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The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
APRIL 9, 2015
TAPED TUESDAY IN DALLAS, TEX.
AIRED ON SYFY
[HOUR ONE]
-The Smackdown opening aired. Then Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, and Jerry Lawler introduced the show on camera at ringside.
(WK Reax: Phillips scored points with me by saying WrestleMania was “a historic night” instead of “an historic night.” The “h” in historic is not silent, compared to the “h” in honest or honor, so it should be preceded by “a” and not “an,” but so many people say it the other way. Okay, enough of my tiny grammar peeve chatter. Onto the show.)
-Daniel Bryan came out to his full ring entrance. He said one of the highlights of his career was climbing that ladder last week in front of 76,000 people and winning the Intercontinental Championship. He said the title only means as much as the actions of the man who holds it. He said he wants the IC Title to mean even more, so he’s going to defend it with everything he has against anybody who wants to fight for the title. He said he did that last week already in a grueling match against Dolph Ziggler, but then Sheamus came out after the match. The crowd booed. He said, “He came out looking all stupid. He didn’t congratulate me or even challenge me for my title. He kicked me in the face.” He said he did even worse to Ziggler. He said during the chaos, he got knocked to the floor and looked up with blood on his forehead and saw Wade Barrett. Barrett’s music interrupted.
Barrett strutted onto the stage with a smile and said his magical week turned into a nightmare when he dropped him with a bull hammer. Suddenly Sheamus walked out. He got big boos either from the crowd or in post-production sound enhancement. Sheamus said, “And then I kicked your head off with a brogue kick simply to remind you you shouldn’t pick on someone who’s not your size.” The crowd loudly chanted, “You look stupid!” Lawler chuckled. Sheamus said he and Barrett aren’t a munchkin like him. Sheamus said they’re headed to the ring to deliver an European ass-kicking.
Ziggler walked out and told Sheamus he talks a big game for someone who looks like Captain Jack Sparrow and Carrot Top had a baby no one wanted. He challenged them to a tag match.
(WK Reax: Wait, Ziggler wants to team with a “turd”?)
Big Show walked out with a mic in hand. He said his winning the battle royal at WrestleMania means he has eclipsed Andre the Giant and is now the greatest giant in the history of this business. He said Sheamus and Barrett aren’t going to get to beat up those munchkins without him. Roman Reigns then suddenly appeared in the crowd as his music played. He got what sounded like a mixed response. A brief brawl broke out, with the heels quickly retreating to ringside. Phillips said it’s a cool way to kick off Smackdown. Lawler said he loves it.
(WK Reax: This is smart booking to have Reigns be someone who steps up to even the odds and stand by his (popular) friends who are outnumbered.)
-Saxton plugged a special Miz TV later. Lawler plugged Neville’s Smackdown debut. Then they showed Tyson Kidd & Cesaro with Natalya backstage heading toward the entry for their match. [c]
-You won’t believe this, but they managed to sign a six-man tag main event during the break featuring the three faces and three heels in the brawl earlier in the show! Saxton excitedly announced it.
-“Oh Dallas, don’t show us any malice, and feel the power. It’s a New Day, yes it is!” shouted Big E. as they began their entrance. They danced onto the stage. Well, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods danced. Big E. held the mic. As the crowd chanted “Sucks” at them, Big E. took exception that they chanted that at them when they just want to clap and dance for them. He asked them to stand on their feet and clap. New Day began their clapping. Big E. said they are trying to bring positivity to the fans, “and you want to ruin our new day.” He said something has got to change. Big E. insisted, “You’ve got to like us, you’ve got to love us, because we’re here for you. We’re here for a New Day.” The crowd yelled, “Sucks!” Lawler said this motivational speech is not working.
(WK Reax: Big E. was in a groove here. He looked comfortable and effective in this approach to mic work.)
(1) CESARO & TYSON KIDD (w/Natalya) vs. THE NEW DAY (Big E & Kofi Kingston w/Xavier Woods)
Saxton said he got psyched up for bingo by clapping like New Day. At 2:00, with Kidd and Cesaro knocked to the floor, Kofi dove onto them. Big E. gloated in the ring as they cut to a break. [c]
Back in the ring, Cesaro tagged in and put Big E. in a chinlock. They showed the action on the app during the break of Kidd clipping Big E. from behind to turn the momentum of the match. Big E. came back against Kidd with a belly-to-belly. Cesaro fired back with an impressive gut-wrench. He then settled into a side headlock. Big E. powered out. Cesaro backed up and elbowed Kofi off the ring apron, then countered a charging Big E. with a side-step, sending him shoulder-first into the ringpost. He followed up with a two count. Then came the giant swing, which got a pop from the crowd. Kidd threw his dropkick mid-swing and Cesaro went for the pin. Kofi broke it up at 8:00. Kofi made a comeback and clapped as the crowd chanted “New Day Sucks.” Cesaro bailed out to ringside, then Kidd sent Kofi head first between the ropes. Cesaro caught him with an uppercut. Kidd then followed with his cradle neckbreaker for the win.
