SmackDown 8/22/14

1. Summer Slam redux.
2. Cole and JBL welcome Tom Phillips to commentary on Smackdown. Nice to have someone fresh out there. "Vintage" Cole is getting old. It's like "Cush-lash" from Jerry Maguire.
3. Randy Orton slithers out. He tells Roman Reigns one match won't define either of them. He's focused now, and bad things happen when he's focused. Roman will get what's coming to him. He then tells RVD, tonight's opponent, that he's nothing more than "collateral damage." One of his better promos, especially considering how stale his shtick has been lately.
4. Seth Rollins comes out before Orton is even done posing. They shake hands when they meet on the ramp.
5. Seth Rollins v. Jack Swagger. I'll pick Rollins. These two are going in opposite directions, and Swagger's downward spiral continues tonight.
6. Swagger tries for the Patriot Lock early, but Rollins rolls out of the ring. Rollins takes control.
7. Swagger Bomb! His injured ribs slowed his cover, and Rollins kicks out.
8. Kick to the head from Rollins. He leaps, but Swagger catches him and locks in the Patriot Lock! Rollins counters, and Swagger goes into the turnbuckle. Swagger throws them both outside the ring. Rollins rolls back in quickly and goes for the baseball slide. Swagger catches his foot and gets the Patriot Lock. When Rollins tries to fight out, Swagger dumps him to the floor. Nice flurry.
9. Rollins gets Swagger into the ring post and throws him over the barricade. Rollins rolls into the ring, Swagger beats the count, and Rollins hits Curb Stomp immediately. New count, and Swagger can't make it back in the ring. Rollins wins by count-out. Not a great match, but it was a good one with nice spurts of action here and there.
10. Ugh. Bo Dallas comes out to "pick up the pieces" of Swagger's failure. *snore*
11. Kane and the Miz backstage, and Kane tells him he has a "sequel" match against Roman Reigns.
12. Rusev v. Sin Cara. This should be a quick squash for Rusev. Maybe Mark Henry will come out again and disrupt things.
13. That looked like a Brogue Kick from Rusev. Rusev locks in the Accolade and Sin Cara taps out. Rusev wins by submission. All told, that took just about a minute. Useless match. Might as well have him fight a toddler. Rusev refuses to let Sin Cara go until Lana says this is what happens to people who disrespect Russia and Putin.
14. Mark Henry comes out, and Rusev escapes out the other side of the ring. USA chants. Lana won't let Rusev get in the ring. "YOU GONNA LET A WOMAN HOLD YOU BACK?" Nice.
15. Renee Young interviews RVD, who says Orton needs to chill the hell out. Orton attacks him from behind, and he tells Renee he'll be waiting for RVD in the ring.
16. Randy Orton v. RVD. Isn't RVD going on hiatus soon? This could be the night. Orton wins and knocks RVD out of action. 
17. RVD with an early surge. Unusually vicious for RVD. He hangs Orton over the barricade, but he missed a spin kick when Orton dodges. Orton takes control outside the ring. Orton throws him into two sets of steps. The ref stops the match. Orton with the side suplex onto the announce table. Clothesline. Hanging DDT onto the floor. He rolls RVD into the ring and grabs a chair. He sits over RVD and taunts him. RVD sturggles up and gets hit with an RKO on the steel chair. This kills two birds with one stone. RVD is sent off, and Orton's heel heat is fully re-established, and he looks dominant again.
18. Renee interviews Roman Reigns. He says someone needs to end the legend that is Randy Orton, "and that someone is me."
19. Natalya v. Paige in a non-title match. Natty will win when AJ distracts Paige. Again.
20. Natty looks motivated early. Nice Double-Underhook Suplex. Paige makes a comeback and throws Natty into a steel ring post. This is one of the best main-roster Divas matches in some time.
21. AJ skips out. She grabs the Divas Title belt and skips out. Paige grabs the belt and comes back in, only to tap out to the Sharpshooter. Natty wins. Other than the unnecessary interruption, this was a really good match.
22. Goldust and Stardust v. the Junior Wyatts. I think the Dusts continue their momentum and pick up the victory. Not liking how Rowan and Harper are fading. Rowan especially has all the tools. I find it odd that the Dusts are starting off in the heel corner. This could be one of the weirdest tag matchups of all time!
23. (JBL needs a new joke about the German announce team.)
24. Massive Superkick from Harper on Goldust! (Too busy enjoying the match to post about it.)
25. Goldust rolls up Harper to pick up the pinfall win! And then Harper goes on the attack. Harper hit Stardust with one of the announce chairs! And then the Jr. Wyatts double-team Goldust. A good match, and I like that they let the Wyatts look strong even in defeat.
26. Replay of the new belt and a much-too-chopped version of Heyman's promo from RAW.
27. Roman Reigns v. the Miz. Surely they won't let the Miz win...right? I'm picking Reigns, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Orton cause a DQ or No Contest.
28. Orton comes out almost right away. Reigns takes control early. Mix tries to take advantage of Orton's distraction, but Reigns counters with a Samoan Drop. Orton tries coming in the ring, and Miz attacks Reigns from behind. SPEAR! Reigns gets the pinfall victory in a very quick match. Interesting interplay, but the match was a waste.
29. Orton comes in the ring, and they go at it. Orton hits Reigns with a steel chair in the gut and the back. Reigns gets back in the ring slowly where Orton waits with the chair set up. Reigns with a gut punch and then two chair shots to Orton. Superman Punch! Reigns stands tall as the show goes off the air.

Pretty good show, but the matches were almost all too short.

SmackDown 8/15/14

1. The Miz opens SmackDown in his pimpin' Santa outfit with Miz TV. As long as we don't need to see him wrestle. His guest is Roman Reigns, who apparently is coming to be mentored. Wake me up when Miz is done talking, eh?
2. Apparently that's the shtick, because Miz keeps interrupting him. Finally Reigns punches him in the face. Best Miz TV ever! Quick promo, and...CUT!
3. Dean Ambrose v. Cesaro. Cesaro is perhaps the biggest afterthought in WWE today. Expect an Ambrose win.
4. Good back and forth before Cesaro takes control.
5. Ambrose launches himself over the top rope to land on Cesaro. He always looks like he has no regard for his own safety.
6. Back from commercial, and Cesaro hits a running european uppercut in the corner. Ambrose knocks Cesaro out of the ring and leaps over the top rope again to land on Cesaro.
7. Ambrose blocks a Superplex. Then he bites his nose. Tornado DDT from Ambrose! Two count!
8. Big clothesline from Cesaro and a two count.
9. Cesaro launches Ambrose and hits a flying european uppercut! Two count. Sick! And then what looks like a face-first AA! Two count.
10. Ambrose bounces off the ropes and hits a clothesline for two. Ambrose hits Dirty Deeds out of nowhere! Three count! Ambrose wins a show-stealer!
11. Rollins comes out to interrupt the celebration. Nice heel promo.
12. Nice. Miz is walking in back with ice on his face. Kane pulls him aside and makes Miz v. Reigns for tonight.
13. Next is Dolph Ziggler v. Titus O'Neil (with Heath Slater in his corner--sort of). Ziggler comes out to a big pop. I'm probably wrong, but I'm picking Ziggler.
14. Ziggler shows of early. He hits a beautiful drop kick on Titus. Titus answers with backbreakers and starts barking and cover Dolph for two. Splashes in the corner.
15. Ziggler with a leaping clothesline and another dropkick. O'Neil answers with a kick to the face. Two count.
16. Zig Zag out of nowhere! Three count! Ziggler wins! Good quick match.
17. Mark Henry (with Big Show) v. Luke Harper (with Eric Rowan). Harper and Rowan have seemingly fallen off the map faster than even Cesaro. Henry will probably get the win off a botched Rowan distraction.
18. Henry throws Harper out of the ring. Harper is unfazed.
19. Harper with a running boot to the face to knock Henry over, gets a two count. Big uppercut. Two count.
20. Henry is grounded. Power punches to get free. Henry preps for World's Strongest Slam when Rowan interferes. DQ win for Henry.
21. Tag match: Show/Henry v. Jr Wyatts made by Kane. Show is working over Harper. Harper makes a comeback and blocks a chokeslam. Show splashes Harper and runs him over. Harper ducks out to avoid chokeslam. Rowan runs show over from behind.
22. Harper tags Rowan to work over Show. One-count. Chokes Show in the ropes. Quick tag, Superkick from Harper. Two count.
23. Harper has Show grounded. Side slam! Show makes the hot tag! Henry takes it to Rowan with splashes. Harper tries to interfere as Henry picks Rowan up. Show blocks Harper and then KOs Rowan as Henry hits the World's Strongest Slam! Three count! Show/Henry win!
24. AJ Lee v. Eva Marie. Again. *sigh* Paige will cost AJ the match again. (Anything that makes Eva look even remotely like a winner is a bad thing.)
25. Eva doesn't even look convincing when she goes for slaps! Neckbreaker by AJ. Two count. Wow. AJ just pulled out a big hunk of hair extension!
26. Paige skips out, and AJ attacks Paige immediately. AJ throws Paige into the barricade and beats her head into the barricade over and over. Quickest 10-count ever as AJ can't make it back in the ring in time. Eva gets the count-out win.
27. AJ turns around, and Paige kicks her in the head and hits the Paige Turner.
28. Swagger v. Bo Dallas. Calling it for Swagger. Can Bo...Leave? WE...THE PEOPLE!!!
29. Swagger's ribs are taped. Bo goes after them. Swagger locks in the Patriot Lock quickly. Bo taps! That's about 30 seconds. Plenty of Bo.
30. Rusev and Lana come out, and Lana cuts a promo about the flag match.
31. Main Event: Miz v. Reigns. I'm picking Reigns.
32. Reigns takes control early. Miz hits a face punch, and he runs away again. Reigns catches him and throws him into the barricade twice.
33. Miz goes up top, but Reigns hits a gut punch. Miz works on Reigns' leg to set up the Figure Four. He uses the ring post to damage Reigns.
34. Figure Four! One-count. Reigns powers out. Miz with clubbing head shots. Miz misses Reigns and shoulders the ring post. Samoan drop! Punch to the face! Jumping kick on the apron!
35. Miz runs from Superman, but Ziggler comes out. Miz turns around and takes Superman! Reigns throws him in the ring and hits the Spear! Three count! Reigns wins!

