Taking It Too Far?
Five nights after the Royal Rumble, the 702nd edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, CA. After Alberto Del Rio, along with Ricardo Rodriguez, used duct tape to tie Big Show’s feet to the bottom rope to win a Last Man Standing Match to retain the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble, SmackDown General Manager Booker T will make an appearance on SmackDown to reveal the next challenge for Alberto Del Rio and the future of the World Heavyweight Championship! Also, after Big Show got his payback on RAW, destroying Ricardo Rodriguez and knocking Alberto Del Rio out, how will Alberto Del Rio respond?
Match Results
- Non-Title: Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara def. Team Hell No by Rey Mysterio pinning Daniel Bryan following the 619 & Bullet Splash.
- The Great Khali (with Natalya & Hornswoggle) def. Jinder Mahal (with Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre) by pin following the Punjabi Plunge.
- Sheamus and Damien Sandow fight to a No Contest when The Shield appears.
- Non-Title: Randy Orton def. Wade Barrett by pin following the RKO.
- Jack Swagger def. Kofi Kingston by submission to the Ankle Lock.
- Non-Title: Alberto Del Rio def. Dolph Ziggler (with AJ Lee & Big E. Langston) by submission to the cross armbreaker.
Detailed Results
The show kicks off with SmackDown General Manager Booker T, who is joined in the ring by Senior Advisor Theodore Long, as well as Randy Orton, Sheamus, The Great Khali, WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No, and “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Dolph Ziggler, who is flanked by AJ Lee & Big E. Langston. Booker T then makes the announcement that, at WWE Elimination Chamber, the World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line in the dangerous Elimination Chamber Match! Booker begins to say that there are only six spots in the Elimination Chamber Match, but the GM is interrupted by a surprise return as, for the first time since September, “The All-American American” Jack Swagger makes his way to the ring! Swagger says that Booker forgot someone in his “gathering of former World Champions” and the GM asks Swagger where he has been with Swagger answering that he has been “living the life of a real American”. Swagger continues that he has been watching everything and he is “very disappointed” in the direction that the WWE is heading before asking the GM for a spot in the Elimination Chamber Match, but Booker says that Swagger has to earn a spot just like everyone else. Dolph Ziggler then chimes in, saying that he already has a guaranteed shot at the World Heavyweight Title, so he has no need to gain entry into the Elimination Chamber Match, adding that he can get a shot whenever he wants, even at WrestleMania! Booker accuses Ziggler of “chickening out” of the Elimination Chamber Match, but says that Dolph will not “chicken out” of his match on SmackDown as “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” will go one-on-one with World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio. The GM then informs Randy Orton, Sheamus, The Great Khali, Kane, Daniel Bryan, & Jack Swagger that all of them will be in action on SmackDown and all they have to do is “impress” Booker and Theodore Long to gain entry into the Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title. Booker then announces the opening match of the night as WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No would face the returning team of Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara with spots in the Elimination Chamber Match potentially on the line.
With every former World Champion trying to impress Booker T & Theodore Long to gain entry into the Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title, WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No would face “The Master of the 619” Rey Mysterio and “The International Sensation” Sin Cara in a non-title match. At the end of a high-octane match, it was a successful homecoming for San Diego’s own Rey Mysterio as Rey would hit the 619 on Daniel Bryan, following it up with the Bullet Splash, pinning Bryan to pick up the win for himself and Sin Cara over the WWE Tag Team Champions.
After leaving 3MB laid out on RAW, The Great Khali, with Natalya & Hornswoggle in his corner, would go one-on-one with 3MB member Jinder Mahal, with Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre in his corner. With some backup from Natalya & Hornswoggle, The Great Khali would plant Jinder Mahal with the Punjabi Plunge en route to picking up the win.
Backstage, Team Rhodes Scholars confront SmackDown General Manager Booker T & Senior Advisor Theodore Long to inform management that they are dissolving their tag team in order to pursue their singles careers! Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow say that they will still remain “best friends” before the former teammates hug it out.
