WWE Smackdown
January 22, 2010
Greenville, SC
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 airs hyping Rey Mysterio as the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Tonight he?ll call out the Undertaker. The video leaves us wondering what will happen.
The Smackdown video plays and we?re brought into the arena with some pyrotechnics. Todd Grisham and Matt Striker welcome us to the show and we?re nine days away from the Royal Rumble. Next week John Morrison will challenge Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship but this week he?ll have to take on McIntyre and Chris Jericho in a handicap match.
Batista’s music hits and he comes out to the stage with a single spotlight on him. He’s going to be in action right now.
Batista vs. Finlay
They circle the ring and just stand there. They finally lock up and Batista powers Finlay to the corner. Batista gives a clean break and flexes his muscles. Finlay viciously punches and kicks at Batista but Batista simply gives him a knee and sends him to the corner. Batista runs into a boot and Finlay hits a second rope missile dropkick for a two count. Finlay hits a nice Rolling Hills for a two count. Finlay hits a cannonball and Batista crawls around in pain. Finlay kicks him out of the ring and follows. Batista then viciously digs his fingers into Finlay’s eyes and gets disqualified.
Winner by Disqualification: Finlay
Match Rating: ? *
Batista immediately sends him over the announcer’s table, right into Matt Striker’s lap. Batista then viciously SPEARS him on the floor! Batista picks him up and sends him head first into the barricade. Batista then drives him spine first into the ring post and he’s still not done. He picks him up and sends him into the ring post again. Batista throw him into the steel steps and stands over Finlay’s broken body. Batista picks him up and puts him in the ring.
Batista grabs a microphone and gets in the ring to deliver a big time Spinebuster! Batista tells us to imagine this times twenty-nine because that’s what’s going to happen at the Rumble. That’s Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and John Cena! Batista tells the Undertaker to remember this because he’s going to win the Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania. His title reign will begin when Undertaker’s streak ends!
Tonight Rey Mysterio will call out the Undertaker.
-Commercial Break-
WWE has teamed up with AmeriCares for the Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort. Text ?Live? to 25383 to donate $10. I did.
A Royal Rumble moment is shown from 2006. Rey Mysterio won that Rumble at record time: 1:02:15.
CM Punk’s music hits and he comes out to the stage with Luke Gallows and his Slammy. We?re reminded that last Friday they won a Fatal Four Way Tag Team Match to become number one contenders for the Unified Tag Team Titles. Punk says there is a reason why he and Luke Gallows became the number one contenders and the reason is they?ll bring respect back to the Tag Team Titles when they defeat Shawn Michaels and Triple H next week. The reason is because they are straightedge. It’s that same thing that will propel him past twenty-nine other superstars and become the first ever straightedge Royal Rumble winner. When you?re straightedge it means you?re a winner, unlike us losers.
Punk walks down the ramp and gets close to the people, saying he sees what they really are: cowards. They hide behind bottles of pills, cans of beer, and cigarettes. He see us rotting before his very eyes and he sees a misguided, weak-minded majority reach out and beg for a savior to take them to the promised land. Punk says he knows he’s better than all of us and he knows he can wash away all of our problems. Only he can save each and every last one of us if we pledge allegiance to his straightedge society.
Punk asks who will be saved tonight. He walks around ringside looking for someone. Some short girl runs out and grabs Punk. Security takes her away but she screams that she needs him. Punk stops the security and tells them to let her go. Gallows gets the girl and brings her into the ring. Oh boy ? the haircut is not going to look good on her. I think a small portion of the crowd is chanting ?She’s a crack ho.?
The girl pleads for help and Punk says he?ll help her. Her name is Serena. Punk asks if she’s an addict and she meekly says she is. She apologizes and says she wants to change. Punk quiets her and says it’s ok. He knows she’s just like all the people in the arena, waiting for their next pill. Serena admits that she can?t function without her pills. Punk says she’s with friends now as opposed to the enablers she left. They?re surrounded by enablers that don?t care about her or themselves. Punk says it is one thing to pledge sobriety but it’s a completely different thing to draw an X on your fist and pledge to the straightedge society. Punk finally asks if she’s ready to pledge allegiance to him and his straightedge society. She says she is.
