WWE SmackDown
Location: Topeka, KS
Date: July 5, 2013
Commentators: Josh Mathews, Michael Cole, and JBL
Cult of Personality opens the show, and CM Punk makes his way to the ring to a nice pop. We get a recap of what happened on Raw, when Curtis Axel “stole” CM Punk’s victory in their tag team match. The ensuing argument between Punk and Paul Heyman was shown, as well. The blue Money in the Bank briefcase is hanging above the ring. Punk gets a mic and listens to the loud “CM PUNK” chants that have started. Punk says that if he were John Cena, he’d give a heartfelt speech about the 4th of July. But fortunately for us, he isn’t John Cena. He says he has a different point of view than Cena. To Punk, the 4th of July means “independence.” He says the Founding Fathers didn’t want to conform to anybody’s rules. They wanted to blaze their own trail, just like Punk. He says he’s fiercely independent. For example, when he was told he would be the hottest thing after WrestleMania he walked away. When people say he doesn’t have a chance at the Money in the Bank Ladder match, he wants to line them all up and tell them they’re wrong. He says he has two simple goals, the first of which is to get his hands on Brock Lesnar. He wants to hold Brock accountable for his attack on Raw two weeks ago. His second goal is to win the Money in the Bank All-Star match and become WWE Champion again. He is then interrupted by Alberto Del Rio, wearing a suit and holding the World Heavyweight Championship. Del Rio gets plenty of boos.
Del Rio says he was expecting more from Punk. Punk says he was expecting a cool car, not just Del Rio in a cheap suit. Del Rio says he is the World Heavyweight Champion, and this is his show. CM Punk says that this has never been this show. Del Rio says people celebrate the 4th of July by stuffing their faces. They celebrate their freedom, but they waste it by watching TV, sitting on the Internet, and getting fatter every day. They also cheer a “little pig” named Dolph Ziggler, who ruined his fiesta last week. USA chants from the crowd. Del Rio says they chant USA because they’re a bunch of sheep. Punk says Del Rio championed the USA up until a few weeks ago, and now he’s criticizing the crowd just because they saw through his facade. Del Rio says that he is the World Heavyweight Champion, but Punk says that just makes him No. 1 Contender to his title: Best in the World. Del Rio says that this is his world and his ring, and orders Punk to leave. Punk says that sounds like he’s telling him to do something, which means everything in his body is telling him to do the opposite. So he’s going to stay in the ring until Del Rio makes him. Teddy Long interrupts.
Teddy says we had fireworks on the 4th of July, and now we’ll have fireworks in the main event. CM Punk will face Alberto Del Rio tonight. Michael Cole calls Teddy “Captain Cliche.”
Christian vs. Randy Orton is announced for later tonight.
-Commercial
CM Punk is getting ready for his match backstage when Paul Heyman walks up. Heyman says that he knows Punks wants him to stay out of his business, but he still thinks this match with Del Rio makes no sense. Heyman offers to get the match thrown out, but Punk declines. Heyman also says you have to have eyes in the back of your head during a Money in the Bank Ladder Match. So, not that Punk needs it, but Heyman wants to walk down to the ring with Punk at the pay-per-view. Punk says he appreciates that, as a friend, not a client, but he wants to be on his own.
The Usos make their way to the ring as a promo for their upcoming match with The Shield airs. Team Rhodes Scholars comes out next, and Damien Sandow has a mic. Sandow asks for silence from the “slack-jawed mouth breathers.” He says we are about to witness a new era in WWE. Both men will find themselves in a MITB Ladder match. Although the crowd wants to see Team Rhodes Scholars break up in that match, they will be disappointed. Rhodes gets the mic and says that they are guided by the adage: “May the best man win.” Sandow agrees, and says “You’re welcome.”
