Friday Night SmackDown Review - July 25, 2014

Cesaro dismantles Dean Ambrose with a chair.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos def. Rybaxel (Non-title)

We've seen these two teams clash countless times in the past, but this was still a good matchup. Rybaxel looked like equals to The Usos throughout despite not being built up as threats beforehand. The only issue with this match was its finish. Why, after four years and while they're at their peak, would The Usos start doing the stupid "twin magic" trick now? It made even less sense because they're babyfaces. I hope this doesn't lead to The Usos turning heel or setting up a series of matches with Rybaxel. Both are terrible ideas. It's time to call up The Ascension to begin their feud with The Usos over the titles.


Bo Dallas and Dolph Ziggler Crashed 'Miz TV'

Miz continues to play his role extremely well and his interaction with Dallas was entertaining. His interview with his parents at ringside was a bit odd, but it was hilarious to see Miz's dad again for those that remember him from his last appearance back in September. Ziggler had a few good lines as well that subsequently led into his match with Dallas. It's encouraging to see a midcard rivalry get some talking time for once.

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Alberto Del Rio goes to work on Roman Reigns' arm.

Bo Dallas def. Dolph Ziggler

With this marking their first ever singles encounter, Dallas and Ziggler worked well together. They weren't given much time, but they made the most of the time they were given. Miz, while I enjoy his new character, was distracting on commentary, though I commend him for trying to push his feud with Ziggler. It's still too soon for Dallas' winning streak to come to an end, so it only made sense for him to come out victorious here. It was a big win for him considering Ziggler is a former world champion, but it was overshadowed by Miz's attack on him afterward. Could a Triple Threat match between these three for the Intercontinental Championship be on tap for SummerSlam?


Dean Ambrose def. Cesaro in a No Disqualification Match

While I enjoyed their match on Monday's Raw, I felt they were holding back a bit and this match more than made up for it. It was very entertaining and they made great use of the extreme enviroment. There were a lot of sick spots and both competitors put forth a strong effort. I was so invested in the action that I completely forgot about the possibility of Seth Rollins interfering. His attack on Ambrose afterward put good heat on him and furthered their feud effectively. I really hope WWE has a direction in mind for Cesaro, who recently broke away from Paul Heyman. He has too much talent that shouldn't be put to waste.


Paige def. Naomi

Paige's skipping to the ring and mocking of AJ Lee was humorous, but her promo didn't help her garner much heat which is what she needs right now. The match wasn't much of a match at all and I was somewhat disappointed since they had a few very good matches last month. At least the quick loss protected Naomi and kept her feud with Cameron alive. I'm not exactly enthralled by their current feud, but it's another story for the Divas division and that's all that matters.


Bray Wyatt def. R-Truth

This was nothing more than a complete squash for Wyatt. Truth is a glorified enhancement talent and the guy bores me to tears, but at least he sold well for Wyatt's offense. Wyatt's promo afterward was decent but nothing we haven't heard before. With Chris Jericho not on the show, this was the filler in the feud until Jericho's back. By the way, was anyone else hoping the new Nation of Domination would make the save for Truth?


Roman Reigns def. Alberto Del Rio

I didn't expect this to be anything special and while it wasn't a five star mat classic, it was definitely better than I thought it would. Reigns is still improving in the ring and Del Rio is stale as a character, but the two managed to put together a solid matchup. It was a nice win for Reigns even though Del Rio hasn't meant anything in ages. It felt strange for the show to go off the air without Randy Orton or Kane coming out and brawling with Reigns, but in a way, it was a refreshing change of pace because it was something different from what we usually see.


Overall Show

This was really a one-match show with Cesaro vs. Ambrose, a contest I strongly suggest you go out of your way to watch. Reigns vs. Del Rio was also good, but nothing must-see. Everything else was decent at best and served a purpose, but it all felt like filler for each of the respective stories. Thus, don't waste your time with this week's show, but definitely check out Cesaro vs. Ambrose when you get a chance.

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