WWE Smackdown review
October 22, 2010
Taped 10/19/10 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Aired on SyFy
By Greg Parks, PWTorch Columnist


- WWE Open.

- Smackdown Open.

- After the camera panned the crowd, they plugged the champion vs. champion match, featuring Kane vs. Randy Orton tonight. For what it’s worth, Todd Grisham intro’d the program.

- In the ring, Team Raw opposed Team Smackdown on opposite sides. It was weird to cut to the shot of all14 of them already in the ring. Teddy Long was in the ring with the Bragging Rights trophy and a microphone, detailing the match scheduled for Sunday. Long said that for the first time ever, he’s going to allow the wrestlers to make the matches tonight on Smackdown. Who made Orton vs. Kane then? He allowed The Miz to get the mic first and he predictably trash-talked Team Smackdown. He said he has already proved his superiority over Big Show, so tonight, he’ll be in six-man tag action, teaming with Ezekiel Jackson and Sheamus. Show had a mic and said Miz is hiding behind big men, just like he hid behind him when they were a tag team. Show asked Miz if he still wet the bed. Show countered with Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio as teammates to oppose the three-man Raw team.

Edge was next, and he said he wanted a one-on-one match. He called out the most sanctimonious superstar on either brand: C.M. Punk. John Morrison challenged someone who thought he was better than everyone, and who thinks he’s too good to be here. That would be Alberto Del Rio. Jack Swagger said it doesn’t leave a whole lot for him, so he’s choosing the Raw superstar whose finishing move is worse than the Sharpshooter (cheap heat). He challenged Santino Marella. Long seemed to sign off on all the matches, and wanted to start the show with the six-man match.

- Grisham, Matt Striker and Michael Cole were shown at ringside, and Cole was miffed that Grisham didn’t mention him at the outset.

1 – THE BIG SHOW & REY MYSTERIO & KOFI KINGSTON vs. THE MIZ & SHEAMUS & EZEKIEL JACKSON

This kind of takes the luster off of the seven-man match this Sunday, especially seeing some of these guys interact for the first time. Case in point, Sheamus started things off with Mysterio. Sheamus’ power got the best of Rey’s speed, at least early on. Mysterio tagged Kingston, who landed a springboard cross-body for a two-count. He kicked away at Sheamus, but Sheamus put him down soon after. Kingston low-bridged Sheamus, and Mysterio dropped a seated senton on him. They went to break about 2:30 into the match, with Sheamus still recovering on the outside.

[Commercial Break]

Jackson was in there with Sheamus out of break, and Striker tried to talk about Jackson’s character. The Raw team isolated Kingston and made frequent tags to keep him from bringing a fresh man in. Kingston got close a couple times, and finally kicked Miz off to make the tag to Big Show. The match broke down with all six men getting involved not long after. Miz came off the top rope and right into a chokeslam. Rey climbed on Show’s shoulders and splashed Miz for the win.

WINNER: Team Smackdown, at 8:38. Odd that Miz would take the pinfall loss here. Otherwise, a match that shouldn’t have to take place to hype up the PPV tag match if WWE spent any kind of time creating a rivalry between the two brands in the previous 51 weeks. It just feels like WWE has no other ideas to build the tag match besides having the wrestlers involved fight each other, which makes the actual tag match less special.

- Another plug for Orton vs. Kane, later tonight.

[Commercial Break]

- Grisham plugged Edge vs. CM Punk tonight.

- The Bragging Rights trophy was shown at ringside in front of the announcers. The announcers then discussed Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton, as well as Cena in Nexus. They showed clips of Cena vs. Barrett from Hell in a Cell to catch fans up on how Cena was forced to join Nexus, as well as Cena and Barrett’s interactions on subsequent Raw episodes. Quite the extensive compilation.

- Josh Mathews was backstage with Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero. Mathews said Ziggler was challenged to a match at Bragging Rights, and they showed the clip of Daniel Bryan making the challenge, and the brawl that ensued. Ziggler said he was jumped from behind and said he thought Bryan was a fan who jumped in the ring. He compared Bryan to a high-school football team taking on a Super Bowl champion (himself). He said at least the high-schoolers would have pads to protect them. Ziggler promised to crush Bryan at Bragging Rights. Good promo.

- Jack Swagger and his mascot came to the ring. His match against Santino will take place after the break.