The Usos vs. Team Rhodes Scholars
Rhodes starts out in the ring, and takes control by throwing Uso in the corner. The Usos quickly get back in control and the other Uso is tagged in. Cody gets back in control and tags in Damien, who beats Uso down with a number of kicks. Sandow hits his Russian Legsweep and the Cubito Acquiet for a two-count. Rhodes is tagged in. Rhodes hits a gordbuster and a knee drop to Uso’s face. Sandow comes back in, and Rhodes Scholars attempt a double back suplex, but Uso lands on his feet. Rhodes gets sent over the top rope and Uso hits Sandow with a superkick. The other Uso is tagged in, and both Usos go to a separate turnbuckle. They hit a double Superfly Splash and get the three-count.
Winners: The Usos
The Shield appears on the Tron. Seth Rollins says they’re lucky. So lucky, they were able to slip one by The Shield last week. They may think that that makes The Shield not invincible, but they’re mistaken. Roman says they’ll need more than luck to take the Tag Team Championships from them. Ambrose says he’s going to put Christian back in his place. He says this is what dominance looks like in 2013. He tells the WWE Universe to prepare to live in a world where Dean Ambrose waits in the shadows with a Money in the Bank briefcase. Believe in the Shield.
-Commercial
Alicia Fox is already in the ring. Kaitlyn comes out next, accompanied by Layla. We see a recap of Kaitlyn’s match with Alicia Fox on Raw, followed by a recap of AJ’s reveal of Kaitlyn’s “modeling pictures.”
Kaitlyn w/ Layla vs. Alicia Fox
They lock up, and Fox hits a number of knee strikes to the gut. Fox drives Kaitlyn into the corner, hits some shoulder thrusts, followed by a bridging Northern Lights Suplex. She hits a snap mare for a two-count. Fox applies a headlock, and Kaitlyn tries to fight out. Fox slams Kaitlyn’s head back down onto the mat. Fox slams Kaitlyn’s head repeatedly against the turnbuckle, then goes back to the side headlock. Kaitlyn counters with a snap mare. Kaitlyn hits a number of European uppercuts. AJ’s music then begins to play and AJ starts skipping to the ring, holding her Divas Championship over her head. Kaitlyn hits a shoulder tackle, but gets distracted. Fox kicks Kaitlyn in the head. She tries to whip Kaitlyn, but Kaitlyn counters. AJ gets up on the apron and Kaitlyn knocks her off. Fox then rolls Kaitlyn up for the win.
Winner: Alicia Fox
AJ laughs and shrugs as she walks up the ramp. Kaitlyn chases AJ up the ramp as we get a recap of the finish.
-Commercial
Backstage, AJ is running from Kaitlyn. The Bella Twins stop her and say they don’t care about her, but they care about her Divas Championship. They say it’ll be theirs soon. AJ says she doesn’t care and runs off. She meets up with Big E Langston and says they need to leave now, before Kaitlyn catches up. She says she needs to get to the car with Big E immediately. Big E laughs at her, but then follows along when she starts screaming.
We get a recap of Kane vs. Randy Orton with Daniel Bryan as guest referee on Raw, including the RKO on Bryan.
Renee Young introduces Christian and Randy Orton backstage. Renee says they already have a storied rivalry which will only continue tonight. Christian says he’s already beaten Randy for the World Heavyweight Championship, and tonight, he’s putting everyone on notice when he wins. Randy says Christian is going to learn firsthand why he’s the one everyone should be worried about. He’s going to beat Christian in one…more…match.
Michael Cole and JBL hype up the imminent debut on The Wyatt Family, before throwing to one of their vignettes.
-Commercial
Randy Orton vs. Christian
They lockup and Orton takes Christian down before applying a front headlock. Christian whips Orton, but Orton counters with a shoulder block. Christian whips Orton again and hits a back elbow smash. He puts Orton in the corner and whips him to another corner. Orton pops out and hits a clothesline. Quick pin attempt. Christian hangs Orton on the second rope and stands on Orton’s shoulders. He hops over the top rope and attempts his signature uppercut, but Orton backs out of the way. Christian attempts to get back into the ring, but Orton kicks him and sets him up for his rope-hung DDT. Christian wriggles out as we head to commercial.
