The Main Events
Randy Orton defeated Damien Sandow to kick off Smackdown on Friday night. Orton, who was rumored to be injured, looked solid in this outing. I was very impressed with the aggression and intensity that Sandow had, even when he was fighting from behind. The bigger story was not Orton, but Cody Rhodes coming out and stealing Sandow's briefcase. Cody held the briefcase hostage throughout the night, which made a more interesting episode.
-Cody Rhodes was outside in the Gulf of Mexico with the briefcase. Damien Sandow came out and pleaded to give it back to him. Sandow basically said Cody was a better, smarter, and more attractive man than him. This was EXCELLENT. Cody and Damien ended the night when Rhodes threw the briefcase into the Gulf and Sandow tried to retrieve it. He does not know how to swim, so the briefcase floated away. I loved this because it was something different on Smackdown and had meaning. We watch Smackdown week to week not knowing if something of importance is going to happen. They gave mid to upper mid card guys the final spot and they shined. I was against the briefcase being on the line at Summerslam before, but now I think they have to do it to continue this fresh and interesting feud. Well done.
Grade: A-
-AJ Lee ripped Dolph Ziggler's personal items up in the ring and went a little crazy. She tore his luggage apart and his wallet. Dolph cracked jokes and then was able to hit a Fameasser on Big E to end their segment. It was average at best. I want to see Ziggler in a feud that has a big payoff, not him trying to build a new star. AJ has had better nights and really fell kind of flat for me.
Grade: C
WWE Smackdown Grade: C