The Undercard
Mark Henry defeated Curtis Axel in a quick match between the two men. Ryback was in the corner of Axel, while Langston was in the corner of Henry. I don't understand why WWE, who told us that both Axel and Ryback are no longer "Heyman Guys," still continue to team together and be in the corner of one another. It really makes no sense to me. Langston and Henry are going to be on a crash course for a match in the near future. Mark Henry is too good of a heel to be wasted as a mid tier face right now. With Punk, Bryan, Cena and Langston in front of him, there is only one way he needs to be booked. With a new look and seemingly in the best shape in years, Henry needs to fight Langston and help get the young guy who could use much needed exposure. I like that pairing and think it will be MUCH better than Henry vs. Ryback a year ago. Why? Langston is a solid worker with great speed and intelligence of the sport.
Grade: B-
Los Matadores and El Torito defeated 3MB. The three men dress as "Plymouth Rockers" for the post-Thanksgiving show. It was a fast match with many high flying moves. Once again, you see WWE have no idea what to do with a new gimmick. Does anyone really care about Los Matadores right now? They are just going to be a funny gimmick that will not get over. El Toritio seems to be the only interesting one in the group. That will end, like Hornswoggle did years ago. Nonetheless, we get fun wrestling with no logic and no importance.
Grade: D
Tons of Funk defeated Xavier Woods and R-Truth. R-Truth, on Raw, tells us that Woods was given permission by Clay to dance with his ladies and use his music. Apparently, WWE did not like that idea a day later. Clay gets upset and calls him a rookie. Is this a heel turn for a tag team? Should Brodus and Tensai be heels, while Woods and Truth remain faces? The match did not do a single thing for me. Woods picks up the loss, thanks to a big body splash from Clay. Why? Why would you have a fresh talent take a loss like this. Is it because nobody is going to watch Friday Night Smackdown on the night after Thanksgiving? Either way, bad booking decision and a lack of creativity.
Grade: C-
Antonio Cesaro and Titus O'Neil Were Wasted
This was brutal. A match between two big and talented guys is overshadowed because Titus ate too much food. His throwing up was longer than the actual match itself. He "threw up" on Michael Cole and Zeb Colter. What the hell is the point of this? I really did not understand why WWE would pick these guys to make a comedy act. Vince loves his poop and vomit bits. Nobody else does. A waste of time and a waste of a segment where you could have helped build two teams that go back and forth in level of importance. Cesaro and Swagger were in the BEST MATCH AT SURVIVOR SERIES! Why would you make a joke out of them like this? Ridiculous.
Grade: F
