SmackDown Review: So, The Purpose Of Ryback And Curtis Axel Is...?

By Chris Featherstone

This episode of SmackDown was held in Manchester, England, and it extended the heated feud that has brewed between CM Punk/Daniel Bryan and the Wyatt Family. With Survivor Series approaching, Alberto Del Rio sought to do more damage on John Cena's arm in hopes to gain an advantage in his World Heavyweight Championship rematch. Del Rio gained some steam by performing a spinebuster through a table on Cena after their arm wrestling contest.

Rowan/Harper vs. The Usos was a very good match, and thankfully, the Usos were not used as simply whipping boys. They, along with Goldust and Cody Rhodes, have done wonders to the tag division over the past couple of months, and hopefully this momentum propels the division into an anticipated match at WrestleMania XXX. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan have a great opportunity to show their skills being in this feud. I am not totally sold yet, but I am hesitantly optimistic.


Natalya vs. Tamina Snuka seemed quite quick, but this is very good for Natalya. Finally, she is getting her moment to be on top of the Diva's division again after not having the title since 2010. Moreover, that reign was her first, and lasted a just a little over two months. Obviously, she is hungry to be champion again, and has the potential to be the next Trish Stratus of the WWE.


The Union Jacks vs. R-Truth/Prime Time Players made me think of the old school six-man titles that the NWA/WCW used to have. In situations like this, it would be good to bring them back to at least make these matches mean something. However, with how the WWE is handling the titles they already have, that probably is not a good idea. The match was fun to see, and it is glad to see that PTP has not fallen completely off the radar as a relevant tag team. The same goes for R-Truth as a midcard superstar.

R-Truth/PTP celebrating their victory.

The Funkadactyls vs. The Bella Twins was a bit confusing. They both are faces, but the Bellas acted as heels throughout the match until Naomi helped up Brie after the bout was over. The Funkadactyls are getting much better as a team in the ring, and kudos to Cameron again for her noticeable improvement. Interestingly, every time I watch a match involving any of these four, I think of whether it will be a part of a future Total Divas episode.

I have absolutely no idea what the purpose of the Great Khali vs. Hunico/Camacho was. Khali winning does nothing to increase his stock, and Hunico/Camacho would've been better used as attacking Los Matadores and starting a feud with them. I doubt if we will see the two on TV in the future other than this episode, and they will most likely go back to wrestling in NXT. On the other hand, Khali selling WWE merchandise was a bit comical.


CM Punk/Daniel Bryan vs. Ryback/Curtis Axel proves a number of things. First, Punk and Bryan?now coined as "The Beard and the Best"?gel well together. Second, Ryback and Curtis Axel looked like two kids on their first day of elementary school?totally lost and feeling misplaced. They have virtually no relevance, and Axel saying that he is no longer a Paul Heyman guy may have bought him a house in jobberville. He was already a frequent visitor. At least Ryback has some hope with Heyman totally bashing him on Raw. The end of the match was good, giving Punk and Bryan the advantage by using a trick out of the Wyatt Family's book.


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