WWE Smackdown
January 7, 2011
Tucson, AZ
Report by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event…” The WWE video leads us into the show.
A video hypes up tonight’s main events. We’ll see Edge defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Kane in a Last Man Standing Match. Then we’ll see Rey Mysterio take on Alberto Del Rio in a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match.
The Smackdown video plays and we’re brought into the arena. Josh Mathews, Matt Striker, and Michael Cole welcome us to the show. The announcers put over the two huge matches tonight. This looks like it’ll be the blow off for both feuds. We’ll kick the show off with the Last Man Standing Match!
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Last Man Standing
Edge (c) vs. Kane
Tony Chimel does the introductions before they kick the match off. They circle the ring and Edge ducks a clothesline. Edge punches Kane to the corner. Kane stops a whip, sends him to the corner, and hits a clothesline. Kane stomps him before punching him in the corner. Kane hits a snapmare and a low dropkick to the face. The referee begins counting but Edge is up at two. Kane uppercuts him before sending him to the ropes but he lowers his head and Edge hits a neckbreaker. Kane is up quickly at two and hits a sidewalk slam. Edge gets up at the three count. Kane charges but Edge pulls the top rope down, sending him to ringside. Edge hits a baseball slide but that doesn’t knock him down. Kane gets on the apron and gets speared off! Kane gets up at eight and uppercuts Edge.
Kane press slams Edge on the barricade and looks for the count. Edge is able to answer the count at five. Kane clubs him in the back of the head and they start heading up the ramp. Kane sends him into the barricade and punches. Kane uppercuts him and Edge stumbles to the side of the stage. Edge punches and sends him into the barricade. Edge clubs him and they go backstage. Edge continues to club him but Kane comes back and bounces him off a water fountain. They continue to fight through the backstage area and Kane sends him into a steel gate. The crowd is coming down from their seats to cheer this on.
Kane punches him through a curtain and they’re in the upper deck now. Kane threatens to Chokeslam Edge off the balcony but Edge gets out. They fight up the stairs and they’re in the nosebleeds. I can’t recall ever seeing them up in the nosebleed sections. Edge sends Kane into a cocktail stand and the referee begins to count Kane down. Kane gets to his feet at six and stuns Edge with a garbage can shot to the ribs. Kane uppercuts him down on the concrete and picks him up. Kane bounces him off a table and Edge is crawling away. Kane slowly stalks him, kicking him in the ribs. Kane looks at a set of stairs and ponders some evil things. Kane steals a wheelchair from someone. Perhaps some retribution for Paul Bearer! Kane puts him in the chair and wheels but Edge escapes at the last second! Kane then turns into a huge big boot. Kane gets to his feet at five and Edge punches him.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see them fighting back to ringside. Kane throws him over the barricade and the referee begins counting but Kane picks him up. Kane bounces him off the apron and takes the top off the announcer’s table. Kane goes for a whip but Edge reverses it right into the steel stairs. Edge holds himself up on the ropes as Kane struggles to his feet at eight. Edge punches him and sends him into the ring. Edge climbs to the top rope and jumps right into an uppercut! Edge struggles to his feet and just answers the count at eight.
Kane quickly comes up and scoop slams him right down. Kane goes up top and Edge is able to duck under a lariat. Edge quickly capitalizes on the opportunity with an Impaler DDT. Both men are down but they answer at the seven count. Michael Cole says the match would restart if there were no winner. Edge walks right into a Chokeslam but is able to get up just in the nick of time at nine! Kane can’t believe it as Edge falls through the ropes. Kane follows and bounces him off the steps. Kane uppercuts him down and takes the smaller half of the stairs off. Kane is going for a Tombstone Piledriver on the steel steps but Edge counters into an Edge-O-Matic on the steel steps! Kane just answers the count at nine and immediately drops to his knees!
Edge is looking to Spear Kane on the outside but he runs right into a big boot! Edge fights up at seven so Kane Chokeslams him through the announcer’s table! Kane is laughing right now. The referee is counting and Edge just answers at nine and seven-eighths! Edge climbs up on Matt Striker. Kane is angry and throws him into the ring. Kane grabs a couple of steel chairs and throws them into the ring. Kane climbs to the top rope and Edge throws a chair right into his face! Kane falls to the canvas and Edge has the chair. Edge hits him a few times in his left knee, dropping him to the canvas! Kane crawls and pulls himself up on the ropes. Edge hits a vicious Spear and goes outside to grab a second chair! Edge sets it up and hits a Con-Chair-To to Kane’s injured left leg! Kane struggles to answer the count but his leg is lifeless and he’s unable to answer the count!
Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion: Edge
Match Rating: *** 1/2
Edge holds himself up on a chair as Kane crawls up the ramp. That was a great match. Edge celebrates with the crowd.
A split screen shows Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero making their way to the ring. Dolph Ziggler will defend his Intercontinental Championship next!
-Commercial Break-
The announcers talk more about the Last Man Standing Match. They show the remains of their table. They should just get a collapsible table and set up their monitors like that. I remember when they did that at WrestleMania X-Seven after the Spanish Announce Table got destroyed. Then Undertaker and Triple H destroyed that second table for no reason.
Intercontinental Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler (c) w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. Kofi Kingston
General Manager Teddy Long ordered this rematch due to Vickie’s interference in the triple threat match last week. They circle the ring and Kingston quickly kicks and punches him to the corner. Kingston unleashes until being backed up by the referee. Kingston runs into a boot and Ziggler clubs him. Ziggler sends him to the corner and runs into a pendulum kick. Kingston goes to the top rope but misses a HUGE cross-body block when Ziggler ducks. Ziggler stomps him a few times and elbows him in the shoulder. Kingston fights back but Ziggler knees him and hits a nice neckbreaker for a two count.
Ziggler applies his trademark chin lock. Kingston is able to fight up and elbow out. They trade punches but Ziggler comes out on top, whipping him to the corner. Ziggler goes for a splash in the corner but Kingston moves. Kingston hits a pair of chops and a nice dropkick. Ziggler ducks a superman punch, blocks the ranhei, and rolls him up for a near fall. Kingston hits the superman punch and hits the Boom Drop! Kingston looks to the crowd and signals for his finisher. Ziggler ducks the Trouble in Paradise and locks in the Sleeper Hold! Kingston looks out on his feet but he breaks his grip and hits a jawbreaker. Ziggler gets up and walks into a ranhei for a NEAR FALL!
Kingston goes to the top rope and Ziggler cuts him off. Ziggler goes for a superplex but Kingston hangs on. Kingston hits a top rope gordbuster and a BEAUTIFUL cross-body block for the win!
Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: Kofi Kingston
Match Rating: ** 1/4
Kofi Kingston celebrates with the belt until Ziggler attacks him from behind and hits the Zig-Zag! EXCUSE ME! Vickie says that Teddy Long isn’t there tonight, making her the acting General Manager. Vickie says she’s giving Ziggler his rematch right now! The referee checks on Kingston and he says he’s ok.
Intercontinental Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. Kofi Kingston (c)
The bell rings and Kingston quickly avoids a splash in the corner. Kingston punches but Ziggler quickly clubs him down to the mat. Ziggler bounces his face off the mat until the referee backs him off. Ziggler picks him up by the hair and Kingston explodes out of nowhere with the Trouble in Paradise! Kingston picks up the win in his first title defense!
Winner and still Intercontinental Champion: Kofi Kingston
Match Rating: N/A
Kofi Kingston celebrates in the ring with his title as Vickie Guerrero looks at Dolph Ziggler in disgust.
Tonight we’ll see Rey Mysterio take on Alberto Del Rio in a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match!
-Commercial Break-
Dolph Ziggler is angry at Vickie, telling her it was a bone headed move calling for the rematch. Vickie can’t believe what she’s hearing and turns it on him, saying it wouldn’t have mattered if he’d just beat Kingston the first time. Vickie says the worst part is he had Kingston down before she ordered the rematch and he STILL lost. That makes him a two-time LOSER! Ziggler says maybe she needs to find a new boyfriend. Vickie screams wildly backstage. I have no choice but to laugh.
The announcers talk about the past hour of Smackdown before talking about Raw. We’re brought into the Raw Rebound from there.
Kelly Kelly is walking backstage when Drew McIntyre stops her. McIntyre says he just wants to wish her luck. Kelly asks if he really means it because she can never tell. McIntyre says she may not like the man in the ring but this is his whole life. Tonight he has a #1 Contender Match for the World Title and if he wins then all his dreams can come true. He can become the World Champion. He’s not asking for her trust. He wants to earn it. All he wants is some support, the same support he’s going to give her. McIntyre wishes her luck and she thanks him.
Big Show, “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, and Drew McIntyre will compete in a Triple Threat Match to determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble next!
-Commercial Break-
They promote the return of Tough Enough on USA this spring.
