Smackdown Spoilers

[Andrew]

*Spoilers* WWE SmackDown Tapings – 7/22/2011

- Thanks to reader Zelda Root for the following WWE SmackDown tapings from tonight’s show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These will air this Friday, July 22nd on SyFy:

Dark Match:

* Michael McGillicutty beat Trent Baretta

SmackDown, Airing Friday:

* SmackDown opens with Randy Orton sitting on a chair in the ring with the mic. He talks about the current state of the WWE. He calls out Christian and here comes the World Heavyweight Champion. Christian says Randy needs to work on his anger problem. They go back and forth for a bit, until Orton gets pissed and heads up the ramp only to be stopped by Teddy Long. Long says Randy will get a rematch but not tonight as he’s already agreed to face Kane in a street fight. He asks Orton to be the bigger man and walk away but Orton goes for Christian. The officials restrain him and Long informs Christian he’ll be facing Ezekiel Jackson after the break.

* World Champion Christian beat Intercontinental Champion Ezekiel Jackson with the Killswitch after a back and forth match with mixed crowd reaction for Christian. Anyone remember when these two faced off for who would be remembered as the last ever ECW Champion? Me neither.

* Michael Cole is in the ring and invites SmackDown’s Mr. Money in the Bank, Daniel Bryan out. He comes out and Cole rips him for a while. Bryan says he doesn’t care what Cole thinks. Bryan talks about the physical sacrifices he’s made to get to the WWE. Bryan says he’s going to the first champion to announce when he’s going to cash in ahead of time because apparently he’s never heard of Rob Van Dam. He announces he’s cashing in April 1st in Miami at WrestleMania and fulfill his lifetime dream. Out comes Heath Slater for some unfathomable reason. He gives a heel promo and they start a match. I’m guessing there will be commercials during this match.

* Daniel Bryan beat Heath Slater with some submission move I didn’t recognize (not the LaBelle Lock). This was a pretty decent match considering Heath Slater was involved. The crowd liked Bryan but Heath’s involvement minimized crowd reaction somewhat.

* Matt Striker interviews Mark Henry backstage. Mark Henry says he has no regrets and everyone should fear him.

* Wade Barrett and Sheamus went to a double count out. They continued brawling after the match and eventually ended up back in the ring where Barrett ate a Brogue Kick. Seemed like Sheamus may be in the midst of a slow face turn.

* Kane gives a backstage promo saying he’ll use Randy Orton to kill his humanity and be a monster again.

* Randy Orton beat Kane in a street fight after an RKO onto a chair. Match saw Kane kick out of an RKO and Randy kick out of a chokeslam. Crowd was much more into this match than anything preceding it. Afterward Kane offered his hand and Randy shook it. Kane looked devastated by the loss.

Mark Henry came out and attacked Kane, doing the splash onto the chair around the ankle that he did to Big Show at MITB. Refs came to check on Kane and I assume this was the end of the TV taping.​

That Orton segment sounds decent with Christian. Least he admitted his problems LOL

I thought it was Rhodes/Zeke... Uh, Ok... Anyways Christian won.

Bryan saying he's cashing in at WrestleMania, now that's sweet. Nice to see Slater cut some time on the mic, I guess Gabriel & Slater are no more. New submission hold - Must be Cattle Mutilation.

Sheamus/Barrett feud could possibly continue here, sounds like Sheamus will be turning face

Nice to see Kane offer a handshake, now that's interesting. Looks like Henry/Kane... The slow push for Henry here.


​

 

[The New F'n Show]

This looks like a really good show. Will have to check it out. Do not believe Bryan will actually Cash in at Mania though.

 

[Keith]

Sounds a decent show. Like that Bryan started with someone like Slater post-MITB, because it means he can slowly make his way up, and beat lower card guys, mid-carders, and later a main eventer maybe, on his way to cashing in. No I doubt he will do it at Mania, but I guess it was just a nice change to have someone make that prediction rather keeping it all a secret, also I do think they might switch him heel before he cashes it in, so if he keeps on bashing on about how he is going to make history and cash it in at Mania and win the title, it might be a good way to slowly change his attiude.

 

[Troy]

It does look like a good show.

Christian vs. Zeke I don't really get why they booked the two face champions against each other. I hope that Zeke isn't buried since he is the IC champion and that title needs to remain strong. WHC champion vs. IC champion shouldn't really be given away for free in the opener on Smackdown.

