WWE Smackdown
April 10, 2009
Austin, TX
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com
?Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event?? The WWE video leads us into the show.
A video package highlighting WrestleMania 25 plays. It was a pretty good WrestleMania but as has been said before it was pretty much a one match show ? at least it was one for the ages. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels will go down as one of my favorite matches ever. The rest of the show was pretty good to really good except the main event was trash.
The Smackdown video now plays and we?re treated to a spectacular fireworks display in the arena at Austin, Texas. WWE Hall of Famer and Todd Grisham welcome us to Friday Night Smackdown. Tonight we?ll see former World Heavyweight Champion have the current World Heavyweight Champion John Cena as a guest on the Cutting Edge.
Matt Hardy’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring with a smug look on his face, obviously gloating over defeating his brother in an Extreme Rules Match. He opens up by saying simply, ?WrestleMania moments.? He mentions that there were a lot of great, unbelievable WrestleMania moments created this past Sunday ? a lot of memories and images that will burnt inside the heads of fans for eternity. He mentions that Undertaker and Shawn Michaels had what a lot of people are calling the great WrestleMania match of all time this past Sunday. But one thing that isn?t disputable was that the absolute greatest WrestleMania moment of ALL TIME happened last Sunday when Matt Hardy beat the Extreme Enigma in an Extreme Rules Match in the most extreme way possible with an Extreme TWIST OF FATE. Matt says that means that Jeff is nothing more than an extreme disappointment for all the 72,000 fans of his at WrestleMania.
Matt says for years he’s been looked upon as ?the other Hardy.? But after all the talk, all the false promises, he knew all it would take was one extreme beating and three seconds and he proved to each and every one of us that he is the superior Hardy and he always has been! The crowd boos and he says that we know it. Matt says that beating Jeff isn?t enough ? it will never be enough. As long as there is a little boy wearing his silly armbands and doing Jeff’s hand gesture ? he then points out some guy in the audience doing that, commenting that he looks ridiculous ? as long as there is a little girl chanting Jeff’s name and dreaming about touching Jeff’s arm as he walks to the ring, it will never be enough. He has to erase Jeff from the WWE! Until there is only one Hardy in the WWE, Jeff will have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life because he won?t stop or quit. He?ll be there ? in every stairwell, around every corner, and he?ll be waiting on him at the end of every party. Matt says this is how it has to end. Matt then says for once in Jeff’s life to make a good decision ? a smart decision. Come down to the ring and apologize to his people for being a disappointment! Then apologize to HIM for attempting to be his brother! If Jeff doesn?t, he promises this, he?ll leave the ring strapped to a stretcher and he will never, ever wrestle again! Matt tells him to be a man ? come down to this ring and admit to each and every one of his people that he’s never been more than an extreme disappointment!
The crowd chants for Jeff and he doesn?t keep them waiting. He walks out to the stage to a thunderous applause. He walks slowly down to the ring and then runs in as Matt quickly exits! Jeff soon goes down to his knees, selling his lower back after that missed leap frog leg off a 14 foot ladder on Sunday. He’s able to stand though ? no worries.
All of a sudden Rodney Mack’s music hits ? but it’s only Smackdown’s new General Manager Teddy Long. I liked Rodney Mack. He says, ?Teddy Long, everybody! I?m living large and I?m back in charge right here on Smackdown!? He tells Matt to hold on. He says that Matt said something that caught his attention ? he said if Jeff didn?t give him an apology that he would make him leave here tonight on a stretcher. Since Monday is the WWE Draft, one or both of them might be leaving Smackdown ? that would be a disappointment. So the only way that either one of them will leave here tonight will be on a stretcher! What he means by that is tonight, for the first time ever on Smackdown, Matt Hardy will go one on one with his brother Jeff Hardy in a Stretcher Match!!
-Commercial Break-
A still photo of John Cena picking both Big Show and Edge up on his shoulders is shown with the caption ?The Champ is here!? That was really impressive. Tonight John Cena will be Edge’s guest on the Cutting Edge.
