WWE Smackdown review
March 1, 2013
Taped 2/26/13 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Aired on SyFy
By Greg Parks, PWTorch Columnist (Twitter: @gregmparks)


- The first storyline shown in the opening video package was The Shield and how they got a taste of their own medicine on Raw. Tonight, Randy Orton takes on The Big Show. Also tonight: It’s Social Media Smackdown: Live Tweets, What’s Trending, Fan Polls, Touts and more.

- Inside the arena, Ricardo Rodriguez introduced Alberto Del Rio. With JBL climbing his latest mountain, Josh Mathews was joined by Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler. After Del Rio made his entrance, his opponent, Damien Sandow, made his. He also cut a promo, accusing Del Rio of poor grammar, lackluster word choice and sentence structure that is abhorrent. He also made fun of Rodriguez while complimenting himself. Del Rio said if Sandow wants to talk about the “unwashed mashes,” Sandow first needs to wash his mouth because it smells like caca. That’s not a good enough zinger for Del Rio to go out on, but oh well.

1 – ALBERTO DEL RIO vs. DAMIEN SANDOW

Cole wished Smackdown General Manager Booker T. a happy birthday. A couple shoulder knock-downs led to Sandow seeking refuge outside the ring. “Alberto Del Rio” was trending, sponsored by Sonic. You can tell they’re doing live commentary, as they showed Lawler in the background briefly not speaking while you could hear him talking. Middle-rope moonsault by Del Rio for two. The announcers are also hammering away on things that happened today (Ben Affleck shaved his beard, Rory McIlroy quitting mid-hole) to show that the commentary is, in fact, live. Kind of like Raw back in the day. Sandow dropped a knee across Del Rio’s chest for two at 3:39. Drop toe-hold into a magistral cradle for two by Del Rio, but Sandow clotheslined Del Rio down to regain control. Sandow came off the second rope and Del Rio kicked him in the mid-section. Del Rio kicked Sandow off the apron and to the floor as they went to break at 5:05 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 8:31 with Sandow slamming Del Rio. Cole broke the news that Triple H would be on Old School Raw this coming Monday night. Del Rio hit Sandow with a German suplex and both men were down. Sandow missed a corner charge and Del Rio began to build momentum. Superkick from Del Rio for a two-count at 10:53. Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter were shown watching the match on a monitor backstage. Del Rio signaled for the cross arm-breaker but Sandow countered for two. Del Rio knocked Sandow in the back with repeated forearm shots. Back-stabber followed that up for two. Neck-breaker by Sandow for two. Sandow set Del Rio up for his finisher but Del Rio countered into the cross arm-breaker for the submission win.

WINNER: Del Rio, at 13:05. I know some people have been writing that Sandow isn’t good enough in the ring to be pushed at a higher level, but I see nothing wrong with his in-ring work. He didn’t look out-of-place at all here.

- Tonight, Jim Ross interviews Swagger and Colter.

- Next, John Cena and C.M. Punk fought for the right to face The Rock at Wrestlemania. We’ll see highlights of that Raw match next.

[Commercial Break]

- They showed the exterior of the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

- They showed an interview with Del Rio on the WWE App during the break. He was being interviewed by an unnamed announcer. Ricardo reminded ADR that tonight is Social Media Smackdown, so Del Rio said the fans can choose his opponent next week.

- The announcers segued into discussing Cena vs. Punk from Raw. Then they showed clips of the match.

- Kane and Daniel Bryan were backstage in their contractually obligated backstage segment. They argued over their previous match with the Prime Time Players, and Daniel Bryan said things will be reversed in the rematch tonight: Kane will be blindfolded and Bryan will wrestle with his arm tied behind his back. He was upset that Kane wasn’t more upset about this.

- The Miz came out for yet another shot at the United States Title. The match is next.

[Commercial Break]

- As Miz awaited Antonio Cesaro in the ring, they showed a clip of The Miz in a fight scene in the Marine 3: Homefront.

2 – THE MIZ vs. ANTONIO CESARO – TWO-OUT-OF-THREE FALLS MATCH FOR UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP

Team Hell No was trending on Twitter. Cesaro didn’t come to the ring with the flag, and he explained during the break on the WWE App that he has stopped because no one paid attention. Yes, that was the entirety of the explanation. Miz was getting the best of Cesaro early on. Tweets from fans were shown scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Miz slipped under the bottom rope and rolled Cesaro up for two. Knee-lift by Cesaro turned the tide. Cesaro was upset over a cover that he believed to be a three. As he did, Miz rolled him up for a two-count. Cesaro hit the Neutralizer for the pin at 4:03 for the first fall. They went to break at 4:22 waiting for Miz to recover to get things going again.

FIRST FALL: Cesaro, at 4:03.

