Smackdown – March 21, 2014
By Scott Keith on March 22, 2014
Date: March 21, 2014
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield
HHH is back to being full evil as we only have five shows left before
Wrestlemania. Other than that we’re looking at another story
building show tonight with Kane talking about replacing Shield, the
battle royal needing more names and Bray Wyatt being creepy and
getting in Cena’s head. Speaking of Cena, he’s facing Luke Harper
tonight. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
There’s a fourway tag team match tonight for a shot at the Usos,
presumably at Wrestlemania.
Here’s Kane to open things up. He introduces us to a video from the
end of Raw with HHH ending the YES Movement. Back live and Kane says
the blame is on all of the fans who cheer for Bryan and convince him
that he’s bigger than WWE and the Authority. Everyone learned a
lesson on Monday when they saw that no one is greater than the
Authority.
What people need to understand is that some people are just better
than others. HHH is better than Daniel Bryan and the Authority is
better than all of you. Kane is shouting this at the fans but calms
down and pulls a letter out of his pocket. It’s from HHH who has
asked Kane to read it to us. The letter is delayed by a YOU SOLD OUT
chant before Kane reads the standard corporate apology as the fans
boo it out of the building.
Yes, one of the Matadores is getting a singles match. This is joined
in progress after a break with Fandango chopping the masked man down.
We hit the chinlock on Fernando but he avoids a middle rope knee
drop. A standing hurricanrana and a springboard back elbow gets two
on Fandango but a Summer distraction lets Fandango get in a cheap
shot. Torito freaks out because Summer is in a red dress and the
chase is on, allowing Fernando roll up the dancer for the pin at
2:35.
Sandow jumps him to start and drives in knees to the chest. A
Russian legsweep and knee drop have Ziggler in even more trouble as
the announcers talk about the battle royal. Ziggler escapes a
backdrop and shakes his hips a bit before dropkicking Damien
outside. Dolph gets back on the top but Damien kicks him down,
sending Ziggler’s head onto the steps with a sick thud. That made me
cringe.
Back in and Damien hammers away at the head while screaming at
Ziggler to stay down. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Sandow
drops some more knees. Dolph is sent outside and into the barricade
to give Damien a two count. Back to the chinlock for a bit but Dolph
fights up with his jumping DDT. Ziggler hammers away in the corner
and gets two off a neckbreaker. Sandow gets in a few right hands but
Ziggler comes back with the Fameasser for the pin at 5:53.
the fans were into Ziggler but it wasn’t the best match in the world.
It’s nice to see Sandow not losing in a minute or so and it’s good
to see Ziggler get some momentum heading into the battle royal. It’s
also a good change of pace to see someone with with something other
than their trademark finisher.
Luke says he is John’s reaper tonight. Bray pops up and says John
being afraid of Bray makes sense. Wyatt was born of the world’s
hatred and feeds on hate. The buzzards are circling overhead and
Bray is Cena’s torment waiting down below. Cena’s fear is Bray’s
power and the power is his control. Run.
Ambrose/Rollins and McIntyre/Mahal here. The announcers talk about
everyone being a heel here as Ambrose works on Axel to start. An
elbow drop gets two but it’s off to Mahal who has about the same
success as Axel. Rollins
comes in to work on Jinder’s arm but Ryback tags Mahal and runs Seth
over. Rollins knees his way out of a vertical suplex and Shield
clotheslines Ryback outside. Axel is sent out as well and Shield
hits stereo suicide dives as we take a break.
Back with 3MB double teaming Ambrose to give Mahal a two count.
During the break, Cesaro swung Ambrose into the barricade in a
painful looking crash. Ryback comes back in to stay on Dean with a
splash getting two. The Meat Hook drops Ambrose but Swagger tags
Ryback to get a quick two. The Vader Bomb into the double stomp from
Cesaro gets two and Cesaro locks a chinlock on Dean.
clothesline on Cesaro followed by a DDT on Swagger. Rollins
and Mahal come in off double tags and Seth cleans house. A
Blockbuster drops Mahal and Seth follows up with a flip dive to take
out Ryback. Heath Slater breaks up the Black Out but gets speared by
Reigns. The Black Out connects on Mahal but McIntyre makes the save
at the last second. Everything breaks down and Kane runs in for the
no contest at 8:17 shown of 11:47.
terrible but I was hoping for an actual #1 contender instead of what
looks like a multi team match at Wrestlemania. Shield worked well as
faces here though and there’s potential there if they keep on this
path. It’s a good enough match but dropping 3 MB would have helped
here.
