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Smackdown - November 7, 2014

Smackdown
Date: November 7, 2014
Location: Times Union Center, Albany, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield, Tom Phillips

Reviewed by Tommy Hall

As we switch from red to blue this week, the big story has Randy Orton being thrown out of the Authority and laid out with a pair of Curb Stomps. Other than that we have Cena and the Authority trying to firm up their teams for Survivor Series. So far both teams have only a few people but we have a few weeks to get ready. Let's get to it.


Tag Team Titles: Stardust/Goldust vs. Usos

The Dusts are defending and this is inside a cage with pins, submissions or escape to win. Stardust tries to escape early but Jey makes a save. All four come in and we have an early standoff. We settle down to Goldust getting double teamed in the corner until Jimmy gets two off a standing flip splash. Jimmy sends him into the cage for the same result but his cross body only hits steel.

We take a break and come back with Goldust rubbing Jimmy's face against the cage. A chinlock doesn't get Goldust anywhere as Jimmy fights up and climbs the cage, only to be taken down with an electric chair. The second chinlock has Jimmy in more trouble but he fights up and climbs again. Goldust makes another stop but gets nailed by Whisper in the Wind.

Jey comes in off a hot tag to clean house and sends Stardust into the cage, setting up a superkick for two. Everything breaks down and Cross Rhodes gets two on Jey. Stardust goes up but Jey makes a save. All four guys get on turnbuckles, allowing Jimmy to superplex Goldust, setting up a Superfly Splash from Jey. Goldust is done but the legal Stardust grabs a rollup out of nowhere to retain at 12:15.

Rating: B-. That kickout of the Cross Rhodes helped this a good deal but I'm tired of seeing these guys fight so many times. Hopefully this wraps things up and we can get onto some new challengers. That brings us to the big problem though: who else can fight them? Los Matadores? Or are we stuck waiting on another thrown together team?

Network hype time.

We recap the Authority's issues from Monday, culminating in Orton being knocked out so badly that he thinks he's an actor.

Kane is in the ring to talk about handling Orton before Survivor Series. Randy should serve as an example of what's coming to anyone else stands up to the Authority. Dolph Ziggler thinks he can survive Team Cena, but tonight he has to survive against Kane inside that steel cage. Back to Survivor Series, Team Authority has an open spot.

Kane wants to bring out a man that has everything they're looking for but Cesaro cuts him off. Cesaro says he can survive everything WWE has thrown at him and would love to be on Team Authority. Kane says he wasn't thinking about Cesaro, but if he can beat the guy Kane was thinking of, he can be on Team Authority.

Cesaro vs. Ryback

This is joined in progress after a break with Cesaro driving him into the corner and putting on a chinlock. A low dropkick to the face gets two on Ryback and a suplex gets the same. Back to the chinlock but Ryback fights up and flips Cesaro down. A big spinebuster puts Cesaro down and there's the Meat Hook, only to have Cesaro escape Shell Shock.

Ryback is sent shoulder first into the post and a top rope elbow gives Cesaro two more. Cesaro loads up a suplex but Ryback counters into one of his own, only to have Cesaro drive upside down knees to Ryback's head. Ryback grabs Cesaro's leg as it comes down though and Shell Shocks him for the pin at 3:53.

Rating: C. Nice power match here with a good ending. I like stuff like that instead of just picking someone up and hitting your finisher as it looks like the guys are thinking instead of just following a script to a match. Ryback is starting to get momentum again and that's a good thing for the weak face side of the roster.

Kane applauds Ryback but Ryback walks away without acknowledging him.

R-Truth vs. Adam Rose

This is a result of Truth saying the Bunny was the real star of the team. Truth nails a shoulder to start and does a quick Bunny hop. Rose puts his hand up and jumps into Truth's arms, only to be thrown down. The Bunny jumps up on the apron, allowing Truth to roll up Rose for the pin at 1:24.

