Jack Swagger presents: America and the World - Are we Better, or are we the Best?
Before the video plays, there is a few seconds in which there is only a single picture of Jack Swagger, waving an American Flag, with other flags strewn on the floor.
The segment starts just like it did last week, with Swagger sitting in a restaurant, eating BBQ ribs. He says that after a few days in Liverpool, him and his crew headed to Dublin to tape their next show, and this was the result:
The video starts with Swagger walking along the streets of Dublin, pointing at shops and bars along the road. He is trying to pick which establishment to go into before he stops dead in his tracks. He runs to the other side of the street, nearly getting run over by a car, and grabs a red-headed man by the arm and rushes back, forcing the man to come along. He says that they've finally spotted an actual Irish man, pointing to the man's hair. The man tries to walk away but Swagger stops him, until finally he punches the All-American American and runs off, only to be chased and tackled by Swagger, who pins him against a pub-wall. Looking around at the stupefied on-lookers, he hurries into the very same bar, signaling for the crew to follow him.
The video cuts to later. He's sitting by the counter and says that the Irish are famed for their beers (adding that they are knock-offs of original American recipes). A bartender pours him a pint, saying it's Ireland's finest. Swagger drinks but frowns, saying that it's not Irish. The bartender says it is, but Swagger interrupts, saying it can't be. They continue back and forth, with Swagger saying it tastes exactly like his favorite American beer, Murphy's. The bartender says it is Murphy's. Swagger stares at him for a moment before saying that he had asked for Irish beer. The bartender corrects him, adding that it's technically called a stou- GUTWRENCH BOMB!
Swagger looks very irritated but smiles when he looks at the camera, before the camera pans to the rest of the bar where several bulky, pissed-looking men start approaching. Swagger hastily grabs a few bottles and runs out, slapping a sticker of the American Flag on the door on his way out. The cameraman stays there, and shifts between focusing on the door and on the angered bar patrons before the video cuts prematurely.
Swagger is again seen eating his BBQ ribs, he says that next week they will be visiting an entirely different country instead of England.
The Swagger Show was very good in parts. The ginger man confrontation was good up until he hit Swagger. Same with the Murphy’s, it was good until he assaulted the Bar Man. The fighting seemed unnecessary and took away from the segment as a whole. There’s potential in this, just tone down the violence.
OI!!! The red hair in Ireland is just a steriotype, I cant say im impressed lol!! just messing. It was a decent promo again with Swagger, it is certainley a good addition to the btb and fair play to you for doing it. I dont like ECW in real life so i tend not to review ECW shows, when Smackdown is up i will defo review it, good luck.
-Something tells me Finlay won't listen to Long's advice.
-Not a huge fan of either man in this next match, though I do think Knox can be useful, so in some respects I was disappointed that D.J. Gabriel went over in this one. I do, however, like Alicia Fox, so that's enough to keep anyone interested in the match, I guess.
-Good way to set up Henry and Matt Hardy for tonight. I'm thinking Hardy's going to go over, and knock Henry out of the ECW main event scene. You have Swagger and now Kozlov as major heels, so I can't see Henry being of use. He'll be better off on another brand now I recommend.
-Like how you're pushing the Brits . Good win for Burchill, I feel he's an under-utilized talent both in real life and in BTB. Is Burchill a face by the way? Because I think he's a good heel, but anyway, right man went over.
-lol. I can't take Ricky Ortiz seriously in anyway - even angry. Swagger should squash the guy when they finally face each other, if not just take him out right there.
-Is Khali now a permanent ECW superstar? Because if so I'd be quite disappointed. You have Henry and Kozlov as the giants. I know Khali's a face, and so different, but ECW is for talent, not people like him. Didn't like him going over The Miz either. Hopefully Morrison evens it out for them tonight.
-I liked this next contest. Finlay's a tough Irish bastard, he shouldn't be dancing with a leprichaun. He's a brawler, and you put his new character over well here, beating the shit out of Ortiz.
-If you're gonna' have a brand extension, keep them seperated! lol. I thought this kind of killed Finlay's heat. I guess that heel turn isn't happening...
