Home / Results / Smackdown / August 19, 2011

1. Intercontinental title: Cody Rhodes def. Ezekiel Jackson.

2. Justin Gabriel def. Tyson Kidd.

3. Non-title: Alberto Del Rio def. Daniel Bryan via submission.

4. Kelly Kelly & AJ Lee def. Natalya & Alicia Fox when Kelly pinned Fox.

5. Mark Henry won a #1 contender's battle royal.

No theme music. A quick, and I do mean quick, sound byte of Randy Orton regaining the World title at Summerslam starts the show. It would've been nice if they actually queued up Buck Owens' "Streets of Bakersfield", just for fun as background music, I tell you. In the ring, Teddy Long is introduced, as he finishes his happy, funky dance. Teddy introduces Orton. The champ used to respect Christian, but then began to despise him when the former "Capt. Charisma" became a whiny, bratty pest. Christian was beaten so badly he can't be here tonight.

Long announces a 20-man battle royal to determine the next challenger. Even though the outcome of that is pretty much a given, considering what has been going on of late, Orton's former partners in Legacy, Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes, are out. Rhodes declares that he will win the battle royal and take the World title from his former friend, not satisfied with stealing the Intercontinental title from Ezekiel Jackson last week. DiBiase starts to talk about knowing Orton's strengths & weaknesses, but eats an RKO for his trouble. Orton leaves, and Rhodes is fuming. Long puts him in the first match, a rematch for the IC title!

1. Intercontinental title: Cody Rhodes vs. Ezekiel Jackson.

The only reason Rhodes won the title was through DiBiase's interference, but of course Michael Cole won't cop to it. DiBiase was to face Jackson and the rematch was likely to be next week, but Orton did the former champ a favor and pushed up the timetable by eliminating DiBiase from the picture. No baggers, either. I'd like to see Cody take the next step and lose the faceguard, because that gimmick is dying a slow death, eeef yew weeel. Pretty much the same match as last week, though, but Rhodes has to rely on his own devices. The deciding factor comes when both are on the floor. Rhodes pushes the ring steps into Jackson's knee. After a Beautiful Disaster, Rhodes clips the knee, then hits Cross Rhodes to retain. Winner: Cody Rhodes.

Zack Ryder invited Alberto Del Rio to the show, but, in over his head again, calls it "Zackdown". Oh, stop the pain. I think Teddy would like to send Zack back to Raw after a match with either Great Khali or Mark Henry, but then Aksana shows up. Cue the smooth jazz music as Aksana tries seducing Teddy again.....

2. Justin Gabriel vs. Tyson Kidd.

Pre-match, they replayed the video from Gabriel's homecoming in South Africa last month. Anything to re-establish him as a face, I suppose. Kidd gets more offense here than he did against Sin Cara 2.0 last week, making for a near-show-stealer. Gabriel is selling an apparent injury to his left shoulder, but Kidd cannot capitalize. Half-crab is blocked, and Gabriel works over Kidd with kicks. Gourdbuster off the top cuts off a superplex by Kidd. Gabriel with the 450, almost halfway across the ring, to end it. Cole acts like he's never seen it before, but it has been done before. Winner: Justin Gabriel.

One year ago, Alberto Del Rio & Ricardo Rodriguez made their debut on Smackdown in Bakersfield. Tonight, Del Rio returns, 4 months after being drafted away to Raw, as a conquering hero, at least in his own mind, as the WWE champ. More gaga about destiny. Daniel Bryan interrupts, and it looks like he's gotten a haircut recently, or at least, he trimmed his beard. Anyway, Bryan rips into Del Rio cashing in his Money in the Bank contract at Summerslam, decrying it as predictable and pathetic. Del Rio beat Bryan last week, but the rematch is next......

3. Non-title: Alberto Del Rio vs. Daniel Bryan.

Apparently, someone may have read my report last week, because this got considerably more time, and it was worth every minute, even if the outcome was, well, predictable. Our second rematch of the night is also the best match on the show. Bryan went for a dropkick off the top, but Del Rio ducked and hit a German suplex for 2. Inevitably, Del Rio locks on the cross-armbreaker, and, after struggling, Bryan taps. Winner: Alberto Del Rio.

Post-match, Del Rio renewed his attack until Sin Cara 2.0 showed up and made the save, which may mean Del Rio will be back next week, and if he does, will the real Sin Cara be waiting for him?

4. Kelly Kelly & AJ Lee vs. Natalya & Alicia Fox.

The one knock on women's matches in WWE is that they have become increasingly sloppy in recent months, especially when it comes to the current champ, Kelly Kelly. She can't hold on to Alicia on the running faceplant, but they roll with the flow, and Kelly gets in a stinkface anyway. Natalya broke up a pin, and ended up fighting with her former protege, AJ, on the floor, leaving Alicia all alone with Kelly. Axe kick is missed, but Kelly doesn't miss the K2. Winners: Kelly Kelly & AJ Lee.

Post-match, Natalya questioned Alicia about the end of the match. As they left, Natalya knocked Alicia off the apron to the floor, then applied the Sharpshooter. Looks like we'll get Alicia & Natalya renewing hostilities next week in Natalya's hometown of Calgary.

Earlier, Matt Striker interviewed Jinder Mahal & Great Khali. Khali declared he would win the battle royal, but Mahal, upset, made him agree the he, Mahal, would win instead. Prior to the main event, Mark Henry likened the battle royal to a boat, with 19 men going overboard. Clever. And they say this guy can't talk?

5. #1 contender's battle royal. Winner faces Randy Orton, likely at Night of Champions.

Orton returns and takes a seat at ringside, away from the broadcast table. I wouldn't mind him giving Cole another RKO to rescramble his brains. Henry is dominant early, getting rid of Trent Barreta & Yoshi Tatsu in quick succession. Khali serves as a human shield for Mahal, who clearly has no interest in competing at the moment. However, it is Henry who eliminates Khali from the match, forcing Mahal to go to work, so to speak. They're clearly setting up Mahal as Smackdown's answer to Del Rio right now, but as a worse, lazier heel. Henry eventually got rid of Mahal, too, as well as Ted DiBiase, who had enough time to recover from the RKO to be in the match. Cody Rhodes was sent packing by Ezekiel Jackson, a receipt for the earlier match. The final five are Sin Cara 2.0, Henry, Wade Barrett, Sheamus, & Tyson Kidd. Kidd is sent packing quickly. Barrett & Sheamus, who have some unsettled issues, battle on the apron before Barrett is knocked off. Henry does the rest, tossing Sheamus like he was nothing, then dismissing Sin Cara to end it. Winner: Mark Henry.

Henry has a staredown with Randy Orton to end the show.