On Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 11:28 AM EST WWE Smackdown
December 5, 2008
Albany, NY
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com
No WWE introduction video again this week as we go right into a video package highlighting last week’s series of Beat the Clock Challenges. We see Jeff Hardy set the time to beat against The Brian Kendrick with 12:13. Next we see Vladimir Kozlov attempt to beat that time against Matt Hardy but Hardy does his best to run the clock out and he does. Vladimir Kozlov fails to Beat the Clock. In the third Beat the Clock Challenge we see Triple H defeat Shelton Benjamin at the exact same time – 12:13! Vickie Guerrero then states that after extensive video footage analysis Jeff Hardy and Triple H won their matches in the exact same time! Therefore, after a ruling by the WWE Board of Directors, the WWE Championship match at Armageddon will be a Triple Threat Match!
The Smackdown video and music play and we’re brought into the arena in Albany, New York with a great pyrotechnics display! Jim Ross and Tazz welcome us to Friday Night Smackdown. They reiterate that at Armageddon Edge will be defending the WWE Championship against Jeff Hardy and the former champion, Triple H!
Right now we’re about to see (or in your case read) Edge in action! Edge is accompanied to the ring by his wife Vickie Guerrero. His opponent will be Kung Fu Naki!
Edge vs. Kung Fu Naki
This will be a non-title match in case there was any doubt.
The bell rings and Kung Fu Naki immediately goes on the offense with some big kicks and chops to the chest. Fu Naki goes to whip him in the corner but Edge reverses it and sends him into the corner but when Edge charges he gets both of Fu Naki’s boots in his face! Kung Fu Naki gets on the second rope, hits a thrust to the throat and then hits a Tornado DDT on the WWE Champion! Fu Naki covers for a two and a half count! When Edge is getting back up Fu Naki gets a school boy and gets a two count! Fu Naki then gets Edge in an inside cradle for another two count!
Fu Naki goes for another move but Edge gets a knee into his midsection. Edge goes for a scoop slam but Fu Naki slides off his shoulder and hits a big face buster! Fu Naki now gets into his Kung Fu stance and when Edge turns around he gets hit with the Crane Kick!! Fu Naki covers and Edge barely kicks out at two and a half!!
Fu Naki can’t believe it but he tries to regroup and taunts to the crowd. Fu Naki then charges but Edge hits him with a huge big boot! Edge pulls his hair all crazily and waits in the corner for Fu Naki to get up. When he does he nearly breaks him in half with the Spear and covers him for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Edge
Match Rating: ½ *
Vickie Guerrero is beaming with pride on the outside as Edge raises up his WWE Title. Vickie Guerrero gets in the ring and says that was a masterful performance! She then asks the audience to give another round of applause to the WWE Champion Edge! They boo.
Guerrero says she is so proud of him and says he looked so great. She tells him it’s so good to have him back on Smackdown but since he had to compete tonight then it’s only fair that his opponents in the Triple Threat be in action as well! Therefore Triple H and Jeff Hardy will partner together in a Tag Team Gauntlet match! Vickie goes on to continue speaking but the audience cuts her off and she excuses herself a few times. She says the rules of the match are simple – Triple H and Jeff Hardy have to take on one tag team after another and the only way the match will end is when Triple H and Jeff lose! She then cackles as JR says she’s evil and sinister!
The lights begin pulsing and the tense music plays as we see the Steel Cage hanging over the ring. Tonight it’s Undertaker vs. Big Show!
:::Commercial Break:::
The WWE Rewind is brought to us by The Day The Earth Stood Still, in theaters and IMAX December 12th. We see the ending of the Six Diva Tag Team Match which saw one of the Bella Twins inadvertently hit Michelle McCool, causing her to get pinned. McCool gets in their faces and Maria comes out to play peacekeeper only for McCool to shove her down and leave the ring!
Michelle McCool vs. Maria
This is another non-title match for those of you wondering.