Eve introduces Kofi Kingston and asks him, before he heads out to face Big Show, how his first WrestleMania was. Kofi says he remembers when he was a little boy he built his own wrestling ring in his backyard ? it was made of old nets and orange extension cords with the canvas being hot grass and dirt. He sat in that ?ring? thinking about how he could shock the world the same way Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon did at WrestleMania X in that infamous ladder match. This past Sunday his dream came true. He was involved in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match and even though he didn?t win, he’s not disappointed with the result because it’s one of the most brutal, devastating matches of all time, not unlike his situation tonight when he faces the Big Show. He’s seven feet and five hundred pounds of pure danger! Who knows though ? maybe tonight is his night. Maybe tonight he?ll beat Big Show. Maybe tonight Kofi Kingston shocks the world! Eve wishes him luck.
Big Show vs. Kofi Kingston
As Kofi Kingston makes his way to the ring, they show some still photos of his more impressive spots in the Ladder Match, including that awesome spot where he did a slingshot through the ladder into Finlay’s face!
My favorite referee in the whole world Charles Robinson is officiating this match. Chuck calls for the bell and the match begins. They get in fighting stances and approach one another but all of a sudden Kingston does a handstand and kicks Big Show lightly in the face! He backs off smiling as Big Show looks angrier than before. They get in their fighting stances again and again Kingston goes for that handstand move but Show grabs his leg then kicks him in the back of the head! Kingston exits the ring, clutching his head.
Big Show reaches from the inside of the ring to the outside and grabs Kingston by the hair, lifting him up to the apron! Show goes to hip toss Kingston in the ring but Kingston flips and lands on his feet! Kingston now ducks a clothesline from Big Show and hits a kick and a punch until Big Show pushes him away with one hand but he quickly gets right back up and on the attack with kicks until Big Show clubs him down. Big Show shoves Kingston into the corner and slaps his chest hard! Kingston crawls around the ring and pain so Show picks him up, puts him against the ropes, and hits a nasty body shot! Kingston crawls again so Big Show picks him up and clubs him in the back down to the mat! Show now picks him up and hits his Cobra Clutch throw.
Kingston quickly springs up and hits a dropkick, sending the big man staggering! Kingston then hits a roundhouse kick in Big Show’s face and he falls back into the corner as a big thing of spit exits his mouth and falls off his tights. That was gross. Kingston now runs and leaps up to Big Show’s shoulders, punching him in the head! That was impressive. Big Show pushes him off and Kingston does a back flip on to his feet! Kingston ducks a Big Show clothesline and goes for another roundhouse kick but Big Show swats him down!
Big Show picks him up and throws him across the ring. Big Show whips Kingston into the corner and charges but Kingston slides through the ropes and uses the ropes to propel his shin into Big Show’s head! Kingston goes to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick, staggering Big Show! Kingston goes into the ropes and hits a spinning roundhouse kick, taking Big Show down! Kingston is dancing around, goes into the ropes, and hits his Boom-Boom Leg! Kingston covers for a two count and Big Show presses him off him! Kingston now goes to the top rope and jumps off into a HUGE Knockout Punch from Big Show and it’s academic from here!
Winner by Pinfall: Big Show
Match Rating: **
Big Show has his hands raised as we see replays of the big moments of the match with JR mentioning that Kingston is a star on the rise! I expect we may see him drafted to Smackdown next week.
We now see a recap of the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. I?m not happy that they had a time limit for this year. That really sucks. But, still, congratulations to this year’s inductees. They?ve all earned it ? even Koko B. Ware!
Still to come tonight is Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy in a Stretcher Match!
-Commercial Break-
WWE’s Smack of the Night is ?Santina? Marella, Santino’s twin sister, being challenged to a match by Beth Phoenix. ?She? defeated her and exited to Billy & Chuck’s old music!
Santino Marella’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring! He says there seems to be a whole lot of Divas who are upset and jealous that his twin sister Santina Marella became the first Miss WrestleMania! We now see a picture of ?her? and Santino says she’s gorgeous. Santino says even his girlfriend Beth Phoenix was jealous and tried to take her frustrations out on his twin sister! He says he talked to Teddy Long and he wanted to come to Smackdown to check it out, since he might wind up here after Monday! He also wants to showcase that there is more than one Marella that we should be jealous of! He’s made an open ?inva-challenge? to any superstar in the back to come out because he’s going to show his in ring expertise! Santino says to bring that sucker out because he’s going to turn his face into a piece of ?garbagio?! Santino has an intense and hilarious look on his face until?