-Commercial
Christian is in control. He stomps on Orton, and Orton fights to his feet. They trade strikes, and Orton hits a Thesz Press. Christian rolls to the apron, stands up, and pulls Orton’s neck down on the top rope. Christian climbs to the top rope and hits a cross body for a two-count. Christian applies a headlock. Orton elbows out of the hold and whips Christian hard into the corner. Both men are down, and they trade strikes on their knees. Both men get up, still trading strikes. Christian runs the ropes and runs into a dropkick. Orton hits a couple of clotheslines and goes for his powerslam, but Christian stops short and kicks Orton in the gut. Orton backs Christian into the corner and hits a 10 mounted punches. He whips Christian into another corner and Christian counters. Orton picks Christian up and hits his modified pumphandle drop for a two-count. Christian runs up to the corner and goes for a springboard. Orton motions for the RKO but Christian doesn’t jump. Orton rolls Christian up for a close two-count. Orton then hits a powerslam and both men are down. Christian gets up and goes for the Killswitch. Orton counters into an RKO attempt, which Christian counters into a back suplex. Christian backs into the corner, motioning for the Spear. Orton gets up and Christian connects for another two-count. Christian motions for the Killswitch, but Orton counters and sends Christian to the apron. Orton hits his rope-hung DDT and gets the crowd fired up. Randy motions for the RKO, but Christian pushes him in mid-air. Christian climbs the turnbuckle and jumps over a charging Orton. Christian turns around and walks right into an RKO, which gets the win.
Winner: Randy Orton
Backstage, Teddy Long is on his cell phone. He is interrupted by Paul Heyman knocking. Teddy says he wants Heyman to join the commentary team tonight. Heyman says that CM Punk is his best friend, and he asked to not have Heyman get involved in his matches anymore. Teddy says he doesn’t want him getting involved in his match, but wants him to provide insight on commentary. Teddy uses Punk’s “always wants to do the opposite of what he’s told” attitude to justify his decision. Heyman smiles and walks off.
A vignette promoting Rob Van Dam’s return airs.
-Commercial
Dolph Ziggler makes his way to the ring on his own, wearing AJ Lee’s shirt. Dolph gets a mic and says that the past few months have been a blur, but he’ll never forget the night he cashed in his briefcase and became World Heavyweight Champion. He says Del Rio took advantage of his condition and took his championship from him. He also remembers Del Rio coming to the ring with a big cheesy grin, saying how much he “loved America and each and every one of you!” But he couldn’t convince the crowd that he was somehow likable. The thing about Del Rio is he’s full of crap. Ziggler says he’s got a chip on his shoulder, he’s cocky, and he’s arrogant, but he’s not full of crap. He does things in the ring that no one else can, and at Money in the Bank, he’s taking back what’s rightfully his: the World Heavyweight Championship. “Show. Off.” 3MB’s music hits and 3MB makes their way to the ring as we get a recap of what happened last Monday when Ziggler faced Jinder Mahal.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre w/ Heath Slater & Jinder Mahal
Ziggler beats down McIntyre in the corner, but Drew counters. Ziggler rolls McIntyre up for a two-count, then does a little showboating. Drew attempts to hit Ziggler with a flapjack, but Ziggler lands on his feet. He tries again, and catches Ziggler on his shoulders. He then hits a corner powerbomb for a two-count. Drew hits a suplex on Ziggler and applies a modified side headlock. Ziggler gets to his feet, but gets whipped. McIntyre hits a backbreaker on Ziggler for another two-count. Ziggler crawls to the apron, so Drew follows and attempts to hit a running knee, but Ziggler dodges. Ziggler hits a splash in the corner and a dropkick for a two-count. Drew attempts to hit another backbreaker, but Ziggler spins out and lands on his feet. He then hits a Zig Zag for the three-count.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
The rest of 3MB swarms the ring once again, trying to attack Ziggler. Ziggler narrowly avoids them. They try to get him back into the ring, and Ziggler eventually agrees to it. He slides in through Slater’s legs and they all pounce, but Ziggler eludes them once again and walks up the ramp as 3MB watches from the ring.