The bell rings and the two divas circle the ring before locking up. McCool hits a back heel trip on Maria and mounts her for the ground and pound. Maria is able to roll her over and do the same thing! They then begin rolling around in a momentary cat fight! Somewhere Joey Styles is smiling.
The referee separates them and they each go to a corner. They go to lock up but Maria surprises the Diva’s Champion with a waist lock! McCool is able to turn it into a side headlock and hits a headlock takeover. Maria is able to pull her over and pin her shoulders to the mat but only gets a one count. Maria is able to get to her feet and tries to whip McCool off but can’t. Maria then hits some forearms to the midsection, whips McCool into the ropes and gets taken down by a big shoulder block from McCool. Maria pops up and gets another shoulder block followed by a leg drop that would make Hulk Hogan cringe. Absolutely hideous. That gets McCool a one count.
McCool picks Maria up by her hair and hits a European Uppercut that doesn’t take her down so she kicks her in the midsection and whips her into the corner. McCool then hits a big corner clothesline on Maria followed by some shoulder thrusts. Maria then counters out of the shoulder thrusts with a sunset flip that gets her a one count!
McCool picks Maria up again by the hair and bounces her head off the top turnbuckle. McCool then hits a few stomps and a back elbow in the corner! McCool is aggressive as all hell tonight! She respects the clean break and goes back to the corner to clothesline Maria but Maria ducks it and retaliates with forearms and stomps. Maria then chokes McCool in the corner with her boot but McCool holds on to her leg, powers out of the corner and forces her down to the canvas in a split! McCool approaches her and Maria gets her in an inside cradle for a one count!
When McCool gets up she’s able to hit a low dropkick to the face and cover her for a really annoying one count. McCool hits a snapmare and locks in a rear naked choke! Maria easily breaks the body scissors (which is kind of impossible to do if you have a sleeper hold on you as well…), gets to her feet and tries to break the hold with butt thrusts and when that doesn’t work she hits a sitout jawbreaker!
McCool gets up in the corner and Maria charges but McCool gets out of the way! McCool then charges Maria but gets hit with a back elbow instead! McCool goes to attack again and Maria kicks her in the face with both legs! McCool is staggering and Maria hits a nice clothesline and follows that up with another one. Maria then has McCool in a side headlock and gets pushed off but Maria stops before going to the ropes. Maria then turns around and goes to clothesline McCool but McCool ducks. Maria then has her back to her and takes a breath while McCool sizes her up. Maria then turns around, ducks a huge roundhouse kick and gets a school girl on McCool for the upset win!
Winner by Pinfall: Maria
Match Rating: * ½
Maria quickly leaves the ring as McCool can’t believe what just happened! Maria says she wants the Diva’s Championship and JR believes she’s earned a shot! McCool continues pacing the ring angrily as Maria celebrates!
Still to come tonight – Triple H & Jeff Hardy in a Tag Team Gauntlet!
:::Commercial Break:::
Backstage Maria is celebrating her win with the Bella Twins and Carlito and Primo. McCool then turns her around and kicks her in the midsection, telling her she got what she deserved! Everyone looks confused as Maria is doubled over in pain.
JR and Tazz then mention how Michelle McCool and Maria were such good friends and now they look to be enemies. This is a segue way into a preview of Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia, the latest B movie WWE is promoting. It’s straight to DVD in January 2009.
Big Show now has a backstage promo. He says two weeks ago Undertaker locked him in a casket and left him gasping for air. That was Taker’s environment but tonight they face in his environment – a Steel Cage! In case he forgot what it was like to be in Big Show’s environment he’s going to show a reminder. The reminder is the entire collection of massive beat downs Big Show gave Undertaker throughout September and October. I can’t believe we made it through those months. Big Show says tonight there won’t be any scare tactics, black magic or caskets – just him and Undertaker in a Steel Cage and his fist, which he holds up to his face. Big Show says they’re both going to Hell but only one of them is coming back and it’s going to be him!