Rose lays out the Bunny post match and dances with the Rosebuds. The Bunny looks stunned. Well, as stunned as a Bunny can look.

Here's the returning Christian for one more.....episode of the Peep Show. He asks the fans who they think is winning at Survivor Series and of course the people are behind Team Cena. Guest Dean Ambrose cuts him off though as he doesn't like being patience. Christian asks what it's like to be Dean now, because the last thing Christian remembers is Dean ticking off the entire roster as a member of the Shield.

Dean says he has no friends and is always looking over his shoulder but he wouldn't have it any other way. As for Bray Wyatt, Dean doesn't really know why he's coming after him. Dean doesn't have a title that Bray wants or anything like that, so maybe Bray is just preying on people like he always does. Bray likes to manipulate people's minds, but Dean is just crazy enough that it doesn't work. It's a thrill to live the way he does, riding the edge of a lightning bolt. He loves living this way...and here's Wyatt to cut him off.

Bray says Dean has nothing to fear because he has nothing to lose. There was a time when Dean had the security of the Shield around him but that was taken away, leaving Dean like a fish on land, gasping for air. Bray however, is a healer. He healed Harper and Rowan and now he can heal Ambrose. Wyatt can take Dean's hand and heal all his pain, but not everyone can be saved.

Daniel Bryan once defied him and now Bryan is nowhere to be seen. What does Dean have to lose? His own father turned his back on him. Does he still send Ambrose postcards from prison? Bray invites Dean to prove him wrong, so Dean goes up the ramp as the lights cut off again. Ambrose gets to the stage and there's no one in sight.

Video on preacher Xavier Woods.

We look at Rusev beating Sheamus on Monday's post show. Since it's an “exclusive”, we only see the last three minutes or so. After the match, Lana said they were taking the title back to Russia for Putin.

AJ says Brie slapped her on Monday but it was the evil twin that made her do so. Brie comes in to apologize, but it's a ruse so Nikki can get in a cheap shot.

Summer Rae vs. Natalya

This is due to Summer spending too much time around Tyson Kidd earlier today. Considering how much Tyson and Natalya hate each other on Total Divas, it's odd that Natalya would be annoyed at all. Kidd is on commentary and takes credit for weakening Sheamus for Rusev. Summer takes Natalya down with a bodyscissors until Nattie comes back with a slam. Cole suggests Kidd support his wife, so he gets up and tells her to put on the Sharpshooter. The distraction lets Summer grab a rollup for the pin at 1:34.

2K15 hype.

Cena vs. Ryback on Raw in England.

Dolph says he'll do whatever it takes to get rid of the Authority. Cue HHH, who is surprised Ziggler is here after the beating Rollins gave him on Monday. Orton isn't here tonight though, so who is going to save him tonight? Maybe he should save himself by joining the Authority.

Cole brings out the founder of an organization called Soldier Socks and a wounded soldier named Dan Rose. The founder talks about the organization as Rose is put into a different wheelchair. We get a news clip about some new technology that allows wounded soldiers to walk again. Back in the arena, Rose talks about losing the use of his legs due to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Using the new equipment, Rose is able to stand up and walk across the stage using two walking sticks. Rose gets a well deserved standing ovation. That's a very cool moment to see and one of those things that is almost hard to believe.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane

Inside a cage and non-title. Before the match, we get the eyes vignette from Raw. Ziggler looks at the screen and isn't sure what to make of it. Kane slugs away to start but gets caught in a faceplant for two. Dolph tries to climb out a few times but gets sent into the cage for his efforts. We take a break and come back with Dolph getting kicked in the face for two.

Kane takes off a turnbuckle pad but misses a charge into another corner, setting up Ziggler's running DDT. Both guys climb to the top rope and both quickly get crotched for their efforts. Ziggler dives into an uppercut but escapes the chokeslam. He tries to escape and gets slammed down, setting up the chokeslam to knock him silly. Kane calls for a tombstone but takes WAY too long, allowing Ziggler to hit the Zig Zag for two.

