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Smackdown - June 29, 2012


Smackdown
Date: June 29, 2012
Location: Ford Center, Evansville, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, Booker T, Josh Matthews

Reviewed by Tommy Hall

It appears to be time to start the MITB build as they did that over on the Raw show. Now over there we had people that had only been WWE Champion, but there aren't that many candidates for the Smackdown World Title. Also I'm not sure if there are going to be more people in the Raw match or not, but they have more time to change it if they want. Sheamus defends against Ziggler and Del Rio in a triple threat tonight too. Let's get to it.

 

Do You Know Your Enemy? Mine is yet again this heat wave. Four straight days of over 100 degrees in Kentucky? That needs to be destroyed.

We open with a recap of the triple threat elimination match from Raw.

AJ vs. Layla

Layla has Tiffany's old music now because....I have no idea actually. AJ takes her to the mat but Layla runs her over and blows a kiss. A rollup gets two for the champ (non-title here though) and she works on the arm. AJ comes back with a dropkick and corner clothesline for two. Layla comes back with a spinning facejam but AJ kicks her head off. Cue Bryan to shout YES a lot and skip around the ring ala AJ. Layla rolls up AJ for the pin at 3:31.

Rating: C-. This was better than most Divas matches. The ending was another advancement in the story as now Daniel is tormenting AJ. Both girls were looking good here too, although I still don't like the new music for Layla. Then again I didn't like the song back when Tiffany had it either. It's amazing how much better these matches are when they have time.

AJ snaps on Layla post match. Bryan tells her to calm down and says there's something that needs to be done. He demands to talk to Vickie and threatens to hold the show hostage unless she comes out here. Bryan says YES a lot and AJ does the same. We take a break for a Raw Moment of Tyson joining DX and come back with dueling YES shouts. Vickie comes out and says everyone is tired of hearing Bryan's catchphrase over and over again.

Bryan says he's the #1 contender to Punk's title and he thanks Vickie for getting him that shot. He proposes an alliance once she becomes GM. He wants AJ banned from ringside because she's a liability. Vickie yells at AJ a lot but Bryan says this is about him, not AJ. Vickie talks about some poll on WWE.com and based on that, AJ is going to be guest referee.

This comes off as incredibly lame to me, as it's taking WAY too long to make this announcement. Instead of wasting time like this, just announce this stuff and say the Board of Directors made the decision. It saves like ten minutes that you can use on other stuff. Bryan yells NO and leaves. Vickie STILL isn't done because she announces that there will be MITB qualifying matches over the next two weeks and everyone is eligible to enter.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Zach Ryder vs. Damien Sandow

Sandow does his usual stuff on the way to the ring. Booker says that Sandow needs to stop idolizing Leaping Lanny Poffo. So there is something to that theory I guess. Anyway Ryder takes him down to start but Sandow reverses him into the corner and stomps away. A Russian legsweep puts Ryder down and Sandow drops an elbow which has some Latin name apparently. Sandow ducks his head and gets caught in a facejam followed by the knees in the corner. A kind of powerbomb gets two for Ryder and there's the Broski Boot. Rough Ryder is countered into a hot shot and that double arm neckbreaker gets the pin at 2:25.

Bryan goes to the Divas locker room looking for AJ but finds Kaitlyn instead. She doesn't know where AJ is but suggests that Bryan find her and get on AJ's good side because she's a bit crazy.

Summerslam hype video.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Jack Swagger vs. Tyson Kidd

Swagger quickly takes him to the mat but gets caught in a pair of rolling cradles for two. He bails to the floor in frustration but gets dropkicked in the face for his troubles. Back in and Kidd charges into a wheelbarrow suplex for two. Jack works on the arm and drops a leg on it for two. Vader Bomb gets two. Swagger hooks a Fujiwara Armbar but Kidd quickly gets up and hits a DDT to put both guys down. A dropkick to the side of the head gets two. A victory roll attempt is countered and there's the ankle lock but Kidd escapes. Another dropkick sets up a Blockbuster for the pin at 4:30.

Rating: C. The match was fine but the ending was a nice surprise. Swagger would be in the match as a warm body, while Kidd can at least add some dives and high spots which is what makes those matches work. Also it's nice to see some new faces getting pushed like Sandow and Kidd. They won't win, but it's nice to see them getting to rub elbows in a match like this. That's how you get them pushed which is something WWE really needs to do at this point.

