WWE Smackdown review
June 3, 2011
Taped 5/31/11 in Des Moines, Iowa
Aired on SYFY
By Greg Parks, PWTorch Columnist


- WWE Open.

- A video package showed Christian losing his title to Randy Orton, as well as his rematch and Triple Threat Match last week, while the voice-over man did his thing. Tonight, Sheamus challenges for the World Title.

- Smackdown Open.

- Lots o’ fireworks went off inside the arena in Des Monies, Iowa. Josh Mathews touted the rarity of the World Title and I.C. Title both being defended on Friday Night Smackdown.

1 – CHRISTIAN vs. MARK HENRY

Christian showed off his new t-shirt during his entrance. Mathews questioned why Christian was still smiling as they showed Mathews, Booker T and Michael Cole at the announce table. And it only took three minutes this week for me to be sick of Cole. Christian tried to attack Henry upstairs, never a good idea. Henry went to work on Christian, forcing Christian to slide out of the ring to recover. Henry followed him out, but Christian went back in and dropkicked Henry through the ropes. He tried to dive onto Henry, but Henry caught him and threw him to the apron. I’ve noticed the referees have been mic’d more than usual. First cover for Henry got a two-count at 1:38. Henry then just tossed Christian in the air, with the Canadian landing front-first onto the mat. Henry tried to finish things at 2:43, but he missed the big splash. Christian again tried to go high with clotheslines, to no avail. Middle-rope elbow by Christian, and he still couldn’t take the man off his feet. Henry clotheslined Christian over the top and to ringside. Drop toe-hold by Christian sent Henry face-first into the announce table. To the top went Christian, but again, he tried a cross-body and Henry caught him. Christian got out of the move though and connected on the Killswitch for the win.

WINNER: Christian, at 4:28. Nice bounce-back win for Christian, but the psychology didn’t make him look too bright.

- The Intercontinental Title is on the line when Wade Barrett faces Ezekiel Jackson.

- Christian has a mic. We’ll hear from him next.

[Commercial Break]

- A replay of the finish of the first match was shown.

- Christian, patiently waiting in the ring for the commercial break and the replay, finally spoke up. He said he just beat “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry, and put him over as a quality opponent. He said it wasn’t exactly the victory he was looking for tonight, though. He said Sheamus is getting his title shot tonight, then he threw it to footage of the end of last week’s Triple Threat match. Christian helpfully narrated. He said he clearly had Sheamus beaten for what seemed like an eternity. He didn’t blame anyone, but said he wants something he’s earned, that being another shot to become World Champion. Teddy Long’s music hit, and the GM came out to presumably address Christian’s concerns.

Long said he has already seen that footage, as it’s his job. He said Christian was a victim of circumstance. He asked Long to “do the right thing” and make him #1 contender. He said he’d like to take a page out of Long’s book and poll the audience to see what they think. They were pro-Christian vs. Orton. Long said he feels Christian’s pain, but he can’t do it. Christian then asked for a Triple Threat match instead, with Sheamus involved. Long said he’s been deliberating this all week, and since Sheamus won the match last week, he won the chance to fight Orton tonight. But to make sure there are no circumstances in the match tonight, he’s going to appoint Christian as the special guest referee. Cole applauded Long (figuratively) for making a “courageous decision” tonight, that being not giving Christian another shot. The camera stayed on Christian a while, as he seemed upset, but not terribly. The announcers discussed the World Title match.

- For those Smackdown viewers unfamiliar with Sheamus, Mathews sent it to a video package of Sheamus’s career. Hey, there’s Jamie Noble!

- Another graphic for the Orton vs. Sheamus match was shown.

[Commercial Break]

- The announcers fake laughed over the Capitol Punishment poster. They said fans could comment on it on facebook.com/WWE.

