Smackdown
Date: April 2, 2015
Location: Save Mart
Center, Fresno, California
Center, Fresno, California
Commentators: Tom
Phillips, Byron Saxton, Jerry Lawler
Phillips, Byron Saxton, Jerry Lawler
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
It was nice while it
lasted but this is the final part of the big Wrestlemania week.
Tonight is likely going to be the last major shows for now as
Smackdown will go back to being the supplemental show it’s been for
years. There isn’t much in the way of fallout tonight either as Raw
ended without a huge bang. Let’s get to it.
lasted but this is the final part of the big Wrestlemania week.
Tonight is likely going to be the last major shows for now as
Smackdown will go back to being the supplemental show it’s been for
years. There isn’t much in the way of fallout tonight either as Raw
ended without a huge bang. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Here are Rollins and
company for a chat. Rollins loves it when a plan works out, like
when he cashed in Money in the Bank this past Sunday to become WWE
World Heavyweight Champion. Now he’s living a new life and doing
things like flying across the country to be on the Today Show, then
flying back across the country to face Brock Lesnar. That gave him
some serious jet lag though and it wasn’t time for Lesnar to get his
rematch. If Lesnar hadn’t lost his head, maybe he could have had
that title shot here tonight.
company for a chat. Rollins loves it when a plan works out, like
when he cashed in Money in the Bank this past Sunday to become WWE
World Heavyweight Champion. Now he’s living a new life and doing
things like flying across the country to be on the Today Show, then
flying back across the country to face Brock Lesnar. That gave him
some serious jet lag though and it wasn’t time for Lesnar to get his
rematch. If Lesnar hadn’t lost his head, maybe he could have had
that title shot here tonight.
Cue Randy Orton, who
says he remembers everything over the last few months. He played the
Authority like a fiddle (a very stupid fiddle) before he got to rip
Rollins’ head off with an RKO at Wrestlemania. More importantly
though, he’s owed a rematch for the WWE from last year’s Wrestlemania
and doesn’t like how that belt looks around Rollins’ waist. Seth
wants to know why Randy is dwelling in the past, because he is the
future.
says he remembers everything over the last few months. He played the
Authority like a fiddle (a very stupid fiddle) before he got to rip
Rollins’ head off with an RKO at Wrestlemania. More importantly
though, he’s owed a rematch for the WWE from last year’s Wrestlemania
and doesn’t like how that belt looks around Rollins’ waist. Seth
wants to know why Randy is dwelling in the past, because he is the
future.
Only Rollins gets to
decide when the title is defended, which makes Orton insult the
Stooges, Big Show and Kane for some reason. At least Big Show won at
Wrestlemania while Kane wasn’t even there (he was in the battle
royal). What does the Director of Operations do anyway? The way
Orton sees it, Kane has gone from the big red monster to Big Red
Riding Hood. Kane makes Orton vs. Big Show and offers Orton a
potential title shot if he can win.
decide when the title is defended, which makes Orton insult the
Stooges, Big Show and Kane for some reason. At least Big Show won at
Wrestlemania while Kane wasn’t even there (he was in the battle
royal). What does the Director of Operations do anyway? The way
Orton sees it, Kane has gone from the big red monster to Big Red
Riding Hood. Kane makes Orton vs. Big Show and offers Orton a
potential title shot if he can win.
Big
Show vs. Randy Orton
Show vs. Randy Orton
Orton
quickly gets shouldered down but avoids an elbow drop. Show tries to
get to the apron but winds up getting pulled into the elevated DDT.
Cue the Stooges to break up an RKO attempt for the DQ at 1:19.
quickly gets shouldered down but avoids an elbow drop. Show tries to
get to the apron but winds up getting pulled into the elevated DDT.
Cue the Stooges to break up an RKO attempt for the DQ at 1:19.
Everyone
comes in but Randy fights back at Rollins, only to get chokeslammed
by Kane. Ryback runs out for the save and it’s RKO’s all around.
comes in but Randy fights back at Rollins, only to get chokeslammed
by Kane. Ryback runs out for the save and it’s RKO’s all around.
We
recap Bryan vs. Ziggler from Raw and Sheamus returning after the
match. Who in the world thought that hair would be called anything
but stupid? I mean, they had to know that reaction was coming right?
recap Bryan vs. Ziggler from Raw and Sheamus returning after the
match. Who in the world thought that hair would be called anything
but stupid? I mean, they had to know that reaction was coming right?
