WWE SmackDown in 2013 witnessed many star-studded matches. While RAW clearly emerged as the superior brand in terms of storytelling, SmackDown held its own with some bangers between January and December.
From The Shield’s superb outing in trios contests to CM Punk delivering consistent performance, 2013 really brought some spectacular action to the screens of the WWE Universe. With that said, let’s take a look at the best WWE SmackDown matches of 2013:
Alberto Del Rio vs. The Big Show (World Heavyweight Title Last Man Standing Match — January 11)
Say what you want about Alberto Del Rio, but the man knows how to put on a Match of the Year contender. The Mexican-American star set to make an example out of The Big Show when the two clashed in a Last Man Standing Match at WWE SmackDown.
The stakes were incredibly high as they involved Show’s World Heavyweight Championship on the line. After solid back-and-forth action that lasted nearly 15 minutes, Del Rio managed to beat the champion in clever fashion for the title.
Dean Ambrose vs. The Undertaker (WWE SmackDown — April 26)
Not many can say that they had The Undertaker on the defensive. This is exactly what Dean Ambrose did when he squared off against the Phenom on WWE SmackDown in April. The match came just days after The Shield defeated Taker and Team Hell No on WWE RAW.
The Lunatic Fringe even scored a near-fall on Taker with a DDT. The Phenom, however, bounced back and choked out Ambrose with a Hell’s Gate submission for the win. The post-match angle saw Taker completely destroyed by The Shield.
The Shield vs. Randy Orton & Team Hell No (June 14)
The Shield spent nearly a year undefeated on the main roster before they were finally toppled by the odd pairing of Randy Orton and Team Hell No. Daniel Bryan and Kane had been trying to crack the code for months before the Viper joined the mix.
The six-man outing was full of chaos and excitement as the crowd rallied in full support for the babyfaces. In the end, it was the American Dragon himself who made the Architect of The Shield submit with the Yes! Lock submission.
12-Man Tag Team Match (WWE SmackDown — November 29)
This match originally pitted the Rhodes Brothers and The Shield against each other. CM Punk got into the mix to turn it into a six-man affair. By the end of the night, there were 12 men inside the ring looking to tear the opposing team apart.
Punk, Cody Rhodes, Goldust, The Usos, and Rey Mysterio made up the star-studded babyface team. On the heel side, you had The Shield and The Wyatt Family. This was one of those rare moments where the two teams were seen on the same page.
CM Punk vs. Dean Ambrose (December 6)
It is safe to say that 2013 was CM Punk’s year in terms of the great work he was putting in the ring. The Second City Saint was delivering PPV quality matches on free television week in and week out.
One of his better outings came against Dean Ambrose on WWE SmackDown in December. This was just fantastic storytelling from both men. The Lunatic Fringe sold the GTS to cap off one of the best matches on WWE SmackDown in 2013.
Also read: Grayson Waller References CM Punk Promo, Punk Responds
