The Best Thing Going Today

I don’t think there’s anyone in wrestling who’s having as good a 2013 as Dolph Ziggler. From lasting almost fifty minutes in the Royal Rumble to cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase the night after WrestleMania to being a part of the greatest double turn in sixteen years, he’s having a year packed with memorable moments.

Not even the loss of the World Heavyweight championship has hurt DZ’s momentum. He entered such a convincing performance and was booked so perfectly as the guy who wouldn’t give up that fans were even more into him after the loss than they were before. They empathised with him and wanted to see the unsportsmanlike Alberto Del Rio (and his smarmy sidekick Ricardo, who, when playing a heel, is comparable to Muttley of Dick Dastardly fame) get his comeuppance.

We’re being made to wait for that payback. Which is a smart move. Had Ziggler continually gotten the better of ADR then his status as the gutsy underdog, surely the best way for him to be portrayed now he’s a good guy, could have been jeopardized. ‘The Show Off’ is a guy who picks his spots.

 

Whether you like it, or whether you don't...

 

I’d understand if some people questioned the decision to enter the ex-champion into a feud with 3MB. It’s not a natural follow up or placeholder feud for a guy who’s just lost his first proper world title. Something similar happened to The Miz when he lost the WWE championship (he worked a pay-per-view match with Alex ‘Plank of Wood’ Riley) and he’s in no danger of headlining a pay-per-view any time soon.

But I don’t question the move. The mini-feud with 3MB has been designed to encourage cheers for Ziggler and creating a reason for him not to constantly be attacking ADR. It’s achieved those goals. It was a short term thing and has already been consigned to the history books, along with Ziggler’s stint as Chavo Guerrero’s caddy and his penchant for cheerleader outfits.

It will take a lot for WWE to mess up Dolph’s popularity at the moment. That’s not to say they can’t or won’t, but that they’d almost have to actively try to do so. He’s what fans seem to want right now: someone who’s earned their way to the top, can cut a damn fine promo, and doesn’t wrestle like John Cena. As far as WWE goes, Dolph Ziggler really is the best thing going today.

SmackTalk 04.01.13

While Friday’s SmackDown was not recorded in 2013 it was the first meaningful WWE broadcast of the year. Well, if the blue show can be considered meaningful anymore. It arguably can’t be. And if it can’t be then the first meaningful WWE show of 2013 will be Monday evening’s RAW. With that show featuring the first appearance of The Rock in six months and a TLC match for the WWE championship between Ryback and champion CM Punk it’s probably preferable to think of RAW as the first WWE show of the year.

I’ve digressed a bit. SmackDown, by whatever criteria you choose to employ was a horrendously disappointing slice of television. That’s why I made a point of mentioning it was WWE’s first meaningful broadcast of the year. That they couldn’t cobble anything impressive together, or even bother to try, is a perfect example of why the company has struggled with ratings over the last year.

Of the five matches that took place one was good, one was passable, and three were atrocious pieces of filler. The opening segment was uninspiring too. While it was nice to see Antonio Cesaro rubbing shoulders with headliners Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show it was clear from the start that he would be looking at the lights in the inevitable tag team main event.

What was surprising about the segment was how ham-fisted WWE was at foreshadowing Orton’s impending heel turn. The tension between he and Sheamus came from nowhere and was based around the age old concept of both men wanting to win the Rumble. Surely WWE could have come up with something more special for two of their bigger names?

Maybe it was deliberately shoddy. Perhaps ‘The Viper’ will stay a good guy and it will be Sheamus that turns. ‘Great White’ could do with a refresh too, but we’d still be watching the same two men feuding. It wouldn’t be that revolutionary.

Thankfully Wade Barrett and Kofi Kingston were on hand to provide us with a fun Intercontinental title bout. While it slowed down in places the action was always crisp and there were some excellent false finishes. There was a great near fall sequence around two minutes before the match finished that was the highlight of the entire show. It felt entirely possible that Kofi would regain the gold. SmackDown, and RAW for that matter, needs matches like this on a far more frequent basis.

Opening video

Tweet 1: Let us SmackDown.

Tweet 2: Andre being the second guy in the montage, after Cena, always strikes me as bizarre.
Tweet 3: Are they doing ADR v Big Show at the Rumble? That's not a worthwhile undercard for a Rock v Punk main event.
Tweet 4: Also, that video seemed to be hinting that Orton will be the leader of The Shield. Or was that just me...?

Randy Orton promo, featuring Sheamus, Big Show, Antonio Cesaro and Booker T

Tweet 5: Garcia's mic is house show quality poor. This is meant to be a TV show, WWE. Get your act together.

