The Storylines
Curtis Axel defeated Sin Cara in his Smackdown debut match. Paul Heyman and Axel start the second hour of the show talking about what happened on WWE Raw with Triple H. Axel gets on the microphone and says that was just day one. He wins in pretty quick fashion against Cara, a guy who is absolutely useless in the WWE right now. Axel was grounded by the fast offense for a brief minute, but took control. I have to see his finisher again, as it seemed quick and really interesting. Axel continues to get a push, but I want to see him in matches against higher profile guys. I said this on Chair Shot Reality this weekend, that Curtis Axel cannot go from Triple H to Sin Cara/Zack Ryder. He needs PPV matches against legit names. He does not benefit from beating these jobbers. That is used for monsters like Ryback. We have seen where Ryback has gone with that type of build, haven't we?
Grade: C+
-Damien Sandow comes out to talk about the Georgian Knot. He asks Matt Striker to try and untie it, but he fails. This prompts Sheamus out, who makes fun of Sandow. Sandow then cuts the knot, outsmarting Sheamus. Sheamus goes for a Brogue Kick, but Sandow gets out of the way.
Sign me up for a Sandow/Sheamus feud. Even if it lasts brief, this is the perfect way for a young guy to get over with a popular face. Payback needs random feuds and matches to see what will or will not stick in the long run. As Money in the Bank approaches, I fully expect WWE to throw some "test" feuds into this Pay Per View. They already know the buyrates won't be huge, so why not try and see if they have a hidden gem? Sandow could be that gem. This microphone skills are excellent and witty. His character is fresh.
Grade: B
