WWE SmackDown: Results and Thoughts as Orton and Barrett Steal the Show

SmackDown opened with Teddy Long in the ring. He announced that Daniel Bryan will be defending his title against Wade Barrett, the Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry and Randy Orton at the Elimination Chamber PPV.

That brought out Mark Henry, who didn’t like the match or the odds against him. He wanted out of the chamber and wanted a one-on-one match with the champion instead.

Long finally stood up to Henry and took him out of the chamber and won’t be giving him a title shot.

Henry put his hands on Long and the general manager suspended him indefinitely.

Henry was about to take out Long when Sheamus made his way out. The Celtic Warrior delivered a big Brogue Kick knocking Henry out of the ring.

Sheamus then grabbed the mic and said that he was going to wait until after the PPV to decide which title to go for.

That brought out Cody Rhodes who said that he would win the title at the PPV.

Teddy Long then booked Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes to happen right then and there.

I enjoyed this segment. I like the participants in the elimination chamber match, especially the addition of Cody Rhodes.

I’m kind of glad Mark Henry will be gone for a few weeks. He bores the hell out of me and it was about time someone else took his spot.

It was good to see Teddy Long finally stand up for himself. He’s been cowering in the corner in fear of Mark Henry for too long.

Rhodes was great on the mic and if you add in his in-ring skill, he is certainly a future world champion.

Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes

Sheamus picked up the victory with Emerald Fusion; at least that’s what it’s called in the WWE games.

This was a damn good match between two great talents.

Sheamus has improved ten-fold since he first debuted and has become one of the best in the WWE right now.

He’s been having good matches for months and had another good one here with the Intercontinental champion.

Much like Sheamus, Cody Rhodes has improved so much since his days in the Legacy stable with Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase.

Since winning the Intercontinental Championship, Rhodes has become a must-see on Friday Night SmackDown and is one of the best in the ring and on the mic right in WWE.

While I highly doubt he’ll win the World Championship before WrestleMania, I think he’ll definitely have it over the summer.

Justin Gabriel vs. Hunico

The match never happened as Cody Rhodes slid in to attack Justin Gabriel.

Hunico and his partner Camacho then joined in on the beat down. It didn’t last long, though, as the Great Khali made his way out and he took out the Spanish superstars as Rhodes ran away.

I was actually kind of looking forward to this match as Gabriel is a great in-ring performer and Hunico is pretty good in his own right.

At the same time, the feud between Gabriel and Rhodes was advanced a bit, so that’s a good thing in my eyes.

As for the Great Khali, as long he’s not a part of any major storylines, I’m fine with his return.

Backstage, Drew McIntyre wants another chance from Teddy Long. He better find a new way to impress him since he still has a job.

Santino Marella ran in and revealed his new tag-team partner as Hacksaw Jim Duggan and they got a match with the tag-team champions.

When they left, Aksana appeared for more sexual innuendos.

After one more appearance from Duggan, the segment ended.

So I guess this means Drew McIntyre isn’t fired, but I wonder what he’ll do to impress the general manager.

The team of Marella and Duggan is a hilarious pair. Much like his team with Yoshi Tatsu, though, this team will most likely not last long.

And please tell me I’m not the only one who is getting sick of the Teddy Long/Aksana love storyline. It seems like the SmackDown general manager has a new love interest every year.

Santino Marella and Jim Duggan vs. Primo and Epico: Non-Title Match

The champions picked up the win when Primo hit the Backstabber on Santino. This was a decent match that saw some nice action.

It was good to see Jim Duggan back in the ring but he’s a better entertainer than he is a wrestler. He can still have the crowd in the palm of his hands even after all these years.

Santino is great in the ring, but his gimmick doesn’t really allow him to showcase his ability too often.

Primo and Epico certainly make a good team, but they seem to rely a bit too much on Rosa Mendes. The majority of their victories have happened due to Rosa’s distracting actions.

While that makes her a great valet/manager, it makes the champions look a bit weak at times.

They are great in the ring and great together, so I hope to see them get a clean victory while champions.

