WWE Live Event Results From Poughkeepsie (6/2): Ziggler Appears, Orton Teams With Bryan & Kane
Thanks to one of our readers for sending in this report from tonight's SmackDown live event in Poughkeepsie, NY:
Pretty much a full house. Smaller venue so it made it feel more intimate.
Heath Slater is introduced first and makes a challenge to anyone in the back. He gets more heat than I thought he would. Justin Gabriel comes out. (Funny to me and friends because we saw Gabriel, Alex Riley and Slater eating together at a local IHOP. They let us sit down and take pics with them for a minute and were really cool about it) Slater got quick takedowns and taunted throughout. The pace picked up and eventually Gabriel won with a Lionsault springboard off the top rope. The next match is announced.
Alex Riley vs. Curt Hawkins is next. Hawkins played the heel here. He had really awesome Queens, NY ring gear on. A lot of headlock takedowns and mat wrestling. Crowd was pretty behind on this one. Riley was getting good cheers. He won with a fireman carry cutter. After the match the Shield came out to big heat from the young kids and triple power bombed Riley and Hawkins. They both got helped back stage and a Mike Chioda chant broke out as he was helping them back.
Chimmel asks for fans to vote how they want the Big E vs Del Rio match to go: 2 out of 3 falls or NO-DQ.
Next match is for the Divas title. AJ comes out alone. Then Kaitlyn. The have a good match, especially for a Divas match. Kaitlyn survives the widow's peak and eventually wins with a huge spear. It was very well done.
Dolph Ziggler's entrance music hits and he comes out in a suit with Big E. He gets a strong ovation by the crowd besides some young kids chanting Ziggler sucks and booing him. He keeps up his heel role telling the fans to shut up and then going on to say he's the best in the business and the WHC. He says AJ tried hard and that she'll win the belt like him. Then said he'll back up Big E tonight since he can't compete. The match is revealed as a DQ match. Ricardo is announced. The fans announced Del Rio with him and Del Rio comes out to a big pop. It was a good match with a lot of back and forth. A fan yelled about Big E's man boobs and Del Rio went out to him and started a Big Boobs chant directed towards Big E. This kept coming back throughout the match. A table was brought out earlier on but not used. Eventually Del Rio was taken down with shots from a kendo stick. The ref was distracted by AJ and Dolph tried interfering and hitting Del Rio with the belt. The ref ejected AJ and Dolph. Del Rio hit a Cross Armbreaker soon after and Big E powered out and was gonna powerbomb him through the table set in the corner. Del Rio got down and Irish Whipped him into the table and Big E broke through it. Del Rio pinned him for the win.
After the intermission Sin Cara vs Cody Rhodes and the Shield vs Orton and Team Hell No is announced. But first Sandow came out cutting a promo. Couldn't quite understand what he was saying over the boos but it boiled down to Poughkeepsie being beyond help and that everyone is stupid. He actually made a grammatical mistake by calling himself "A intellectual" Khali is his opponent. Sandow played scared and went after Khali's legs. Khali won with a chop. Match was about 5 minutes. Pretty much unremarkable. Rhodes vs Sin Cara was next. Sin Cara's titan tron messed up (go figure) He botched some moves but overall wasn't horrible. Cody Rhodes played a cocky heel persona so good though. He was a saving grace in that match. Cara won with the Senton.
Daniel Bryan came out followed by Kane. Bryan up to that point was the biggest pop of the night. Then Orton came out and blew the roof off. The Shield came in to a loud mixed reaction from the emergency exit. A brawl with everyone breaks out in the ring. Orton and Ambrose are left fighting each other in there. Reigns was tagged in soon as was Kane. Very good back and forth by both teams. Eventually Bryan was tagged in. He was kicking some ass and the crowd was behind him. Eventually he got singled out by the Shield. Rollins even did Bryans taunt before putting him in a surfboard like Bryan did to him.
Every time I thought Bryan was going to tag in to Orton, he got pulled back. The crowd was buzzing when he got to Orton and Orton came and did his clotheslines and slams to Ambrose and Rollins. He was gonna go for an RKO but Reigns hit him with a chair. Shield clears them out. They get caught though and Kane chokeslams Rollins and the Shield leaves. Orton walks around talking with fans at ringside after. It was a really good event especially since I haven't been to one in 10 years. The crowd was pretty hot through the night.
Biggest pops
Randy Orton
Daniel Bryan
Dolph Ziggler
Del Rio
Most heat
Shield
Damien Sandow
Heath Slater
Dolph Ziggler (younger fans)