WWE SmackDown: Del Rio Is No. 1 Contender, Ryback and Sandow Squash and More

WWE SmackDown opened with the executive administrator Eve Torres. She was in charge this week due to Laurinaitis being out of the country and she was going to name Sheamus’ next opponent.

That brought out Alberto Del Rio who put her over and declared that he wanted the title shot. Randy Orton then made his way out and said he deserved the title shot due to the fans wanting to see him. Kane then came out and wanted the shot as well.

Eve made a triple threat match to end the segment.

This was a decent segment but it was the typical one seen in WWE. Multiple people want a title shot? Just have them come out one by one and say so until a match is made.

I get Del Rio and Orton wanting a shot but Kane is out of nowhere. I mean, he’s had two feuds since his return and he lost them both.

I guess that constitutes a title shot in WWE now.

Christian vs. Hunico

Christian picked up the victory with the Killswitch and a Frog Splash. I thought this was a decent match but it was basically a warm-up match for the new Intercontinental champion.

Christian looked good in the match and I’m glad he came back healed. At the same time I have the feeling that he’s facing guys like Hunico and Jinder Mahal to protect him to make sure that he is 100 percent.

I’d like to see Hunico actually get used outside of being a jobber to the stars. He and Camacho could be a force to be reckoned with in the tag division is given the chance.

Post-match, Cody Rhodes made his way out and said that he restored the title to greatness. Christian ruined everything, though, as nobody cares about him, thus nobody cares about the title. He’ll be invoking his rematch clause but didn’t say when.

Rhodes was great on the mic here. He has really evolved into a solid mic worker since becoming Intercontinental champion.

I’m quite excited for the feud between him and Christian. It’ll certainly produce some very good wrestling and entertaining promos.

The Usos vs. Titus O’Neil and Darren Young

O’Neil and Young picked up the victory after their back breaker/elbow drop combination. This was some decent tag-team action. I’ve seen better from the Usos, which is a bit disappointing.

The Usos are quite the team and always put on a good performance, but perhaps they’re finally realizing that WWE will never give them the chance to shine.

O’Neil and Young make a good team, and WWE is giving them the chance to shine. I wish the Usos were in their position, but pushing a new team is never a bad thing.

I think that the former NXT stars will have tag-team gold sometime during the summer.

I want to say I could see the Usos as champions by the end of the year, but unfortunately I don’t think they’ll be anything more than a team to make another look good.

Sin Cara’s return was then teased for next week. I give him a month or two before he botches his way to the injured list.

Brian Edwards and Kevin [didn’t catch last name] vs. Ryback

Ryback squashed both wrestlers after he hit his finisher on them at the same time. This was the typical Ryback squash match. Giving both men his finisher at the same time was impressive, but there really is nothing special to note.

Santino Marella vs. Ricardo Rodriguez

Santino picked up the victory with the Cobra in what was a pure comedy match. This match was the perfect example as to why Santino shouldn’t be holding the United States Championship.

If he got more serious, then he could probably be a hell of a champion, though.

The comedy he inserts into his matches is really diminishing a belt once held by greats like Harley Race, Ric Flair, Wahoo McDaniel and Sting.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of Santino Marella. It’s just that his kind of character shouldn’t be holding a title.

Sheamus then made his way out for his apology to John Laurinaitis. He felt that he didn’t need to apologize since it was an accident. He then apologized for Laurinaitis bring a “massive arse.”

He then made jokes about it saying people like Eve and David Otunga are up there and Big Show was kissing it. If he had his way then he’d facing Randy Orton but he was then interrupted by Vickie Guerrero. She introduced his opponent, Jack Swagger.

Sheamus was pretty good on the mic here. I wasn’t really expecting Sheamus to go into comedy mode, but his comments about Big Johnny and his cohorts were quite funny.

Sheamus vs. Jack Swagger

Sheamus picked up the victory after the Brogue Kick. I thought this was a good match but once Sheamus injured his ankle, I knew that Swagger would dominate until the very end.

Swagger certainly looked like a star here, though.

That doesn’t get to happen very often, though it should. Swagger is a talented wrestler that can have a good match with many on the roster. WWE doesn’t always allow him to show his skill in the ring, which is a shame.

He’s a main-event caliber guy, but his character is just so stale. He needs a fresh start.

Damien Sandow vs. Yoshi Tatsu

Sandow first got on the mic and called Yoshi Tatsu an unworthy opponent. He made fun of Tatsu with some big words and declared that he’d teach him and the fans a lesson by getting physical.

Sandow delivered a very good promo here but to be honest, I didn’t understand a word he said. He said a lot of big words and I didn’t have a dictionary handy.

Sandow then squashed Tatsu within a minute. While I’m not surprised that this was a squash match I was kind of hoping that Tatsu would at least get in a little bit of offense.

I hope that WWE isn’t making Sandow like Ryback, Brodus Clay and Tensai. By that, I mean a guy who squashes his opponent each and every week.

Sandow is a talented wrestler and I want to see him actually wrestle!

The Big Show then sat down on a stool in the middle of the ring. He went over being fired and complained about how no one came to his defense. He didn’t sell out, but realized that he didn’t have any friends.

He then went over the finish of the Over the Limit match because apparently no one in the WWE Universe saw it. He declared that he didn’t care about the fans to end the segment.

Is it me or is this basically the same thing he said on Monday’s Raw? I don’t really find the Big Show that entertaining when he’s on the mic and this was no different.

I want a heel Big Show that just destroys everyone in his path, not one that whines about how he has no friends.

Big Show’s one millionth heel turn has so far been boring me, and I fear his match with John Cena. I mostly fear it because their match will most likely be the main event over both world titles.

Kane vs. Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio

Before the match, Daniel Bryan beat the hell out of Kane with a chair and I loved every second of it. It gives Bryan a new level of intensity and shows that he’ll take revenge on anyone, no matter how big they are.

Kane, on the other hand, is becoming a shell of his former self. If something big doesn’t happen soon for him, then I think it’s just time to hang it up.

The finish of the match saw Kane distracted by Bryan and it resulted in an RKO from Orton and Del Rio stealing the victory.

I wasn’t surprised with Del Rio’s victory here. Orton is currently feuding with Chris Jericho, though that’ll obviously change with WWE.com reporting Y2J has been suspended for 30 days, and Kane seems to be entangled in between the CM Punk/Daniel Bryan rivalry.

The match itself was good even though Del Rio bored me every time he was in the ring.

His victory ensures Sheamus a victory at No Way Out, as I just don’t see Del Rio ever being world champion again. WWE should just put him in the mid-card and stop trying to push him at the top.

The post-match actions of Sheamus knocking out Del Rio on the ramp is just a small sample of the zero chance he has of winning the title.

With Jericho’s suspension, I can see Orton getting inserted into the match for the World Heavyweight Championship somehow.

If it does happen it’ll be a blessing. Sheamus and Orton can put on a hell of a match while Del Rio just pops in here and there.

Overall, I thought this week’s SmackDown was an entertaining episode. It had its low points and it had its high points.

Friday nights continue to be the better nights for WWE, as this week’s Raw was just awful.

If things keep going the way they are, then 2012 will be the year that SmackDown reigns as the best WWE show.