Michael Cole and JBL introduce a vignette for John Cena vs. Mark Henry at WWE Money in the Bank.
Backstage, Fandango and Summer Rae walk toward the ring.
-Commercial
Fandango and Summer Rae dance to the ring. Justin Gabriel is out next.
Fandango w/ Summer Rae vs. Justin Gabriel
Fandango ducks a kick from Gabriel. They lock up and Gabriel whips Fandango. Fandango hits a shoulder block and dances a bit. Gabriel goes for a monkey flip, but Fandango jumps over it. Gabriel sends Fandango to the apron, slides through his legs, and pulls his legs out from under him. Gabriel gets back into the ring and runs to jump out of the ring, but Fandango catches him with a kick in mid-air. Fandango then climbs to the top rope and hits his top rope leg drop for the three-count.
Winner: Fandango
Fandango gets a mic, points to the briefcase above the ring, and reminds the crowd: “It’s Fandango.”
A pre-taped promo with Zeb Colter, Antonio Cesaro & Jack Swagger airs. Colter says the 4th of July is only celebrated because it means Americans don’t have to work. They care more about going to the beach than paying tribute to our founding fathers. Not to mention, there are fireworks that are illegally brought across the borders to America. Colter says he and his group will lead a movement in WWE, starting at Money in the Bank, as both Cesaro and Swagger will be competing. Colter promises that one of those two will win the briefcase, and it will be a victory for America. In unison, the three men say “We the people.”
-Commercial
Paul Heyman has joined JBL & Michael Cole on commentary. CM Punk comes out first for the main event. Cole grills Heyman on why he seems to always want to get involved in Punk’s matches against Punk’s wishes, which Heyman denies. Del Rio is out next, to a chorus of boos. We get a recap of the main event from this week’s Raw. Heyman explains that he doesn’t want Punk competing tonight because he has nothing to gain tonight.
CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio
They lock up and Del Rio hits Punk’s legs with a number of kicks. Punk reverses it and hits Del Rio with shoulder thrusts in the corner, followed by a snap mare. Punk wrenches the arm and punches Del Rio in the corner. Del Rio reverses, and beats Punk down. He whips Punk to the other corner and attempts a splash, but Punk dodges it. Punk hits his signature knee in the corner, then goes to the top rope. Punk signals for the flying elbow, but Del Rio rolls out of the ring.
-Commercial
Del Rio is controlling Punk’s arm. Punk fights out with an arm drag. Punk hits a shoulder thrust in the corner, but Punk drops to his knees in pain, clutching his arm. Del Rio hits a kick to the face for a two-count. Del Rio wrenches Punk’s arm and Punk works to his feet. Punk gets Del Rio in position for the Go To Sleep, but Del Rio counters into a double-knee armbreaker for a two-count. Del Rio backs up and hits another kick to Punk’s face. Del Rio goes back to the arm wrench. Punk fights out with elbow strikes and a scoop slam. Punk is selling his arm as he goes up to the top rope. Del Rio gets to his feet and hits a big enziguri to Punk. Punk falls to the mat and Del Rio gets a two-count. Del Rio stomps Punk’s head and goes for the Cross Armbreaker, but Punk slips out and hits a clothesline. Punk runs the ropes, but Del Rio counters with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Del Rio hits a grounded dropkick, sending Punk out of the ring. Del Rio follows Punk outside. Punk gets Del Rio up for the GTS, but Del Rio counters and sends Punk into the barricade. He kicks Punk in the shoulder and throws him over the announce table. Del Rio starts removing the monitors from the table. Heyman gets in Del Rio’s way, and Del Rio shoves Heyman out of the way. Punk jumps onto the announce table and jumps off onto Del Rio. Furious, Punk throws Del Rio into the barricade. The referee then throws out the match as a result of a double count-out.
Winner: No Contest
Even angrier now, Punk throws Del Rio into the ring and hits a GTS on Del Rio. Punk goes to the outside to check on Heyman. Heyman apologizes as Punk helps him up. Punk helps Heyman to the back as the show goes off the air.
Source: www.ringsidenews.com