Parts Unknown #11: Smackdown

This was a decent build-up show leading into Survivor Series. There were seven matches total. One or two of the matches were a little short, but I'll let the writers slide. The whole point of this episode was to establish momentum going into one of the biggest PPV's of the year, so the focus wasn't on wrestling and wrestling alone.

PROS

~ I'm not a fan of MVP, but one of the things that I love about Smackdown is the fact that you never know who will come out for the opening segment. With Raw, you know that it will be one of three people, but with this fine program, it can be anyone.

~ Edge's bits with Paul Bearer were pretty damn funny. I loved the scene where they "played" dodgeball. In addition, I like how this hostage situation is progressing.

~ The Jack Swagger/Chris Masters match. I was hoping that Masters would win, but at least he looked strong. When is he going to get a legitimate push?

~ Kaval's surprise upset victory over Dolph Ziggler. Ideally, this feud would be halfway developed before a PPV, but I'm just happy that Kaval broke his losing streak and is getting a shot at the Intercontinental Championship.

~ The bout between "Dashing" Cody Rhodes and Kofi Kingston. Match of the night, bar none. Usually, it aggravates me when there are a jillion near-falls, but here, it worked.

~ Kane cried? Yep, he cried. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), Glen pulled it off and it didn't feel corny.

CONS

~ The Diva's match. I'm fucking sick of LayCool. Every other tag team has been broken up, so why are these two still together? Individually, I can deal with Layla and Michelle McCool, but as a single unit, they make me want to peel my face off.

~ The Big Show/Tyler Reks match. It seemed awfully pointless. Anything to promote Knuckleball, I guess.

~ The main event was interrupted in favor of an impromptu battle royale. I was actually looking forward to the advertised main event (a showdown between Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio), so I was peeved when the plans were changed.

Survivor Series has the potential to kick all kinds of ass. Will it be worth watching? Hell if I know. If I get a chance to watch it online, I'll share my thoughts on Monday. I'm out!