:::Commercial Break:::
Did you know that WWE is #2 in Yahoo searches for 2008? WWE beat Barack Obama, American Idol, Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, and Angelina Jolie. You know who’s #1? Not WWE.
In the ring is MVP. No entrance this week, just his music playing. He looks really dejected. MVP says as many of us know he’s been experiencing an extraordinarily bad run of luck. If it wasn’t for bad luck he’d have no luck at all. Because of that he wasn’t able to secure the victory he needed before Survivor Series and as a result he lost his incentive clause! He was going to take that money and buy some really nice gifts for his family and loved ones. As we noticed they took away his all star entrance tunnel and spectacular pyrotechnics display. But the one thing they can’t take away are all the things that make him MVP!
MVP says he’s giving himself a gift that won’t cost him a dollar and put him in the proper holiday spirit. The lame joke who likes to pop in and pop off is going to get popped in the mouth!
Hurricane Helms comes out to a nice ovation for his first match back in well over a year! He’s returning from serious neck surgery and looks pretty good. He’s even got a “Welcome Back” chant going for him!
MVP vs. Hurricane Helms
The bell rings and Hurricane Helms soaks up a little more applause. They two men go to lock up but Hurricane Helms surprises MVP with a waist lock! MVP is able to break the lock and hit a nice scoop slam followed by an elbow drop! MVP then gets Hurricane Helms in a side headlock. Helms hits a forearm to the midsection and whips him off but gets taken down by a big shoulder block! MVP goes into the ropes, jumps over Helms who is on his stomach and stops short when Helms does his trademark “Hurricane” pose! MVP then gets upset and charges only to get taken down by a deep arm drag followed by a leg drop to the left shoulder!
Helms wrenches the left arm of MVP but MVP hits a hard forearm to the face and whips him into the ropes. Helms comes off the ropes rolling under a clothesline from MVP and takes MVP down with another deep arm drag followed by a cross arm breaker! MVP is able to power up and drag himself over to the ropes! Helms holds on to the hold for an extra few seconds until MVP steps on his face! MVP bounces Helms’ head off the top turnbuckle and whips him into the corner. MVP charges and catches Helms by the legs trying to jump over him. MVP then tosses him onto the apron and hits the Drive By Kick, sending Helms flying off the apron!
MVP goes to the outside and throws Helms back in the ring. MVP covers by sitting on his chest but only gets a two count! MVP hits a snapmare and then locks Helms in a seated Octopus Stretch, using the ropes for leverage, which the referee didn’t see! Helms punches MVP in the face which breaks the hold and continues furiously punching MVP until the referee makes him get off!
Helms picks MVP up but MVP gets him with a knee to the midsection! MVP then goes into the ropes but Helms now surprises him with a big clothesline! Hurricane hits some big punches in the corner on MVP and goes to whip him into the opposite corner but MVP reverses it and whips him instead. MVP charges and gets met with a big back elbow! Hurricane goes up to the top rope and hits a big crossbody block!
Helms is in the corner lining up MVP and the audience is into it! Helms goes in for the Shining Wizard but gets taken down by a HUGE clothesline from MVP! MVP picks Helms up and goes for the Overdrive but Helms gets out of it and nails a nice reverse Unprettier! The actual name escapes me at the moment. Helms goes into the ropes, goes for a roundhouse kick but MVP ducks it. When MVP lifts his head again he gets hit with a big Shining Wizard and Hurricane Helms picks up the victory in his return match!
Winner by Pinfall: Hurricane Helms
Match Rating: **
Hurricane Helms celebrates with the crowd. It’s got to feel really good after going through what he went through.
