Smackdown spoilers for 2/11/16

[Emperor Smeat]

Show started late due to being in the West Coast this week.

Also a good portion of the roster is out flying to Germany for the upcoming European tour. WWE might have pulled a bait & switch with Lesnar since he was advertised to be at the show tonight but got pulled in favor of showing up for next week's Smackdown show.

Dark Segment:
* The Owen Family held another protest outside the arena with all members wearing what looked like really long fake beards. Owen White rambled on about being constantly held down by the Man and how he's forming a new union called the Association of Smackdown Superstars to take on the evil WWE. Tried to rally other rasslers to join his A.S.S. Movement only to end up with a lot of laughter from everyone outside.


Smackdown:
* SmackDown kicks off with Chris Jericho coming to the ring for a promo to hype his match with AJ Styles

* Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles ends when the Social Outcasts come out to interrupt. This leads to a tag match

* Styles and Jericho defeated Curtis Axel and Adam Rose. After the match, Jericho left Styles laying with a Codebreaker. Jericho said he will see AJ later

* They air a clip of Daniel Bryan's retirement and the RAW contract signing as tables are brought out and put around the ring

* The Dudley Boyz come out in street clothes and Bubba Ray Dudley is looking more like Bully Ray than before. They cut promos with tables surrounding the ring and we see a replay of them turning on The Usos at RAW. Bubba cuts a big heel promo and rips Daniel Bryan for retiring, leading to a huge "yes!" chant. "Save the tables" comes back as Bubba says they are doing away with tables, no more tables for the fans

* Segment with Goldust trying to recruit R-Truth again

* Sasha Banks vs. Naomi with Becky Lynch on commentary is next. Becky and Tamina Snuka end up getting into it at ringside. Tamina lays her out. Sasha takes Tamina's head off with a big kick and makes Naomi tap with the Banks Statement

* Styles cuts a backstage promo on Jericho

* Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family came to the ring for a promo. Wyatt talked about how they were here to take out the "titans" of WWE. He rolled his eyes in the back of his head like The Undertaker would do. Real creepy promo, not as bad as the typical Wyatt ramblings

* Black History Month video for The Junkyard Dog

* Neville, Sin Cara and WWE United States Champion Kalisto defeated Stardust and The Ascension with a nice triple-finisher spot

* Another Daniel Bryan video

* Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles is the main event. The crowd was hot for both of them and the match was very good. Styles turned the Walls of Jericho into the Calf Crusher at one point. He also went for a Styles Clash but Jericho got the win clean with a Codebreaker. SmackDown ends with Jericho celebrating to a big pop

A couple of photos from fans at the event about a surprise that happened during the other dark match/segment:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ca0oTXEUEAElxUe.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ca0nN6BUAAEfPea.jpg

[Lock Jaw]

Sounds like a great show, actually.

[Big Vic]

Cool I am excited for 50/50 booking with styles.

[Lock Jaw]

Weird.... they used AJ Style's last TNA theme (at least I think it was last) for a Wyatt Family promo pack....

[Lock Jaw]

Guys, I just watched a whole episode of Smackdown for the first time in years, and I did not regret it. (fast forwarded only replays/commercials)

[Lock Jaw]

After watching an entire show, still 50/50 about Mauro Renallo..... I like the things he says and the focus he gives to the actual wrestling and wrestlers.... but I still do not like his voice. Still feels like everything he says is in a "disingenuous" way.... like he is "putting on airs"....

So I like what he says.... just not how he says it.... if that makes sense...

[Shisen Kopf]

What's the verdict?

[Lock Jaw]

I'd say tape it

[Sting Fan]

Disappointed to see AJ Styles lose to Jericho. Unless this is going to lead into some sort of PPV payoff I cant see how anyone gains from a Jericho win especially given the somewhat flukey way AJ won there first match.

[Heisenberg]

What's the verdict?



https://33.media.tumblr.com/5a6a3c6b9b6fbf19193892a54792ba43/tumblr_ncmnl0mo4j1ruqqm0o1_400.gif

[Mr. Nerfect]

I might watch this SmackDown. I want to hear the commentary.

[DAMN iNATOR]

What's the verdict?