Pretty good matches for the last show before Summer Slam. Bring on the show!

SmackDown 8/8/14

1. Dean Ambrose comes out. "You can't plan for Dean Ambrose." He's so much fun on the microphone. "We could have a 'Loser Washes Triple H's Car' match, but I'm pretty sure Seth Rollins already does that." Good stuff!
2. Seth Rollins comes out to gripe at Ambrose. He gives Ambrose credit for being clever on Raw. He demands that Ambrose name the stipulation for the match.
3. Great interplay between Rollins and Ambrose. I don't know if people thought Ambrose would be the kind of star he's becoming. Ambrose names his stipulation: a Lumberjack match. "August 17 is the day 'Mr. Money in the Bank' goes broke." Awesome. Seth responds that he gets to choose Ambrose's opponent for tonight and books Ambrose v. Randy Orton.
4. Mark Henry and Big Show v. AxleBack. Is the ring going to hold all that? I'm picking the World's Biggest Athlete and the World's Strongest Man to beat the meatheads in the World's Slowest Match. Good to have Show back in action.
5. Nice to see that Ryback stopped wearing that scary Orange singlet that made him look naked.
6. A quick slow match, to be sure. It ends with Henry hitting Axle with the World's Strongest Slam as Big Show chokeslammed Ryback for the pinfall victory. Show held Ryback up for a good five seconds before he threw him down. Not unimpressive.
7. Ziggler mocks the Rollins briefcase--"it looks like a movie theatre's floor"--and Rollins decides to challenge Ziggler to a match. That should be excellent.
8. Sin Cara v. "United States Border Patrol officer" Damien Sandow. How sad that Sandow is about to get his tuchus handed to him again. *sigh* He deserves better.
9. Sandow got in a little offense, but Hunico--er, Sin Cara, that is--takes Sandow down within about three minutes.
10. The lengthy video segment on Cena/Lesnar again. *sigh*
11. Ziggler v. Rollins. Please let this be a long match. Rollins will win, but it will be a good match if they're allowed time to shine.
12. Rollins hits the Three Amigos. Not going to make you very popular in Texas, gringo.
13. No one does a drop kick as pretty as Dolph Ziggler.
14. FAMOUSER!!! And Rollins kicks out.
15. Rollins throws Ziggler into the ring post and then the steps. Curb Stomp, and Rollins gets the pinfall victory. Not as exciting a match as I thought it would be, though it had its moments.
16. Wake me up when Orton is done talking. The voices in your head need new writers, Randy.
17. Natalya v. Paige. Paige should win. Will it be a good match? It should be. These are two of the best performers in the Divas division.
18. Sharpshooter about 30 seconds in. Paige reaches the ropes quickly. *sigh* I hope it's not going to be one of those matches.
19. Paige Tap Out (scorpion lock) forces Natty to tap. Much too quick a match. The PTO looks legitimately painful.
20. Rusev v. Big E. We've seen this before, and I wasn't too excited then. Rusev's run of destruction continues.
21. Rusev beats up Big E quickly. Ho hum.
22. Review of Brie/Steffi from RAW. Zzzzz...
23. Main Event: Ambrose v. Orton. Whether or not he wins, Ambrose is going to take a beating after the match.
24. Not a lot of  stuff until Ambrose hits a tornado DDT. Orton kicks out at 2.
25. Orton throws Ambrose into the steel steps twice. Goes for the second-rope DDT but Ambrose throws him over the ropes.
26. Rollins comes to ringside. Ambrose knocks him off the apron. Orton goes for the RKO, but Ambrose reverses and hits Dirty Deeds. He goes for the pin, but Rollins pulls him out and hits him. The ref calls for the bell. The two-on-one eventually overcomes Ambrose. Rollins pours pop over him and continues taunting him.Filly he hits Curb Stomp.

Not a terribly exciting episode. Of course, my internet was being uncooperative, so that didn't help, but the show had too many quick matches.

SmackDown 8/1/14

1. WE...THE PEOPLE!!! Swagger v. Cesaro. They changed the siren in Cesaro's music to make it even more annoying. Cesaro can't catch a break lately, so Swagger wins what should be a good match between former partners.
2. Gutwrench Suplex by Cesaro. His brute strength is impressive.
3. Cesaro's uppercuts always look deadly. Ouch!
4. Underhook Powerbomb! Beautiful!
5. Patriot Lock! Cesaro taps to give Swagger the submission victory. Not a great match, but it was a nice showcase of Cesaro's ability.
6. Rusev comes out during Swagger's celebration, and Lana extends the challenge to Swagger to have a flag match at Summer Slam. Zeb accepts!
7. Orton whines about Roman Reigns and his attacks. He challenges Reigns to a match at Summer Slam. At least it was a quick segment.
8. R-Truth v Bo(gus) Dallas. Apparently he lost on RAW and wants a rematch. Does the losing streak continue? I hope so. Otherwise this match is as appealing as a kick in the knee.
9. Bo gets DQed quickly when he won't release Truth in the ropes. Maybe this will be good for him. Now if he'll just stop saying BOlieve. *sigh*
10. AJ v. Rosa Mendes. At least there should be a Paige appearance. AJ should make quick work of Rosa. Rosa is saying she deserves a title shot.
11. Extremely quick Black Widow for the submission win. So much for Rosa getting a title shot. AJ skips up the ramp, and Paige blindsides her off the stage.
12. Solid quick promo from Dean Ambrose.
13. AJ is wheeled out of the arena. I hope she and Paige have a great Summer Slam match.
14. Ambrose v. Kane and Seth Rollins. Isn't it time for Kane to turn on the Authority? Probably not.
15. Quite vicious all around. Ambrose gets DQed when he hits Kane and Rollins with a chair. Ambrose hits Kane with a DDT on the chair while Rollins runs away. More chair shots on Kane. Would have liked more action.
16. Fandango v. Diego. Diego will win (and I hope it will be quick) after the ladies distract Fandango.
17. The ladies tango with Torito, and Diego hits the distracted Fandango with a backstabber.
18. AdR v. Dolph Ziggler with Miz at ringside. I expect AdR will get the win. Will Miz distract during the match, force a DQ, or attack after the match? I don't like AdR, but it should be a good match until the end.
19. Miz stands up to make a speech. Dolph is distracted, but AdR misses. Dolph hits Famouser. Miz keeps yakking and Dolph attack him. AdR attacks Ziggler on the apron and then locks in the Armbreaker for the submission win. *sigh*
20. Fozzy is providing one of the theme songs for Summer Slam. Jericho actually sounds pretty good.
21. Replay of the Steffi/Brie confrontation on RAW.
22. Bray delivers another creepy promo.
23. Main Event: Eric Rowan v. Chris Jericho with the stipulation that Rowan will be banned from ringside at SummerSlam if he loses. I think Jericho wins the match, but it might cost him after.
24. Harper gets tossed from ringside after he messes with Jericho.
25. I don't know what kind of mic skill Rowan has, but physically he's impressive. Quite a move set he has.
26. Lionsault! Rowan kicks out at 2.
27. Jericho blocks a Super-Fireman Toss. Kick to the head, and Jericho kicks out at 2.
28. Codebreaker! Pinfall victory for Jericho! Rowan won't be at ringside for Summer Slam!

