SmackDown: September 7, 2012

Alberto Del Rio called for the Brogue Kick to be banned

Moline, IL – Just nine days before Night of Champions, a controversial proclamation by SmackDown General Manager Booker T rocked the heated rivalry between World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and his No. 1 contender, Alberto Del Rio, to its very core.

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Sporting "undisclosed injuries"  that resulted from stepping in front of a Brogue Kick "destined" for Alberto Del Rio on Monday Night Raw, a neck brace-wearing Ricardo Rodriguez journeyed to the ring with both The Mexican Aristocrat and legal counsel David Otunga. Earlier this week, Otunga had Touted that they would be taking legal action against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus for the incident.

Coming off huge victories against the likes of Randy Orton, Kane and John Cena in recent weeks, Del Rio told the SmackDown crowd that he’s "on the greatest roll of his career." Even so, the No. 1 contender to Sheamus’ World Heavyweight Title said that The Great White will have an unfair advantage at Night of Champions – comparing Sheamus’ Brogue Kick to being able to use a steel chair.

Stating that the move represents a "criminal act" that is both "brutal" and "barbaric," Del Rio went so far as to call for a ban on The Great White’s finishing maneuver. Otunga agreed, giving his opinion that Sheamus' attack was no accident and describing a meeting with SmackDown General Manager Booker T in which they had demanded compensation, justice and the outlawing of the Brogue Kick.

A livid Booker arrived on the scene, disturbed that Del Rio and company had chosen to take their argument before the WWE Universe instead of keeping it private. Therefore, the five-time WCW Champion decided to follow suit, asking the fans if the Brouge Kick should be banned. When they responded with overwhelming disapproval, he opted to comply with their opinion.

Kane was fined an undisclosed amount for his attacks on Josh Mathews
Following two different onslaughts at the hands of Kane recently, SmackDown announcer Josh Mathews informed Michael Cole that Booker T had fined The Big Red Monster an undisclosed amount of money as punishment. As a result, Mathews said he was ready to move on.

Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara def. Cody Rhodes & Intercontinental Champion The Miz

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Still "obsessed" with unmasking Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio, Cody Rhodes enlisted the help of Intercontinental Champion The Miz in his tag team match against the explosive luchadores.

At a critical point in the fast-paced showdown that followed, Rhodes tried to break up a pin attempt by Mysterio on Miz. But, when The Awesome One suddenly countered the pin and popped up quickly, Cody inadvertently kicked his partner and sent him crashing to the canvas. Sin Cara then took Rhodes out of the equation, paving the way for The Ultimate Underdog to hit a crushing 619/splash combination to get the three-count on the Intercontinental Champion.

David Otunga lobbied Booker T to ban the Brogue Kick
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After SmackDown General Manager Booker T listened to the WWE Universe and refused to ban Sheamus’ Brogue Kick earlier, David Otunga continued to fight for it backstage – outlining the full extent of the finisher’s devastation. While Booker did say that he would consider the matter further, he also decided to schedule a match for Otunga against The Great White later in the night!

Zack Ryder def. Daniel Bryan by Disqualification

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After the RAWactive "Hug it Out" Match with Kane and Daniel Bryan devolved into chaos Monday night, it was clear that the two Superstars still have some unresolved anger management issues.

Fast-forward four days to Bryan's match against Zack Ryder on SmackDown. Despite a very aggressive assault by Bryan, Ryder eventually gained the advantage and connected with the Broski Boot.

However, when Long Island Iced-Z looked to follow it up with the Rough Ryder, Bryan curiously started apologizing to his opponent, asking Ryder for a hug. Ryder obliged, only to find himself suddenly trapped in the "No!" Lock. Although he tapped out, an out-of-control Bryan refused to break the hold, latching on long after the bell. Because of the submission specialist’s post-match assault, the referee reversed his decision and awarded Ryder the victory by disqualification.

Randy Orton def. Damien Sandow

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One week after running back to the dressing room and losing to World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus via count-out, Damien Sandow interrupted a scheduled match to criticize Booker T and the WWE Universe. While he insisted that the GM had put him into a contest for which he was not prepared, he berated fans on social media for calling him a "coward" and "craven" throughout the week for his actions on SmackDown.