We get the McMahon in the hospital moment AGAIN.

We recap the mess that was the contract on the pole match from Monday.

Ziggler wants to know why Vickie isn't doing anything but she can't because the Board is watching her. Dolph wants the Brogue Kick and Cross Armbreaker banned. She says that'll make her look bad which makes Ziggler freak out. She slaps him in the face but agrees to be out there with him tonight.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Christian/Santino Marella vs. Cody Rhodes/David Otunga

The winning team will both get into the match. David gets a fanfare of music while he poses in the ring now. Santino and Cody start but it's quickly off to Christian. Christian gets in some right hands but Cody takes him down with a knee to the ribs. Off to Otunga who hits a seated shoulder block for two. Off to a chinlock for a few seconds, but Cody jumps into a punch to the ribs.

Off to Otunga vs. Marella with the champion hitting his usual stuff. He loads up the Cobra but Cody pulls Otunga to the floor before Santino can cover. Rhodes comes in legally and gets a few two counts before throwing the Cobra sock to the floor. Otunga comes in and drops an elbow for two, followed by a modified camel clutch.

Santino suplexes his way out of it and tags in Christian who cleans house. A flapjack and jumping back elbow to Cody look to set up the Killswitch but Cody escapes. Another attempt is countered but the reverse DDT connects. Otunga breaks up the spear but heel miscommunicatio lets Christian spear Otunga down for the pin at 6:23.

Rating: C-. This was fine and we have a warm body and a comedy character into the match now. To be fair, either team could have won and the results would have been about the same. Otunga is just barely above being a comedy character anyway and Cody and Christian probably have about the same chance to win the case. This was fine but nothing great at all.

Sheamus says he could win tonight and make it to MITB, only to get cashed in on. Or he could walk outside and get hit by a car driven by Lindsay Lohan. He doesn't live by what if's, and therefore he doesn't worry.

Time to waste another minute and a half by talking about This Is Your Life Rock.

Bryan comes up to AJ in the back and says he's worried about her well being. AJ attacking Layla isn't like her and maybe she should seek professional help. Bryan knows a doctor that could help her, because people that care about each other help each other out. AJ says she'll take the number. Well actually she says YES a lot but you get the idea.

Dan Barone/Brendan Burke vs. Ryback

The jobbers are from Kentucky (YAY!) and they combine to weigh 350lbs. Where do they find these singing jobbers? Is there a farm where they're grown? Barone takes a HUGE powerbomb and Shell Shocked (that's the official name for it) ends this at 1:50.

Aksana and Cesaro are kissing in the back when Teddy interrupts them. He's the GM for both shows next week and on the live Smackdown this Tuesday they're facing Layla and Great Khali. Teddy has power again for 20 seconds and he's already made a tag match.

The Raw ReBound is about the ending and the MITB match.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Justin Gabriel vs. Tensai

This is quite the downgrade for Tensai. Cody is officially protesting not being in the MITB match because he didn't lose. Tensai runs him over with his usual stuff and hits a butterfly suplex for two. A bearhug is quickly broken up as is Gabriel's sunset flip. Gabriel fires off some kicks but can't even drop Tensai. A springboard missile dropkick puts him down though and a Lionsault gets two. Not that it matters as he jumps into the Baldo Bomb and the running backsplash gets the pin at 2:45.

The THIRD Raw Moment of the night is HHH returning from his quad injury in 2002.

Smackdown World Title: Alberto Del Rio vs. Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler

Del Rio still wants a one on one match and doesn't like competing in this little town. Vickie interrupts him and does Dolph's intro. We go to a break before the match and this is either something only on the international version or they're REALLY going overboard, as the fourth Raw Moment is Barker on Raw. Sheamus knocks them both down to start and sends Ziggler to the floor. Del Rio jumps the champion from behind but walks into the Regal Roll for one.

Ziggler tries to jump Sheamus and gets glared at. Sheamus chases him around the ring and runs over Del Rio on the way back in. Del Rio hits the DDT on the arm to take over and hooks an armbar. Sheamus gets sent to the floor and Ziggler follows him out, beating up both guys on the floor. He covers Alberto for two in the ring and dropkicks Sheamus to the floor again.

