WWE Smackdown 1/6/2012

World Wrestling Entertainment presents Smackdown
Date: 1/6/2012
From: Little Rock, Arkansas

A video hyping up what happened last week between Randy Orton and Wade Barrett is aired. For those of you who don’t watch Smackdown, Orton was tossed down stairs last week and is out of action for a few weeks.

Tonight, we will see Daniel Bryan defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Big Show. Also, the Intercontinental Championship will be on the line.. right now!

Opening Contest: WWE Intercontinental Championship
(champion) Cody Rhodes vs. Booker T
Booker opens with a shoulder block to rattle the champ. Booker works on Rhodes with a few clubbing blows and a back elbow. Rhodes turns the table in the corner with several strikes in the corner with punches of his own. Booker backdrops Rhodes after delivering a series of knees to the champ’s midsection. Booker drops Rhodes with a standing spin kick for a near fall. Booker clotheslines Rhodes over the top to the floor. Rhodes drops Booker throat first across the guard railing and kicks Booker in the ribs as we go to commercial.

Rhodes has kept the upper hand until Booker goes for a backslide for a near fall. Booker gets a another near fall after a standing side kick. Rhodes back elbows Booker in the corner to hit a top rope moonsault but Booker kicks out. Rhodes keeps control with a butterfly submission hold on the mat. Booker fights back with a few forearm shots a side slam for a near fall. Booker drives Rhodes down to the mat with a spine buster but only gets a two count. Rhodes avoids a scissors kick and the Book-End. He misses a springboard kick and Booker nails Rhodes with a scissors kick but Rhodes kicks out!

Booker misses a scissors kick and a leaping side kick. Rhodes springboards off the middle rope to kick Booker in the face and wins the bout.

Your Winner and STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion: Cody Rhodes via pin fall
Match Rating: **1/4

— Commercials —

Backstage, Cody Rhodes is full of smiles when his brother cuts him off to give him some props. Cody says there is a reason they don’t speak. It’s because Dustin doesn’t have anything worth offering to him. Cody thinks he is better than their father! Cody tells his brother he isn’t a laughing stock, but that could change very quickly.

Backstage, WWE United States Champion Zack Ryder is talking to Teddy Long. Ryder is stepping down as the assistant general manager. Drew McIntyre and Santino Marella enter the picture. Santino wants the job and lists all the things he can do for him, such as filing his papers and organizing his schedule. Long tells Drew that if he doesn’t win against Santino he will be on really thin ice. Long says if Marella wins he gets the job while Drew will have the chance to save his job, for now. Aksana shoves up and flirts with Long. Looks like they are going out to dinner later.

— Commercials –

Backstage, AJ is chatting with Alicia Fox. She is worried about Daniel’s match later tonight. Alicia thinks he is going lose. Daniel walks over and reminds her how he beat Show already. AJ tells Daniel that she is just worried. Daniel says after he wins tonight they can celebrate. That appears to make her happy.

Second Contest: Over The Top Rope Challenge
Heath Slater vs. Hornswoggle
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how this one will go. Hornswoggle had the early advantage by biting Slater’s butt. Slater recovered by pushing Hornswoggle to the canvas. Slater looks to dump Hornswoggle over the top but he lands on the apron and yanks Slater over the top by his hair to the floor.

After the match, Justin Gabriel runs out and attacks Slater for doing a beat down on Hornswoggle. Gabriel hits a top rope 450 splash to finish off the segment.

Your Winner: Hornswoggle
Match Rating: DUD

— Commercials –

Third Contest: Hunico vs. Ted DiBiase
Hunico is mad that they haven’t invited to a party that DiBiase has held before. That’s just rude, Teddy. DiBiase works on Hunico with a few arm drags. DiBiase drops Hunico with a sit out slam to counter a head scissors attempt. Hunico begins to work on DiBiase’s left arm with an arm bar. DiBiase fights back with a Samoan Drop and avoids a splash in the corner. DiBiase delivers a running knee lift and a clothesline for a near fall. Hunico avoids the Dream Street with an arm breaker and sends DiBiase shoulder first into the corner. Hunico with a really creative roll up to pick up the win.

Your Winner: Hunico via pin fall.
Match Rating: *

– Commercials –

Wade Barrett makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Barrett came out to personally give the medical update on Orton. We see footage from last week again. Barrett says that the injury was due to the falls count anywhere stipulation. He reveals that Orton has a herniated disc and says that Orton is done. He does acknowledge that Orton could come back but that he will never be the same wrestler. Barrett says we will not see Orton at the Royal Rumble. That brings out Sheamus. Sheamus says his uncle Wilford was like Barrett, he was a guy who liked to hear his own voice. His stories were just fantasy, just like Barrett thinking he is going to win the Rumble without any problems. Sheamus is going to be the biggest problem for him at the Rumble. They have a stare down until Jinder Mahal comes out. Sheamus and Mahal brawl until Barrett comes in to help Mahal beat down Sheamus. Sheamus fights out of a corner and fights both men off. Mahal stops Sheamus briefly but Barrett is able to drop Sheamus with a swinging side slam! Mahal locks in the camel clutch to add insult to injury.

Footage from WWE TLC last month is shown, which saw Daniel Bryan cash in and pin Big Show to win the title.

