WWE Smackdown TV taping report
December 13, 2011
Taped in Raleigh, N.C.
Report by Jim H., PWTorch reader

Smackdown SPOILERS 12/16

- Cole comes out to boos carrying three Slammys. Lilian Garcia comes out to a nice reaction.

- Josh Mathews opens the show by interviewing Booker T. They show a video package on his feud with Cody Rhodes. Booker T is ready to face Cody this Sunday. He didn't want a fight with Cody, he was happy in the booth with Josh. To hell with Cole. This is about Cody trying to make a name for himself and legitimize himself. But, he won't do it against the 5-time WCW champion and soon-to-be IC Champion. Mathews asks if he wins the IC title, is he back to wrestling full-time. Booker hasn't thought that far.

Cody interrupts. Booker is spinning good fiction and fantasy, he says. In the movies, he'd win, but this is reality and Cody will win. Booker says how about the reality of him kicking his ass. Cody says Booker always has something to say, but he's interfered in two of his matches with Daniel Bryan, so he got Teddy Long to give him a third one. If Booker interferes again, the match on Sunday won't be for the IC Title and he'll file a motion to have Booker suspended. Now get out of the ring while Cody shows just how legitimate he is, sucka!

(1) IC champion Cody Rhodes beat Daniel Bryan in a non-title match. The match starts slow, but builds. Good heel reaction for Cody. Mild reaction for Bryan. Bryan with a second rope dropkick. Cody goes upstairs, but gets caught. But, he counters a side suplex into a cross-body. A series of roll-ups and reversals ends with Cody hitting Cross Rhodes for the win. Good match, as you would expect, but I thought it would last longer.

(2) Alicia Fox beat Natalya. Natalya comes to the ring with a box of tissue. Fox wins with an inside cradle after the typically short Divas match. Fox grabbed one of Nattie's hair extensions, so she took the mic and said Nattie is so synthetic she's pathetic and she just got out-foxed. Nattie comes in for more, but Fox turns the tables, hits her finisher, and covers Nattie for the pin, even though she already got the pin. Nattie is pissed. Sigh. Why have they turned Nattie into a jobber?

- Swagger and Vickie are backstage. Mark Henry asks Swagger to hurt Big Show like Big Show hurt him. If he does, he's first in line for the World Heavyweight Title. Swagger says he will hurt Big Show, but not for Mark, for him. He's beaten Big Show before, unlike Mark, and his future is World Heavyweight champion.

(3) Epico & Primo (w/Rosa Mendes) beat The Usos. Apparently Rosa is only managing Epico & Primo. I'm also confused about who accompanied Hunico for his match on Superstars. Epico and Primo won a ho-hum match. Rosa and Co. entertained with some post-match dancing.

- They replay Swagger injuring Big Show's ankle from back in 2010.

(4) Big Show beat Jack Swagger (w/Vickie Guerrero). Big Show comes out to a big pop. As soon as Swagger gets into the ring, Mark Henry comes out with a chair and sits at the bottom of the ramp. Big Show with some knife-edge chops that obviously get a big reaction in Flair Country. Two Swagger Bombs, but Show kicks out. Swagger counters a chokeslam into an anklelock. Show eventually powers out and hits WMD for the win. After the match, he throws Swagger out of the ring at Henry's feet. Henry hits Swagger with the chair he was sitting on. Then, Henry gives a cameraman a chair shot(!). He exits while Big Show calls for medical attention for the cameraman.

- KOTR DVD commercial. National Guard commercial. Then, Lilian wishes the National Guard a happy 375th birthday. There are members of the N.C. National Guard in the audience.

- Strange montage for Stone Cold to some sappy country song. Stone Cold DVD available now.

- Here comes Heath Slater. Orton's backstage getting ready for Orton/Ryder vs Barrett/Ziggler. Ryder asks if they are on the same page and Orton says no. Are they in the same book? Maybe. This gets Ryder excited. Woo Woo Woo. Orton isn't buying it.

(5) Heath Slater beat Ted DiBiase. Haven't I seen this match before? DiBiase wins with Dream Street. After the match, Jinder Mahal comes "from out of nowhere" and attacks DiBiase. Teddy Long comes out and says if Jinder wants a fight he'll give him one against someone he has unfinished business with from Monday. Sheamus comes out to a huge pop. They replay the incident between the two on Monday's Raw. Then, the match starts.

(6) Sheamus beat Jinder Mahal. Sheamus wins with a brogue kick. Sheamus was way over with the crowd.

- Triple H-Nash promo. Some people here are acting like they actually want to see this match.

- WWE will be having a PPV in Raleigh for the first time in eight years. Over the Limit will be in Raleigh in 2012. Pre-sale from Dec. 14-16.

- Time for the tag main event of Orton/Ryder vs. Barrett/Ziggler. Orton is out first to a huge pop. Ryder next to a decent pop, but not as loud as Orton's. Then, Ziggler followed by Barrett wearing his new t-shirt.

(7) Randy Orton & Zack Ryder beat U.S. champion Dolph Ziggler & Wade Barrett. Decent tag match with Orton and Ryder alternating as babyfaces in peril. Eventually, Barrett and Ryder brawl outside, and Orton hits an RKO on Ziggler for the win.

After the match, Barrett stands on a table on the ramp and stares down Orton in the ring. I assume this is where the TV show ends.

***

Post-Taping: Barrett got down and circled the ring. He climbed up on the apron and Orton went after him, but Cody Rhodes and Heath Slater came "from out of nowhere" to attack Orton from behind. The three heels beat down Orton until Big Show ran down and cleaned house. Barrett and Rhodes slipped away, but Slater was laid out in the ring. Big Show brought a table into the ring. Orton hit an RKO on Slater and then powerbombed him through the table to send everyone home happy. Orton and Show then interacted with the crowd around ringside.

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