Del Rio misses a charge into the corner and Ziggler gets two off the collision into the buckle. The fans are behind Sheamus even though he's on the floor. Del Rio breaks up a superplex attempt but gets knocked off the top to the floor. Sheamus comes back in and hits an electric chair drop on Dolph as we take a break. Back with Del Rio knocking Sheamus to the floor again. The challengers both fall outside on their own and work over the champion at the same time.

They beat on him behind the announcers' desk and send him into the steps before going back inside for more beating. Alberto double crosses Dolph and tries to steal the title, resulting in a slug out between the two of them. Sheamus comes off the top with a double shoulder block and everyone is down. Ziggler gets thrown to the apron for the ten forearms to put him down. The DDT to the arm is countered and the Irish Curse gets two. Ziggler comes back in but the Fameasser is avoided and there's White Noise.

Del Rio breaks up the Brogue Kick and gets two on Sheamus. The Armbreaker is broken up but Sheamus charges into the post. Ziggler dropkicks the arm into the post but Del Rio kicks him to the floor. There's the Armbreaker but Ziggler makes the save. Fameasser gets two on Alberto but Ricardo gets on the apron. Ziggler rolls up Del Rio but Sheamus kicks his head off for the pin at 11:15 shown of 14:45.

Rating: B. This was a solid TV main event with a ton of near falls at the end. Unfortunately it probably sets up Del Rio vs. Sheamus for the title at the PPV because that's the match they want, even though it's been moved twice already, one of which I believe was a sign from a higher power not named Vince. This was good stuff though with a ton of near falls and chances that the title could have changed. Sheamus winning was in doubt at some points, which is a very nice touch.

Overall Rating: B-. Given the insane amount of time wasted on this show, they got a lot done. If they had any sense of time management this could have been an even better show. Still though with a good TV main event and some build to MITB including some nice surprises, it's hard to complain much here. Teddy as GM should be keeping the course just fine so the live show might actually be good.

Results
Layla b. AJ – Rolling Cradle
Damien Sandow b. Zach Ryder – Neckbreaker
Tyson Kidd b. Jack Swagger – Blockbuster
Christian/Santino Marella b. David Otunga/Cody Rhodes – Spear to Otunga
Ryback b. Dan Barone/Brendan Burke – Shell Shocked
Tensai b. Justin Gabriel – Running Backsplash
Sheamus b. Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler – Brogue Kick to Ziggler

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Comments

  1. I'm glad they put in Kidd and Sandow. It'll be nice to see what those guys can do in a bigger match. Swagger desperately needs a retooling.

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  2. I understand them wanting to have the Great American Bash one day before Independence Day...but damn. I hate to see an event that I looked forward to back in the 80s & 90s reduced to yet another glorified Smackdown.

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  3. I wish Ziggler would stop talking about how he always steals the show in all his promos. It just makes his character sound like he's more concerned about pulling off the flashiest moves during matches rather than winning them. That's something that just bugs me about the Dolph Ziggler character.

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  4. It kinda gives a reason why he loses though. I agree, Shawn Michaels didn't just talk about stealing the show, he won too. 

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  5. You use too many pronouns. It's hard to figure out who won the match.

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  6. Not really.  I don't ever remember Kidd using a Blockbuster, nor do I think Ryback is going to lose to the jobbers.  Also the results are all listed at the end in case it's confusing for some reason.

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  7. Not every one keeps track of exactly what moves Tyson Kidd uses. That's why good reviewers put the result at the end. Never assume that your audience knows everything that you know.

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  8. If they're reading a review on this blog, it's pretty safe to assume they know that.  Also, it says Kidd escapes and then there's the sentence about the finish.  Nothing is said about Swagger taking over again, so it can be assumed that Kidd won.

    Also, as you said good reviewers do, I put the results in.  There's really no excuse to not understand who won.

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  9. Winner: Kidd with Blockbuster at 3:54

    It's not difficult and it makes the reviews easier to read. You did the same thing in the Ryder match.

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  10. From the review:



    Damien
    Sandow b. Zach Ryder – Neckbreaker


    Tyson
    Kidd b. Jack Swagger – Blockbuster
    This REALLY isn't as much of an issue as you're making it out to be.  Sandow uses a neckbreaker as a finisher, so it should be pretty clear.  If that's not enough, there's also the whole paragraph about Kidd and Sandow being new faces in the title scene.

