WWE Smackdown alt. perspective report
October 7, 2011
Taped in Biloxi, Mississippi
Report by Michael Cupach, PWTorch contributor

[Q1]

-Cold open to clips of disgruntled wrestlers questioning Hunter over the last few months, kind of a montage of the events that led up to last Monday’s walk-out. The tone of the quasi-music video is that Triple H is out of control and does what he wants. It concludes with the Superstars and crew turning their back on Hunter and walking out of the arena last Monday night. I’d also like to point out the sad music when people start leaving.

-In Teddy Long’s office, he is on the phone with Hunter and he says he has things under control and hangs up. Zack Ryder walks in and asks what Hunter said and Long says that Zack’s name didn’t come up, but Triple H said that he will not be in the arena tonight and he is giving full control to Teddy Long. Ryder wants to know if there will be scab wrestlers or anything, Teddy didn’t know, but he said that bottom line is that Raw’s loss is Smackdown’s gain!

-Opening Smackdown music video and full pyro.

-Josh Mathews welcomes everyone to Smackdown, which is in a state of uncertainty. Michael Cole then announces that tonight, Big Show will be at Smackdown and he will be looking for Mark Henry!

-Vickie Guerrero is mid-ring with Christian, Wade Barrett, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes, and David Otunga. Vickie welcomes everyone to the one-year anniversary of Smackdown on Syfy.

Christian takes the mic and he takes credit for the uprising last Monday on Raw, the crowd chants for Triple H. Dolph Ziggler has the microphone next and he says that Hunters management style has been ineffective and as a result all the Raw superstars followed the lead of these men and made the smartest decision of their lives.

Otunga, the legal counsel, goes over the reasons that they walked out. He goes on to say that if Triple H doesn’t step down as COO this Monday on Raw, then it won’t be just Raw that the superstars won’t appear on, it will be Smackdown, live events, PPVs, and any other WWE sanctioned event! Wade Barrett is up next and he says that it doesn’t need to come to that as long as Hunter realizes that the chaos is his own fault and he will come to his senses and relinquish his hold on Raw.

Cody Rhodes gets his turn to talk and he yells at the crowd to shut up because they have disrespected everyone in the ring enough. He says that Hunters management style has been ugly and that there is no paper bag large enough to cover it up. So with these men, change is coming! Cody says that this movement is the result of one man and he hands the microphone to Jack Swagger. He yells at the crowd to shut up and show respect as he introduces the WWE champion, Alberto Del Rio!

Del Rio gets a full entrance, minus Ricardo. Alberto starts by saying that when the WWE champion talks, people should listen. He talks about how he survived Hell in a Cell and walked out champion and with him being champion he is able to inspire other men to walk out on Hunter and never go back to Raw. Alberto then answers his own question as to why he is on Smackdown – to compete. He wants to show the people at Raw what they are missing.

Teddy Long interrupts. He said that they can’t just come out here and do what they want. He tells Christian and Cody Rhodes that they have a match against Sheamus and Randy Orton in the main event. As for Alberto Del Rio, if he wants to compete, he should know that his match is next and it is against Sin Cara! Del Rio cuts him off and says that there is only one Mexican sensation and it is Alberto Del Rio!

[Q2]

(Commercial)

-Ricardo Rodriguez is in the ring and he gives Alberto Del Rio a proper introduction. Aw man, it is the face Sin Cara. Booker T calls him Sin Cara Azul.

1 - WWE champion ALBERTO DEL RIO vs. SIN CARA -- non-title match

Del Rio puts the boots to Sin Cara to start. Cara ducks a clothesline and head scissor takedown on Del Rio. Handspring elbow attempt by Sin Cara gets caught and countered into a German Suplex by Alberto for a two count. That came close to breaking Sin Cara’s neck and they show the replay a few times. Alberto grabs a hold on Sin Cara as I’m thinking he is hurt. Sin Cara fights out only to get headbutted back down by the champion. Del Rio tries charging in on Sin Cara in the corner and he runs into Cara’s boot. Sin Cara goes up top and comes off with a huracanrana for a two count.

Tilt a whirl DDT by Sin Cara gets another two count as Michael Cole and Josh debate who had the most impact on the wrestlers last Monday at Raw, was it Lawler or Del Rio? Single arm DDT by Del Rio leads into the cross armbreaker and Del Rio gets the win!

WINNER: Alberto Del Rio via submission in 3:00.

