Welcome to the post-WrestleMania SmackDown! The main event tonight has been announced as the new WWE World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan and Tag Team champions The Usos versus Randy Orton, Batista and Kane. Also on the card tonight is the new Paul Heyman guy Cesaro versus Big Show. We will also see if Triple H has anything to say to The Shield after the attack on Monday.
SmackDown opens with a picture of the Ultimate Warrior. Raw will be dedicated to him Monday as he passed away on Tuesday.
John Cena's music hits as Michael Cole welcomes us to SmackDown! He said the crowd sounds exhausted, which draws boos. Cena talks about the Hogan/Austin/Rock segment from WrestleMania and says that Bray tried the best he could to turn him into a monster. He mentions The Streak ending and puts over Daniel Bryan as the new champ, which evokes a YES chant from the crowd. He puts over Raw and everything that happened there, even mentioning Paige's Divas Championship win. The future is now, and there are so many promising Superstars. He says he is the measuring stick for the new era and everything goes through him to get to the top. The Wyatts appear. Harper says that Cena has given them more time to hurt him. Bray wishes he could feel pain and to embrace his difference. He can't stop smiling, even after his loss. He saw something in John's eyes at WrestleMania. John is starting to see those things in himself. Bray says that he needs to go to a new extreme to get John to see it.
*Commercial Break*
MATCH: Cesaro w/ Paul Heyman vs. Big Show
Paul Heyman comes out to introduce Cesaro and the nickname king of swing. No entrance music for Cesaro. Heyman says he is the greatest manager in wrestling history for Brock breaking the streak. He puts over Cesaro as the next big thing.
Cesaro shakes Show's hand and the bell rings. They tie up and Big Show overpowers Cesaro. Cesaro comes back with upper cuts. They take the action out of the ring and coming back in, Cesaro attempts to suplex Show back inside the ring. Big Show counters. Back in the ring, Big Show sets up a big KO punch. Cesaro slides out and gets advice from Heyman.
*Commercial Break*
We come back to Big Show dominating Cesaro. Cesaro counters with a big boot and sleeper. Heyman is on commentary doing a great job putting Cesaro over. Cesaro has had the sleeper on the Big Show for a while and Show counters, getting some momentum going. He sets up for a chokeslam, which Cesaro counters into another sleeper. Show counters with a backbody drop. Show is on the second rope and misses an elbow drop. Cesaro sets up the Swing, but Jack Swagger comes out and puts him in the Patriot Lock.
WINNER: Cesaro via diqualification
Big Show throws Swagger out. Cesaro goes after Big Show after the match, beats him up and gives him a Neutralizer. Cesaro leaves with Heyman as the crowd goes crazy, but WWE has piped in boos.
*Commercial Break*
A Bo Dallas vignette airs.
MATCH: Rybaxel vs. Los Matadores
Ryback starts with Diego. A little back and forth to start. Diego jumps off the top and gets caught by Ryback and powerslammed. Axel tags in and continues beating Diego down. Tag to Ryback who covers for a two. Ryback has Diego in a sleeper. Cole says that one of these teams could get a title shot down the road. Diego counters a slam and dropkicks Ryback. Axel gets tagged in and Diego tags in Fernando, who starts going to town on Axel. Neither commentator knows which one is which and neither do I. Apparently Diego is in and Fernando started the match. Axel hits one of them with his finisher and gets the win.
WINNERS: Ryback & Curtis Axel via pinfall
Honestly, the announcers were so horrible for that match that it took away from it. Cole buried the Matadores by not being able to tell them apart.
RVD is coming out and gets interviewed about how excited he is and puts over the change in the company. Just a typical RVD promo.
*Commercial Break*
MATCH: Rob Van Dam vs. Damien Sandow
Rematch from Raw. RVD may or may not be getting a good pop on the way out. Dubbed in crowd noise..we will never know. RVD gets the early advantage with a big superkick. He then hits the Rolling Thunder on Sandow, who has gotten no offense. RVD hits a baseball slide kick and does a standing moonsault off the apron, but misses. Sandow throws him in the barrier, then the ring for a pin, but RVD kicks out at two. Sandow puts RVD in a sleeper and poses for the crowd. Pin attempt - 2-count. Sandow continues the beating on RVD with another sleeper. RVD gets up and counters, going on the offensive. He sets up a Five Star Frog Splash. Sandow gets up and stops it, going for a superplex. RVD counters the superplex, knocks him off, hits the Frog Splash and gets the win.
WINNER: Rob Van Dam via pinfall
Up next is Hulk Hogan BROTHER!!!! Adam Rose vignette follows.
*Commercial Break*
Real America hits!!! Hogans comes out. I'm sure the pop was good. Michael Cole's voice hurts my ear. Crowd chants for Hogan...or is that dubbed in? Hogan goes straight into brother mode. Says SUPERDOME. He says Daniel Bryan provided us with one of the greastest WrestleMania moments. Hogan says it gave him chills and announces that Bryan is coming out. Bryan's music hits and the crowd goes insane!...maybe. Hogan gets a YES chant started. Bryan says this has been the greatest week of his life, he main-evented WrestleMania 30 and is marrying one of the hottest women on the planet [my words, not his] and he's in the ring with Hulk Hogan. He says he's an average guy from a small town and says Hogan is the biggest Superstar in the world. Crowd chants Hogan. Daniel Bryan says he said his prayers, took his vitamins and has been a Hogan fan forever. He wants Hogan's music played and for Hogan to do his poses. Bryan starts doing them with him. Pretty cool scene here. Hogan raises his hand and they start a YES chant together.
