Smackdown! Review: Laying the Smackdown! (8/20/10)

Welcome to the inaugural edition of “Laying the Smackdown!” where I take a look at WWE’s Friday broadcast.

Admittedly, I won’t be able to cover the show every week. After all, it is Friday night. I have women to chase and alcoholic beverages to drink.

But when I do, I’ll examine 10 things we learned from the show that should air on Thursdays.

So for the fine readers here at Bleacher Report, get ready to be electrified. It’s time to lay the Smackdown!

10. Kofi Kingston will challenge Dolph Ziggler at Night of Champions

I haven’t been keeping count, but it seems like Ziggler and Kingston have faced each other on every show for the last five or six weeks.

Kingston won their Intercontinental Championship match by DQ this week after Vickie Guerrero interfered. As a side note, Matt Striker said Vickie puts Megan Fox to shame, which was tonight’s unintentionally hilarious moment.

Anyway, it’s the second match this week between the two that ended in controversy. I’d expect the two to battle at Night of Champions for the gold.

9. An SES breakup is coming

In recent weeks, it seems the WWE is beginning to pull the trigger on a Straight Edge Society breakup, which would be the dumbest decision since LeBron’s “Decision.”

Though Luke Gallows and Serena won their match this week to keep the faction together, the signs are obvious that the SES will split up soon.

Good luck in your future endeavors, Luke.

8. Serena can wrestle

I was awestruck with Serena this week for two reasons, neither of which have to do with her wrestling ability.

Honestly, I wasn’t overly impressed with her in-ring debut, but you know what?

I can already tell she has more ability/potential than the following divas: the Bellas, Eve, Rosa, Maryse, Kelly Kelly, and Layla.

Not that that is the biggest accomplishment, but it’s a start.

7. Cody Rhodes > Ted DiBiase

I’m not sure if it’s because DiBiase is stuck on Raw, but Rhodes is light years ahead of DiBiase in the charisma department.

Yeah, his gimmick is incredibly flamboyant, and the grooming lessons look like a cheap infomercial, but I find Rhodes 100 times more entertaining on the microphone than DiBiase.

I’m open to debate this one in the comments section for sure.


6. McIntyre is getting there

I’ll be the first one to admit I wasn’t on the McIntyre bandwagon at first, especially when it seemed he was getting “Sheamused.”

But I’ll also be the first to admit when I’m wrong.

His match with Christian this week was a good TV match, and he does a very good job at showing aggression toward his opponents.

It doesn’t hurt that his theme song is one of the best in recent memory either.

5. MVP needs a heel turn

Stating the obvious here, but his backstage confrontation with Jack Swagger really showed why MVP is a better heel.

4. Somebody hates Swagger

The creative team gets all the blame for this one.

If they want to know why Swagger’s championship reign bombed, it is because they booked him like an IDIOT.

Now, he’s wrestling Chris Masters on Superstars.

Way to drop the ball with your Money in the Bank winner.

3. Kane-Undertaker = BLAH

Is there anyone in wrestling history who has had more turns than Kane?

One week he’s a heel, the next he’s a face. Now he is revealed as the Undertaker’s attacker in the most anti-climactic ending I could have imagined for the vegetable storyline.

I’d be more entertained if a giant carrot was the Undertaker’s attacker.

I’m not completely hating on the angle because I think Kane’s promos have been very good, but the WWE could have done so much more with this storyline.

2. Mysterio is getting his vacation

In the main event, there was an injury angle with Mysterio’s opponent targeting his left arm and shoulder.

I’m taking this as a sign that Mysterio is finally getting that vacation he was supposed to get earlier in the year.

1. Alberto Del Rio is a star?

The videos the WWE ran prior to his debut did not do this man any justice.

Alberto Del Rio was on fire the entire show. He started the show by interrupting Mysterio—which got him huge heat instantly—before cutting a very good promo with Rey.

He then debuted his own ring announcer who spoke in Spanish. That was great.

Del Rio went on to defeat Mysterio in the main event with an awesome counter into an armbar. Again, he got huge heat from the crowd.

If tonight is any indication, Del Rio is a star in the making.

 
Final Thoughts

That’ll do it for the first edition of “Laying the Smackdown!”

If you haven’t seen it, I’d definitely recommend watching it. One great debut and three quality matches (Ziggler/Kingston, Rey/Alberto, Christian/McIntyre) were the highlights of the show.

OK, it’s time to do a little social network plugging. I’m always on the computer when I’m bored, and I love discussing wrestling (and sports too).

If you have any random questions you might want to ask or you want to see when my articles are posted on B/R, you can follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/B_Oestriecher.

Or ask me on Formspring at: http://www.formspring.me/BOestriecher.

Also, be on the lookout sometime in the next week or two for a big column I’ll be writing.