Backstage, Jeff Hardy is making his way for the ring with his crazy face paint on. Triple H stops him and says they’re partners tonight but Hardy is just an obstacle to him. If Hardy gets in his way then he won’t make it to Armageddon! Hardy then says he’s sick and tired of “The Game”, he’s sick of him! Hardy says he’ll see him in the ring. Triple H asks if he wants to hit him in the head with a steel chair again. Triple H says to try it. Hardy walks off.
:::Commercial Break:::
Playstation 3 Presents the WWE Smack of the Night which showcases the end of Jeff Hardy and Triple H’s Beat the Clock Challenges last week. Both tied at 12:13.
Tag Team Gauntlet Match
Triple H & Jeff Hardy vs. Hawkins & Ryder
The rule of this gauntlet is Triple H & Jeff Hardy have to keep facing teams until they lose.
The bell rings and Hawkins immediately attacks Jeff Hardy with a kick and some punches. Hawkins lays some heavy hands into Hardy in the corner. Hardy reverses a whip into the opposite corner and follows it up with some kicks and punches of his own. Hardy now has a whip into the opposite corner reversed on him but Hardy is able to scale the ropes and hit Whisper in the Wind!! Hardy covers but before he even gets a count he pops up, kicks Hawkins and gets in Triple H’s face!! Triple H then makes a blind tag!
Hardy shoves Triple H before Ryder pops up out of nowhere and attacks Triple H! Ryder tagged in off camera. Ryder hits some punches and kicks to Triple H but gets an Irish whip reversed on him and Triple H capitalizes by hitting the Double A Spinebuster! Triple H then turns towards Hardy angrily. Ryder gets up, gets kicked in the midsection and Triple H hits the Pedigree on him!! Triple H covers but gets off when he sees Hardy on the top rope! Hardy hits the Swanton Bomb and goes eye to eye with Triple H. Hardy then attacks Hawkins who was coming in for the save while Triple H covers Zach Ryder for the three count!!
Winners by Pinfall: Triple H & Jeff Hardy
Match Rating: * ¾
The Gauntlet continues…
Triple H gets up and immediately shoves Jeff Hardy! Jeff Hardy shoves back and both these men get into a shoving match before going nose to nose which results in Triple H having a black smudge across his forehead from Hardy’s makeup!
Their next opponents will be Miz & Morrison and we’ll have that match right after the break.
:::Commercial Break:::
Tag Team Gauntlet Match
Triple H & Jeff Hardy vs. Miz & Morrison
We come back and this match is in progress already. Triple H takes The Miz and punches him down to the canvas. Triple H Irish whips Miz into the ropes and takes him down with a big back elbow! Triple H picks Miz up, bounces his head off the turnbuckle and hits a nice suplex! Instead of going for the cover Triple H gets up and stares at Hardy! Triple H then comes off the ropes and drops a knee across Miz’s forehead! Triple H covers for a two count. Triple H twists Miz’s arm and tags Hardy in hard!
Jeff Hardy enters the match and clubs Miz’s shoulder blade! Hardy bounces Miz’s head off the top turnbuckle, whips him into the opposite corner and follows it up with a big corner clothesline! Hardy covers for a two count. Miz stuns Hardy with a punch and tags in John Morrison!
Morrison comes in and hits a kick to the midsection of Hardy. Morrison then goes for a neckbreaker but Hardy counters it into a backslide pin for a one count! Hardy twists Morrison’s arm and tags in Triple H! Triple H comes in and punches Morrison in the head. Triple H twists Morrison’s arm and wrenches it hard, sending him down to his knees! Triple H twists again and wrenches hard! Triple H does it a third time and succeeds but this time gets a standing arm bar on as well! Morrison struggles in this for a bit before Triple H lets him up, puts him in his corner and tags in Jeff Hardy.
Hardy comes in and hits some kicks to the midsection in the corner. Hardy then hits a scoop slam and follows it up with a nice leg drop for a one count. Hardy twists Morrison’s arm and tags in Triple H with a knife edge chop! Hardy puts Morrison halfway through the second rope and gets on the apron with Triple H. Triple H punches Morrison and stares down Hardy for a moment.