[Commercial Break]

The show returned at 7:49 of the break, tied at 1-1. It appeared that a pin was just made. A fall rather, as Miz forced Cesaro to tap to the figure-four leg-lock.

SECOND FALL: The Miz, to tie it at 1-1.

Cole said the great thing about the WWE App is you don’t even have to change the channel – I’m sure that was mentioned to appease the advertisers who are likely none too happy fans are being directed somewhere else during breaks in the action. Cesaro was wearing Miz down with a chin-lock. Big boot to the face of Cesaro bought him some time. Double-leg take-down and Miz was hammering away on Cesaro. Miz was fired up, but Cesaro countered a neckbreaker. Miz was thrown up in the air and he was caught coming down with a European uppercut. At 11:30, both men were recovering from a physical battle. Headbutt by Cesaro, and Miz responded with a left hand. Miz went crazy in the corner on Cesaro, who attempted to get his hands up to block the punches. Corner clothesline by Miz, then he went to the top rope. He came off with a double axe-handle. He continued to work Cesaro’s leg and locked in the figure-four again. Cesaro got to the ropes at 13:00. Miz went for it again but Cesaro kicked him off almost into the ref. Roll-up by Cesaro, but the ref was shaken up, and there was no count. Miz reversed it for two, followed by another reversal by Cesaro with a handful of tights for the win.

WINNER: Cesaro, by a margin of 2-1, at 13:33. Just an okay match. Crowd still doesn’t seem firmly behind Miz as a babyface.

- JBL sent a Tout from 9,000 feet on his latest climb. They also showed pics of his climbs for charity.

- Randy Orton and Sheamus were backstage. Sheamus said he thinks Orton is a sitting duck for The Shield tonight. Orton said he needs to concentrate on Big Show. Sheamus offered to watch Orton’s back and Orton took him up on the offer. At least, I think.

- Jim Ross entered the arena. His interview with Swagger and Colter is next.

[Commercial Break]

- A Fandango vignette aired. He debuts tonight.

- In the ring, J.R. mentioned the Oklahoma City Thunder, then said he was there to address one of the most controversial issues he has seen in WWE. He then called out Swagger and Colter. The two men came to the ring. J.R. said he and Swagger go back a long way, and that he was the one who recruited Swagger to come to WWE. Swagger insulted the University of Oklahoma football team, but said J.R. is a real American, which is why they granted him the opportunity to interview them. J.R. brought up the sabbatical Swagger took in September and said Swagger said something has changed. Colter interjected, saying he told Swagger about what's going on in this country every day. J.R. said he was directing the question to Swagger. Colter said J.R. just refuses to see what’s happening every day in this country. Colter said Swagger’s losing streak led to Del Rio “sneaking in” and taking a position that rightly belonged to an American.

He said thousands of undocumented workers are crossing the borders, taking jobs from real Americans. He said himself and Swagger won’t sit idly by and watch the country self-destruct. “We the people,” said Swagger. J.R. wanted to talk about Wrestlemania. Before he could ask a question, Colter again interrupted, saying Swagger will be wearing the title after Wrestlemania because he’s a real American who says the Pledge of Allegiance. He said Del Rio isn’t “one of us” and “doesn’t share our values.” He said Del Rio needs to leave this country. Colter then made an odd analogy comparing rotting fruit to Del Rio. He said Swagger is fighting for the heart and soul of “our country.” “We the people,” said Swagger.

J.R. got upset and asked Swagger why he let Colter brainwash him. Colter said J.R. has known Swagger in his formative years, so maybe it was J.R. who brainwashed Swagger. J.R. told Colter to express his right to remain silent. Colter told Ross to keep a civil tone, lest something happens that he’ll regret later on. J.R. didn’t know what he meant by that, so Swagger knocked Ross’ hat off. Swagger said Colter is a real American and he was wrong about J.R. He said J.R. is part of the problem, not the solution, and he’s going to fix the problem. He accused J.R. of being a sympathizer. He poked J.R. in the chest so much to back him into the corner of the ring. Del Rio’s music hit and he walked to the ring to protect Ross.

Del Rio picked up Ross’s hat and said Swagger and Colter are the problems and he’s the solution. He said Swagger is not a real American…he’s a real jack-ass. Okay Del Rio, that was better. Swagger and Colter left the ring as Del Rio’s music played.

- The WWE Universe can vote now on Twitter to determine Del Rio’s opponent next week: It’ll either be Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, or Wade Barrett.

- Big Show vs. Randy Orton is still to come tonight.

- Kane and Daniel Bryan came to the ring for their tag match against the Prime Time Players. It’s next.