Tweet 6: Is this the long-awaited Orton heel turn? On a taped episode of Friday Night SmackDown? I hope so.
Tweet 7: "Not too long ago SmackDown was my show" - Randy Orton, talking about a period that occurred eighteen months ago
Tweet 8: Orton and Cena in the Rumble! Shocking stuff!
Tweet 9: T’under. #Sheamussayswords
Tweet 10: This is probably the most unsubtle heel turn tease in WWE history.
Tweet 11: "I'll be happy to step on the snake" - Big Show with a possible euphemism
Tweet 12: Antonio Ceasro!! Heeeey!!
Tweet 13: Cesaro is brilliant. Well done for putting him out there with three main event guys, writing team.
Tweet 14: I think Booker T's shrinking.
Tweet 15: Wade Barrett is the new Intercontinental champion. Why do a title change on a pay-per-view when you have a perfectly good taped TV show?

The Miz v Heath Slater

Tweet 16: SLATER COWBELL!!

Tweet 17: Drew McIntyre's performance here is irritating.
Tweet 18: Slater v Miz is happening because 3MB interrupted Miz TV at TLC. That was three weeks ago. So PPVs are setting up TV now, is that it?
Tweet 19: The one "great thing" JBL mentions from WrestleMania's near three decade history is Hogan slamming Andre. Maybe mention something recent...
Tweet 20: Miz is displaying some impressive crowd working skills.
Tweet 21: 'Party Starter' Slater.
Tweet 22: I am astonished at how long this match is getting.
Tweet 23: It feels like it's been going for two hours.
Tweet 24: Miz grabs the predictable win via an SCF.

Matt Striker interviews Wade Barrett

Tweet 25: I like the fact that Barrett beat Kingston clean for the IC gold. Heels don't win clean often enough in WWE.

Tweet 26: "I don't care where you wanna take me to, Matt" - Wade Barrett, apparently giving Matt Striker a signal

Great Khali, Hornswoggle and Natalya v Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes

Tweet 27: Oh Christ, it's the Great Khali...

Tweet 28: Khali can't even walk convincingly!
Tweet 29: Khali thinking he's a plane there.
Tweet 30: "Tag! Khali in!" - The referee, debuting a completely pointless gimmick
Tweet 31: Why are we getting so many lengthy matches featuring comedy performers on this show?
Tweet 32: Khali is, at best, ECW entourage material. He has no place being a regular wrestler.

Matt Striker interviews Kofi Kingston

Tweet 33: Oh good. More Matt Striker.

Tweet 34: Kofi is coming across as a sore loser. You lost the belt clean, mate. Get over it.
Tweet 35: Crisp and clear, if insubstantial, promo from Kofi. As reliable as he is he doesn't get pushed heavily because he's not a good enough talker.

Intercontinental championship – Wade Barrett (c) v Kofi Kingston

Tweet 36: BARRETT RING COAT ALERT!!

Tweet 37: This match is being shortchanged by the fans. It's the best thing on the programme so far and they're not reacting to it.
Tweet 38: Barrett may have started elbowing people but he doesn't have Mitsuhara Misawa's elbow pad.
Tweet 39: "He reminds me of Stan Hansen" - JBL on Wade Barrett
Tweet 40: That near fall sequence was the highlight of the match so far. I doubt they'll better it.
Tweet 41: That was a solid encounter. SmackDown should be like that more often.

Tamina Snuka v Kaitlyn

Tweet 42: Tamina Snuka is from the Pacific Islands. She is also a "big challenge" and a "test". Solid insight from Josh Mathews.

Tweet 43: Tamina has abandoned the leopard print outfit. She's forgotten her roots.
Tweet 44: I hate this match. I hate the women for being involved in it. I hate WWE for booking it.
Tweet 45: Kaitlyn's STILL the number one contender?

Big Show and Antonio Cesaro v Sheamus and Randy Orton

Tweet 46: Show has stopped wearing his hoodie. I miss it.

Tweet 47: Something tells me Orton and Sheamus won't get on during this match...
Tweet 48: I've predicted that they'll clash at WrestleMania, perhaps for the World title. The feud is just getting started.
Tweet 49: One way of looking at this match is two bald guys against two guys with ridiculous facial hair.
Tweet 50: When Randy Orton hits 40 I think the best word to describe how he looks will be "distinguished".
Tweet 51: Cesaro's stream of tips is amusing.
Tweet 52: Sheamus happily buries designated jobber Cesaro by waiting far too long before covering him.
Tweet 53: It was from an RKO I suppose, and established finishing move, so it's not too bad.
Tweet 54: The starting point of the Orton v Sheamus rivalry is a blind tag during a tag match. Not an awe-inspiring start, is it?

The Aristocratic Babyface

Not two months ago (read it here) I wrote that the Alberto Del Rio persona was worn out and in need of a break. Noting that the character is a natural heel I suggested taking him off television for a couple of months to allow him to return with some fanfare in the New Year and begin a programme for WrestleMania. I also noted that making him the leader of a stable could be a nice alternative to a rest.
 
WWE decided to keep him on TV doing the same routine he'd been doing for two years. Then they randomly swerve turned him last night at their TLC pay-per-view.
 