All the competitors make their way to the ring until Vickie Guerrero comes out to the stage. EXCUSE ME! As the acting General Manager, she’s making this a Fatal Four Way Match. The fourth competitor will be Dolph Ziggler!
#1 Contenders Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Big Show vs. “Dashing” Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero
The match begins and everyone sets their sights on Big Show. Big Show takes them on and tosses McIntyre over the top rope. Big Show head-butts Rhodes down and body slams Ziggler. Big Show hits a sidewalk slam on Rhodes before having the pin broken up by Ziggler. Big Show chops Ziggler’s chest and he rolls to the outside. Big Show chops Rhodes’s chest and knocks McIntyre off the apron. Rhodes kicks Big Show but he quickly comes back with a falling elbow drop. Ziggler again breaks up Big Show’s pin attempt. Ziggler crawls up on Big Show’s leg so Big Show picks him up by the neck and slams him down. McIntyre breaks up that pin.
Big Show tosses McIntyre over the top rope with one hand and he flips out at ringside. Big Show kicks Rhodes in the ribs and hits the Stink Face in the corner! Vickie looks grossed out. Big Show chops Rhodes’s chest in the corner and hits the Hog Drop on Ziggler for a near fall broken up by Rhodes. Big Show head-butts Rhodes down and kicks McIntyre off the apron. Big Show stalks Rhodes to the corner and chokes him with his boot. Big Show puts Ziggler in the corner, quiets the crowd, but Ziggler avoids the chop. Rhodes and Ziggler attack him but Big Show blocks a whip and throws them both over the top rope!
Big Show goes to the outside and head-butts McIntyre down. Big Show chops his chest and puts him on his shoulder but McIntyre slides off and throws him into the ring post! All three men gang up on Big Show and send him through the barricade!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Rhodes throw Ziggler off the top rope and pick up a near fall. Rhodes sets him up and climbs to the top rope. McIntyre quickly gets to the apron and throws Rhodes off the top rope to the outside onto Big Show. McIntyre punches Ziggler in the corner and stomps him down. McIntyre looks psychotic as he throws Ziggler to the center of the ring. McIntyre stomps him and turns into an uppercut from Rhodes. Rhodes clotheslines McIntyre over the top rope. Rhodes hits a jab on Ziggler and they trade punches until McIntyre runs in and clotheslines them down.
McIntyre sees Big Show getting up so he goes to the apron. Big Show blocks a kick and slams him down on the apron. Big Show shoves Ziggler down and clotheslines Rhodes. Big Show sends Rhodes into the ropes and hits a HUGE back body drop. Big Show hits a butt bump in the corner and shoulder blocks him down. Ziggler then runs right into a massive spinebuster. Big Show signals for his finisher until WADE BARRETT runs into the ring with a chop block! Barrett hits a running kick to the head and stomps away at Big Show! Barrett punches away before going to the second rope and dropping an elbow! Barrett smiles and walks off.
Rhodes crawls over to Big Show and hits the Beautiful Disaster for a near fall! Ziggler scrambles into the ring and hits the Zig-Zag for ANOTHER near fall! McIntyre runs in and hits the Future Shock DDT for a THIRD near fall! McIntyre can’t believe it as he argues with the referee. McIntyre goes to the second rope and jumps into Big Show’s hand. Ziggler distracts Rhodes by pointing at Big Show and hits the Zig-Zag on him for the win! Dolph Ziggler is the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship!
Winner by Pinfall: Dolph Ziggler
Match Rating: ** 1/2
Vickie screams like a banshee and hugs Ziggler as the other three men look really disappointed. They never said when Ziggler would get his shot but I have to assume it’s at the Royal Rumble.
Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match is still to come tonight.
-Commercial Break-
An Ezekiel Jackson hype video is shown. He’s coming to Smackdown soon.
Michelle McCool is in the ring with Layla. They’re holding their Slammy Awards and laughing.
Michelle McCool w/ Layla vs. Kelly Kelly
They lock up and McCool powers her to the corner. McCool breaks and stomps her in the corner. Kelly kicks back and chokes her with her legs. Kelly flips to the outside and knocks Layla down. McCool kicks Kelly down coming back in the ring and works on the leg. McCool wraps her leg around the second rope and stretches it out. Kelly kicks her in the midsection and hits a decent hurricanrana. Kelly goes for the K2 but Layla distracts and McCool gets an awesome counter into the Faith Breaker for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Michelle McCool
Match Rating: *
Lay-Cool picks Kelly up and they hit a double team face buster. All of a sudden McIntyre enters the ring and threatens them to get out of the ring. Lay-Cool leaves the ring as McIntyre checks on Kelly.
Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio will fight each other in a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match next!
-Commercial Break-
Ricardo Rodriguez introduces Alberto Del Rio to the ring before Tony Chimel takes back over on the ring announcing duties. Del Rio drives into the arena in a 1957 Jaguar. That’s a beautiful car. As Del Rio comes to the ring they show the wreckage at ringside of the barricade and the announcer’s table.
Alberto Del Rio gets in the ring and introduces himself even though we already knew that. Last Monday he proved to everyone that the Truth is no match for destiny. His destiny is to win the Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania. Tonight he’ll destroy Rey Mysterio in front of everyone. There are only two types of Latino: the pure Latinos and the rest of you. The poor Latinos are gardeners, car washers, and Rey Mysterio. At least I think that’s what he said…
-Commercial Break-
Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match
Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio
They circle the ring and Del Rio immediately punches Mysterio down. Del Rio bounces him into the corner and runs him across the ring to the opposite corner. Del Rio chokes him with his boot before whipping him across the ring again. Del Rio runs into a big boot. Mysterio slides through his legs and Del Rio stuns him with a kick. Del Rio sends him into the ropes but lowers his head and eats a kick. Mysterio hits a head-scissors, putting him in position for the 619. Del Rio ducks under it and immediately applies the Cross Arm Breaker for the quick submission victory!
Winner of Fall #1 via Submission: Alberto Del Rio
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Mysterio trapped in an arm bar. Del Rio is working over that injured arm but Mysterio punches out of it. Mysterio goes into the ropes and runs right into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near fall. Del Rio kicks him in the back and shoves him into the corner. Del Rio whips him across the ring and runs fight into the boots. Mysterio lands on his feet, countering a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker attempt. Del Rio throws him out of the ring but Mysterio lands on his feet. Del Rio gloats, not noticing Mysterio on the apron. Del Rio runs into a shoulder thrust and Mysterio springboards off the top rope with a hurricanrana!
Mysterio gets to his feet and he’s holding his injured arm. Mysterio kicks him in the ribs and knees him in the face. Mysterio has a whip to the corner reversed but he counters a charging Del Rio with a back elbow. Mysterio jumps to his shoulders but Del Rio throws him off and applies a Cross Arm Breaker but Mysterio turns out of it and rolls him up for a near fall! Del Rio gets up and runs into a drop-toe-hold. Mysterio ducks a clothesline and hits him with a head-scissors face buster. Mysterio locks on La Magistral Cradle for the win!
Winner of Fall #2 by Pinfall: Rey Mysterio
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Mysterio trapped in a key lock. Del Rio has his knee pressed on Mysterio’s face. Mysterio kicks him in the face a few times to get out of it. Del Rio quickly kicks him in the ribs and sends him to the corner sternum first for a near fall. Del Rio looks at the referee and argues the count. Del Rio sits Mysterio on the top rope and rips at his mask! Mysterio elbows him off and he adjusts his mask. Mysterio waits for him to get up and launches himself out like a missile, hitting a flying head-butt to the sternum for a near fall!
Mysterio knees him in the face, ducks a clothesline, and springboards off the second rope with a cross-body for a near fall. Mysterio kicks him in the leg a few times, grabs the arm, back flips off the second rope, and Del Rio counters him with a double knee arm breaker for a near fall! Del Rio puts him on his shoulders but Mysterio elbows him in the face. Mysterio then hits a springboard wheelbarrow twisting DDT for a near fall!
Mysterio goes to the apron and leaps to the top rope. Del Rio immediately shakes the ropes, putting him in the Tree of Woe. Del Rio then dropkicks him in the midsection. Del Rio pulls Mysterio up to the second rope and looks for a superplex to the outside but Mysterio blocks it. Del Rio comes right back with a jumping arm breaker on the rope. Del Rio gets on the apron and runs him right into the corner. Del Rio smiles and runs into a dropkick to the knees, putting him in position on the apron! Mysterio hits an innovative 619, sending him to the outside! Ricardo Rodriguez comes over to check on him and Mysterio lays them both out with a top rope cross-body block to the outside! Mysterio rolls Del Rio into the ring and Ricardo Rodriguez grabs his ankles to prevent him from answering the ten count! Rey Mysterio loses by count-out!