[Commercial Break]

3 – TEAM HELL NO vs. THE PRIMETIME PLAYERS – DANIEL BRYAN WILL HAVE ONE ARM TIED BEHIND HIS BACK, KANE WILL BE BLINDFOLDED

Before the match, the announcers once again chowed down on Sonic fast-food. Kane’s hood had a goat-face on the front, unbeknownst to him. Darren Young tried to get Kane to trip over him in a schoolboy move, but it didn’t work. Titus O’Neil blew the whistle to distract Kane, leading to Young getting the advantage. He went to the top rope, but Kane fell into the ropes, knocking Young off. Bryan tagged himself in and went to work on Young. Bryan got a crucifix roll-up for two. They cut to break after O’Neil tagged in, at 1:57 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 5:30 with O’Neil in control of Bryan. O’Neil ran into a boot in the corner from Bryan. Tag to Kane, who pointed and used the response of the fans to find his foe. He lit Titus up in the corner, then hit a beal. Kane couldn’t find where to go, allowing Young to tag in. He walked right into a chokeslam. Young rolled over so Kane couldn’t find him to pin him. Bryan tagged in and Kane grabbed the official in a choke. Then Bryan as well. He released the ref and felt Bryan’s face and beard. He let go and O’Neil rolled up Bryan for the win.

WINNERS: Prime Time Players, at 7:28. Just a comedy match, as one would expect.

Kane took off the mask and realized a goat face was printed on it. Bryan had the look of a kid who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Bryan said he didn’t do it and did the “No!” routine. Kane’s nose was bleeding a little. Bryan wanted to hug it out but Kane put the mask on Bryan instead, and gave him an uppercut.

- A trailer for WWE Films movie “The Call” aired.

- Matt Striker was backstage with The Big Show. Show promised to make an impact by chokeslamming Randy Orton.

- The announcers talked about Social Media Smackdown and showed Chris Jericho Skyping from Australia, discussing the latest Fozzy Tour. Jericho also plugged the replay of Robot Combat League after Smackdown.

- Up next, a replay of the opening angle from Raw.

- Another Fandango vignette aired. He’ll be out next as well.

[Commercial Break]

- Backstage, Matt Striker gave the introduction for Fandango. He and his partner danced his way into the frame and corrected Striker on how to pronounce his name. He told Striker to “breathe the A’s in.” Striker asked him about his fighting style. Fandango said he’s accomplished everything there is to accomplish in the ballroom, and now it’s time to take his precision and grace into the ring. he said everyone in WWE should be following his lead. Striker said Fandango will be taking on Zack Ryder next (presumably Ryder, but Striker only got the “Z” out before Fandango interrupted), but Fandango said it won’t be tonight….he’ll do it when Striker gets his name right. That was strange.

- The announcers talked about Fandango, then Cole sent it to the Raw Rebound. Also shown was a Triple H Tout from Monday where he asked if Lesnar was going to “stand around and bleed” or do something about it.

- They plugged the vote to see who will face Del Rio next week on Smackdown.

- Big Show vs. Randy Orton is next.

[Commercial Break]

- The results of the Del Rio opponent voting: Ziggler won with 51% of the vote, followed by Barrett at 26% and Cesaro at 23%. That went about as I expected.

4 – RANDY ORTON vs. THE BIG SHOW

Orton avoided a Show chop in the corner. Show eventually crushed Orton in another corner with a fist. Another splash by Show but Orton dropkicked him. Show took a break and so did the show, at 2:43 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 6:11 of the match with Show continuing to dominate Orton. Show slowed the match down and worked the arm of Orton. Show went to the middle rope but missed an elbowdrop. Orton unloaded with rights on Show, but Show went for a chokeslam. Orton countered with a DDT for two. Outside the ring, Show picked Orton up to his shoulders, but Orton slithered down and sent Show into the ring post. Show was caught on the apron and Orton did his rope-assisted DDT with Show hanging over the top rope. The Shield’s music then hit and they came down from the crowd. They jumped the barricade and surrounded the ringside area. Cue Sheamus’s music to save his new buddy. Sheamus ran into the ring to stand at Orton’s side. Show was still out in the ring. Crowd began to chant “Feed Me More.” The Shield eventually pounced and the referee fled the ring. The bell did ring to end the match.

WINNER: Orton, via disqualification, at 10:51.

The Shield eventually got the best of Sheamus and Orton until Show got to his feet and knocked out Roman Reigns with a right hand. The rest of The Shield froze. They helped Reigns out of the ring and the group retreated. Show chokeslammed Orton and then fell victim to a Brogue Kick from Sheamus. Sheamus’s music played as they showed a replay of his attack on Show. Sheamus shook hands with Orton, the last two standing, to end the episode.


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Greg Parks has been covering WWE Smackdown for PWTorch.com since January of 2007. Follow him on Twitter @gregmparks for live Tweeting during Raw, Impact, and PPVs, as well as other bits of wisdom. Comments, questions and feedback are welcome, and can be sent to g_man9784@yahoo.com.

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