Better build for Summer Slam this week. No stand-out matches except the main event--in fact, most of them were too short--but I liked the promos.

SmackDown 7/25/14

1. We see a replay of Hunter announcing Brock Lesnar as John Cena's opponent at Summer Slam, including parts of a great promo by Paul Heyman.
2. First match is the Usos v. Axelback. The announcers have been talking up the meatheads, so it wouldn't surprise me to see them win over the tag champs. Still, I think there's steam remaining in the Usos/Junior Wyatts feud. The Usos will win a physical, hotly-contested match.
2. Good match to this point, but someone really needs to lend Curtis Axle some personality. He doesn't even have 1% of the charisma of his dad.
3. Twin magic! The Usos pull the switcheroo and get the small-package pinfall on Axle. I guess they decided that, if their opponents get to pin the wrong twin, then they should be able to have the wrong twin get the pin. Good match. The Usos just can't miss lately.
4. Here comes the Miz. *sigh* And he's going to talk. *double-sigh*
5. I loved that Miz's mom said Roman Reigns was her favorite WWE superstar.
6. And the crap just keeps on coming. Here's Bo Dallas. *triple-sigh* Can we get a Ziggler appearance here at least?
7. YES!!! Here comes Ziggler to a big pop. Dolph takes a swing at Miz and Bo hits Ziggler from behind.
8. We come back to a match between Bo and Ziggler. I assume Bo wins somehow, probably with interference from Miz.
9. Loved the DDT from Ziggler. FAMOUSER!!! And Bo kicks out.
10. Yep. Miz tries to interfere. Bo grabs the tights and rolls up Ziggler for the win. Ugh. Ziggler nails Bo, and then Miz pushes Ziggler into the ring post.
11. Backstage interview from Renee Young with Roman Reigns. That was a better interview than we've seen from him in the past.
12. Dean Ambrose v. Cesaro in a no-DQ match! This should be awesome! Cesaro can't beat anyone lately, so the only way he'll get the win is if someone else pitches in and attacks Ambrose. But it should be a fun match, but I don't think the ringside accoutrements will make the match more interesting.
13. RING BELL!!! (Is it just me, or does Cesaro remind anyone else of a smaller, unbearded Bill Goldberg?)
14. Cesaro has been brutalizing Ambrose with the kendo stick.
15. Nasty suplex to Cesaro onto a chair. Wow.
16. And Rollins comes out to attack Ambrose. Surprising, right?
17. CESARO WITH THE SUPERPLEX ONTO THE CHAIRS!!! I love when he does the superplex without any leverage.
18. Small package! Ambrose wins! And of course Rollins attacks right away. Cesaro joins in. Neutralizer. Curb Stomp.
19. Naomi v. Paige. Paige's shtick reminds me of how Mickie James used to mess with Trish Stratus.
20. Cameron's music distracts Naomi. Paige attacks from behind, hits RamPaige and then locks in the Scorpion Crosslock for the submission win.
21. Cameron then attacks Naomi. Naomi tries to fight back, but Cameron gets the upper hand.
22. Goldust and Stardust promo!!! This is so awesomely creepy!
23. R-Truth v. Bray Wyatt. Bray should easily win and then deliver another creepy promo.
24. Bray does the Spider to creep out Truth (and everyone else). And that shiner Bray has from Flair just makes him look more creepy!
25. Sister Abigail for the pinfall victory. "Save us, Jericho!"
26. Roman Reigns v. AdR in the main event. How does AdR merit main event time? Reigns should win.
27. AdR goes for the cross armbreaker early, but Reigns counters and sends him out of the ring.
28. Reigns countered the cross armbreaker in the ropes and then knocks AdR onto the floor. Wow. Even if the armbreaker is fake, the strength to lift a 200lb man from a disadvantageous position is impressively real.
29. Superman punch! Spear! Reigns with the pinfall victory to close the show.

Average show. Not a lot of excitement, a number of matches unrelated to the build for Summer Slam.

SmackDown 7/18/14

1. Dean Ambrose don't look happy. And he doesn't sound happy with Seth Rollins. He calls out Rollins, but Rollins appears on the tron to call Ambrose a lunatic and that he'd stomp Ambrose if he hadn't tweaked his knee. He announces that Dean has a match against Kane. Good mic work from both.
2. Fandango & Miz v. Sheamus & Dolph Ziggler. I'm picking Sheamus and Ziggler. Will this set up something in the IC Battle Royal at Battleground? Final four?
3. Come on. As if people didn't already want to punch Miz in the face.
4. This crowd seems pretty quiet.
5. Zig Zag on Miz! Sheamus and Ziggler win! Pretty good match, but I'd like to see Ziggler get more time against Fandango and other better technical wrestlers.
6. Nikki Bella is the special guest ref for Eva Marie v. Alicia Fox. Yeah, this won't get ugly for her.
7. I wonder if it ever bothers JBL to sound so stupid as a commentator when he's quite an intelligent man.
8. The match doesn't get very far when Eva and Alicia start the beat down. And it seems they're no longer letting Alicia sound like a lunatic. I guess that's solely an Ambrose gimmick now.
9. Stardust is pure gimmick gold!
10. Jericho v. Luke Harper should be an excellent match. Prediction: Jericho wins to set up a loss to Bray on Sunday.
11. Is that makeup on Jericho or a real contusion?
12. Another great promo from Bray. Will they finally let him shine on Sunday? Or will that wait for Summer Slam?
13. Harper is a buzz saw, and it seems like he can do everything. I wonder if he's getting the props he deserves.
14. Harper's shirt got ripped. How many back-ups do you think they've dirtied up for him?
15. A lot of near-falls, a lot of back and forth, counters.
16. Walls of Jericho! Rowan tries to attack, and Jericho stops him! Missed clothesline, and Jericho rolls him up for the win! Rowan immediately attacks, and Bray comes in. And the Usos make the save! Excellent match. I like the build for Sunday.
17. Zeb Colter sounded much better on the mic than he did on RAW. A little build with Rusev and Lana.
18. AdR v. Kofi Kingston. Two good ring workers. I assume AdR wins, since Kofi apparently isn't allowed to win anything lately. (I'm still waiting for that stable of disgruntled employees. Or maybe a new Nation of Domination with Big E. But would he have to be a heel for that?)
19. AdR tried to throw Kofi into the apron, but Kofi jumps into the ring, hits the ropes, and jumps through the ropes to hit AdR! Nice!
20. AdR stops on Kofi in the ropes, pulls him to the center, and gets the pinfall victory. Good match, disappointing result.
21. Summer Rae and Layla dis Fandango backstage. Bo Dallas tries to comfort him. The whole segment reeked of ugh.
22. AJ and Paige v. Layla and Summer. I expect the frenemies to get the win over the jilted dancers.
23. Tension between the frenemies when AJ tags herself in and picks up the win over Summer. Paige backs off and hugs AJ, but the heel turn is building.
24. Usos with product placement for Sonic. And Hornswoggle gets brain freeze! Nice!
25. Ambrose v. Kane. Prediction: Ambroae gets the win by DQ.
26. Unsurprisingly brutal thus far. Fun to watch.
27. Until Rollins attacks Ambrose from behind with the briefcase. And Kane chokeslams Ambrose. Rollins hits Curbstomp on the steel steps in the ring. Plenty of heat for Rollins as the show ends.