-Finally! Matt Hardy hasn't beaten Henry cleanly since he became champ I think, so I'm glad you decided to give him this win. Excellently done, and as I said, Mark Henry should be going over to a different brand now. Puts Hardy over and sets him up for the next contender, and I think I know who it will be...
-And I'm wrong! I thought for sure Swagger was gonna' win this one. The stipulation was a nice tough, although it's not really the greatest of matches to have on a television show as you'd need a lot of time to get people eliminated without squashing them. As I said, a shocker with Swagger not winning, since you seem to be a mark for him, and Kozlov's undefeated streak has already ended in this thread, so it was a weird decision, but I guess this means Morrison and Swagger will be in the Rumble itself, which will be good, plus Kozlov putting over Matt hopefully.
OVERALL: Good read; enjoyed it. The main event was perhaps too complex for a television show, and I was disappointed with The Miz losing. Burchill getting some exposure is good, and Finlay's new character was working, until you kind of killed his heat with DiBiase attacking him. Rumble card is shaping up well. I'm going to call Batista winning the Rumble as an early prediction. I think otherwise you would have had him injured as he is in real life. It's a bold and early call, but we'll see.
Sparks are flying over on the Friday Night brand where a whirlpool of drama, back-stabbing and attacks has spawned. The war waged between the WWE Champion Jeff Hardy and La Familia has already led to his hospitalization, and last week, despite being prohibited from appearing by medical staff, Hardy went to the aid of his brother during his match, and wound up being speared. Vickie Guerrero stated that if Hardy misses tomorrow's show, he will be stripped of the title. Will Jeff power through, or will his title reign end before it really started?
One person who wouldn't mind seeing Jeff Hardy lose his title is Triple H. The Game told the WWE Universe last week that Hardy betrayed their friendship, and that was why he had attacked him. The King of Kings said that he deserved better, but before he was able to continue, The Undertaker made his first appearance in over a month and attacked the former WWE Champion. Why did The Deadman attack The Game?
Edge has been having the time of his life on Smackdown. The #1 Contender has only been in one match in the past 3 weeks, and he won it with the help of The Edgeheads! Tomorrow night, Edge will perform as the Special Guest Referee when Jeff Hardy and Triple H come face to face yet again, only this time, instead of mutual respect, we will see mutual dislike. Will Edge continue in his attempts to injure the WWE Champion, will Jeff battle through and come out on top?
The answers to these questions and more, tomorrow, on Friday Night Smackdown!
Before even the opening theme played, backstage we saw Triple H face to face with Edge. The two leered at each other, practically touching noses, when The Game told Edge that tonight his enemy is Jeff Hardy, but he reminded the Rated-R Superstar that his enemy's enemy is not his friend, he's just an enemy on hold. The King of Kings was going to punish Jeff on his own, and he will have no qualms about doing the same to Edge if he interfered.
Edge smirked, telling Triple H that considering his situation, he shouldn't be so adamant about going solo, adding that he would have no problem with taking an enemy off hold if push came to shove.
Impressive 2nd Week Running?
Last week the Edgeheads 'impressed' Vicky Guerrero in their match, ganging up on their opponents and using every trick they could think of to get the win. Tonight they came face to face with the current WWE Tag Team champions, Primo & Carlito. In an entertaining opener, the Colons' lack of mutual understanding cost them the match when Carlito refused to tag his brother in, instead using the opportunity to showboat, only to be laid out cold by Zach Ryder, and pinned for win. With this win, the Edgeheads have received a title shot, to be had before the Royal Rumble.
Winners: 'The Edgeheads' (Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkings)
The Star
Last week saw the airing of a promo hyping the arrival of a superstar. This week, the same promo aired, with a bit added at the end, with a man's southern voice claiming that at the Royal Rumble, the star of sports entertainment will shine.
Blond Bombshells
Last week saw Natalya become the #1 Contender for Beth Phoenix's title, and this week saw her face Maria Kanellis in a squash match. Dominating from start to finish, Natalya proved that she was the pinnacle of Smackdown's Diva Division, and that she will not be an easy opponent at the Rumble.
