WWE Smackdown Review (Layin’ the SmarkDown!)
February 26, 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 POWWWAAAAAH!
It’s time for your weekly dose of positivity, as we look back on another exciting episode of Smackdown! Fastlane has come and gone, and all eyes are now firmly on the road to Wrestlemania!
Opening Promo: Triple H cutting a lengthy promo to kick the show off? What is this, Monday Night RAW? 😉 Quoting the Rolling Stones classic was nice, but I think the more important thing is Triple H’s insistence that Roman Reigns cannot stop him. I’ve heard mixed opinions on his reign as champion, but to play devil’s advocate…Triple H hasn’t been champ in a WHILE, especially since taking the role of COO. I think this road leads to another title win for Reigns at Wrestlemania, and I know people don’t like THAT idea either so let’s play a little game. When you get to the end of this review, leave a comment with the names of three guys you’d rather see as champ than Reigns (or Triple H). I’ll give my names in the comments, as well. It’ll be fun, I promise.
Eight Man Tag: Hey, King Barrett is wrestling again! That’s great. I wonder if he’s really looking to leave soon, I wouldn’t blame him but at least it’s good to see him back in action (and NOT hanging out on the apron for most of the match)! Good match here, all told. I do feel like I always watch some combination of Neville, the Lucha Dragons, and Ziggler in these kinds of matches…but if they keep delivering the goods, I’m not gonna complain haha.
Owens Interview: KO being ever the jerk, offering a rematch to a man not even in the building. I liked the build for Show/Owens for this show, though I’m honestly kinda hoping this doesn’t mean a feud between the two for Wrestlemania.
D-Von/Jimmy: As is my nature, I don’t have a lot of bad things to say about this match…but man, there really wasn’t a lot here. I did like the teasing of the table for the distraction, but at the same time I’m kinda like…I get it, you aren’t a nostalgia act. But if that’s true, when are we gonna see you two actually get another shot at the tag titles? Time will tell.
Side Note: HERE COMES THE MONEY…I realize it seems out of place with the rest of the card so far, but I’m down for a Shane/Taker match. I suspect there’s more to the story, and Taker coming to RAW on Monday might bring more of it out.
Y2AJ Segment: I liked it, simple but effective. I do like the idea of these two tagging for a little bit, though my heart certainly yearns for AJ/KO at Wrestlemania a lot more than whatever WWE might be throwing at us.
Side Note 2: Everybody get on the HALLLLL TRAAAAINNN…I see WWE is continuing its tradition of randomly inducting the Attitude Era one (or more) Superstar at a time. Congrats to Godfather on it, though; I actually enjoyed his brief heel turn as The Goodfather in Right To Censor.
Show/Owens: Good little match here, answering the question I had of how Owens was gonna fare against a giant like Show. I…I think this is gonna be a feud for Wrestlemania, ain’t it? (sigh) They really don’t have anything else for Show, do they? Are they even gonna do the Andre the Giant Battle Royal this year?
Natalya/Becky: This was good for what it was, which like D-Von/Jimmy wasn’t much. I liked the post-match stuff a lot, though, as it served as a nice transition from Fastlane to what happens next. I like when #1 Contender matches get a little build, too.
Slater/Truth: Yes, please, and thank you. Fun little match to hopefully lead us into the Golden Truth teaming. I don’t think I can ever NOT be entertained by the Social Outcasts, and I half expect them to be involved in some tag team shenanigans come Wrestlemania.
Side Note 3: If Brock is gonna fight Ambrose, what is Bray Wyatt gonna do for Wrestlemania? Something good, I hope. I do look forward to the No Holds Barred Street Fight…how nice of WWE to name a match after their first hit film! …why’s everyone staring at me like that?
Main Event: Chris Jericho and AJ Styles try their hand at what I’m tempted to just call a trios match (blame it on all the CHIKARA and lucha libre I follow) as they team with the World’s Strongest Man to take on The New Day. I’ll never not enjoy New Day’s promos, I think they just speak to my sense of humor or something…anyways, this was a great main event with a fun clash of styles (pun not intended…okay, maybe a little) as high flying, technical, and power all came together in a nice little casserole of sports entertainment. Calf Crusher continues to be a good fit as finisher for AJ here in WWE.
Well, that’s it for this week! What did you think of the show? Have you come up with three guys you’d rather see as champion than Reigns or Triple H? Can you get over the fact Golden Truth would be a rehash of BookerDust? How do you feel about the first two inductees in the HOF this year? Let me know in the comments, or hit me up on Twitter @Power2TheSmarks! I just posted the debut episode of the OPW Podcast, featuring a fun chat I had with my buddy Babs and plugs for all the people I’ve worked with as partners, including a small plug for this very site! Come check it out at powertothesmarks.com and let me know what you think!
Until next time, this is Alex Kahrs reminding you to be excellent to each other. Party on, dudes!
