WWE Smackdown Review (Layin’ the Smarkdown)
September 26, 2015
By: Alex Kahrs
Hey everyone, I’m excited to join the Wrestleview team as a Smackdown recap writer! I’ve visited the site many times for results and news, so it’s nice to finally start writing for them. Starting this week I’ll also be “Layin’ the Smarkdown” with my thoughts on the show, so let’s have at it!
Opening Promo: I never realized just how long these opening promos were until I did my first recap, and wondered why I had two or three paragraphs on the first ten minutes of the show! That said, I enjoyed how this segment continued to drive the story of Kane being of “two minds” as Corporate Kane and Demon Kane. I’ve seen a general consensus, one that I agree with: this is probably the most entertaining Kane has been since the days of Team Hell No. My one thought on these opening promos: does anyone else get the feeling they do these specifically to clue the live (and TV) audience in on what’s happening? Especially with Kane running down what matches were going to happen that night. Maybe it’s obvious, and I’m just now realizing it.
Reigns/Harper: A nice straight up brawl between the two, and with no outside interference it was an interesting change of pace. I was surprised no one came out even after the match.
Six Man Tag: New Day continues to be one of the most entertaining things about WWE right now, and it was a blast to see this six man tag match. Neville and Lucha Dragons looked great in this match, as well, but I wondered where Stardust and The Ascension were. It’s been a while since I’ve watched Smackdown, so I get the feeling that, for the most part, these matches happen without too much in the way of shenanigans; from my recollection, every match ended in a pinfall. No submissions, no DQs or count outs.
Cesaro/Dallas: I for one am a BOliever; is the gimmick annoying? Sure, but isn’t that the point? Heck, for basically being a guy to be “fed” to other midcarders or what have you, it’s a brilliant concept. Great match between these guys, and I’d love to see Dallas be used more in the future regardless of where he is on the card. Cesaro came out looking much better here than on Monday, and I still have hope for him as well.
Divas Segment: Paige’s promo on RAW feels like the kick to the face this “Divas Revolution” needed. Wait, maybe that’s the wrong metaphor…my point is, Monday night had some interesting ramifications on the Divas division, not the least of which is the return of Natalya to (hopefully) regular action on WWE television. Some harsh “truth” from Paige seems to help build more drama within the former PCB team. I still maintain that Natalya joins up with Charlotte and Lynch, and the team is called NBC because reasons. #GiveSinglesFeudsAChance
Tag Match: Great match from all four guys playing their roles, down to Owens being a bit of a punk and leaving Rusev high and dry. The respective feuds within this match or hit or miss; I like where Ryback/Owens is going, but not really feeling the weird “conflict of love interest” thing going on with Ziggler/Rusev/Lana/Rae.
Dudleyz/PTP Segment: Pretty basic stuff, with Dudleyz promising to win the tag titles and PTP looking forward to a possible title match with them.
Rollins Segment: Confident about beating Dean, not so sure about dealing with Kane. I love it, Maggle…wait, wrong show.
Main Event: Another great match between Ambrose and Rollins, showing off all that’s great about them. Whether or not Ambrose ever gets back in the title picture, it was at least nice to see this on the road to what might very well be Kane vs Rollins for the title at HIAC.
Overall, a great episode of Smackdown and I’m glad this was my starting point as a recapper. What did you think of Smackdown? How did I do on the recap? Am I wrong for being a BOliever? Let me know! Leave a comment here, or come bug me on Twitter @Power2TheSmarks.
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Until next week, this is Alex Kahrs reminding you to be excellent to one another. Party on, dudes!