That 'The Essence of Excellence' became a good guy by saving the Spanish announce team from the Three Man Band says a lot. Mainly that the turn, as well as Del Rio himself, were an afterthought for the show.

The smile of a babyface

 
Performers should switch from good to bad and vice versa based on reactions from the crowd. Very occasionally there's call to turn someone based on how long they've been in a particular role. The Miz was recently switched for a combination of both reasons. He'd been a heel for most his six year stay on the roster and fans were eager to cheer him. That was a switch that made sense.
 
ADR was not in the same position. Fans were not yearning to cheer him and there were plenty of people he could have been pitted against without altering his character. He just needed a break for a while to break up the monotony.
 
Handled right I'm sure Del Rio can be valuable in his new role. He played a tecnico (Mexican babyface) for much of his pre-WWE career and was said to be reluctant to go bad when first signing with WWE.
 
His biggest task is likely to be winning over WWE's fans. They've been conditioned to boo him since he first showed up. Xenophobic aristocrats are not natural good guys. Nor are people with their own personal ring announcers. ADR's going to have his work cut out for him in his new role. There's only so much character tweaking that can be done.

SmackTalk 07.12.12

Old feuds were the order of the day on this week’s SmackDown.

The opening match was a non-title bout pitting World Heavyweight champion Big Show against tag team champion Daniel Bryan. They were programmed against one another at the end of last year and the beginning of this year in a three way feud that also involved Mark ‘The Shark’ Henry. As ever Bryan was utterly believable despite facing a man three times his size. It was a solid match that flattered both men. If only more guys could work this well with the blubbery world champ.

Later on in the show was a bout pitting Randy Orton against Wade Barrett. As the (alleged) former bare knuckle boxing champion happily pointed out before the match he and ‘The Viper’ had a heated rivalry twelve months ago. The Brit also reminded us that he chucked Orton down a flight of stairs, one of the most ridiculous sights in the history of SmackDown.

As with Show versus Bryan it was a very engaging match. The finish saw Kofi Kingston distract Barrett, allowing ‘The Apex Predator’ to sneak in an RKO for the victory. It was a nice way to advance the IC title programme, although it did highlight (at least to me) the fact that Orton seems to be without a regular opponent right now.

The final high profile rematch saw Sheamus face with Alberto Del Rio. Yes, WWE revived their most irritating, tiresome and uninspiring feud of 2012 for us! I thought this was easily one of their better outings. Had they had more matches like this over the summer I wouldn’t have complained so much.

Interspersed between these three big name matches was the usual blue brand filler. A six man tag match pitting the Three Man Band against Brodus Clay and the Uso brothers was never going to set the world on fire but it did at least have the right result (the heels went over). At this point the popularity of the ‘Funkasaurus’ character seems like ancient history. That’s a shame. WWE could have had something special had they stuck with it.

The rivalry between R-Truth and Antonio Cesaro was advanced with an in-ring promo. Truth had to resort to pro-America posturing to entice a reaction from fans. ‘The Swiss Superman’ did a better job, digging at the crowd with some classic anti-American heel statements. Even better was the inclusion of his ridiculous bag. Only JBL referenced to it. I liked that. There was no need for it to be there. I hope it becomes an Antonio signature.

The standout performance of the week once again came from Damien Sandow. His interaction with the planted member of the audience was brilliant. A perfect example of why ‘The Intellectual Saviour’ has etched out a regular spot on both RAW and SmackDown.

Finally I feel I should mention the programme ending groin bump. There’s no better way to close a wrestling show. Lou Thesz swore by ‘em.

Opening video

Tweet 1: Smackdoooooooown. Yes?

Tweet 2: When Rollins was the ROH champion he secretly dreamed of working with The Miz on RAW.
Tweet 3: Vince isn't even bothering to turn up on TV when re-booking everything now.

Big Show and Sheamus contract signing, featuring Booker T

Tweet 4: Is this a contract signing? Great way to start a wrestling show!

Tweet 5: Love that supermarket line from Booker.
Tweet 6: If Sheamus was a real man he'd have blasted Show a with the steel chair 459 times.
Tweet 7: Careful how you pronounce contract, Booker.
Tweet 8: The fella's wearing a new T-shirt. Looks like a poor imitation of Punk's old design.
Tweet 9: Sheamus pretending he can read there.
Tweet 10: I hate Sheamus and his smug promos. I hope he regains the belt and then Ziggler cashes in on him.
Tweet 11: Sheamus went to WWE for a fight. Much like Finlay. #racialstereotyping
Tweet 12: Sheamus v Del Rio? How fresh...

Big Show v Daniel Bryan

Tweet 13: No.... No... No... No... No...