Triple H has an Irish whip reversed on him and Miz gets a knee into the lower back when Triple H comes near him! Morrison capitalizes with a forearm to the back followed by an Irish whip but Triple H is able to hit a jumping face buster! Triple H punches Miz off the apron and goes to clothesline Morrison but he ducks it, jumps onto the second rope and hits a roundhouse kick to the face! Morrison then makes the tag to The Miz.
Miz comes in and hits some punches to Triple H’s head! Miz gets Triple H in his corner and hits a flurry of punches before Charles Robinson inserts himself and forces the clean break! Meanwhile Morrison is punching Triple H from the apron while the referee is arguing with Miz! Miz then comes back with his interesting corner clothesline! Miz covers for a two and a half count!
Miz tags in Morrison and they hit a Double Gut Buster on Triple H! Morrison shoots a half nelson and covers Triple H for a two count! Morrison then gets a chin lock on Triple H. Hardy is on the apron getting the audience into it. Triple H gets to his feet but is unable to break the hold and Morrison tags in Miz. Miz kicks Triple H down and hits some elbows to his trapezoids! Miz then puts a chin lock on him while Hardy gives Triple H the thumbs down! Hardy then gets the audience into it! Triple H then gets to his feet and hits a back suplex on The Miz and both men are down!
Miz is the first one up and kicks Triple H down. He sends Triple H into the corner and goes for another interesting corner clothesline but Triple H gets out of the way and Miz crashes and burns! Triple H then stumbles by his own corner and Hardy makes the blind tag in!
Jeff Hardy hits a kick to the midsection of The Miz and has an Irish whip reversed on him but he rebounds with a diving clothesline! Hardy hits another kick to the midsection and hits his Inverted Falcon’s Arrow! Morrison then enters the ring and gets it as well! Hardy hits a clothesline to Miz in the corner and then hits his slingshot dropkick!! Hardy covers but Morrison breaks it up at two!
Triple H now enters the match and punches Morrison! Triple H picks him up and punches him again. Morrison falls out of the ring and Triple H follows. Hardy has a kick to the midsection blocked but he hits his flipping mule kick and Miz goes out of the ring where Morrison and Triple H are! Hardy then hits a Plancha to the outside taking down Miz, Morrison AND Triple H!!
Hardy throws Miz into the ring and gets on the apron to go back in but Triple H gets up, pulls him off the apron and begins punching him!! They slug it out until Triple H sends Hardy into the steel steps and bounces his head off the barricade!! They go back and forth some more as some referees try to come out and break it up. Hardy sends Triple H hard into the steel stairs and continues the assault!! In the ring Charles Robinson counts them out!
Winners by Count Out: Miz & Morrison
Match Rating: ** ¼
Security comes out to help the situation but to no avail as Triple H just pushes them aside and clotheslines Jeff Hardy over the barricade!! The referees now hold Triple H and Jeff Hardy back and they stare down one another!!
Still to come tonight – Undertaker vs. Big Show in a Steel Cage Match!
:::Commercial Break:::
We come back from the break to see replays of what just transpired at the end of the Gauntlet Match. I like where this is all going so far!
Backstage in Vickie’s office Edge is talking about how great it is that Hardy and Triple H can’t see eye to eye. Vickie then books Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy for next week!! Edge says that’s why Vickie is so brilliant. Vickie says she missed Edge and his encouragement and they go to make out but Jeff Hardy bursts in! Hardy gets in Edge’s face and asks why he wanted to see him. Edge says he wanted to clear the air because he’s tired of Jeff blaming them for what happened before Survivor Series! Edge tells Hardy to think about it – who had the most to lose going into Survivor Series? Edge says Triple H was the one that attacked him!
Triple H then comes in the office asking why Vickie wanted to see him and Hardy attacks him viciously!! Security and referees rush in to pull them apart. After a struggle they pull them out of the office! Edge and Vickie then start where they last left off and begin disgustingly making out!
