WWE Smackdown results and reactions from tonight's (Nov. 29) live 'Holiday Special'

WWE Smackdown tonight (Tues., Nov. 29, 2011), took place at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. And I feel sincerely sorry for those that paid to attend this monstrosity live and in the flesh.

There isn't much to say about this show, which is why I'm not saving this post for the morning. Click here for full results and the running live blog. Let's just jump right in, shall we?

• Easily the worst Smackdown in the past six months. There are those that will harp on me for talking down on it and claiming I'm not really a fan but I'll always tell you how I actually feel and I'll never accept WWE trying to feed me hot garbage. Let's fix a quote from the movie Billy Madison and apply it to this show tonight. This says it all: "Mr. McMahon, what you've just presented ... is one of the most insanely idiotic shows I have ever seen. At no point in your rambling, incoherent show were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational event. Everyone at the arena and at home is now dumber for having watched it. I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul."
• By the time we got around to the main event of Daniel Bryan vs. Mark Henry for the world heavyweight championship, the ship was already well under water. There was simply no way these two talented individuals had enough in them to salvage the wreckage. But damned if they didn't do their best and come extremely close to it. The match was exciting, the crowd was hot for it and the finish was fuggin' money. My only gripe was Henry suddenly forgetting to sell the ankle in order to do unnecessary moves like a running clothesline. Minor details can be killer in great matches. Still, it was amazing and shows promise for a future feud while continuing the push of Bryan, who came out of this looking pretty good.
  
• The only other bright spot during the night was Randy Orton's utter and complete dismantling of David Otunga. As I wrote in the live blog, this was one of the few times I would endorse a squash match involving Orton and that's basically what we got. And it was really fun. I've talked a bit about it but it's impressive to see Orton completely reinvent himself as a carefree sort of babyface who just has fun with what he's doing and elevates the talent around him. I'm sure he'll get another long run with a major title and by then, he'll deserve the hell out of it. Hell, he deserves it now for tonight's match. When he tossed that box and it hit Otunga in the head, leading to Otunga dropping like a ton of bricks, and literally just stopped and started laughing, I marked out for him. Not sure I've ever said that before. Orton was super fun on a night that tried so hard to be that, it had the opposite effect.
• Check that, there was one more good thing tonight. Cody Rhodes was solid. The heat he's getting is gradually growing and Booker T, a veteran who knows how to work, should do wonders with him. I liked how they teased the match tonight but didn't give it away. Save it for TLC.
• Dear WWE: I don't care if they are just a bunch of lame jobbers and we all know the eventual finish to the match, you don't EVER go to commercial break during a battle royal. Never again. Signed, someone who calls himself a fan but will never acknowledge the ridiculous WWE Universe moniker.
  
• Mick Foley is so much better than this. So is Roddy Piper and Dusty Rhodes and Goldust and really, anyone else involved in those silly backstage segments. Silly is being too nice. Stupid, pointless, mind numbingly dumb, any of those will work. Such a waste of time. I really hope they find a better way to use Foley, and soon.
  
• Having Kofi Kingston put the reindeer hat on and fly through the air with his cross body off the top for the pin? Really? It was kind of racist but I genuinely believe Vince McMahon wanted it done just so Josh Mathews could shout "THE FLYING REINDEER" while he was in the air. It's like a really old child is booking the biggest and most successful pro wrestling promotion in the world. And we, the fans, who know exactly how great it can be, have to suffer through it.
  
• Last point (and how sad is it that I can't even get to a jump break with a two hour show): Vince had to be heavily involved in this. What makes it so sad is this was a live Smackdown and a heavily promoted show, at that. This was their chance to make a great impression and they failed miserably. Whoever tuned in tonight that doesn't normally tune in on Friday nights has absolutely zero reason to do so. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see quarter ratings that show record numbers of people tuned out by the end of the first half hour.
  

This show gets a a solid D from me and that's only because Orton was a genius and Bryan and Henry had a great match to close the show. The rest was so spectacularly bad, I can't give any more credit.

Go ahead and sound off with your thoughts below, Cagesiders. Good and bad.