Winner by 2-1 Falls: Alberto Del Rio
Match Rating: ***
Rey Mysterio flips out at ringside and chases Ricardo Rodriguez away. Alberto Del Rio is already up the ramp. Mysterio then surprises Rodriguez out of nowhere, knocking him down. Mysterio kicks him in the ribs a few times as Del Rio watches on. Mysterio kicks him in the face and throws him into the ring. Mysterio dropkicks Rodriguez into the ropes and hits a 619! Mysterio then hits a springboard splash before looking right at Del Rio, who is not happy.
The announcers talk about the events that took place on this excellent edition of Smackdown. Wade Barrett debuted on Smackdown, taking out the Big Show. They announce that Big Show will take on Wade Barrett next week on Smackdown! Rey Mysterio poses for the crowd as the show ends.
Quick Match Results
Edge def. Kane to retain the World Heavyweight Title (Last Man Standing)
Kofi Kingston def. Dolph Ziggler to become the Intercontinental Champion
Kofi Kingston def. Dolph Ziggler to retain the Intercontinental Title
Dolph Ziggler def. Big Show, “Dashing” Cody Rhodes* & Drew McIntyre (#1 Contenders Match)
Michelle McCool def. Kelly Kelly
Alberto Del Rio def. Rey Mysterio 2-1 (Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match)
Bump of the Night: Edge getting Chokeslammed through the table!
Match of the Night: The Last Man Standing Match *** 1/2
Mike’s Thoughts
This was a perfect episode of Smackdown! What a way to kick off 2011! We had a bunch of excellent matches, a tolerable diva match, a title change, two feuds being ended, a new superstar, and a newcomer on the main event scene! How can it get any better?
We started the show off in a big way with the Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. I chose their feud as the worst feud of 2010 so it’s fitting that the blow off to it was good. This was an excellent match and it is the perfect type of match for Kane to be in. Both guys beat the hell out of each other and left it all on the line to put on a memorable match. Excellent way to start off the first Smackdown of the year!
We then went right to an Intercontinental Championship match. This, to the extent of my knowledge, wasn’t hyped at all this week on TV so this was nice. It was made even nicer by the title change. That was long overdue. Dolph Ziggler has done all he could do with the Intercontinental Title and it was time for Kofi Kingston to get it back. I liked Vickie’s blatant abuse of power being shown because it set up nicely the next portion of the show. Kingston is really over so hopefully he only holds the IC title for a little bit before moving on to bigger and better things. That was a great first hour of Smackdown.
They started off the second hour with the #1 Contenders match. Vickie abused her power for a second time by adding Dolph Ziggler into the match and finally we got an injection of fresh blood into the title scene. We also got some fresh blood on Smackdown in the form of Wade Barrett. I’m not sure putting him in a feud with Big Show is the right way to bring him on to the show but I suppose taking out the biggest guy is a good way to get noticed. It just probably won’t be a good match. Still it was a good match from all four men and a really great win for Dolph Ziggler. I said he was going to have a big 2010 last year and I’m predicting a big 2011 as well. That’s a cheap prediction, though, because he’s already heading that way.
I’m in a good mood so I’m not going to hate on the diva match because it wasn’t hideous, though they gave it about a minute or a minute and a half. The big story is Drew McIntyre and Kelly Kelly. I’m not sure where they’re going with this but I keep having flashes of Randy Orton and Stacy Keibler from 2005. I guess they’ll do anything to get Drew McIntyre over.
We finished it off with Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio in a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match. I really enjoyed it even though I felt they rushed through some of the falls. The announcers did a good job of explaining that away by saying the two didn’t want to waste energy so early in the match since there’s three falls. Also the commercial breaks were a bit annoying but that just simply can’t be helped. They still put on an excellent match with a lot of fun spots. The finish was a little cheap but that’s how it goes with Del Rio. I loved watching Rey Mysterio kick the crap out of Ricardo Rodriguez afterwards. Because of the cheap finish I have to really wonder if that’ll be it for this feud but the announcers kept hyping it as the culmination of their feud so it seems like it’s over. Of course with WWE anything is possible.
This was a perfect Smackdown, as I’ve already said, so I’m giving it a perfect rating. That was a hell of a way to kick off 2011 and I have to wonder how they’re going to top this episode for the rest of the year.
Final Rating: ****
E-Mail – MikeyT817@hotmail.com
Did you miss last week’s Smackdown? Check it out here! Also check out my Smackdown Year in Review for 2010 here!
Be sure to check out the Win-Loss Record of your favorite WWE Superstar on the main page! The standings for 2011 have begun!
Thanks for reading!