Reigns and Kane fight up the ramp until the New Age Outlaws show up
to help Kane. Ryback, Axel and the Real Americans lay out Rollins
and Ambrose as Reigns is triple teamed. Kane chokeslams the other
members of Shield as well as the beatdown goes on for awhile. It
looks like Shield vs. Kane/Outlaws at Wrestlemania which doesn’t do
much for me. I can’t buy the Outlaws as a real threat to Shield no
matter how they spin it.
the focus on the battle royal. Miz officially throws
his name in the hat and guarantees victory. The guest tonight is Big
Show who Miz describes as the odds on favorite. Big Show talks about
the comparisons to Andre the Giant over his career and says winning
the battle royal will cement his legacy. Miz brings up Big Show’s
nine losses at Wrestlemania so Big Show threatens to pop Miz’s head
open.
some of the other entrants in the battle royal, including Titus
O’Neil, Kofi Kingston, Alberto Del Rio, Big E. Langston (Miz throws
in the Langston), Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry, Goldust and Sheamus. The
Irishman thinks we should have a battle royal of our own right now.
Miz thinks everyone should get Big Show but they fight each other
instead with Miz bailing to the floor.
everyone on their own in about a minute and a half until they’re the
only ones left. They fight for a bit until Big Show blocks a Brogue
Kick and puts him on the apron. Miz comes back in as Show dumps
Sheamus. A chokeslam gets rid of Miz and Big Show stands tall. This
wasn’t a match but it did its job well.
E. vs. Alberto Del Rio
the corner and hammers away but gets spun around in the corner,
setting up the double stomp to the chest. We hit the chinlock for a
bit but Big E. fights up. He charges into a pair of boots in the
corner and gets two off a Backstabber. Del Rio avoids a charge to
send Big E.’s shoulder into the post and the low superkick gets the
pin at 2:48. What is it with Del Rio beating Big E. so easily when
they fight?
Santino is upset that he and Emma have been having issues trying to
go on a date. He complains to the makeup lady and talks about how
much he cares for Emma as she’s behind him. Emma surprises him and
they bump heads as Santino falls out of a chair.
Mr. T. Hall of Fame video.
AJ is on commentary and seems to be ok with Tamina now. Nikki takes
over on Natalya to start but Summer tags herself in. Summer sends
her to the apron as AJ talks about how the match is a trainwreck.
Brie comes in as the heels get in an argument, setting up the Bella
Buster to Summer for the pin at 2:20. Nothing here at all.
We go back to Main Event for the Undertaker’s response to Paul
Heyman. Undertaker choked Heyman down and told Heyman that he’ll
slay the Beast in New Orleans. Lesnar and Undertaker will both be on
Raw.
Video on the Streak.
Kane thanks those that helped him take out Shield. Ryback and Axel
are granted a Tag Team Title match but Zeb wants to know what they’re
getting. The Real Americans are granted a shot as well (no date was
given for either shot), leaving only 3MB. Kane puts them in the
battle royal. The Band leaves and the Outlaws come in. Kane is
pleased with both of them and that’s about it.
Lane/Rusev do their thing.
Daniel Bryan’s shoulder is damaged and needs rest but he’s not
missing any live events and will be on Raw.
Before the match we get the Eminem music video on Cena vs. Wyatt from
Raw. Harper drives Cena into the corner to start but John comes out
with right hands. Harper avoids a charge in the corner though and
gets two off a neckbreaker. The LET’S GO CENA chants dominate their
counterparts as Luke puts on a chinlock. Back up and Cena counters
the shoulders with an atomic drop followed by a big boot for two.
The ProtoBomb and Shuffle connect as Rowan is at ringside.
Harper escapes the AA and kicks Cena’s head off for two. John slaps
on the STF but Luke bites his way out of it. Harper’s powerbomb is
countered into a hurricanrana but Luke one ups him with a running
hurricanrana of his own. A Michinoku Driver gets two on Cena but a
third big boot is countered into the AA for the pin at 5:29.
Harper got to show off like Rowan did in his match against Cena.
Having Harper and Rowan around is a built in perk for Bray as it
allows his feuds to continue without having Bray get in the ring.
The match was about what you would expect with Harper continuing to
look good on his own.
Cena bails as the other Wyatts hit the ring.
was giving focus to the Shield vs. Kane feud and the battle royal
plus a few other things on the side. It’s always nice to see the
lesser matches get some build, though I continue to wonder how good a
big battle royal can possibly be. I hope Big Show is a red herring
as he may make sense but he’s not the most interesting winner in the
world.
Fernando b. Fandango – Rollup
Dolph Ziggler b. Damien Sandow – Fameasser
Ryback/Curtis Axel vs. Shield vs. 3MB vs. Real Americans went to a no
contest
Alberto Del Rio b. Big E. – Superkick
Bella Twins b. Summer Rae/Natalya – Bella Buster to Summer
John Cena b. Luke Harper – Attitude Adjustment
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