Matt’s Smackdown Recap 5/9/14

WWE: Smackdown
May 9, 2014
Buffalo, NY
First Niagara Center

The current WWE champs are as follows:
WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Daniel Bryan (4/6/2014)
WWE Intercontinental Champion: Bad News Barrett (5/4/2014)
WWE U.S. Champion: Sheamus (5/5/2014)
WWE Divas Champion: Paige (4/7/2014)
WWE Tag Team Champions: The Usos (3/3/2014)

To kick off the show, a video package airs highlighting this past week’s Monday Night Raw where Sheamus won the WWE U.S. title in a 20-man battle royal. Afterwards, COOHHH put the Shield in a match with the Wyatt family, which ended with Evolution causing a ruckus and getting Reigns pinned with Sister Abigail. To make matters worse, Evolution then does a number on the Shield and they stand united to end the show. For all the details, check out Scott’s Raw Recap.

Your hosts are Michael Cole & JBL.

–      WWE U.S. Champion Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose

Tonight, each member of the Shield have a match, starting with Dean Ambrose. They trade some mat work to start building into a brawl on the floor. Ambrose delivers a suplex and Sheamus answers back with the Rolling Fireman’s Carry as we go to commercial. When we return, Ambrose makes a comeback on Sheamus and hits the suicide dive. Back inside, Ambrose goes after the knee and applies the figure-four. Sheamus finds the ropes and lands the Irish Curse backbreaker for two. Sheamus applies the Cloverleaf, but Ambrose manages to reach the ropes for the break. I’m cool with Sheamus trying submission moves, but he never looks right doing the hold. Maybe his arms are too big? Sheamus beats on Dean’s chest revealing that his ribs are taped, but Ambrose fires back with the Nigel McGuinness Lariat anyways. They slug it out, but then Ambrose charges into the Brogue Kick that knocks him out to the floor. He makes it back inside right before the ten-count only to stagger into another Brogue Kick for the win. (8:00 shown) Hey, it took a lot from Sheamus to put the guy down. Good back and forth action here. **¼

–      Bad News Barrett & Cesaro (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Rob Van Dam & Big E

Heyman joins the commentary table to take part in berating Michael Cole with JBL. RVD has a big black eye after Monday night. RVD kicks around Barrett, but then gets distracted by Cesaro allowing Barrett to run him down with a clothesline. Back inside, RVD breaks free of a chinlock and reaches Big E for a tag. He drills Cesaro with a belly to belly suplex and the running splash gets two. STO out of the corner on Cesaro scores a nearfall, which causes the match to break down. During the madness, Cesaro hits Big E with the Neutralizer for the win. (2:30) Real short match to establish Barrett as the new IC champ to the Smackdown audience. *½

–      Rusev (w/Lana) vs. Kofi Kingston

Lana announces that Russia is the superior moral country because they now have outlawed cursing in their media. Kingston jumps around and lands a few kicks, but he’s no match for Rusev. Gunnslinger and the Accolade ends Kingston in 2:00.

From the deepest and darkest place in the arena, here are the Wyatt family. Bray Wyatt preaches that we are all slaves to judgment. Cena’s judgment is fear, but fear is not what sets men apart. What sets men apart is how far they are willing to go. Where he and Bray are going, nobody ever comes back. BURN, says Harper.

–      Santino Marella & Emma vs. Fandango & Layla

Sounds like Bo Dallas debuts next week. I am LOVING Layla’s dress tonight because there is just so little of it. Things are going great for Santino and Emma here. Emma pulls out the Pink Cobra hoping to finish off Layla. When Fandango acts like he’s going to jump her, Santino to the rescue and he flies over the top rope to the floor. With all that distraction, Emma gets rolled up by Layla for the win. (2:00) After some celebration, Fandango and Layla share a kiss at the top of the ramp. Santino and Emma sell the kiss like awkward children, but somewhere Summer Rae is UPSET. ¾*

–      Roman Reigns vs. Mark Henry

On the split-screen, Henry looks forward to adding Roman Reigns to the Hall of Pain. With Reigns carrying internal injuries, Henry dominates most of the match by working the mid-section and telling Reigns that he’s all alone tonight. Pump splash from Henry turns out to be a bad idea though as Reigns stops him and brings him to the mat with a Samoan Drop. Spear! Cover, 1-2-3. (4:00) Little “come from behind” victory for Reigns. *½

–      Los Matadores & El Torito vs. Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre & Hornswoggle (w/Jinder Mahal)

Anything 3MB and Los Matadores do in this match is of no consequence. Am I the only one who noticed that Hornswoggle is wearing HBK pants? El Torito and Hornswoggle do some comedy bits. Hornswoggle gets really pissed off when Slater starts to laugh at his misfortune. Once El Torito splashes Hornswoggle, Slater runs in and flings El Torito off the pin. Slater then tags Hornswoggle and chases El Torito around until he’s nailed with a moonsault press for the upset 1-2-3. (4:30) Hey, if it worked for the 1-2-3 Kid. Mildly entertaining comedy match. I don’t know how much longer they can keep it up before people start to turn on them though. *½

Super scary recap video airs concerning Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella being stalked by Kane this past week on Raw. Cole – “It’s almost like a scene out of a horror movie!”….yeah!

–      Batista vs. Seth Rollins

No wonder Bats is unhappy right now. He’s the only Evolution guy having to work Smackdown too! Batista fires on Rollins first, but Rollins fights back and tries to dive onto Bats while he’s on the floor only to be scooped up by the ring apron and viciously beaten. When we return, Bats is in control keeping Rollins down with a neck wrench. When Rollins gets a second wind, Batista sends him hard into the corner a couple times. Bats goes for the spear, but Rollins sidesteps and Bats runs into the ringpost. Rollins charges at Batista with a pair of elbow smashes and then stomps a mudhole in Bats to get himself fired up. Batista avoids the Shiranui, but eats an enziguri kick. Rollins misses a springboard knee smash and charges into the Spinebuster. Time for the Demon Bomb, but Rollins punches away and lands on his feet only to then nail Batista with another enziguri kick! That knocks Bats all the way to the floor. Rollins decides to take a big chance and fly down onto Batista, but he misses Bats and gets his face slam dunked onto the announce table! Wow what a bump. Batista rolls back inside and wins via countout. (6:30 shown) I actually love the finish. All these big spots sometimes should mean that somebody could miss and can’t continue. Match of the night, as far as I’m concerned. After the bell, Bats sticks Rollins with a Demon Bomb just to teach him a lesson. **¾

–      The Wyatt Family vs. The Usos & John Cena

Cena gets his licks in on Rowan and Harper to start. He then turns the match over to the Usos, who are dominated. Once Jey is down, Bray comes in and continues to work him over. He even busts out the crab walk to creep out Cole. Eventually, Jey will fight out of the Wyatts corner only to be stopped by Harper for the Gator Roll. This creates another short heat segment until finally Jey reaches Jimmy for the hot tag. He looks to finish off Bray with the Stinger Splash and the Buttalanche to the face. Bray runs into Cena and gets punched back into a Superkick, but he tags in Harper. Unfortunately for Harper, he eats a Superkick as well. Meanwhile, the other four start brawling out on the floor. Inside the ring though, Harper hits Jimmy with the Discus Lariat for the win. (8:00) By the book six-man tag here. Follow the buzzards, ya’ll. **½

Next week, Smackdown will be in my neck of the woods Greensboro NC at the legendary Greensboro Coliseum (WOOOOOOOO!!!!!) and I will be there LIVE. So hopefully next week’s recap will be even more interesting than normal.

Until then, so long for now.