Pretty good show with some good building for Battleground. Some really lame moments too, but that's Creative lately.

SmackDown 7/11/14

1. SmackDown opens with...Rusev and Lana? They really did leave half the talents behind to get ready for Tokyo. And he's challenged by...Roman Reigns? And that will be the main event? That's...odd.
2. Cameron is channeling her inner Tyler Breeze.
3. Cameron v. AJ in a non-title match. AJ will destroy Cameron quickly.
4. This match bugs me. A lot. AJ has had almost no offense for about five minutes. Why are they making all the Divas champs look weak?
5. AJ hits the Shining Wizard for the win after Naomi throws Cameron back in the ring.
6. Fandango (with Layla) v. Adam Rose (with Layla). Ugh. *This* is what's replacing Santino? *sigh* and Rose will win quickly. Will Summer Rae and Layla interfere?
7. Of course they will. Ugh. As if this matchup isn't obnoxious enough.
8. Fandango gets counted out trying to separate Layla and Fandango. Fandango comes in and tries to punch out Rose, but Fandango takes him down and joins his rosebuds to celebrate.
9. Usos v. Titus O'Neil and Heath Slater. Really? The barrel is that empty? Look for the Usos to kick some misfits.
10. A splash on Slater for the win. Surprise, surprise. Saxton interviews the Usos about their best 2-of-3 falls v. the Junior Wyatts. The Usos do a Cole/JBL imitation as they mimic beating up the Wyatts. Not their best mic work.
11. Jericho v. Orton. Will the Legend get Killed? Orton will win, but there won't be a punt. This should be a quality match.
12. Nothing we haven't seen before, but a good match nonetheless...until the Wyatt light trick happens and Orton hits a distracted Jericho with an RKO.
13. Summer Rae v. Layla with Fandango as guest ref. Again. Will this match even happen?
14. Layla and Summer beat up Fandango. The ladies have a spur-of-the-moment dance-off and apparently decide to be dance partners. Umm...
15. Axel (with Ryback) v. Goldust (with Stardust). Expecting a Goldust victory in a decent-to-good match.
16. Stardust is mugging for the crowd. I didn't expect this to be as good a gimmick as it's turned out to be.
17. Goldust hits whatever-it's-called for the win.
Ryback goes for shell-shocked, but Stardust blows glitter in his face. The Dusts have a pose-off after.
18. Diego and Torito v. Bo(foon) Dallas in a Handicap Match. Ugh. And I thought Titus and Heath teaming up was rock-bottom for tonight. *sigh* of course Bo will win.
19. Bo hits the BoDog on Diego for the win and then attacks the bull. What a Bolly.
20. Main Event: Rusev (with Lana) v. Roman Reigns. This is so not a main event-quality matchup. Reigns will win...if there's a decision. Who attacks Reigns?
21. Rusev has demonstrated a minimal move set. I know he has the body type Vince likes, but the last thing we need is another meathead.
22. Reigns hulks up! Superman punch, lines up for the Spear...
23. And Orton attacks for the DQ. Rusev takes advantage, superkicking Reigns. Lana orders Rusev out of the ring, and Randy begins to stalk Reigns. RKO. Randy smiles us into oblivion.

Average show at best. Not impressed overall. Little held my interest, not really any good build for Battleground.

Smackdown 7/4/14

1. Seth Rollins comes out to open SmackDown to the sound of boos. He claims Cena got lucky, that He will cash in his MitB contract and take Cena's title. He's interrupted by Dean Ambrose, who comes out to tell Rollins that he will be there to keep the belts out of Rollins's hands. Both of these guys are great on the mic and in the ring, and I hope this feud plays out for a good long while.
2. Ambrose attacks Rollins. Orton comes out to save Rollins, and Reigns comes out to save Ambrose. Hunter comes out and makes Ambrose v. Orton with the stipulation that Reigns will lose his spot in the Fatal Four-Way at Battleground if he interferes in the match. This has to be building toward Hunter v. Reigns at SummerSlam, which should be a superb match.
3. Sheamus v. AdR for the United States Championship. These two have had very good matches in the past, and I don't see this being any different. Prediction: Sheamus retains in a solid match. AdR is going nowhere, and he's taking his time doing it.
4. Lots of counters and submission holds. Sheamus hits a Brogue out of nowhere to retain the belt. Very good match.
5. Stardust and Goldust deliver a bizarre promo. I really like this gimmick as a temporary thing.
6. Reigns interview backstage, and I have to say that it was one of his best samples of mic work.
7. Bo(nehead) Dallas says he'll win the Intercontinental Title Battle Royal at Battleground "for Daniel Bryan." Not impressed.
8. Bo(ring) v. Diego (with Torito). Predict an unfortunate Bo victory.
9. Bo hits the BoDog for the win. Nope. Still not impressed. He then gets gored by el Torito (YES!!!) and slams Torito. Apparently he's been received with nowhere near the heat that was expected. He's just not worth the effort of hating. Blah.
10. Chris Jericho comes put to a big pop. He talks about being attacked by "a big, dark, venomous spider and his family." He thanks the Wyatts for reminding him that the WWE is dangerous, and he can be dangerous too. Very good promo...
11. ...which Bray interrupts with his own golden promo. This will be a great feud!
12. Jericho goes to answer, but the Miz interrupts now to huge boos. (I miss the scruffy Miz.) Miz is talking about his moneymaker face when Y2J hits the Codebreaker! That was an enjoyable sequence all around.
13. Big E v. Cesaro. It wouldn't surprise me to see Cesaro lose now, only to win gold at Battleground. Ceaaro looked particularly brutal on RAW this week, and I think the crowd is finally accepting him as a heel.
14. Cesaro attacks Big E right away, and Big E responds equally. The match never even gets started, and the refs and Heyman keep them separated. I like the ire between these two.
15. Eva Marie (ugh) v. AJ (with Paige at ringside) in a non-title bout. If Eva gets any offense, it will be too much. Paige won't interfere. Great to have AJ back.
16. Eva slaps AJ. Why is she even here? AJ has to sell some of the worst moves we've ever seen.
17. AJ counters a side slam with the Black Widow for the submission win. Paige comes in and claps for AJ before heading up the ramp. Sort of a waste of a segment, but the build for Paige v. AJ is nice, because *that* will be a match to see if they're given more than 2 minutes.
18. Sandow comes out as Springsteen. Can he sink any lower? PLEASE find something *good* for him soon!
19. Rusev comes out to squash Sandow, which he does quickly. Lana gives her "America is fat and lazy and dying" promo about how America's birthday celebration is weak.
20. And Swagger and Coulter come out to a big pop(!) to shut them up! Been waiting for this for months! Coulter delivers a great promo. #WeThePeople!!! Lana holds back Rusev, and they leave the ring to the sound of the crowd chanting "WE THE PEOPLE!!! U-S-A!!!"
21. Main event: Ambrose v. Orton (woth Rollins at ringside and Reigns banned). I'd like to see Ambrose win, but I expect Orton to do so. There's a lot of pain Ambrose has to experience before he's allowed to really triumph. Whatever happens, it should be fun to see.
22. Rollins is doing good work on commentary, though he seems more comfortable in promos than answering questions.
23. No one does casual brutality the way Orton does. Not even Kane.
24. The crowd seems surprisingly dead during this match.
25. And then Ambrose attacks Rollins. He brings it back in the ring as the crowd wakes up. Rollins attacks Ambrose with the briefcase to give Ambrose the DQ win. Orton RKOs Ambrose, and the vultures circle until Reigns comes out for the save. He hits Superman on Orton. Rollins pulls Orton out, and Reigns brings Ambrose back into the ring to close out the show.

Enjoyable show overall, with some great microphone work throughout. A lot of building towards Battleground and beyond.

