Detailed 2/3/12 WWE Smackdown Recap
by Brad Hoy
Smackdown Recap 3rd February 2012
Smackdown Opener:
Smackdown kicked off this week from Omaha, Nabraska with Teddy Long announcing who will be the participants in the Elimination Chamber match. The superstars in the Smackdown Chamber match will feature: Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Big Show, Mark Henry and Randy Orton (no surprises there). Long then began to explain the rules of the Chamber match, Henry’s music hit and the world’s strongest man made his way to the ring where he started to complain about his odds in the Chamber match. Henry then told Teddy to take him out of the Chamber match and book him in a World heavyweight title match tonight. Long then said that he will grant one of those wishes; he informed Henry that he was out of the Chamber match and will not receive a title match. Henry told Long that he is replicable, just like Laurinaitis and that he’s not asking him but rather he is telling him to give him what he wants. Henry then flicked Long’s tie out from under his jacket, to which Long reacted by suspending Henry indefinitely for “putting his hands on him”, (really WWE? Your going back to the “firing” storyline, just like with Cena, Punk, Laurinaitis and now Henry. Surely that storyline has been milked enough). Also, Mark didn’t really touch Long at all, so if you’re going to suspend him indefinitely, at least do it for a valid reason. Henry then said that if he’s suspended he might as well get his money’s worth. As he goes to attack Long, out comes Sheamus who hits Henry with a Brogue Kick.
Sheamus then began to cut a promo, saying how he will decide on which title to challenge for at WM after the Chamber PPV. Sheamus was then immediately interrupted by Cody Rhodes, who began by saying that he doesn’t want to fight Sheamus, he only wants to warn him that no one will remember that he won the 2012 Royal Rumble. Rhodes continued to state that the only thing these people will remember from the Rumble was that he eliminated the most competitors in the match and therefore did all of the work and he will take that momentum into the Chamber match and become the first dual champ since Ultimate Warrior. Teddy Long makes a match for Cody and the Great White next.
Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes
The first match on Smackdown was a very good one, between two of the WWE’s future stars. The match went back and forth with some good spots outside the ring, Rhodes got a strong reaction from the Omaha crowd. The Finish came when Rhodes managed to escape both the High Cross and the Brogue kick, only to be caught with a new finisher by Sheamus which I believe is called the Celtic Cross (Finlay’s Finisher). Sheamus scores the pin after the big move for the victory.
Winner – Sheamus
Cody Rhodes remains at ringside looking quite angry as the next match hits the ring.
Justin Gabriel vs. Hunico
Gabriel surprisingly got a big pop as he made his way to the ring, Hunico cut another bad and confusing promo as he made his way to the ring. Before the match got started, Rhodes
entered the ring to attack Gabriel, Hunico and Camacho jumped in and also attacked Gabriel until The Great Khali came down to make the save (Yes, I did say the Great Khali) . Khali lays out Hunico and Camacho as Rhodes escapes the beat down.
Winner – No contest
Backstage, Drew McIntyre and Teddy Long are speaking. Long tells McIntyre that he has to go impress him as there is nothing worse than predictable television (I hope that line was an inside joke, as I would hate to think that the WWE truly believe that they are producing exciting and unpredictable TV). Santino ran in saying he found a new tag-team partner and the name is Santin-hooooo! Santino and Duggan began chanting “Italia” and “USA”, Long made a non-tag-title match. Afterwards, we got another Aksana/Teddy segment with more sexual innuendos, this time including a massive bit of wood. Jim Duggan then came back in the room to collect his bit of 2×4 and left chanting HOOOOOOO. The Santino/Duggan segment was very funny.
Primo & Epico vs. Santino & Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Huge “USA” and “HOOOO” chants throughout bout, it was great to see Hacksaw get one more match, it wasn’t a particularly technical match but what do you expect. The finish came after Hacksaw took the fight to Epico outside the ring, Rosa distracted Santino, allowing Primo to hit the Backstabber and get the win.
Winner – Primo & Epico
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan came out next and cut a great promo after being invited out by Michael Cole. Cole admitted to being wrong about Bryan all this time and offered Bryan his hand. Bryan didn’t shake Coles hand but instead gave him a bit of a well needed reality check as he informed him that not everything is all about Michael Cole. Bryan then began to tell the crowd that he is a great champion aswell as a great role model out and tells everyone that they should be vegans just like him. He explains he shouldn’t have to defend his title in the Elimination Chamber and especially not against five other men, especially not against Big Show, who he beat four times and holds the shortest title reign of all time and is a complete failure that doesn’t deserve to be in the match. Bryan continued to say that if Long doesn’t take show out of the Chamber match, then he will take his case to the board of directors and get Teddy Long fired. As the champ thanks the crowed and is about to make his exit, the Big Show makes his way to the ring (big reaction). He says he would have been out sooner but he just finished a great big steak. Show tells Bryan that he is no role model and he will no longer be champ after the Chamber. Bryan then said that he understands that due to the odds, he may lose his title but it will not be to the Big Show as Show will lose, just like he always does. Bryan then pokes Show and Show starts to beat on him until AJ appears (With a neck brace), Show tries to apologise to her for what he did, Bryan then tried to attack Show from behind but Show grabs him and is about to Knock him out but AJ stops him and the Champ escapes from the ring, AJ follows and leaves with Bryan.
Natalya and Beth Phoenix were shown warming up backstage, and it was made out to look like Natalya was farting again. What has Natalya done to piss off the backstage people so much that she is getting buried every single week?
Beth Phoenix & Natalya vs. Aksana & Tamina
This was another squash match, Beth took the blind tag and yelled at Natalya to leave the ring before instantly winning the match with the Glam Slam. The match lasted about 45 seconds and afterwards Natalya stayed in the ring and tried to put Aksana in the Sharpshooter, but Tamina make the save and hit the big splash.
Winner – Beth Phoenix & Natalya
After the Divas tag-match, they showed a promo that announced that The Great Khali will replace Mark Henry in the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match. Is that the best person they could think of to replace Henry, I understand that Khali most likely won’t end up being in the match but at least come up with someone better than that.
Matt Striker is backstage interviewing Randy Orton, where Orton says how he will beat Barrett tonight, and he will go on to win the Chamber match and become a 10 time World Champion.
No DQ Match: Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett
The main event featured Randy Orton taking on Wade Barrett in a no disqualification match. The two had another great match; at the beginning of the match Orton had complete control as they forth outside the ring. The turning point came when Randy introduced a table into the match and was about to Superplex Barrett through it from the top rope but Barrett managed to fend off the viper enough to push him off the ropes and through the table. Barrett continued to beat on Orton, the fight once again spilled to ring side where Orton managed to regain the upper hand after a quick brawl through the crowd and back to ring side. The match continued to go back and forth between the two superstars as they both took steel chair shots to the back. The finish came when Barrett went for Wasteland but Orton managed to reverse it and land not one but two RKO’s, the second was onto a steel chair, which after Randy got the win.
Winner – Randy Orton
Teddy Long was backstage with Bryan as he informed him that next week he will face Randy Orton. Bryan said that was fine as he isn’t afraid of giants and he isn’t afraid of snakes. The Champ then told AJ to stage backstage and watch what he is about to do. As Orton was celebrating his impressive win, Bryan jumped in the ring and began his over the top celebration to everyone’s confusion; Bryan continued his celebration all the way back up the ramp as Smackdown went off the air. Apart from the strange Daniel Bryan ending to the show, the match was easily the best of the night and the best I’ve seen Barrett and Orton have together.