Dolph takes too long going for the door, setting up a collision to put both guys down again. Back up and Kane misses a charge into the exposed buckle. Dolph climbs his back and over the cage but Kane kicks the door open to break Ziggler's balance and leave him hanging on the door. Kane goes to escape but Dolph kicks the door onto his head and drops down to win at 11:36.

Rating: B. I liked this far better than I was expecting to as Ziggler got to look like a big deal in a showdown instead of having to have a bunch of run-ins to water the match down. Kane is a good guy for something like this as he looks intimidating and is a good monster to conquer. One thing I don't get though: why not make this a title match? Kane is more than worthy of a midcard title shot and you can give Ziggler a win in a fairly big match. That could happen far more often than it does but you rarely see it. Good match though with a solid ending.

Overall Rating: B. This was the best Smackdown in probably months with two good matches that felt big and some promos that made the show feel like it mattered. It didn't feel like it was a boring show that just there to fill in a few hours and then mean nothing. We even got something resembling an explanation from Wyatt for why he interrupted the Cell match. While most of the stuff isn't going to go anywhere, it's nice to treat this show like it matters for a change. Fun stuff tonight and the kind of show Smackdown needs to be more often.

Results
Stardust/Goldust b. Usos – Rollup to Jey
Ryback b. Cesaro – Shell Shock
R-Truth b. Adam Rose – Rollup
Summer Rae b. Natalya – Rollup
Dolph Ziggler b. Kane – Ziggler escaped the cage


Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Comments

  1. Adam Rose being a bi-polar heel has potential.

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  2. At this point a Real Americans reunion would be a good idea. Okay I've wanted that for a while.

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  3. Is that Rose's first TV loss? I think he still hasn't had a match over 2 minutes.

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  4. >Rollup


    Sickening. WWE has many many problems in this infernal PG era but terrible finishes has to be high on the list.

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  5. Yeah, I agree... nude pics?

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  6. How about Cesaro SAVING Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter from Rusev after the later challenges Rusev in a desperate attempt to save the U.S. Title?

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  7. Adam Rose heeling it up... get this man the IC title right the hell now. I have a 20+ year-old idea.

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  8. I don't think Kane and his 5-80 record this year should get any title shots.

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  9. There was even a freakin' rollup finish in a tag team cage match!

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  10. "Cesaro says he can survive everything WWE has thrown at him and would love to be on Team Authority."


    You know, actually putting Cesaro on the heel team at Survivor Series would be a nice way to get him some exposure and let him have some main event time without putting him in the main event and add some extra workrate to the match.


    But no, they have a political point to make, don't you know.

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  11. Funny that WWE gray-edits blood for Smackdown video packages, but then SyFy goes to commercial so we can see colorful blood and guts flying all over the place in "Z Nation" and "Sharknado" ads.
    Heel Adam Rose could be a really dark character if they take it there. Keep the "party guy" thing, but through backstage segments we learn that he's more like the creepy dude at the party trying to slip girls X and roofies, or he's the bi-polar movie villain who's a stone-cold killer but keeps his office at a nightclub (e.g. the bad guy in 2 Fast 2 Furious).

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  12. Plus someone needs to eat the first pinfall.

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  13. Call me crazy, but I think it worked perfectly in this match - it wasn't the usual weak distraction finish, but Cody out-smarting and out-wrestling his opponents after Jey (Jimmy?) had hit a high-risk move.

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  14. Adam Rose has been Leo Krager all along.

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  15. As far as so-called political point(s) go, "don't publicly bad-mouth your employer" is one I think I agree with. Most people get fired for that.

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  16. I really like the idea of a heel Adam Rose.

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  17. "Sickening?"
    Maybe try going outside for a bit, champ.

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  18. They are not making a political point, as has been noted numerous times.

