WWE Smackdown 4-30-15

Caught the last few minutes of Cabin in the Woods before SD. I already dig the characters despite only seeing them briefly, and it's really well-acted. Verne Gagne got a tribute graphic to start the show. Seth and J&J start things off differently - with a backstage promo with Kane instead of a generic intro or rundown of Raw. Kane says he gives the audience what they want and it amazes me that they go through all of the trouble to redress all of these sets and even change the lighting to be heavy on blue for a show they never care about. Kane says that his goal is to make a man out of Seth if it's the last thing he does, and tonight, Seth will face Dean. I really like them adding some dimension to Kane here. Seth tells Kane to be viable tonight and dares him to do something tonight.  Great start to the show, honestly - they got things rolling immediately.

Generic SD intro. Tom is nearly impossible to hear over the pyro and theme song. The audio mixing here is terrible because everyone is hard to hear...HERE COMES DA BIG DAWG! Raw main event finish replay. Roman sends a shoutout to his "brother" Dean. Roman said that Seth took his WM main event away, but HE'S SCRATCHED, AND HE'S CLAWED HIS WAY BACK. Kane came down to strip off his shirt and I guess compare abs with Roman. Nope - he wants a match to I guess prove he's still important.

They punch and punch and punch and punch and punch. "ROMAN ROMAN ROMAN!" while no one does anything. Kane slams him on the announce table, which isn't a DQ on this show despite being one when Sheamus did it to THEMANTHATGRAVITYFORGOTTHENEWSENSATIONNEVILLE a couple weeks ago. Post-break BEARHUG mixes up the chinlock formula. I really should make a maskless version of Kane like this in No Mercy. BIG DOG FIRES BACK WITH PUNCHES. And even punches in the corner! The Big Dog is cocked, BUT KANE PREVENTS HIM FROM UNLOADING with a chokeslam. Tombstone is countered into a DDT.

SUPERMAN PUNCH! OOO-WAH spear misses in hilarious fashion. Roman just kind of bellyflops onto the mat. Kane just leaves and takes a countout. Renee asks Seth for his opinion on Kane's match and he says that Kane was in over his head. Seth says that one big difference between them is that he has the WWE Title while Kane has a senior citizens card and HE FIGHTS AND DOES IT ON HIS OWN. He doesn't need anyone - even J&J. Jamie and Joey are quite sad.
 

 Jericho show ad with Rousey - so they're getting more out of that than you'd imagine by using any footage they have of her. It does make the company seem current to hype her up instead of oh...Pee Wee Herman. Axel-Sandow recap isn't any funnier in clipped form. Sandow outright doing an LD voice is just odd. Sandow's new tron and theme are...good-ish I guess. His new shirt sucks as does his blue and red "DS" gear. Sandow's impersonation gimmick is just awful. Byron points out that Sandow is being a prick here. Headlock stuff to start and he tosses Axel out, showcasing his bald spot quite a bit. Sandow does Hogan's comeback and wins with the full nelson slam. No part of this new gimmick beyond the theme woks for me. Well, his post-match "point and cheer for me" bit works right now.

Renee interviews THE BIG GUY. He isn't sure why Bray is after him, but he'll take out Harper tonight...despite Harper not having any allegiance to Bray now. WWE 2K is the #1 sports game in iTunes. Ryback's out first. King says that Harper is the product of a conjugal visit. Harper BRIDGED OUT OF A TOP WRISTLOCK, which just looked awesome. Harper is so great, but even he can't make Ryback look good. Harper goes for a delayed suplex, but gets put in one himself. Liger bomb gets 2. Ryback is fed a back elbow after a break. Ryback sends him out and then he comes back in. Shouldermount powerslam hits as does a sofa splash for 2. Harper gets a JACKKNIFE PIN for 2. Harper is the best overall big man in wrestling. Quite the roid belly on Ryback during the Meathook, which is countered by a boot. Discus misses, Meathook doesn't, and the Shellshock gets the win. This got good - God bless Harper. Lights go out and Bray attacks with a uranage and elbows to the back of the head from the mount, which I need to give him in FPR. "Just like on Raw" he hits Abigail too. Tag title match is next.

