[2013-01-11-WWE-Smackdown] Alberto Del Rio vs Big Show (Last Man Standing)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

I didn't really think this was a great match, mainly because modern WWE brawls always feel like they're missing some of the violent elements. Using the steps as a weapon is a little cliche. That said, this was laid out immaculately with nice drama over the 10-count, and Del Rio getting the upset title win was a genuinely great moment. I don't think there's anything really wrong with Del Rio, but he has always struck me as a guy who is overpushed relative to his popularity.

[Kevin Ridge]

WWE's PG rating does make these type of matches tougher with the lack of violence. I did like the spot where Del Rio recognized he was not going to be able to get up to his feet to beat count so rolled out of ring and put his feet on ground while up against apron to “stand up”. Turning over the whole announce table on top of Show was a pretty cool finish.

[Dylan Waco]

I loved this match when it aired, and can't imagine I would feel any different now. In fact this match actually had me buying ADR as a babyface, which is something I was completely opposed to on principle at the time. I thought his selling and the build to the finish was excellent, I loved Big Show in this, and the finish was actual a cool spin on the standard table spot

[bradhindsight]

I still maintain that babyface Del Rio could have worked but trying to make him a sympathetic character with the Swagger/Coulter stuff was a huge mis-read of a wrestling audience.

 

I'm ok with the finish - it was definitely different - but low and behold, they have a LMS rematch just a week or so later and sure enough they break out the "tie a man's feet together to win" trope. I loathe that LMS finish - and it's bad enough they throw LMS stips around like nothing. This one kicked off this feud. At least for continuity they did do callbacks IIRC.

[supersonic]

'm not the biggest fan of LMS matches, because whereas the drama is in the ten-count, that means there can be a bit too much resting and lack of pacing for what I'm accustomed to. However, the story was very good here, and the finish was very, very well-done to get Del Rio over as a babyface while keeping Show strong. ***1/4

[Superstar Sleeze]

World Heavyweight Champion The Big Show vs Alberto Del Rio - Smackdown 1/11/13 Last Man Standing Match

Where the hell has this Alberto Del Rio and where did he go? I have always thought Del Rio was mercurial. One week, he would be intense, passionate and urgent. Now the next week, he would look listless, bored, going through the motions and looking he would rather be anywhere else in the world. I thought he squandered a surefire amazing heel gimmick as the Mexican Million Dollar Man mixed with a little of Randy Orton's Legacy/Destiny gimmick based on Del Rio being second generation. Here he looked like an amazing babyface. His selling was off the charts great, definitely his strong point in this match. I really liked how scrappy and plucky he was in this. He was always peppering in shots. His performance dripped with effort against impossible odds. Now it is time to introduce what really made this match a classic in my eyes and that was Big Show's performance. 

Del Rio's performance was enhanced so much by how fucking great Big Show was in this. Big Show looked like The Giant he should have always been. He was Mount Everest in this match. He was registering pain. He was not selling. He was never bumping. He was just going down to one knee if he must and that was after wicked chairshot after wicked chair shot. He was pulverizing Del Rio. Swatting him like an annoying gnat. He was imposing his will with ease. So all the work Del Rio was putting in was magnified by how well Big Show played the Giant role. I really liked how they built the hope spots. They went from wild strikes to chairshots to Del Rio trying to rip Big Show's arm off (Big Show's howling was almost Vader levels of awesome). I liked how Big Show dropped Del Rio hard on the apron and then Del Rio just let himself bounce onto the floor. It was Del Rio that had to take the count. I liked how many Pyrrhic victories there were for Del Rio. It made you believe the situation was hopeless. From this hope spot, we get the big one when Del Rio hits a desperation dropkick and Big Show falls through a table and now Big Show is finally counted down, but gets up. I LOVED the part where Del Rio is trying to desperately to fell the Giant Redwood with clothesline only for BIG SHOW TO CHOKESLAM HIM! YES! Big Show does not bump for shit! Yes! They do a great job now escalating the "nearfalls" for Big Show. Big Show PLOWS Del Rio through the barricade. Great sell job by Del Rio how he goes limp and his upper is right up against chair exposing his teeth. He gets up and then Big Show hits his KO Punch and Del Rio is fucking out. Then in clever spot he slides out of the ring and lands on his feet! He is up! I dig. Now it is time for the grand finale. Big Show charges at him with the stairs but knocks himself silly with the stairs against the steel ringpost when Del Rio ducks. Del Rio RAMS Big Show multiple time with the Steel Stairs selling through the pain the whole time and then topples the announce table on Big Show! 

I cant say enough about this match. I thought the character work was superb! Amazing babyface performance from Del Rio and an even better Giant Heel performance from Big Show. I thought the plot of this match was flawless, just perfect escalation. Dont sleep on this match! ****1/2