Tweet 14: Big Show's flying bump off the dropkick to the knee was ridiculous.
Tweet 15: Big Show versus Grizzly Redwood has been enjoyable so far.
Tweet 16: The Shield make their not at all anticipated SmackDown debut.
Tweet 17: The crowd are chanting "Feed me more!" If that doesn't show how over Ryback is I don't know what does.

Damien Sandow searches for an apprentice

Tweet 18: #Sandowpop

Tweet 19: "Silence the music. I am about to speak" - Damien Sandow
Tweet 20: Heat for Obama there.
Tweet 21: Is Miz going to be Sandow's apprentice?

Bad form

The Usos and Brodus Clay v Three Man Band

Tweet 22: Brodus sighting. I wouldn't describe him as over anymore. I don't think anyone would. I hope he does his creepy dance with kids after this.

Tweet 23: Drew McIntyre seems VERY keen on himself.
Tweet 24: The Funkasaurus character needs to stay the same for at least two more years and then Brodus should turn heel.
Tweet 25: It would be akin to Hogan's nWo heel turn.
Tweet 26: Women and children would cry. Grown men would ask how they could have been so trusting.
Tweet 27: 3MB won by the way.

Anyone else thinking King of Trios 2013?

Randy Orton v Wade Barrett

Tweet 28: I think water could trickle down that ramp quicker than Orton.

Tweet 29: BARRETT RING COAT ALERT!!
Tweet 30: Barrett and Orton have good matches with one another. Most guys have good matches with 'The Viper'. He's one of WWE's best.
Tweet 31: Barrett has clearly been watching some Chris Hero ROH outings lately.
Tweet 32: Orton's pre-RKO taunt is pretty camp.

Hornswoggle and The Great Khali v Epico and Primo

Tweet 33: Khali and Natalya together backstage. I wonder how Tyson feels about that.

Tweet 34: KHALI CAN'T EVEN WALK CONVINCINGLY!!
Tweet 35: This has to be one of the worst matches of the year. Who have Epico and Primo annoyed to get lumbered with Khali?

Antonio Cesaro promo

Tweet 36: Antonio Cesaro... Heeeey!

Tweet 37: Cesaro is not a fan of 'The American Dream'.
Tweet 38: You want to know what's up, Truth? That weird headgear of yours.
Tweet 39: The way this is going I think Cesaro's going to cheat to win at TLC. A clean victory seems unlikely.
Tweet 40: Why is Cesaro wearing a satchel? What's in it? A sixth language perhaps?
Tweet 41: "When you kick my dog, I'm going to kick your cat" - R-Truth, unveiling another random line that's sure to catch on

Alberto Del Rio v Sheamus

Tweet 42: The highlight of this main event will be Ricardo. I've seen them wrestle each other too often this year to care anymore.

Tweet 43: Albertooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Dellllllllllll Riiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooooooo!!
Tweet 44: I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CAR!
Tweet 45: Sheamus used the chair "over 31 times" did he, Josh? 32? 33?
Tweet 46: Josh just explaining the no contact clause there. Nobody cares.
Tweet 47: Nice moonsault from ADR.
Tweet 48: This is one of the better matches these two have had. It's still only average though. Yes, I'd actually rather watch Big Show wrestle...
Tweet 49: Are we supposed to believe Sheamus has only just seen Show? The lump's been stood on the stage for at least five minutes.
Tweet 50: #groinbump

SmackTalk 30.11.12

Last week’s SmackDown was so good it was almost inevitable that its follow-up would pale in comparison. While John Cena remained to try and keep the ratings up Antonio Cesaro and Ryback, two guys who need as much TV time as possible, were traded in for The Great Khali and David Otunga. Not only that but Cena’s opponent was Alberto Del Rio, who has become very boring throughout 2012.

The Cena v Del Rio bout was dull. ADR remains a competent enough worker but he isn’t good enough to get anything special out of the machine-like ‘Franchise’. It didn’t matter anyway, their match was overshadowed by the conflict between Cena and Dolph Ziggler.

That WWE have incorporated AJ Lee into a programme between one of their few rising stars and their leading man is worrying. They messed up their usage of her over the summer (when they rushed her into the RAW GM spot) and still don’t seem to know what to do with her. Pairing her with Cena seems like a desperation move designed to recreate her summer popularity. It doesn’t seem to be working and is detracting from Ziggler’s push.

It wasn’t an all bad show though. Team Hell No joined forces with Intercontinental kingpin Kofi Kingston for a pacey six man tag match against the Prime Time Players and Wade Barrett. As the three men are currently involved in their own respective feuds it was a bout that made sense and got some over acts on television.

The Three Man Band (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre for the uninitiated) got an outing too. It fell firmly into the So Bad It’s Good category.

The highlight of the show was Damien Sandow. No, not his match with Tyson Kidd. While that was acceptable it was bettered by his pre-match promo. This saw ‘The Intellectual Saviour’ take a (planted) member of the audience into the ring and ask him a series of three questions. We were told that if the man could answer all three correctly he would become Sandow’s new apprentice.