Sheamus
vs. Bryan tonight, because they can’t keep the matches they set up on
Monday straight for twenty four hours.
vs. Bryan tonight, because they can’t keep the matches they set up on
Monday straight for twenty four hours.
Natalya
vs. Naomi
vs. Naomi
The
Bellas are on commentary. Naomi’s inset interview says she can beat
Nikki and win the title but she’ll prove herself until she gets a
shot. Feeling out process to start with both girls missing dropkicks
but nipping up at the same time. That’s rather impressive in
Natalya’s full body outfit. Natalya puts her down for the step on
the back into the basement dropkick for two as the Bellas question
Naomi’s heart. We hit an abdominal stretch for a bit before Naomi is
sent to the apron for a kick to Natalya’s head. She puts Natalya in
a headscissors but drives her head first into the mat instead of
flipping her over for the pin at 2:20.
Bellas are on commentary. Naomi’s inset interview says she can beat
Nikki and win the title but she’ll prove herself until she gets a
shot. Feeling out process to start with both girls missing dropkicks
but nipping up at the same time. That’s rather impressive in
Natalya’s full body outfit. Natalya puts her down for the step on
the back into the basement dropkick for two as the Bellas question
Naomi’s heart. We hit an abdominal stretch for a bit before Naomi is
sent to the apron for a kick to Natalya’s head. She puts Natalya in
a headscissors but drives her head first into the mat instead of
flipping her over for the pin at 2:20.
Rollins
apologizes to Kane for the RKO but Kane likes the sound of Orton
challenging for the title at Extreme Rules. Seth tries to talk him
out of it but stops to comment on the smell of the office. He leaves
and we hear a toilet flush and Ambrose walks in. Harper vs. Ambrose
later tonight because of the use of a bathroom. Seriously.
apologizes to Kane for the RKO but Kane likes the sound of Orton
challenging for the title at Extreme Rules. Seth tries to talk him
out of it but stops to comment on the smell of the office. He leaves
and we hear a toilet flush and Ambrose walks in. Harper vs. Ambrose
later tonight because of the use of a bathroom. Seriously.
We
get a sitdown interview with Roman Reigns, who talks about how hard
it was to step in the ring with the Beast. He proved he was willing
to take a beating and showed he could get up after a bunch of
suplexes. Reigns talks about Suplex City but he survived the wave
from Lesnar. He’s thinking about buying a condo in Suplex City
because Lesnar wasn’t ready for him. Brock didn’t have an answer for
all the Superman Punches and they changed his appearance permanently.
get a sitdown interview with Roman Reigns, who talks about how hard
it was to step in the ring with the Beast. He proved he was willing
to take a beating and showed he could get up after a bunch of
suplexes. Reigns talks about Suplex City but he survived the wave
from Lesnar. He’s thinking about buying a condo in Suplex City
because Lesnar wasn’t ready for him. Brock didn’t have an answer for
all the Superman Punches and they changed his appearance permanently.
The
fight changed both of their lives and he’d love to do it again.
Saxton asks about Rollins cashing in and Reigns says it crushed him.
He was on top of the mountain and Rollins took it away when Reigns
was so close. Thirty more seconds and a spear would have won him the
World Title. He’s beaten Rollins before so he can, he has and he
will beat him again. I liked this more than any other interview I’ve
heard from Reigns in a long time as it makes him much easier to
relate to now that he’s been humbled a bit. Good interview.
fight changed both of their lives and he’d love to do it again.
Saxton asks about Rollins cashing in and Reigns says it crushed him.
He was on top of the mountain and Rollins took it away when Reigns
was so close. Thirty more seconds and a spear would have won him the
World Title. He’s beaten Rollins before so he can, he has and he
will beat him again. I liked this more than any other interview I’ve
heard from Reigns in a long time as it makes him much easier to
relate to now that he’s been humbled a bit. Good interview.
Miz
vs. R-Truth
vs. R-Truth
Truth
raps to the ring. I don’t remember him doing that for the last few
weeks. The first ten seconds are spent with Miz taking off his
sunglasses and the second ten seconds are spent on WE WANT MIZDOW
chants. Truth shoves Miz off a headlock and hits the Lie Detector.