David Otunga's finisher. :shifty:

[DAMN iNATOR]

Disappointed to see AJ Styles lose to Jericho. Unless this is going to lead into some sort of PPV payoff I cant see how anyone gains from a Jericho win especially given the somewhat flukey way AJ won there first match.

WM 32 rubber match, mayhaps. Anyway, I'm just glad for an ep of SD! which doesn't have a DQ or no-finish in the main event.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Jericho vs. Styles rematch at Fastlane or a tag match pitting them against each other. Kevin Owens & Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler & AJ Styles or something.

[Evil Vito]

Glad to see WWE are having Jericho and AJ work triple duty on a random SmackDown. Neither man has a ton of mileage on them or anything.

[Anybody Thrilla]

Glad to see WWE are having Jericho and AJ work triple duty on a random SmackDown. Neither man has a ton of mileage on them or anything.

As a fan, it was awesome. Do you watch just to make sure veterans are used properly or what?

This was the best Smackdown in a long time. Jericho had to win something at some point to not make him seem like a total knob. The Divas match was really good too. So was the Dudleyz promo. Thumbs up all around.

Also, I didn't see the R-Truth/Goldust segment. Did I doze off?

[Evil Vito]

I didn't watch, though it sounds halfway decent. I just have been thinking since this Bryan news broke that it might be good to try and preserve some of these guys that have been wrestling for decades. Have them wrestle yes, and I can even understand the double duty for this show given the story they were going with.

But wrestling three times in one night? It just seems unnecessary. Nothing to do with the booking, more to the "long term" view of trying to keep these dudes healthy.

[Impact!]

Glad to see WWE are having Jericho and AJ work triple duty on a random SmackDown. Neither man has a ton of mileage on them or anything.

Lots of the top guys are away in Germany on tour, so they were working with a short roster. Having them go triple duty, is most likely:
a) a show of respect by the WWE towards them, and that they trust in them to lead a show

and

b) They're trying to make AJ seem like a pretty big deal, so making him and Jericho the focus of the show makes sense.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I didn't watch, though it sounds halfway decent. I just have been thinking since this Bryan news broke that it might be good to try and preserve some of these guys that have been wrestling for decades. Have them wrestle yes, and I can even understand the double duty for this show given the story they were going with.

But wrestling three times in one night? It just seems unnecessary. Nothing to do with the booking, more to the "long term" view of trying to keep these dudes healthy.

They only wrestled a short tag match in the opener and again in the main event. I could see why you would think three though, considering the way the spoiler is worded.

[Anybody Thrilla]

The first "match" was interrupted before it actually even started. The bell rang, but they hadn't even locked up when the Social Outcasts interrupted.

[Evil Vito]

Ahhh, okay. That's not so bad then. :y: Yeah I saw three matches in the spoilers and was just like what the fuck.

[Anybody Thrilla]

That's why I be like 'fuck spoilers'. They can be super misleading, and often not even as detailed as the ones in here.

[Lock Jaw]

Also, I didn't see the R-Truth/Goldust segment. Did I doze off?

I didn't see it either. Probably cut out.

[Anybody Thrilla]

I didn't see any of that owenwhite stuff either. :shifty:

[Shisen Kopf]

I forgot to tape it. Can someone let me borrow their tape with smackdown recorded on it?

[Heisenberg]

Watched SD! for AJ Styles. Wasn't disappointed. Mexican Jim Ross can stay, he's good. It feels weird having a play-by-play of the action again

[Mr. Nerfect]

Watched SmackDown for the first time in ages. Man, Mauro Ranallo brings a different energy to proceedings. Jerry Lawler sounded like classic King on commentary as a heel. Hearing Mauro's style makes me think that they could use a more conventional babyface announcer in there to interact with King, but Byron Saxton isn't that guy. I'd still give Ranallo and Lawler a chance on their own.

I trusted Ranallo as a play-by-play guy. He could actually get over as a voice for the company. Michael Cole is great at relaying information to people, but he doesn't plant the seeds for that information to grow into fandom in the listener's minds. Move Cole from commentary and have him do another job within the company. He could even remain on-air as a manager or just doing the WWE.com interviews. Or move him to SmackDown and have Mauro call RAW.