Winner: Natalya Neidhart
That's it?
In the locker room we see Triple H yet again, walking past several Smackdown wrestlers, who whisper to each other when they see him. Inside, The Game sees what that was all about when his eyes fall on his own locker, which has clearly been dented by a few stiff punches, and the letters: R.I.P have been charred onto the steel. Triple H looks around, his expression indecipherable. He comes closer to the locker and opens it, closing it again, revealing that he is holding a sledgehammer in his hand, and smiling to himself.
Can the Colossus be Bulldozed?
Umaga had been dominant since his return to the Friday Night show, ending Vladimir Kozlov's undefeated streak, and obliterating the current ECW Champion. This week, he faced off against another giant: Festus.
Quite the sight to behold when the bell rang and the two monsters started their warpath, trading blows that could crush wood, and unrelenting in their mutual assault. However, Umaga proved the better trampling machine, and although Festus kicked out of a Super Samoan Drop, he could do nothing to stop the 3-count after receiving the Samoan Spike.
Winner: Umaga
I Suppose They Won't Team Again, then?
Before the scheduled tag-team match pitting Hurricane Helms and R-Truth against Shelton Benjamin and Mr. Kennedy began, the recently returned superstar confronted the U.S Champion backstage, telling him that he will be using tonight to scout out his next opposition, because between the time he wins the Rumble and Wrestlemania, he has some time to kill, and in that time, he will be stripping Shelton of his title.
In the ring, Helms and Truth proved to have the better chemistry, coming together with some impressive tag-team maneuvers. However, their egomaniacal opponents swiftly countered, and although they didn't actually perform as a team, they managed to inflict sufficient pain as individuals.
Looking for the pin, Kennedy hit Helms with the Mic Check for the second week in a row. Not to be undone, The Gold Standard broke up his partner's pin attempt, hit Truth with a Yakuza Kick and delivered the Paydirt before stepping out of the ring and allowing the legal man to get his pin. When the match ended, the two cocky winners stared each other down, each with a self-righteous smirk plastered on their face.
Winners: Mr. Kennedy & Shelton Benjamin
The Main Event
Before the match, Edge came out to the ring, dressed in referee attire, and prepared to talk to the WWE Universe. He said that found it both surprising and disappointing that fans actually cheered for Jeff Hardy. He thought it was an embarrassment to the WWE and to the entire roster to have a pothead as the flagship of the show. It just gave kids a bad message. That was why he hoped that parents would encourage their kids to cheer for him, Edge, because he was someone people could look up to. Before he could any further, Jeff Hardy came out and surveyed the #1 Contender with a murderous look. The two were barely 5 seconds in the ring together before Triple H came out as well, sledgehammer in hand, and the match started.
With Edge circling them maniacally, looking for chances to screw Jeff, the WWE Champion and The Cerebral Assassin waged war. It was Triple H who gained the upper hand, not that it mattered, because whenever Jeff picked up momentum, either Triple H would use dirty tactics to stop it, or Edge would. The odds were mounting against Jeff, who was slowly being beaten maliciously, getting to a point where Edge acted as if he hadn't seen The Game low-blow him.
Still, whenever the special guest referee offered his helping hand, Triple H refused it, yelling at him to stop tipping the scales in his favor, he could win this on his own. Whether that would've been true we would never know, because just as Triple H was poised to hit the Pedigree, the lights went out, and The Undertaker's gong was heard. When the lights came back on, The Phenom was holding Triple H throat, with Jeff lying on the floor, and Edge watching from outside the ring. But The King of Kings was ready this time, and he kicked The Deadman in the gut, leading to a brawl between the two, which carried them to the outside.
Taking advantage, Edge brought a chair to the ring, hoping to take the champion out one and for all, but Jeff resisted, and as the mammoths brawled on the outside, the WWE champion and the #1 contender did the same inside the ring. Finally, The Undertaker picked Triple H up for a Last Ride, but he managed to grab his sledgehammer and swung it into his aggressor's back, battering him in the face with it when he was dropped. The other brawl came to a similar finish, when Edge missed a spear, only to be hit with a Swanton Bomb.
