WWE Smackdown review
May 18, 2012
Taped 5/15/12 in Hershey, Pa.
Aired on Syfy
By Michael Cupach, PWTorch Contributor

-WWE open.

-A clip of last Monday's face-to-face confrontation between John Cena and John Laurinaitis is shown. The focus of the clip is Cena mocking Laurinaitis and then reading a letter from the Board of Directors stating the stipulations of the match – no special referees, anything goes, no interference, and if Laurinaitis loses he is fired as General Manager. The clip ends with Johnny slapping Cena.

-No Smackdown opening music video or pyro this week because things start out with Laurinaitis making his way to the ring to cut a promo. He starts out by saying that he disagrees with the decision of the Board and even though he asked for this match, he doesn’t think they should interfere with the manner in which he takes on Cena. Laurinaitis claims he is approaching 40 and isn’t as spry as he used to be, but he is still pretty darn tough. John says that he asked the Board to reconsider earlier this week and they said no. Laurinaitis then asks the crowd for their support to try and change the match - shockingly, they boo Johnny. In response, John asks the crowd to at least say a prayer for him tonight.

C.M. Punk’s music hits and the WWE Champion makes his way to the ring. The crowd chants Punks name and he starts off by saying that he isn’t a praying guy and he is praying for him, but he was praying that Laurinaitis gets fired. He says that if anyone interferes, they will be terminated and he will have no one coming to help him! Punk then stresses that Laurinaitis will be terminated and Punk wants to be the first one to wish him well in all his future endeavors! Punk says he plans on throwing the mother to end all parties on Monday when Laurinaitis gets fired, but I don’t know if Punk can pull off a party better then Rodney can, so call me skeptical until then. Punk switches gears and lays into him for what he did to Big Show and how he has been treating Teddy Long, in retaliation Laurinaitis tells Punk that he is still the G.M. and makes a match tonight between Punk and Kane! Punk says that he is a little concerned about his match with Kane, but at least he respects Kane, unlike Laurinaitis and unlike Laurinaitis, he will have a job next week.

Punk leaves and Laurinaitis asks the crowd if they liked that, if they like when someone makes fun of their boss. He goes on to say that he has been tough, but fair. He has been benevolent and has given bonuses when deserved. He ends things by saying that he doesn’t blame Cena or Punk for their actions, he blames the audience for encouraging them to act the way they do. Johnny gets some serious heat from the crowd for this and finishes by saying they can all go to hell and storms off.

-At the announce booth, Cole feels sorry for Laurinaitis and scolds those who don’t. Josh Mathews then plugs tonight's main event - Sheamus vs. Randy Orton in a non-title match.

(Commercial)

1 - WWE tag champions KOFI KINGSTON & R-TRUTH vs. TITUS O’NEIL & DARREN YOUNG - non-title match

Those are some bright neon green trunks for Titus and Darren tonight! Young and Truth start things out fighting for position on a collar and elbow tie-up. Young powers Truth into the corner and unloads some right hands, but the ref breaks it up and Truth takes the upper hand with some lefts and right of his own. Truth tags in Kofi, who comes off the top with a high crossbody for a two count. Kofi follows up with a Pele kick in the corner, but Titus distracts Kofi and Kofi gets sent to the outside and ends up getting side suplexes on the apron.

Back in the ring, Titus gets tagged in and he scoop slams Kofi and then whips Kofi into the corner and follows up with a big splash. Titus goes to the well one more time and comes up empty. Kofi tags in Truth who cleans house of Darren Young, he almost puts him away with a corkscrew elbow, but O’Neil breaks up the count. Kofi sends Titus to the outside and hits him with a pescado to take him out. In the ring, Truth nails Young with a Lie Detector for the win!

WINNERS: R-Truth and Kofi Kingston by pinfall in 3:00.