WINNERS: Cesaro & Kidd in 10:00.
(WK Reax: Not sure who the babyfaces were supposed to be, if any in this match, but the crowd sure liked Cesaro and Kidd. Their innovative spots are cool, especially that European uppercut from the floor. New Day are good heels, although Kofi has to figure out how to do flashy flying moves in a heelish way. I think people will pay to chant “New Day Sucks.”)
-A video package aired on the central storyline from Raw that led to Randy Orton becoming no. 1 contender and matched against Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules for the World Hvt. Title.
-The announcers plugged that April is free for new WWE Network subscribers, which includes Extreme Rules. Saxton noted they can find out what 1.3 million other people already know. Lawler said he likes to relive the Attitude Era “and remember how far we used to push the envelope.”
(WK Reax: Is it really worth pointing out how different, and to some “more lame,” the product currently is compared to the “good ol’ days”? There’s better phrasing to tout the Attitude Era than talking about how “cool we used to do things” before the PG era?)
-The announcers hyped Bray Wyatt would be live later, plus Neville’s debut up next. [c]
-Curtis Axel stood in the ring and said he hit a small speed bump named Neville. He held his hand a few feet off the ground to indicate how short Neville is. He said Axelmania will live forever and asked Neville what he’ll do when Axelmania runs wild on him.
(2) NEVILLE vs. CURTIS AXEL
Lawler said Neville is new for some people, but many have already seen what he can do in NXT. That’s more like it. Axel tried to overpower Neville. Neville soaked up an “NXT!” chant from the bellwether fans. Neville countered with some flashy flips and an arm drag that would make Ricky Steamboat proud. Axel came back with a knee to the gut and then attacked Neville in the corner. He trash-talked him. Neville avoided an Axel charge and the did some gymnastic flips away from him. He kicked Axel to the floor and then did a turning flip dive from inside the ring over the top rope onto Axel. Neville then delivered a quick Red Arrow for the win. The ring announcer called him “The Man that Gravity Forgot.” Lawler did a nice job putting over Neville’s flashy style during post-match replays.
WINNER: Neville in 2:00.
-Backstage, Renee Young interviewed Natalya, Cameron, and Alicia Fox. She asked if they manipulated Kane into putting them in a Divas Battle Royal on Raw next week. She asked if they cheated Naomi out of her deserved Divas Title shot. Fox said no way. She said they just wanted to tell Kane how important “Give Divas a Chance” is. Cameron and Natalya began to bicker. Natalya told Fox to show respect to the Divas who started before her. They got into a shoving match. Cameron actually played mediator and got between them. “Oh my God, are you kidding me?” Cameron shouted.
(WK Reax: I actually like that. Good chance for all three to build up the dynamic and tension between them without it being a straight up interview.)
(3) ALICIA FOX vs. NATALYA
Cameron was named the special referee for this match. Phillips said that was decided during the break. Fox got in most of the offense until Natalya made a comeback at 4:00 and applied the Sharpshooter for the tapout win.
WINNER: Natalya at 4:00.
-After the match, Cameron raised Natalya’s arm, but then gave her a DDT. “What in the world?!” gasped Lawler. Then she gave Fox a DDT. “What kind of a referee is this?” asked Lawler. Phillips flatly said, “A Diva who wants to be Divas Champion.”
(WK Reax: Okay, Lead Announcer 101 Lesson here: The voice of the show cannot be neutral when it comes to heel cheating or blindsiding people. The purpose of what Cameron did was to get heel heat. So for Phillips to not sell it, it negates substantially the effect of the post-match attack. This is such basic, simple, fundamental, common sense stuff, but WWE has just lose their way with how announcers are trained, coached, and produced.)
-The announcers threw to a video package on “the enigmatic” Erick Rowan. It opened with scenes of Rowan in the woods, then rocking back and forth in a barn, with clips of his Bray Wyatt days and then some in-ring action. Rowan says, “Don’t apologize. I will hurt you like it hurt me” (for being different).
