Matt’s Smackdown Recap 12/6/13

WWE: Smackdown
December 6, 2013
Tulsa, OK
BOK Center

The current WWE champs are as follows:
WWE Champion: Randy Orton (10/27/2013)
World Heavyweight Champion: John Cena (10/27/2013)
WWE Intercontinental Champion: Big E Langston (11/18/2013)
WWE U.S. Champion: Dean Ambrose (5/19/2013)
WWE Tag Team Champions: Cody Rhodes & Goldust (10/14/2013)
WWE Divas Champion: AJ Lee (6/16/2013)

Your hosts are Michael Cole and JBL.

– Non-title match: WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston vs. Fandango (w/Summer Rae)

Damien Sandow joins us for commentary. ICYMI, he defeated Dolph Ziggler this past week on Raw for a shot at the IC championship at the TLC PPV on December 15. Big E has little trouble finishing off Fandango with the Big Ending in 2:45. Afterwards, Sandow hops into the ring to point and yell at Langston. ½*

Out comes the WWE champion Randy Orton to the ring. He sets up a clip of the violence that ensued at the contract signing for the champion vs. champion TLC match with John Cena. For more details, check out Scott’s Raw Recap. Long story short, he’s out here to apologize to the Authority for what happened at the contract signing. As Orton goes to leave, Daniel Bryan interrupts and thinks maybe Orton should apologize to the WWE universe for impersonating a champion. Bryan also tells Orton that he hasn’t forgotten the fact that Orton never legitimately beat him or that the Authority screwed him over. After TLC and once he’s taken care of the Wyatt family, Bryan will be the first one waiting in line for the winner of the champion vs. champion match. But before TLC, Bryan wants another match with Randy Orton tonight just for old time’s sake. Tulsa is down for it, but Orton refuses the offer and leaves for real this time.

– Non-title match: WWE Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel

I just now noticed that Goldust’s music is a tad different. Not sure if they called out the Superstar of the Year nominees for the Slammys on Raw, but Cole does here. The nominees include John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Big Show, and Brock Lesnar. Shawn Michaels will present the award to the winner. Onto the match, Goldust plays a short FIP segment. Cody gets the hot tag, and runs roughshod all over Axel. Springboard dropkick, Disaster Kick, the Booker T rollup, and the Moonsault press gets two. Match breaks down. Out on the floor, Cody saves Goldust by using the announce table to nail Ryback with a Disaster Kick. Back inside, Axel inside cradles Cody for the upset win. (4:12) I’m guessing there will be a four-way dance with these two teams, the Real Americans, and the Usos at TLC. Just a thought. *½

Smackdown gets introduced to #BadNewsBarrett. He calls the WWE universe “sheep” who will ultimately follow one another to the slaughter. So he’s like a wayyyyy darker Debbie Downer?

– Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio

ADR was upset by Sin Cara this past week on Raw, so now he is PISSED. No match. Del Rio completely destroys him before any bell is sounded and leaves him laying with the Cross Armbreaker.

Somewhere dark in the arena, the Shield tells us that one of them will hurt CM Punk pretty bad tonight, but not bad enough that there won’t be anything left of him come TLC, where they will finish the job in a 3-on-1 handicap match.

– Non-title match: WWE U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose vs. CM Punk

Word on the street is Punk is sick and banged up pretty bad prior to this match. He also may have pooped himself on this show. We know his ribs are busted to bits after the attack by the Shield this past week on Raw. Whether that’s kayfabe or not seems up in the air. Punk handles Ambrose early, but can’t put him away with the Go2Sleep. Ambrose gets stuck out on the floor and Punk won’t let him back in, which seems like a dark segment, but I don’t believe they ever actually went dark. Ambrose pulls Punk out to the floor and backs his ribs into the apron a bunch. The action slows down a bit back inside, which furthers the idea that they were supposed to go dark and did not for whatever reason. Ambrose hits Punk with the Pepsi Twist. That’s something you don’t even see out of Punk anymore. He misses a flying elbow and Punk delivers a springboard clothesline for two. Still selling the ribs, he manages the running knee and another clothesline. Ambrose counters the swinging neckbreaker and backslides Punk into a Fujiwara armbar. Punk escapes and tries the GTS again, but Ambrose slips out and locks in a sleeperhold. Another counter finds Ambrose in the Anaconda Vice! Unfortunately for Punk, Ambrose finds the ropes. Macho Elbow is stopped as Ambrose brings down Punk with a butterfly superplex for two. Back to the Fujiwara armbar! Punk manages to get a foot on the bottom rope. They exchange finisher attempts, but Ambrose instead sends Punk into the ringpost shoulder-first for a rollup that gets two. Another exchange of finishers, but Punk delivers the Go2Sleep after all for the hard-fought victory. (13:30) Kind of a slow burn match that may or may not have had more to do with how Punk felt that turned out to be pretty solid. Kudos to the man for sweating it out. ***