Smackdown faded to black with Hardy and Triple H, the original opponents in the Main Event, looking at each other and at their fallen rivals.
Winner: None (No Contest)
Quote:
The Edgeheads def. The Colon Brothers
Natalya def. Maria
Umaga def. Festus w/Jesse
Shelton Benjamin & Mr. Kennedy def. R-Truth & Hurricane Helms
Jeff Hardy vs Triple H w/Special Guest Referee Edge - No Contest
Don't forget to tune in for next week's Smackdown when the plot continues and remember to watch Raw on Monday!
Confirmed Matches: - 30-Man Royal Rumble Match - (Batista, Big Show, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Hurricane Helms, John Bradshaw Layfield, Kane, Mr. Kennedy, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, Shelton Benjamin, The Brian Kendrick, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker*, William Regal) - WWE Title Match - (Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge) - World Heavyweight Title Match - (John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels) - ECW Title Match - (Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov) - Undisputed Women's Title Match - (Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart)
Card subject to change
* Announced by the commentators during the show
Although I haven’t read your other Smackdown, the way you are taking this Edge / Hunter / Jeff thing looks all right for the title. Edge must be grudged against Hunter but I am worried how things will continue. Edge up in Triple H’s face is a bit out of character, I would’ve gone with Hunter in Edge’s face and Edge crouched back slightly, but still the actual feud looks okay.
I don’t think Vickie would be so interested in Hawkins and Ryder, she’s more for Edge, but Carlito’s ‘showboat’ wouldn’t have made sense without a bit of an argument at the end, not a break up but a bit of Primo being annoyed. Perhaps you will take this further into their title shot soon.
Not sure about this star, sure someone is coming, but I reckon you are using it because you know some kind of an effect to make it, nothing against you, of course.
Natalya’s win was okay, although Maria could’ve done with the odd move or two to get the fans going for around 30 seconds, leading into a reversal from Natalya and getting back on top. Nonetheless, it looks like a good lead up for the Phoenix / Natalya feud.
The RIP I reckon is a set-up, believing something is revolved around the Undertaker, Edge’s practical jokes?
Not too good that Umaga defeated Festus, or in a match at all. Usually if Jesse and Festus lose a match Jesse is pinned or made to submit, I reckon some kind of a mystery partner for Umaga against the two, perhaps squashing Jesse? Not a good direction for Festus, IMO.
The Mr Kennedy and Benjamin issue was perfectly set out and what happened is really realistic, can’t really give criticism for it. Don’t take it I am jumping up and down.
Wow. I didn’t know the RIP would actually lead to Undertaker, well, I thought anyways. The brawl was good, IMO. Liking the chair but just saying that Jeff resisted didn’t give us any inside information on what Jeff did. Not sure what happened at the end, it was as if we just faded out midway through a match.
All in all, it was an impressive show, but a little more explanation is needed, sadly I used criticism in most areas, to help you improve of course. Although, I really liked the Kennedy / Benjamin ways as the WWE are all in all similar minds to be honest and they would’ve done something very much the same. LOL. I will be reading Raw. 7/10
Im Not Your Family: Touching noses? Edge would be pretty screwed then wouldnt he lol. This was short and sweet, got the point across and will be innteresting to see how it turns out.
Impressive 2nd Week Running : I dont realy understand what you are doing with The Colon brothers but it seems to different because in real life they co operate well. Having them show boat as a gimmick is a good idea though. I always liked Edgeheads, they deserve a shot.
Blonde Bombshells: Again, i must ahve missed something because Beth is on Raw and Natalya is on SD!? Natalya getting a squash on maria is understanding and having her look strong before facing Beth is another good move.
Thats It: This looks liek the work of Taker but i dont know, maybe the Star? Triple H getting the sledgehammer out and smiling was a ncie touch.
Can the Colossus be Bulldozed: Nice win for Umaga. I think you made Festus out to be much better then he is by kicking out of Umaga's samoan drop but thats not a big deal.