-Be A Star package is shown. Rumor has it that bullying is bad and you shouldn’t do it. It is so important not to bully that Mark Henry and Alberto Del Rio break kayfabe to get the point across!

-Zack Ryder is cutting a promo for his YouTube Show and Damien Sandow walks by, he gives Ryder a disgusted look and Zack wants to know what his problem is. Sandow shrugs his shoulders in a dismissive fashion and continues walking.

(Commercial)

-Damien Sandow makes his way to the ring for his match against Yoshi Tatsu. Damien instead says that he is the intellectual savior of the WWE and will herald a new age of enlightenment for the WWE Universe. He says that last week he felt that his opponent wasn’t a worthy opponent, so he didn’t want to lower himself to face such a lowly opponent, this week he does the same thing. Damien Sandow walks back to the locker room, he will not be competing tonight.

-Yoshi Tatsu asks for a microphone and calls Sandow a chicken and makes chicken noises. Sandow runs in and attacks Tatsu from behind, he puts Tatsu with a neckbreaker. It should be noted that he does this while wearing the ugliest purple kneepads and pink boots.

-Tonight, Why was Big Show crying?

(Commercial)

-Cole throws to a refresher on why there is a Fatal Four-way match at Over the Limit for the World Title.

-Backstage, Matt Striker is with Sheamus and Randy Orton. He asks Sheamus his thoughts on going one-on-one with Orton tonight. Sheamus says that he welcomes the champion because he wants to prove that he is a worthy World Champion. Sheamus also says that he used to be known as a hothead, but one of his opponents puts him to shame. Orton then says that he used to be an over-cocky World Champion and seen as a complete idiot, but someone has taken that reputation away from him. Both men then threaten each other with their finishers and part ways.

2 - ZACK RYDER vs. DANIEL BRYAN

Bryan gets backed into the corner to start and takes advantage of the ref breaking both men up to cheap shot Ryder. Bryan stiffs Ryder with a European uppercut and goes for a pin and gets a two count. Bryan whips Ryder into the ropes and puts his head down and ends up getting bulldogged by Zack. Ryder tries pressing his advantage on Bryan but runs into a knee to the stomach. Running dropkick in the corner by Bryan gets a two count and Bryan starts working over the arm and fingers of Ryder, looking for an early submission. Ryder back elbows his way out of the hold and nails Bryan in the face with a knee. Missile dropkick from Ryder leads into the Broski Boot, which comes up empty. Bryan kicks Ryder in the head and applies the Yes-Lock for the win.

WINNER: Daniel Bryan by submission in 2:30.

-Up next, Kane takes on C.M. Punk!

(Commercial)

-Daniel Bryan joins the announce booth.

3 - WWE champion C.M. PUNK vs. KANE - non-title match

Bryan goes a little into his history with Punk, he mentions Punk wrestling with a fractured skull. Punk rings the arm of Kane to start but gets thrown off. Punk sticks and moves with kicks, but Kane traps him in the corner. The ref calls for a break and Kane gives it to him, Punk gets a flurry of offense and then clotheslines Kane over the top rope as Smackdown takes a break.

(Commercial)

Back to action, Punk is still kicking Kane, now working the leg. DDT from Punk out of nowhere gets a one count. Figure Four from Punk draws some Ric Flair “wooos” from the crowd and Kane uses his height and size to fight out of the hold before it can do any real damage. Kane kicks Punk to the outside, but Punk hangs Kane up on the top rope and gets back in the ring, only to run into a big boot from Kane. Kane stomps away on Punk and then baseball slides Punk ribs first into the steel post, Bryan quips that that won’t be healed by Sunday!

