Orton and RVD put on a classic, Sandow attempts to cash in.
Smackdown Review
Randy Orton vs Rob Van Dam
SmackDown opened with a blockbuster battle as "Mr. Money in the Bank" Randy Orton, locked up against Rob Van Dam.
Van Dam looked for a victory on the blue brand, but found only the business end of an RKO — delivered after Orton ducked out of the way of RVD’s attempted Five-Star Frog Splash.
Orton’s Friday night win further proves that The Viper can, in fact, strike from anywhere and at any time, and WWE Champion John Cena would do well to grow a pair of eyes in the back of his head.
Highlights of the marquee matchup:
"Miz TV" with Divas Champion AJ Lee & Big E Langston
The Miz played host to a truly eccentric pair as Divas Champion AJ Lee and Big E Langston came to “The Most Must-See Talk Show in WWE history.”
When Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn appeared, however, business would truly pick up — and as talks inevitably broke down, Miz attempted to take back control. As host of SummerSlam, The Awesome One took it upon himself to make a huge pay-per-view match, pitting Ziggler & Kaitlyn against AJ & Big E at The Biggest Party of the Summer!
But the bitter rivals would not wait for Aug. 18. As Kaitlyn and AJ tangled, prompting Big E to lay his hands on “The Hybrid Diva,” The Showoff hit his former heavy with a thundering Zig Zag!
Highlights:
Fandango vs Kofi Kingston
In a rematch of their bout on Raw, the newly returned Kofi Kingston looked to make it two in a row against the fleet-footed Fandango on SmackDown.
But, at the height of the match, a feigned ankle sprain by Summer Rae distracted Kofi and opened the door for her dancing partner to drive his high-flying opponent into the steel ring post. Fandango then did some high flying of his own, nailing the still-dazed Kofi with a leg drop off the top rope for the win.
Highlights of the high flying contest:
Wade Barrett vs Daniel Bryan
A freshly shaved Wade Barrett arrived to SmackDown with clippers in hand and payback on the mind as he faced Daniel Bryan. Just four days removed from Bryan’s disastrous corporate makeover and subsequent shaving of Barrett’s beard, the two grapplers engaged in a bruising battle on the blue brand. But when Barrett attempted to utilize the clippers on the No. 1 contender to the WWE Title, Bryan rallied and, coming off a flying headbutt, the submission specialist snapped in the “Yes!” Lock — forcing The Barrett Barrage to tap out and continuing Bryan’s red-hot winning streak.
Highlights of the Beard vs Barber:
Kane vs 3MB
Kane sent a terrifying message of dominance by destroying 3MB in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match on SmackDown, immediately after which Bray Wyatt appeared on the TitanTron with a targeted — and creepy — message of his own for The Big Red Monster.
Addressing their upcoming Ring of Fire Match at SummerSlam, Wyatt claimed to be “already dead” and professed no fear for The Devil’s Favorite Demon.
Highlights:
Damien Sandow unveiled a “Sandowized” briefcase
After unveiling a “Sandowized” version of the Money in the Bank briefcase, Damien Sandow delivered a pointed message to Alberto Del Rio, promising to become “World Champion of the Unwashed Masses.”
Sandow's new Money In The Bank Briefcase:
Brock Lesnar interview
Taking particular offense to CM Punk calling himself “The Best in the World,” Brock Lesnar proclaimed to be more than just Paul Heyman’s “muscle,” making it clear that things are very personal between him and CM Punk.
What exactly will Heyman have up his sleeve when he battles Punk Monday on Raw?
The Interview:
Christian vs Alberto Del Rio (Non Title)
J
ust nine days before their SummerSlam World Title clash, Christian battled World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio in a classic Non-Title confrontation.
The action spilled outside the ring numerous times — including a thrilling exchange on the ramp that saw Del Rio get heaved from on high. But, in the end, all the back-and-forth fighting and near-falls eventually came down to Christian simply getting the best of the Mexican titleholder — rolling Del Rio up for the pinfall victory.
A furious Del Rio argued that he kicked out before the three-count — a dispute that was made moot when Christian leveled his opponent with the Killswitch!