Serena takes a seat in the chair and Punk pets her hair. Punk has her raise her right hand high and she says she accepts straightedge into her life. Punk then has her say she accepts CM Punk as her savior. She does and Punk asks if she’s ready to prove her allegiance. She is and Gallows takes out the buzzer. Punk takes the buzzer and we go to commercial! See a girl’s head shaved after the break!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break and Punk turns her into Edward Norton from ?American History X.? She laughs the whole way through. She?ll cry in the dressing room. Punk cradles her head and says it just happened to Serena. He wants all us sheep to know it can happen to us too. Punk and Gallows raise her arms and welcome her as the newest member of the straightedge society. Punk hugs her and we go to commercial. Check out those photos on WWE.com.
-Commercial Break-
The Smack of the Night is Drew McIntyre beating John Morrison for the Intercontinental Championship at TLC with a thumb to the eyes.
Drew McIntyre makes his way to the ring for the handicap match. We?re reminded that Drew McIntyre will defend his Intercontinental Championship against John Morrison next week in a No Disqualification Match. That should be a good one. Chris Jericho is the next one out and Matt Striker says that this match comes from Vickie Guerrero. John Morrison’s music hits and he comes to the ring looking confident.
General Manager Theodore Long’s music hits and he holds up the match for a moment. While Vickie Guerrero may be his official consultant, she did not consult with him before making this match. Long is now turning this into a tag team match. McIntyre and Jericho will take on Morrison and R-Truth.
-Commercial Break-
Drew McIntyre & Chris Jericho vs. John Morrison & R-Truth
We come back from the break and Charles Robinson, my favorite referee, calls for the bell. It?ll be John Morrison and Chris Jericho starting out. They circle the ring and lock up. Jericho gets a side headlock on quickly. Morrison pushes him off but takes a shoulder block. Jericho goes over and under Morrison and takes a hip toss. Morrison hits a dropkick and punches Jericho to his corner. R-Truth is tagged in and they hit a double hip toss followed by stereo kip-ups. Morrison then knocks McIntyre off the apron. Jericho charges and they give him a double back body drop over the top rope onto McIntyre!
Morrison and R-Truth get the crowd into it as the bad guys recover. R-Truth goes outside and punches Jericho. R-Truth throws him into the ring and wrenches the arm. R-Truth tags in Morrison who hits a second rope axe handle on the arm. Morrison sends Jericho into the ropes but lowers his head and eats a kick. Jericho hits a clothesline and knocks R-Truth off the apron. Jericho turns into a jumping heel kick for a near fall. Morrison has a whip reversed on him and McIntyre pulls the hair. The referee was distracted by R-Truth’s status. Morrison goes to attack McIntyre so Jericho capitalizes by dropkicking him out of the ring.
Jericho taunts the crowd now and Morrison tries to get into the ring but McIntyre kicks him in the back of the head. Jericho pulls him into the ring and hits a picture perfect back suplex. Jericho asks if McIntyre wants in and tags him in. Jericho holds Morrison as McIntyre kicks. McIntyre assaults him in the corner until the referee pulls him away. McIntyre hits a short-arm clothesline for a two count. Jericho walks over to the announcer’s table and yells at them to say McIntyre is a champion. Jericho is simply the MAN. In the ring McIntyre has Morrison in an arm bar. Morrison tries fighting up but McIntyre stomps the arm and head. Morrison tries coming back with some kicks and punches but McIntyre takes him out with a big boot.