2 – ALICIA FOX & TAMINA vs. AJ & KAITLYN

The heels were already in the ring, and Rosa Mendes was with them. Natalya was once again with the babyfaces, who also did an inset interview. Kaitlyn claimed last week’s match was a warm-up, and Nattie said she knows they can do it. Tamina shoved Kaitlyn to start, and Kaitlyn gave it right back. Kaitlyn was whipped into the corner, but avoided a Tamina splash. Headbutt to the gut by Kaitlyn, followed by a roll-up for two. Tamina tagged out as the announcers discussed Kharma’s situation. Fox, clad in pink (as a shot at Natalya, according to Mathews), was knocked down by Kaitlyn. AJ tagged in and gave Fox a hurricanrana. AJ sold better than probably any other Diva. Tamina tagged in and landed a nice bodyslam. Samoan Drop by Tamina for the win.

WINNERS: Fox & Tamina, at 2:03. I’ll be patient to see where they’re going with this, as far as introducing AJ, having her team with Kaitlyn, and being led by Natalya.

Rosa, with dark black hair celebrated with the heels. They didn’t even stay on the babyfaces long enough to get over whatever story they’re trying to tell with the two losses in a row.

- Randy Orton was shown backstage, looking longingly into the distance. I guess he’s thinking about his title match.

[Commercial Break]

- A Sin Cara hype video aired.

- Cody Rhodes came out accompanied by his bag men. He wore a suit, so I presume he’s not wrestling. They replayed Rhodes attacking Daniel Bryan after their match last week. Rhodes said “winning isn’t everything” is a nice sentiment, but it’s written by losers. Rhodes said people will say Bryan won their match last week, but they’d be wrong. Rhodes said that, without talking down to the fans, when a man ends things but lying down on the mat with a paper bag over his head, he lost. He talked about Bryan oozing ordinary and being disgustingly dull. He said Bryan looks more like a member of the paying audience than a WWE Superstar. That didn’t get the heat they probably expected. He told the baggers to hand out bags. They showed one guy handing out bags to about three or four fans in the front row who were wearing “NWO” t-shirts. They even had a bag over the camera, to show what fans were seeing. Rhodes said Bryan will be sitting in the audience sooner rather than later, watching him win the World Title. And he said he’d be doing it, like the fans, with a paper bag over his head. Hey, whatever happened to the deal Rhodes had with Ted DiBiase a few weeks ago?

- Still to come, Bryan faces DiBiase. Maybe we’ll get some follow-up there.

- Tyson Kidd’s newest manager, Matt Striker, was backstage with Great Khali. They showed a clip of Khali attacking Ranjin Singh after his match. Cole speculated that Jinder Mahal must be holding something over Khali’s head to make him do such a thing. Striker asked Khali what motivated him to be so abusive to his brother. Mahal then walked in and answered, saying if you want to talk to Khali, you talk to him. Mahal alternated speaking a foreign language and English. He talked about leading by example and taking the first step toward immortality. Khali shoved the mic down and walked off with Mahal before Striker could follow up.

[Commercial Break]

3 – JINDER MAHAL vs. YOSHI TATSU

This is Mahal’s in-ring debut in WWE. He was accompanied by Great Khali. I thought for sure Mahal would be squashing Trent Barreta here. Mahal had his name on the back of his white tights. Jumping knee to the face of Tatsu. Vertical suplex by Mahal for only two. Full-nelson slam by Mahal, shades of Tom Brandi’s House Quake! Anyway, it got the three-count.

WINNER: Mahal, at 1:10.

Mahal stood Tatsu up to shake his hand after the match, but it was just a ploy to distract Khali, who came from behind Tatsu and applied the vice grip. The two men stood with their arms raised after the match. They replayed the finish at the post-match attack.

- Zeke Jackson (almost wrote “Shelton Benjamin” there after a quick look at the graphic) faces Wade Barrett for the IC Title. It’s next.

[Commercial Break]

- They showed the exterior of the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

- The announcers talked about Capitol Punishment and Cole derided being in Omaha and Des Moines for the unofficial kickoff of Summer. Then they sent it to the new dream sequence press conference video that aired on Monday. I gotta say, it was a little better than the original. Mathews listed a bunch of folks in Washington who were invited. Mathews couldn’t remember the name of the Washington hockey team.