The Great Khali’s music hits and he makes his way out to the ring with Ranjin Singh in red tights! Singh says that Great Khali says that he doesn?t have to fight him tonight and Santino says ?Okie-Dokey? and goes to leave the ring but Singh says there’s one condition! The Great Khali thinks that his sister Santina is HOT! Ever since she became Miss WrestleMania, she is the only Diva Khali can think about and the Punjabi Playboy wants his sister to pucker up and be his guest on the Khali Kiss Cam! If Santino can arrange that, he won?t do anything!
Santino asks what’s wrong with Khali and asks if he’s some kind of pervert. Santino asks if Khali thinks his sister is some kind of ?woman-nothing-nizer? or if he thinks she graduated from the University of Texas! Cheap heat but I love it! Santino says she didn?t ? she went to the School of Hard Knocks! Anyway, he’s going to speak on behalf of his sister and just say no. Santino asks why she would want to kiss a freak like Khali, anyway. He could probably open his mouth and swallow her whole! Maybe he has bad breath! Maybe he smokes cigarettes and maybe cigarettes will stunt his growth! Khali grabs the mic and talks. Santino takes the mic back and calls him a son of a gun and says he can?t talk about his sister like that? or whatever he just said! Singh says that Khali says that’s the wrong answer and tells the referee to ring the bell!
Santino Marella vs. The Great Khali
The bell rings and Santino is protesting it. Santino goes for a kick but Khali catches it and throws him back! Santino gets up and walks right into the Punjabi Plunge and Khali covers him for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: The Great Khali
Match Rating: No stars
Coming up next is a look at Undertaker’s 17-0 WrestleMania record!
-Commercial Break-
Did you know that last Monday, WWE.com broke its all-time record for page views with an astonishing 105,179,641?! That’s a crazy number!
We get an outside shot of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. They then talk about Undertaker’s 17-0 record and show the front page of the Houston Chronicle, which featured Undertaker and Shawn Michaels on it!
We now take a look at Undertaker’s 17-0 record. It really is impressive when you think about it if not for anything else but his longevity. Undertaker is an amazing wrestler, definitely one of the greatest WWE Superstars AND wrestlers EVER!
Gail Kim’s music hits. She?ll be taking on Michelle McCool next!
-Commercial Break-
We now get a look at the failed publicity blitz of John Cena promoting 12 Rounds. Is it still in movies?
Gail Kim vs. Michelle McCool
The bells sounds and McCool quickly takes her down with a tackle and chokes her! McCool picks her up, twists her arm, and then locks in a hammerlock, forcing her down to the canvas again and covering for a one count. McCool hits her with a European Uppercut and punches her into the corner. McCool hits some kicks and uses her foot to choke her in the corner! McCool takes her foot down and Gail Kim pushes her back! McCool charges and Gail weaves her way to the apron through the ropes and connects with a shoulder in the midsection and then flips in the ring and over McCool’s back!
Kim hits McCool with a nice dropkick and she goes down! McCool quickly gets back up so Gail Kim jumps up to her shoulders and hits a hurricanrana! Kim then gets a foot in McCool’s face and does a back bump but McCool messed it up on her end and it looked sloppy. It’s still a nice move though. McCool recovers on the outside while we see Diva’s Champion Maryse looking on from backstage.
Kim tries to punch her from inside the ring but McCool avoids it. McCool then gets on the apron and Gail Kim greets her with a forearm. She goes for a suplex to bring McCool back in the ring but McCool counters and goes for a suplex of her own to the outside but Kim winds up on the apron! They spar on the apron until McCool throws Gail Kim shoulder first into the ring post, sending her crashing to the floor! McCool then kicks her in the face against the barricade and slides her back in the ring, covering for a two and a half count!
They?re talking about Gail Kim’s first run in WWE where she won the Women’s Title and wondering if she can stop Michelle McCool, the first Diva’s Champion. McCool goes to put a leg down but Kim avoids it. Gail Kim hits her with some forearm shots and takes her down with a pair of clotheslines! She whips McCool into the corner and hits a leaping clothesline! McCool stumbles out of the corner and Gail Kim jumps to the second rope and back-flips into a cross-body block! Gail Kim only gets a two count! She goes up to the top rope and comes off for a missile dropkick but McCool avoids it! McCool covers and gets a one count but Gail Kim counters it into an inside cradle and pins her for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Gail Kim
Match Rating: * ?
