WWE SmackDown Results: April 6, 2012

Del Rio “steels” a title shot, ref gets rocked.

Five nights after WrestleMania, the 659th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL. After making history at WrestleMania by defeating Daniel Bryan in eighteen seconds to win the World Heavyweight Title, new World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus would go one-on-one with the returning Alberto Del Rio in a non-title match and, if Del Rio wins, he will get a future World Heavyweight Title shot. Also, after a chokeslam off of the top rope finally finished “The Viper” off at WrestleMania, Randy Orton gets another shot at “The Big Red Monster” as Orton goes one-on-one with Kane in a WrestleMania Rematch.

Match Results

• 2-on-1 Handicap Match: Mark Henry & David Otunga def. R-Truth by David Otunga pinning R-Truth following the World’s Strongest Slam by Mark Henry.
• WrestleMania Rematch: No DQ: Randy Orton def. Kane by pin following the RKO.
• Ryback def. Barry Stevens by pin following a fisherman’s muscle buster.
• Non-Title: Big Show def. Heath Slater by pin following a chokeslam.
• Non-Title: Nikki Bella (with Kelly Kelly) def. Beth Phoenix by pin following the Bella Buster.
• #1 Contender’s Match for the World Heavyweight Title: Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) def. Sheamus by DQ to earn a future World Heavyweight Title shot.

Detailed Results

Five nights after he was the captain of the victorious Team Johnny at WrestleMania, David Otunga kicks off SmackDown to introduce the new General Manager of both RAW and SmackDown, John Laurinaitis. Laurinaitis welcomes everyone to SmackDown and says that, now, SmackDown will have a “fair” leader. Laurinaitis continues that he won’t “abuse” his power, he will use his power for the fans before saying that, during the transition, he is hoping that former GM Theodore Long will be “professional”. The new GM then asks Theodore Long to come out so that he can “thank” Long for all his years of service for SmackDown. The former man-in-charge of SmackDown then makes his way to the ring as Long comes face-to-face with the man who took his job. The ex-GM says that being out of a job gives him the “benefit” of being able to tell Laurinaitis to “go to hell”! Long continues, saying that he is “living with the results” of the 12-Man Tag Match at WrestleMania and that he could not “walk away” from SmackDown without taking the time to thank the people who made it happen, the fans. Long then says that he hopes the fans have enjoyed watching SmackDown as much as he has had running SmackDown. Long then says goodbye, but before he can leave the ring, Laurinaitis offers him a job in Laurinaitis’ administration. Long admits that, while he does need a job, he does not need one from Laurinaitis before telling Laurinaitis to take his job and “shove it”. Laurinaitis then brings Long’s attention back by mentioning Long’s grandchildren and David Otunga elaborates by saying that the college funds of Long’s grandchildren is determined by whoever is the GM of SmackDown! Laurinaitis then says that his word is “golden” that, if Long accepts the job, then the college funds will be safe, but to get the job, he must tell everyone that Laurinaitis is better than him. Long begrudgingly says that Laurinaitis is better than him before Laurinaitis tells Long that he will let the ex-GM know what he needs as a broken Long makes his exit. The new GM then announces that the WrestleMania Rematch between Kane and Randy Orton will be a No Disqualification Match. Laurinaitis then says that it is all about “people power” and, at the suggestion of David Otunga, the GM announces that Team Teddy member R-Truth must face the captain of Team Johnny, David Otunga, and “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match!

Per the orders of new RAW & SmackDown General Manager John Laurinaitis, the opening match of the night saw former Team Teddy member R-Truth face the daunting task of competing against the former captain of Team Johnny, David Otunga, and “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. During the match, Mark Henry hits the World’s Strongest Slam on R-Truth, but David Otunga insists that Henry tag him in, which Henry does, allowing Otunga to take the pin and the win for his team.

It was announced during SmackDown that, this Tuesday night, it will be Super SmackDown Live: Blast from the Past as the live SmackDown special will feature appearances by WWE legends and Hall of Famers “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, “The Hardcore Legend” Mick Foley, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Sgt. Slaughter, “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas, Hillbilly Jim, Pat Patterson, Howard Finkel, “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart, and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper! What will happen when all these legends assemble in one place for Super SmackDown Live: Blast from the Past?

Then it was time for the WrestleMania Rematch as “The Viper” Randy Orton would try to avenge his WrestleMania loss to “The Big Red Monster” Kane in a No Disqualification Match. It did not take long for the fight to spill out of the ring as Kane and Randy Orton brawl on the outside of the ring with Orton even tossing Kane over the announce table. The two vicious competitors then make their way to the staging area and Orton nearly knocks Kane off of the stage, but Kane fights back. The two continue to counter each other’s attempts to destroy until Kane spikes Orton with a DDT on the steel stage! Back in the ring, Kane exposes the steel turnbuckle, but Orton is able to avoid the buckle. After blasting Orton with a big boot on the outside of the ring, Kane would toss four steel chairs into the ring, putting Orton into the ring, and grabbing another chair. However, Orton catches Kane with several chair shots on the way in before managing to plant Kane with a suspended DDT on a steel chair, seemingly cracking his own skull in the process! Kane is able to kick out of the DDT before getting to his feet and pummeling Orton with a trio of chair shots. Kane then tries for a chokeslam, but Orton counters, shoving Kane into the exposed turnbuckle, allowing Orton to strike with the RKO en route to picking up the hard-fought win! Now that Randy Orton has avenged his loss to Kane, is this rivalry over?