Bad News Barrett is walking to the ring.
*Commercial Break*
MATCH: Bad News Barrett vs. Kofi Kingston
Kofi is out first to a huge pop! They show his amazing WrestleMania spot. Human highlight reel. Barrett's music hits and people look happy, but WWE's audio insists that they're booing. Odd, right?
The bell rings and Barrett wants the microphone. As he starts speaking, Kofi goes after him and gets beaten down by Barrett. That's the bad news. Kofi counters with some kicks and gets fired in the turnbuckle and climbs up for a big crossbody. Kingston does the Boom Drop and looks for the Trouble in Paradise. Barrett gets out of the ring. Kofi chases and when they get back in, Barrett counters Trouble in Paradise with the Bullhammer.
WINNER: Bad News Barrett via pinfall
Cole starts putting over WrestleMania and how important the fans are. They show a video package of how awesome the fans are, signaling that we are now a character in the show or something. WWE thanks us.
*Commercial Break*
MATCH: Santino vs. Fandango
Fandango has apparently dumped Summer Rae for Layla. This is roughly the 900th match between Santino and Fandango. The bell rings and Santino gets the early advantage. Fandango turns the tables with a big punch. Santino is just clowning in the ring and Fandango is beating him up. Santino does his big hip toss and pulls out the cobra that Layla steals and Fandango rolls up him for a pin.
WINNER: Fandango via pinfall
Pretty much a waste of time. Layla looks amazing though.
Cole talks about Paige coming out and winning the Divas title on Raw. I must say I'm actually excited for Paige. They run a video package for Paige. She's the next big thing, write that down.
*Commercial Break*
And we're back with another vignette for Adam Rose.
Cole shows us what happened on Raw when The Shield came to the aid of Daniel Bryan against HHH. On Main Event, Seth Rollins says they are prepared for war and fighting injustice. Kane in the back giving Orton and Batista a speech, saying he wants Bryan for himself and they all argue about who is taking out Bryan. Kane says they need to stick together and all answer to a higher authority.
Usos' music hit. I love their entrance. Daniel Bryan out next! Crowd goes crazy doing the YES. Yessing? I don't know what to call it.
*Commercial Break*
MATCH: Daniel Bryan and The Usos vs. Randy Orton, Batista and Kane
Batista starts off against Jey Uso. Batista backs him into a corner and Jey reverses and gets some good offense in. He tags Jimmy Uso in, who continues beating on Batista until he's reversed with a spinebuster. Batista tags in Orton, who starts stomping Jimmy. Orton rips Jimmy's rib cage bandage off.
*Commercial Break*
We come back with Kane in with one of the Usos. Cole should be telling us which one. Batista is tagged in and is beating on I think Jey Uso. Orton gets the tag and continues the beating. He is now teasing Jey and slams him stomach-first on the rope and gets a two-count. Jey starts fighting back, but Orton nails him with a dropkick. Orton tags in Kane, who gives Jey a side-slam. They have still yet to mention which Uso is in the ring and I'm pretty sure Cole has no idea. Orton gets tagged back in and puts Jey in a sleeper. Jey fights back, comes off the ropes and eats a huge powerslam. Orton takes Jimmy out and then runs into a big Samoan Drop from Jey. Kane is tagged in and Jey gets the hot tag to Bryan, who comes in guns-blazing and kicks everyone. Kane throws him into the turnbuckle. He does his flip-clothesline to Kane and hits three big kicks. He throws Kane out and dives after him. Batista and Orton go after Bryan until they get hit by with flying Usos. The brawl continues outside the ring and there must be a double countout.
WINNERS: n/a (no contest)
Kane starts beating down Bryan and Batista and Orton throw the Usos in the ring and beat them down as well. Kane clears the announcers' table and sets Bryan up for a chokeslam. Here come The Shield to make the save. They take out Kane and try to get in the ring. Batista and Orton run away. Kane tries to attack The Shield from behind, but takes a huge knee from Bryan and a triple powerbomb from The Shield for his efforts. Bryan leads a Yes chant as SmackDown goes off the air with him and The Shield standing tall.
REVIEW
Before I actually break down the show, I need to rant. Michael Cole is the worst. During the match with Los Matadores and The Usos match, he never referred to which member of the tag team was in the ring at the time. Actually, during the Matadores match, he had the wrong one for the most of the match. That is not how you put over talent as an announcer. It's really hard to become invested in a team that looks alike when your play-by-play guy isn't even mentioning who is in the ring. So I apologize for any mistake I may have made. Blame Michael Cole.
Moving on. I think SmackDown tonight reassured what they were pushing on Raw: that it's a new era in WWE. I wonder if this is internally as well and Triple H is really grabbing the reigns from Vince. The product has felt really fresh since WrestleMania. With the Bo Dallas and Adam Rose vignettes, the video package on Paige, and the plethora of young talent in WWE, the company's in the best shape it's been in for a long time. The future is bright!!
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