WWE Smackdown TV taping report
June 18, 2013
Dayton, Ohio
Report by Benjamin Tucker, PWTorch TV specialist

Read Tucker's live tweets during the TV taping @BTuckerTorch .

Smackdown SPOILERS 6/21

- The Half-Empty Arena Smackdown opened with a Payback recap.

- Daniel Bryan kicked off Smackdown with a mic in his hand mid-ring. Bryan said he's never had a match stopped due to injury. He said he thinks WWE stopped the match Monday on Raw because they consider him the weak link. Bryan said Randy Orton should have fought the official's decision instead of "tapping me on the head like a dog." Bryan said he wants to prove he's not the weak link by facing Orton tonight.

Randy Orton interrupted. Orton said he helped him up out of respect, but Bryan thinks he's patronizing him. Orton said that after tonight Bryan will be carried out on a stretcher. So, no Bryan-Ambrose then?

- Also scheduled: Del Rio-Jericho as well as Axel vs. Barrett for the IC Title.

(1) Sheamus beat Cody Rhodes (w/Damien Sandow) via submission. Early on, Cody knocked the apron out from under Sheamus to gain the advantage in a cool-looking spot. Later, Sheamus reversed a roll-up after a failed Sandow distraction and made Rhodes tap to the Cloverleaf. Post-match, Sandow beat up Sheamus.

- Another Bray Wyatt vignette aired.

(2) IC champion Curtis Axel (w/Paul Heyman) beat Wade Barrett to retain the Intercontinental Title. Barrett was in control on the outside, then Axel got the lead back inside. Barrett missed his big elbow and Axel got a sudden win.

After the match, The Miz, who was on commentary, approached Axel to fight, but Heyman coaxed Axel out of fighting. "He doesn't fight for free!" Heyman shouted.

(3) Divas champion A.J. Lee (w/Big E. Langston) beat Natalya via submission in a non-title match. Natalya yelled at A.J. for having no respect. Some mediocre action, then A.J. hit the Black Widow for the win.

- Backstage, Aksana called Kaitlyn trash for no reason. So, she beat the tar out of her.

Jericho came out for the First Hour main event. Ricardo still had the bucket, but had a heel smirk and spoke in Spanish again. Of note, it looks so funny when wrestlers pose to the empty side of an arena. Also, they've apparently given up on pyro due to smoke.

(4) World Hvt. champion Alberto Del Rio beat Chris Jericho via DQ in a non-title match when Dolph Ziggler interfered. Jericho started off strong, but Del Rio settled in with some kicks. Nice flip to the outside by Jericho, and Del Rio has a small cut on his face. Jericho made a comeback with a lionsault for two back in the ring. Del Rio went for the armbreaker, but Jericho reversed into a set-up for the Walls of Jericho. Derl Rio reversed into an armbreaker, which was reversed again. Ricardo interfered and then Dolph Ziggler attacks Del Rio, costing Jericho the match. Del Rio escaped and Jericho hit Ziggler with the Codebreaker.

After the match, Del Rio posed over a wounded Ziggler and kicked him. Big heat from the crowd and nice love for Ziggler.

(5) Christian pinned Drew McIntyre (w/3MB). Christian could not wake up a dead crowd, but he did make short work of McIntyre. Christian took out both members of 3MB on the outside, then pinned Drew with the Killswitch.

After the match, Christian took the mic. He said it's good to be back on Smackdown after ten months and be in front of the Peeps. He said he's come back for "One. More. Match." He was interrupted by The Shield, who came through the entranceway instead of the crowd. (Insert Joke: there was no crowd to come through.) Shield gave Christian a triple powerbomb to close the segment. New feud?

- WWE recapped the Brock-Punk developments from Raw.

- Paul Heyman was interviewed by Renee Young on the Titantron. Heyman asked Renee about her "daddy issues" since she's asking him about personal issues with C.M. Punk. Really harsh stuff. Heyman said he won't air their grievances on TV. Of note, Young is a really good interviewer and seems natural in her role.

- Now it's Main Event time with Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan, officially replacing Bryan vs. Dean Ambrose.

(6) Daniel Bryan beat Randy Orton via count-out. Bryan failed to put Orton in the No! Lock early on. Bryan was suplexed to the outside, but made it back in the ring before the 10-count. Bryan, still seeming to favor his shoulder, made a big comeback. Of note, the crowd seemed to be favoring Orton, but not by much. Really good flurry of offense by both, including Bryan delivering repeated kicks for a nearfall. Orton came back with a superplex, but Bryan slid out of the RKO. On the floor, Bryan hit a big knee. For the finish, Bryan hit a suicide dive on Orton and got back in the ring, winning by count-out.

After the match, Bryan said he doesn't want to win the match that way and wants it re-started. The ref won't re-start the match, though, and leaves, prompting Randy to tell at him, "Where are you going? We have a dark match!" And The Shield interrupted. Apparently Smackdown has now ended.

OVERALL: Not bad. A flat ending, but two really good matches and solid pacing/stories.

Prior to the dark main event, Randy chatted with Dean Ambrose when they pretended to argue at ringside. Great stuff. Sheamus then came out for the dark six-man tag match and Orton jovially shouted, "You want to start the match? Okay!"

Bonus Dark Main Event: Randy Orton & Sheamus & Daniel Bryan beat The Shield in a six-man tag match.

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