WWE Smackdown Review (Layin’ the SmarkDown!)
February 12, 2016
By: Alex Kahrs of Wrestleview.com
OH WRESTLEVIEWNIVERSE, DON’T YOU DARE BE SOUR! CLAP FOR YOUR LOCALLY WORLD FAMOUS SMACKDOWN REVIEW, AND FEEL THE POWWWWAAAAAAH!
Welcome to another edition of Layin’ The Smarkdown, the only Smackdown review on the Internet approved and endorsed by Triple H!* With a great main event lined up and some great sports entertainment action ahead of us, let’s get right into it, shall we?
* Layin’ The Smarkdown is not actually endorsed by Triple H or any other employee of WWE. I know, a bummer right?
Opening Segment: Great hype for the singles match between AJ and Y2J, leading into a great segment with the Social Outcasts. I know some people aren’t a big fan of the group, but I honestly love the fact these guys get a chance to shine against the likes of Jericho and AJ Styles. Each of the guys in the group has credentials of their own, so it’s not like a complete comedy jobber act…even if that’s how it comes across on TV. The way I see it, these guys get a chance to make gold out of tinfoil, and if they can impress, more power to them.
Y2J/AJ vs. Social Outcasts: Good opening match to help tease the tensions between AJ and Jericho leading into the big rematch now set for later in the evening. Great action from all four guys, and a solid win that builds both men in the main event of the night up.
Contract Signing Recap: This match is gonna be fun to watch, methinks. On a side note, I’m excited that Brock Lesnar is coming to Smackdown next week, and it’s actually near where I’m working and living currently…so you’d better believe I’m working hard on finding someone to go with me to this, lol.
Dudley’s Promo: I’m digging this new attitude from the Dudley Boyz. I was worried the nostalgia of them coming back would fade, but this feels like it’ll be as close as we get to the Dudleys of old. The fact they’re talking about NOT using tables is interesting, to say the least.
Banks/Naomi: This was possibly the best Divas match I’ve seen on Smackdown since I began doing the recaps. I really enjoyed the action here, and thought both women came out of this looking like a million bucks. The hunt for the Divas title takes a backseat to this feud and odd pairing between Becky and Banks, but I think that’ll be okay if we get this kind of action come Fast Lane.
Styles Interview: Good on AJ addressing what happened recently on RAW as well as earlier in the night.
Wyatt Promo: Somewhat cryptic as expected, but the talk about titans has me interested in what the Wyatt Family is doing next. Looking like some sort of big match down the line (Wrestlemania?) involving Kane, Big Show, and Ryback, but what? Maybe a six man tag with Bray in his family’s corner? Or an eight man tag including the biggest “titan” of all, The Undertaker?
Six Man Tag: Great high flying action from Neville and Lucha Dragons, mixed in with brawling from The Ascension. Add in some great stuff from Stardust, and you have a heck of a six man tag match. Would love to see them do more with the Cosmic Wasteland.
#ThankYouDanielBryan: I wanna take this time to talk about my experience watching Daniel Bryan Danielson perform in the squared circle. My first exposure to the guy was watching the first volume of PWG Sells Out, a DVD set I bought on the basis of seeing guys like CM Punk, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe before they were big stars in WWE and TNA. I had my first taste of indy wrestling from this, but most notably some great matches from the man that was known then as American Dragon. As far as WWE goes, the one time I saw him wrestle live was last March, at the RAW/Smackdown taping before Wrestlemania 31. It was a lot of fun, and I’m thankful for the career he had. Best of luck to the guy in whatever he does next!
Main Event: To use the overused cliche of the night, this match was simply…phenomenal. Great back and forth between both guys, with some great spots and some wonderful technical precision. This match was worthy of the main event slot. I can’t wait to see where this rivalry goes from here!
That’s it for this week, friends! What did you think of the show? Are you excited for Brock Lesnar appearing next week on Smackdown? What are you looking forward to most with Fast Lane approaching? Feel free to respond with that and/or any of your favorite Daniel Bryan moments in the comments section or send me a tweet @Power2TheSmarks! Until next time, this is Alex Kahrs reminding you to be excellent to each other. Party on, dudes!