WWE Smackdown live event (Lexington, Ky. at Rupp Arena)
Report by Terri Bey and ProWrestling.net
It was overall, a very good show. All the wrestlers did a great job. I would say there were about 5,000, maybe a bit more in attendance. There were sporadic seats on the floor still available. I was second row ringside which I was able to get 2 days before the show. The entire 3rd row behind me was not sold at all. The upper bowl seats were pretty full.
Anyway, onto the show. Tony Chimel comes out, and we all rise to the National Anthem. He then announces the first match.
1. R-Truth defeated Alberto Del Rio. R-Truth comes out to his “What’s Up” theme, and greets fans at ringside. He cuts his “What’s Up” promo bit in the ring. Alberto Del Rio comes to the ring and cuts a heel promo on how classy he is, and he takes a potshot at fans in the cheap seats.
The match itself is a pretty good back and forth affair. Both guys worked very well together. R Truth wins with his Axe kick. He celebrates, but after the match, Del Rio attacks him, and puts him in the arm breaker, and leaves. The refs then check on R Truth.
2. “Show Time” Percy Watson defeated Chavo Guerrero. This was a fun match. Chavo did his usual “Three Amigos” move. What made this match for me was that the fans were calling Chavo a “ho” for some reason and he was jawjacking back at them, particularly at this elderly man in the front row ringside seat. Hilarious. Anyway, Percy Watson won the match.
Rosa Mendes was introduced as a guest host. She asks some kid in the audience what is the next PPV as part of a contest to be the guest bell ringer. Of course, the kid gets it right.
3. Ezekiel Jackson defeated Tyler Reks. There is not much to write about this match as Jackson beat Reks in a squash.
4. Cody Rhodes beat Chris Masters. Both competitors are in the ring, and Rhodes cuts a promo putting down the University of Kentucky Wildcats, and that got a lot of heat. Chris Masters replied saying that since it was his birthday, he was going to slap Rhodes, in honor of his birthday.
This match was alright. Both guys worked hard. Masters went for Rhodes’ face and the Master Lock a few times but could not get at him. Rhodes eventually won with the Cross Roads. After the match, Masters slapped hands with the ringside fans.
5. Drew McIntyre over JTG. This was just ok.
6. Kofi Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler to retain the Intercontinental Title. Dolph Ziggler comes out and cuts a promo saying “spoiler alert.” He then says he is not only going to beat Kofi for the IC Title, but he will beat Edge for the World Title. Kofi then comes out. These two have a very good match together. Fans got behind Kofi right away. There was a lot of great back and forth action. I was very impressed. Kofi wins the match, and retains the Intercontinental Title.
During a few of the breaks between the matches, Chimmel would push Wrestlemania 27 and the Royal Rumble. Chimmel and Rose Mendes throw out free shirts, and push various merchandise such as autographed Kofi Kingston photographs.
Intermission
7. Natalya defeated Layla to retain the WWE Divas Championship. Layla comes out with a huge, orange exercise ball of some sort. Natalya comes out, and slaps hands with fans at ringside. Natalya gets in the ring, and gives Layla some weird looks. Natalya then gets a “You suck.” chant going. Layla then does some exercises with the ball, and gets more “You suck” chants and boos lead by Natalya. Hilarious.
The actual match was pretty good. Both women did a good job. Natalya rolled up Layla for the win, and she retained her title. After the match,, Natalya was selling her left knee while she celebrated the win which was attacked during the match, and after the match, Layla went after the knee, and then Beth Phoenix came out for the save. Both Beth and Natalya celebrated.
8. Big Show defeated Wade Barrett. The Big Show’s music starts, but he was evidently attacked in the aisle as Wade Barrett comes into the ring. Where I was sitting, even though I was ringside, I could not see hardly anything, until the wrestlers got to the ring. Fortunately, others were able to see , and told me. Anyway, Barrett gets on the mic and dares Show to get in the ring and fight.
Big Show comes down, obviously selling the attack, and the match begins. Pretty decent match actually. The Big Show wins with the knockout punch. Wade Barrett is helped out by the referees.
9. Edge defeated Kane in a viewer’s choice match. Chimmel asked us if we wanted a 2 out of 3 falls or a Street Fight. Well, the Street fight option was the winner. This was an AWESOME match. Both men worked hard. Both competitors started out in the ring, then it went all the way to the end of the arena. They brought it back into the arena, and they used canes on each other.
They did a double big boot. Edge slammed Kane’s knee with the chair. Kane tried to tombstone Edge onto a chair, but Edge reversed it into I believe it was a swinging neckbreaker. Edge tried to spear Kane at one point in the match but Edge was unsuccessful. There were quite a few awesome near falls. Anyway, the end finally came when eventually Edge bounces off the ropes and spears Kane for the pin and the win. Edge retains.
Edge celebrates, and then goes around ringside and shake hands with the fans.