SmackDown 6/27/14

1. After a video, SmackDown opens with Hunter, Randy Orton, and Seth Rollins. Hunter talks about the "Authority Era" and how he and his cohorts are making history. (Historical drowsiness, maybe.) he also says an Orton championship and a Rollins contract win is "what's best for business." Orton and Rollins reiterate that point. There's a little dissension when Rollins points out that Randy might not get the job done again. Hunter tries to keep the peace.
2. Hunter then introduces a match between Bad News Barrett and Dean Ambrose. No chance this match ends cleanly, but it should be a good match until Rollins and Swagger interfere.
3. Did not expect a clean win by Ambrose! Very good match.
4. But Swagger and Colter interrupt the celebration. Swagger attacks Barrett and throws him into the barricade twice. The ref is holding up the X over Barrett. Not a good sign. Swagger trows Ambrose over the top rope, but Ambrose comes back in and does the same to Swagger. And then Rollins attacks Ambrose from behind and hits The Curb Stomp.
5. Paige v. Cameron next. They really need to give Paige top-notch opponents, not Cameron. Naomi is a step up, but she needs Natty or Emma or Charlotte...or a surprise return from Michelle McCool (who has no reason to come back). This will be short and not as good as I'd like to see from Paige.
6. Naomi is on commentary. Not a bright, sparkling light there.
7. Much too short, but Paige gets the win with the Paige Turner. Naomi comes in, but Cameron attacks from behind. Cameron then pushes Naomi into Paige to stir the pot.
8. Luke Harper gives a creepy promo. Great stuff. And then Bray comes in and keeps it going. They've got lightning in a mason jar!
9. Sheamus v. Bray. Again I expect interference from the Jr. Wyatts and the Usos, but I was wrong about the Barrett/Ambrose match. If there's a winner, it will be by DQ. But it will be a solid physical match.
10. Sheamus gets Bray in the Cloverleaf and Harper interferes to give Sheamus the DQ win. The Usos take out the Jr. Wyatts, and then Bray flees before Sheamus can deliver the Brogue. Very good, lengthy brawl of a match before that.
11. Goldust interviewed by Byron Saxton. Goldust puts over Stardust, and they go off on AxelBack. This could be Cody's best gimmick yet. The Dusts accept a match with the meatheads at Money in the Bank.
12. RVD and Ziggler v. Cesaro and AdR. This should show that AdR and Cesaro aren't considered real candidates for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. But Heyman on commentary is always worth the price of admission.
13. AdR blocks the frog splash and gets the submission from RVD with the Cross Armbreaker to give his team the win. Good match, though not great. And then Cesaro hits AdR with the Neutralizer!!! Yes!
14. Rusev comes out for a Lana promo. Then Big E comes out and picks a fight. Rusev tries ti fake out Big E, but Big E catches him and knocks him off the apron.
15. The main event is Kane v. Roman Reigns. One last match without a clean winner, but this should be a physical contest for as long as it lasts, and then the brawl begins.
16. Very good match until Orton attacks Reigns. Orton gets hit with a Superman punch, and then Kane hits Reigns with a Chokeslam. Kane sets up a ladder and holds it for Orton. Orton brings down the belts, and Kane goes to chokeslam Reigns again. Orton stops him and goes to pubt Reigns. Reigns spears both of them and holds up the belts himself.

The attacks were predictable, but a good show nonetheless. Good build-up for Money in the Bank.

Look for a MitB prediction post this evening or tomorrow.

SmackDown 6/20/14

1. John Cena opens the show with a humorous recap of the past few months with a lead-up to the men in the Money in the Bank ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and then he proclaims his intention to line up the other competitors and punch them.
2. AdR comes out with his stale self to say that he's going to win.
3. Out comes Sheamus, telling AdR that no one cares what he says...which is true. He also worries about how he's going to get three belts through airport security.
4. And here's Cesaro, with Heyman proclaiming Cesaro's upcoming victory.
5. Reigns comes through the crowd to a nice pop, and he gets in Cena's face to say that no one can stop him.
6. They're about to throw down when Orton comes out and says the titles are coming home.
7. Reigns goes out and attacks Orton; Cena and AdR go at it; Cesaro and Sheamus brawl. The faces come out ahead. No appearance by Bray Wyatt.
8. They speak briefly about the second ladder match at MitB for the briefcase. Seth Rollins is already in.
9. Rollins v. Kofi Kingston. Two excellent ring workers, and Rollins will come out ahead in a fairly long exciting match.Rollins comes out in leather, it appears, or latex. Good look for him.
10. Rollins hits the Curb Stomp for the win. Not as long as I thought it would be, but it was a quality match. Rollins guarantees a victory, but he's interrupted by Dean Ambrose who attempts to get in Seth's head. Nice back and forth between the two.
11. Bad News Barrett v. Dolph Ziggler. I hope this match is longer than the Rollins/Kingston match. This should be an excellent match if they're given the time. I'm predicting a BNB victory, as the WWE seems down on Ziggler after his concussion issues.
12.  SHOCKER!!! Ziggler gets a surprise non-title win over the Intercontinental Champion BnB with a roll-up after dodging the Bullhammer. His joy is short-lived, though, when BnB hits the Bullhammer as Ziggler gets off the turnbuckle. Who would thought a victory would lead to bad news? Barrett gets more heel heat, and he looks good doing it.
13. Titus O'Neil v. Adam Rose. Ugh. Why can't this be on RAW and get cut from the Hulu edition? Prediction: Rose gets the (hopefully quick) win, and O'Neil gets to look like a loser all on his own.
14. Rose rolls up O'Neil. At least it was quick. NO, O'Neil, don't prolong this! He demands Rose get back in the ring. Rose gets another quick pin. Ugh. Two matches in a total of about 90 seconds.
15. Kane v. Dean Ambrose with Rollins on commentary. Yeah, that won't come into play later. As much as I love Kane, there's no chance he gets a clean win here. Ambrose will pick up the win when Rollins accidentally attacks Kane. Should be a good match until then.
16. Rollins is good on the mic. He's ready to be on his own, as much as I'll miss the Shield.
17. Liking Ambrose's new music. Suits his peculiarities. But with that wifebeater shirt, he reminds me of Deuce and Domino.
18. After Rollins goads him, Ambrose attacks Rollins and pays the price when Kane catches him with an uppercut. Chokeslam by Kane, and Kane gets the win. Can't blame Rollins for that. Clean win for Kane, and then Rollins comes in to deliver a Curb Stomp to Ambrose.
19. Swagger v. Big E. Zeb Coulter calls out Rusev about his relationship with Lana. No appearance from Rusev. Predicting a victory for Big E, though both of these guys have been on downward spirals lately. Should be a good physical match.
20. Way too short. Big E picks up a quick win off the Big Ending. Worthless match for both of them.
21. Backstage interaction between Fandango and Summer Rae. Summer Rae butters him up and then kisses him. Is she going for the break-up? Layla sees it and disappears, upset.
22. Ugh. Bo(ring) Dallas v. Fandango. No Layla with him. Another short match. Bo(jangles) picks up the win in another quick match. Summer Rae comes out to dance with Fandango, and he sends her out. Layla attacks from behind. They end up in the ring. Layla clocks Fandango twice before the girls run off. Bo helps Fandango to his feet, then hits Stratusfaction for the win. UGH. Then he hugs Fandango and tells him he'll get the right one. He is so awful to watch.
23. Bray does a promo. "I am the designer of chaos." Wonderful line! PLEASE, if Cesaro doesn't win MitB for the straps, let Bray be the winner.
24. Reigns is the first face out, followed by Sheamus and then Cena. The heels come out mostly during commercial. These are all heavyweights. Not expecting a lot of flying. Prediction: The faces win with Reigns picking up the pin. Hopefully this match makes up for the rest of them.
25. Looks like Reigns will get the hot tag. Cena and Sheamus are playing keep-away. Ooh, odd Irish Curse off the ropes. Was that a botch or intentional?
26. Back from commercial, Sheamus is in bad shape. Makes the tag to Cena, does his shoulder block shtick. Orton blocks the AA, ends up outside. Big brawl on the outside, and Cena/Orton come back in the ring as the legal men with Orton in control. Orton eyes Reigns while Cena contemplates the mat.
27. Orton keeps eying Reigns while Cena keeps getting beat down.
28. HUGE throw/European Uppercut from Cesaro to Cena! That man is *always* impressive.
29. Reigns catches the hot tag from Cena! Reigns takes them all out one by one. Reigns hits AdR with the spear for the win.

