Smackdown
Date:
November 1, 2013
Location:
Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
Commentators:
Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
It's
the first Smackdown after what I thought was one of the best Raws in
a long time. We're also coming off an eventful PPV which saw Cena
and Orton win the titles, meaning there's a good chance that Cena is
here tonight. Tonight will probably have a lot more action rather
than the mainly story driven show we got on Monday. That's exactly
how Raw and Smackdown should work if they're going to have a single
roster. Let's get to it.
We
recap Cena winning the title on Sunday.
Here's
Johnny for his first Smackdown appearance in a good while. During
the entrance we look at Sandow's cash in from Monday where he
actually had me believing he would win. Cena talks about winning the
title on Sunday and says that he and Smackdown are going to get real
close very soon. He sucks up to the Tampa crowd and says the World
Heavyweight Champion is here.
This
brings out the Real Americans of all people with Colter thanking Cena
for taking the world title from Alberto Del Rio. He says Cena has a
lot in common with the Real Americans such as being a real American
hero and supporting the troops, so Cena should join the Real
Americans. Colter asks Cena to do the WE THE PEOPLE but instead Cena
says you can't see me. Cena says he sees three dumb people.
Swagger
looks like Biff from Back to the Future so he should make like a tree
and get out of here. Then there's Cesaro with his giant swing but
all Cena can see are his giant nipples. That leaves Colter, but Cena
doesn't have enough time to make all the jokes he needs. Colter
looks like a cross between a drunk Yosemite Sam and the guys from
Duck Dynasty. Cena says the Real Americans are the people in the
crowd because this is the land of the free and the home of the brave,
so everyone can look and sound like anything they want.
Cena
tells them to get out of Tampa before violence starts, but here's a
ticked off Sandow before the Americans can respond. John gets ready
to fight but Sandow calls him a hypocrite. He says you make your own
way in America like he did when he stabbed his best friend in the
back to win Money in the Bank. Cena has been handed everything since
he got back which makes him a false champion. Sandow is still the
uncrowned world champion and his purpose in life is to end the Cena
era in the WWE. The heels get ready to swarm but Cody and Goldust
come in to even the odds. Vickie, tag match, main event.
We
get a Shield promo talking about how the Usos aren't contenders and
how they can beat any team on the planet. Roman is about to talk but
Ambrose cuts him off, saying the US Champion and Rollins will prove
Shield dominance tonight. The slow burn split has begun.
Shield
vs. Usos
Rollins
and Ambrose here. This is a result of the Usos helping make the save
on Monday night. Jimmy and Dean get us going but Ambrose is quickly
dragged to the Uso corner for a double back elbow to the jaw. Dean
makes a tag off to Rollins but is easily taken down for a knee drop.
Rollins trips Jimmy down though and stomps away as Shield takes over.
Seth charges into a backdrop over the top and out to the floor, only
to have Ambrose tag him on the way down.
Jey
is sent to the floor as well so Roman goes after him. Cue Big E.
Langston to stare him down as we take a break. Back with Ambrose
holding a chinlock on Jimmy before it's back to Rollins for a running
forearm in the corner. Seth goes to the middle rope but dives into a
right hand, allowing for the double tag off to Dean and Jey.
The
running Umaga attack in the corner gets a quick two and a jumping
kick to the face gets the same. Rollins comes back in and gets
caught in a spinebuster. A double superkick knocks Reigns off the
apron and as JBL puts it, “WE GOT A FLYING SAMOAN!” Back inside
and Jey dives over Amborse into a rollup for the pin at 6:44 shown of
10:14.
Rating:
C+. As usual the Usos are good
for a solid performance in a tag match. Shield continues to have
problems but it could still be awhile before they split. The good
thing about them is you can mix up the combinations to keep the story
going even longer like they did here. Nice match to open things up.
Post
match Shield goes after the Usos but Langston makes the save. Reigns
wants to fight all three of them but Rollins and Ambrose hold him
back.
We
recap the Shawn/Bryan segment from Raw. I still don't think Shawn is
coming back for another match but it's possible. We also look at the
Wyatts attacking Punk and Bryan.
Prime
Time Players vs. Wyatt Family
Before
the match, Bray appears on screen and says we live in a world of
false heroism and he has the cure in the palm of his hand. Ashes,
ashes, we all fall down. He stops talking and the Family is in the
ring with Bray in his usual place. Rowan throws Darren around with
ease before standing on his throat and removing the mask.
Off
to Harper for a big boot and a front facelock while rolling around on
the mat. Back to Rowan for a neck crank. Harper comes back in to
knock Titus to the floor and puts on the front facelock again.
Darren finally lunges forward for the tag off to O'Neil who cleans
house. Young and Rowan fight to the floor but Harper scores with the
discus lariat for the pin on Titus at 3:46.
Rating:
D+. Just a squash here with the
Wyatts getting to look strong before they head into their big feud
with Punk and Bryan. The Players are fine in this role and can move
up to challenge for the titles in a low level program if needed.
Imagine that: actual tiers in the tag team division.
Darren
takes Sister Abigail's Kiss post match.
We
look back at Kane joining the new regime and surrendering his mask to
Stephanie on Monday.