 

 

They run down the BIG WEEK ON THE WWE NETWORK! Big E and Kofi come out - they now get a big pyro display and people clapping for them as faux-faces. Glorious. It's amazing that Vince would think Up With (Black) People would get over as a face act in 2014/2015.  Cesaro's weird vest-partially attached hoodie thing is neat. Flajpack uppercut gets 2 before he does a walkaround gutwrench for 2. Cesaro gets a deadlift into a delayed suplex before Kidd goes up, and slips a bit, for a powerplex for 2.  Cesaro runs wild with suplexes, including a snap German to Big E.

 

 

CESARO AND KIDD STOMP BIG IN THE CORNER TO THE TUNE OF NEW-DAY-SUCKS! E smashes Kidd in the barricade while Xavier cackles. Great bit where E tosses Kofi into a basement dropkick to Kidd in the corner for 2. Big E suplex-a-mania runs wild! After a break, E gets 2 off a side belly to belly. Xavier's "LOOK AT THE STRENGTH, WE ARE THE GREATEST!" ruled. King has lost his voice. NEW DAY BOOM DROP! Cesaro runs wild with backdrops and uppercuts. ULTIMATE SWISS WARRIOR slam and double stomp gets 2. E bowls him over, but Kidd makes a save. Nice misdirection play with Kidd launching himself onto Kofi instead of coming back at E. Spinebuster lift into THE SWING to E and the dropkick by Kidd for 2.

 

 

Woods runs in for a DQ. I'm fine with this - I didn't want CK to lose, but want this to continue. They should really bring in Bret to endorse Cesaro and Kidd, and then lock on a sharpshooter to Woods. Hilarious bit on the ramp where Kofi and Woods pull every muscle in their body to lift E up. Cameron and Summer blah blah blah about blah blah blah. They insult Brie and Nikki talks to Cameron here and then girl byes her. Nikki tells her to stop running her mouth and demands a match while rightfully burying Cameron's skills.

Tough Enough vids showcased some jacked up dudes and talented, athletic people like a boxer and a cheerleader. Cameron is mid-ring, while Nikki gets her whole intro. Naomi cut an inset promo about how the Bellas think they can do all this good in the world...since when? And she's tired of the fans adoring the Bellas...since when? This phantom turn is bizarre. Cameron's ass is looking nice in this gear. Cameron shows off her ass, but eats an elbow in the corner. Nikki "misses" a disaster kick that wouldn't have connect anyway since she fell way short. Cameron does a split off a kick for some reason. It gets 2. Cameron gets the worst dragon sleeper ever and then gets a '60s womens match face smash off a hair pull. Disaster kick hits for one. So that sure serves a purpose. A Cameron slap is met with a Nikki forearm and the rack attack for the win. This wasn't bad, but looked more like two people impersonating wrestlers.

 

 

 

 

PTPs bit. DY cries about the New Day winning the belts. They make a New Day box and try to get a PTP clap going. Titus tells them to make the PTP shirts on WWEShop. They've added claps to the Millions of Dollas dance. KOTR recap is next.

BUT FIRST, Seth talks to Dean about how Dean should back out of it. Somehow, they recapped this whole epic tourney in about two minutes. At 9:37, Dean came out for the main event - so thank God he agreed to fight, or they'd have nothing set up for the show now. Seth came down at 9:43, so they're giving it at least a bit of time. Dean uses Pentagon Jr's arm snapper, minus the snap, to start the match. They exchange some matwork before Dean gets a modified Regal stretch and a Rollins chant goes through the building. Byron talked about the real star of this whole deal - Kane and how Seth is disrespecting him. Noble says there's a timeout, which Dean doesn't believe and goes after Seth. Seth gets the edge and Dean gets stomped by the goons for a break. Kane comes down, still shirtless for some reason. 

They come back and Seth gets some kicks in. Dean gets a bulldog and hits a dropkick and a suicide dive. Back suplex facebuster by Dean gets 2. Schoolboy gets 2, but Dirty Deeds is countered with a kick for 2. O'Connor roll sends Seth into Kane for 2 and then Seth gets backdropped onto Kane. Dean elbows the pile. Kane chokes Seth, so that should be a DQ. Ref tells Kane he'll DQ him...how he can he DQ Kane? Dean is sent into the steps and then Seth goes for the stomp before remembering he can't and doing his stupid DDT for the win. Bullshit - should've been a DQ with the choking. All the heels beat up Dean before THE BIG DAWG saw just about enough and came down to save his little buddy.

Screens -
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/3xb81zy02o7jpgbgcoxr3s0mdxivdfdh