WrestleRant
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • WRR
  • Audio
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • About
    • Contact

Columnist Corner

WWE SmackDown Review - May 14, 2015

5/14/2015

0 Comments

 
PictureRoman Reigns and Kane battle in a No DQ match.
By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Dean Ambrose def. Sheamus

Ambrose and Sheamus have had very few matches together in the last year or so, so it felt fresh and I'd like to see more matches between the two down the line. Both guys are so over in their respective roles that the crowd was invested in everything they did while they worked a very well wrestled match. Neither guy should have lost here, but having Sheamus get pinned with a roll-up was wise since Ambrose will be in the main event of Payback for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Meanwhile, I was surprised to not see Sheamus' Payback opponent Dolph Ziggler show up.


Rusev Addressed His "I Quit" Match with United States Champion John Cena at WWE Payback

It feels like we've heard the same promos from Rusev and Cena in recent weeks while promoting the "I Quit" match, and there isn't much else they can say. That said, with the material they're being given to work with, they've made the most of it and Rusev's promo here was decent. They continued to heavily tease tension between Rusev and Lana, so it's possible we see them finally split as soon as Sunday.

PictureRyback falls to WWE World Champ Seth Rollins.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins def. Ryback (Non-title)

The way this match was booked was probably better than if they worked a standard singles match. Ryback was protected via the Bray Wyatt attack (which I liked because it was something different for this feud) and Rollins came off like the slimy heel champion he is by taking advantage of the injured Ryback and the interference from J&J Security. Furthermore, I enjoyed the story they told with Ryback getting in some hope spots here and there but ultimately falling to Rollins. It was a nice win for Rollins going into his upcoming title defense that was equally effective in furthering the feud between Ryback and Wyatt.


Tyson Kidd def. WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston

These two are obviously capable of putting on a much better match, but this wasn't intended to be much more than a momentum booster than for one half of the challengers going into the WWE Tag Team Championship match. It was fun for what it was, but not nearly as special as it could have been if given more time. Of course, Cesaro and Kidd both of their singles matches this week is a major indicator that The New Day will ultimately retain at Payback.


Neville def. Bo Dallas

Remember when these two headlined the first NXT live special in a Ladder match for the NXT Championship? This was a nothing match merely designed to showcase the skills of Neville before he does battle with King Barrett in three days, but there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, was their history even mentioned? I didn't catch it on commentary, but I could be wrong. Dallas can be a quirky heel if he didn't lose so often and if was actually given some direction. As for Barrett, he did well on commentary and the rubber match at Payback should be as good as their first two encounters.


Roman Reigns def. Kane in a No Disqualification Match

I appreciated not getting this match on Raw this week, but we ended up getting it on SmackDown anyway. Why not just bill this as a "No Disqualification" or a "No Holds Barred" match instead of as a silly "There Must Be A Winner by Pinfall or Submission?" Nevertheless, this ended up being a pretty enjoyable bout. Sure, it was no five star classic, but utilizing the extreme environment definitely worked to their advantage. The Spear through the table at the end to Kane was a sweet (albeit cliche) spot and a fine way of giving Reigns a win before contending for the WWE World Heavyweight title. The post-match backstage bit was also intriguing as it drove home the message that it's every man for themselves in the Fatal 4-Way.


Overall Show

Most of the matches on the Payback card were hyped throughout the night, but the match that received the most focus was the Fatal 4-Way. I was already looking forward to that match after everything we've seen on Raw the last two weeks, but their last ditch effort to add even more interest in the match was well done. It just would have been nice if some of the other advertised matches were hyped better, specifically the Ziggler vs. Sheamus and Cena vs. Rusev matches. Regardless, I must say I'm looking forward to getting fresh feuds and storylines coming out of the pay-per-view.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Categories

    All
    #AskGSM
    Battle Of The Belts
    Cruiserweight Classic
    Halftime Heat
    Hidden Gems
    Lists/Rankings
    Mae Young Classic
    Mixed Match Challenge
    News
    NJPW
    NWA Shockwave
    Opinion
    Previews
    Retro Reviews
    Reviews
    RJ's Two Cents
    Satire
    SummerSlam Recall
    The Deadly Draw
    Tribute To The Troops
    Women's Eliminator
    Worlds Collide
    WrestleMania Recall
    WWE Draft
    WWE Starrcade


    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    RSS Feed

©2023 WrestleRant. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • WRR
  • Audio
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • About
    • Contact