-Saxton hyped Rowan vs. Bray was up next. [c]
-WWE Fact: Last week WWE Raw was the no. 1 show on all of Cable TV for the third consecutive month – beating every show on TNT, MTV, History, TBS, and ESPN.
-Bray’s full ring entrance took place. Lawler urged the other announcers to not talk during his entrance.
[HOUR TWO]
-Bray entered the ring and said when he first saw Rowan, he was lost and cast out by a society that could never understand him. He said they looked at him as if he were some monster, some creature, some plague that would destroy everything that this society considers real. “They were wrong, man,” he said. “When they saw all his flaws, I saw his possibilities.” He said he took Rowan in and found him lying dirty in the mud and showed him what it is like to have a family. He said there was a time he was proud to call Rowan his brother. He said he fixed him like you’d fix a broken toy. He said when the time was right, he had no choice but to set him free and show him what kind of a cruel, horrible, rotten world they were living in. He said Rowan is broken again, and it’s the fault of the fans and all of society. He said he wants tonight be a special night where he teaches him one last little lesson. “I want to show him that no matter what, you can trust no one. Evil is inside of us all and there’s no escaping it.” He said he will finally destroy Rowan. He said if he could do it to someone he loved and used to call his brother, “just imagine what I could do to you.” He turned to the camera and gave a sinister laugh. “Behold the new face of fear.”
(WK Reax: Good promo, although he often leaves me a little depressed about the world we live in. I don’t like that WWE isn’t owning the finish at WrestleMania and are basically wiping from history that Bray lost to Undertaker. That could be parlayed into a motivation for Bray to change for the worse, but instead they’re teaching viewers not to believe match outcomes matter and some just go “poof” when they’re over if they are too timid to actually address it on air and find a way to turn it into a positive.)
(4) ERICK ROWAN vs. BRAY WYATT
Rowan bounced back from early Bray offense with some headbutts. Bray avoided his shoulder charge in the corner, and Rowan hit the ringpost. Bray then dropkicked him off the ring apron to the floor into the barricade. They cut to a break. [c]
Back in the ring, you won’t believe it, but Bray had Rowan in a chinlock. Rowan suddenly miraculously fought out of it. Bray nailed him with DDT to halt his comeback. Phillips called Bray “the eater of worlds,” I think. Rowan took control with some clotheslines and corner splashes and then a spin wheel kick for a two count. Rowan climbed to the top rope, but Bray rolled to the floor. Rowan charged at Bray, but Bray played possum and then surprised Rowan with a clothesline as he charged him. Then a dropkick on the floor. He got crazy-eyed afterward and threw Rowan back into the ring. Wyatt set up Sister Abigail. Rowan blocked it and set up his full-nelson slam. Wyatt escaped and then did his crab walk. Then he finished Rowan with Sister Abigail. Wyatt cradled Rowan’s head afterward as his music played.
WINNER: Wyatt.
-They showed Miz strutting backstage heading toward the entrance for his Miz TV show. [c]
-Miz entered the ring and then threw to a trailer on the big screen for “Marine 4.” Lawler said, “It looks pretty good. I’d watch it.” As Miz talked about rave reviews from critics, out walked Summer Rae, his movie costar. Lawler said, “Now I’ll definitely watch it!” Summer asked, “Don’t you mean our action movie?” Miz hilariously imitated Summer’s meek voice and then told her she should feel privileged to be in his movie. “Think of it as Miz giving a Diva a chance.” He told her to sit quietly and speak when talked to. She said she’ll speak when she chooses to. He said he is the star. She said co-star. The crowd applauded. He said he is not the co-star. He said she is a “featured extra.” He said he allowed her on the cover of the DVD and he made her a star, just like he made Mizdow a star. She said Mizdow upstaged him by throwing him over the top rope at the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Miz asked if everyone wants to talk about Mizdow. He said he doesn’t blame Mizdow for anything that’s happened over the past two weeks. He said he blames everyone in the WWE Universe. “You people made him believe he’s something he’s not,” he said. “He is not a leading man. Sure, you applaud him, you cheer him.” But Miz said they don’t even know Mizdow’s background. Miz said Mizdow was fired twice and was on his way out a third time until he saved his career. He said he made him by giving him a purpose and a championship.
Mizdow interrupted via Miz’s entrance music. He walked out in sunglasses and Miz’s t-shirt, but with a big strip of tape over it with “Mizdow” written on it. Miz told Mizdow to get his career and life back on track. He said the fans can’t do that, but he can. He said he is willing to forgive everything that’s happened the last two weeks because he’s a charitable person. He said he’d forgive him as long as he says two small, itty-bitty words: I’m sorry. He said he gave him tough love, but there was a purpose. He said all he has to do is shake his hand and apologize to get things back to the way things were. He said everyone will forget about him unless he’s with him. “Shake my hand and apologize,” Miz said.