-Post-match: Evil Sin Cara or Sin Cara Negro hits the ring and Booker and Josh seem confused (still?). Evil Sin Cara comes down and tears Sin Cara apart with a suplex and a Swanton. He grabs a hold of Sin Cara’s mask and berates him.

Mike’s Reax: After that definitive loss and beat down by Evil Sin Cara, I get the feeling that Mistico might be next on the chopping block. That seemed like a “let's get this out of him first” kind of match. On a side note, I’d like to see a goatee drawn onto the Evil Sin Cara’s mask to hammer home the fact that he is indeed, evil.

-At the announce table Michael Cole says that he walked out because he feels that Hunter has lost control of the show. He asks Booker why he walked out and Booker steals J.R.’s line and said that he had to use the bathroom, he thought the show was over.

-Matt Striker is backstage with Air-Boom and he asks why they walked out. Evan says that they did what they did not because of Miz or Truth, but because they feel that Hunter can’t control the chaos. Kofi says that as long as Hunter is C.O.O. the only place to see Air Boom is on Smackdown!

(Commercial)

[Q3]

-Air Boom make their entrance but get jumped by Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger. Both men are laid out on the ramp as Vickie looks on and barks orders. Dolph did a nice spot where he pulled Bourne’s shirt over his face them pummeled him. Zig-Zag by Dolph on the floor to Bourne as Smackdown takes a break!

(Commercial)

2 -- WWE tag champions AIR BOOM vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER & JACK SWAGGER -- non-title match

Kofi is barely standing in the ring as the referee calls for the bell and Kofi was playing possum as he immediately jumps Dolph and gets some quick offense in to start. Evan Bourne is out on the floor and this looks to be a handicap match. Kofi charges in on Ziggler in the corner and he runs into boot and Kingston sells it like death as EMTs check on Bourne on the outside.

Tag to Swagger who bodyslams Kofi and pulls the hair to throw Kofi to the mat. Quick tag back to Dolph who back suplexes Kingston to maintain control! Kofi reverses out of another suplex attempt and he and Dolph clothesline each other as Evan starts to show signs of life on the outside. Evan is up on his feet and he climbs the apron and tags himself in. He gets a few shots on Dolph, but he grabs the back of his neck and Dolph delivers a neckbreaker. Tag to Swagger who powerbombs Bourne and pins him!

WINNERS: Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger by pinfall in 3:00.

Mike’s Reax: I’m loving Dolph and Jack as a tag team. I think this match needed to happen before the impromptu match at Hell in a Cell. I guess this will give them a reason to continue the feud to Vengeance, which is a good thing.

-Still to come: Orton and Sheamus vs. Christian and Rhodes

(Commercial)

[Q4]

3 -- Divas champion BETH PHOENIX (w/Natalya) vs. ALICIA FOX -- non-title match

Apparently Booker T jobbed to Alicia on the golf course last week and Cole has a great time ripping on Booker for it. Quick sunset flip attempt by Alicia Fox gets countered into a Glamslam by Beth for the win.

WINNER: Beth Phoenix by pinfall in just over three seconds.

-Post-match: Natalya puts Alicia in the submission hold she put Kelly in last week and Beth holds the microphone to Fox’s face and demands that she hear her scream, Nattie doesn’t let go until she does.

Mike’s Reax: I wish they would name that move. It is getting over and it looks pretty painful.

-Cole declares that there is now chaos on Smackdown and he wants to know where Triple H is.

-Review of Mark Henry taking out Big Show and injuring him last July. According to Cole it has been four months since Big Show was on TV. Anyway, the point of the video is to say that tonight, Big Show has his sights set on Mark Henry.

(Commercial)

-Tony Chimel welcomes back Big Show who comes out in puke colored Big Show authentic gear. He seems pretty happy to be back, it doesn’t make me worried for Mark Henry at all. If he was pissed that would be a different story. Big Show says “damn, it feels good to be back!” Shows says that it has been tough walking around for four months with a broke ankle. He said that he has watched the footage over and over again of Henry shattering his ankle and he watched it multiple times everyday. They show the clip from “four months ago” then go back to a close up of Show who looks like he wants to cry.

The crowd chants his name and Show says that he thought he was infallible until that happened and now he has been humbled. Big Show chokes back some tears, but loses that battle, and he said that Mark Henry made it so he couldn’t do simple things like put on pants, walk down stairs, or play with his dogs. If I told a girl at a bar that I couldn't wear pants because Mark Henry made it so I couldn’t, she would buy it? He calls himself a sick person for watching that injury over and over again, but it caused emotional pain that he couldn’t bear.