The ax kick misses though and the Skull Crushing Finale is good for
the pin at 1:22. Welcome back to Jobber Town Truth.
raps to the ring. I don’t remember him doing that for the last few
weeks. The first ten seconds are spent with Miz taking off his
sunglasses and the second ten seconds are spent on WE WANT MIZDOW
chants. Truth shoves Miz off a headlock and hits the Lie Detector.
The ax kick misses though and the Skull Crushing Finale is good for
the pin at 1:22. Welcome back to Jobber Town Truth.
Mizdow
runs out for a Skull Crushing Finale on Miz and puts on the
sunglasses.
runs out for a Skull Crushing Finale on Miz and puts on the
sunglasses.
Here’s
John Cena to one of the loudest positive reactions I’ve seen for him
in a long time (yeah I know it’s Smackdown). Cena talks about how
hard Rusev fought to stay undefeated for a year but seeing Rusev as
the US Champion made him sick. It wasn’t due to being Russian, but
because of all the things Rusev said about America. The interesting
thing is that Rusev was the American dream: he showed up and fought
to became everything he wanted to be, but then he thought America
sucked. “WELL AMERICA DOESN’T SUCK!”
John Cena to one of the loudest positive reactions I’ve seen for him
in a long time (yeah I know it’s Smackdown). Cena talks about how
hard Rusev fought to stay undefeated for a year but seeing Rusev as
the US Champion made him sick. It wasn’t due to being Russian, but
because of all the things Rusev said about America. The interesting
thing is that Rusev was the American dream: he showed up and fought
to became everything he wanted to be, but then he thought America
sucked. “WELL AMERICA DOESN’T SUCK!”
From
now on, this US Title represents opportunity. Cena says bring him
your outcasts, your future stars or anyone that the Authority says is
a B+ player. He’ll fight anyone from Brock Lesnar to the
Bushwhackers (hey now, they’re Hall of Famers) because every Monday
night, there’s going to be an open challenge for the US Title. Now
THAT is the best news that has happened for the title in a long time.
now on, this US Title represents opportunity. Cena says bring him
your outcasts, your future stars or anyone that the Authority says is
a B+ player. He’ll fight anyone from Brock Lesnar to the
Bushwhackers (hey now, they’re Hall of Famers) because every Monday
night, there’s going to be an open challenge for the US Title. Now
THAT is the best news that has happened for the title in a long time.
Cue
Rusev and Lana, the latter of whom sounds like she’s lost a bit of
her accent. She says Cena is half the man Rusev is because this is
Rusev’s world. Rusev cuts her off by reaching out his hand for the
microphone. With a glare at Lana, he says he didn’t lose at
Wrestlemania so he’s still America’s champion.
Rusev and Lana, the latter of whom sounds like she’s lost a bit of
her accent. She says Cena is half the man Rusev is because this is
Rusev’s world. Rusev cuts her off by reaching out his hand for the
microphone. With a glare at Lana, he says he didn’t lose at
Wrestlemania so he’s still America’s champion.
In
Rusev’s world, people like Cena have opportunities as well: surrender
the title or be crushed at Extreme Rules. Cena thinks Rusev is drunk
but if the Russian wants a fight, Cena isn’t going anywhere. Rusev
wants to wait for Extreme Rules and calls for the flag drop but
nothing happens. Instead Cena points and the American flag drops.
I’m kind of stunned it took that long to do that. Cena agrees to the
match at Extreme Rules. The announcers keep pushing Rusev as the
Russian Tank, which isn’t a bad name for him.
Rusev’s world, people like Cena have opportunities as well: surrender
the title or be crushed at Extreme Rules. Cena thinks Rusev is drunk
but if the Russian wants a fight, Cena isn’t going anywhere. Rusev
wants to wait for Extreme Rules and calls for the flag drop but
nothing happens. Instead Cena points and the American flag drops.
I’m kind of stunned it took that long to do that. Cena agrees to the
match at Extreme Rules. The announcers keep pushing Rusev as the
Russian Tank, which isn’t a bad name for him.
We
look at Sheamus attacking Bryan again. The tag match is off due to
Ziggler being too banged up to compete. And they didn’t know that
when they announced the tag match?
look at Sheamus attacking Bryan again. The tag match is off due to
Ziggler being too banged up to compete. And they didn’t know that
when they announced the tag match?
