WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2/25/11

WWE Friday Night Smackdown (2/25/11)
February 25th, 2011
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: ???

We kick the show off with Teddy Long letting us all know that tonight Vickie Guerrero will wrestle for her very job! Hit that "catchy" theme music boys! Oh God Green Day really has turned to shit over the years. Anyways, onto the show.


Your hosts are Michael Cole, Josh Matthews, and Booker T


Rey Mysterio vs. Kane

We kick off the show with a battle of two very different sized men in Rey Mysterio and Kane. Cole is whining about Teddy's decision, causing me to use every fiber of my being not to hit the mute button. The bell sounds and we're off with Kane taking the advantage to start, tossing Rey around and dropkicking him for a quick two count. Rey starts fighting back, but ends up being shot into the corner after a hurricanrana attempt and powerslammed for another two count. Kane wraps his legs around Rey in a body scissors, practically crushing Rey's entire small frame. Big backbreaker from Kane, but again Rey kicks out at two. Rey evades another backbreaker attempt, and then Kane hits the floor, avoiding the 619. Rey dropkicks him and then tries for the seated senton off the apron, but Kane moves out of the way and Mysterio lands on his feet, only to eat a huge boot from Kane. We take a quick commercial break and when we return Kane is giving Rey another backbreaker back in the ring, grinding his knee into Rey's back. Quick pin attempt, but Rey kicks out at two again. Kane drives his elbow into Rey's solar plexis and then picks him up, slapping on a bear hug. He slams Rey into the corner but Mysterio comes off the top with the seated senton. 1-2--NOO! Kane kicks out at two. Rey comes off the top again but eats an upper-cut from Kane for a two count. Kane tries for the clothesline off the top but Rey moves. He tries for the chokeslam but Rey dropkicks him and Kane ends up hanging on the second rope in perfect position for Mysterio to hit the 619! Mysterio comes off the top trying another seated senton, but Kane just catches him in mid-air and tries for a powerbomb, only for Rey to counter into a rollup for the 3-count at 7:33 (shown)! Fun opener here for the most part to start the show as Rey and Kane work the big-man/little-man formula really well together and Mysterio gets a big win he needed after losing at the Elimination Chamber PPV. **½


After the match Rey celebrates when suddenly DUSTY RHODES' music hits and The American Dream comes out! What the HELL?! Nice pop for Dusty as Rey, the commentary team, and everyone at home myself included is wondering just what the hell Dusty is doing out here. He and Rey hug in the ring while we take a quick commercial break. When we return Dusty has a mic and says he wants to personally apologize to Rey for his son Cody's actions over the last few weeks. He calls his son out to the ring to apologize and Cody comes out rocking the all-clear face-mask, which just make hims look downright evil. He asks his dad why he's doing this, saying that "everyone is staring at me" like a shy schoolgirl. Dusty tells him that he needs to make this right between he and Rey. Cody reluctantly apologizes and Rey and Dusty shake hands...but Dusty doesn't let go and just smiles at Rey while Cody jumps him from behind! It was a set-up! We know it's a set-up because Booker T is from the hood and lets us know it is. Cody continues the beatdown on Rey, grinding his face into the steel grate on the entrance ramp to great heat. Awesome way to really jump-start the Cody-Rey feud for Wrestlemania, if Cody can deliver come 'Mania time I think we can expect him to be headed for the main event scene very soon.


After a commercial break we return and recap the orchestrated attack on Mysterio we just saw, which Michael Cole loves. Cody steals Rey's mask and he and Dusty hug backstage, celebrating their attack.


Layla vs. Rosa Mendes

And we jump right into our next match now with Michelle McCool doing color commentary. Rosa jumps on Layla with a Lou Thesz press, shocking Michelle. Layla tries for a headscissors but both women end up tumbling out to the floor in a very ugly, possibly botched spot. Rosa sends Layla hard into the barricade and Michelle comes over to help her friend out, attacking Layla for the DQ at 1:24. After the match Layla and McCool argue about Michelle costing her the match. I guess this is setting the seeds for the eventual LayCool split, but is that something the fans really even care enough about to see? ¼*


Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger

We return with Swagger already in the ring. Jeez, from World champion to midcard jobber who doesn't even get his own ring entrance in less than a year, my how Swagger has fallen. Lock-up to start off as Kofi's arm is taped up and is apparently wrestling against doctor's orders here tonight. Big shoulder-block from Swagger gets a quick two. Kofi hits the Boom Drop and then hits a flying forearm into the corner. Booker T puts over Swagger while Kofi gets caught up in the ankle lock and he has no choice but to tap out at 2:47. Nice to see Swagger get a win here, and this puts over Kofi's injury more, giving Del Rio some more heat. Nothing match though. ¾*


Backstage Vickie Guerrero is pounding on Teddy Long's door, demanding he talk to her about her match tonight but no one answers.


