The Doctor's WWE SmackDown Recap: The Things We Learned, Loved and Hated

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to my weekly SmackDown recap list. I always appreciate my loyal readers. But for those of you who are new, each week I recap SmackDown with a long list.

The entries are made up of equal parts observations, humor, play-by-play, revelations, speculations, questions, answers and anything else I notice during the show. I sometimes comment on commercials too, just because I get bored during them.

I went back and read the first recap list I wrote on November 15, 2011 (available to read here) and I noticed this item and thought I would mention it again since it actually came true nearly a year later.

"

22. Zack Ryder and Santino might make an awesome tag team, they're kind of funny together.

"

I can predict the future! Call me Doctordamus from now on.

On second thought, don't.

I try to interject some fun into these lists, so I hope you have fun reading this week's list of the things we learned, loved and hated from the show.

Intro

I am approaching the one-year anniversary for doing these recaps and this gave me an idea. I am considering doing a big slideshow as a "year in review" recap list, but I would need some help.

If you choose to comment on this, please list one or two things from the past 12 months that stand out in your memory regarding the WWE product.

It could be matches, promos, flubs, releases, people leaving, things about the company itself and anything else you can think of. Obviously, the big things like The Rock and Brock Lesnar will be mentioned a few times.

1. Josh Matthews is on commentary with JBL tonight.
2. Miz is in the ring with a huge cut over his eye from a nasty Trouble in Paradise he got from Kofi Kingston.
3. He talks about Kofi beating him for the IC title and he says he is going to invoke his rematch clause at Hell in a Cell.
4. Does anyone else realize that R-Truth teamed with both Kofi and Miz in the past year?
5. Miz brings out Daniel Bryan and Kane for MizTV.
6. Miz mocks them for having separate entrances and says they are not a true tag team.
7. Bryan offers to separate Miz's teeth from his mouth.
8. Miz calls him a goatface and talks about being his pro on NXT. He takes credit for what Bryan is today.
9. Miz says the guy with a mask is the sensible one.
10. Bryan goes to talk and Kane covers his mouth.
11. Well, it was more like he covered Bryan's entire face with his hand.
12. Kane runs down the list of people he has held tag titles with, but leaves out X-Pac and Hurricane.
13. Bryan buts in and says they will win because they have the world's toughest vegan.
14. Kane says that is like being the world's tallest dwarf, which Bryan also can claim.
15. Bryan talks himself up before yelling he is the tag team champions.
16. Big Show comes out to ruin what was a pretty good exchange between Kane and Bryan.
17. Show tells Kane he has no problem with him, but he has one with Bryan.
18. Big Show says he will never lose like he did to Bryan again.
19. Is he setting up for Dolph Ziggler to do the exact same thing?
20. Kane stops Show from attacking Bryan and says they don't have to wait until Monday to fight.
21. Ziggler comes out to make his voice heard.
22. Ziggler says he is going to cash in at HIAC no matter who wins between Sheamus and Show.
23. Everyone starts screaming at each other until Booker comes out.
24. Miz makes fun of how someone always makes a tag team match for the main event before Booker can do it.
25. Thank God someone finally said it.
26. Booker says he is making two matthews instead of one.
27. Team Hell No vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big Show, which is what Miz just said it would be.
28. Booker almost walks off before Miz reminds him he said two matches.
29. Booker puts him in a match against Randy Orton.
30. Orton looks so much younger with the haircut he has and no beard. It's like 2006 all over again.
31. I am shocked Sheamus was able to hold himself back from coming out during all that.

Orton vs. Miz

32. After the break, we get Miz vs. Orton.
33. The match is already in progress with Orton in firm control of Miz.
34. Del Rio is shown watching the match from a skybox suite.
35. Miz's cut is open again as the ref puts on his rubber gloves.
36. Orton has been in control for awhile until Miz hits a knee lift.
37. Another wuick commercial interrupts the match. I think we got about three minutes of match between breaks.
38. WWE is running out of good ideas for toys. These Rumblers they advertise don't look like anything I would have wanted as a kid.
39. WWE needs to get into the Lego market. A big arena complete with ring and wrestlers would be an awesome set of Legos for kids.
40. Miz is in control when we return and we see him hit the backbreaker/neckbreaker combo.
41. Matt Striker is in Del Rio's box and he asks about Ricky being given an RKO last week.
42. Ricky brings up Kane beating Striker on Raw.
43. Del Rio says he will beat Orton at HIAC.
44. Miz keeps on Orton with his corner clothesline.
45. Orton crotches Miz on the top turnbuckle and then lays in a few rights before going up for a superplex.
46. Miz kicks out of a pinfall attempt and Orton goes to work with clotheslines.
47. Miz breaks free of the rope-hung DDT, but can't get the upper hand.
48. Miz ends up hitting a DDT for a two-count.
49. Orton finally hits the rope-hung DDT and sets up for an RKO after looking towards Del Rio.
50. Orton wins after a quick exchange of finisher attempts and hitting the second RKO attempt.
51. Good match. Nothing amazing, but solid. Both of these guys were probably on autopilot.
52. Orton invites Del Rio into the ring from his box and Del Rio says they will fight on his terms.