Luke
Harper vs. Dean Ambrose
Harper vs. Dean Ambrose
No
entrance for Harper. Dean goes right after him in the corner and a
middle rope elbow to the jaw. A basement clothesline gets two so
Harper just hits him in the throat to take over. It turns into a
slugout (shocking I know) until Luke catches a cross body and throws
him over the top as we take a break. Back with Dean’s suicide dive
being caught so he nails a clothesline on the floor.
entrance for Harper. Dean goes right after him in the corner and a
middle rope elbow to the jaw. A basement clothesline gets two so
Harper just hits him in the throat to take over. It turns into a
slugout (shocking I know) until Luke catches a cross body and throws
him over the top as we take a break. Back with Dean’s suicide dive
being caught so he nails a clothesline on the floor.
The
top rope standing elbow gets two but Luke kicks his head off to take
over again. Dean escapes the powerbomb and low bridges Harper to the
floor. Luke quickly sends him into the timekeeper’s area and loads
up the table but Dean dives off the apron with a clothesline. He
can’t powerbomb Luke through the table though so Luke shows him how
it’s done. The bell doesn’t ring but I’m assuming it was a DQ win
for Dean (or a double countout) at about 8:00.
top rope standing elbow gets two but Luke kicks his head off to take
over again. Dean escapes the powerbomb and low bridges Harper to the
floor. Luke quickly sends him into the timekeeper’s area and loads
up the table but Dean dives off the apron with a clothesline. He
can’t powerbomb Luke through the table though so Luke shows him how
it’s done. The bell doesn’t ring but I’m assuming it was a DQ win
for Dean (or a double countout) at about 8:00.
Rating:
C. Nice back and forth brawl
here with both guys hitting each other really hard. Harper is great
in the old Kane role from about 2004 as the midcard monster and
Ambrose is fine as the guy who keeps getting beaten up and coming
back for more. If nothing else it’s nice to have a match be long
enough to rate.
C. Nice back and forth brawl
here with both guys hitting each other really hard. Harper is great
in the old Kane role from about 2004 as the midcard monster and
Ambrose is fine as the guy who keeps getting beaten up and coming
back for more. If nothing else it’s nice to have a match be long
enough to rate.
The
Prime Time Players make fun of the New Day, with Titus spraying
himself with water and shouting about FEELING THE POWER. Big E.
sounds like he has a possum stuck in his throat, Kofi has a weird
looking chest and Woods has bad hair. They do the New Day chant and
crickets can be heard. If nothing else, I love the Prime Time
Players shirts based on the old Prime Time Wrestling logo.
Prime Time Players make fun of the New Day, with Titus spraying
himself with water and shouting about FEELING THE POWER. Big E.
sounds like he has a possum stuck in his throat, Kofi has a weird
looking chest and Woods has bad hair. They do the New Day chant and
crickets can be heard. If nothing else, I love the Prime Time
Players shirts based on the old Prime Time Wrestling logo.
Sheamus
vs. Daniel Bryan
vs. Daniel Bryan
Non-title.
Sheamus has new music with
a slower pace and no lyrics. After
seeing the “I’m back” line for the third time tonight, the fans
tell Sheamus that he looks stupid. Sheamus encourages them and says
he doesn’t see any real men around here. All the fan favorites are
too vertically challenged and he’s going to crush all the underdogs.
So he’s Batista from last year? Barrett
is on commentary.
Sheamus has new music with
a slower pace and no lyrics. After
seeing the “I’m back” line for the third time tonight, the fans
tell Sheamus that he looks stupid. Sheamus encourages them and says
he doesn’t see any real men around here. All the fan favorites are
too vertically challenged and he’s going to crush all the underdogs.
So he’s Batista from last year? Barrett
is on commentary.
Sheamus
shoves him into the corner to start and shrugs off Bryan’s kick to
the ribs. Bryan has some more success with the leg but Sheamus drops
him with a clothesline. As
Sheamus fires off uppercuts, Barrett says he never lost the title and
is owed a rematch. That makes Rock, Orton, Bryan, Rusev and Barrett
who are owed automatic rematches. It’s almost like they’re
completely overusing a plot device.
shoves him into the corner to start and shrugs off Bryan’s kick to
the ribs. Bryan has some more success with the leg but Sheamus drops
him with a clothesline. As
Sheamus fires off uppercuts, Barrett says he never lost the title and
is owed a rematch. That makes Rock, Orton, Bryan, Rusev and Barrett
who are owed automatic rematches. It’s almost like they’re
completely overusing a plot device.