I Suppose They Won't Team Again, then: The pre match talk was well worked and the in ring action was good, it makes sense for them not to have worked well as a team buyt to stil over shadow the opponents. Benjamin breaking Kennedy's pin made it even better but his offense leading to the win was dominant, im sure Kenendy is feeling that.
Main Event: Edge's speech at the start of the match was priceless and i agree with what he said. The match was worthy of a main event in every way and Taker getting involved shows that it was him after HHH.
Overall: A good show, wasn't that long but you got what you wanted done. The show seems to be coming together more.
Hardy/HHH big time Main Event. Seemed a little weird just starting off the show with that encounter, but gives some very nice hype towards what should be a big time Main Event, gonna be interesting to see what Edge decides to do.
Uh oh, a little trouble in the Colon Brothers it seems. It leads to them having to put the belts on the line come the Rumble, as that could be a nice match to kick off the evening come the Rumble maybe.
A southern man? Hm, not the slightest idea who your gonna bring back, or who you might even bring in. Gonna be interesting to see.
Maria...veryyyy nice. Maria wrestling...horrific. Ha, good idea to have Neidhart dominate as it shows that she can dominate too going into the big time showdown with Phoenix.
Oh, very original idea there. 'Taker beating the hell out of HHH's door. Still kind of unexplained as to why 'Taker is even doing this, as it would be better to do that late in the fued I feel. Nice to see the Game not intimadated or frightened, as he simply grabs the sledge.
Umaga is on a serious roll right now. Maybe after WrestleMania, we see him get a push towards the title. Although Festus kicking out of the big time Samoan Drop is a huge surprise, but nice to see this bad boy finished with a Samoan Spike, as Umaga rolls.
Kennedy and Shelton are a dominant tag team. Would like to see where you go with this, as it is heel vs. heel and that's extremely bold, and very risky. Gonna be nice if you can pull it off, but it could fail terribly if you don't, but I'd like to see you to.
A little weird not to have a promo or anything right in between the two big matches of the night, but I digress. Nice main event, although it wasn't much of a match as it was basically a double team. 'Taker is just reaking havoc tonight, and we still don't really know why. I understand that it's hard to get 'Taker on the mic, but we gotta have a reason for all the attacks. Nice brawl at the end, but I don't know, it all felt kinda rushed, and Jeff and H staring doesn't do it for me. A brawl would have been much more significant, IMO.
Overall, nice show, although the Main Event was iffy. Would love to see you improve on the road to the Rumble, as that card is shaping up nicely as well. I'll be reading RAW and expect a review up, best of luck.
Kofi Kingston def. Dolph Ziggler
Batista def. Rey Mysterio
Kelly Kelly def. Layla
John Cena & Finlay def. Cody Rhodes & Manu
Kane def. John Bradshaw Layfield
Shawn Michaels* def. CM Punk, Chris Jericho & Batista
* Became #1 Contender for the World Heavyeight Title
Quote:
DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox def. Mike Knox
Paul Burchill w/Katie Lea def. Bam Neely
The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh & Teddy Long def. The Miz
Ricky Ortiz def. Finlay (DQ)
Matt Hardy def. Mark Henry*
Vladimir Kozlov** def. John Morrison, Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Chavo Guerrero & Tommy Dreamer
* Cannot challenge for the ECW Title until after Wrestlemania
** Became #1 Contender for the ECW Title
Quote:
The Edgeheads* def. The Colon Brothers
Natalya def. Maria
Umaga def. Festus w/Jesse
Shelton Benjamin & Mr. Kennedy def. R-Truth & Hurricane Helms
Jeff Hardy vs Triple H w/Special Guest Referee Edge - No Contest
* Earned a title shot for the WWE Tag Team Titles
*
Weekly Top 25
January 5th - January 11th
Quote:
This Week – Last Week – Superstar
1 – (1) – John Cena - Coming out to help Finlay, Cena got a win over The Legacy, but now he has his own battles to fight. The question is, will that battle be fought against HBK or JBL?
2 – (2) – Jeff Hardy - Hardy's match against his newly made rival end without a real conclusion. With so many wrestlers gunning for him, how long will he able to keep the title?
