SmackDown results: While Del Rio won Elimination Tag Team Match, Big Show unleashed a giant attack when it ‘counted’

BY Michael Burdick

January 25, 2013

Huge Six-Man Elimination Tag Team Main Event Announced

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With Royal Rumble two days away, The Rock and WWE Champion CM Punk both stepped back into the SmackDown spotlight, while World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio suffered the wrath of The World’s Largest Athlete.

After WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No’s graduation from Dr. Shelby’s Anger Management course led to a worldwide hug-off on Raw, Bryan and Kane emerged to address speculation that they’d gone soft. Unified in their resolve to dominate Team Rhodes Scholars in their title match at Sunday’s pay-per-view (MATCH PREVIEW), the champs began to argue over which one of them would go on to win the Royal Rumble Match and go on to main event WrestleMania.

Big Show interrupted, insisting he would “squish” World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio in their Last Man Standing Rematch at Royal Rumble. He then said that if either of the WWE Tag Team Champions were successful in the free-for-all and challenged him, the only plans they would be able to make would be for retirement.

Just as Big Show was attempting to kick Bryan & Kane out of “his” ring, Team Rhodes Scholars emerged. Believing that their winning the WWE Tag Team Titles at Royal Rumble was a foregone conclusion, the outspoken duo suggested they join forces with Big Show to decimate Team Hell No post haste.

Del Rio emerged to even the odds. But before all “Hell” broke loose, SmackDown General Manager Booker T created the main event showdown: Big Show & Team Rhodes Scholars vs. Team Hell No & Alberto Del Rio in a Six-Man Elimination Tag Team Match!

Moments later, Big Show tried to get the jump on Del Rio, leading to more mind games between the World Heavyweight Champion and his giant No. 1 contender.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2013-01-25/results-26086311

World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio & WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No triumphed in a Six-Man Elimination Tag Team Match; Big Show launched huge post-match assault

In the SmackDown main event, six of WWE’s elite Superstars battled in an Elimination Tag Team Match with incredible Royal Rumble implications. But in this prelude to the turbulent pay-per-view, who would eliminate whom and which warrior would be left standing?

Damien Sandow was the first to go, after suffering a Chokeslam courtesy of The Big Red Monster. But when Kane tried to take both himself and Big Show over the top rope, The World’s Largest Athlete caught him with the KO Punch and left the tag champ to be counted-out — while Show taunted Alberto Del Rio by counting to 10 inside the ring.

As the battle raged on, Big Show hit the KO Punch yet again, this time on Daniel Bryan. The giant knocked him through the ropes and the submission specialist was taken out of the action.

Facing two-on-one odds, Del Rio showed the true nature of his mettle, eventually trapping his giant No. 1 contender on the ropes. He then delivered a series of kicks that knocked Big Show clear out of the ring, causing him to get counted-out. His momentum on fire, Del Rio continued his offensive — overcoming Rhodes in an explosive kick to the side of the head.

As the Mexican World Champion celebrated in the ring, however, a recovered Big Show launched a post-match attack from behind. Driving his body through Del Rio with a thunderous spear, the immense competitor then hit the titleholder with the KO Punch and he flipped the announce table on top of him in an act of retribution. Towering over the World Heavyweight Champion, Big Show made the symbolic 10-count in Spanish as the countdown begins to Royal Rumble.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2013-01-25/results-26086311/page-7