    I think I covered it pretty well.

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  11. Dude I like your review style. I would prefer that you used star ratings I suppose but ultimately I'd rather you write it how you want. When I go to a restaurant I just like to get the meal how the cook does it.

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  12. Thanks, and thanks for being reasonable about me not using star ratings.  For the life of me I do not get why that is such an issue.

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  13. So that's Christian, Santino, Kidd, Sandow and Tensai all on the SD side, plus more qualifiers next week, so I'm guessing we still end up with an eight-man field.  My guesses are Ziggler, Rhodes (presuming his protest angle goes somewhere) and hey, as long as they're pushing the young talent, let's get The Ryback in there.

    For RAW, the field is specifically limited to ex-WWE champions, so besides Cena, Kane, Big Show and Jericho, my guesses are Mysterio, MIz and one surprise entry --- probably something like Foley, but man, it'd be awesome if it was Brock, Undertaker or even the Rock.

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  14. They made it seem like it would just be those four on Raw, which would be more interesting.

    As for Smackdown, Cody seems like a given, Ziggler or Del Rio will be in with the other facing Sheamus, more than likely Del Rio gets the title shot.  Sin Cara maybe?  The guy seems to have disappeared lately but he'd seem like a good candidate, provided he doesn't kill himself.

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  15. "Teddy has power again for 20 seconds and he's already made a tag match."

    Still doesn't quite have the same ring as making someone go ONE ON ONE...WITH DAH UNDAHTAKAH!

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  16. I have no problem with you reviews but it wasnt really clear in your review of Kidd/Swagger as to who won the match. You can scroll to the bottom I suppose but your play-by-play wouldnt hold up over time.

    Once again, I like your reviews but you really are thin-skinned when it comes to criticism. You do post on a blog that features a comment section and it will feature stuff that is negative towards you. Hell, I've posted reviews here and on 411 (not in a few years but maybe I can ask Scott to post reviews of the TNA Weekly PPV's) and have had that happen many of times.

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  17. I think it's just because people over the years are used to star ratings. You're the only reviewer that I've read that uses a letter-grade system, so others just might think you're throwing the system all OUTTA WHACK, MAN!

    All good with me, everyone's got their own style.

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  18. I've posted them on 411 as well and the comments there are absurd.  I have no problem with criticism when it's actual criticism.  When it's nitpicking about not using the right kind of rating or not being able to scroll down a bit or think a bit, I have little use for it.

    Also as an aside, if my Schoolhouse Rock memories are correct, there aren't any pronouns in the sentences that were being complained about.

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  19.  While it gives a reason, I don't think creative ever tweaks with that personality, though, and they definitely could.

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  20. Here is one of my reviews of the Monday Night Wars from 11/13/95.

    http://www.rspwfaq.com/2009/09/05/monday-night-wars-111395/

    It was poorly written and I was not a fan of proofreading back then, as you can see.

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  21. I remember reading this back then.  It's not horrible and you got the point across which is the main idea.  My early ones were terrible.  I'm ashamed to look at them anymore.

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  22. I'm seeing my old reviews and no matter how shitty they came off, I'd like to start doing them again. Maybe old TNA or WWF stuff from 1986-1987

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  23. They get better as time goes on.  It took me years to tweak my format to get it just right.

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  24. Meltzer reported last week that Cody was mentioned as a possilbe winner of MITB. Who knows if that is still the case though.

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  25. Okay, seriously, is Ryback EVER going to get a match with somebody on the main roster?! I keep hearing all these rumors about how the talent is afraid to work with him because of his sloppiness, but they can't have him keep squashing jobbers forever.

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  26. "This
    comes off as incredibly lame to me, as it's taking WAY too long to
    make this announcement. Instead of wasting time like this, just
    announce this stuff and say the Board of Directors made the decision.
    It saves like ten minutes that you can use on other stuff."You're off your rocker.  WWE has very few, if any, better ways of spending ten minutes of Smackdown time than this.And you totally butchered Vickie's joke."EXCUSE ME!  I'm sure that everyone here is tired of you repeating you same old annoying catchphrase!"(crowd boos)"I SAID EXCUSE ME!!!"YES!  YES!  YES!  YES!  YES!

