WWE SmackDown Recap and Reactions (May 12, 2016): An Eye for an Eye

This week's episode of SmackDown aired on the USA Network, May 12, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa.  The WWE is building towards the Extreme Rules pay-per-view (PPV) on May 22, 2016.  For full results and the live blog click here.

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Drink in the Jericho

Dean Ambrose started the show this week in the wake of destroying Chris Jericho's 15,000 dollar jacket.  Ambrose called what he did on Monday "an eye for an eye".  Ambrose is not upset about the plant but the fact the Jericho tried to injure him and take him out, taking away everything from him because wrestling is all he has.  So Ambrose will take away everything Jericho has: his massive ego.  Ambrose said when he is done with Y2J, he will question everything about himself.

The lights went down and Jericho's music played for a while.  When the lights came back on, Ambrose was down in the ring with Jericho standing over him.  Jericho removed a straightjacket from a bag and put it on Ambrose.  He then proceeded to berate Ambrose, who tried to free himself, before viciously attacking him, yelling, "Get crazy!" and "Come on, Ambrose!"  See, Ambrose is the one accused of being CRAZY but Jericho's character really is a sociopath, something I figured out during Jericho's feud with Shawn Michaels all those years ago.  Tonight was just another notch on Jericho's belt.

After the match, Jericho stood on the announce table and gave the fans "the gift of Jericho" and posed like a madman.  Drink it in, people.  We all know who is really crazy in this story.

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E.N.D.

Renee Young had a backstage interview with Emma, asking who is Dana Brooke.  Dana interrupted and introduced herself.  Emma and Dana are sick of Becky running around, making a puns, while the two of them were down in NXT cracking heads.  Dana Brooke was scheduled to face Becky Lynch in her debut match on the main roster and she guaranteed that playtime is over.

After the interview, the match got underway.  Becky came down the ramp upset and forgot her usual entrance, hopped into the ring, and pretty much went right at Dana, bringing the fight to her.  Dana dodged a corner attack from Lynch and used a variety of strikes to gain the advantage.  After Becky reversed a submission into a pin attempt, she took over the match again.  Dana escaped another corner attack.  While the referee was not looking, Emma poked Becky in the eye which led to Dana getting the victory.

Dana Brooke was great in her promo and just fine in the ring.  I am looking forward to what kind of trouble END gets into.

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The Fatal Four

The main event of the show was Sami Zayn and Cesaro versus The Miz and Kevin Owens.  I have no clue why anyone still accepts tag team matches with Kevin Owens anymore.  Like, I guess they cannot refuse to participate or something.  It just seems pretty unfair to whoever Owen's partner is.  There is pretty much a seventy percent or higher chance that he is going to walk out on his tag match.  I actively wait for him to do it and have been disappointed the few times he hasn't walked out, honestly.  Another issue that has yet to be brought up is the fact that Zayn caused Cesaro to lose against the Miz at Payback.  It  bugs me just a little that Cesaro seems to have no problem with that.

The start of the match saw Cesaro taking it to the Miz, who saved himself from getting a Big Swing.  KO and Miz has words with Miz asking could he do better and KO saying he could.  KO tagged in but thought better of it and went to tag Miz back in but Miz jumped off the apron to avoid the tag.  KO got worked over by Zayn for a while before Miz tagged himself back in.  There was a spot where Zayn went for a suicide dive on Miz but Maryse saved him.  Then Miz and KO began arguing outside the ring and got taken out by both Cesaro and Zayn with dives.

KO and Miz were able to get it together long enough to work over Zayn in their corner.  Zayn was able to hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Miz and get a tag to Cesaro, who came in and began upper cutting KO.  There was a total uppercut party for KO and the Miz and Cesaro got a near fall from a flying cross body.  Zayn came in to help Cesaro but accidently hit Cesaro with a Helluva Kick.  Owens hits a moonsault on Cesaro for the victory.  After the match, a brawl ensued and in the end the Miz was the one standing tall (the first time he has during this whole ordeal) holding the IC Championship high.  Maybe he can get some respect on his name now.

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Other Matches/Segments:

• Rusev versus Sin Cara: In a rematch from this Monday, Rusev dominated Sin Cara. When Sin Cara got the upper hand, Lana threw water in his face, which distracted his partner.  Rusev took him down then took Kalisto down outside the ring before making Sin Cara submit to the Accolade.  After the match, Rusev taunted Kalisto then caressed the US Championsip and held it over Kalisto, telling him that it was his title.
• The Club backstage segment: Although it was announced at the beginning of the show that both AJ Styles and Roman Reigns are banned from ringside during the Anderson/Gallows-Usos match, Styles promised that if Reigns got involved, AJ would have his friends' backs.
• Aiden English versus Kofi Kingston: Before the match, New Day and the Vaudevillians had a war of words.  New Day did their usual banter, saying that they would send their opponents at Extreme Rules back to the future.  Vaudevillians proclaimed that the sun would set on the New Day and the night belongs to them.  English and Kingston had a pretty entertaining match.  The interaction between the teammates outside saw the referee eject Woods, Big E, and Gotch from ringside.  English won the match by using the ropes to steal a victory.
• The Bloodline backstage segment: Despite being banned, Reigns promised to be ringside if AJ showed his face.
• The Club versus the Usos: Very good entertaining match that ended in disqualification after the action broke down outside the ring and Gallows introduced a steel chair.  Gallows and Anderson took out both Usos with the chair.  Neither AJ or Roman were present.  Given that Styles has been taken off house shows recently, I understand why this segment went the way it did.  There is plenty of TV to go until this feud is done.
• Darren Young and Bob Backlund segment: Backlund rambling nonsense will always make me laugh.  His expressions and the way he used his hands were great.
• Gorgeous Truth versus Goldango: When Goldust and Truth refused to fight each other, Breeze and Fandango attacked them.  Fandango allowed Breeze to pin Goldust and then attacked Goldust and Truth together.  This is the longest and weirdest pay off in the history of wrestling but if we are seriously getting Fandango and Breeze as a legit tag team, I will gladly take it.
• The Shining Stars: . . . . What?  They'll actually be on TV next week and NOT in Puerto Rico?  I don't know if that's cool or not.
• Charlotte backstage interview: Charlotte seemed like she was a bit tired of her father and/or people saying she cannot win without him, which is pretty short sighted.  She definitely can win without him.  She has before.  She is just too dependent on him at the moment it seems. 
  

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Final Opinions:

I actually liked Ambrose's promo.  It took the issue from being about his plant to a real one: the fact that Jericho tried to injure him and take his livelihood.  Ambrose is best when expressing this sentiment, I think.  Dana Brooke had a good debut on the show.  Overall, though, it was placeholder show.  All the big angles are already set for Extreme Rules.  Nothing really major happened.  Still an enjoyable show.

Rating: 7.75 out of 10

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That is all for this week, Cagesiders!  You can shoot your mealy mouth off in the damn comment section all you want.  And that's the bottom line because Geno said so!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GENERAL!