Kane keeps the pressure on Punks midsection by ramming his shoulder into the ribs of Punk. Kane locks Punk in a bear hug, Punk fights out, but runs into a sidewalk slam by Kane and it gets a two count. Leg scissor on the body from Kane, Punk back elbows to fight out of the hold and create separation. Punk gets a swinging neck breaker out of nowhere for a two count. Kane gets back on his feet and misses a big boot in the corner; Punk gets a running knee on Kane in the corner followed by a running bulldog. Top rope elbow by Punk gets a two count, as does a clothesline from the middle turnbuckle. Punk tries the GTS, but Punks body gives out and Kane nails him in the ribs to take advantage. Punk blocks a superplex attempt from Kane.

Punk calls for the elbow drop again, and connects for a two count and Punk goes for the Anaconda Vice, Kane blocks it and sidewalk slams Punk for another two count! Top rope clothesline from Kane connects as Bryan enjoys the action from the announce table. Kane calls for the chokeslam, but Punk Muay-Thai kicks Kane and knocks him to the outside. Suicide dive from Punk in front of Bryan. Bryan takes his chair and teases hitting Punk, but he turns and hits Kane to cause the DQ.

WINNER: Kane by disqualification in 12:00.

-Post-match: Kane grabs the chair and beats the hell out of Punk all around ringside with the chair as Bryan looks on, pleased with his work. Kane tosses Punk back in the ring and chokeslams him, leaving the champion lying in the middle of the ring hurting.

-Sheamus vs. Orton is still to come tonight.

-Next: Champion vs. Champion, Santino takes on Cody Rhodes. They have been feuding on Twitter and they need they need to settle it in the ring with little to no fanfare or hype.

(Commercial)

-Santino cuts a weird promo professing his love for the U.S. Title. He wants to do unnatural things to the title.

4 - U.S. champion SANTINO MARELLA vs. IC champion CODY RHODES - non-title match

Karate Kid kick from Santino to start, misses. He couldn’t make the Cobra Kai’s B-Team with that kick! Cody, with no non-sense, stomps Santino down and drives some knees to the mid-section. Cody continues to stomp away on Marella. Cody goes for a moonsault, but comes up empty. Santino calls for the Cobra, but Cody dropkicks Marella instead. Cody tries a running clothesline on Santino, but Marella ducks and gets the Cobra on Cody for a quick, fluke win.

WINNER: Santino Marella by pinfall in 2:00.

-Recap of the start of Smackdown tonight with Laurinaitis blaming the fans for what has happened to him.

-Next, why was Big Show fired?

(Commercial)

-Last Monday, John Laurinaitis asks Big Show for an apology for making fun of his voice. Big Show, holding back tears, reluctantly apologizes, but ends up getting canned anyway. Awkward segment! After the video package, Josh Mathews reads some Tweets from other WWE Superstars and fans concerning Big Show being let go.

-Randy Orton makes his way to the ring; his match with Sheamus is next!

(Commercial)

-Sheamus makes his way to the ring.

5 - World Heavyweight champion SHEAMUS vs. RANDY ORTON - non-title match

Both men circle each other in the ring to start. Collar and elbow tie-up, and both men jockey around the ring for position but get tied up in the ropes, so the referee breaks it up. Reset in the middle of the ring, Sheamus puts a side headlock on Orton who shoots Sheamus into the ropes to break free and Sheamus shoulder block Orton down. Sheamus gets shot again, but this time Randy surprises him with a dropkick for a two count. Armbar from Orton, but Sheamus fights to his feet, where he powers Orton into the corner and the ref calls for another break.

Sheamus slaps Orton and things break down into a brawl between both men. Clothesline from Orton takes Sheamus off his feet and he stomps each appendage of Sheamus’s body. Knee drop from Orton comes up empty. Both men end up in the corner trading blows again and the referee has trouble breaking the men up in the corner. Orton breaks free and ends up clotheslining Sheamus to the floor where Sheamus pulls Orton out. Sheamus whips Orton into the steel steps, shoulder first. Sheamus tries a Brogue Kick on the floor, but Orton ducks and Sheamus ends up kicking the steel ring post. Orton starts targeting Sheamus injured shoulder, which isn’t taped up this week, and he uses the steel steps to injure it further.

