wrestling / TV Reports

411’s WWE Smackdown Report 3.18.11

March 18, 2011 | Posted by Nick Bazar

Welcome to the WWE Smackdown Report!

I will be tracking the win/loss record of every Smackdown superstar throughout the year. Here are the guidelines:

– These records only reflect matches that have taken place on Smackdown or Pay-Per-View.
– Matches that end or have ended in a No Contest are not counted.
– In the case of Tag Team matches, each member of the losing team gets a Loss and each member of the winning team gets a Win.
– In the case of multi-man matches, every participant besides the winner gets a Loss.
– Some wrestlers will have a third number in their record. This number represents matches that have ended in a Draw.

Green Day and pyro kick things off as Josh Matthews welcomes us to Smackdown. We are 16 nights away from Wrestlemania! Tonight, Big Show and Kane will take on Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater for the WWE Tag Team Championship.

At ringside, the Cole Mine is being constructed. Michael Cole gets his own televised entrance, coming out to Raw’s theme song.

Match One: Edge (11-1) vs. Brodus Clay (0-1)
Edge ducks a right and strikes at the bell. He tries to power Clay into the corner but ends up being thrown into it instead. Clay charges and eats a boot. Edge heads to the middle rope but is caught on the way down with a T-bone suplex. Clay clubs the back and presses his knee against Edge’s neck on the ropes. He wrenches the arm and shoulders him down. Edge tries to escape a wristlock but gets knocked down. Clay stays on offense with an armbar. Edge can’t escape that either and is sent into the corner. Clay charges but takes a back elbow. Edge tries for a tornado DDT but Clay blocks it and drops him with a clothesline. Clay tries for a headbutt splash but Edge moves away and hits with forearms. He drop toe holds Clay into the middle rope and climbs to the top. High crossbody connects but it only gets two. Clay’s kickout sends Edge to the outside. Edge slides back in under Clay’s legs and tries for a pin but Clay sits on him for two. Clay drags Edge to the corner and retreats. He charges with a back splash but Edge avoids it and hits a bulldog off the middle rope. Edge gets the look in his eyes and calls for a Spear. Ricardo Rodriguez distracts the ref as Alberto Del Rio grabs Edge’s leg, allowing Clay to regroup and knock him down with a battering ram. Cover gets only two! Meanwhile, Christian runs down and attacks Del Rio from behind. Clay headbutts him through the ropes to put a stop to it. Back in the ring, Edge ducks a clothesline and nails Clay with a Spear for the win.
Winner: Edge in 5:00
Rating: **1/4 (I’m really liking Clay. He isn’t one of those big guys who try to show off and overcompensate; he knows his style and looks destructive in the process.)

Post-match, Alberto Del Rio dropkicks Edge from the side and begins an attack. Christian runs in to make the save and it spills to the outside. Christian and Del Rio brawl around ringside, up and over the announce table…

Teddy Long’s music hits. Our main event will be Christian vs. Del Rio, one-on-one. To ensure it is one-on-one, it will be a Steel Cage Match.

Up next, Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus in a Champion vs. Champion match.