[Q5] Show starts hulking up and louder. He says that he used that emotional and physical pain to get stronger and when he crosses paths with Henry next, he will make him regret everything he has done. Show admits it won’t be easy because Mark has been on a roll, but it has been a downward roll and he will meet Henry at the bottom! So Big Show is going to ball up his fist and hit Henry over and over again until he is unrecognizable! When that is done Big Show says that he will then take away the one thing that validates him as a WWE Superstar: the World Title! Big Show says that it is the same title that he held when he was 23-years-old and he will take it from Mark Henry. Big Show officially challenges Mark Henry to a match and calls him out right here, right now.

Mark Henry comes out with the title over his shoulder, he says that there have been a lot of changes since Big Show left. Since Big Show left, he took out Kane, ended Vladimir Kozlov's career, put Jerry Lawler through a table, and, most importantly, he beat Randy Orton and became World Champion! Henry addresses Big Shows challenge by asking him what he has done to earn that title match, he says that Show has basically been on vacation sitting on his couch for four months and that doesn’t equal a title match. Henry leaves Big Show hanging by saying that he will let him know when and if he will ever get a shot at a later time.

Big Show says that if he doesn’t hear a answer by the end of the night,. He will do to Henry what he has done to Kane, Kozlov, and Lawler, so he better have a answer tonight!

-Backstage, Matt Striker is with Randy Orton. Matt tells him that he was unsuccessful against Henry, but most feel that Orton deserves another match. Randy says that he doesn’t want to be like Christian and keep asking for one more match, so he has decided that if he has to, he will go through each Smackdown wrestler individually. Striker then asks where Orton was during the walkout and Orton says that he doesn’t play well with others and he speaks for himself, so if he has something to say to Hunter, he will say it himself.

(Commercial)

-Highlight package for Brodus Clay is shown.

-Jinder Mahal is in the ring speaking Punjabi to a booing audience. Ezekiel Jackson’s music interrupts. He shushes Mahal who speaks in his native tongue some more, much to Jackson chagrin. Jackson bullies Mahal and punches him out.

4 - JINDER MAHAL vs. EZEKIEL JACKSON

Another punch from Jackson sends Jinder crawling for the ropes to catch his breath. Jinder tries an Irish whip, but Jackson reverses and backdrops Jinder and follows it up with three body slams and a Torture Rack attempt. Jinder reverses out of it knees Jackson in the face.

[Q6]

Front facelock by Mahal gets fought out of. More bodyslams by Jackson and when I thought he was all bodyslammed out, he slams him two more times then put Jinder Mahal in the Torture Rack for the win.

WINNER: Ezekiel Jackson by submission in 2:00

-Post match: Zeke shushes Mahal again.

-Tonight: Mark Henry answers Big Show!

(Commercial)

-Teddy is in his office straightening his suit when there is a knock at the door, he tells Aksana to come in, but instead John Laurinaitis come sin. He says that right now Smackdown’s success is vital because it is the only show left for the Superstars to go to. John says that if Teddy needs anything, he can count on him.

-At ringside, Michael relates that he doesn’t know if there will be a Raw on Monday. Booker says that everyone is walking on eggshells.

-Hornswoggle crawls out from under the ring, goes to the announce table, and drags Booker into the ring. He relays in Leprechaunese that he wants Booker to do a Spin-a-roonie. Booker does one as Hornswoggle cheers on. He then tries one himself and then high fives Booker.

-Christian’s music hits and I guess the Hornswoggle segment is over as he disappears form the ring. Huh. Cody Rhodes is out next and Smackdown goes to commercial.

(Commercial)

[Q7]

5 - RANDY ORTON & SHEAMUS vs. CHRISTIAN & CODY RHODES

Sheamus and Christian start things off and Sheamus works a headlock into a shoulder block. Tag into Cody who gets clubbed like a baby seal by Sheamus! He seems to really enjoy himself as he knees Cody in his protected face. Christian distracts Sheamus for a hot second and that allows Cody the chance to side Russian legsweep Sheamus. Cody knees Sheamus in the gut and locks on a front facelock that Sheamus has no problem backbody dropping Cody out of.

