WWE Smackdown 3/16/2012

Tonight, Christian returns to Smackdown with the Peep Show! Also, Sheamus squares off against Chris Jericho!

World Wrestling Entertainment presents Smackdown
Date: 3/16/2012
From: Columbus, OH

Smackdown opens up with Christian who is hosting the return of the Peep Show! Christian is excited about WrestleMania and the twelve man tag team match. His guests this week are Johnny Ace and Teddy Long. Obviously, he puts over Ace as a good General Manager while he says that Teddy Long is a man without honor. Christian says that the stakes are high at WrestleMania because one of them will have control of both RAW and Smackdown. Christian gives both men a chance to convince him to be on their team. Long says he may not like him, but he is good. Christian wants one more match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Long tells Christian that he isn’t going to beg and says that every man will have to earn what they want. Ace assures Christian that when his team wins he will give Christian one more match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Christian officially joins Johnny’s team for WrestleMania. Teddy Long books David Otunga into a match against Kofi Kingston since Christian was unwilling to compete tonight.

Opening Contest: David Otunga vs. Kofi Kingston
Late in the match, Otunga tries to hit Kofi with the WWE United States Championship, since Marella is at ringside, but Marella prevents that from happening. Kingston is able to hit the Trouble in Paradise to win the match.

Backstage, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan is hanging outside the Diva’s locker room. AJ steps out wearing a dress and Bryan tells her the dress looked better on the mannequin! Bryan tells her that they are the new power couple in the WWE. Bryan tells her that tonight’s match could lead to her getting a WWE Divas Championship match in the near future. AJ kisses Bryan and once she leaves Bryan wipes is lips.

Second Contest: Nikki Bella vs. AJ
The Bella Twins try to do a switch but Daniel Bryan informed the referee of what was happening. Still, that didn’t work as AJ was able to roll Nikki up for the win. After the match, Bryan tells AJ that if she were to have listen to him the match would have gone smoother for her.

Backstage, Matt Striker interviews WWE Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes. He wants to know how Rhodes can defend the championship against a pissed off giant. Rhodes says that WrestleMania is the one day of the year where he is a choke artist and that Show has never won a one-on-one match at the big event.

Third Contest: WWE Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs. The Great Khali
It looks like Cody Rhodes is a giant killer, folks. Rhodes was able to avoid the overhand chop and hits a missile dropkick. That allowed Rhodes to hit the Beautiful Disaster for the win.

Randy Orton makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo on Kane. Orton feels like Kane has been haunting him the last few weeks. Orton wants to know why Kane picked him because unlike Cena he embraces the hate and the hate embraces him. Orton calls Kane out to the ring. Kane comes out and shows footage from the summer where he and Orton had a street fight, which Kane lost. After the fight, Kane shook hands with Orton. Kane tells us that the man who shook Orton’s hand is gone. He will not become whole again until he decimates Orton. Orton wants Kane to come down to the ring and finish what he started, but Kane declines and says he wants to finish Orton on the biggest stage of them all, WrestleMania!

Fourth Contest: Big Show vs. Drew McIntyre
Show dominates McIntyre and hits a chokeslam. Well, that’s not enough for Show. He nails McIntyre with the WMD saying that it was for Hornswoggle.

Fifth Contest: Mark Henry vs. Yoshi Tatsu
Henry squashes Tatsu after hitting the World’s Strongest Slam.

A video of Zack Ryder lobbying to be on Team Teddy is shown. Ryder is going to be holding a rally on RAW to force Long to add him to the team.

Chris Jericho makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo on WWE Champion CM Punk. Jericho says that a lot of people want him to apologize for what he said about Punk’s father on RAW. Jericho doesn’t believe he went over the line because you can’t when you are telling the truth. Jericho calls Punk a fraud and considers him a man who has tattoos to cover the fact that he has an alcoholic gene in him. He knows CM Punk better than he knows himself. Jericho believes that every time Punk says “pipe bomb” he wishes he was saying that about his family. He believes that Punk wishes the demons would leave his head when the fans chant his name. Jericho says he is the best at everything he does, not Punk. He is going to beat Sheamus tonight and do the same to Punk at WrestleMania. Jericho finishes off by calling Punk CM Drunk and drops the microphone.

Main Event: Sheamus vs. Chris Jericho
Early on, Sheamus nails Jericho with a slingshot shoulder block for a near fall. Sheamus also clubs away on Jericho’s chest as he stands on the apron. Jericho avoids Sheamus and sends him over the top to the floor. We see Daniel Bryan and AJ making their way down to the ring as well. Jericho keeps control of the contest with a back suplex and a dropkick. Sheamus counters a bulldog by sending Jericho into the turnbuckles. Jericho avoids a powerslam but Sheamus delivers the Irish Curse for a two count.

Jericho pokes Sheamus in the eyes but isn’t able to hit the Codebreaker. Jericho avoids the Brogue Kick and hits a springboard dropkick. Jericho follows up with the Lionsault for a near win. Sheamus knocks Jericho off the ropes as he attempted a superplex. Sheamus hits a diving shoulder block for a two count. Jericho counters the Celtic Cross and locks in the Walls of Jericho but Sheamus reaches the ropes. Sheamus attempts the Celtic Cross again but Jericho breaks free only to be clotheslined over the top to the floor. Sheamus tosses Jericho into the guard railing and stares at Daniel Bryan. The referee is distracted by Jericho when Bryan dropkicks Sheamus on the floor. That causes Sheamus to be counted out.

After the match, Sheamus chases after Bryan but doesn’t catch him. Sheamus returns to the ring and hits the Brogue Kick on Jericho. Bryan smiles at Sheamus to close the program,

Final Thoughts:
I thought it was an enjoyable show this week. Jericho is doing a great job in making things personal between himself and Punk. That is what is missing from the Cena/Rock feud, in my opinion. The main event was a pretty good match as well. Christian being back on Smackdown really helps out that side of the brand since it’s been rather weak with all the injuries. Lastly, the Kane/Orton stuff is okay, I guess. Overall, I’ll give the show a thumbs up this week.

Thanks for reading.