Michael Cole was then standing in the ring and introduced the world champion, Daniel Bryan.

He admitted that he was wrong about Bryan and wanted to shake his hand.

Bryan grabbed the mic and said the interview wasn’t about Cole. It’s all about him and told Cole to leave.

He beat two monsters inside of a steel cage and proved that he was a great champion. He’s also a great role model and urges all of us to be like him and be vegan.

He shouldn’t have to defend the title in a chamber match and put down the Big Show. If Teddy Long doesn’t take him out of the match, he’ll go to the board of directors.

That brought out the Big Show who was eating a steak earlier.

He’s not a role model; he’s a pompous, arrogant little ass. He’ll still be that after the chamber match but he won’t be champion.

Bryan said that if he did lose the title, it won’t be to the Big Show.

Once a loser, always a loser.

Big Show then attacked the champion and delivered a chokeslam. A.J. Lee then appeared out of nowhere in a neck brace and stopped him from punching Bryan in the face.

This was a great segment, thanks mainly to Daniel Bryan. His mic work was phenomenal and his character was greatly advanced here.

Bryan has become so good on the mic that he rivals CM Punk, in my opinion.

Big Show did his thing, but like Mark Henry, I think someone else should get his spot. Big Show has already reached the top, why not let someone get the chance?

Backstage, Beth Phoenix and Natalya are warming up. Natalya farted a few times then ran away. Beth walked off as Santino appeared to throw up in a trash can.

Poor Natalya. I can’t believe this is what WWE creative came up with for her.

So WWE pushes crowd killers like Eve but makes Natalya fart?

That’s exactly why I prefer the TNA Knockouts every time over the WWE Divas. TNA showcases their women’s skills and allows them to actually wrestle!

Aksana and Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya

Beth Phoenix and Natalya picked up the victory when Beth hit the Glamslam on Aksana. Post-match, Natalya tried to put the Sharpshooter on Aksana but got a Superfly Splash from Tamina instead.

Much like every Divas match, this was short and nobody cared.

I did like the tension between Beth and Natalya, though. I’ve been waiting to see them fight for a while now.

Seeing two legit wrestlers fight over the title could revive the division and make the title more than just a Barbie accessory.

With Natalya’s gimmick, though, I worry that it will go absolutely nowhere.

The Great Khali was then announced as Mark Henry’s replacement in the elimination chamber match and I couldn’t be more disappointed.

When I said I wanted to see someone get Henry’s spot, I did not mean the Great Khali. With his inclusion we can really tell how thin the main event roster is.

The same John Cena video package from the Royal Rumble was shown and I took this opportunity to do something else.

Backstage, Randy Orton said that he never holds anything back. He would have done the same thing to Wade Barrett that he did to him. He will beat him tonight and then beat everyone to become a 10-time world champion.

Well that was short and sweet. Orton may be back, but I hope he didn’t come back too soon.

Elsewhere, Daniel Bryan wanted something done about the Big Show. Teddy Long said they discuss it during the main event. I smell Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton.

Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton: No Disqualification Match

Randy Orton picked up the win after he delivered an RKO onto a steel chair.

Wow, what a match. This was great from beginning to end.

Orton put any doubts I had about him still being hurt as he gave a hell of a performance here.

Wade Barrett was great as well and really delivered in this one.

This match was very physical and quite violent at times. These two men beat the hell out of each other to entertain the WWE Universe and entertain they certainly did.

Orton and Barrett proved here that they are two of the best in the WWE right here and both of them will be on top for a very long time.

Backstage, Teddy Long booked Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton for next week. Bryan then made his way to the ring, celebrating the entire time.

Orton just stared at him as Bryan left the ring still celebrating.

Even though Orton didn’t know that he was to face Bryan next week, the champion is playing mind games with the Apex Predator.

Their match next week should be very good!

Overall, I thought this episode of SmackDown was an enjoyable one.

The first hour was very good, but the second hour was starting to drag. The main event definitely saved hour No. 2.

Despite the low points of the second hour, SmackDown was good and it rounded out a great week of professional wrestling.