In the back, Rey Mysterio is with Renee Young. He’s interrupted by Zeb Colter and the Real Americans though who want to know why he’s wearing a mask and where are his formal citizenship papers. Rey tells them to GTFO, so now we got a match. Rey just has to find an amigo to join him tonight. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

– Natalya vs. Tamina Snuka (w/AJ Lee)

AJ joins Cole and JBL for commentary since she’s got a match with Natalya for the Divas championship at TLC. A little bit of a stalemate until Tamina runs Natalya from the apron into the ringpost. Back inside, Tamina pulls back on the arms, which serves to bring about Natalya’s comeback. Sharpshooter is kicked away and Tamina lands the Samoan Drop. Tamina misses the Superfly Splash and Natalya picks up the win. (3:00) AJ Lee, Natalya, the Bella Twins, the Funkadactyls, Kaitlyn, and (somehow) Eva Marie are all up for ‘Diva of the Year’ this Monday night at the Slammy awards. Eve Torres will present the award to the winner! ½*

– Rey Mysterio and A Mystery Partner vs. The Real Americans (w/Zeb Colter)

Welllllllll, his mystery partner is the Big Show. Naturally, the Real Americans are terrified. Rey plays FIP and it’s pretty good. Cesaro tries to nail Show to prevent the hot tag, which proves to be a mistake. Show gets the tag and destroys everybody. As it were, it is officially BREAKIN’ LOOSE IN TULSA. 619 to Swagger, and the Chokeslam takes down Cesaro. Mysterio splashes Cesaro off Show’s shoulders for the three-count. (4:20, man) Fun little match. That’s really what you get every week out of the Real Americans. *½

Time for another comment from #BadNewsBarrett. First, some good news. He claims that the Champion of Champions after TLC will live at such a height above every other sports entertainer, that he will breath rarified air. As for the bad news, that man will be hunted down by the rest of the locker room and will be doomed to destruction. Thank you very much. In my opinion, he should quit his day job and do some voice-over work.

Pretty cool historically-themed video package airs to hype the importance of Cena vs. Orton at TLC.

Over on the weekly WWE.com “exclusive” interview with HHH, he puts over how this TLC main event will be remembered forever.

– Non-title match: WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan

Loads of rough kicks and punches by both men to start. Bryan snaps the arm over his shoulder one time too many as Orton counters with the inverted backbreaker. Bryan fires back with more kicks and dropkicks Orton to the floor. He wants the suicide dive, but Orton jumps over the barricade before any damage is done. Commercials! When we return, Orton controls and keeps Bryan grounded with chinlocks and such.

SIDENOTE: Cole tries to “alleviate the confusion” over the WCW World title and John Cena’s World title by telling us that they aren’t the same thing because Cena’s World title dates back to 1905 and George Hackenschmidt, while WCW’s belt is just the WCW World title belt. So many things wrong with that statement. Just mind-blowing revisionist history. In case you’re still confused, let me help you: neither belt dates back to 1905 or George Hackenschmidt. The World title John Cena holds is just a belt they created in 2002 to give to Triple H because he couldn’t stand not being a champion.

Anyways, Bryan mounts his signature comeback. You know the drill. We see it every week. Orton ducks the knockout Buzzsaw kick and powerslams Bryan. DDT through the ropes is next. Bryan avoids the RKO and backslides Orton to set him up for the Buzzsaw Kick. As he heads up top for the Flying Headbutt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan interrupt and distract Bryan. Orton nails him from behind and drops Bryan with the RKO for the three-count. (8:45 shown) Afterwards, Bray Wyatt appears on the TitanTron to ask Bryan to join the family. And *that* closes the show. Standard stuff from these two. **½

Final Thoughts: You can’t really argue with a show like this. Couple of good highlight matches, and lots of fun in between. Just another good show from Smackdown. Have a great weekend! Don’t forget the Slammy Awards on Monday!