Randy Orton soon interrupted Sandow’s tirade, informing the self-professed "Intellectual Savior of the Masses" that he had convinced Booker T to change his impending match from his original opponent to Sandow himself. Just as the bout began, however, Mr. Money in the Bank, Dolph Ziggler, joined the SmackDown announce team.

Though Sandow continued his streak of avoiding a pinfall loss in WWE with an impressive offense, he chose to once again retreat from his match, once The Viper gained the advantage and was about to hit him with the RKO. As a result, Orton won the match by count-out.

Blocking Ziggler’s exit from the ringside area after the bell, WWE’s Apex Predator wasted little time initiating a fierce post-match brawl with The Showoff. This went on until Sandow re-emerged to attack Orton from behind. Before the WWE Universe could blink, The Viper turned the tide, introducing Sandow to the business end of a ring-shaking RKO afterall!

The Prime Time Players triumphed in a Triple Threat Match to decide the No. 1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship

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With Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth joining the SmackDown announce team, a Triple Threat Match to determine the No. 1 contenders to the Tag Titles raged inside the ring, where Epico & Primo, The Usos and The Prime Time Players all vied for the chance to challenge Kofi & Truth for their illustrious championship gold. Battling under Triple Threat rules, one member of each team had to be in the ring at all times, and whichever team scored the first pinfall or submission would be declared victorious.

In the final moments of the all-out melee, several of the war-torn Superstars were strewn in and out of the ring. Meanwhile, Darren Young grabbed Primo away from Jey Uso on the top rope and dropped him fiercely to the canvas. As Young tried to find the strength to follow up his attack, Jey Uso landed a huge splash on Primo off the top rope. His subsequent pin attempt was broken up by Young, who then covered Primo for the win. As a result, The Prime Time Players became the new No. 1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles.

Dolph Ziggler demanded a match against Randy Orton at Night of Champions
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Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero told Teddy Long, Booker T's Senior Advisor, that The Showoff again wanted to take on The Viper — this time, on pay-per-view. But, will he get his wish? Only GM Booker T has the answer to that.

Wade Barrett def. Yoshi Tatsu

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For the first time in nearly seven months, The Barrett Barrage returned to SmackDown, as the bare-knuckle brawler from the UK beat up on Yoshi Tatsu.

Having been sidelined with a partially dislocated elbow, Barrett unloaded the pent-up rage of almost seven months of rehabilitation and training on his overmatched opponent. The physical, brutal bout was capped off with a crushing elbow to Tatsu’s head that laid out the Japanese Superstar.

After the match, a reenergized Barrett declared, "Wade Barrett is open for business." What that will mean to the WWE Universe and to the Superstars backstage remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure — with the Englishman's victory, The Barrett Barrage is ready to begin anew on SmackDown.

Bret Hart will return to Montreal on Raw

This Monday, Bret "The Hitman" Hart will appear on Raw in Montreal for the first time in 15 years! ( AJ EXCLUSIVE)

World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus def. David Otunga

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David Otunga, legal counsel to Ricardo Rodriguez and the Superstar who led the crusade to ban the Brogue Kick throughout the night, suddenly found himself facing off against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus in a SmackDown main event made by General Manager Booker T.

It was a showdown that pitted power against power from the start. In the culmination of the hard-fought match, with Alberto Del Rio looking on from ringside, The Great White took control and connected with a thundering White Noise. Sheamus then called for the Brogue Kick, but instead, the titleholder was interrupted by Booker T, who floored the WWE Universe with a major announcement.

In a shocking move, the hesitant GM reversed course on his previous decision, and reluctantly banned the Brogue Kick!

The Moline members of the WWE Universe immediately expressed their outrage, right along with Sheamus. Del Rio, on the other hand, loved the decision, and left the arena with a big smile on his face.

Never one to be discouraged, though, The Celtic Warrior used another tactic to defeat Otunga. After planting the Harvard-educated lawyer with a devastating Irish Curse, The Celtic Warrior locked in the Cloverleaf, a submission maneuver Sheamus introduced to his repertoire Monday on Raw. Otunga had no choice but to tap out, and Sheamus walked away with another resounding Friday night win.

Sheamus remains the most dominant force on SmackDown, but what does the banning of the Brogue Kick mean for The Great White’s chances when he faces Del Rio at Night of Champions with the title on the line?