WWE SmackDown got lost in the shuffle after Vince McMahon decided to end the draft in August 2011. Still, the blue brand managed to stay on fan’s radar with some great matches and quality storytelling.
Stars who helped SmackDown stay afloat in WWE included Randy Orton and Sheamus. The likes of Alberto Del Rio joined the two to deliver some of the best WWE SmackDown matches of 2012.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right into it:
Beth Phoenix vs. Natalya (WWE SmackDown – September 28)
The state of the WWE women’s division was quite underwhelming in 2012. Women matches barely used to get five minutes of TV time on both SmackDown and RAW – despite the latter moving to the three-hour format in the summer.
The underwhelming booking, however, didn’t stop Beth Phoenix and Natalya from giving fans an excellent wrestling match on WWE SmackDown in September. Sadly, WWE would never book the two into a feud past this match, and the two would get back together as a tag team.
Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett (#1 Contendership Fatal 4-Way Match – November 25)
The World Heavyweight Championship was still WWE SmackDown’s richest prize in 2012. This fatal four-way match pitted four of the top stars on the blue brand at the time against each other. The stakes were extremely high, with a future opportunity at the title in place.
This match was perfectly well-placed for TV and saw some decent spots exchanged between the four men. Watching the match back then, I couldn’t help but get annoyed at the countless commercials that kept on interrupting the match.
Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan (February 2)
Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan had faced each other in multi-man matches prior to this match. The American Dragon was the World Heavyweight Champion when he faced the Viper in this non-title match.
The pair managed to get the crowd on their feet in this high-octane back-and-forth action. Bryan won the match after Big Show lost his cool and attacked him. This led to Orton assaulting the big man after the match.
Sheamus vs. Randy Orton (WWE SmackDown – May 18)
Sheamus and Randy Orton spent the better part of 2010 feuding with each other over the WWE Championship. The pair reignited their feud in 2012 over the Celtic Warrior’s World Heavyweight Championship.
They faced off on the final WWE SmackDown before Over the Limit. Their chemistry was solid as they put on a great match to set the tone for the big action. After the match, the pair shook hands, only for Orton to take out Sheamus with the RKO.
Alberto Del Rio vs. Randy Orton (Falls Count Anywhere Match – November 6)
Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton had a series of great matches in 2012. Del Rio wanted to get past Orton in order to get his hands on the world title. The Viper, however, didn’t intend on letting go of his opponent easily.
They had a solid Falls Count Anywhere match on WWE SmackDown in the lead-up to Survivor Series 2012. The Viper put away his opponent with an RKO on the steel steps. He’d, however, fail to get the same success in the traditional Survivor Series elimination tag team match.
Also read: WWE Planning To Have Randy Orton Back By Survivor Series
