Smackdown Thoughts- 1/14/11

Tonight's show will feature Big Show vs. Wade Barrett, and Dolph Ziggler on the Cutting Edge. Let's get into my thoughts of the show as it happens:

I liked the opening segment for getting over why the Royal Rumble is important, as well as pushing the competitors involved as people to watch in that match. Yes, a Raw star is on Smackdown, and I don't buy Cody Rhodes as a potential Rumble winner (though I'm a fan of his and he's earning his way up the card), but overall the segment was good. And it was a simple set up to the tag match. That's what wrestling basically should be: promos leading to matches. And a good match at that.

I liked JTG's video package, even though I didn't feel that it really accomplished much of anything as far as promoting his character as a wrestler.

The "Caesar" promo by Barrett was solid. I hope he's still going to be a big player in WWE.

If you pretend that they haven't already promoted Ezekiel Jackson's Smackdown return for the live Smackdown, then forgot about it, this was a nice preview. Jackson's been working house shows for Smackdown.

Nasty beatdown by McIntyre before a smooth turnaround by Baretta to win. Both men did well here. I want to see more of them in the future.

And I get my wish. Kelly Kelly coming through with surprisingly good acting adding to this intriguing storyline.

A new Nexus on Smackdown! I get my OTHER wish! Nice tease with Jackson earlier tonight. I like this a LOT. An amazing strength display by Jackson, and Justin Gabriel fitting into his heel role much better than I expected coming out of NXT made this especially memorable. This is how you use veterans, TNA.

And showing the aftereffects while talking in somber tones is also effective in getting over a segment. Thankfully they aren't going to show Big Show later tonight talking in a quiet tone while a camera zooms in and shakes. He should be a lot more angry, and we shouldn't hear him talk until next week.

I'd like everyone who says that Michelle McCool only gets a push because of her relationship with The Undertaker to watch this match and see how good her ring work is. Some people and their crazy theories...

Nice promos by Kingston and Swagger. Two future World Champions I think (for a 2nd time in Swagger's case. 3 times if you count his ECW Title run). These two always deliver in the ring too.

Dolph Ziggler held his own in this segment. I'm still a bit cautious on him being a main eventer, but I'm pretty cautious about things in general. Sometimes these things work out. We'll see. Vickie was solid as usual. I wish Dolph would have addressed that he had moved on and was through with Kaitlyn though. Maybe we'll get Edge and Kaitlyn vs. Dolph and Vickie? Kaitlyn wasn't stellar in the ring on NXT, but she's been training in FCW since then so she might be ready enough for such a match.

The ending to Smackdown was good as well. Dolph looks like a credible threat to Edge, and that's the point. All in all a good show. That's it for tonight. I'll return for Raw on Monday with John Cena vs. C.M. Punk.