Smackdown Review and Reactions

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World, I hope you are all doing well. So it's Friday witch of course means it's time for my Smackdown Review and Reactions. Now I know, it's been a while since I uploaded a Smackdown Review and Reactions post. I've been so so busy over the past month that I've struggled to fit in an hour to get this post done. But I'm back today and ready to start getting back into the swing of things. I hope you guys are glad that this post is back. Before we get into things, as usual there are some little reminders and pieces of information for you. Next week is of course Payback prediction week from Monday all the way through to Saturday. Then on Sunday not only will I be live tweeting throughout the show but I will also start to upload my NXT Takeover predictions and they will be going up from that date to Tuesday, then I will be live tweeting throughout NXT Takeover. Because it is pay per view prediction week it's likely that there will be no NXT or Smackdown review and reactions posts again but I might try and see if I can squeeze them in, it depends on how busy I am. Talking of NXT, I have finally decided that the next dedication month will be NXT month. Now, I'm not sue if it is going to be in June or July but I will let you know as soon as I have sorted it out. As usual I will link bellow any recent blog posts including this weeks RAW Review and Reactions. Finally, you can let me know what you thought of last night's Smackdown by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.

After what was an amazing RAW this past week there was a lot to be looking forward to this Thursday on Smackdown. Just days before we saw Dean Ambrose earn the right to compete at Payback in the main event alongside Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight championship, making me quite literally, the happiest person in the world! As announced on RAW, this week on Smackdown there was set to be a contract signing for the Payback main event. But did things go down smoothly? Or would we see four of the biggest superstars in WWE have yet another almighty clash in Ottawa, Ontario Canada? Let's take a look back at what happened during last night's show and what I thought of all the action.

Kicking off the show this week was the two thousand and fifteen King Of The Ring winner, Bad News Barrett, aka King Barrett, as an interview was conducted by Jerry Lawler in the ring. I'll be honest I actually liked this opening. It was something different and changed things up a little. Plus, come on, we have two kings in the ring, what more could you want. Barrett being Barrett continued to portray he's cocky, arrogant, character, bullying the hall of famer until an unexpected visitor in Dolph Ziggler came down to the ring for the win setting up a match between the two to start the show properly. Usually you will see me moan about opening's to both RAW and Smackdown (mainly Smackdown) but I did genuinely like this opening. I think Smackdown is playing such a vital role for the mid card performers. Its on this show that the WWE put the most amount of effort into to really pushing the feuds in the mid card section of the roster. It's here that we see everything come together and for the past couple of months now we have seen some really really strong matches on Smackdown so I have to give it to WWE. Well done on changing things up a little and making Smackdown a show to watch. I'm so glad the two big mid card feuds are getting so much attention. Barrett opening the show with a promo and two matches is just what he needed after becoming King of the Ring. The WWE are doing such a good job booking him over the past couple of months. It makes a nice change seeing Barrett start the show and bring something new to the show.

The match between Dolph Ziggler and Bad News Barrett was short lived after Ziggler picked up a DQ win when Sheamus interfered.Neville would soon come to the rescue and aid of Dolph Ziggler setting up a tag tea match next. I don't know about you, but I'm actually really really enjoying the work between these four superstars. We have seen some honestly outstanding matches between all four of them.I do think the WWE need to be careful about not going to far with the feud and not having it come across way too predicable and repetitive. We got a tag team match between these four this week on RAW getting it again on Smackdown did work this time round but for next week we need to start seeing something new. At least giving them opposite opponents. The one on one match between Ziggler and Barrett was actually shaping up to be a really good one and I was actually disappointed it ended in DQ and didn't go on longer.

I was actually glad that there was another tag team match between these four superstars. I mentioned back in this weeks RAW Review and Reactions that I was really disappointed with the match we got this past week. Because it was so late in the show there was hardly any time to squeeze in a strong quality match. For what we got it was a good one and I did like it but I was really disappointed and was expecting so much more. So I was so happy that they got another shot to put on a great match and one that was at the level I was expecting. In the end this time round, we saw Dolph Ziggler and Adrian Neville get the win, so it's one/one at the moment.The early stages of this match did see Barrett and Sheamus in control and once again they worked so so well together. Because both Barrett and Sheamus share that ruthless, tough, barbaric, European style they make such a great team and are hands down two of the most convincing heels in the WWE right now.But we did see Neville and Ziggler once again work really well together also, as it was them who brought the speed to this match. In my opinion I think Neville should of scored the pin fall for him and Ziggler just because I felt like he needed it more but at least he was on the winning side.