4 – EZEKIEL JACKSON vs. WADE BARRETT – INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

They showed Jackson fighting off Corre last week. Referee Justin King asked for a clean break from both men in the corner. Jackson gave it to him, but Barrett did not. Body shots in the opposite corner by Jackson. Beal by Jackson that almost caused Barrett to land on his head. Booker even admitted Jackson was limited in his movement. Barrett kicked at Jackson while he was lying on the apron. Impressive Boss Man Slam by Barrett for two. Barrett stretched the neck of Jackson at 1:40. Inverted atomic drop by Barrett, but Jackson came back and tossed Wade over the top rope. Back in the ring, Jackson fought off his former teammate. Big splash in the corner, then three bodyslams. Torture Rack was next, but Barrett raked Jackson’s eyes and went to the apron. Jackson kicked him down to the arena floor. Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater came to ringside and surrounded Jackson. The referee continued to count, and Barrett, though he appeared as if he could make it to his feet and into the ring, was counted out.

WINNER: Jackson, at 4:07. About what you’d expect from these two.

After the match, Corre re-grouped and jumped Jackson. Well, actually it was just Gabriel and Slater; Barrett feigned going into the ring, but let his minions do his bidding instead. He just walked to the back as Jackson once again fought off Gabriel and Slater.

- Striker interviewed Sheamus. Sheamus said Christian should be madder at Orton than him. Then he saw Christian walking and approached him. Sheamus said if it were up to him, he’d love to have a Triple Threat Match with him tonight. Christian said he hopes Sheamus does better against Orton tonight than he did just now, lying to his face. Christian called Sheamus “snaggletooth” and said he plans on calling the match down the middle. He told Sheamus to stop worrying about him and start worrying about Orton. Not a great exchange there.

[Commercial Break]

- Find out what Eve Torres has to say about being a Diva inside and outside the ring, on WWE.com.

5 – DANIEL BRYAN vs. TED DIBIASE

Several standing switches between the two began the match. Nice dropkick by Bryan for a one-count. DiBiase countered a hip-toss and turned it into a pin for two. Right hand by DiBiase, but Bryan fired back with chops. Kick to the chest by Bryan for two at 1:33. Rhodes and his bag men came to the ring at about this time. They went to break at 1:52 of the contest.

[Commercial Break]

They were back at 4:40, with DiBiase stretching Bryan. The offense by DiBiase continued for the next minute or more. Hard whip into the buckle by DiBiase. Bryan flipped out of the corner, barely avoiding knocking noggins with DiBiase. Both men were down at 6:55, and once on their feet, Bryan kicked DiBiase several times in the chest, showing some fire in the process. Hurricanrana off the top by Bryan, but DiBiase rolled through for a two-count. Clothesline by DiBiase (with a 360 sell by Bryan) for two. DiBiase was sent out of the ring and Bryan flew through the ropes and into DiBiase at 8:06. Off the top came Bryan, but DiBiase met him with a dropkick for two. DiBiase set up for Dream Street, but Bryan countered and into the LeBell Lock. He tapped.

WINNER: Bryan, at 9:27. Nice enough match. DiBiase was able to keep up with Bryan, though the segment of the match where he was on offense was nothing thrilling.

Rhodes and DiBiase attacked Bryan after the match, but Sin Cara’s music played and he ran out. He took out Rhodes with a springboard bodyscissors (that looked like it was supposed to be a hurricanrana), then a tilt-a-whirl headscissors on DiBiase. Now THIS is a tag team feud I can get behind.

- Tonight, Randy Orton defends against Sheamus with Christian as special guest referee.

[Commercial Break]

- The Raw Rebound aired.

- Johnny Curtis was shown watching TV backstage. He addressed the camera and introduced himself. He said by winning NXT, he was promised a tag title match with his Pro, R-Truth. But, he said, that’s not going to happen. Instead, he’s going to do what any Superstar would do…then he poured milk into some sort of bowl, and then over his head, laughing, and then getting serious. The milk poured down his head as he stared into the camera. I guess it showed he wasn’t crying over spilt milk? That was pretty dumb. Can’t he just choose someone else to get a tag title shot with?

