WWE Smackdown live event (Binghamton, N.Y.)
Report by Aaron Waymire and ProWrestling.net
The place was maybe around 60 percent full. I've seen plenty more in the past. The side where the new entrance is (which is really cool, by the way) was blocked off from fans. Lots of floor seats available as well.
1. The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal with a two-handed chokeslam. Lots of cheers for Khali, probably because it was the first match. The local advertisements had Khali vs. Kane, so some kids near me kept waiting for Kane to come in. Didn't happen.
Theodore Long came out and announced that Alberto Del Rio was out with a concussion. He said that John Laurinaitis may not like this, but he's going to go ahead and make Kane vs. Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship inside a steel cage.
2. Big E Langston defeated Heath Slater. Langston won with an inverted powerslam. The best way to describe the finish was that Langston had Slater up in a powerslam, then fell backwards to drive Slater's face into the ground. Langston looks a little short but very strong.
3. Tyson Kidd defeated Drew McIntyre. Kidd won with a double jump moonsault. I like McIntyre's entrance for some reason. Good match. Cool finishing spot with the moonsault. I believe Marc Mero used to do the same move way back when.
4. Ryback defeated Johnny Curtis with Shell Shocked. Curtis was on the mic before telling everyone who he was. Good pop for Ryback. This wasn't a typical squash like TV, it was a little back-and-forth.
5. The Uso Brothers defeated Darren Young and Titus O'Neil with a Superfly Splash. Looks like the same match as the night before, as Long restarted it after an Uso's foot was on the rope. It was over soon after that.
6. Tamina defeated Natalya Neidhart. The special guest referee was Alicia Fox. Tamina won with a Superfly Splash. I think it was a bit of a letdown that these were the Divas we got to see. Not much of a reaction for this one.
7. Sin Cara defeated Hunico. Sin Cara won with a headscissors into an armbar takedown. Once again, it looked like the same type of match as 24 hours earlier, as this was a longer one. The crowd does like Cara's big spots. He went for the big move that looks like a Rock Bottom while flipping backwards from the top rope, but clearly messed it up into an armdrag. The finish came soon after. A few times during the night, Hunico and Camacho would come out and threaten Tony Chimel that he needed to start announcing better, but nothing really came of it.
8. Sheamus defeated Kane in a steel cage match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane actually kicked out of the Brogue Kick at one point. A very good match that started off pretty basic but really picked up at the end. Sheamus won by climbing over the cage to the floor just before Kane went through the door. Great effort from the big men.
Notes: Overall, it was a good event, but the lack of star power was obvious. Sheamus and Kane were the only true big names, as guys like Sin Cara and Khali aren't bad, but not stars. I can completely understand why CM Punk will soon be used for this brand. I just wish it happened on this show!