Backstage we see Edge making his way to the ring for the Cutting Edge. His guest is John Cena!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break and Edge is already in the ring. The Cutting Edge set is set up. Edge takes some time as the crowd chants that he sucks. He says he hasn?t slept in a week. He rolled into Houston expecting the biggest win of his life at the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania but that win and the World Heavyweight Championship were stolen from him! Stolen from him by his guest tonight, John Cena!
John Cena makes his way to the ring to a thunderous applause. He looks happy as Edge tells him to take a seat. Cena grabs a microphone and says since he didn?t get to say this on Monday let him just say that ?THE CHAMP IS HERE!? Edge then reiterates that he told him to have a seat! Edge says he knows there are thousands of people out here and he panders to them for some kind of reaction ? and they chant ?CENA, CENA!? Cena says there are thousands of LOUD people here tonight! Edge does not look happy. He says that Cena just loves that but he doesn?t care about them! Edge wanted Cena out here because he wanted to talk to him because that World Heavyweight Championship is his LIFE! If he’s lost at sea, that’s his life preserver ? it’s what keeps his heart beating! The wins, the losses, the blood, sweat, and tears ? he can handle all that as long as he has the title! Edge says that Cena stole that from him.
Cena stands up and Edge yells at him to sit down! Cena loses the smile, sits, and asks if that’s really it ? that’s his problem that he ‘stole? the title from him. Cena then tells him to get over himself ? he LOST at WrestleMania! What is this Barack Obama ? ?Uh, I won!? Cena goes to leave and Edge says that he ruined his life and Cena impersonates him saying that! He then asks how he thought this would end up. Cena then says Edge brought him out here to talk and Cena takes a seat and asks how long have they been doing this ? they?ve chased each other all over the world for the title, going through wives, girlfriends, his hometown, Cena’s hometown, Elimination Chambers, Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, briefcases, history, championships, and he even threw him into the Long Island Sound, for which he’s sorry, video surveillance, and WrestleMania. Through all the years and matches, the reason we love it, whether we?re cheering for Cena or Edge, is because we know every time they face one another, we know they?ll raise the bar. Cena says tonight Edge had an opportunity to have him on the show to tell the WWE Universe about the one of the greatest rivalries in sports entertainment but instead he took the opportunity to say that he stole that from him and ruined his life! Cena says if that’s it then Edge just wasted his time!
Cena gets up to leave and Edge says that he hates him! Edge says it again and then says that ?hate? is a strong word but it sums up everything he feels for Cena! He hates his hat, t-shirts, wrist bands, shoes, music, the C-Nation, and everything that he stands for! Edge says that whether John wants to admit it or not, this, all the years between he and Cena, has exhausted him as much as it has him! Edge says it can?t go on any longer ? it has shortened both of their careers and at Backlash it’s finally going to end! One of them is going to beat the other so badly that they can?t get up! Edge then says to make no mistake, the one who will be left standing, is him!
Cena gets in his face and yells NO! They go face to face as the crowd chants for Cena. Cena says Edge may be a better wrestler than him, he may be smarter than him, and he may know how to use opportunities and resources to get the title, but he looks in Edge’s eyes and he knows he’s desperate, tired, and exhausted! John Cena says that Last Man Standing is a match based on punishment and he can look in Edge’s eyes and he knows he’s telling the damn truth when he says that he’s tougher than Edge and that is why he?ll be the Last Man Standing and that is why Edge hates him! It’s not the hat (he takes it off), it’s not the wristbands (he takes that off), it’s not the t-shirt or dog tags (he removes those too) ? thank god Edge didn?t mention his pants ? it’s the TRUTH! When Edge thinks about all those matches they?ve had, all the times they?ve beat the hell out of one another, every time Edge has hit him with everything he has, Edge has watched him get back up! Cena says that Edge hates him so bad and it’s got to end so Cena dares him to come on and hit him in the face because if he does he will unleash hell on Edge!
They now have a stand off! Edge takes his shirt off and balls up a fist as Cena offers him his face! Edge then turns and slowly leaves the ring as the crowd boos! Cena raises the belt over his head. That was pretty intense.
Still to come tonight is Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy in a Stretcher Match but coming up next are the Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito and Primo taking on Legacy’s Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break with Todd Grisham thanking everyone for being a part of the twenty-fifth anniversary of WrestleMania. Grisham mentions that a lot happened at WrestleMania that they?ll never forget and one of them is that they have Unified Tag Team Champions! Too bad it happened BEFORE WrestleMania and no one saw it? We then see the rematch on Raw. JR then mentions that Carlito and Primo could be separated in the Draft. Then a Raw team comes out, proving that the brand extension is hardly in effect.