McIntyre tags Jericho in and Jericho kicks him. Jericho locks on a nice wristlock before turning it to an arm trap chin lock. R-Truth gets the crowd into it and Morrison punches out. Morrison blocks a clothesline, hits a nice backbreaker, and a side Russian Leg Sweep. Both men are down and looking for their partners. Jericho makes the tag first and McIntyre quickly knocks R-Truth off the apron. McIntyre works on Morrison with stomps as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Morrison trapped in an arm bar, applied by McIntyre. Morrison fights to his feet and punches out. Morrison hits an arm drag and McIntyre runs into a boot. Morrison goes for a head-scissors takeover but McIntyre counters into a backbreaker for a near fall! McIntyre grounds and pounds before tagging Jericho back in. Jericho slams his head off the mat and taunts R-Truth. Jericho slowly sets up for a suplex and hits a beautiful one. Jericho smugly taunts around the ring making it look easy. Jericho chokes Morrison on the second rope until the referee backs him up. As that happens McIntyre kicks him in the head. Jericho lightly kicks Morrison in the head before taunting R-Truth. Jericho kicks Morrison in the ribs and sets him on the top rope. Jericho gets to the second rope and goes for a superplex but Morrison holds on. Morrison punches him off and hits a cross-body block for a near fall! Morrison goes for a tag but Jericho pulls him away. Jericho goes for the Walls of Jericho but Morrison kicks him away! Morrison almost makes the tag but newly tagged McIntyre cuts him off!
McIntyre clubs and hits a snap suplex for a two count. Morrison fights back with fists but McIntyre hits a double leg. Jericho is tagged in and he slaps Morrison in the face with his elbow pad. That’s insulting ? I love it! McIntyre is tagged back in and he stomps on his hand. McIntyre sends him to the ropes and goes for a sidewalk slam but Morrison counters into a BEAUTIFUL DDT!
Both men make the tags and R-Truth takes down Jericho with a clothesline. R-Truth hits some big punches and takes him down. Jericho reverses a whip to the corner but R-Truth slingshots over, splits under a clothesline, and hits a jumping heel kick for a two count broken up by McIntyre. Morrison pushes him to the apron and hits a big running knee to the face, sending him crashing to the floor! Jericho throws Morrison over the top rope and gets rolled up by R-Truth for a near fall! Jericho hits a nice enzuigiri and Morrison throws a dazed McIntyre into the ring to distract the referee as Jericho had the pin! As the referee yelled at McIntyre, Morrison hits a huge kick to Jericho’s head and R-Truth hit him with the Scissors Kick for the big win!
Winners by Pinfall: John Morrison & R-Truth
Match Rating: ** ?
John Morrison and R-Truth celebrate in the ring as Drew McIntyre and Chris Jericho yell at ringside.
A Rey Mysterio highlight clip is shown and it’s from WrestleMania 22 where Rey, against all odds, became the World Heavyweight Champion. Can he do it again at the Rumble? He calls out his Rumble opponent tonight.
-Commercial Break-
Michelle McCool and Layla are in the ring. McCool says she has good news and bad news. The bad news is that she was supposed to have a championship match against Piggie James at the Royal Rumble but that’s not happening anymore. Layla says everyone wants to see McCool. The good news is tonight Piggie James will be leaving Smackdown forever. Layla impersonates Porky Pig and they trade lame dialogue. The camera shows that they?ll have a ?Going Away Party? for her as in the ring is a table full of chips, donuts, and a pig-shaped cake is there. This is lame.
Maria interrupts the proceedings and comes out to the ring. I miss when she was the klutz. Maria says they?re annoying and they pipe in really fake cheers. Maria says the only thing they?re good at is torturing Mickie but that ends tonight. The only people who should leave Smackdown are them ? Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumb. Either they walk out holding hands or they?re carried out. They say she’s underfed and make fun of her appearance on the Celebrity Apprentice. They say she?ll be happy when Piggie James is out of her way so she can eat. Maria says she’s tired of the two morons.