Here's
Miz for MizTV which was supposed to have Shawn Michaels as a guest
but we get WWE Champion Randy Orton instead. Orton says Shawn isn't
here because Miz is irrelevant and no one cares about his show. He
wants to know why this isn't a celebration of his 11th WWE
Championship because Big Show violated the previous one. Due to that
knockout, Big Show has been banned from WWE for life. Orton asks Miz
how that makes him feel but hits the RKO before Miz can answer. As
always, Cole makes it sound like Orton asked for more water at
dinner.
Dolph
Ziggler shills WWE merchandise.
Bella
Twins/Natalya vs. AJ Lee/Alicia Fox/Tamina Snuka
Nikki
starts with Alicia and quickly takes her down before bringing in Brie
for a Poetry In Motion clothesline. Alicia brings in Tamina for a
nice clothesline to take Brie down as the heels take over. Off to AJ
for a modified dragon sleeper followed by a guillotine choke. Brie
fights out and makes the hot tag off to Natalya who cleans house. AJ
comes back with a quick rollup for two as everything breaks down.
Natalya grabs a quick Sharpshooter for the submission from AJ at
3:37.
Rating:
D+. I guess we've moved past
the Bellas and onto Natalya now. This is probably going to be the
season finale when someone takes the title from AJ because we need to
make sure book the wrestling show around a reality show. That being
said, I'd take Natalya any day over one of the Bellas.
The
Raw ReBound covers the end of the show with Orton's celebration and
Big Show knocking Randy out cold.
We
get part of a sitdown interview with HHH where Cole reads from David
Otunga's opinion of Big Show's lawsuit. HHH gets tired of hearing
about it and bans Big Show from the WWE for life. This would be more
interesting if Cole hadn't told us this earlier.
John
Cena/Goldust/Cody Rhodes vs. Real Americans/Damien Sandow
Swagger
and Cesaro running to the ring like they're on a battlefield is great
stuff. Cody and Cesaro get us going with Rhodes taking over off a
shoulder block. Off to Goldust with an elbow drop before it's
quickly back to Cody for a jumping knee to the face. That gets two
as well and everything breaks down. We take a break and come back
with Sandow working on Cena's arm before handing it off to Cesaro for
the same.
John
hurricanranas his way out of what looked like a powerbomb, allowing
for the tag off to Goldust. Swagger gets caught by clotheslines and
something resembling Stratusfaction before being backdropped out to
the floor. Back in and Jack hits a shoulder to the knee and Goldust
is in trouble. Cesaro comes in and pounds away before sending Goldie
to the floor for a clothesline by Swagger. Off to Sandow for some
knees to the chest and a near fall. Back to Swagger for a front
facelock as the fans get behind the gold one.
There's
a hard clothesline to take Goldust down and it's back to Cesaro for a
reverse chinlock. A gutwrench suplex gets two for Antonio and it's
back to Swagger as we take another break. Back with Cesaro getting
two on Goldust via a suplex and we're back to another chinlock.
Goldust fights up and drives into the corner for the tag to Cena but
the referee didn't see it. I love that spot.
The
Real Americans do their Vader Bomb into the double stomp spot for
another two count. Goldust finally comes back with a quick DDT to
Cesaro but Damien breaks up the hot tag attempt. Sandow's chinlock
is broken up and Goldust heads to the corner for a jumping back elbow
which mostly misses. The drop to the knees and uppercut staggers
Sandow but he still knocks Cody and Cena to the floor. A powerslam
puts Damien down again and NOW we get the hot tag to Rhodes.
Cody
comes in with a springboard dropkick to Sandow followed by the
moonsault press (he's gotten much better at that move) for two.
Damien counters Cross Rhodes and makes a tag to Cesaro but there
Cross Rhodes takes Sandow out anyway. The distraction lets Antonio
come in for a 31 second Cesaro Swing to Rhodes for two. During the
Swing Cena speared Swagger on the floor so there's no one for Cesaro
to tag.
The
second hot tag brings in Cena who initiates his finishing sequence on
Cesaro but the AA is countered into the gutwrench suplex. Cesaro
loads up the Swing on Cena but Cena counters into an STF attempt.
Antonio rolls through and hits Swiss Death, only to have Cody score
with a Disaster Kick to the European. Sandow hits You're Welcome on
Cody but gets bulldogged down by Goldust. Swagger gets the tag and
suplexes Goldust down before putting Cena in the Patriot Lock. Cena
rolls out and hits a quick AA for the pin at 16:58 shown of 23:58.
Rating:
A-. If you're looking for an
old school tag team formula match with a hot ending, go find this
match immediately. Awesome stuff here with everyone looking good and
a great heat segment on Goldust. If there's anyone out there that
can make someone look like a million bucks better than Cena, I'd love
to see them, as he gave Sandow his best match ever and now made the
Real Americans look competent. Great main event.
Overall
Rating: B. Not a lot happened
here but after Monday there wasn't much left to do tonight. This
show is reminiscent of some old In Your House shows: nothing special
for the first parts but them an awesome main event takes up the last
fourth of the show to save most of it. The opening tag match was
decent enough and the other tags weren't that bad so overall this was
good stuff.
Results
Usos
b. Shield – Rollup to Ambrose
Wyatt
Family b. Prime Time Players – Discus lariat to O'Neil
Bella
Twins/Natalya b. AJ Lee/Tamina Snuka/Alicia Fox – Sharpshooter to
Lee
Goldust/John
Cena/Cody Rhodes b. Real Americans/Damien Sandow – AA to Swagger
Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with wrestling books for just $4 at:
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6
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