411’s Smackdown Report 07.13.12

Larry Csonka will be back next week after a well deserved rest. This is just a straight recap , if you want to know my opinion and more detailed thoughts about this show, head over to my regular column The Wrestling Sandwich which also should be up in the next couple of hour to read more.

Enjoy!

This weeks Smackdown comes from Denver, Co. and your commentators are Michael Cole, Booker T and Josh Matthews

We get video from last weeks Great American Bash battle royal which Zack Ryder won to get the honor of hosting this weeks (renamed)…

Zack is out and welcomes use to Friday Night Zackdown. Alberto Del Rio quickly interrupts and calls Zack a stupid clown that claims to be internet champion of the world. ADR states after this Sunday he will be champion of the world and rule Smackdown. Zack is quick to rebook the non-match from Monday…

Match #1 – Alberto Del Rio vs. Sin Cara
Del Rio charges to start but Sin Cara takes control but not for long as ADR pounds away to get the advantage and nails a sweet vertical suplex. ADR continues to dominate as Sin Cara occasionally fights back using his speed but ADR easily overpowers him. Sin Cara gets a two count off a DDT but Del Rio doesn’t stay down for long and continues to dominate. The end comes as Sin Cara misses a top rope senton and Del Rio gets the cross armbreaker for the submission win.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio via submission. Nothing match that puts over Del Rio and does nothing for Sin Cara. Rating: *

TOUT hype package with random fans giving us their unforgettable RAW moment.

++++

Zack is backstage with The Big Show who thinks Ryder is doing a terrible job. Just as he goes for the knock out punch The Great Khali steps in. Zack makes Khali vs. TBS for later tonight.

Match #2 – Darren Young (w/- Titus and GW) vs. Primo (w/- Epico and Rosa)
Lock-up to start and that quickly turns into a trade off of punches. Primo comes out on top and nails a tope rope dive into a headscissors and lays in some big chops. Young manages to get on top after Titus distracts Primo as GW riles the crowd up. Young hits a neckbreaker for two, gets Primo into a firemans carry which Primo sneaks out of, he tries for the backcracker but Young blocks and when he goes to take advantage, Primo rolls Young up with the small package for the win.
Winner: Primo via pinfall. Quick back and forth match that was neither here nor there. Rating: *1/2

Top RAW Moment Hype – Christian talks about the surprise retirement of Edge last year.

++++

Sheamus is backstage talking to Zack. Chris Jericho quickly interrupts and claims to smell Zacks fake tan from here. Sheamus is annoyed and tells Jericho to get in the ring. Ryder thinks this is a fine idea and makes Sheamus vs. Jericho tonight. Jericho puts on his best disgusted William Regal face at the sudden turn of events.

Match #3 – Santino Marella (US Champion) & Christian (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler & Cody Rhodes
Christian and Cody trade advantage to begin. Santino gets tagged in and challenges Rhodes to an amateur match and Rhodes responds by tagging in Dolph, which proves to be a smart move as he quickly schools Marella. Dolph gets caught by a hiptoss and Christian gets tagged in and becomes your face in peril. He briefly fights off both heels but when he attempts a top rope bulldog on Rhodes it gets blocked and kicks out at two on the Cody cover. Dolph comes in and hits his dropkick and clamps on the chinlock. Christian powers up as we get the double tag as Santino comes in and the crowd is dead for the hot tag, we get the usual Santino babyface offence but when he goes for the Cobra on Dolph, Cody interferes and Ziggler takes advantage and nails the Zigzag for the pinfall win.
Winner: Cody Rhodes & Dolph Ziggler via pinfall. Fun little match that would have been given another 5-7 minutes and then it would have started getting good. Rating **

++++

We get a highlight package for the C.C Punk/Daniel Bryan/A.J triangle. We also get an almost full replay of the main event. Bless.

Match #4 – The Great Khali vs. The Big Show
The giants trade a couple of big chops to the chest, Khali turn to play to the crowd and Show nails the WMD for the pinfall win.
Winner: The Big Show via knockout. Nothing match. Khali can barely move. You know the drill. Rating: DUD

++++

Match #5 – Ryback vs. Tyler Rykes
Rykes starts quickly but runs into the running boot of Ryback who dominates for the rest of the match and hits the Shell Shocked for the win.
Winner: Ryback via pinfall. SQUASH!!!. Rating: DUD

Top RAW Moment Hype – Hugh Jackman talks about being Zack Ryder’s corner man.

Another plug for The Rock coming back for the 1000th RAW.

++++

More TOUT hype – more fans giving their top RAW moment.

Match #6 – Damien Sandow vs. Justin Gabriel
Gabriel is out of the gates quickly but Sandow easily takes control and nails the Cubito Contemptricem (Elbow of Disdain). Justin tries a comeback with a series of chops and swift kicks but Sandown hits The Illumination and gets the win.
Winner: Damien Sandown via pinfall Another squash but a much better one. Rating: *

We get “highlights” of Hornswoggle and his coming out as the RAW Anonymous GM.

++++

Match #7 – Sheamus (World Heavyweight Champion) vs. Chris Jericho
Feel out to start then Jericho slaps the taste out the Irishman’s mouth. Sheamus doesn’t much like this and chases Jericho outside and when he catches him, he effectively dismantles Jericho. Jericho takes advantage of a missed charge and gets in some offence but Sheamus comes right back with some knees in the corner and ten big forearms across Jericho’s chest and just to top it off, Sheamus sends him flying off the apron onto the floor and over the announce table as we go to an ad break…

…we’re back as Jericho has Sheamus in a chinlock as we see highlights of Jericho getting back control while we were at commercial. They both trade some back and forth moves and Sheamus goes for a pin and only gets two. Jericho manages an attempt at the Codebreaker but that’s blocked and the Brogue kick also misses. Jericho gets the Lionsault for another two count. A Jericho charge is countered into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker but when Sheamus goes for the White Noise, Jericho blocks and counters into the Walls of Jericho. Sheamus makes the ropes and goes for another White Noise which again Jericho counter into the Walls. This time Sheamus can’t make the ropes and is forced to power out. Another attempted Brogue kick is avoided by Jericho and he manages to hit the Codebreaker but only gets a two count. Sheamus fights and gets the advantage again and goes up to the tope rope but jumps right into another (botched) Codebreaker in mid-air but Jericho has hurt his knee and is slow to cover so only gets two. Frustration starts to burn in Jericho and he rushes Sheamus who finally manages to nail the Brogue kick for the win.
Winner: Sheamus via pinfall. Good match to end the show. Rating: ***

After the match Sheamus celebrates up the ramp and is quickly jumped by Alberto who locks in the cross armbreaker over the edge of the stage as the show ends.

Wrap Up
Did you know that there was a PPV this weekend? Seemingly the writers didn’t as almost everything was centered on the 1000th edition of RAW in two weeks. Overall the show wasn’t bad as we got a fun main event as usual from this SD brand but the undercard was filled with squash filler.