Rhodes Scholars vs. Kidd and Gabriel and Backstage Segments

53. Sheamus is shown backstage running into Teddy Long.
54. Sheamus says he and Wade Barrett have been screwed by Show's constant interference.
55. Awesome. These two have great chemistry in the ring.
56. Eve is shown watching from the wings as we head to a break.
57. After the break we get Rhodes Scholars vs. Kidd and Gabriel.
58. Rhodes and Kidd start off. Kidd gets in a quick tag to Gabriel and they hit a double team.
59. Gabriel ends up hitting a suicide dive on Rhodes and Sandow attacks him on the outside.
60. Rhodes gets on Gabriel and tags in Sandow to keep on the punishment.
61. Sandow hits the elbow of disdain for a near fall.
62. Gabriel hits a back kick to get some breathing room.
63. Matthews calls Kidd and Gabriel luchadores and JBL yells at him for it. Classic.
64. Kidd tags in and takes it to Sandow.
65. Rhodes hits a blind tag as Sandow is about to get locked in the Sharpshooter and he surprises Kidd with a Disaster Kick for a pin and the win.
66. Quick match, but both teams showed some good chemistry.
67. We go backstage and Eve is with Booker when Teddy walks in.
68. Eve stole Teddy's idea for a lumberjack match between Sheamus and Barrett, and Booker and Eve walk away.

Team Hell No vs. Ziggler and Big Show

69. After the break, we get Team Hell No vs. Show and Ziggler
70. Bryan and Ziggler start off and Ziggler takes him down, and then celebrates.
71. Bryan takes down Ziggler with an armdrag and he puts a stop to the showboating.
72. Show tags in and Bryan makes the smart decision and tags in Kane.
73. Kane and Show get into a slugfest until Show hits a huge spear to take down Kane.
74. Kane ends up tagging in Bryan, who goes to work on Show with kicks to the chest.
75. Show blocks the last kick and shoves Bryan down.
76. Wow. Show just dropped Bryan from a military press straight to the floor. That was about a 15-foot drop.
77. A commercial already. What's the deal tonight?
78. We return to see Show and Ziggler double-team Bryan.
79. Ziggler lays into Bryan and hits a nice dropkick for a near fall.
80. I love how Ziggler yells that he and Show are following the rules while he has his foot on Bryan's neck.
81. Bryan reverses a chokeslam into a DDT, but he can't get to Kane before Ziggler tags in and hits him with a bunch of standing elbows for a near fall.
82. Show tags back in and hits a big right to Bryan's ribs.
83. JBL makes a Fritz Von Erich reference. Does his commentary just make everything better?
84. Ziggler tags back in and picks Bryan up, but Bryan is able to get the best of both Ziggler and Show and he gets the tag to Kane.
85. Kane goes to work on Ziggler as Show is recovering on the outside.
86. Kane hits a huge boot for a near fall. Ziggler either sold that like a champ or he is going to have a sore jaw.
87. Kane calls for the chokeslam. Bryan tags himself back in and runs Ziggler down with a flying elbow.
88. Bryan hits a running dropkick and then goes up top.
89. Show tries to intervene, but Kane stops him.
90. Bryan locks Ziggler in the No Lock, and Ziggler taps out.
91. JBL puts over Team Hell No after their win.
92. That was a pretty good match. Probably because Bryan and Ziggler had so much time in the ring together.
93. Rhodes Scholars attack Kane and Bryan as they celebrate on the stage.
94. WWE basically just told us that Rhodes Scholars is going to win the tournament finals with that attack.

Antonio Cesaro vs. Ted DiBiase

95. After the break, we get Antonio Cesaro vs. Ted DiBiase.
96. Matthews calls him The Swiss Sensation. I guess that is an OK nickname.
97. We see a video package of Cesaro at Sun Studio where he says all the legends who recorded there were country bumpkins, and he walks off all pissed for some reason.
98. DiBiase gets a USA chant going as Cesaro is in a headlock, and then tags him down with a shoulder block.
99. DiBiase hits a dropkick, but Cesaro ends up backdropping him over the top rope and DiBiase hits the mat hard.
100. Cesaro brings him back in and hits the delayed gut-wrench suplex for a near fall.
101. Ted comes back with a clothesline and a spinebuster for a near fall.
102. DiBiase jumps from the middle rope and Cesaro hits a huge European uppercut to take him down.
103. Cesaro picks him up for the Neutralizer and gets the pin and the win.
104. That could have been a great match if it had five more minutes.