Returning to his singles career, “The Intellectual Savior of the Masses” Damien Sandow would go one-on-one with “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus on SmackDown. In the middle of the match, the action would be brought to a halt with the arrival of The Shield. With Damien Sandow quickly getting out of dodge, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns would enter the ring. Sheamus immediately takes out Seth Rollins with the Brogue Kick, but with two members still standing, Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns would overwhelm Sheamus and, after getting helped to his feet, Seth Rollins joins his cohorts as The Shield drills Sheamus with their three-man powerbomb!
After losing to NXT competitor Bo Dallas in a shocking upset, the frustrated Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett went one-on-one with “The Viper” Randy Orton in a non-title match. During the match, Randy Orton and Wade Barrett would battle on the outside, but when Barrett goes for the Bull Hammer Elbow on Orton, Orton dodges the move and Barrett smashes his arm into the steel ring post! This would lead to the Intercontinental Champion’s downfall as Randy Orton would drop Barrett with his suspended DDT, following it up with the RKO en route to picking up the win over Wade Barrett.
Backstage, Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett is being interviewed about his loss to Randy Orton, but Wade Barrett spots NXT competitor Bo Dallas nearby and Barrett charges Dallas, attacking Dallas from behind. The young hopeful brawls with Wade Barrett, but Barrett gets the better of Dallas, repeatedly stomping away at the rookie, leaving Bo Dallas writhing on the concrete!
After his surprise return earlier in the night, “The All-American American” was in action on SmackDown as Jack Swagger went one-on-one with Kofi Kingston. During the intense match, Kofi Kingston would attempt Trouble in Paradise on Jack Swagger on the outside, but Swagger would move out of the way and Kofi’s foot and ankle would collide with the announce table. Back in the ring, Jack Swagger would spot his opportunity, locking in the Ankle Lock on Kofi Kingston, forcing Kofi to tap out to pick up the win.
After waiting in the parking lot all night long for the arrival of Big Show, World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio spots Big Show’s personal bus rolling into the parking lot. The big man looks around and does not see Del Rio, so he cautiously makes his way towards the arena. However, Alberto Del Rio would rush Big Show with steel pipe in hand and, while the giant is able to briefly dodge Del Rio, the fiery World Heavyweight Champion takes Big Show’s legs out from under him, resulting in Big Show being dropped, spine-first, onto the roof of a parked car! Big Show would then continue to scrape and claw to try and get away from Del Rio, finally commandeering a nearby vehicle, speeding out of the parking lot and narrowly getting away from Del Rio!
Before the main event, Alberto Del Rio is joined by his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, in the backstage area. Del Rio tells his neck-braced employee that he needs Rodriguez to stay in the back tonight, not wanting to risk further injury to his friend.
Moments after his brief parking lot brawl with Big Show, the livid World Heavyweight Champion, Alberto Del Rio, would go one-on-one with “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Dolph Ziggler, with AJ Lee & Big E. Langston in his corner, in a non-title match. During the match, Alberto Del Rio would climb the top rope, looking for a moonsault, but AJ Lee would distract the referee, allowing Big E. Langston to knock Del Rio off of the top rope. Shortly after this, Del Rio would get a shot in on Big E. Langston and Langston would try to enter the ring in response, but this would result in Langston getting ejected from the ringside area! At the end of an intense, back-and-forth battle, it was Alberto Del Rio locking in the cross armbreaker on Dolph Ziggler that would make “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” tap out as the World Heavyweight Champion picks up the win. There would be no time for celebration, however, as Big Show appears on the titan tron with the already injured Ricardo Rodriguez in his clutches somewhere in the backstage area. Del Rio immediately tries to leave the ring to aid Rodriguez, but Big Show tells Del Rio to stay in the ring because, if he does not, then he will snap Rodrigez like a “twig”! The World Heavyweight Champion has no choice but to comply as Big Show says that, if Del Rio ever tries to attack him like that again, he will make Del Rio “sorry” that he ever woke up that day. Big Show continues to taunt Del Rio and mock the begging of Ricardo Rodriguez before the giant says that he is going to let Rodriguez go. However, Big Show would leave a lasting impression on both Ricardo Rodriguez and Alberto Del Rio as Big Show levels the personal ring announcer with another K.O. Punch! As Del Rio rushes to the backstage area, a referee arrives on the scene, calling for a doctor. Del Rio sends the referee to find a doctor as the champion stays by his trusted friend’s side, who is still unconscious from Big Show’s attack.
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