 

Naturally the man failed on the third question (what is the orbital velocity of Jupiter’s moon Europa?) and Sandow was denied an apprentice. The segment was a perfect example of how good Sandow is at making people boo him and getting his character over. If he’s not one of the top picks to become a headline act next year I don’t know who is.

Opening video package

Tweet 1: Time to watch SmackDown. I hope this week's show features Sheamus!

Tweet 2: Good times! He will be on! Facing Dolph Ziggler no less.
Tweet 3: Best way to end a SmackDown hype video? Close up on Big Show's face to dramatic music.

John Cena promo featuring Alberto Del Rio

Tweet 4: Oh good. A John Cena promo.

Tweet 5: I think the question on everyone's lips is: where is John Laurinaitis? #BigJohnny
Tweet 6: "I want the world to know this is Friday Night SmackDown!" - John Cena, telling us something we already know
Tweet 7: They're referencing the two minute Ziggler title reign. How's that going to help him? It won't. By the way, Cena is a cheap shot artist.
Tweet 8: How do you make a boring promo worse? Add a healthy (or unhealthy) dose of Alberto Del Rio. At least Ricardo's there too.
Tweet 9: Did Del Rio just call him Agent Cena?
Tweet 10: I liked ADR this time last year. I can't stand him now. He's become an incredibly boring character throughout 2012.
Tweet 11: Ridiculously exaggerated hip toss from Cena there.
Tweet 12: "This is a WrestleMania main event right here" - JBL on John Cena v Alberto Del Rio
Tweet 13: Bradshaw sounds like he's been drinking.
Tweet 14: This is a standard Cena outing. There's nothing interesting or different happening.
Tweet 15: ADR's a four time Mexcian champion? What does that even mean? Elaborate, Bradshaw!
Tweet 16: Del Rio will tap to the STF. No one can overcome the might of Cena!
Tweet 17: Ahhhhhhhh... he escaped via the ropes. Booooooooo!

Saved by a finger

Tweet 18: Cena wins via the ever-sloppy top rope leg drop. You know, that move that gave The Rock a concussion at WrestleMania.
weet 19: Billy Gunn just jumped Cena! No... wait a sec... It's Dolph. #BadAssBillyZiggler
Tweet 20: Predictably Josh Mathews is against Ziggler's attack from behind even though Cena did the EXACT same thing last week.

Team Hell No and Kofi Kingston backstage

Tweet 21: Kofi's shirt says he can fly. Drug reference?

Tweet 22: Bryan's back to shouting yes? Awesome!

Booker T and John Cena talk seriously backstage

Tweet 23: Booker's backstage persona? Just add glasses.

Tweet 24: Great Khali is "already in the ring." They cut out his entrance because he can't even walk properly.

David Otunga v The Great Khali

Tweet 25: Is Josh implying a sexual relationship between Khali and Hornswoggle? That's a storyline I want to see.

Tweet 26: Khali gets a win. Good to see his push is alive and well.
Tweet 27: That wasn't a pointless match AT ALL.

The Prime Time Players and Wade Barrett v Team Hell No and Kofi Kingston

Tweet 28: "As commentators they're good wrestlers" - JBL on the Prime Time Players

Tweet 29: I can see Wade pinning Kofi in this one. It would set up their title match for TLC.
Tweet 30: Has Wade been in the ring yet?
Tweet 31: Barrett with a pump handle slam there. Nice addition to his move set.
Tweet 32: How is Titus "unraveling" Daniel Bryan? Josh is regressing as a commentator. Stick him in the ring and make him a jobber.
Tweet 33: "Titus played football for the University of Florida" - Josh 'JR' Mathews
Tweet 34: Bryan gets the tap out win on Darren Young. So much for giving Wade another non-title win over Kofi.

Matt Striker interviews Sheamus

Tweet 35: Matt Striker has stolen Al Snow's facial hair.

Tweet 36: Sheamus just said he'll be punching harder in his match with Ziggler. I feel the need to point out that closed fists are illegal.

Damien Sandow searches for an apprentice

Tweet 37: #Sandowpop

Tweet 38: Sandow promos are the best!
Tweet 39: Sandow is picking an apprentice? Will this be a three month process featuring a weekly firing?

Chris Jericho should sign over his 'Highlight of the Night' moniker to this guy

Tweet 40: Is this potential apprentice a dwarf?
Tweet 41: "Sir. Bad form" - Damien Sandow to a cheering fan
Tweet 42: Sandow ended that promo with a Vic Reeves-esque smirk into the camera. He's one of the best things about current WWE.

Damien Sandow v Tyson Kidd

Tweet 43: Even Sandow's hair is great. Tyson's less so...

Tweet 44: Tyson Kidd has just been referred to as the last graduate of the Hart Dungeon. It's also been claimed that guy in NXT is the last graduate.
Tweet 45: #rotationofillumination

Matt Striker interviews Dolph Ziggler

Tweet 46: Why are Dolph and Cena feuding about an affair? 'The Show Off' deserves better and Cena’s above silliness (usually).