Tag to Orton who cleans house of his competitors. Clotheslines to Cody who tags in Christian and he gets powerslammed and backbody dropped! Randy then drags Christian to the corner and punches him ten times and then hits the hangman DDT and calls for the RKO, but Cody causes a distraction and Christian rolls out of the ring. Randy chases him out and gets clotheslined down as Smackdown goes to commercial.

(Commercial)

Christian has Orton in a neck vise when Smackdown returns and Randy fights back but runs into a back elbow. Tag into Cody Rhodes who beats Orton down with no prejudice! Tag back into Christian who tries to do the same to Orton, but he fights back with lefts and rights of his own until Christian ducks one and spinebusters Randy and calls for the Spear, but comes up short and both men tag out.

Sheamus powerslams Rhodes and knees him in the head! Flying battering ram from Sheamus comes up empty as Rhodes had it well scouted, but that miss doesn’t keep Sheamus down long as he hits Rhodes with a Irish Curse backbreaker and calls for the Brogue Kick but Christian tries to intervene on Cody’s behalf, but he gets tossed from the ring. Tag to Orton who RKOs Cody Rhodes and that is it!

WINNERS: Randy Orton and Sheamus by pinfall in 10:00

Mike’s Reax: Decent enough match, nothing we haven’t seen from these guys before. The announcers played up Randy Orton going through these guys to get a title shot.

-The video that started the show of the events leading up to the walkout is played again.

[Q8]

-Cole says that he understands that Raw will happen on Monday, but he doesn’t know who will show up. Booker says he doesn’t want a scab show.

-Mark Henry comes out and he will have his answer for Big Show, next!

(Commercial)

-Henry is alone in the middle of the ring and he starts by saying that everyone knows he is, he is Mark Henry, the strongest man in the world, and the World Heavyweight champion. He says that he isn’t scared of anyone and he is infallible. As for Big Show, his answer is: No! The crowd boos incessantly and The Big Shows music hits and he storms the ring. Show has rights and lefts for Henry who is covering up as security hits the ring. Show paws off the guards and charges Henry and spears him! Shows fights off the guards a second time, chokeslamming a bunch of them one after the other until the ring is cleared. Mark Henry then grabs his title and that is his cue to ska-do!

Henry is in the aisle as Show yells at him to change his answer to which Henry still says no. Henry holds up the title and starts to walk to the back, but Big Show jumps him from behind and starts beating Henry up and down the aisle. Show tries whipping Henry into the barricade, but Mark reverses and nearly sends Show into the crowd. Henry then goes to the announce table and preps it to put put Show through. Henry tries a World’s Strongest Slam, but Show elbows his way out of it and ends up chokeslamming Mark Henry through the table! Now that is a twist of irony!

Show yells at him that he should have given him a title match as he grabs a chair and proceeds to thread Mark Henrys ankle in it, prepping a Pillmanization as Teddy Long comes down and stops him by granting him the World Title match if he doesn’t break Henrys ankle. Show lets cooler heads prevail for a second, then changes his mind and ends up grabbing the chair and hitting Henry over the back with it as Long pleads for him to stop. Big Show admires his work for a second and tells Henry that when he wins the World Title, he will finish what he started! Show walks to the back as a replay is showed of Mark being through the table and Smackdown ends with a shot of Mark Henry lying where Big Show left him!

Mike’s Reax: This show was purely about the walk-out, as it should have been. It seems like every five seconds Cole was yelling about conspiracy theories and chaos. Any chance Cole or Striker got, they asked why someone did or didn’t walk off. Like it or not, this is the storyline and they are going to try to make the most of it.

Switching gears to the return of Big Show, he returned in-person, cut a good emotional promo, and came out looking like Henry’s equal when the show was over. I don’t know how I feel about this because Henry has looked so strong and in the last five days he has been brutalized by Orton with a chair, claimed that Triple H has provided a unsafe work environment (not very badass-like in my opinion), and now has been easily beaten up by Big Show. The way that Henry has been steam-rolling through people, I am wondering why he is going back to the old Mark Henry that was easily beaten. Maybe they are tearing him down a little just to put him over stronger; we will see.

I’m also surprised to see no Daniel Bryan, no Ted DiBiase, no match from Barrett, and nothing from a few other mid-carders that have been featured as of late. Instead we got Jackson who has been in creative purgatory, Jinder Mahal that has been all but given up on, and Sin Cara Blue being used as enhancement talent for Del Rio. At least Hornswoggle did a spin-a-roonie…

Make sure to follow me on Twitter at @MJCupach as I frequently Tweet during Raw and WWE PPV’s! Check me out!

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