[Commercial Break]

2 – JACK SWAGGER vs. SANTINO MARELLA

Santino tried a flying punch, but only half-heartedly, to take Swagger out of his game early on. Swagger took Santino down and rolled around with him until Santino rolled out of the ring. The Swagger mascot quietly made his way over to Santino as if to interfere, but before he could get there, Hornswoggle ran out to keep the eagle at bay. Back in the ring, Swagger shoved Santino a couple times, until Santino fought back. Single-arm take-over by Marella, but that was all he could do. Swagger clothelsined Marella in the corner, then tossed him out of the ring. Horny kept the eagle at bay again, and the announcers discussed the obvious issue, that being Hornswoggle protecting a Raw superstar. Santino gave the cobra to the eagle and Horny gave him the tadpole splash on the outside. In the ring, Santino took it to Swagger, then set up the cobra. Swagger instead grabbed the leg and applied the ankle-lock for the win.

WINNER: Swagger, at 2:54. As usual with Santino, the extracurricular events got more of the focus than the match.

- After Hornswoggle chased Cole out of his announce position again, Grisham plugged John Morrison vs. Alberto Del Rio, which is next.

[Commercial Break]

- Time for more grooming tips with Cody Rhodes. Tonight: lips. Some of those pictures they show are disgusting. I guess that’s the point but….ew.

3 – ALBERTO DEL RIO vs. JOHN MORRISON

The wrestlers are all competing while wearing their show’s respective t-shirts. Snap-mare and a kick to the back by Del Rio. Double-leg take-down, then Morrison hammered away on his opponent. Running knee to the head only got a one-count. Del Rio turned things around with a back-breaker. Kick to the back by Del Rio, and a beauty. Bell-to-back suplex for a two-count by Del Rio. Alberto continued to work the neck of his Raw counterpart. Del Rio did miss a move in the corner – not sure what it was supposed to be, almost a dropkick I guess, but one you don’t see. Morrison went on the offensive, but Del Rio landed a German suplex with a bridge for a two-count. Morrison ducked the enziguiri, but Del Rio got his knees up on Starship Pain. Del Rio capitalized with the cross arm-breaker for the submission win. Smackdown is 3-0 tonight.

WINNER: Del Rio, at 4:34. Pretty even match, with both guys looking good.

- I think Grisham made up a word, saying two men with “substansive chips on their shoulders” would fight next, in Punk vs. Edge. I assume he meant “substantial”?

[Commercial Break]

4 – EDGE vs. CM PUNK

Punk still had his right elbow taped. Crowd was firmly behind Edge, chanting his name early on in the match. Side headlock by Edge as the contest began slowly. Punk backed him into the corner, and laid in a few shoulders into the mid-section before the referee could break up the two. Hard whip into the turnbuckle by Punk, and a cover got only one. Edge fought back, but missed his cross-body with Punk draped across the middle rope. That allowed Punk to regain control. Punk hung Edge out to dry over the top rope, but he was hurting in the ring while Edge was writhing in pain outside. They went to break about five minutes in.

[Commercial Break]

Punk had Edge in a body-scissors upon return. Punk went flying, but Edge caught his springboard attempt and turned it into a bodyslam. Both men were down. They traded punches in the middle of the ring, broken up by a few kicks from Punk. He missed a head-shot and the two exchanged counters until Edge came out on top. Suplex attempt, but Punk pushed him away and got him up for a GTS. Edge-O-Match by Edge, but Punk kicked out literally, with a kick to Edge’s head. Grisham called Edge a “future Hall-of-Famer.” That’s probably true. Both men appeared frustrated that they couldn’t get the upper-hand to this point. Running knee in the corner by Punk, but Edge turned the bulldog into an Edgecution DDT for two. Edge climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Punk crotched him. He went up and tried to suplex Edge down, but Punk sent him to the mat. He climbed off the top and set up for the spear. Before he could hit it, The Miz and his flunkey, Alex Riley, came to the ring and pulled Edge out of it. They attacked him on the outside for the DQ.

WINNER: Edge, via DQ, at 13:16.

Kofi came out to attack and threw Riley out of the ring, but Miz gave him the Skull Crushing Finale. Each member of the two teams came out one-by-one and hit one of their pet moves on an opponent, until another person came out from the opposite team and took them out. Mysterio was the last one out, hitting the 619 on Sheamus until Punk came back and attacked him. Edge speared Punk, leaving Smackdown again with the upper-hand. The Smackdown team closed the segment with all of their arms raised in the ring.