[Mr. Nerfect]

The women's stuff seemed awkward to me. I hope I'm just being paranoid, but it seemed like Becky was made to look stupid there. I can honestly see them running just Charlotte vs. Sasha at Mania with Becky turning on Sasha afterwards.

[Rammsteinmad]

"Basement Dropkick" lol.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Isn't that what the move's called?

[DAMN iNATOR]

I didn't see any of that owenwhite stuff either. :shifty:

IKR?! Looked like a great show on paper, but w/o those 2 segments it was crap! :shifty:

[Heyman]

How the hell does it make sense to have a semi-retired 40-something year old Jericho go cleanly over AJ Styles? (i.e. a guy that if pushed properly, could be the next John Cena of the company?).

Protect Styles FFS.

Not saying that he shouldn't job, but why job him to the aging semi-retired Jericho? Makes no sense.

[Sepholio]

AJ isn't going to be the next Cena. He missed that boat awhile ago. It's not that he couldn't have been, it's just that it is too late. He's too old to get that push in the WWE.

[Sepholio]

Besides, we know he will get the rubber match win over Jericho in an epic match at Fastlane. It's a decent feud to give AJ some quick credibility in the E and having Jericho go over once reminds people he isn't some pushover.

[Rammsteinmad]

Isn't that what the move's called?

Baseball Slide.

But he's new, so I'll give him a break. And he certainly knows his stuff which is cool.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Oh yeah, the baseball slide on the apron. It had the positioning of a basement dropkick, so I think that's forgivable.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Yeah, I'm not bothered by Jericho beating Styles. You need to heat up their program somehow. I mean, I'd be fine with Jericho never being able to get one over Styles, thus getting frustrated and turning heel, but there are numerous ways to skin a cat.

Jericho needs some sort of cred if he's going to fit into a multi-man Ladder Match at WrestleMania 32.

[Bad News Gertner]

Lol wow, the combined age of the Goldust/R Truth tag team is 90 years old

[DAMN iNATOR]

How the hell does it make sense to have a semi-retired 40-something year old Jericho go cleanly over AJ Styles? (i.e. a guy that if pushed properly, could be the next John Cena of the company?).

Protect Styles FFS.

Not saying that he shouldn't job, but why job him to the aging semi-retired Jericho? Makes no sense.

He's already gone over Y2J once. It's not completely inconceivable that a potential rubber match @ FastLane or WM would be a great back-and-forth match with Styles eventually getting a clean win. Hell, maybe even make it a submission match. Imagine AJ going over Y2J @ WM 32 in a submission match after they battle back and forth to lock on the Walls and the Calf killer/crusher, with Y2J finally having to tap...crowd would go ballistic.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I'd have no problem with Jericho beating Styles if Jericho had beaten ANYONE at all in the past 4 years.

They'll have a great rubber match though so whatever. But it just makes AJ "another guy".

[Mr. Nerfect]

Jericho beat Neville at Beast in the East.

[Mr. Nerfect]

These are the wins that people are talking about. He's getting them now.

[Big Vic]

They should have had AJ go on some sort of streak and have his first loss bea against.....KO or someone.

[Big Vic]

Losing to Y2J hurts AJ more than it helps Y2J.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Lol I like how Twitter trolls are accusing y2j of burying styles. Since its his decision and everything to go over. These are the people who make the iwc look bad and the wwe thinks we are.

[CSL]

just seen the ending of that Styles/Jericho match, finish looked like a fuck job tbh, like maybe it was supposed to have been Jericho pinning him/"squeaking the win" after cutting AJ's springboard off and coming across as being lucky and the ref forgot, brainfarted, wasn't aware etc given the refs are told to play it strictly by the rules and Jericho improvised. Might be completely off the mark but it was a pretty odd finish.

[Swiss Ultimate]

How the hell does it make sense to have a semi-retired 40-something year old Jericho go cleanly over AJ Styles? (i.e. a guy that if pushed properly, could be the next John Cena of the company?).

Protect Styles FFS.

Not saying that he shouldn't job, but why job him to the aging semi-retired Jericho? Makes no sense.

AJ Styles is 38, he has about 10 good years left in him.