Carlito & Primo vs. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes
Jack Doane calls for the bell in this non-title contest and Carlito will face off against Ted DiBiase. DiBiase stuns Carlito quick with a kick to the midsection and clubs him down. He bounces Carlito’s head off the turnbuckle in his corner and tags in Cody Rhodes, who hits Carlito with a punch in the midsection as DiBiase holds Carlito’s arms back. Rhodes hits some punches and then bounces Carlito’s head off the turnbuckle and tags DiBiase back in. DiBiase hits Carlito with some punches and Rhodes kicks him before moving back to the apron.
Carlito then blocks a punch and punches DiBiase back! He hits Rhodes with a back elbow and then punches DiBiase again! He hits Rhodes with another punch that lays him out on the apron and punches DiBiase back! Carlito whips DiBiase into the ropes and goes for a hip toss but DiBiase counters by rolling him and Carlito to the mat and kicking Carlito in the head! That was impressive! DiBiase tags Cody Rhodes in and DiBiase holds Carlito down as Rhodes hits a stomp. Rhodes picks Carlito up but Carlito counters with a small package for a two count! Rhodes then quickly pops up and clotheslines him down! Rhodes covers for a two count. Rhodes hits Carlito with a body slam and goes for an elbow but Carlito rolls out of the way. Carlito bounces Rhodes? head off the turnbuckle, body slams him, and tags in Primo!
Primo comes in and jumps to his brother’s shoulders and Carlito powerbombs him on top of Cody Rhodes! Primo covers for a one count. Primo bounces his head off the top turnbuckle and tags in Carlito. Carlito hits him with a kick but Rhodes gets a quick jawbreaker in. Rhodes tags in DiBiase and they double whip Carlito into the ropes but Carlito ducks the double clothesline and springboards off the second rope with a back elbow on both men! Primo now comes in and they double clothesline DiBiase and Rhodes over the top rope! Carlito turns his back and turns just in time to see DiBiase running behind him and he hits DiBiase with a back body! Time for a commercial break?
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Primo locked in a body scissors, applied by Ted DiBiase. During the break we saw DiBiase charge Primo near the ropes only for Primo to pull down the top rope and DiBiase sails over it to the outside! Then we saw Primo go for a plancha only for DiBiase to counter it into a GUT BUSTER! Ouch!
Back at live action we see Primo fight up and elbow out, go into the ropes, and get hit with a knee in the midsection! DiBiase tags in Cody Rhodes. DiBiase holds Primo up as Rhodes come off the top rope with a double axe handle! Rhodes hits some knees and stomps on Primo as well as some punches. Rhodes hits a body slam and tags in DiBiase. DiBiase goes to the second rope and comes off with a double stomp! Somewhere Spike Dudley is bleeding on the independent circuit for a few measly bucks? DiBiase cover for a one count that is broken up by Carlito! DiBiase lays in the punches to Primo hard! DiBiase whips Primo hard chest first into the corner and tags in Rhodes. Rhodes sends Primo into the ropes and locks in an abdominal stretch! Primo counters out with a hip toss! Rhodes then charges and Primo hits him with a back body over the top rope!! Primo is making his way to Carlito and DiBiase forces Rhodes back in the ring to try and cut Primo off but it’s too late!
Carlito comes in, hits Rhodes with some left hands, goes into the ropes, and takes him down with a forearm shot! Carlito hits him with a kick to the midsection, goes into the ropes and hits a Million Dollar Knee Lift, goes back into the ropes and hits a flying clothesline! Carlito has a whip reversed on him but he ducks the clothesline attempt and dropkicks Ted DiBiase out of the ring as he tries for interference! Carlito then turns into a kick in the midsection and gets thrown into the corner. Rhodes charges and meets Carlito’s boot! Carlito goes to the top rope and Rhodes tries to stop him but he’s hit with a left hand. Then, while the referee’s back is turned, DiBiase comes on the apron and pulls Carlito off, bouncing him off the top rope, and Carlito walks right into the Cross Rhodes! Legacy picks up the win over the undisputed Tag Champs!