- The announcers discussed R-Truth vs. John Cena at Capitol Punishment.

- Christian was introduced as the special guest referee for the main event. Randy Orton then came out, and as he posed, they went to break.

[Commercial Break]

6 – RANDY ORTON vs. SHEAMUS – WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH WITH CHRISTIAN AS SPECIAL GUEST REFEREE

Formal introductions were done by Tony Chimel. Sheamus worked a side headlock on the champion early on. Shoulder knock-down for a one-count. Orton flew out of the corner and nailed Sheamus with a clothesline. The fight went to the outside, where both men traded having the upper hand. In the end, Orton had it and rolled Sheamus into the ring. After a near-fall, Orton went outside the ring. Sheamus followed him out and drove Orton’s spine into the ring-post. Back in the ring went Orton and Sheamus got two on the cover. They went to break 3:42 into the title match.

[Commercial Break]

Back with Orton working out of a rest-hold at 7:16. Orton brought the pain with right hands, then Sheamus with a knee-lift for two. Hard forearm shots onto the chest of Orton. Another cover, another two-count. Sheamus set up for a suplex, but Orton blocked and landed one of his own. Both men were down at the 9:00 mark, with Ortno leaning ont eh ropes to get back to his feet. Sheamus ran into a big boot and hit some of his signature moves. Vintage Orton backbreaker for two. Sheamus caught Orton charging into the corner, then pulled himself up to the top rope. Orton met him and hammered away with rights. Suplex off the middle rope by Orton. He made the cover at 10:34 for a near-fall. Sheamus propelled himself over the top and landed a shoulderblock for two. Impressive for a big guy, especially after enduring an 11:00 match to that point. Powerslam by Sheamus for two. Jackknife cover for two by Orton. Irish Curse back-breaker by Sheamus for two, as things began to go back-and-forth again. Sheamus missed a running kick, as Booker called Orton playing possum. Rope-assisted DDT by Orton. He set up for the RKO at about the 13:00 mark, but Sheamus shrugged off an attempt and put Orton down with a Polish Hammer. Sheamus signaled for the High Cross, but Orton slipped out the back. He was almost shoved into Christian, but Orton stopped short and Sheamus ran into Christian. Sheamus apologized and then took down Orton with the Brogue Kick. Christian made the count, but stopped short of the three-count. He feigned an arm injury, then Sheamus got pissed and shoved Christian. Christian punched him and Orton landed the RKO for the win.

WINNER: Orton, at 14:28. Sheamus accidentally hit Christian and Christian cost him the title in retaliation? And Sheamus is the heel and Christian the face? I liked the match.

As Orton celebrated the win, Christian nailed Orton with the belt, out of nowhere. “I can beat you Randy, I know it!” he shouted at Orton. Then he posed with the title as he stood over Orton. They replayed Christian knocking Orton out, even in slow motion! Christian walked to the back with the title as other refs checked on Orton. He got to the top of the ramp and raised the title over his head as the show faded out.


What do you think? If you saw this show, we invite you to send your thoughts. Send your name, hometown, a 0-10 score rating the quality of the show, your picks for best and worst segments, and then a brief paragraph of thoughts on the show that we can publish in the Reader Reax segment later tonight or tomorrow. Send to pwtorch@gmail.com.

Greg Parks has been covering WWE Smackdown for PWTorch.com since January of 2007. His audio show, “Gonzo and The Greg,” is available for download on the Torch VIP page. Give it a listen! Comments, questions and feedback are welcome, and can be sent to g_man9784@yahoo.com.

We suggest these recent related articles...

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 10/1: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Thursday show, including Kevin Owens vs. Ryback in an Intercontinental Title Match

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 9/24: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Thursday show, including Kevin Owens & Rusev vs. Dolph Ziggler & Ryback

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 9/17: Ongoing coverage of the Thursday night show, including Seth Rollins & Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns