Teddy Long is back with Aksana and she says she has a gift for him. Drew McIntyre comes in to interrupt. Long says Drew needs to win tonight to get back into his graces, and talks about how he sunk on Raw. Drew says he should watch his match tonight.
Alicia Fox and Kaitlyn def. Natayla and Tamina:
What I Liked:
I did enjoy Tamina getting some exposure here, as she is quite different that most divas. She is not the typical blonde, or the athletic former cheerleader. Tamina turning on Natalya at the end means that Natayla is now a target, which I think would be fresh. What would be better is if she was something before, because she starts from scratch and is now going to struggle to be exposed on TV each week. The match was lackluster, and I think Fox needs to have a match last longer than 4 minutes to see what she is capable of doing, and if she is capable of carrying the Divas Division for an extended period of time.
What I Disliked:
The pairings make no sense to me, because Beth is still at the top. Why wouldn't you want to capitalize on her? Give her a feud to work with, and not recycle between Eve and Kelly Kelly. Beth and Natalya need to be focused on together, as a pair and as a threat to everyone else. Do not pair them up together.
Grade: D
Hunico def. Justin Gabriel:
What I Liked:
This match features two of the younger guys in the roster with a lot of talent, and a lack of charisma. Gabriel delivers a nice corner splash into a sitdown powerbomb with ease. I really loved how Gabriel can transition into one move with such grace and flow. I feel like these guys would be SO much better off if they had a reason to fight…..Hence why they need to revive the Crusierweight Championship. I keep saying it time and time again, but there is so much talent that could fight for that title, and could make it so much more interesting to watch.
What I Disliked:
I am not sold on Camacho being in the corner of Hunico, as I feel there needs to be a focus on the one star. He does not need all the help to get over. I did like when he was with Primo and Epico, but that did not last long enough. Hunico is far better off with his gimmick to improve himself and not have to have someone else get him over as a heel. Also, Hunico needs to not use the Senton Bomb for his finisher.
Grade: C
Big Show def. David Otunga (with Mark Henry)
What I Liked/Disliked:
Not much here, because the match was short, did not give us anything to hold onto for another week, and made the World Champion Daniel Bryan the third most important person in this feud, barely ahead of Otunga. Mark Henry and Big Show NEED to separate themselves from Bryan, because the angle has so many holes in it. Bryan pins Show, but he is okay with it? Henry focuses more on Show, even though he does not have what Henry wants back? Both men should be trying to attack Bryan, not one another. I absolutely hate what they are doing here. I cannot begin to fathom the epic failure Bryan's world title reign could be if he loses it soon, or if they continue to have him like a wild card in between two 400 plus pound giants. Also, Otunga needs to win a few matches for fans to take him an ounce seriously. If he continues to get buried, how will he ever make it?
Grade: F
Ezekiel Jackson def. Drew McIntyre:
What I Liked:
Both of these guys are in a huge slump in their careers. I really thought this was refreshing to see this matchup, along with McIntyre back on Smackdown. He can still be a vital piece in the mid card status and is an aggressive and tough fighter. I thought his offense reversed by Jackson was the right thing to do, as both of these guys needed a win to stay afloat in the eyes of the fans. I also liked the cheating aspect from McIntyre, arguing with the referee, and being "screwed over". It is finally something for him to do.
What I Disliked:
The creative writers take these guys for granted. I would rather see these two every week over Mahal, DiBiase, Otunga, Hunico, and many others who are getting exposed. The match was solid, not fantastic, but shows that these guys are more marketable and more capable of being in the bigger picture.
Grade: B-