Match Two: Sheamus (0-1) vs. Kofi Kingston (4-6)
So Sheamus had the King of the Ring Curse. Ok, fine. What can we come up with to explain Kingston’s limbo? Lockup to stat and Sheamus powers Kingston into the corner momentarily before taking him down with a hiptoss. He snaps the arm with a squat and applies a hammerlock. Kingston kicks out of it and hits with strikes. He avoids Sheamus on a charge in the corner and mounts with punches before being dropped onto the top turnbuckle face-first. Sheamus drops him with a clothesline and covers for two. He hits a hangman’s noose neckbreaker for two more and drops a knee across the back. Sheamus puts in a quick chinlock and destroys Kingston with a nasty back elbow. Haha, it actually gets him a round of applause! Nice. He drops an elbow across the neck but gets rolled up for one. Sheamus charges the corner and eats a pendulum kick. Kingston heads to the top and comes down with a high crossbody. Sheamus rolls through on the mat and comes up with Kingston in his arms. He tries for a powerslam but Kingston slips off and comes at him with strikes. He leaps over Sheamus off the ropes and hits a side Russian Legsweep. Boom Drop connects and Kingston calls for Trouble in Paradise. Sheamus rolls to the apron and snaps Kingston neck off the top rope. Back in, Sheamus tries for an Irish Curse backbreaker but Kingston holds onto the ropes and turns it into an SOS. Cover gets two as Sheamus grabs the bottom rope. Sheamus rolls to the outside and Kingston follows with a Superman punch jumping off the steel steps. He mounts with punches but Sheamus knocks him away and hides behind the steps. Kingston goes over to Sheamus but gets the steps kicked into him. Back inside, Sheamus connects with the Brogue Kick for the win.
Winner: Sheamus in 5:00
Rating: **1/2 (Felt longer- in a good way- because they managed to fit a lot of stuff in there without it being a spotfest. You could probably tack on an extra ¼* on there and I wouldn’t argue.)

At ringside, Josh Matthews sends it to highlights of the Big Show/Kane/Corre saga.

In the back, Kane is with Big Show. Show wants to put their differences aside and put a dent in the Corre. Remember when they were Tag Team Champions? They used to make people shake in their boots; they dominated. Kane goozles Show and Show answers with one of his own. They each break it and Kane laughs. Show completes him.

Match Three: Trent Barreta (1-1) vs. Cody Rhodes (1-3)
Guess this was bathroom break time for Mr. Spoiler Man. Rhodes comes out to a remixed version of his song that isn’t as…extravagant. He also has a black towel over his head ala Taz and a freshly unmasked Kane. Rhodes attacks at the bell with strikes but ends up in the corner. The ref backs Barreta up and Rhodes knocks him down with a shoulder. Rhodes uses his mask as a weapon with a headbutt twice. Cover ends it.
Winner: Cody Rhodes in 1:00
Rating: N/A (Accomplished what it had to. I wonder what his rationale is behind wrestling in a buttoned up shirt and slacks. Any theories?)

Later tonight, Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Steel Cage Match.

Shawn Michaels chimes in on Undertaker vs. Triple H.

Match Four: Layla (4-5) vs. Kelly Kelly (2-2)
Michelle McCool is on commentary. She shakes hands with Cole through a hole in the Cole Mine. Kelly pushes Layla around and slugs in the corner. Layla kicks and sends Kelly into the corner. Kelly kicks her on a charge and applies a modified Tarantula. She walks on Layla’s back and hits a Thesz Press. She continues with some clotheslines and a K-Factor. Cover gets two. Kelly tosses Layla into the corner and comes at her with a handspring but Layla meets her with a nasty kick to the back. Kelly basically no-sells and knocks Layla down. She rams Layla’s head into the mat but Layla picks her up on her shoulders. Kelly slips off and climbs to the middle rope. McCool talks some trash to distract her, allowing Layla to knock her off by the feet and get the win.
Winner: Layla in 2:00
Rating: ¾* (Kelly ran through her usual offense and seemed energized. Typical LayCool shenanigans at the end to reinforce their shtick heading into Wrestlemania.)

In the back, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater make their way to the ring for our WWE Tag Team Championship Match.

Match Five: WWE Tag Team Championship- Justin Gabriel© (5-1)/Heath Slater© (3-3) vs. Big Show (5-3)/Kane (4-6)
Kane starts with Gabriel. Kane corners him and attacks. He gets Gabriel out of the corner with a snapmare and hits a low dropkick for two. Gabriel bounces off the ropes and flips over Kane’s back to tag in Slater who falls immediately to an uppercut. Kane continues with a clothesline in the corner and a sidewalk slam. Cover gets two. He hits with rights in the opposite corner before Slater tries to mount a comeback with rights of his own. Kane misses a big boot in the corner and Slater takes out the other leg. Gabriel tags in and stomps on the leg. Slater back in and stomps on it some more. Kane shoves him away but Gabriel tags in and stops a tag to Show with a shoulderblock to the leg. Gabriel climbs to the middle rope but takes an uppercut on the way down. Show in and he takes care of Slater with clotheslines and a back body drop. He connects with a back splash in the corner and drops Slater again with a shoulderblock. Show calls for a chokeslam and it connects. He has the match won but Gabriel pulls the ref out on two. Ref calls for the bell and it’s over.
Winner: Big Show/Kane in 3:00 via Disqualification
Rating: * (Gabriel and Slater keep the titles. As with most Corre matches, this was only here to set up the following…)