Mizdow removed his sunglasses as fans chanted “No! No! No!” Mizdow shook his hand. Fans were dismayed. Mizdow kept shaking his hand as he said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Miz was smugly satisfied. Mizdow said, “I’m sorry I didn’t do this sooner.” He punched Miz and Miz bailed out to the floor. Saxton said he wasn’t sure it was smart. Mizdow threw one of the Miz TV director’s chairs at Miz. Miz fled. Mizdow kicked over the other chair. Mizdow smiled to the crowd and then made out with Summer Rae. When he released her, she was at first shocked but then broke into a smile.
(WK Reax: Okay, we’re back to men forcing kisses on women uninvited, and the women at first reacting with shock but then loving it? No other place in the world of scripted entertainment does that fictional scenario play out over and over like it does on pro wrestling TV shows. These men writing these shows need to ask the women if this is how they think women should be portrayed.)
-A video package aired on WrestleMania 31 weekend in the Bay Area.
-Lawler plugged the six-man tag main event up next. [c]
-A clip aired from last week’s Smackdown of Barrett interfering against Bryan in his match against Sheamus leading to a countout loss.
(5) WADE BARRETT & BIG SHOW & SHEMAUS vs. DANIEL BRYAN & DOLPH ZIGGLER & ROMAN REIGNS
Interestingly, after the heels were introduced, Reigns was first among his teammates to come out. Bryan came out last. They cut to a break before the bell. There didn’t seem to be much of a pro or con reaction to Reigns, but it’s tough to tell on Smackdown with the post-producing of crowd noise they’re able to do. They didn’t add cheers, that’s for sure, and Bryan got the bigger pop without a doubt. [c]
Lawler said: “Big Show is so big I heard he went to see the movie ‘Fast & Furious 7’ and sat next to everybody.” Show dominated Ziggler for a minute, but Ziggler fought back with a DDT and a two count. Show powered out with authority. Ziggler charged at Show, but he swatted him out of mid-air. Phillips said it was like a tennis racquet hitting a ball. Sheamus tagged in and took over on Ziggler. Bryan got a hot-tag and rallied against Sheamus. He dove through the ropes onto Sheamus at ringside, but then Barrett nailed him with a boot to the face. They cut to a break. [c]
You won’t believe this, but back in the ring Show had Bryan in a bearhug – not a chinlock! Bryan, miraculously, fought out of it right when they returned. Show body slammed him and then dropped an elbow. Barrett tagged in and beat up Bryan for a minute or two. Show tagged in and just toyed with Bryan. Reigns and Ziggler shot some words his way. Show charged into Ziggler, knocking him off the ring apron to the floor. Show signaled for a chokeslam. Bryan escaped and countered into his Yes Lock. Reigns tapped the top rope to show enthusiasm. Show rolled out of it sent Bryan to the floor. Sheamus tagged in and pursued Bryan at ringside. Sheamus set Bryan on the top rope and kneed him a couple times. Bryan showed some signs of life and dove onto Sheamus. Sheamus caught him and lifted him for his finisher. Bryan countered into a DDT. Reigns, cheerleader to this point, got the hot tag right after Sheamus hot-tagged Barrett. The pop sounded big on TV. Reigns went after Barrett aggressively with – you won’t believe this – a barrage of fists. He punched Show off the ring apron, and then Superman punched Barrett for near fall. Sheamus broke up the pin. Sheamus lifted Ziggler during the chaos, but Ziggler super kicked and clotheslined him over the top rope. Bryan dove onto Show at ringside with a running knee off the apron. With everyone else at ringside, Barrett set up a Bullhammer on Reigns, but Reigns speared him instead for the win.
WINNERS: Reigns & Bryan & Ziggler.
(WK Reax: I get the approach they’re taking with Reigns. Pull back a little on his push, set him up in protected situations on Raw to hide the hostility fans have toward him, put him on Smackdown next to fan favorites, keep the freedom to edit the boos into cheers after the taping, and let him get hot tags and score a big win. It might work, but the people booing Reigns might also notice the totality of his offense in that match was standing at ringside for more than ten minutes, hot-tagging in, throwing a ton of punches, and hitting a spear. What is going to earn respect from the part of the fanbase that is rejecting him is breaking a real sweat and expanding his array of offense and also selling convincingly. Reigns is getting better at interacting with the crowd and showing fire, and he seems less grumpy this week than last week.)
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