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  27. Not until he runs up 150 wins.

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  28. They could have a ten minute wrestling match, or add a few minutes to other matches.

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  29. And it wouldn't have been a better use of time than this.

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  30. We spent ten minutes to announce AJ is guest referee.  Raw is full of way too long segments like this one.  Smackdown used to be awesome because it was the wrestling show instead of another talking show like it's turning into.

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  31. Watched Impact and Smackdown back-to-back, and honestly Smackdown paled in comparison. It wasn't a bad show by any stretch, it just all felt a little inconsequential. A few thoughts:- Daniel Bryan is doing incredible work. So entertaining in every segment he appears in.- As for AJ, there needs to be some payoff at the Money In The Bank PPV, because the ambiguity is starting to drag a bit. I'm hoping she was in cahoots with Bryan all along.- Still love Damien Sandow. Needs a better finisher, though. A neckbreaker just ain't going to cut it.- Booker T is still a dreadful commentator, but "you've gotta get the butterflies to fly in formation" was a great line.- Those Del Rio MITB PPV spots have done more for/with the character than anything since...well, the videos that aired before his debut. He's supposed to be a rich, spoiled playboy-type, but they never emphasise that in any of his mic work, and as a result he comes across as yet another smug heel.- So is David Otunga taking Chris Masters' gimmick now? 

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  32. I think it dragged while Vickie was explaining the poll.  But the "Yes" off between DB and AJ was hugely entertaining.  That girl never ceases to put a smile on my face.  

    I also love when he goes to find her backstage*pounds on door*
     (yells) AJ!

    *taps on door*
    (singsongy) AJ

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  33. or he shakes all over... whichevz

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  34. Daniel Bryan is so at the top of his game right now, the segment with him Aj and Vickie was great, except for the idiotic online poll that Vickie brought up. Guest timekeeper, really?

    Good to see Kidd and Sandow are going to be in MITB as well. Kidd could get himself super over if he does the right stuff during the match. So there's 5 people so far in the Smackdown MITB, and i think they said qualifying carries on next week. Hopefully we don't get 8 people in this one.

    I really like Dolph Ziggler but agree with MyronB the whole "i always steal the show!" malarkey is getting annoying, and not in a good way. I wish he'd exude more of that Mr. Perfect style confidence he had earlier in the year when he was going up against Punk.

     

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  35. bryan winning via aj makes sense for cena cashing in mitb on 1k raw b4 summerslam and hopefully facing punk.
     
    now the question is are we going to at least get a decent build for cena v punk like we did last summer? or is it going to be fart jokes on one end, and best in worlds on the other??

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  36. excuse me = good ol' fashioned classic heat.  It really is amazing  after all this time its still a wall of boos, no chants of vickie sucks or anything. The woman is really a industrial strenght heat machine.

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  37. I really hope they don't turn Bryan face anytime soon because right now he's by far the best heel they have.

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  38. Let Ryback be in the MITB match. He can kick some established guys ass and if he loses he doesn't lose any heat.

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  39. I don't mind seeing Cody win. They need another top level heel to go along with Bryan.

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  40. I love daniel bryan and think he's killing it right now but count me in the camp of people who want this aj thing blown off. Time to wrap it up and send her back to diva shit angles.

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  41. Codys been doing fantastic heel work for two years. I wouldn't mind seeing him win at all.

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  42.  Sandow's character screams for either a submission finish or a move that goes straight into a pin, ala the Perfectplex. He used to use the Figure Four in developmental, that could work out well for him.

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  43. Good call. His whole shtick is "I'm hear to teach you all a lesson," a submission move would fit that perfectly.

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  44. It's 411mania's comment section. DO NOT TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY. Ever. You'll find like ONE decent comment out of 10, maybe. 

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  45. But I haven't read Michael Bradley.

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  46. Playing the role of Shelton Benjamin in the 2012 Money in the Bank, Kof...Tyson Kidd!

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  47. Dude's trying to help you. It WAS confusing trying to figure out who won that match. You'd improve your writing if you listened to criticism, same as anyone else.

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  48. No need to get so defensive about constructive criticism. Nobody's attacking you personally.

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