‘Ello mateys. Welcome to another edition of your friendly neighborhood SmackDown Redux. I am your host today, Cryssi, and I want to wish each and every single one of you American readers a happy, happy, HAPPY Fourth of Jew-Lie (apparently that’s how I pronounce ‘July’). I’m not sure what happens on SmackDown as I was working as it was airing, but if Raw is any indication of what we’re going to get, then I’m super excited to be writing this. I know y’all love my ‘live blog’ Redux editions so let’s go ahead and get this one underway. If I get distracted, then you have my humble apologies. I am simultaneously watching Wimbledon and Andy Murray is taking on David Ferrer, an attractive Spanish man with chiseled features. He’s no Nadal, but he will do I suppose.
I know, I know.
SmackDown kicks off with one of those cheesy group backstage segments that involve a gimmick, and I suppose it’s fitting since tonight is going to be one big gimmick – the Great American Bash.
I miss WCW =(
The segment features cameos by Alicia Fox, Natalya (who has a couple of lines), Kaitlyn, Tamina, Rosa Mendes, and Eve Torres. All of them, sans Eve, are in bikinis.
I’m not going to judge it as much as I dislike cheesy group segments. Natalya’s bikini from Raw last week was so much cuter, and the more I see of Kaitlyn in bikinis the more jealous I get of her body and just how simple she is. I love that she goes for simple instead of flash. She’s right up there with AJ for me in terms of Divas I feel like I can relate to.
I also want to say that it’s great seeing Eve back on television. Along with AJ, she’s the one to watch. They’ve worked hard on developing her character and having seeds planted for a potential feud with AJ on Raw was a little more than I was prepared to handle. I love it and welcome back to our televisions, Eve! I’m so glad they didn’t just drop your storyline and remembered how terribly you treated Teddy.
Moving from backstage into the actual show, we have an opening segment with Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus that has no bearing on anything Redux-wise. Our next delicious Diva segment comes in the form of a mixed tag match featuring our Div’s Champion, Layla, and in a cameo appearance, Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun, taking on the team of Aksana and her boy toy, Antonio Cesaro.
The shortness of this match was greatly appreciated because for one, Wun Wun doesn’t need to be in a wrestling ring. He definitely doesn’t need to be in a wrestling ring with the great Antonio. That said, the match wasn’t all that great. Aksana isn’t my favorite Diva in the ring and Layla has been a bit sloppy since she returned from injury. I’m not at all sold on Layla as a babyface doing cutesy little things in the ring such as playfully toying with her opponents. It’s not working for me and that’s unfortunate since I absolutely adore Layla.
Aksana is just Aksana and what I want her to do is use this time with Antonio to try and get better. She’s working with one of the best wrestlers in the world in Claudio, breaking kayfabe for a minute, and it would be to her best advantage to pick his brain and try to learn everything she possibly can from him. I have never been sold on Aksana as a Diva because part of me wonders if she’s really doing this for all the right reasons. I don’t sense her passion, her drive to learn, but to be fair, I haven’t really seen anything she’s done since NXT.
The roster is getting smaller and believe it or not, I hope they don’t call anyone up. I think they need to take the girls that they have, work with them on developing characters and personalities like they have with AJ, Vickie, and Eve, and make us get excited every time the girls are on TV. I just didn’t find myself freaking out over this match like I did on Raw when AJ and Sheamus took on Queen Vickie and Prince Dawlf. You knew that match wasn’t going to be a classic but you didn’t care because it involved AJ and Vickie, two women who we look forward to seeing every single week.
This was just blah for me. But I’m really glad that the Divas Champion was actually on TV for a change.
Backstage, the party is still raging. Natalya is still hanging out with her new BFF, Yoshi Tatsu (where’s your Tyson Kidd loyalty Natalya?? How can you hang with his bitter enemy?!), Alicia Fox is still incredibly fit, and Tamina is now hanging with her cousins, the Usos. Family fun.
You knew it was only a matter of time before Brodus and the Funkdactyls showed up to make it a true party. And man, I love how they were all dressed so appropriately. At least Naomi and Cameron were in the lime green again. However I will NEVER forgive them or the WWE for having BB Christian dance in that God awful segment on Raw. Shudders.
Thankfully, the terrible images from Monday are erased as Queen Vickie Guerrero comes onto the stage and introduces Prince Dawlf. He’s going to take on Alex Riley in a MiTB qualifying match.
Always good to see Queen Vickie and Prince Dawlf. As much as I want them apart, I want them to stay together. It’s such a touchy subject for me. All I know is that as an honorary Diva, Prince Dawlf always has a place in any Redux that I do with or without the Queen.
Ooooh! It’s AJ time!
All night long, it has been teased that Michael Cole is going to do an exclusive in-ring interview with AJ about her actions on Monday night when CM Punk and Daniel Bryan went through a table thanks to her. This is bound to be incredible.
…
Even I don’t know what to write at this moment. Just when you think you have this storyline all figured out, it changes just like that! AJ is a gift from God to wrestling, the WWE, and to the Divas. I don’t know who, or what, or why this is happening but it’s the best thing the WWE has done in YEARS. I don’t ever want this storyline to end, to be honest. It has given new life to all of those who are/have been involved and it has everyone talking.
Tonight was just another chapter in this wonderful book. I didn’t see the ending of Raw until the video package and seeing AJ had that kind of moment, that kind of power is just so amazing to me. SmackDown was no exception. Her kiss with Daniel Bryan was freaking hot. It was like they were the only people in that building. It was a beautiful moment. Then for her to go and kiss Punk?? AJ, you skank! I LOVE IT!
Not only did she make out with Punk, but she made out with him AFTER making out with DB. How twisted and sick is that? It’s beautiful. This storyline is EVERYTHING right now. I’m so glad we still have two more shows until Money in the Bank. What in the bluest of hell can possibly happen next with these three and good lord, just think of what will happen if Kane happens to win MITB?
The possibilities are ENDLESS.
Speaking of endless possibilities, the backstage party is still raging. The Funkdactyls are dancing. One of the Usos remind me of a young Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the face. Wow. It’s a great time for everyone but Eve.
Not a good week for Eve Torres I have to say. I kind of wanted her to snap like Carrie. It didn’t happen but at least poor Zack Ryder got some kind of revenge from Eve’s sinful actions of the past. And let’s be honest, Americans; it’s not really a barbeque until someone gets into a fight with the person who tries to suck all the fun out of things. Damn you Aaron “The Idol” Stevens. Michelle McCool is somewhere watching this and shaking her yardstick at you.
Tonight’s SmackDown was a great show. They usually do terrible when it comes to live TV but they put time and effort into this one and it showed. The matches were fun, AJ continues to impress, and it’s so sad that the only bad thing was that mixed tag. We got Layla on TV so that was a plus. She is the champion, you know. I’m already looking forward to Raw next week. It should be amazing and I absolutely can not wait to see what they have in store for us.
Until next time… Cryssi out!
