Instant Reaction - WWE Smackdown 4/10
By Benjamin Tucker, PWTorch TV specialist

Overall Score - 4.0

Wow. What an annoying show. Just like Raw, there were only two good segments on this show. However, the bad tonight definitely outweighed the good. The Orton vs. Henry match, with the Kane follow-up backstage, was well done. Henry doesn't look bad, and Kane and Orton's feud finally has more of a purpose than "I shook hands with you, now die!" The match itself was a lot of fun, too. The best segment of the show by far happened to be the Piper's Pit segment with A.J. and Daniel Bryan. Everyone played their parts great. Bryan looked like a sleazeball, A.J. seemed like a real person who really doesn't see that she isn't at fault and is being abused, and Roddy was awesome in the concerned elder role. It ended up developing both A.J. and Bryan's characters and promoted Bryan's eventual re-match with Sheamus. That's how a segment should be. Ryback's second squash wasn't too much to write home about, but it was a lot more effective than his debut last week.

Sadly, the rest of the show was filled with Legends comedy. To put it lightly, it sucked. The tag team match just before the top of the hour was completely overshadowed by Jimmy Hart's unnecessary antics, and the end to the segment with Mick Foley fell flat (much like many other "jokes" tonight). The six-person tag after the piper's Pit segment was inconsequential, and Hunico vs. Jim Duggan was a mess from a logical standpoint. "Wow, the American cheated and now wants me to cheer for him. USA! USA! USA!" Hunico didn't even get a chance to cheat! Then, the Rhodes segment was a huge disappointment. It had potential to be a serious promo where Cody could get some major heat and character development by challenging Dusty's authority. Imagine what an intense segment Cody could have with his father! Instead, Big Show interrupted and "embarrassed" Cody Rhodes with another video. And, Dusty danced. Not exactly a fitting replacement.

And, finally, the main event, where Daniel Bryan was once again quickly pinned by his opponent at the next pay-per-view after being distracted by six aging Legends. Who benefits from that? I know that it's supposed to be a feel-good moment, but at least give Bryan some in-ring credibility before having him loss, especially after the great Piper's Pit segment earlier in the show. Maybe him always losing quickly to Sheamus is the story they're trying to tell - I don't think it's going to help sell many pay-per-views, though. And, it didn't make a satisfying main event. Nor a satisfying post-match celebration - that attack on Cole was lame, guys, come on. So, despite my original hope for the show to be entertaining, it turned out to be a dud. With Raw ratings sagging, this really wasn't the night to have a feel-good show. And, that's exactly what we got - even if I didn't feel so good at the end.

Questions or comments? Follow me on Twitter at BTuckertorch, or e-mail me at btuckertorch@aol.com.

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