The Undercard
The New Age Outlaws defeated The Brotherhood. WWE Smackdown Reaction kicks off with a really good match that showcased three guys who seem to be in better shape now than 10-15 years ago. Billy Gunn looks like he is stronger and more fluent in the ring, while Road Dogg has always been an smooth operator. I continue to be impressed with the in-ring work of Cody. He has everything you could ask for, with a nice mixture of speed and just enough power to execute the bigger spots. The Outlaws handled much of the match until Rhodes was tagged in. Billy Gunn goes for a Fameasser, but Rhodes ducks in and his a Disaster Kick. Vickie Guerrero comes out and distracts Rhodes just enough to get rolled up for the win. Seeing this match on Smackdown tells me that WWE may put the titles on The New Age Outlaws. You have to be careful because they are heels right now and there are really only two face tag teams, with younger teams like Real Americans, Wyatt's and The Shield in the mix every week. I can see the latter of the two moving past the tag title picture.
Score: 7/10
Big E Langston defeated Fandango in a non-title match on Smackdown. Langston played the "John Cena card" tonight. He was beaten down for most of the match by Fandango until he hit a few power moves to finish off Fandango. I still like the work in the ring from both guys, but something was missing for me tonight. It may be the lack of an actual opponent for Langston or it could be the continued losing of Fandango which does not make him a credible opponent for a champion right now. Either way, I expect WWE to pull the trigger for Langston during or immediately after the Royal Rumble match. He cannot be booked like previous IC Champions, like The Miz and Curtis Axel. Give the man some relevance and importance.
Score: 5/10
Rey Mysterio defeated Alberto Del Rio in a really fast paced match. Mysterio and Del Rio needs to happen at WrestleMania XXX. WWE needs to realize that this mid card match can actually be interesting. We have seen them fight and feud time and time again. Put something on the line. Put the mask on the line. Do something different with Del Rio. WWE has their Latin demographic in the palm of their hands if they can book this feud and make it successful for a big payoff. What bigger payoff is WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans?
Score: 6/10