Lousy booking. Too many of the matches were way too short--three of them (four if you count both O'Neil matches) were less than a minute. The main event was good, but I don't think it made up for an otherwise weak show

SmackDown 6/13/14

1. SmackDown opens with a vignette about Daniel Bryan, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and the Rollins turn.
2. Ambrose and Reigns come out. Ambrose gives a good promo. Reigns repeats his "Ass of the WWE comment about Orton. After a "coin toss" to choose between them (where he barely looked at the coin), Hunter gives Ambrose a shot to qualify for MitB against Bray Wyatt, but Reigns is not allowed at ringside. Then he makes a match between Reigns and Bad News Barrett where Ambrose is banned from ringside.
3. Reigns v. Barrett should be a good match. These two solid in-ring performers, given time, should wow the crowd. Prediction: Reigns wins a quality match.
4. 3MB comes out (for the last time, sadly) to attack Reigns. Reigns clears the ring and beats them down. It's a shame. It was a very good match where both competitors looked strong. And an ignoble end to the WWE career of Drew McIntyre. How sad.
5. Eric Rowan v. Jey Uso. The Junior Wyatts v. the Usos has been a good feud. I'd like to see this play out pretty soon, though, maybe at MitB, before it gets too stale. Prediction: Jey Uso in what will probably be a shorter match. Having it at this slot in the show will probably keep it from being too long.
6. Rowan wins too short a match which he dominated throughout. Not their best work, but it doesn't surprise me that they continue to make Rowan (and Harper) look strong.
7. Bo(ring) Dallas comes out. Nope. Still not convinced he belongs on the main roster. But he's sure to go over R-Truth. It will be a short match, and Bo will win, of course.
8. At least Ron got some offense in before Bo hits Stratusfaction for the win. Probably Bo's best match since he came up, but yeah, still not impressed.
9. Hey, Paul! Not sure why the man who speaks five languages needs a translator, but you're always welcome to bring your voice to a WWE event. He says that Cesaro is not here for a grappling match, but for a fight, as evidenced by Cesaro's taped hands.
10. Cesaro v. Sheamus in a rematch. My prediction: Cesaro wins what should be a good match with a small-package. More cheap heel heat for doing what he's mad at Sheamus for doing.
11. I like the taped hands on Cesaro. It makes him look even more intimidating.
12. Cesaro wins a lengthy brawl with an inside cradle off a Heyman distraction. A couple times it looked like Cesaro damaged his knee, but he seems fine. Quality physical match. I'm liking this rivalry.
13. Creepy Bray continues to be creepy. We want more!!!
14. Fandango (with Layla) v. Adam Rose (with Rosebuds). Fandango's downward spiral continues with a lightning-fast loss to the freak show. Summer Rae comes out as the Gobbledygooker to attack Layla. That was the most entertaining part of the match.
15. Big E v. Swagger. Interesting match-up. Apparently Swagger was upset that Big E waved a flag. Quick match? I can't see Swagger picking up a clean win, but Big E has been losing lately.
16. Lana comes out and disrupts the match. Swagger attacks from behind while Big E is distracted. Big E still hits the Big Ending for the win in a quick match.
17. Alicia Fox v. Aksana in Aksana's last match. (Na Na Na Na! Na Na Na Na! Hey Hey Hey! Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out!) Will they let Fox win?
18. Alicia with a quick win. She's still a freakazoid when she wins! I barely had time to type my farewell to Aksana before the match ended.
19. Bray Wyatt v. Dean Ambrose in a MitB qualifier. No way will Ambrose be allowed to win this match. Prediction: Bray picks up the win in a good match, possibly with Rollins interference.
20. A top-notch match between Wyatt and Ambrose is disrupted by Rollins. Ambrose goes to attack Rollins who leads Ambrose back into the ring. Ambrose runs into Sister Abigail. Wyatt picks up the win and punches his MitB ticket. Good match, disappointing (but not surprising) ending.

Decent show. Would have been better with fewer disappointing endings. No Paige. Disappointing departure appearance for McIntyre. I've got Broken Dreams now.

SmackDown 6/6/14

1. SmackDown opens with the story of Evolution v. the Shield, ending with Seth Rollins turning against his Shield compatriots to join Hunter and Orton. And here comes Triple H with Seth playing the role of Hunter's Lapdog instead of Hound of Justice. Hunter is his insufferable Authority heel self with his obnoxious gloating, and Seth plays it close to the...vest. Umm, unintentional pun there. Sorry.
2. And out comes Dolph Ziggler. Wow. Is he really going to beard this lion in its den? You're right, buddy. You're going to go down even further. (When are you going to form your own stable: You, Sandow, and Kofi. Maybe Zack Ryder. It's time.) And Hunter has the temerity to say that Dolph doesn't sell out arenas? Whatever.
3. Hunter books Ziggler v. Rollins. This should be an excellent match, with two of the best workers in the company going head to head. I expect a Rollins win, of course, but the journey there will be fun.
4. Excellent back-and-forth match with Rollins hitting the Curb Stomp for the win. I hope this is the beginning of something between these two--and maybe between Ziggler and a few friends and Evolution. I don't know what the plans are for Ambrose and Reigns, but Ziggler has certainly made no bones about his opposition to the Authority.
5. Renee Young interviews Bad News Barrett. Mic time has only made Barrett look better. We already knew what he could do in the ring.
6. Big Show confronts Seth Rollins. I think he'll be paying a price for that too. In a clean match with Orton, Big Show would win. But of course Hunter's not going to let it be a clean match.
7. Here come the Usos! UCE! OHHHH! Great to see how far they've come.
8. Usos v. AxelBack, the team that's been making Cody and Goldust look bad lately. The push for Axelback has been an interesting thing, but I don't think it will continue tonight.
9. The Usos pick up a pretty quick victory. It could have used a few more minutes to let both teams shine, but it wasn't a bad match.
10. Lana brings out examples of Russia's dominance. Hello, WWE. 1984 wants its storyline back.
11. Rusev v. Xavier Woods? Maybe the USA really does have nothing better to offer. *sigh* This will be ugly. And mercifully quick.
12. Indeed, the match might have lasted 90 seconds. Rusev with the submission victory.
13. "My name is Paul Heyman..." Good to see you keeping things turned up, Paul.
14. Triple-Threat Intercontinental Championship match between Cesaro, RVD, and the current champ, Bad News Barrett.
15. Can we get rid of Cole and JBL and just let Heyman talk full-time?
16. Another excellent match. RVD hits the five-star frog splash on Cesaro, then takes a Bullhammer from BNB. Great stuff after a good-length match.
17. And Bray Wyatt interrupts the celebration with a vignette on the tron. Death apparently doesn't hold him down for very long.
18. Natalya v. the freakazoid Alicia Fox. Not expecting much from this, not with Alicia being batty. Do they have a straightjacket ready?
19. Natty gets the win, and Alicia, predictably, goes berserk. Not a Paige match, but not bad.
20. Bo(ring) Dallas v. Santino w/ Emma at ringside. Santino is about to get squashed. Will he get any offense in? Poor Santino. I know he's comic relief, but he's not funny-sad like Bo.
21. Bo hits Stratusfaction on Santino, then we have to listen to him again. *sigh* Emma could beat Bo Dallas.
22. Renee with Big Show. Show is looking svelte! And Renee looks pretty good too.
23. Poor Big Show is going to be used to put over Evolution in the main event. I guess that's his role at this point of his career, but it's sad to see.
24. Rollins intervenes to save Orton and Triple H after a slow (but not obnoxiously so) match. Hunter handed a weapon to one of his employees to injure another. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen. *wink* Poor Show.

I quite enjoyed this show. We'll see what Monday brings with the return of Ambrose and Reigns, but it should be fun.