Tweet 47: Was Dolph trying to introduce a schizophrenic aspect to his character with that promo? It seemed like he was talking to imaginary people.
Tweet 48: Has he traded in Vickie for Little Jimmy?

Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater v The Usos

Tweet 49: 3MB. #TVgold

Tweet 50: The unrehearsed nature of 3MB's ring entrance is endearing.
Tweet 51: The PERSPEX BOX is nowhere to be seen. #badtimes
Tweet 52: Slater and Mahal win an ultimately pointless match.

Dolph Ziggler v Sheamus

Tweet 53: #heretoshowtheworld #showoff #heel #heelsdoitbetter

Tweet 54: He didn't shout FELLAAAAAAAA!!
Tweet 55: The Sheamus Experiment has failed. He is not the top line babyface WWE envisaged in January.
Tweet 56: If Sheamus sees Big Show in every match why isn't he aiming his punches higher?
Tweet 57: Sheamus went to an all Gaelic school. That explains his walk...
Tweet 58: Ziggler is one of the few guys who can get an above average bout out of 'Great White'.
Tweet 59: Dolph took a nice fall out of that school boy kick out from Sheamus. #bestbumperinthebusiness
Tweet 60: Big Show's earning his paycheque with this two minute cameo. He's the World champ you know?
Tweet 61: Don't worry about the heels being booked too strong, Cena did a run-in and dealt with Show and Dolph easily.
Tweet 62: Guess we'll see Show and Ziggler v Cena and Sheamus sometime next week. I won't hold my breath for that one.

Middle of the Road

Over the last couple of months WWE have made a noticeable effort to do something with non-main event performers. Daniel Bryan and Kane have been placed together as Team Hell No and are currently on top of the most interesting WWE tag team division in years. The Divas have enjoyed a competent storyline which, in a roundabout way, has illustrated how much the Divas title means to the performers involved.

This is very much a positive thing. Not only has it given viewers more reasons to tune in but it’s also given performers something constructive to do. When that happens there’s more chance of them getting over.

Unfortunately the mid-card singles scene has remained pretty much untouched. If the promotion is serious about wanting to create new stars then this is an area they are going to have to improve.

Main events should be populated by the most over stars. That’s logical. While a handful of men can get over enough thanks to a strong push, such as Ryback, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio, others have to take a slower path and earn their way up the card by continually putting in solid performances and building a rapport with fans. Dolph Ziggler is a perfect example of this.

The trouble WWE has at the moment is that their main event bracket is so thin they have gotten into the habit of rushing guys to the top. They plug a gap at the top only for another to appear as one of their established stars leaves, goes part-time, or hits the injured list. That then means another guy is fast-tracked. It’s a vicious circle. The mid-card has become neglected and as such there is nowhere for those not blessed with a sustained push from the office to get themselves over.

Zack Ryder is a man who has been let down by the lack of a proper mid-card. This time last year ‘Long Island Iced Z’ was beginning to look like he could become a meaningful part of the company’s future. He teamed with WWE champion CM Punk and World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan in a six man tag match on the December 19^th RAW. Not just anybody gets put into that spot.

Things went bad for Ryder when he was chosen to work as cannon fodder for Kane during ‘The Big Red Monster’s’ programme with John Cena. Obliterated on a weekly basis ‘The Internet Champion’ soon found his fan base shrinking.

Had there been a functioning mid-card in place, populated by performers fans had been given a reason to care about, meaningful championships, and matches that received a decent amount of time, then Ryder could have been quickly rehabilitated. His senseless multiple jobs to ‘The Devil’s Favourite Demon’ and harmful presentation as Cena’s li’l buddy could have been erased within a month and Ryder could have gotten back on track.

 

It’s not inconceivable to think that by now Ryder could have been in a high mid-card spot, featured in a purposeful match on RAW every week, had he been treated better at the start of the year. That hasn’t happened because WWE doesn’t have the tools to help talent of his level out.

On the bright side there are signs that WWE is going to get serious about this area of their programming again. Antonio Cesaro has had some relatively lengthy title defences since winning the United States championship. Let’s not forget that he received a surprisingly rowdy response when he lifted the gold from Santino during the SummerSlam pre-show. That showed that fans will still take an interest in performers outside of the headline zone, if they are presented in the right fashion.

Kofi Kingston’s Intercontinental title victory over The Miz last month was also indicative of a renewed interest in the mid-card. Over the years ‘The Boom Squad General’ has proven to be WWE’s performer of choice when they need a babyface to fill a role outside of the main event.

 

Is he happy or in pain? I know I can't tell...