– Commercials –

Fourth Contest: Drew McIntyre vs. Santino Marella
Santino is shoved a few times but jabs away on Drew before being kicked in the gut as he looked to leapfrog out of the corner. Drew connects with a snap suplex but Santino kicks out at two. Marella nearly steals a win with a roll up. Drew nails Marella with a clothesline to maintain control. Marella drives Drew face first into the top turnbuckle as they were both on the top rope. Marella looks for and hits the Cobra! Marella covers and wins the match.

Your Winner: Santino Marella via pin fall
Match Rating: DUD

— Commercials –

Backstage, Drew McIntyre is upset and doesn’t want that to count. Teddy Long tells him that if he loses next week he could be out of a job. Santino Marella comes over and says they are going to make beautiful music together.

Fifth Contest: Non-Title Match
WWE World Tag Team Champions Air Boom vs. Primo & Epico
Epico and Bourne kick off the contest. Bourne delivers several kicks to Epico’s legs and tags in Kofi who hits a leaping heel kick for a near fall. Primo nails Kofi with a cheap shot from the apron to help out Epico. Epico kept control but runs into a back elbow which allowed Kofi to hit a cross body off the middle rope. Primo and Bourne get the tags with Bourne hitting several kicks and a hurricanrana. Bourne heads up top and hits a double knee strike but only gets a two count thanks to Epico. Kofi wants to dive but Rosa prevents that from happening. Bourne kicks Primo and goes up top again but misses the shooting star press. Primo covers Bourne and wins the match.

Your Winners: Primo & Epico via pin fall
Match Rating: *1/4

Backstage, Matt Striker talks to Big Show. Show says his confidence level is very high. When Daniel Bryan beat him he was knocked out. Well, he is awake now. Daniel Bryan enters the scene and notes how he isn’t a genetic freak like Show. Bryan knows he wouldn’t have the shortest reign in history. Show doesn’t want to hurt Bryan later tonight. Bryan demands Show take his hand off his shoulder, which Show does. Bryan has some courage!

— Commercials –

Next week, Sheamus will wrestle Jinder Mahal in singles action.

Sixth Contest: Tamina vs. Natalya
It’s Jimmy Snuka’s daughter against Jim Neidhart’s daughter! That should give Tamina the advantage, right? Natalya works on Tamina with several strikes and a kick to the ribs. Tamina comes off the ropes with a cross body. Tamina drives Natalya down to the mat with a Samoan Drop. Tamina heads to the top and hits a splash to win the match.

Your Winner: Tamina
Match Rating: 1/2*

RAW Rebound is up next. We get a reminder of what happened in the main event, in case you missed it.

— Commercials —

Main Event: WWE World Heavyweight Championship
(champion) Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show
Mark Henry is on commentary for the main event. Bryan is circling around the ring trying to get away from Show but he is caught in a corner and is chopped a few times. Show slams Bryan to the canvas and the champ rolls to the floor as we go to commercial.

Bryan is shoved to the floor again after kicking Show in the leg. Bryan baseball slides Show after sliding back into the ring but is caught by Show. Bryan sends Show face first into the ring post and leaps off the apron to hit a knee to his face. Bryan wants to win by a count-out. Show staggers to his feet and enters in time to break the count. Bryan dropkicks Show’s leg and kicks Show several more times in the chest for a near fall. Bryan leaps off the middle rope to hit a missile dropkick but Show kicks out sending Bryan to the floor. Henry is telling Bryan to get back into the ring. Show grabs the champ but is dropped throat first across the top rope.

Bryan looks to leap off the top but is chopped in midair. Show with a few clotheslines but misses a splash. Show stops a charging Bryan with a spear but only gets a two count. Show signals for the choke slam but Bryan slips free and has a choke hold on Show! Bryan switches looking for the LeBell Lock! Show is right in the middle of the ring! Show breaks free, though. Bryan avoids the knockout punch and goes to the floor. Bryan gets in Henry’s face and is shoved by Henry. The referee ends up calling for the bell because of that. That was a cheap finish, folks.

Your Winner and STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Daniel Bryan via disqualification
Match Rating: **

Daniel Bryan is one happy camper as the show comes to an end.

Final Thoughts:
The middle of the program was really a rough patch of the show. I mean, the opener with Cody/Booker was a solid television bout but the matches that followed them was rather lackluster for me. The non-title tag match could’ve been a good match but they simply weren’t given enough time to execute anything noteworthy for me. It’s quite disappointing to me how the WWE is booking Drew McIntyre. I’ve enjoyed his work and he was a top player on Smackdown two years ago or so. It just doesn’t make sense to me why he is being booked so badly.

The main topic of conversation is going to be Daniel Bryan. He is playing his new heel role perfectly. Now, is he really heel? I suppose not. He isn’t really doing heelish things. But, he has so over the top and annoying when it comes to winnig the title and has a some cowardly charactertistics to him that it just works. If the WWE will let him keep the title and play the role for a little while longer, fans will be counting down the days for him to lose the belt. I’ll go on record right now… Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton at WrestleMania. I’m never right, but that’s what I’d do at this point.

Overall, not a good episode in my opinion. There were maybe three good segments this week counting the opener, main event and the Barrett segment. Aside from that, it didn’t hold my interest.