:::Commercial Break:::
ECW Champion Matt Hardy is making his way out to the ring for a match! We see replays of his match against Vladimir Kozlov from last Friday where Hardy dragged the clock out to keep 12:13 the time to beat!
Matt Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero
This is a non-title match for those of you keeping score at home.
Mike Chioda rings the bell and these two men go to lock up but Guerrero gets in a nice quick hammerlock. Guerrero gets a side headlock on Hardy but Hardy is able to slip out and twist his arm. Hardy then pulls him in for a side headlock but doesn’t have it on for long as Guerrero pushes him into the ropes but Hardy comes off with a strong shoulder block! Guerrero puts himself halfway through the ropes so the referee holds Hardy back!
Both men lock up now and Hardy wrenches the arm. Guerrero rolls and then kips up out of it and twists Hardy’s arm but gets taken down with a short arm clothesline! Hardy whips Chavo into the ropes, hits a back elbow, follows it up with an elbow drop and covers for a two count! Hardy whips Chavo into the corner, hits a clothesline and brings him out for a bulldog! Hardy covers again for a one count!
Hardy goes to pick Guerrero up but Guerrero gets some punches to the midsection and hits Hardy with the back drop driver! Guerrero hits some stomps before picking Hardy up and bounces Hardy’s head off the top turnbuckle. Guerrero hits a few more punches in the corner until Chioda makes him step away. Guerrero approaches again but Hardy blocks his punch and hits back with punches of his own! Hardy then bounces Guerrero’s head off the top turnbuckle. Hardy has an Irish whip into the corner reversed on him but gets a back elbow into Chavo’s face when he approaches!
Hardy hits a scoop slam and gets on the second rope. Hardy screams and comes off with an elbow to the back of the neck. That move is so anticlimactic. Hardy covers and gets a two count. Hardy picks Guerrero up for a Side Effect but Guerrero elbows out and hits a nice dropkick on the ECW Champion! Guerrero covers and gets a two count!
Guerrero gets two European Uppercuts on Hardy but Hardy is able to turn it around, hit some forearms, perform an Irish whip and hit Chavo Guerrero with a huge back body drop! All of a sudden Vladimir Kozlov enters the ring and hits Hardy with a boot in the face, causing a disqualification!
Winner by Disqualification: Matt Hardy
Match Rating: * ¾
Kozlov throws Guerrero out of the ring and picks Hardy up. He pushes Hardy into the ropes and hits the Battering Ram Head-Butt!! Kozlov yells at Hardy before locking his arms between the second and third ropes and punching and kicking him in the chest and midsection! Kozlov then head-butts Hardy in the chest before saying that he cost him the title and then he leaves the ring as the referees come to check on Matt Hardy!
Backstage The Great Khali is looking in a mirror and gargling mouthwash. Ranjin Singh comes in and says it’s time for the Khali Kiss Cam and slaps him on the back, causing Khali to swallow the mouthwash! Khali burps and says “That’s good, man!” Singh says Khali’s breath is minty fresh and says it’s time to go. Khali says “Let’s go” and they go off! Khali speaks English!
:::Commercial Break:::
Shawn Michaels and Triple H give us another gift giving idea. It’s the same advertisement from Raw about the Elimination Chamber and how difficult it is to put together. Not the greatest selling point I’ve ever heard and I’ve been in sales for a bit…
The Great Khali’s music hits and he and Ranjin Singh come out in Christmas hats! Khali’s is of course oversized! Khali is getting legit cheers. There’s a red carpet in the ring along with some wreaths.
Singh says everyone knows we’re right in the heart of the holiday season. It’s an old American Christmas tradition for people to kiss under the mistletoe! So with that spirit in mind we’re going to have a very special holiday Kiss Cam!