As SmackDown talent watch and laugh backstage, the unknown, and lisping, Barry Stevens starts talking bad about Orlando before being interrupted by the man formerly known as Skip Sheffield as Ryback debuts on SmackDown! At the end of a dominant performance, it was Ryback drilling Barry Stevens with a fisherman’s muscle buster en route to picking up the win.

After losing the World Heavyweight Title to Sheamus in just eighteen seconds at WrestleMania, former champion Daniel Bryan appears, with his girlfriend A.J., on SmackDown. Bryan says that he has had time to think about how everything went “wrong”, but A.J. tells Bryan that he is a “great wrestler” and a “great person” and she is not the only one who thinks so, reminding Bryan of the support from the fans he got at WrestleMania and on RAW, despite not even being in the ring. A.J. then tells Bryan that she and the fans are there to “support” Bryan, but Bryan says that it sounds like the fans are “mocking” him. Bryan continues that all of the “yes” chants does not make it “better” before Bryan accuses A.J. of costing him the World Heavyweight Title! Bryan then shouts at A.J., yelling that he defeated two giants in a Steel Cage Match and defeated five other Superstars in an Elimination Chamber Match only to lose the title in eighteen seconds at WrestleMania. Bryan continues that A.J. just “had to have” that kiss and it was the “kiss of death”. A.J. tries to defend herself, but Daniel Bryan says that A.J. does not get to make Bryan look like the “bad guy” because it is all A.J.’s “fault”. Bryan continues that A.J. “ruined” his dreams with her “selfishness” and “clinginess”. Bryan then says that he will “never” let her ruin his life like that “ever again”, saying that he has a rematch clause for a return match for the World Heavyweight Title against Sheamus, but he is going to do it the right way by regaining the title by himself. Bryan then tells A.J. to get in her gas-guzzling SUV and cry over her “disgusting cheeseburgers” because he is ready to get rid of all of the “dead weight”. Bryan continues that the kiss at WrestleMania will be the last one she will ever get from him because they are “through”, telling A.J. to get out of his ring! Bryan then literally turns his back on A.J. as the distraught Diva exits the ring.

With former Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes a guest on commentary, the new Intercontinental Champion Big Show went one-on-one with Heath Slater in a non-title match. In the end, it was Big Show planting Heath Slater with a chokeslam en route to picking up the win. After the match, Big Show dares Cody Rhodes to come into the ring and face him with Rhodes getting as far as the ring apron before thinking better of it. In a clear-cut message to Rhodes, Show blasts Slater with the W.M.D. Rhodes then tries to get the jump on Big Show, but Show turns to face Rhodes, scaring Rhodes off again!

Backstage, new World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus confronts the new General Manager of RAW & SmackDown, John Laurinaitis, as Laurinaitis says that, at WrestleMania, Daniel Bryan wasn’t “ready” and Alberto Del Rio was just trying to have a conversation on RAW. Laurinaitis then tells Sheamus that he has instructed the referee to have Sheamus go face-to-face with Alberto Del Rio before their match.

As punishment for supporting Team Teddy at WrestleMania, John Laurinaitis ordered Nikki Bella to go one-on-one with Divas Champion Beth Phoenix on SmackDown, with Team Johnny supporter, Brie Bella, being given the night off, but before the match begins, Kelly Kelly makes her way to ringside. During the match, it was a timely distraction by Kelly Kelly that would allow Nikki Bella to send Phoenix into the ring post before hitting the Bella Buster on Phoenix en route to pinning the Divas Champion.

A man by the name of Damien Sandow appears on SmackDown, saying that entertainment is at an “all-time low” with people opting to watch desperate housewives and fist-pumping. Sandow continues that the reflection of the fans show that they are a people of “mediocrity and complacency”, saying that “saving” the people from their “ignorance” is the essence of his “true calling”.

Then it was time for the main event as new World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus went one-on-one with the returning “Mexican Aristocrat” Alberto Del Rio, with personal ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez in his corner, in a non-title match, but if Del Rio wins, then Del Rio will get a future shot at the World Heavyweight Title. During the match, Ricardo Rodriguez would get on the apron of the ring, distracting Sheamus long enough for Alberto Del Rio to grab a steel chair. However, with the referee’s attention on Rodriguez, Sheamus takes the chair away from Del Rio and the opportunistic Del Rio feigns being struck in the head with the chair. The referee buys what Del Rio is selling as the referee calls for the disqualification, giving the win to Del Rio, meaning that Del Rio will get a future World Heavyweight Title shot. After the match, Sheamus takes his frustrations out on the referee, blasting the official with the Brogue Kick! How will John Laurinaits respond to Sheamus attacking a referee? When will Alberto Del Rio get his title match?

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