Coffee Table Thoughts: I couldn’t find a better name so I numbered it instead: 6

Welcome dear readers, yeah, all 4 of you! This time around, there is a bit of change in what I have written. Usually, I would select a few points on which to discuss. This time it is sort of Running Diary but without the track of time.

I am bringing you the Smackdown thoughts while I was watching the same on my cell-phone over a stolen wi-fi connection.

The opening segment saw Teddy Long giving away the Elimination Chamber participants. Being a Royal Rumble winner is such a curse. Since you are going to get the opportunity at Wrestlemania, you don’t get the chance to win the World Championship before that. That is why Sheamus is not in the match.

Mark Henry manages to be both heel-ish and funny at the same time. Last week, he said something about love-fest, hurt feelings and Napoleon Complex. This week, he is asking for being excluded from the Elimination Chamber and given the Championship match tonight only. Yeah, right. Sheamus makes the save for Teddy Long and then goes on to say that he has not decided about which championship he is after.

Lol@ Cody saying there is a parallel between Ultimate Warrior and Sheamus and also Teddy Long tonight because half the time he cannot understand what either one of them is saying. Cody put over himself and said that he was the MVP of the match, which the announcers agreed to.

Simple yet effective match between Cody and Sheamus. It wasn't anything more than hitting a few moves - didn't involve much of chemistry but was enjoyable. Cody's moon sault and the new finishing manouvre of Sheamus were enjoyable and a treat for the eyes. So was the kick by Cody to Sheamus in the outside.

I'm not looking forward to Randy Orton vs Wade Barret actually. Despite Wade Barret trying to make this feud important by talking about it every single time he gets the mike, I haven't been able to
get into this feud. But that may just be me. I'm not at all excited about this match. I sometime wonder how many feuds in the past year have been built with the same formula - match after match after match?

Cody's expressions of being delusional were a thing of beauty after he lost his match to Sheamus and still standing there.

Great Khali continues to be amusing with his disabilities. I seriously don't understand the hate towards him. It's not like Mason Ryan not wrestling well because he could if he tried. That is not the case with The Great Khali. The guy has serious physical disabilities in that he cannot move his giant self with a half-decent speed because his legs are hardly able to hold that weight. He is a special attraction. Don't know why they gave him the World Championship though, that could have been avoided. But he did become a big name in India after all.

I knew this Drew McIntyre storyline wasn't going to end in a bad way. So now, he needs to find another way of impressing Teddy Long. Interesting! What will he do? Find a tag team partner? Dance? Sing? Various possibilities!

Santino & Duggan stuff was hilarious. Teddy Long giving them a match against the tag champions so that they leave his office, haha! Nice video package about Iron Mike Tyson being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. That celebrity wing in the Hall just became that much more important.

Putting Santino Marrela on Smackdown is the best thing for him. He clearly seems misplaced on Raw but he is regaining his charm and the crowd response by appearing in Smackdown. Speed-Walking!

Absolutely love how Primo and Epico switch their roles while in a match. The person, who just tagged the other, goes out of the ring by jumping over the top rope while the person who was just tagged in gets into the ring by jumping over the top rope. Both at the same time. They are adding little bits to their tag team which the former champs Kofi and Evan were doing too. To a small extent, I remember that the now extinct tag team of David Otunga and Michael McGuillycutty doing some of their additions too. These little things can go a long way in building the tag division. But we all know that isn't going to be the case. There have been no visible steps taken to build the tag division even after the news broke out that the new man in power Triple H is interested in building the tag division back.

Santino Marrela should reduce the use of that running head-butt jump that he does. That thing can cause brutal consequences.

Michael Cole interviewing a not-yet-big-time heel Daniel Bryan? That's awkward. There is a possibility of the biggest double turn in the WWE since that Wrestlemania 13 Hart-Austin bloodbath thing.

No, it did not happen. Daniel Bryan simply told Cole to leave the ring after taking the mike in his hands. Then he went on to give a speech about why one should be a vegan.

Booker T – “Big Show trying to hold on to Bryan at the Royal Rumble event, but in the end, gravity prevailed.” Awesome!

Wow! That Daniel Bryan beating was satisfying. Big Show threw his body like a toy and I was enjoying every second of it.

Macho King had Miss Elizabeth. Daniel Bryan has AJ Lee. AJ Lee is face. Daniel Bryan is a heel. Is it really going that route? (Phrasing Shane)

And lol @ Daniel Bryan asking her if she's okay and that he will protect her. Yes sir, she is okay. Wouldn’t you ask her while she was still in the ring at the same time as Big Show and try to protect her at that time? No because you were too busy running away from Big Show. You sir, are a....I shall better not complete that sentence.

Randy Orton has been considered as not so good on mic and one of the most boring. But I haven't found him boring in any way. I don't find him entertaining either but he seems quite solid. He was asked whether his approach in the ring against Wade Barret going to be conservative. Now boring would be if he said he was going to avenge Wade Barret for what he did to him. But he says that he doesn't have problem with Wade Barret for throwing him on the stairs because if he had an opportunity, he would have done the same. What he does have a problem with is Wade Barret proclaiming that he has ended Randy Orton's character. He will not hold anything back in his match tonight. I recall one other time when he was asked whether he would go after the world championship. This was after he lost his match against Mark Henry. He said he is no Christian and is not going to keep begging for the opportunity for the world championship. But if he has
to go through the entire locker room to gain that opportunity, he will. He always comes up with something smart to say. It is much different than the usual angry in an instant reactions that we get
from so many other superstars. One particular gentleman that has been always involved in that state is Kane and I have largely disliked his work through out the 2000's where he seems to be after someone for no apparent reason. I don't feel his anger. I can not relate to his character. That anger seems forced. I can, however, identify with Randy Orton's character. He seems a person who has his legs on the ground. And that's why the anger that he shows in the ring is more believable. He gradually reaches that stage of madness. Even if he goes in that extra territory in first few minutes in the match, it is still a gradual progression. And now, I'm actually excited about the match between him and Wade Barret.

That was interesting slow beating that Randy Orton was lashing on Wade Barret and then he.......goes on to high-five a very young kid in the crowd? I love Orton!!!!

Orton had set up the table in the middle of the ring, to super plex Wade Barret over it. But it was he who got smashed onto it. Orton kicks out but he is in so much pain. Shit, that streching of Orton by Pole thing that Wade Barret did was wicked.

That was a very hard hitting and entertaining match.

Daniel Bryan coming to the ring and showing off while Orton was still celebrating was hilarious. The amused look on the face of Randy Orton was entertaining. Next week, we will be seeing Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan. If it continues to a feud, it could make Daniel Bryan. I could sense the excitement while Randy looked onto Daniel Bryan. Next week should be fun.

I would like to add a few words about Matt Striker. I think he is handling the backstage interview gig quite brilliantly and in a way that no other backstage interviewer has ever done. He phrases his questions in such a language that it all becomes very interesting and hard hitting instead of the usual ‘Your thoughts on the same’. He is creating quite a niche for himself as well as for the job itself.

That’s all, folks!