Parts Unknown #61: Smackdown

This will be a simple review, as last night's edition of Smackdown was a simple show. That's a good thing, mind you.

PROS

~ Christian's opening promo. I doubted his ability to elicit boos from the audience at this stage of his career, but it didn't take long for the WWE Universe to acquiesce and greet Captain Charisma's heel tactics with antipathy. Rubbing shoulders with Michael Cole was a great way to draw heat. I was waiting for Christian to ask him to act as his manager. Wishful thinking? Most likely.

~ The six-man tag match between The Corre and The Uso's/Ezekiel Jackson. I don't know why my beloved Uso twins were on the "babyface" side of the fence (more on that later), but I was thrilled to see them in action. This was a fantastic match. I dug the finish. To be specific, I dug the implications of the finish. Have Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel severed their ties with Wade Barrett? Have they officially become a tag team? Color me enthused!

~ Trent Baretta can sell like nobody's business. That might have been the highest back body drop I've ever seen. I sincerely hope that his efforts aren't going unnoticed. He made Jinder Mahal look downright ferocious.

~ Finally! AJ was given a singles match, and what's more, her opponent knew what she was doing. They weren't granted much time, but they worked fairly well together. Mark my words; AJ Lee is the next Mickie James.

~ The matches involving Sin Cara, Daniel Bryan, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes. The term "wrestling clinic" comes to mind.

~ The no-holds-barred bout between Sheamus and Randy Orton. They didn't use enough weapons, but I can't deny the fact that these two gentlemen know their spots. Thankfully, The Celtic Warrior always pulls a decent performance out of that other guy.

CONS

~ When did The Uso's become fan favorites? This is the third or fourth time in the past several months that Vince has decided to drastically change a certain wrestler's intentions without explaining the shift in character. You can't do that! That would never fly in the old days. Hell, even Tatanka had a reason to turn heel. The WWE is lucky that most of the people watching at home are too stupid to ask questions.

~ A "cut the cheese" joke? Who wrote that, a veteran sitcom writer who freelanced for The Nanny, Family Matters and According to Jim?

Overall, this was a satisfactory episode. We're so close to having a tag team division. So close, yet so far.