-- 5/25 WWE Smackdown Reax

John D. of Liverpool, England, receptionist (8.0): Best: Ryback, Damien Sandow, triple threat match, and Santino vs. Ricardo. Worst: Christian and Hunico was too short. Smackdown this week was very good. Ryback continues to grow on me. I know he's squashing jobbers at the moment, but WWE is smartly and wisely building him up so he eventually enters main feuds. I was impressed with his power moves and I think this man can be a main player in years to come. The audience seems to be warming to him, as well, judging by the reactions... Santino vs. Ricardo was a funny comedy match and Damien Sandow has me in stitches every week. When he called Yoshi Tatsu a dunce, I nearly choked on my egg and ham sandwich... The triple threat match was good - fast-paced and well-executed. The problem is a Sheamus vs. Del Rio feud does nothing for me - I'm not in the least interested. I'd rather see Daniel Bryan thrown in there to make it more interesting.

Michael B. of Lynchburg, Va. (8.5): Best Match: triple threat. Worst Match: none. This was a great Smackdown, and really showcased a good variety of talent. I loved the fact that they had a decent tag match, but I don't feel that either team will save the tag division. Ryback was surprisingly entertaining and Christian is so much better as a face. Sheamus vs. Swagger was just there, but it was good to see Swagger in a legit singles match (no more Dolph and Swagger tag-teaming, please). The ending to the triple threat #1 contender match worked great, as it protected Orton. Where will they go with him now that Jericho is suspended for 30 days, though? All in all, Smackdown was great and kept me watching.

Richard H. of Wilmington, Ohio (8.0 for in-ring, 1.0 for the rest): Best: Santino making me laugh. If WWE could ever put together the creative and action sides of their product, they could do a lot better. Friday's action was pretty good, and all of the matches (even Santino's comedy bit) were well-done. BUT... The opening segment with the video recap, Eve opening the show when she can't cut a promo for anything, and Del Bore-rio? Were they trying to drive people away? Big Show's soliloquy center ring was too long, boring, and way out of place. The only time the cardboard cutouts WWE calls a crowd reacted was when Vickie Guerrero woke them up. Other than, that there were more people sitting on their hands than after a drill sergeant asks for volunteers.

Steve in Pompano Beach, Fla., raconteur & bon vivant (4.0): Best: triple threat main event. Worst: Santino vs. Ric-Rod tied with Big Show's whining. Smackdown was better than Raw was this week, but even with that stated, Smackdown still seems unable to hit a desperately needed bullseye. The show went all over the place, and actual matches - Young/O'Neil vs. The Usos, Christian vs. Hunico, the triple threat - felt like welcome ports in a storm of otherwise forgettable crap. Santino-RicRod, Sandow, and Ry-berg had me channel-surfing. Sheamus-Swagger had me less interested in the actual match and more thinking that Vickie's stable should grow to include a few Smackdown stars (possibly Drew McIntyre and Tyson Kidd), maybe even a Diva. Also, is it just me, or did the replays of Big Show decking Cena on Raw make it seem even more ridiculous than it was initially? Speaking of Show, how stupid does he sound with his bellyaching about no one caring that he got fired? I guess he was too busy blubbering to hear fans booing Big Johnny for giving him the ax... D-Bryan's attack on Kane should prove interesting as to how the big man will fit into Bryan vs. Punk at No Way Out. And, Del Rio vs. Sheamus for the World Title again, eh? Hmm. Didn't they try to pitch this gem at Over The Limit before realizing the cumulative character depth of both guys wouldn't fill a thimble? I wonder who'll join Orton in making this another Fatal Four-Way now that Jericho's suspended. Sorry, Chris, guess you can only do bad stuff to flags in Canada.

***

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

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