Hopefully Daniel Bryan will actually cash it in at WM rather than becoming the third or fourth MITB winner to say he would but then change their mind and cash it in earlier. It would be good to see a face stick to their word.

Barrett vs. Sheamus feud should be good. I am starting to like the idea of turning Sheamus face, I think the crowd could easily get behind him and he could sell a lot of merchandise. Barrett is a great heel and this is a look at two guys who could be huge in the future.

Kane vs. Orton sounds very good. Sounds like a proper mainevent match with both guys kicking out of the others finisher. Interesting how Kane shakes his hand, maybe to show fans they are both faces still. Henry takes out another big monster as well.

 

[Lub]

Sheamus turning face?? It's hard to imagine that.

 

[Troy]

Gradually, it won't be an overnight thing. I can easily see the fans cheering him, he looks like a good guy and if he slightly changes his demeanor then the fans will go crazy for him. Working with someone like Barrett will help because the fans boo Barrett already so when those two face they will want to cheer one of them.

 

[Prodigy]

Apparantely Sheamus played a face for most of his career prior to coming to the WWE so it wouldn't be so hard for him. I could imagine him in a sort of commedy role pretty well.

 

[Troy]

I remember reading that as well that he was a face his entire career until he came to WWE. I don't want to see him being a comedy character though. He can still be serious, but more fun, and be a dominant face.

 

[Lub]

It's time to have a new face star, which will be replacement for Orton or Cena, because people are sick of these two. And Sheamus as comedy character sounds crazy. And I think that would be meaningless.

 

[Troy]

Smackdown does need more face stars because they only have Orton and then Kane who probably will be retired within 12 months. Then they had Sin Cara but he is now suspended and the only other is Daniel Bryan who they are starting to slow build. Turning Sheamus face would give them so many more options up top and Sheamus could still be booked as the Celtic Warrior as a face.

 

[BronzyCoder]

Don't comment much on the forum as I should I guess, but I'm glad not only in the results of Money in The Bank, but for the first time in a long time I want to watch Smackdown after reading the spoilers, because so far it's just been the same thing with no real difference, but Smackdown seems to have changed here. Kane vs Orton seems to be a REAL main event, with kicking out of an RKO and a chokeslam. Don't know why Christian needs to be so weak that he can't kick out of a chokeslam but a guy who feels that he's too weak can, but I digress. As for Daniel Bryan, I don't think he's going to be screwed out of the briefcase, it seems unlikely to me. The Kennedy situation is an isolated case, he was a liability, he injured himself twice, he injured Cena, their top draw, and he nearly injured Orton. WWE thought that these situations would arise, I know that the Orton injury came a long time after but imo they made the right call on Kennedy. Great now in TNA apparently, but back then he was a bit of a waste. I wanted to see Rhodes vs Zeke, but hopefully we get that next week. Don't really like Ezekiel, reminds me a bit too much of Ahmed Johnson. One thing I'm definetely looking forward to is Wade/Sheamus, Sheamus as a face seems like it would be something new and entertaining. So yeah, my thoughts on it, sorry if this sort of sucks.

 

[Troy]

Good thoughts Bronzy you should post in these sections more often.

I agree that Kennedy was an isolated case, he had injured his arm and they thought he would be out for a much longer period of time then he actually was. They had him drop the briefcase and then they found out that he would only miss less than a month. I do think that Bryan is still a chance to be the first unsuccessful cash in. They have to eventually have someone lose after cashing it in and they can book it so that it doesn't hurt Bryan's character.

The mainevent does sound excellent and it sounds like something that could have been on a PPV. Whenever they get to kick out of the others finishers it normally means it is something special.

I like Zeke and think that given time he could be a quality face midcarder. Not sure if he is a future maineventer but a strong face on the card none-the-less. Rhodes vs Zeke wouldn't be a bad idea for a feud over the title.

 

[Keith]

Sheamus turning face?? It's hard to imagine that.

Well he has certainly bombed as a heel. I think he would become more relaxed as a face, and his personaity would come out more, his attempts at being a big monster have just been bland and boring.

 

[Troy]

He was good as a heel before they gave him the KOTR win. After that his gimmick changed and he turned into just another midcarder.

 

[Deezy]

I don't see how he bombed as a heel. Just got stuck in midcard limbo after he won the KOTR last year. Just became another hand after that still one of my faves right now.

This was a very good episode of Smackdown, the spoiler didn't give the Daniel Bryan/Heath Slater match justice.