Winners by Pinfall: Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes
Match Rating: ** ?
Legacy hits Primo with a cheap shot and he tries to fight back but DiBiase quickly hits him with Dream Street! They then double team Carlito as Randy Orton makes his way to the ring! Orton looks over the carnage and then grabs Primo’s arm and kicks him in the chest! He does the same to Carlito! Legacy then stands in the ring and Orton raises their arms!
-Commercial Break-
Legacy is still in the ring and Randy Orton has a microphone. Orton says at Backlash there will be a Six Man Tag to determine who will be WWE Champion. Yes, we heard him correctly. On one side Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton and on the other side Triple H, Shane McMahon, and the Animal Batista who surprised all of us with a heroic return this past Monday Night on Raw! Orton then reminds us who put Batista on the shelf ? him with a swift kick to the skull! The rules for the match at Backlash are simple ? if he, or any member of his team, get the pin, he becomes WWE Champion! The Legacy is a well oiled machine. Triple H’s team is nothing but a bunch of hot heads and ego maniacs! That’s actually true? Orton is sure one of them will fly off the handle, get counted out or disqualified, or maybe one of them will pin them or make them submit. Regardless, after Backlash ends, he?ll take his rightful place, which he should have at WrestleMania, as our WWE Champion! Orton’s music hits and that’s done.
We get a look at the Backlash card so far. So far, so good!
Todd Grisham now explains the rules of the Stretcher Match. You have to beat your opponent so badly that he can?t get up and then you have to keep them down on the stretcher and get the whole stretcher over the finish line!
Jeff Hardy’s music hits and he makes his way out to the ring! The first ever Stretcher Match in Smackdown history is next!
-Commercial Break-
Did you know that WrestleMania was provided to our troops across 176 countries, 200 Navy ships at sea, and 76 bases worldwide via the Armed Forces Network? That’s nice.
Stretcher Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy
Matt will be wrestling this match in his spiffy new tights. The bell rings and Matt quickly goes for a clothesline but Jeff ducks it and hits a kick and a right hand. Jeff then forces Matt into the corner and punches him a few times. Jeff then hits a corner clothesline, then another, and Matt is now seated! Jeff goes for his slingshot dropkick but Matt rolls out of the ring and Jeff lands on his feet!
Jeff follows Matt to the outside and clubs him. Jeff goes to put Matt back in the ring but Matt stops him and goes to bounce his face off the apron but Jeff blocks it and bounces Matt’s face off the apron instead. Jeff sets a stretcher up and suplexes Matt on it but only a little bit of Matt’s body touched and the rest hit the concrete! Jeff puts Matt on the stretcher and pushes but Matt quickly gets off and punches Jeff wildly! Matt sends Jeff into the barricade and then throws him in the ring.
Matt hits an elbow. He goes for a suplex but Jeff counters it into an inverted falcon’s arrow! Jeff now goes for Twist of Fate but Matt pushes him into the ropes and hits him with a Side Effect! Matt exits the ring and sets a stretcher up along side it. He puts Jeff on it and punches him a few times. Matt is now running the stretcher up the ramp and gets half of it over the finish line with Jeff begins kicking him in the face! Jeff is now rolling down the ramp and almost falls off but he comes off the stretcher and clotheslines his brother down!! Jeff now stands on the stretcher and ‘surfs? down the ramp, coming off with a cross-body!!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Matt send Jeff face first into the second turnbuckle! Matt sends Jeff into the ropes and Jeff takes him down with an avalanche! Jeff takes him down with a clothesline and then hits that twisting clothesline/neckbreaker combo! Jeff now goes for an Atomic but Matt counters into a butterfly lock with a body scissors! Jeff goes down to the mat and Matt keeps it locked on tight, choking him almost completely out! Matt rolls out of the ring, sets up a stretcher, and gets him on it.
Matt begins pushing the stretcher up and Jeff starts fighting so Matt punches him a few times! Jeff is holding on to the barricade to prevent him from going up the ramp further! Matt pulls him off by his leg and Jeff counters with a flipping mule kick on the concrete section ? no padding there!! Jeff slowly gets up, in pain, and whips Matt HARD into the steel ring steps!
Jeff sets up two stretchers and puts Matt on one. Jeff begins pushing Matt up the ramp but Matt gets off before crossing the line! They fight up and down the ramp with Jeff coming off with the worst of it, falling down the ramp! Matt then tries to ram the stretcher into his head but Jeff NARROWLY avoids it!!