 

During the summer of last year he was placed into a tag team alongside Evan Bourne. The idea was that the two would spearhead a revival of WWE’s tag team scene, working against teams such as Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger (unofficially known as All American Perfection) and Awesome Truth. That was followed by this year’s stint alongside R-Truth, and there are numerous examples of him being tossed the Intercontinental or US title throughout his five years on the main roster.

Kingston as Intercontinental champ is a good move. He can have the mid-card division built around him, and there are plenty of opponents waiting, such as Wade Barrett, Jack Swagger, Tensai, Hunico, and the Three Man Band. If time is invested into giving Kofi matches and storylines that fans can believe in then the mid-card (and the IC belt too, for that matter) could be revived quickly.

Triple H, Edge, and The Rock all earned their way to the top of WWE by making themselves stand out in the mid-card to earn a promotion. Plucking successful guys from the lower ranks and hoisting them up the ranks used to be something the federation excelled at. With a little work that can be the case again.

SmackTalk 19.10.12

Considering the disappointingly mediocre direction SmackDown has been heading in lately I’m pleased to say that I thought this week’s episode reversed the trend. I’d call it a return to form if the poor trend had been going for longer.

What I thought this week’s show did particularly well was create interest in already established feuds. Alberto Del Rio’s tedious dispute with Randy Orton has been gracing our screens for less than a month but it feels like it’s been trundling on for around six months. Not having the two interact physically on this week’s show was a good move as it heightened anticipation for their eventual tussle and allowed them to play to their individual strengths.

For ‘The Viper’ this meant working an enjoyable bout with The Miz, allowing his opponent to look competitive before defeating him. For ADR it meant cutting a promo on Orton, proclaiming himself to be incredibly tough while avoiding a physical confrontation.

Team Hell No’s programme with the Rhodes Scholars was advanced too. The heels attacked the bickering champions after their victory over Big Show and Dolph Ziggler, indicating that they will defeat Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara on Monday’s RAW (if the match even happens at all, what with Mysterio having the flu and all). Having heels attack faces only for the faces to seek retribution later in the show is a standard trick, but that’s not to say it’s bad.

 

There's no such thing as too many pictures of Daniel Bryan

 

The show even managed to make the Big Show and Sheamus programme seem momentarily interesting. Show stood at ringside during ‘The Celtic Warrior’s’ enjoyable match with Wade Barrett. That he didn’t interfere made it clear that he doesn’t feel the need to sneak attack the champ as he’s confident in his own abilities to beat him when his chance rolls around at Hell in a Cell.

On a side note I think it’s good that WWE are booking Barrett and Sheamus against one another regularly. It may not be the World Heavyweight title feud that the former Nexus leader should have returned to but it’s better than weekly squashes of jobbers. Barrett is natural opponent for ‘Great White’ and I hope the two men get to clash on pay-per-view at some point. Barrett has earned that spot.

After the match Dolph Ziggler made another attempt to cash-in his Money in the Bank contract. It met with failure after he was KOed by ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’. This developed the Show and Sheamus feud in an interesting fashion as it allows Show to claim that he saved the world title for ‘Great White’. Unfortunately this was overlooked by Show immediately taking a microphone and saying he’d definitely take the world title at HIAC.

I remain unconvinced of that.

Miz TV, featuring Kane, Daniel Bryan, Big Show and Dolph Ziggler

Tweet 1: Soooooo... let's watch SmackDown.

Tweet 2: Nine nights from Hell in a Cell. I've never liked PPV countdowns. Dunno why.
Tweet 3: Miz TV is overplayed already.
Tweet 4: Kofi v Miz should be a Hell in a Cell match. For the laughs.
Tweet 5: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Tweet 6: Miz is a fan of combined tag team entrances. Didn't he and JoMo used to enter separately? Am I making that up? Maybe...
Tweet 7: 'World's Toughest Vegan'. He's not actually a vegan anymore but who cares.
Tweet 8: Nice use of the Van Dam thumbs by Bryan there.
Tweet 9: Even with this ridiculous size difference Bryan could have a great match with Show. #mosttalentedmanontheroster
Tweet 10: Speaking of talented members of the roster... it's Dolph Ziggler!
Tweet 11: Here's Booker T, rocking a sweet sweater vest. He almost forgot his lines within seconds. That's some classic Book right there.
Tweet 12: Randy Orton will be jobbing out 'The Awesome One' tonight.
Tweet 13: WWE should be pleased that fans chanted "Feed me more" when waiting to find out who would face Miz. That shows Ryback's popularity.

Randy Orton v The Miz

Tweet 14: "Our first main event is next" - Josh Mathews, not understanding that the main event, whether it's big or not, is the show's final segment

Tweet 15: ADR getting the sky box gimmick there. It's a classic.
Tweet 16: Where did the Miz TV set go? Where did the four other people in the ring go? WWE needs to work on their continuity.
Tweet 17: I want to see stagehands walking up the ramp carrying couches. Is that too much to ask?
Tweet 18: Striker's attempt at selling his ribs was comical. Perhaps almost as comical as Josh ask for JBL's response to ADR's comments.
Tweet 19: Josh Mathews would fit in well on Newsround.
Tweet 20:  "Randy Orton going to the place where he hears voices in his head" - Josh Mathews, taking entrance music lyrics a little too far
Tweet 21: Wouldn't it be funny if Miz kicked out of the RKO? Yes. But it would never happen.
Tweet 22: Felt like Orton was celebrating for about five minutes there.