Mickie James? music hits and she walks down to the ring saying she’s tired of their crap. Mickie says they just feel good about themselves by putting others down. Mickie stands up for all women and says everyone is sexy. She says she’s a real woman. If Mickie James is fat then I?m Tom Brokaw. Mickie says their jokes will never make her leave the show and at the Rumble she’s going to teach them some manners. I guess that Women’s Title match is on.
Mickie lays out McCool and Layla with some forearm shots. Maria joins in the fray but McCool and Layla quickly get the momentum on their side. Beth Phoenix runs down and briefly pauses so we wonder what side she’s on. She then throws Maria into the ring post and attacks Mickie James. Beth holds her down as McCool shoves the pig cake in her face. McCool then pours the punch on her head and Mickie cries in the ring as they leave the ring. That was a terrible segment.
-Commercial Break-
Did you know that this past weekend, the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony sold out in only 35 minutes? Please let this be the year of the ULTIMATE WARRI-YA!
Charlie Haas and Mike Knox are already in the ring as Cryme Tyme makes their way.
Mike Knox & Charlie Haas vs. Cryme Tyme
It?ll be JTG starting out against Mike Knox. Knox clubs JTG down and sends him to his corner. JTG elbows Haas off the apron and sidesteps Knox. JTG hits a Mug Shot and taunts the crowd. Charlie Haas is tagged in but JTG blocks his punch and clotheslines him down. JTG sends him into the ropes but Haas holds on to the ropes and knees JTG in the face.
THE STAGE EXPLODES and Kane makes his way to the ring! Kane throws Haas and JTG out of the ring before grabbing Knox and Shad by the throat and throwing them over the top rope! This is all about the Royal Rumble as Kane makes the ring posts explode!
Winners: No Contest
Match Rating: No Stars
A video package highlighting last week’s Steel Cage Match is shown. In it Rey Mysterio fought valiantly against Batista and wound up getting the win and becoming the number one contender for Undertaker’s World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble. He?ll call out the Undertaker tonight.
-Commercial Break-
Matt Striker and Todd Grisham run down the Royal Rumble card.
The Great Khali and Matt Hardy make their way to the ring. They?ll be in action next.
-Commercial Break-
It’s announced that DX will defend the Unified Tag Team Titles against CM Punk and Luke Gallows next week on Smackdown!
The Great Khali & Matt Hardy vs. The Hart Dynasty
It?ll be Matt Hardy starting out against Tyson Kidd. Kidd quickly wrenches the arm but Matt Hardy counters with a clothesline and a no count. Kidd powers Hardy to the corner and David Hart Smith is tagged in. Smith sweeps the legs and Kidd drops a leg. Smith sends Hardy into the apron before throwing him in the ring and hitting his Dad’s delayed vertical suplex for a two count. Smith hits a crossface and locks on a chin lock. Hardy fights up and punches out. Smith knees him and goes for a powerslam but Hardy slides off. Hardy tries a Twist of Fate but Smith sends him into the ropes and Hardy hits the Side Effect. Kidd and Natalya quickly talk at ringside and she runs over to Khali to seduce him. Khali is distracted as Kidd and Smith try for a double team. Hardy foils it and rolls Smith up for the win. That was a waste of time.
Winners by Pinfall: The Great Khali & Matt Hardy
Match Rating: ? *
Rey Mysterio is seen walking backstage. He?ll call out Undertaker next.
-Commercial Break-
Rey Mysterio makes his way to the ring. Mysterio grabs a microphone and says he’s been in the back all night listening to what people are saying. They?re wondering why he’s crazy or stupid enough to call out the Undertaker. Mysterio says four years ago he won his first and only World Championship. To be honest it was a dream come true ? the only thing standing between him and reliving his dream is a walking nightmare named Undertaker. He wants to call him out tonight, look him in the eyes, and tell him that he’s not afraid. Mysterio then calls out Undertaker as promised.
