By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Daniel Bryan Interrupted Triple H and WWE Champion Triple H

Similar to last week, HHH and Orton once again provided strong mic work as heels. Thankfully, HHH didn't dragged on as long as he did last week and kept his promo short and sweet for the most part. His chemistry with Orton has been great so far and Bryan also continues to flourish in the role he's currently in. This was a very good way of kicking off the show and establishing the main event match gave viewers something to look forward to for the rest of the night.


Cody Rhodes def. Fandango

I was surprised by the fact that Rhodes didn't receive an entrance when Fandango did, especially given the fact that WWE is trying to push Rhodes as a babyface at the moment while Fandango is doing nothing. The match was a mere minute long before being interrupted by outside interference, which subsequently led to a tag team match also involving The Miz and Damien Sandow. Speaking of Sandow, I'm glad his feud with Rhodes is set to continue, as Sandow still needs to get his win over Rhodes at some point.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Daniel Bryan Interrupted WWE Champion Randy Orton

I realize SmackDown is a taped show and it is very easy for WWE to simply add in reactions, but it seemed Orton was receiving legitimate heat in the opening segment. I was surprised to see him on SmackDown and he cut a good promo here. He and Bryan had an enjoyable exchange, but were able to keep it short and sweet without giving too much away. Orton didn't target the fans too much here, but his arrogant mic work was enough to render him a heel.


Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel def. Cody Rhodes (Non-title)

It was a good match while it lasted, but the commercial break somewhat took away from it. Nonetheless, this was their first match against one another and manage to impress this viewer with their instant chemistry. It was a nice win for Axel, who is desperate for victories at this point, but I was confused as to why Damien Sandow didn't cost him the match in order to further their feud. Paul Heyman's post-match promo was also well done and seemed to tease an Intercontinental Championship match between Axel and CM Punk at some point in the near future, more than likely at Night of Champions.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

James Storm and Gunner Interrupted The Extraordinary Gentlemen Organization

I've been liking the stable of Bobby Roode, Daniels and Kazarian thus far, and it was interesting to see them kick off the show. However, I don't understand why Storm and Gunner of all people decided to interrupt, despite the fact they aren't even a part of the Bound For Glory Series. Storm foreshadowed Roode turning on Daniels and Kaz down the line, which was nicely done, but the tie-in to the match was strange and it felt like the bout should have been held later in the night.


Bobby Roode and Kazarian def. World Tag Team Champions James Storm and Gunner (Non-title)

Wasn't the whole point of splitting Beer Money all those years ago to push them as top stars in singles competition? Anyway, Storm and Roode have great chemistry in the ring together, so this was a good match. I still don't at all understand the pairing of Storm and Gunner, who haven't been regularly featured on television as of late. With this win, I hope Roode and Kaz take the titles off them at some point, for no other reason that they would make for much more entertaining champions than Storm and Gunner would.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Shield def. Kofi Kingston and The Usos

Man, I never get tired of seeing The Shield in six-man tag team matches. Their act might not mean as much as it used to, but there's no denying that their matches are still as entertaining as ever. Their style meshed perfectly with those of Kingston and The Usos, thus making for a match filled with exciting action. It was pretty predictable that The Shield would emerge victorious, but the final few minutes were very well done. I've said this before, but it's a shame to see Kingston back to where he was before he got injured: jobber status.


Divas Champion AJ Lee def. Naomi (Non-title)

If you can recall, these two had arguably one of the best Divas matches of 2010 during the third season of NXT. Although they've both come a long way since then, Naomi is still quite green in the ring. However, her moves are flashy and help cover up her weaknesses, which worked well in this match. It was a nice win for AJ, who seems to be in need of a title challenger for Night of Champions. In all honesty, I'd rather see Naomi contend for the title than Kaitlyn for the millionth time, but that's merely personal preference.