Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.
Very impressed with Christian vs. Bryan, specifically that they gave Bryan a tapout win over such a decorated competitor (former World and ECW Champion). I do think they might be going a little strong on the physicality and fast pacing, but I know that both men have solid wrestling backgrounds and can "work" outside of that and don't just beat the hell out of each other to cover for in-ring deficiencies.
Fine Dolph/Teddy segment. Del Rio vs. Sin Cara should be good.
Nice match between Rollins and Uso. The phrase "young, hungry talent" comes to mind here. The Usos are showing me something lately, and Rollins has "future star" written all over him. What's truly awesome is that there are more talented young guys waiting in the wings in NXT. The future looks really bright.
Jericho vs. Axel was amazing. Jericho's not slowing down a bit, is he? It's a shame that it took this long for Axel to get a push given what he showed here. I know that Axel lost, but I can't complain too much given how he looked before then. There's still hope for him to be successful.
Fine enough post-match.
What the heck happened to Ryback? I can't help but think of Heyman's promo in 2001 about Taz(z): "LOOK AT (RYBACK)! LOOK AT (RYBACK)! THIS MAN WAS A KILLER! HE WAS A MACHINE!" I'm starting to think about those conspiracy theories about him being depushed for saying that he wants to take Cena's spot or whatever in interviews. I really hope he returns to the (non-wounded) animal on Sunday.
Sheamus is kind of goofy, isn't he? It can be argued that some levity is good here and there for the kiddies, though. I definitely don't want everyone being "angry pro wrestler who wants to win titles and then fight a bear because we're so tough" - it gets really tiring.
This AJ/Kaitlyn feud is amazing. I loved this segment, and both of the competitors are awesome both as characters and wrestlers. All hail the new Trish and Mickie.
I miss when Fandango was a regular part of the show. Stupid concussions. Also, Summer Rae had a pretty solid match on this week's NXT. I can't wait to see her face off with some of the main roster Divas.
That was interesting... But as always, having a "good match" wasn't as important as selling the PPV. I do think you need some "good matches" on TV, but that shouldn't be the end all, be all.
I liked the argument to set up the MITB match.
Clever stuff with "Sin Cara" and Del Rio. I'm ready for Sunday.
Not crazy about the Vickie segment. I think it might be time for the character to take a break and/or do something different.
Funny stuff with Ziggler and Sin Cara. I'm liking babyface Ziggler. I hope they have something hot planned for Sunday.
Orton vs. Sheamus was pretty solid. I liked the ending.
Nice ending to the show. Good old chaos. I'm curious to see who will leave MITB with the briefcase.
More wrestling coming up.
Here are my predictions for the Money In The Bank pay-per-view:
ReplyDeleteCena over Henry. I believe Henry deserves the WWE Title, but for Cena to have a heroic win at WrestleMania and to have all of that flack about having a bad 2012, I don't see him losing that title any time soon. Henry really does have a lot left in the tank, so I hope if he indeed loses, he still maintains the upper card status.
Del Rio over Ziggler. Putting my criticisms aside for Ziggler, I see Del Rio winning here. I think turning Del Rio heel again all to lose the title back right after wouldn't make much sense.
Daniel Bryan wins the MITB match. He has been booked as great as he's ever been booked (even compared to his W.H. Title run) and he is insanely over with the fans. I think he's really showcased how talented he really is in and out of the ring since he's been given more of a chance and more time to shine the past couple of months.
Dean Ambrose wins the second MITB match. I think combining the monumental push The Shield has gotten with how behind Ambrose the WWE is, he seems like the best bet here. This match does seem a lot less climatic than the other MITB match, however. I could also see Cesaro or Sandow pulling this one out. I think both of those guys deserve it, especially Sandow with the solid mic work and fire he's shown consistently. Possible Sandow/Rhodes feud if he wins it?
Axel over Miz. I think with these Axel losses to Jericho, WWE has been showing that with wins over Cena, Jericho, and Triple H, that being Intercontinental Champion doesn't make Axel invincible and there are growing pains for everyone in the company, but I see the last couple of losses to Jericho as just a speed bump with regards to Axel's push. I see him retaining over Miz.
AJ over Kaitlyn. It's obvious WWE is fully behind AJ, and she has gotten an immense amount more of focus and mic time in her title reign already than any past Diva has in months and maybe years. I see that as an advantage for her to retain Sunday. Plus, it's very rare to have a wrestler who lost the title regain it in the rematch (even in the Divas division).
Ryback over Jericho. This one is a bit of a wild card, but even though Ryback is experiencing a small demotion, he should win here. You mentioned Jericho going on another hiatus soon, so that could be a reason for it. I'm not high on Ryback, but he is the favorite to win here.
Reigns and Rollins over Usos. I see The Usos as basically just another team that makes Reigns and Rollins look strong here. The Usos haven't received much mic time or focus to really prove that fact otherwise. This is probably the match I'm most sure about.
Your thoughts/predictions?
I'm going to be somewhat brief here; please don't mistake that as me not caring about your opinion. I'm just busy!
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't shock me to see Cena/Henry II at Summerslam. Henry has kind of hinted in recent interviews that he might not have as much in the tank as he says on TV, but he's so good at misdirecting people that that could just be something to make us value MITB more. I love that Henry's so good at "working" people. That's his job. The rumor is Cena vs. Bryan next month. We'll see.
You're right that it wouldn't make sense re: Del Rio/Ziggler.
If Bryan doesn't win, I think they'll have a good reason why he doesn't and it will still lead to big things. Example: Orton or Kane wins, and then he beats whichever of them at Summerslam for the briefcase.
Smackdown MITB is kind of wide open. I like almost everyone there. I don't think WWE likes Cesaro enough to give it to him, but you never know. I definitely think Rhodes vs. Sandow could be in the works.
I'd be surprised if Axel loses, but WWE likes curve balls and last-minute decisions to cater to those looking for babyface wins.
You've caught on about title matches. I think AJ's got this one.
Almost definitely Ryback. Y2J's got tour dates from August to October. Heck, he wasn't originally scheduled to do MITB.
WWE does like to start shows with babyface wins, so they might make the short-sighted decision to have the Usos win. I hope not, but you never know.