SmackDown 5/30/14

1. Here come the Shield to open SmackDown. Roman Reigns looks like he's moving rather gingerly. Still selling Monday's beat down? Or still hurting?
2. Good promo to build for Payback. Once again, Evolution v. Shield could steal the show.
3. Kofi's back on the big show! Of course, Cesaro is going to kick his tuchus, but it's good to see him again.
4. Too short a match, but that was a nice showcase. Those uppercuts--especially that last one--looked nasty!
5. Barrett seems to be loving life right now. He should. This is the push he's deserved.
6. Paige!!! With AJ on holiday, Paige is carrying the Divas division. And she's got the talent to do it.
7. Alicia Fox has gone whackadoo. Which is probably as good a gimmick for her as possible.
8. Not a good idea to be distracted with Tamina in the ring. She's likely to break your neck when she's trying to lock up.
9. No more Bo. Please.
10. Woods v. Bo? Wake me when it's done.
11. Dallas hits...BoDog...*sigh*... for the win. I'll never have Stratusfaction again.
12. El Torito v. Jinder Mahal. *sigh* This is...too much.
13. Champion v. Champion match: Sheamus v. Barrett. As long as Sheamus doesn't go all groggy again, this should be a very good matchup.
14. Hey, Paul Heyman--Did your client, Brock Lesnar, conquer the Undertaker's undefeated Wrestlemania Streak?
15. Lived up to expectations. Good physical matchup without being ponderous.
16. You're an advocate, Paul?
17. Yeah, the Sheamus heel turn is going real well, don't you think?
18. Big E with that flag looks like he's about to build a barricade in revolution-era France.
19. Big E v. Titus O'Neil...interesting matchup.
20. Is Lana's accent real? (Just checked Wikipedia. She was raised much of her life in Latvia.) She does it well, though it seems to slip from time to time.
21. Match was too quick, but at least it didn't plod. Big E with a quick victory.
22. Swagger v. Adam Rose. PLEASE hit him so hard that he forgets about Adam Rose and becomes Leo Kruger again.
23. Poor Jimmy, about to be sacrificed on the altar of Sister Abigail.
24. I'll be honest: I didn't expect this much offense from Jimmy. Surprisingly good match. Not surprised to see Bray win it.

Best show in May. Not a lot of build for Payback, but the matches were good.

Smackdown 5/23/14

1. I always mark out when Hogan's music hits, even when he's just coming out to sell something.
2. Time for Ziggler's beat down. I really think Ziggler needs to team up with Sandow and...Drew McIntyre, who needs to leave 3MB like three years ago. Face or heel, I don't care. That would be a badass stable, and maybe they could get the respect together that they can't seem to get on their own.
3. A no-DQ match between Batista and Ziggler? How long before the minions of the Authority interfere?
4. No interference. Color me surprised. Just a very good match. Ziggler steals the show every night, even in defeat.
5. Not ready for a Bo debut. *sigh* Can we get his brother Bray to destroy him?
6. Diva tag match between the Funkadactyls and Eva Marie with Nikki Bella with Summer Rae as the guest ref? Sounds like a Total Divas botchfest.
7. Quick count pinfall. At least it was short.
8. I am not a Bo-liever. Poor Hunico--er, Sin Cara, that is--to have to put Bo over.
9. Stratusfaction, Bo? Really? That's your finisher? *sigh*
10. Keep talking Bray. That stuff is gold.
11. Sheamus v. AdR with Cesaro and Heyman at ringside. Should be a solid match, if predictable, as I fully expect Cesaro to interfere.
12. There it is. I was really hoping Cesaro would be a babyface. Oh well.
13. And Vicki brings out Adam Rose for his Smacdow debut? *sigh* My kingdom for Leo Kruger.
14. It *was* funny to see Vicki carried around by the freakshow.
15. Both Usos have gotten much better on the mic. Good to hear.
16. Cena? What...was that? I guess you made your point, but...geez.
17. The Usos v. The Wyatts Jr. Both teams have come a long way since their debuts, but it's amazing how quickly Harper and Rowan have progressed.
18. Excellent match until Bray brought on the DQ for his team. Hate to see it end that way. I'd rather, as JR suggests, see time limits brought back. Oh well.

Three decent matches, only one of which ended with a pinfall/submission victor. Not a great show, but much better than RAW was.

SmackDown 5/16/14

1. John Cena really needs to stop with the testicular jokes about his opponents. That's a bully tactic.
2. It's funny how Bray can give a compelling promo without talking about his opponent's man-parts. I remember when John could do that.
3. A Tag-Team match between Jimmy & Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes and Goldust. That's quite an unexpected and delightful surprise, even if it's another sign of the impending dissolution of the Brotherhood.
4. Still impressed at how good Goldust looks. He moves better that guys about half his age. I hope he doesn't disappear after he and Cody split and have their feud.
5. Cody with some heel tactics. I liked him as a heel before, and I won't mind terribly if he goes back to it.
6. Great match! One of the best four-man tag matches of the year! Those four left it all in the ring.
7. Heath Slater v. El Torito? Really? *sigh*
8. Nikki Bella v. Natalya with Eva Marie as the ref? This should be a trainwreck.
9. Umm...botchfest? Yes, I believe it was. Eva can't wrestle, and she can't ref either.
10. Dolph? You're great, man, but you might not want to rattle Batista's cage when he's already upset.
11. Looking at Batista, I have to say that I think the WWE cut Mason Ryan because Batista was looking too much like him. Maybe you should go back to the shaved head, Dave.
12. Good match until Batista went all crybaby.
13. No one sells taking a beating like Ziggler.
14. Sheamus v. Titus O'Neil. Wow. Ballsy promo from Titus followed by a squash from Sheamus on the Brogue kick. Wow. That was quick. And ugly. And awesome!
15. That Adam Rose segment was...disturbing.
16. I wish Sandow was getting better opposition. On the bright side, at least Santino isn't facing Fandango.
17. Another squash? This time Santino with the win? That's just wrong.
18. I don't understand this thing with Sandow. I hope something comes of this. He's too good a talent, too good on the mic, to be wasted.
19. Paul Heyman, did your client Brock Lesnar do something significant?
20. Cena v. Eric Rowan. This seems...familiar.
21. Usos at ringside to keep the Wyatts in line. Not a surprise. Cena's been needing help a lot lately.
22. Cena "Hulks up" on Rowan, but Rowan hits the side slam. Not a bad match so far. Rowan has gotten better and better.
23. Usos make the save when Harper tries to intervene, then keep Bray out of the ring as Cena hits the AA on Rowan for the pinfall. I smell consequences coming.

Hard to be really happy with a show containing two squashes in a row, but it was decent.

SmackDown 5/9/14

1. Very good match between Sheamus and Ambrose for the IC strap. Good back and forth. Sheamus retains after two brogue kicks.
2. If they're trying to make Sheamus a heel, they're going to have to try harder. Right now it just looks like he's taking advantage of opportunities and doing what he has to for the win. Nothing dirty or unsportsmanlike so far, except possibly his "No hard feelings, fella" comment on RAW.
3. I like the team of Barrett and Cesaro. I know it's just a throw-away, but it gives Cesaro a legitimate heel to feed off of.
4. RVD kicks his tag-partner Big E! Oops! Oh, and Barrett thanks him by throwing him into the barrier. Cesaro with the pin on Big E off the neutralizer.
5. Loved having Heyman on commentary.
6. Quick squash on Kofi by Rusev. You'd never know that Kofi's last televised victory was over the then-world champion Orton.
7. Another golden promo by Bray Wyatt.
8. No more Bo!
9. Okay. I know I'm a fan of the #EMMAlution, but if she and Santino don't face someone besides Fandango and his dancer du jour...
10. Impressive performance from Roman Reigns against Mark Henry. He sold Monday's Evolution attack very well.
11. So how does El Torito not get DQed for biting Hornswoggle?
12. El Torito pins Heath Slater. More believable than pinning Drew McIntyre at least.
13. There's the Mr. T tribute for Mother's Day!
14. Very good match between Batista and Seth Rollins. Brutality from Batista, high-flying antics from Rollins. Batista wins by count-out, and then he attacks Rollins. Good storytelling.
15. And again the Wyatts win a four-star match, this time over the Usos and Cena. Will this lead to a tag title match?

Good show overall. Six out of eight matches were above average.

