't he on the apron? Because he's waiting for his cue and doesn't realise he should disguise that.
Tweet 18: The babyfaces win when Rey pins Miz. Hopefully that'll set up another title bout between those two soon. Rey's a good opponent for Miz.

Rey Mysterio hits the match winning 619 on The Miz, which will probably earn him an IC title match at Night of Champions

Daniel Bryan and Hornswoggle backstage

Tweet 19: Daniel Bryan can even make shaking a midget's hand entertaining.

Booker T and David Otunga backstage

Tweet 20: Otunga and Booker backstage. The man from Harvard isn't happy about the Brogue Kick still being legal.

Tweet 21: What the Brogue Kick does is "unnatural" apparently.
Tweet 22: Storylines about moves being banned are very WCW. You know, WCW. That company that got booked into oblivion and went out of business.

Zack Ryder v Daniel Bryan

Tweet 23: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Tweet 24: Is that Daniel Bryan or Grizzly Redwood?
Tweet 25: #nokicks
Tweet 26: Hug of honor.
Tweet 27: ... into the No Lock! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Tweet 28: So Daniel Bryan has now lost to Zack Ryder.

Damien Sandow promo

Tweet 29: Damien Sandow has genuine heat. That's rare in WWE.

Tweet 30: Sandow is now feuding with social media. It's a natural programme.
Tweet 31: "When Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity I assure all of you he did not Tout about it" - Damien Sandow

Damien Sandow v Randy Orton

Tweet 32: Sandow is getting screen time with some big names. It's a promising sign.

Tweet 33: Ziggler on commentary? A good thing.
Tweet 34: Sandow runs away, ending another entertaining match. A gimmick with potential.
Tweet 35: Nice RKO to Sandow. Not sure why he came back though. Not a particularly intelligent move.

Booker T and David Otunga backstage again

Tweet 36: Where did Otunga get these medical records?

Tweet 37: Otunga never goes anywhere without his coffee mug.

Epico and Primo v The Prime Time Players v The Usos

Tweet 38: Kofi and Truth. I assume they're going to be on commentary. Again.

Tweet 39: Are the Prime Time Players going to become number one contenders AGAIN? It's getting tired.
Tweet 40: The Prime Time Players are easily the worst guys in this but they're also the likeliest to win.
Tweet 41: Another team should've been booked as number one contenders at one point.
Tweet 42: As the Players have failed to win the gold there's no point in them having been number one contenders the sixteen times they have been.
Tweet 43: I like the Usos red outfits.
Tweet 44: Another thought about the number one contendership: it seems there are more matches for that accolade than for the belts themselves.
Tweet 45: And Kofi and Truth seem to be on commentary more than they wrestle.
Tweet 46: Oh look, the PTPs won. I'm going to assume they get their shot at Night of Champions. I think they'll win them there.

Kaitlyn, Teddy Long, Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler backstage

Tweet 47: There's a botchfest imminent. Yep, Otunga's going to wrestle!

Tweet 48: Kaitlyn and Teddy Long are chatting about the Brogue Kick. Why? There's no reason.
Tweet 49: Teddy's obsession with Kaitlyn is sinister. I like the fact that Kaitlyn just legged it as soon as she could.
Tweet 50: I'd find it funny if Ziggler v Orton was the NOC YouTube pre-match.

Yoshi Tatsu v Wade Barrett

Tweet 51: Wade Barrett has returned. The ring coat has not...

Tweet 52: Yep, Barrett's doing the boxing gimmick (read more here).
Tweet 53: This return seems entirely anti-climactic. Barrett should have returned as the next opponent of Sheamus, perhaps costing him the WHC.
Tweet 54: Barrett wins via KO elbow. Guess Ohno's getting called up any time soon.
Tweet 55: "I officially declare that Wade Barrett is open for business" - Wade Barrett, perhaps hinting at a second career as a male escort

Sheamus v David Otunga

Tweet 56: There's no Ricardo Rodriguez to announce Del Rio. Shame.

Tweet 57: Thakfully we still get to look at David Otunga flexing at the top of the ramp. That'll get the ratings up (and ladies' pulses racing).
Tweet 58: FELLAAAAAAAAAAA!!
Tweet 59: This match will see Sheamus go for the Brogue Kick after every other move. I imagine it's going to get banned.
Tweet 60: White Noise is a depressing move.

David Otunga, looking like a baby

Tweet 61: Why would Booker T announce the ban of the Brogue Kick in the middle of a match? It seems very unprofessional.
Tweet 62: I am disappointed at Booker T's utter lack of professionalism.
Tweet 63: Otunga almost bothced running the ropes there. #classicOtunga
Tweet 64: Sheamus with a surprisingly high elebvation Texas Cloverleaf there. #Y2Sheamus
Tweet 65: A close up of a manical Irishman takes SmackDown off the air. Every show should end that way. Not just wrestling shows. EVERY show EVER.