WWE SmackDown 11/11/11 Minutia: Critique, Thoughts, and Grade

SmackDown was filmed in Liverpool, England.  Hit up Kaleb Kelchner's blog for a rundown and wwe.com for various segments.

With less than two weeks to Survivor Series, they need to get moving on various angles and feuds.  They've been on a roll as of late, based on the strength of the in-ring product.  But this show must build momentum going to the hard sell next week for PPV.  Shall we?

The Good

+ Sheamus/Christian.  The match was alright, and there was enough variation in their routine to keep it fresh.  But the WWE needs to blow off the feud at Survivor Series.  There were a few nice spots, such as the Fallaway Slam into the barrier.  Christian actually seemed to play a bit more offense than in their previous encounters. Good ending to the match.

+ Sheamus Interview.  A quick segment, but worth a few chuckles. 

+ The Usos/Epico & Primo.  A standard tag match formula, but with a few twists—actually a fun match overall.  The Usos didn't look too weak here, while the duo of Epico and Primo looked like a possible tandem for the revamping tag division.  Lots of promise for a feud between these two groups.

+ Barrett/Orton.  Great match between these two that spread the offense equally.  The victory by Barrett wasn't too surprising, but pleasant nonetheless.  Good TV main event with some nice spots—the match of the night.

The Meh

~ Opening Segment.  The segment began with Orton on the stick, but he felt a bit flat.  Barrett was alright.  He recapped his character history, which added some nice depth.  Christian wasn't at his strongest during this segment either.  It felt a little longer than it needed to be.  Not entirely bad, but not as good as it could have been. 

~ Bryan/Henry.  Enjoyable exchange between the men in the backstage segment.  Bryan interrupting Henry was nicely done.  Henry putting over "Bryan's guts" was a good rub, albeit slight.  The match offset the fun of the backstage segment.  I really don't like the Money In The Bank winner being squashed like that.  Not one bit.

Business picked up after the match with the segment between Big Show and Henry.  It was a solid bit of storytelling, but the match offset any gains here. 

The Bad

- Mahal/DiBiase.  To be frank, there wasn't enough in this match for it to matter.  These two had a good match a few weeks ago on Superstars, which ended with Mahal getting the victory.  DiBiase did take a stiff knee drop from Mahal, so that's something.

- Big Show Handicap match.  Again, not enough time to really say anything.  More or less a simple excuse to show how dominant Big Show can be.  Why not have him squash Rhodes to make the point?  Just saying.

- Fox/Tamina.  There really wasn't enough for it to matter.   Fox's flip leg drop looks nice, but her powering out of a submission by Tamina just didn't feel believable.  Natalya did a nice job on commentary, though it wasn't enough to save the segment.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Randy Orton is William Shatner's love child.

I think Bryan grew three inches backstage.  Or he got a phone book.  Then he subsequently dropped back down in stature after eating that chair shot from Henry.

Barrett really does need some pyro.  Some deep booming shells would suit him perfect.

Did you know Jeff Hardy resigned from the WWE, wears a handkerchief and speaks Spanish? 

Did you know the Big Show...ah, never mind, this is too easy.

Overall Grade:  B-

It felt like the show regressed a little in overall quality, particularly with the Henry/Big Show angle, but it advanced some new angles and featured two strong matches.  Still above average, no matter how you slice it. 

One thing I'd like to see changed: less matches that are so quick.  The time spent on Mahal/DiBiase probably would have been better spent as additional time for the Usos/Epico & Primo match. 

That said, this was still a good show.