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  19. Yep the whole "no blood" thing is so stupid and so not "PG" but rather "G."

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  20. even Randy Savage was (as if Savage wouldn't have had dozens of more great matches if he had more opponents like Steamboat that could hang with him workrate-wise)

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  21. LOL three matches with rollup finishes. How original!

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  22. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 8, 2014 at 10:04 AM

    It's like they're afraid of using finishers.

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  23. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©November 8, 2014 at 10:06 AM

    http://youtu.be/TZ82-8USv9o

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  24. You do realize that the overwhelming majority of Attitude Era Raws had run-ins/distraction/roll up finishes right? Even mid carders almost never lost clean, there was always a russo'ism attached to it.

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  25. How embarrassing. What a shit show.

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  26. Extant1979 - Mr. Cable AccessNovember 8, 2014 at 10:11 AM

    But Tommy said it was the best Smackdown in months!

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  27. He absolutely did not bad mouth them. See for yourself. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/wwe-superstar-cesaro-im-sick-7982139

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  28. Extant1979 - Mr. Cable AccessNovember 8, 2014 at 10:14 AM

    Some people will only believe what they want to believe.

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  29. The way the wwe books finishes to matches is a shit show is what I mean. I haven't smackdown yet but this ep sounded OK on paper.

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  30. He probably isn't getting buried. This is just how Cesaro's been booked since Mania. His record is near Kane levels.

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  31. It sucked then and it sucks now.

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  32. I ain't going outside. It's far too dangerous, someone could just sneak up and roll you up out of nowhere. No, I'm staying safely indoors with my back to the wall.

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  33. I would agree with you about the first two but not about Sting.Sting is a good opponent but he's not the guy who carries matches.

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  34. Too bad Savage and Dibiase never had a blow-off match on a PPV. If they did we probably would be talking about it in the same breath as Savage's other classics.

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  35. What does that have to do with my criticism? I didn't say "This was better in the Attitude Era!"


    You don't think it's problematic to run rollup finishes in SIXTY PERCENT of the matches on the show?

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  36. And another thing, why is the WWE constantly giving R-Truth victories over these "new" guys? He broke Bo Dallas's streak and then hands Rose one of his first losses. I liked crazy R-Truth and all, but that guy should be at the head of the next "future endeavors" listing.

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  37. Thats a dream match that never happened - Sting vs Curt.

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  38. In a year with The Black Scorpion? Hardly.

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  39. I think you added the wrong link, because this one had a direct quote from him trashing arguably the company's top two stars for being in main events.

    I agree with him, but I'm not a WWE employee.

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  40. I wouldn't say 2 fluke wins where he's brushed aside immediately after means constantly. But, R-Truth does seem near the top of the JTTS crew for some reason.

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  41. Especially if it would taken place circa 1993 or so.

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  42. If after reading that article with the quote in its proper context, you still come away with the idea he trashed the wwe all I can say is step outside for fresh air bud.

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  43. We
    recap the Authority's issues from Monday, culminating in Orton being
    knocked out so badly that he thinks he's an actor.
    -------


    Yeah, someone should give you credit for that great line.

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  44. Do people really think they're funny or clever when they quote that Bret Hart promo any time someone mentions El Dandy?

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  45. Flair's WrestleWar'90 match with Luger is a lost classic and probably the best of the Flair/Luger series, but most people have only seen the edited down version on the home video, actual ppv broadcast ran around 45min... the Capital Combat match was weak due to Luger's legit knee injury

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  46. Imagine how good 1989 Savage vs Curt could have been....

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  47. Aw, you said the thing I say!

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  48. Mr. Perfect was a good worker during that time table, but not one of the best.

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  49. I would considering the last match he had was a mostly clean win over the champion just a week ago.

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  50. Sure that didn't happen on Nitro?

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  51. Hennig and Tito on the summer SNME was awesome. They should have changed the belt there and done a rubber match at Summerslam 90.

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