Post-match, Kane attacks Justin Gabriel and sends him back inside to get a Big Show chokeslam. Ezekiel Jackson makes the save, followed by Wade Barrett. Barrett actually hits Wasteland on Show. Impressive. The Corre head outside and go after Kane, sending him into the steel steps. They place one half of the steps on top of Kane while Barrett grabs the other half and throws it on him a couple of times. Heath Slater clears the announce table, allowing Barrett and Jackson to (kind of) put Show through it. The destruction at ringside is pretty visually impressive.

In the back, Todd Grisham is with Alberto Del Rio. Teddy Long and Christian are trying to interfere with his destiny. They want to lock him in a cage? He isn’t an animal.

Match Six: Jack Swagger (3-2) vs. Chris Masters (0-1)
We get highlights of the debut of the AnCole Lock from Raw before the bell rings. Swagger gets a quick go-behind and clubs the back. He hits with rights and drops Masters with a clothesline for one before applying a top wristlock. Masters counters it into a nice Samoan Drop. He ducks a clothesline and tries to lock in the Masterlock but Swagger backs him into the corner. Swagger drops and grabs the ankle but Masters kicks him away. Swagger rolls outside and rams the ankle into the ringpost. Back inside, the Anklelock ends it.
Winner: Jack Swagger in 2:00
Rating: * (Just another credibility-building match for Michael Cole’s Wrestlemania trainer. Good for Swagger.)

Post-match, Michael Cole applies the AnCole Lock to Chris Masters, shouting “come on Lawler!” Cole looks ridiculous with that big foot between his arms. He celebrates with Jack Swagger.

Chris Jericho is here…by way of video talking about Dancing with the Stars. He says he will Break the Waltz down.

Match Seven: Rey Mysterio (7-3) vs. Ted DiBiase (0-0)
JTG not available? DiBiase kicks the midsection at the start but Mysterio avoids a bodyslam. He tries to slide under DiBiase but gets caught with strikes. In the corner, Mysterio turns a float over into a headscissors that sends DiBiase into the middle turnbuckle. Mysterio goes to the top but DiBiase catches him with a dropkick on the way down for two. DiBiase drops a knee but takes a boot to the chest. He tries for a powerbomb but Mysterio flips out of it. Mysterio can’t avoid a clothesline and DiBiase covers for two. DiBiase slows things down with a chinlock. Mysterio elbows out of it but DiBiase hits a backbreaker across his knee. He follows up with a quick knee to the back that sends Mysterio to the apron. Mysterio headscissors DiBiase’s head and takes him down with a DDT. He hits a rana but gets a second one countered into an inverted powerbomb. Nice! Cover gets two. DiBiase tries for Dream Street but Mysterio counters with a rana that puts him in position for the 619. It connects, and so does the top rope splash afterward. Match over.
Winner: Rey Mysterio in 3:00
Rating: *3/4 (This was wrestled a bit differently than most WWE matches. We didn’t have the usual “power your opponent into the corner and sneak in a cheap shot” opening sequence and the transitions were more unique…or maybe I’m just losing my mind.)

Post-match, Maryse walks out on Ted DiBiase.

Later tonight, Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Cage!

We get a highlight package on Snooki’s Raw appearance. She waited for the opportunity all WEEK long!

They run down the Wrestlemania card and…what the hell is Alberto Del Rio wearing in his graphic?

Cue the ominous music, here comes the steel cage.