Bryan
scores with some kicks to send Sheamus outside but
he comes back in for an Irish Curse to send Bryan to the floor as
well. We come back from a break with Sheamus loading up a suplex but
flipping Bryan over instead of going down with him. You might
remember that as the Crash Landing from the final month of WCW.
Sheamus: “ARE YOU NOT
ENTERTAINED???”
scores with some kicks to send Sheamus outside but
he comes back in for an Irish Curse to send Bryan to the floor as
well. We come back from a break with Sheamus loading up a suplex but
flipping Bryan over instead of going down with him. You might
remember that as the Crash Landing from the final month of WCW.
Sheamus: “ARE YOU NOT
ENTERTAINED???”
Bryan
tries some forearms to no avail and gets thrown hard into the corner.
Some posing allows Bryan to
get a breather though and he moonsaults over Sheamus before dropping
him with the running clothesline. A
backdrop sends Sheamus to the floor for the Flying Goat. The
missile dropkick and it’s time for the YES Kicks. As
usual the big one misses but Sheamus can’t hit White Noise.
tries some forearms to no avail and gets thrown hard into the corner.
Some posing allows Bryan to
get a breather though and he moonsaults over Sheamus before dropping
him with the running clothesline. A
backdrop sends Sheamus to the floor for the Flying Goat. The
missile dropkick and it’s time for the YES Kicks. As
usual the big one misses but Sheamus can’t hit White Noise.
Bryan
sends him into the buckle and kicks the ropes to knock Sheamus back,
only to get crotched on the top. The
ten forearms are broken up as Bryan grabs Sheamus’ arm. Why did no
one ever think of that before? Sheamus
knocks him to the floor and onto the announcers’ table, busting Bryan
open. Barrett hits a Bull Hammer behind the referee’s back for a
countout at 15:33.
sends him into the buckle and kicks the ropes to knock Sheamus back,
only to get crotched on the top. The
ten forearms are broken up as Bryan grabs Sheamus’ arm. Why did no
one ever think of that before? Sheamus
knocks him to the floor and onto the announcers’ table, busting Bryan
open. Barrett hits a Bull Hammer behind the referee’s back for a
countout at 15:33.
Rating:
C+. This wasn’t as good as I
was expecting as Sheamus is still working the kinks out of his new
character. He isn’t doing much besides big power moves, but at least
he’s getting on the crowd’s nerves like he should be. Bryan was
doing his usual stuff as well, but the match just never got going
like you would expect it to.
C+. This wasn’t as good as I
was expecting as Sheamus is still working the kinks out of his new
character. He isn’t doing much besides big power moves, but at least
he’s getting on the crowd’s nerves like he should be. Bryan was
doing his usual stuff as well, but the match just never got going
like you would expect it to.
Overall
Rating: C-. Well it was nice
while it lasted but everything is back to normal in WWE. There
wasn’t much to see here other than the announcement of a B level pay
per view main event and another rematch from Wrestlemania. The show
wasn’t terrible, but it really falls off a cliff after the hot shows
earlier in the week.
Rating: C-. Well it was nice
while it lasted but everything is back to normal in WWE. There
wasn’t much to see here other than the announcement of a B level pay
per view main event and another rematch from Wrestlemania. The show
wasn’t terrible, but it really falls off a cliff after the hot shows
earlier in the week.
Results
Randy
Orton b. Big Show via DQ when Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble interfered
Orton b. Big Show via DQ when Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble interfered
Naomi
b. Natalya – Headscissors driver
b. Natalya – Headscissors driver
Miz
b. R-Truth – Skull Crushing Finale
b. R-Truth – Skull Crushing Finale
Dean
Ambrose b. Luke Harper via DQ when Harper powerbombed him through a
table
Ambrose b. Luke Harper via DQ when Harper powerbombed him through a
table
Sheamus
b. Daniel Bryan via countout
b. Daniel Bryan via countout
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