- Tonight, Orton vs. Kane in a champion vs. champion match.

[Commercial Break]

- Layla was in the ring, dressed up as Natalya (complete with Neidhart beard), and Michelle McCool in the ring dressed as Bret “Hitman” Hart. McCool called “Natalya” the first third-generation Diva and said she was a disgrace to the Hart dynasty. “Hart” said he worshipped LayCool, saying “they’re flawless.” Not the best impersonation I’ve seen. In fact, probably one of the worst.

5 – LAYCOOL vs. NATALYA & KELLY KELLY

Layla wrestled dressed up as Natalya, and choked the real Natalya in the top rope. McCool kicked Natalya in the face as Striker tried to do a Bret Hart impersonation. She tagged in and did some damage, but when Layla came in, she fell victim to a butterfly suplex from Natalya. Layla went for a neckbreaker but Natalya went for a backslide for two. She tried to hook in the Sharpshooter, but McCool grabbed Layla’s hands to prevent the turn. Eventually, Natalya got it and picked up the submission win.

WINNERS: Natalya and Kelly Kelly, at 2:25. Probably a smart move to keep Kelly on the apron if WWE wanted any semblance of a decent match here.

- They showed the Tale of the Tape on Orton vs. Kane. At least they’re plugging it pretty hard throughout the show, despite the lack of hype leading up to tonight.

[Commercial Break]

- They aired the pro-WWE video that has been airing this week, for the “Stand Up for WWE” campaign.

- Kane made his entrance for the main event. That match, against Orton, is next.

[Commercial Break]

6 – KANE vs. RANDY ORTON

Surprised there were no interviews leading up to this match, especially to use them as a last-minute opportunity to hype their respective title matches coming up on Sunday. Kane charged out with a few clotheslines in the corner, followed up by a sidewalk slam. He signaled that he was ready to put Orton away early, but Orton squirmed out of the Tombstone and hit his unique back-breaker on Kane. He then set up for the RKO, but Kane fled to ringside. Orton went out and pushed Kane into the ringpost. Orton sent Kane head-first into the announce table, then back into the ring. After a few moments of action, they went back to the outside where this time, Kane took the fight to Orton, slamming his back alternately against the apron and the barricade. Orton was left lying outside the ring as they went to break.

[Commercial Break]

Kane had Orton in a bearhug as the show returned from break. Both men were worn out as if they’d wrestled 15 minutes to this point. Kane kicked at Orton’s gut, but Orton finally reached his feet and fired back with rights. Of course, this was just a tease of a comeback, and Kane gave him a shot to the stomach. Back outside the ring, Orton went spine-first into the ringpost. Another bearhug in the ring, but Orton tried to create separation, and did so with more right hands. He walked right into a back-breaker, though, and Kane got a two-count. Kane landed his clothesline from the top rope for only two. Chokeslam was looming, but Orton elbowed out. He got a boot up on a Kane charge in the corner. He tried to overpower Kane to take him down, but wasn’t successful until he impressively hit a powerslam. He set Kane up for his rope-assisted DDT, and connected. Orton was quite animated, more so than usual, in setting up for the RKO. He was pushed off on an attempt and Kane booted him in the face. As Kane was going to chokeslam Orton, the lights went out. The bell tolled and Orton was behind Kane. When Kane turned around, he fell victim to the RKO. Fin.

WINNER: Orton, at 12:00. I was afraid that, when the lights went out, we’d have another non-finish. Thank goodness I was wrong.

Orton posed with the WWE Title as he went up the ramp. Kane was livid outside the ring. He knocked over the trophy pedestal and tore up the announce table. Crowd was chanting for Undertaker. The bell tolled again, and the lights dimmed. Taker came up from under the ring, breaking through the ring, and trying to drag Kane down with him. He managed to do so, though Kane held on for dear life. From below, Taker grabbed Kane’s head and pulled him down. The lights then went out again and the WWE logo appeared in the corner, signaling the end of the show.

Greg Parks has been covering WWE Smackdown for PWTorch.com since January of 2007. Comments, questions and feedback are welcome, and can be sent to g_man9784@yahoo.com.

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