This week's Smackdown taped from Greensboro, N.C., and going into pay-per-view, the show was packed with action, all the intrigue needed for a great set-up and even a bit of history.

The show began with Daniel Bryan, whose rants ginned up the enthusiastic crowd. Kane made an appearance, only to hear Bryan assert that Team Hell No was over. The Big Red Monster would be spurned for Randy Orton -- he said, "Are you, like, breaking up with me?" -- and Bryan said he hoped to become Tag Team Champions with the Viper.

Kane insisted they won't win and when Bryan suggested that Kane may be the weakest link, or at least that he believed it, the monster attempted a choke slam. The move brought out Orton, who, wanting Bryan available for Sunday, threatened Kane with an RKO. The defiant Bryan insisted he didn't need anyone's help, but the scene was only fodder for The Shield, who looked on and laughed.

*Sheamus defeats Antonio Cesaro: Cesaro insisted that he would host for Sheamus an "Irish wake," but both participants got banged up during the match. Cesaro was slammed into a barricade while Sheamus got rammed into the stairs, which got him a cut on the shoulder. Shamus was eventually able to bring him down with the Brogue Kick. However, his Payback opponent Damien Sandow got the last laugh as he attacked the Irishman from behind.

*Heath Slater defeats The Great Khali: In a standard defeat, Slater got Khali with a DDT; a proxy war raged on outside as well, as 3MB members Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre managed to distract Khali and Hornswoggle to affect the match,

*Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho defeats Big E Langston and World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler: A match for the crowds, as rival chants of "Y2J"and "We Want Ziggler" broke out throughout the arena. Ziggler tried to stay out of the match and let Langston handle the opponents; still, he was ultimately the man in the ring as Del Rio rolled him up for the win.

Jericho's attempt to promo his upcoming match with CM Punk backstage was foiled by Punk surrogate Paul Heyman. Jericho managed to get in how rare and exciting the match would be, and get a mic in the mouth of Heyman.

A Divas match was scheduled but never truly got underway. Kaitlyn, set to take on A.J. on Sunday, wailed on Aksana before the bell could be rung. She slapped the ref for trying to pull her off. Aksana knew to hightail it out before any more beatings occurred.

*Curtis Axel defeats Wade Barrett: This match could be a prelude to Payback, as Axel was announced as the third participant in the Triple Threat match for the Intercontinental Championship, taking over for the recently injured Fandango. Barrett, however, suggested that they wait until Sunday. The Miz came into to heckle both wrestlers; Barrett took unkindly to this and threw Axel into Miz. Though Axel did eventually pin Barrett for the win, he also ended up on the receiving end of the Miz's Skull Crushing Finale.

*Daniel Bryan, Kane, and Randy Orton defeats The Shield: The Shield suffered their first defeat as a collective on the back of a fired-up Bryan (Kane and Orton were no slouches either). He was initially kept away from his teammates, in the way of the Shield, and took blows all on his own from the triad. After a tag in from Kane, Bryan tagged himself back in and began to clear the ring. He got by with a little help from his friends: Kane neutralized Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns by throwing them over the barricade, and Orton delivered an RKO on Rollins before Bryan utilized the Yes! Lock for the win.

Check out Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins in an amazing match from this week's Monday Night Raw.

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WWE Smackdown