3 – (4) – Matt Hardy - Hardy bounced back from a mediocre week by getting rid of one of his top competitors, Mark Henry, for the next few months.
4 – (2) – Vladimir Kozlov - A huge win over 5 other men gives Kozlov his place at the Royal Rumble against Matt Hardy, will he capitalize on it?
5 – (3) - Chris Jericho - Jericho gave it his all, but in the end he wasn't able to come out on top against his former nemesis HBK, as well as two other men who aren't exactly his chums.
6 – (7) – Batista - Batista might've lost the Main Event, but his win against Rey Mysterio to enter that very match is enough to give him the 6th spot.
7 – (6) – CM Punk - Punk won't be challenging for the World Heavyweight Title in the near future, but he is still the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title.
8 – (15) – Shawn Michaels - A huge win sends Shawn flying up the list. Will he top it come the Rumble, or will he forfeit his spot to JBL?
9 – (8) – Edge - Edge wasn't able to finish off Hardy after his match, but he still has a few weeks before the Rumble. Has he got something up his sleeve?
10 – (9) – Triple H - Edge, Jeff Hardy and now The Undertaker. Triple H has not been making friends of late, but don't you worry for him, this is the sort of situations he thrives on.
11 – (12) – Finlay - Finlay has not been the same ever since his son's hospitalization, and he finally cracked this week, pummelling Ricky Ortiz into a bloody pulp.
12 – (10) – The Undertaker - The Undertaker's first attack on Triple H was successful, but he was ready this time, and most of us would rather see him explaining himself instead of assaulting the King of Kings and interfering in matches.
13 – (13) – Big Show - An inactive week for both Big Show and his boss Vickie Guerrero sees him stay in unlucky thirteen.
14 – (16) – Kofi Kingston - A good win over Dolph Ziggler is exactly the result Kofi needed, if he keeps it up, he might soon be wearing another title belt.
15 – (14) – Beth Phoenix - The Undisputed Women's Champion's inactivity this week sees her drop one spot.
16 – (11) –Mark Henry - A terrible loss to the ECW Champion means that Henry won't be able to challenge for the title until after Wrestlemania, what will he do now?
17 – (19) – Kane - Kane finally got his revenge on JBL, and with JBL aiming for the title match at the Rumble, does that mean the heat is over between the two?
18 – (18) – The Great Khali - Khali cost Dreamer the match last week and also defeated The Miz in singles action, it seems working for Teddy Long isn't so bad, after all.
19 – (17) – Randy Orton - Orton was inactive in the ring this week, but we're sure that it won't be long before we see the Legend Killer slithering up the list.
20 – (22) – Umaga - Umaga's on a roll! Another win for the Samoan Bulldozer, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him keep this up until the Rumble.
21 – (20) – The Miz & John Morrison - Both World Tag Team Champions lost their matches this week, and although both performed well, it wasn't enough to beat The Punjabi Playboy, nor the Moscow Mauler.
22 – (21) – Jack Swagger - Swagger has been impressive in recent weeks, but his loss to Vladimir Kozlov means he's out of the title picture for now, but it could be worse, he could be in Mark Henry's position.
23 – (14) – Shelton Benjamin - Teaming up with Mr. Kennedy, The U.S Champion got another win, although more so thanks to individual skill, rather than any teamwork.
24 – (25) – Natalya - Destroying Maria, Natalya is building up momentum for her Royal Rumble match with Beth Phoenix, but will that be enough?
25 – (NR) – Mr. Kennedy - Mistaaaaaaaaaaaaa Kennedyyyyyyy... KENNEDY, is back!
Quote:
Farewell
Cody Rhodes & Manu - Two losses in two weeks for the Legacy send them flying down and out of the list. Will Orton's leadership guide them back in?
WildeThing presents: Road to Wrestlemania XXV
Re: Diverging Paths - A Current WWE BTB
. Good win for Burchill, I feel he's an under-utilized talent both in real life and in BTB. Is Burchill a face by the way? Because I think he's a good heel, but anyway, right man went over.