Match Eight: Steel Cage Match- Alberto Del Rio (5-3) vs. Christian (1-0)
You win by pinfall, submission or escaping the cage. Del Rio charges straight for Christian at the bell but Christian side steps it and strikes. Del Rio gets on offense with a snapmare and a kick to the back. He mounts with punches and tries to send Christian into the steel. Christian blocks it and responds with a back body drop. Christian tries to send Del Rio into the steel but Del Rio blocks it and ends up in a Killswitch attempt. Del Rio pushes him away into the corner and charges with a clothesline. Christian sends Del Rio into the opposite corner but Del Rio climbs up the turnbuckle and tries to make his way out of the cage. Christian meets him on the top rope and Del Rio teases a suplex off of it. Christian avoids it and climbs even higher but Del Rio gets him on his shoulders and comes off with a Samoan Drop. Both men are down as we go to commercial.

Back from break, Del Rio kicks Christian on the side of the head. Christian telegraphs a back body drop and kicks Del Rio in the chest but Del Rio regroups and sends Christian shoulder-first into the steel. Del Rio follows up by pressing Christian’s face against the steel with his feet. Del Rio hits a back suplex for two and applies a chinlock. Christian tries to fight out but Del Rio slams him down and starts to climb the side of the cage. Christian grabs a leg and pulls him down. Del Rio answers with a quick kick. He lifts Christian onto his shoulder and tries to ram him into the cage but Christian blocks it and counters into an inverted DDT for two. Back up, Christian attacks with rights and tries to pump up the crowd, but they aren’t too responsive. He sends Del Rio into the cage and covers for two. Christian tries to escape out of the door but Del Rio grabs a foot. Christian stomps on him and climbs but Del Rio stops him again and delivers an enzuigiri. Cover gets two. Del Rio tries to walk out the door but Christian grabs a foot. He almost makes it out but gets dragged back in by Christian. Back in, Del Rio stares at the Wrestlemania sign and signals for a Cross Armbreaker but Christian counters into a Killswitch. Kick out at two! I thought it was over. Christian gets to his feet and climbs the side of the cage but Del Rio brings him down and pushes him into the steel a couple times before kicking at him. With Christian slung over the middle rope, Del Rio climbs, using him as a stepping stone. He gets to the top of the cage but Christian regroups and meets him up top. Del Rio rams Christian’s head onto the top of the cage and swings himself over to make the jump down. Christian maneuvers his way onto Del Rio’s back and Del Rio tries to elbow him off. They struggle for a few seconds and Del Rio’s arm seems to get caught in the cage. Christian eventually drops down for the win.
Winner: Christian in 12:00
Rating: *** (Recently, Steel Cage matches in WWE have been, essentially, straight-up singles matches in a different environment. This broke that mold, incorporating the cage as a weapon. The chemistry was there, it was well-paced and the action felt inspired.)

Post-match, Alberto Del Rio dropkicks the fuck out of Christian on the outside. He sends him over the barricade and into the timekeepers area. Del Rio gets on the mic. He will destroy Christian like he will Edge at Wrestlemania…

Before that can happen, we hear the honking of a car. It’s Edge inside Del Rio’s Bentley. Edge has a mic. This is a very nice car: nice contour, paint, rims. It would be a shame if something happened to it. He could accidently slip and kick out the headlight; or accidently scratch the paint; or accidently climb on the roof and stomp it in. Del Rio pleads no. Edge could also grab his good friend Mr. Chair…and Brodus Clay attacks Edge from behind. Del Rio joins him and con-chair-toes Edge’s arm. Refs and trainers come to Edge’s side to end the show.

(Quite different from what we have been getting this Wrestlemania season with eight matches and very little promo time. While only three of the eight matches were worthwhile, everything on the card served its purpose well. Tonight’s show was about establishing the individual strengths of the Wrestlemania competitors and giving them some wins heading into the big show. The exception to that was obviously Alberto Del Rio, but he got his heat back promptly with the post-match attack. Should Christian be added to the World Heavyweight Championship match? My only problem with that is you would have two faces against a heel, and faces shouldn’t have the advantage in a match like this. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.)

See you Monday when I make my debut as the new author of The Contentious Ten!

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Nick Bazar

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