Teddy Long and Sheamus chat backstage

Tweet 23: Teddy Long just made a match. Someone needs to tell him he's not GM anymore.

Tweet 24: There's Eve standing in the background, looking seductively sinister... or sinisterly seductive.

Rhodes Scholars v Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd

Tweet 25: Rhodes Scholars v Gabriel and Kidd. This is a fine example of a wasted babyface tag team.

Tweet 26: I'm pleased JBL mentioned Cody's various tag team title reigns. Cole never bothered. Neither did Josh.

Booker T, Eve and Teddy Long backstage

Tweet 27: "If I didn't know any better I'd say Teddy was trying to take credit for my idea" - Eve Torres, delivering an unsubtle line unsubtly

Tweet 28: If Booker actually bothered to watch the show he's supposedly in charge of back to himself every week he'd know Eve's lying.
Tweet 29: Booker has a meeting. In the middle of SmackDown. The show he runs. Brilliant.

Big Show and Dolph Ziggler v Team Hell No

Tweet 30: Anyway... In the ring Dolph Ziggler is showboating and telling Big Show that's "his deal".

Tweet 31: Big Show is the world's largest athlete. You can see him from space.
Tweet 32: #nokicks
Tweet 33: Big Show and Dolph Ziggler should form a tag team called... wait for it... The Big Show Offs.
Tweet 34: Josh just said that Big Show is the offiicial challenger to the World Heavyweight championship. Is there an unofficial challenger?
Tweet 35: You don't see many back body drops these days.
Tweet 36: Ziggler loses again. Whaddashock! Good match though. Any time Bryan and Ziggler wrestle each other it's a good thing.
Tweet 37: The Rhodes Scholars jump Team Hell No. Guess we know who's winning the number one contenders final on Monday.
Tweet 38: Little recap of what happened between Show, Sheamus and Barrett on RAW, there. Needs more Tensai.

Antonio Cesaro v Ted DiBiase

Tweet 39: Antonio Cesaro... Heeeey!!

Tweet 40: Cesaro experiencing "Americana" is gold, Jerry! Gold!
Tweet 41: Ted Dibiase is still a babyface. Even worse he's a lazy babyface who relies on shouting "USA!" to gain support.
Tweet 42: "I know where I am" - Nigel McGuinness in response to "USA" chants

Heath Slater v Brodus Clay

Tweet 43: The Slater Freebirds getting themselves matching gear is the best career move they could have made.

Tweet 44: Drew McIntyre looks like Sean Waltman. But without a perm.
Tweet 45: Brodus Clay still gets a reaction. Astonishing.
Tweet 46: Somebody better call Heath Slater's momma...
Tweet 47: Apparently we've slipped into a parallel reality where Heath Slater can beat Brodus Clay.
Tweet 48: That's the Funkasaurus push over then.

Matt Striker interviews Wade Barrett

Tweet 49: BARRETT KLAXON!!

Tweet 50: Barrett should be wrestling Sheamus at Hell in a Cell. They have good matches and he's got more to offer WWE than Big Show.

Layla v Natalya

Tweet 51: Josh Mathews seems to know a lot about the Divas' locker room.

Tweet 52: Natalya or Layla? Who will win? It really doesn't matter...
Tweet 53: This just in: Teddy Long's middle name is Rufus!
Tweet 54: Layla wins. Natalya, one of the best female wrestlers on the roster, is not going anywhere fast.

Teddy Long accosts Kaitlyn backstage

Tweet 55: "Kailtyn, I've got something you need to see" - Teddy Long

Tweet 56: Teddy is showing Kaitlyn Eve's iPad and it's being shown on the Titantron. Wasn't Eve at ringside as that vignette started? She'd have seen.

Sheamus v Wade Barrett

Tweet 57: Lumberjack match = jobberfest

Tweet 58: BARRETT KLAXON (again)!!
Tweet 59: FELLAAAAAAAAAA!!
Tweet 60: It feels like the Attitude Era had a lot less facial hair than current WWE.
Tweet 61: Humorous name alert: Wade's dad was called Larry Barrett.
Tweet 62: I've just noticed that Sin Cara is a lumberjack. He doesn't have a clue what's going on.
Tweet 63: Chaotic little finishing sequence there. Good stuff. Better than the standard non-finish or babyface win.
Tweet 64: Show just saved the title for Sheamus. I doubt we'll get an explanation. Doesn't matter, it adds an interesting angle to Show v Sheamus.