(Commercial)

Back on Smackdown, Orton is still working the arm of Sheamus over, snapping it on the ring apron and dropping ‘bows on it (as the kids say these days). Back in the ring, Orton lays Sheamus out with a single arm DDT, injuring the arm even more. Chinlock from Orton brings this match to a stop, Sheamus starts to make a comeback, but Orton goes back to the arm to cut off his comeback. Sheamus backs into the corner to catch his breath and fights his way out until Randy whips him into the far turnbuckle shoulder first.

Orton charges at Sheamus and Sheamus side steps him and sends Orton outside. Randy tries getting back into the ring and catches a high knee to the face. The World Champion then ties Orton up in the ropes and clubs away at his chest ten times, then sends him flying into the outside barricade as Smackdown takes another break!

(Commercial)

Sheamus is dropping some hard knees on Orton's face when Smackdown comes back, he goes for the pin, but Orton kicks out at two. Knee to the midsection from Sheamus gets a two count on Orton, Sheamus follows up with a Mic Check and sets up Orton for a Celtic Cross, but Orton counters with a back breaker. Clotheslines from Orton and a power slam followed up with a rare belly-to-belly suplex. Orton sets up his DDT, but Sheamus counters and hangs Orton up on the ropes. Catapult shoulder block from Sheamus gets a two count. Powerslam from Sheamus also gets a two count! Orton fights out of an Irish Curse backbreaker, but Sheamus powers through and connects with it, anyway!

Sheamus goes for the pin, but Randy kicks out at two and Sheamus gets a look in his eyes like he doesn’t know how to put Orton away. Sheamus goes to the top for his flying shoulder, but Orton kicks the ropes and knocks Sheamus off balance. Orton meets him on the top rope and superplexes Sheamus and goes for the win, but Sheamus kicks out at the last possible millisecond!

Both men reset and start trading blows. Sheamus backs Orton into the turnbuckle and battering rams his shoulders into Orton's midsection. Sheamus goes for the Brogue Kick, but Orton ducks, Sheamus gets his legs tied up in the ropes, but Orton pulls him back in the ring and delivers his patented DDT. Orton signals for the RKO, Sheamus blocks it, goes for another Brogue Kick which Orton ducks, another RKO attempt, but Sheamus instead rolls Orton up and gets the three count for the win!

WINNER: Sheamus by pinfall in 21:00.

-Post-match: Both men are in shock and trade glances of respect for the other. Orton says over and over, “You got me,” and he gets up smiling to shake Sheamus’s hand, but Sheamus has some words for him and Orton tells him that on Sunday he won’t be able to do that again. Both men shake hands, but Orton turns back around and RKOs Sheamus, leaving him lying in the middle of the ring as Smackdown fades out!

Mike’s Reax: Solid Smackdown from top to bottom. All matches were average-to-good tonight and there is nothing wrong with an average match! The main event was especially good and left me wondering what will happen on Sunday when Del Rio and Jericho are added to the mix. Tonight also seemed like the over-the-top last hurrah for John Laurinaitis - he was in full heel mode and couldn’t hide his contempt for the fans, telling them to go to hell. I’m thinking this could be the end of ol’ Big Johnny, come Sunday.

Bryan and Punk also added a new layer to their match after Bryan talked a little about their history. I don’t think it was enough to make people want to go out and buy the PPV, but I thought it was a nice touch for people who have followed both of their careers. All in all, I thought this Smackdown did a better job hyping Over the Limit than three weeks of Raw has done; it still doesn’t have me excited for the show, but at least a little effort was put in!

Thanks for reading, please be sure to follow me on Twitter @MJCupach as I’ll be tweeting live during Over the Limit on Sunday. Also check out FTWPodcast.com for their Over the Limit preview show where I will be the special guest. We will be talking Over the Limit and giving predictions. Once again, thank you for reading!

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