GONG! The Undertaker makes his legendary entrance to the ring. Undertaker gets in the ring and asks if he’s having second thoughts. Mysterio says he?d be lying if he said he wasn?t but he?ll stand his ground. The last time they fought he had him on the ropes and did not see an ounce of fear in his eyes. Mysterio will do whatever it takes to win. There will be no Batista or Shawn Michaels. HBK said he?ll win the Royal Rumble and face Undertaker at WrestleMania but the only problem is that he will no longer be the champion. Mysterio has had dreams and nightmares but he’s conquered the nightmares because of the dreams. He?ll conquer the nightmare of the Undertaker and once again live his dream of becoming World Champion. Mysterio says at the Royal Rumble he will defeat Undertaker.
Undertaker sighs and repeats Mysterio’s last line. Undertaker says those are bold words for a little man. Then again he’s made a career out of doing the impossible. In fact, he’s conquered just about everything in his life. There’s one thing he needs to be aware of ? he, and no one else, triumphs over the grave. Although he admits that he admires his gallantry in seeking out the World Heavyweight Championship, all he’s doing is digging his own grave. At the Royal Rumble he will suffer the same fate that everyone has suffered when they try to make a name for themselves at his expense. At the Royal Rumble Mysterio will REST IN PEACE!
The purple lights come on and Undertaker leaves the ring. He walks up the ramp and Mysterio yells out to him. Mysterio says he’s not like the rest but before he can say anything else he’s attacked from behind by Batista! Batista hits a Spinebuster and a Batista Bomb! Undertaker slowly walks down to the ring and Batista gets out. Undertaker then leaves and does his taunt at the top of the stage. Undertaker’s pyro hits and that’s that.
Quick Match Results
Finlay def. Batista via DQ
John Morrison & R-Truth* def. Drew McIntyre & Chris Jericho*
Mike Knox & Charlie Haas NC Cryme Tyme
The Great Khali & Matt Hardy* def. The Hart Dynasty
Bump of the Night: Batista’s SPEAR on Finlay on the outside!
Match of the Night: Morrison & R-Truth vs. McIntyre & Jericho ** ?
Mike’s Thoughts
This is the first time in a while that we?ve had a real stinker of a Smackdown. The show was not heavy at all on the wrestling side and it was really lame on the storyline side. I liked all the build up for the Rumble match itself but the World Heavyweight Title match build up was bad. They built it up well throughout the night, showing Mysterio’s highlights, but the final in ring segment was poor. Then the Batista run in just makes things even more confusing. Batista destroyed Finlay in the beginning of the show and vowed to win the Rumble. Now it looks like he’s trying to be inserted back into the title match. After three weeks I?d just like to have a definitive number one contender, since there’s now only one more Smackdown before the Rumble. I just want to see Undertaker and Mysterio go at it one on one at the Rumble.
The only good match of the night was John Morrison and R-Truth defeating Drew McIntyre and Chris Jericho. All those guys worked hard and put on a great match. The rest were one to three minute matches. That’s a joke. There was also a match with Dolph Ziggler cut from the line-up. After the nice push he got from his mini feud with Kane he was not featured once on WWE TV. That’s just sad. Way to drop the ball on that guy. Instead we were forced to sit through Khali and Hardy beating the Hart Dynasty. Talk about the wrong team winning there. The Hart Dynasty, especially with Bret back in the company, should have all the momentum in the world. They were great in their match against DX on Christmas and are back to being nothing. The ball has been dropped on them as well.
Was that Diva’s segment BRUTAL or what? I did like the CM Punk straightedge rescue, though. It took a long time to get going but it was good at the end. I like the bald girl and I?m glad I hear she’s staying on permanently.
Next week should be a better show. We?ve got DX coming to defend the Unified Tag Team Titles against CM Punk and Luke Gallows and then Drew McIntyre defending his Intercontinental Championship against John Morrison in a No DQ match.
Final Rating: ** ?
E-Mail ? MikeyT817@hotmail.com
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