After a commercial break we return and get the full video of John Cena's excellent promo that opened Raw earlier in the week in response to The Rock. Raw popped a huge rating this week and you've got to figure Vince and company are offering Rocky everything under the sun to work an actual match with Cena sometime in the future.


After recapping Cena's promo we cut to Vickie Guerrero confronting Chavo Guerrero, trying to get him to help her out tonight but Chavo hasn't forgotten how Vickie has treated him over the last few years and tells her that tonight payback is a bitch.


Wade Barrett vs. Big Show

When we return Tony Chimel is announcing that tonight The Corre is banned from ringside for this match by order of Teddy Long. Big Show takes off his jacket once he's in the ring and then flings it at Michael Cole at ringside much to Booker T and Josh Matthews' delight. The bell rings and we're off with Big Show dominating to start as Matthews humorously tells Cole that "NO ONE LIKES YOU!" Barrett hits a few boots to try and comeback and then hops on Big Show's back, trying for a sleeper. After a quick commercial break we return to see Barrett laying in closed fists on a grounded Big Show. Back on his feet Show tries chopping away at Barrett but Wade dropkicks his knee and hits a DDT, but Show tosses him off at the count of two. Show tosses Barrett over the top and to the floor and then follows him out, laying in big open-palm chops on Barrett. Wade counters out and slams Show's shoulder into the steel post as the referee keeps counting, but Show tosses Barrett aside and slides back in right at the count of 10, winning via countout at 4:00 (shown). After the match The Corre makes the save for Barrett and Big Show chases them all off with a steel chair. This feud just keeps continuing and it's not getting any better. ½*


After a commercial break we return and now we see the full video of the big Undertaker-Triple H double-return and confrontation from Raw this past Monday. I get this is a big deal and all, but this is the second time now that significant time on this show is being eaten up by footage we saw last Monday. A quick hype package plays and the narrarator tells us that the match between Undertaker and Triple H for Wrestlemania has apparently already been announced? Weird, you'd think they'd make a big deal out of that announcement. We cut to commercial with Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero heading towards the ring backstage.


Edge/Kelly Kelly vs. Drew McIntyre/Vickie Guerrero

Odd, as you'd think Dolph would be in this match but I guess he's still technically "fired"? Who knows. Drew actually gets a few cheers as he's introduced, likely due to his explosive performance at the Elimination Chamber that past Sunday, surprising everyone. Kelly and Vickie start us off with the crowd hot behind Kelly of course, who looks amazing as always. She immediately starts laying in big shots on Vickie who scurries away to the corner and tags Drew in, prompting Edge in. McIntyre dropkicks him but can only get a quick one count. McIntyre works an armbar for a bit as the crowd starts to rally behind Edge. Big facebuster from Edge but Drew kicks out at two. Drew tries for the Futureshock DDT, but Edge counters with the Impaler DDT! Edge looks to set up for the spear, but Vickie comes in and begs Edge to have mercy. Before Edge can respond though Kelly comes out of nowhere and takes Vickie out with a spear! Edge hits a spear of his own on Drew, and Vickie is history as he gets the pin at 5:37! Not too bad all things considered here, this hopefully will give the Vickie character some time off to come back with a new angle after 'Mania. Decent enough. *½


After the match Teddy Long makes his way to ringside, dancing all the way like a total goofball. After a quick commercial break we return to see Vickie in the ring, begging Teddy Long for mercy like a mad woman. Teddy does the famous "You're fired!" line and the crowd and Edge love it. Vickie tries begging the referee and even Booker T to help, but no one will help. Finally she comes to Michael Cole who breaks down like a little girl, telling Vickie how sorry he is and how unfair this is. Vickie even tries begging the damn cameraman for help. She gets on her knees in the ring to beg Edge to help her get her job back, and he helps out by starting up the "Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye!" chant. Suddenly Alberto Del Rio hits the ring and attacks Edge, putting him in the flying armbar as Smackdown heads off the air.

Bottom Line: Pretty good show tonight with a pretty good opener between Rey and Kane and some good angle progression through-out the night. The Cody Rhodes-Rey Mysterio segment was excellent, and we finally saw the conclusion to the months-long Vickie Guerrero/Teddy Long power struggle. There's nothing here that you CAN'T MISS or anything, just a solid two hours of feud and angle progression and mostly acceptable wrestling. We'll go with a very slight Thumbs Up, leaning in the middle.


Score: 5.5/10