Brodus Clay vs. Heath Slater

105. After a long recap from Raw, we see The Band in the ring looking the most ridiculous they have ever looked.
106. The way Drew McIntyre screamed the name of the group was so ridiculous that I can't tell if he was trying to sound bad or not.
107. Brodus Clay comes out to face Heath Slater.
108. How many times did Slater, Mahal and D-Mac job to Clay during his undefeated streak?
109. Slater gets in the first punch, but Clay puts him in the corner and hits him with gut shots.
110. Clay drops an elbow for a near fall.
111. Slater gets up a boot in the corner, and then hits a missile dropkick.
112. Clay gets up and throws Slater across the ring.
113. He runs over Slater with a headbutt.
114. Mahal and D-Mac distract Clay, and Slater hits his finisher for the win.
115. Oh, how the roles have reversed.
116. Striker is backstage with Wade Barrett and he asks him about the lumberjack match.
117. Barrett says he thinks Sheamus is stupid, not as an insult, but as a fact.
118. Barrett says he is going to be doing Big Show a favor by destroying Sheamus tonight, so he should get a title shot if Show wins.

Layla vs. Natalya

119. After the break, Natalya is coming out for a match against Layla.
120. Eve is at ringside for commentary and JBL is sucking up to her.
121. I just realized that most of Layla's entrance video is of her dancing and not wrestling.
122. Nattie kicks Layla in the gut, but Layla rolls her up for a one-count right away.
123. Layla gets Nattie out of the ring and dropkicks her from the ring.
124. Nattie gets the advantage back and starts taunting Layla.
125. She locks Layla in an abdominal stretch.
126. Layla breaks free and gets another roll up for a near fall.
127. Natalya takes down Layla with a spinning clothesline for a near fall of her own.
128. Layla hits the Chick Kick for the win out of nowhere.
129. Layla stares down Eve after the match.
130. Kaitlyn is backstage and Teddy walks up and says she should look at Eve's iPad.
131. He shows her something shocking and says she can do what she wants with this info.
132. Kaitlyn takes some pics of the evidence.
133. The lumberjacks are shown coming out before the break.

Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett

134. After the break, we get the main event.
135. If Big Show was the problem, then why would they make him one of the lumberjacks?
136. Barrett is out first. I think he needs some pyro to make his entrance a little more exciting.
137. Barrett lays right into Sheamus after the bell.
138. Sheamus hits a kick, but gets distracted by Cesaro and Barrett hits a back kick.
139. Barrett grabs Sheamus and hits the pump-handle slam for a near fall.
140. Sheamus gets knocked to the outside. The heel lumberjacks don't attack him, but they do throw him back in the ring.
141. Barrett keeps control with knees to the gut.
142. Some of the lumberjacks are cheering for Barrett and Sheamus.
143. Sheamus tries to come back, but he gets thrown into the turnbuckle chest-first.
144. Another commercial too early into a match. Am I imagining this?
145. After the break, we see Sheamus running over Barrett to get back control.
146. Nice. JBL just mentioned Fit Finlay.
147. Sheamus hits the Irish Hand Grenades on Barrett and picks him up and slams him with White Noise.
148. The Band pulls Barrett out of the ring to protect him from The Brogue Kick.
149. Barrett gets back in the ring, and he gets the advantage over Sheamus again and gets a near fall.
150. Barrett picks up Sheamus for Wasteland, but Sheamus fights out.
161. Sheamus gets clotheslined over the top rope and the lumberjacks. Sheamus and Barrett start brawling.
162. Sheamus and Barrett make it back into the ring and Sheamus hits his backbreaker.
163. Team Hell No come out and start fighting with all the lumberjacks on their way to Rhodes Scholars.
164. Barrett eats a Brogue Kick and Sheamus gets the win.
165. Kane and Bryan chase Rhodes Scholars out of the arena as Sheamus celebrates in the ring.
166. Good match. These two really need to keep feuding.
167. Ziggler comes out of nowhere and hits the Zig Zag on Sheamus.
168. He teases cashing in before Show knocks him out with a WMD.
169. Show tells Sheamus to look at Ziggler because it is what will happen at Hell in a Cell.
170. The Show ends with Sheamus looking a little concerned.
171. Decent show. Good action.