SmackDown 5/2/14

1. The only problem I have with stables like the Shield and the Wyatts is the artificially constructed six-man tag match. The Usos and Sheamus as a team? I guess. Not the oddest team I've seen, but still...
2. Good match--which doesn't surprise me, considering the quality of the participants--but it felt like they were trying to do too many things: a message to Cena, revenge for Sheamus after Main Event, building for a possible Tag Title match...
3. Adam Rose reminds me of the LCMS--the WWE is trying to piggyback on the popularity of Russell Brand, only about a decade too late.
4. WeeLC match? Is 3MB now 4MB? El Torito speaks? Wow, this really is an intriguing matchup. *sigh*
5. WE...THE PEOPLE!!! RVD v. Swagger with Cesaro at ringside? Yeah, that will end well.
6. RVD gets the win, for all the good it did him. #CesaroIsExtreme. I expected a melee, but the Extreme Rules match didn't need much in the way of build-up after RAW.
7. Rusev v. Truth. *yawwwwwwn* Woods interferes. ZZZ...
8. Like him or not, John Cena has granted over 400 Wishes. That's impressive. That's not something he has to do, but he does it all the time. If for nothing else than that, he should be considered one of the all-time greats.
9. It's great to see how far Daniel Bryan has come on the mic.
10. I know Kane is going to lose on Sunday, but it's nice to see him in a title match. Some moron wrote that Kane is, at best, a midcard talent. In reality, he is the most versatile talent the WWE has seen.
11. Ziggler v. Sandow/Magneto? Is there an imminent nuclear attack, or will one of these jobbers actually get a win?
12. Actually, Sandow was impressive in that he didn't trip over his own cape in all of that. For a joke match, they both sold it well.
13. Titus beats up Big E? Wow, and Big E returned the favor. I thought Titus was going to have a broken neck.
14. Another golden promo from Wyatt.
15. Ambrose to defend the US Title in a Fatal Four-Way. On the bright side, it's good to see AdR firmly in the midcard.
16. If this is the kind of title defense Ambrose faces, maybe it's worth it that he hasn't defended very much.
17. Believe in the Shield. No kidding.

Not the best show ever, but there was decent last-minute build for Extreme Rules.

SmackDown 4/25/14

1. Heyman wins the debate! No doubt! Cesaro just looked on in amusement. Perfect!
2.  That being said, Coulter is a good talker, and he's done wonders for both Swagger and Cesaro. This feud should be good for both of them.
3. Every time Swagger hits a Swagger bomb, I have this wild urge to break out in a chorus of the Runaways.
4. Excellent match. Matches like this are why Swagger is worth the trouble, why Cesaro deserves this push.
5. Classic Shield with a 3-on-1 attack on Swagger. This babyface turn and feud with the Authority/Evolution is compelling stuff.
6. Nice vignette for Paige.
7. Just how bad is this Natalya/Tamina match? Tamina doesn't belong on the main roster, much less as #1 contender for the Divas title. Not even Natty can make her look good.
8. Looked like some creative editing on that final kick from Tamina. Usually they'd show that from the side.
9. Poor Drew McIntyre. The rest of 3MB amounts to nothing, but he had real potential. Talk about broken dreams...
10. I foresee a Brad Maddox beatdown. Bye bye, Brad.
11. Curtis Axel may have ring skills, but he has the charisma of a corroded penny.
12. Is it just me, or does Ryback's singlet make him look naked and tattooed?
13. Jey Uso got squashed. Way to make the Tag Team Champs look soft.
14. Does Axelback have a future in Evolution? I'd hate to see it, but this unwarranted push has to mean something. And Ryback never got his revenge on the Shield for costing him the WWE title last October.
15. I don't Bolieve.
16. Bray Wyatt...wow. Now *that* is charisma in spades.
17. Harper and Rowan look better with every match they get under their belts.
18. I don't like the Goldust/Cody issues, but it wasn't unexpected...though I expected this before WMXXX. I think Goldy is on borrowed time.
19. Whoomp! There it is! Poor Brad.
20. Triple powerbomb off the stage? Wow. Fandango won't be dancing for a while.
21. Is Adam rose done yet?
22. They ahowed the Kane/Daniel Bryan segment from RAW again. You have to appreciate Kane's casual brutality. The Undertaker always seems premeditated. Kane seems to do the first evil thing that comes to mind.
23. 11-on-3 becomes 5-on-3. That's better than even odds for the Shield. Excellent systematic destruction of half the locker room.

Good show overall, except for Tamina. If she beats Paige at Extreme Rules, I will be disgusted.

SmackDown 4/18/14

1. Hey, Evolution: the 2000s want their clique back. Back then you wouldn't have needed 11 guys to soften up your opponents for you.
2. So Sheamus is going to put Batista over for the sake of Evolution? *sigh* Well, maybe it will be a good match anyway.
3. AdR v. Big E? I think we've seen this before. At least we didn't have to listen to del Rio talk.
4. Pretty good match. Weird ending. Right call on the DQ, but the ref should have called for the bell immediately instead of doing his little dance.
5. Yes, Paul, we know Lesnar beat Taker. Talk about an easy way to get heat. And he didn't even have to lie to do it. I think I'm growing to like him.
6. Paige!!! Great to see her with the belt. Aksana is not a wrestler. She's a fitness model. Paige is a wrestler.
7. So...are they trying to make Paige look too inexperienced to hold the belt? People keep beating her up, and then Paige wins after a moment of offense. Let her look like the real talent she is.
8. Renee Young...if the WWE lets her get away to ESPN, they'll miss her. So will we.
9. Torito v. Hornswoggle? I know Torito was actually a wrestler in Mexico, but I've never seen evidence that Hornswoggle could. Hornswoggle actually looks like the Miz.
10. That was a better match than I expected. I thought it would be the joke it usually is when Hornswoggle is involved, but he was doing real moves. I don't think I'd like a steady diet of that, but it wasn't bad.
11. Bad News is back on the podium tonight. What a shame. He seems to be making the best of a bad gimmick.
12. Is Lana charismatic enough to be Rusev's mouthpiece? Is his move set enough to be a silent wrestler? Too early to tell, but they both have the look. He reminds me of Ryback, and we know how that has turned out. Maybe Lana will make the difference. Anyone else having flashbacks to Rocky IV?
13. I'm glad they showed the Ultimate Warrior tribute from RAW again.
14. I know Layla danced for the Miami Heat, but Summer Rae seems like a better dancer. That being said, I'd rather not have either of them.
15. And how many times do we have to see Santino v. Fandango? I think Emma v. Layla would be a better match. Still like the Emma/Santino interplay though.
16. Just say NO to Adam Rose.
17. Another better match than I expected. Sheamus and Batista gave me all I could have wanted from them, even though Batista won.

Better show than last week's episode. I know every show can't be a home run; this was a solid double.

SmackDown 4/11/14

1. Thank you for the memories, Warrior. You indeed will live forever in the hearts, minds, and legends of the fans.
2. A regular Cena promo. I hear they had to edit out something he said about the Ultimate Warrior.
3. I think the Wyatts need to go the route of Metallica when they cut their hair short.
4. Big Show will help Cesaro look strong.
5. It's strange hearing people cheering Heyman, though. And it's strange to want to like a Paul Heyman guy.
6. Oh man. I wanted Cesaro to be a babyface. I don't think the Universe is going to give him much of a choice.
7. I like the attack from Swagger. That will be a good feud for both of them.
8. Axelback v. Los Matadores, eh? Zzzzzzz... I liked Primo and Epico better. (Did you see Carlito at the HoF induction? He looked good with facial hair, but he still needs a haircut. And was he stoned?)
9. It's me! It's me! It's DD...er, I mean RVD! I know his returns are just short-term, but he's always fun to watch. (I still love how he sells his own frog splash.)
10. It's a shame, what they've done to Sandow. He's too good for this. I hope they're tearing him down to build him back up.
11. Is Adam Rose supposed to be Russell Brand? I don't like brand, and I don't like the Rose gimmick. He was better as Leo Kruger.
12. Hulkamania runs wild on SmackDown! "Yestlemania?" Ugh.
13. Loving how Daniel Bryan is talking about being a fan of Hogan's. He's geeking in the ring! What an awesome segment!!!
14. Barrett with a quick win over Kofi. I'm glad he's back in the ring, but both of them are better than that.
15. Fandango v. Santino. Ugh. And Layla with Fandango? *sigh* not even Emma can save that.
16. Nice vignette for Paige. Can't wait to see her more often on RAW and SmackDown.
17. No action for the Shield. I was hoping for more than a canned promo. Oh well.
18. Good to see the Usos in the main event with Bryan v. the Authority Heels. They've come a long way.
19. I want the old Kane back!
20. If any of you used to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer, do Randy Orton's tattooed arms remind you of Adam?
21. Good action. Double count out was disappointing, but there are worse ways to end a match.
22. And the Shield attack was exactly what I thought I was missing.

Not a blockbuster show, but I don't know that anyone expected that after WMXXX and RAW.