We see a whole bunch of couples kiss while Khali yells on in support! Singh says that this isn’t it – he has a special holiday gift to give. He then asks who wants to kiss the Punjabi Playboy! We see a bunch of good looking women and one really old lady but Singh isn’t satisfied. Singh says he’s sorry but this is the season of giving and he wants to give Khali a very special gift. Singh then asks the fans to welcome Santa’s Little Helper!
Santa’s Little Helper turns out to be Eve Torres! Khali is very happy and Singh says he loves Khali. Singh then joins Khali and Eve’s hands together before having Khali hold up the mistletoe and the fans chant Khali! Eve then goes in for a big kiss on Khali!! Khali then happily raises his arms over his head as Singh says Khali wishes us all a Happy Holiday, peace on earth and good will toward men. Khali also says “Make love, not war!”
The lights and the pulsing music are playing again. Coming up next it will be the Steel Cage Match between Undertaker and Big Show!!
:::Commercial Break:::
Steel Cage Match
Big Show vs. Undertaker
Of course a cage match can be won by escaping the cage with both feet touching the floor but also by pinfall or submission!
Undertaker shuts the door of the cage himself and stands across the ring from Big Show in a fighting stance. Scott Armstrong calls for the bell and they immediately lock up with Big Show forcing Undertaker into the corner. Big Show destroys Undertaker with a whole bunch of body shots and a bunch of head-butts! Show continues with the body shots and head-butts on Undertaker who staggers to the opposite corner. Big Show hits a hard Irish whip into the opposite corner and catches Taker in a sidewalk slam!
Big Show picks Undertaker up and hits another head-butt, staggering him into the corner. Big Show approaches and gets a big kick to the midsection. Big Show just responds with more body shots and head-butts! Big Show then hits a big suplex and lines Undertaker up by the corner. Big Show gets up on the second rope and goes for the Vader Bomb. Undertaker rolls out of the way but Big Show’s legs still catch him in the back!
Big Show is now in between the ropes and the cage. Undertaker takes advantage of this with a few punches before going into the ropes and hitting a huge body block to Show, pinning him into the cage and the ropes! Taker goes into the ropes again and hits a big boot to the Big Show, who is knocked silly now! Undertaker hits a few more uppercuts before going into the ropes for another move and getting countered by Big Show with a back elbow in his face! Big Show steps over the top rope and sends Undertaker face first into the cage, sending him down to the canvas. The fans are chanting for Undertaker as we go to commercial!
:::Commercial Break:::
We come back from the break to see Undertaker against the ropes taking vicious body shots from Big Show and a head-butt! Big Show then runs Taker across the ring and throws him face first into the steel cage! Undertaker then turns into a clothesline! Big Show covers and gets a two count! Big Show picks Undertaker up, throws him face first into the cage and again knocks him down with a clothesline! Big Show looks out to the crowd and smiles!
Big Show takes Undertaker, throws him again face first into the cage and goes to clothesline him but Undertaker ducks and starts hitting him with some big punches! Big Show tries to respond with some body shots but Undertaker keeps the huge right hands coming! They slug it out and finally Undertaker gets Big Show in the corner. Undertaker has a whip to the corner reversed on him but when Big Show charges Undertaker gets a boot in his face, goes into the ropes, ducks a clothesline and comes off the ropes again with his vintage flying lariat!! Undertaker then hits the leg drop and covers for a two and a half count!!
Undertaker gets up and hits a huge corner clothesline on Big Show, who pulled himself up in the corner! Undertaker goes to the opposite corner and repeats the move! Undertaker now wrenches the arm and goes for Old School but Big Show stops him with body shots at the second rope! Big Show now gets on the second rope and gets a front face lock on Undertaker. Undertaker tries to punch out of it but to no avail. Big Show then hits a HUGE Superplex on the Undertaker!!! Big Show coves for a two and a half count!!!