Up next, a one on one between Fandango and Luke Harper. I'm really enjoying  seeing Fandango

work as a baby face. He made a good heel but this is a man who can work being a baby face really well. I do hope that the WWE have something planned for him in the near future because he is a really talented superstars with so much potential, I just think the problem is is that he's gimmick limits him at times. Anyway back to last night and Luke Harper of course picked up a nice clean win victory. This was probably the most predicable match of the night but it's what happened after that counted the most and what got everyone's attention. Out of nowhere Erick Rowan came to the ring and attacked Fandango and Luke Harper simply watched on. I was honestly not expecting this what so ever. Everyone and their mothers knows how much I love Erick Rowan. I honestly think I could be the biggest Erick Rowan fan...ever. This was by far the most intriguing part of the night and possibly the week. I was not expecting any type of reunion between Harper and Rowan but I did really like the idea. After all, I still don't think they should of split them up in the first place. They still had so much left to do as a tag team and it made no sense what so ever the WWE splitting them up so early and with so much left to do together. I still to this day have no idea why they decided to not have them as tag team champions last year because it made perfect sense.  I doubt very much that they will ruthenium with Bray and to be honest I don't think they need to. These guys are more than talented enough to go out their and compete by themselves without Bray by their side. I think this is a strong example of when WWE make a bad move and it really shows. These guys are great singles competitors but the timing was all wrong last year with splitting them up. Having their reunion seem like it makes sense will be difficult but I'm seeing huge huge things for these two over the rest of the year. Just imagine the type of fast paced, strong, technical, outstanding matches we are going to get when these two go up against guys like Cesaro and Tyson Kidd and The Lucha dragons. And the storyline's they could do against the Ascension. Watch out for these guys over  the next couple of months.

Lana of course got a huge reaction from the crowd when she came to the arena but was soon yelled at by Rusev and made it clear that he was going to make John Cena pay come Monday night. I'll admit, I have next to no interest in this feud between Rusev and Cena any more. I think they have over done it a little and it's gone on far too long but I am however enjoying the work between Lana and Rusev. They have that Sable/ Marc Mero thing going on right now and it is working so so well. I can honestly say that I'm really looking forward to seeing where they go with it and what they have in store for Lana in particular after.

Tag team action next and we got some rather odd parings as Ryback teamed up with Tyson Kidd and Cesaro to take on the tag team champions, The New Day. This really is an odd paring but I kinda like it. Ryback needed to be in a strong match and this seems like a good fit. It's an easy way for him to get momentum and have the attention on him without being in another plain and simple boring one on one, that no one has any interest in. I'm really liking the work between the New day and Cesaro and Tyson Kidd. It's probably one of my favourite feuds right now in the WWE. It feels so good to be this interested in a tag team feud because the last time I felt this way was with The Usos VS Luke Harper and Erick Rowan and that was exactly around a year ago. They all have a great amount of chemistry and manage to always put on a strong tag team match. I'm also so glad that Cesaro is finally getting to work as a baby face and he's doing such a good job. I've been saying for seems like forever that I think Cesaro should be working as a baby face and him and Kidd have been doing an amazing job. I was ever a fan of them working together but out of nowhere they have managed to turn things around completely and I can now say they are my favourite tag team going right now on the main roster. They are coming across so so well as baby faces and I was actually pretty surprised to see just how well they worked with Ryback. This was hands down my favourite match of the night. There was so much energy in this match and I don't know I was just really happy watching this match witch is something I hardly say. There was so much variety in the match and Natalya also did a really good job getting the crowd going. The closing moments saw Bray Wyatt distract Ryback allowing the tag team champions to score the win.

Later on in the night the Lucha Dragons picked up a strong win over Los Matadores. I'm a huge fan of the Lucha Dragons and I have full faith in them. I can promise you, these guys will be tag team champions by the end of the year. They still have some unfinished business with the new day. Los Matadores have been having some petty good tag team matches on Superstars so go and check them out if you aint seen them.The match was a good one and I did actually enjoy it.

Divas action next and Naomi scored a clean win against Emma in a dominate match up. After she got the win her and Tamina double teamed on the Aussie.  I still hate how badly Emma is being treated. She is hands down of the most talented female wrestlers in the company but she comes across as the Zack Ryder of the divas division. It's nice to see in some good work with Emma on NXT. As for the paring of Naomi and Tamina, I like it. It makes sense, Tamina is the cousin of Jimmy Uso and of course Jimmy is married to Naomi so it all makes sense and I think we could see some really

interesting work in the next couple of months. I'm interested to see what happens in the next couple of moths between these two. Hopefully Tamina gets more attention and a bigger push than she did when she was the body guard for AJ Lee. Naomi dominated the match with Emma getting very little offence but to be fair it wasn't a terrible match.

Finally, the contract signing. After Dean Ambrose earned he's place in the Payback main event when he defeated champion Seth Rollins. Now that means that the Payback main event will be a fatal four way involving Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Heavyweight championship. The contract signing was something I was really looking forward too and something that I was glad was actually happening on Smackdown instead of RAW. When Reigns, Orton and Ambrose came to the ring Seth refused to sign the contract and ordered Kane to sign it for him but he of course refused and the whole thing ended in one big Brawl witch saw Seth Rollins standing tall at the end of the night, witch I liked. It's about time our champion stood tall and had a good night for a change. We really saw Rollins turn everyone of he's opponents on one another and to be honest this was probably one of my favourite Contract signings in a very long time.

All round I enjoyed the show greatly. It's been a really strong week in the WWE this week and it's going to be hard for them to top what we got this week on RAW next week for the go home show. You can let me know what you thought by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.