Matt puts Jeff back in the ring and sets up a stretcher outside of it. Matt now goes under the ring and grabs a steel chair! Matt gets on the apron with it and Jeff pushes the chair in Matt’s face, sending him off the apron! The chair is on the stretcher now and Jeff gets Matt on the apron and punches him off, with Matt falling back onto the stretcher and the chair!! Matt rolls off and has his face against the stretcher as Jeff Hardy goes to the top rope and comes off, hitting the end of the stretcher, catapulting it up in Matt’s face!! Todd Grisham embarrassingly calls it as Jeff overshooting a move and then corrects himself and apologizes.
Jeff puts Matt on a stretcher and goes to bring him up the ramp but Matt won?t let go of the apron so Jeff sends the stretcher and Matt into the steel steps, almost lawn darting Matt into the stairs face first! Jeff bounces his face off the steel steps and puts him on the stretcher! Jeff now goes to the top rope and goes for the Swanton Bomb to the outside but Matt rolls out of the way and Jeff HITS THE STRETCHER!! That was really impressive!! If he overshot by even an inch? Matt now begins pushing Jeff up the ramp on the stretcher but Jeff is trying his best to fight off but Matt keeps punching him down!! Then Matt gets the steel chair, smashes it over Jeff’s head, leaving him unconscious, allowing Matt to push Jeff up the ramp on the stretcher and over the finish line!!
Winner: Matt Hardy
Match Rating: ***
Matt Hardy gets his hand raised and he looks satisfied! He then kicks the stretcher with Jeff Hardy on it down the ramp and it crashes into the ring apron! This will conclude this episode of Friday Night Smackdown!
Quick Match Results
Big Show def. Kofi Kingston
The Great Khali def. Santino Marella
Gail Kim def. Michelle McCool
Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes* def. Carlito* & Primo (non-title)
Stretcher Match: Matt Hardy def. Jeff Hardy
Bump of the Night: Jeff Hardy hitting a Swanton Bomb on the stretcher
Match of the Night: The Stretcher Match ***
Mike’s Thoughts
This was a terrific episode of Friday Night Smackdown tonight! Not many storylines tonight with the draft coming up on Monday so it was very wrestling heavy, which is something that makes me very happy! Unfortunately I fear that Smackdown is going to be ripped apart in this draft so this could be the last really good episode for a while ? but who knows! Tune in next week, folks! It’s just my luck that this draft that could potentially hurt Smackdown is happening the day before my birthday! What did I do wrong this year?
The big story is Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy tonight. My guess is they had the blow off to this feud already because one of them is going to Raw next week! My guess is it?ll be Jeff Hardy but I?m hoping it?ll be Matt. Maybe he can do better than on Raw ? give him a fresh start. Regardless they had a great Stretcher Match tonight and their feud over the past three months has been top notch. Really good stuff!
Nice to see some prospective Smackdown Superstars on this week! I have a feeling we?ll be seeing more of Kofi Kingston, as well as Santino Marella, with his sister maybe staying on Raw for as long as that silly gimmick lasts. I also hope we?ll be seeing more of John Cena and Chris Jericho, with the latter being the most likely to come over. Triple H will definitely be going and good riddance, really. He never really wanted to be here to begin with. Now he can go back to the other show and give us more of his sad faces with his family, thinking that makes good TV. It may make for good TV, but a good WrestleMania Main Event it does not! What a disappointment.
Just a little side note ? I saw WWE’s Sign Guy in the crowd tonight. Rick, I don?t know if you?re reading this, but I want you to know that I really don?t like you! You?re really lame and you?re inconsiderate! I?d hate to be the people sitting behind you! Tye Dye Guy is the WAY better Super Fan!
All in all this was a great way to end the post WrestleMania week ? lots of good matches tonight and a really great Cutting Edge segment! Smackdown will have a new talent pool next week but we?ll make the best of it, even though we?ll be losing some big stars, probably even JR. I?m not looking forward to potentially having Michael Cole back. Ugh! Regardless, tonight was great!
Smackdown Rating: *** ?
As always I?d love to hear your thoughts and comments on this recap. Also I?d love to know who your picks are for the draft! Let me know!
E-Mail ? MikeyT817@hotmail.com
Happy Easter and thanks for reading!