Undertaker begins sitting up so Big Show kicks him down! Big Show climbs to the top rope and signals for a splash but Undertaker sits up quickly! Big Show changes his mind and goes to leave the cage instead but Undertaker is quick and on that top rope in no time! Both men duke it out for a bit on the top rope with Undertaker coming out on top with some strong body blows and uppercuts, causing Big Show to fall off with a HUGE thud!! Undertaker is now on top of the cage and about to leave but sees Big Show’s prone body lying on the canvas and signals to the fans that this isn’t over yet!! Undertaker gets on the top rope and goes for a HUGE elbow drop but Big Show rolls out of the way and Undertaker crashes and burns!! That was a nasty looking bump!! Big Show covers for a CLOSE two and a half count!!
Both men fight to get up and do. Big Show gets Undertaker for a Showstopper but Undertaker counters it into a HUGE DDT!! Undertaker now covers and gets a two and a half count!! Undertaker now gets up and signals for the Chokeslam! Undertaker gets his hand around Big Show’s throat but Big Show slaps it off and hits the Showstopper!! Big Show is unable to capitalize as he collapses to the mat as well. Big Show then covers for a CLOSE two and a half count!!
Both men are exhausted and struggling to get up. Big Show now signals for the Knockout Punch but it’s blocked by Undertaker who comes back with big punches of his own! Undertaker then goes into the ropes and Big Show KILLS him with the Knockout Punch!! Big Show is crawling towards Undertaker and goes to cover him but Undertaker SITS UP!! Big Show can’t believe it and goes for another Showstopper but Undertaker counters it into the Hells Gate and Big Show is forced to TAP OUT!!!!
Winner by Submission: Undertaker
Match Rating: *** ½
Undertaker celebrates the win by having the blue lights come on and doing his kneeling pose! A great way to end Smackdown!Quick Match Results
Edge def. Kung Fu Naki (non-title)
Maria def. Michelle McCool (non-title)
Hurricane Helms def. MVP
Tag Team Gauntlet: Triple H* & Jeff Hardy def. Hawkins & Ryder*
Tag Team Gauntlet: Miz & Morrison def. Triple H & Jeff Hardy via Count Out
Matt Hardy def. Chavo Guerrero via DQ
Cage Match: Undertaker def. Big Show via Submission
Bump of the Night: Undertaker missing an elbow drop off the top rope! Also Big Show Superplexing the Undertaker!
Match of the Night: Undertaker def. Big Show in a Steel Cage Match *** ½
Mike’s Thoughts
Excellent edition of Smackdown tonight! Albany sure got two good shows – they should be happy!
Smackdown again did a terrific job of building up the WWE Championship match at Armageddon which will be a Triple Threat Match. I have a feeling that it’s going to be a great match. My only problem is they’re using that failed storyline of Jeff Hardy being attacked in a hotel as Hardy being blindsided and not knowing who did it. Edge says it was Triple H so Hardy automatically believes him and attacks him. Come on, seriously? Has anyone besides me ever been in a hotel stairwell? They’re all the say! They’re metal railings with concrete stairs. I’d be damned if Hardy couldn’t hear someone sneaking up on him and not getting a peek.
I’m interested to see where they’re going to go with Vladimir Kozlov and Matt Hardy. It looks to me like they’re going to have Kozlov challenge for the ECW Title but who knows? It’s still interesting and it’ll be some good matches for Matt Hardy!
I know he wasn’t on much tonight nor did he talk that much but just having Edge back on this show is a breath of fresh air. I know I said this last week but I love a heel champion and, for my money, he’s the best one of this generation! Thank God he’s back!
It was kind of bizarre having two ECW wrestlers wrestle each other on Smackdown. They couldn’t have put in someone from the Smackdown mid-card like Shelton Benjamin or R-Truth, even though I don’t like him?? That was just a strange call.
Great to see Gregory “Hurricane” Helms return from a career threatening neck injury. Those neck fusions are not easy things to come back from and I tip my hat to everyone who’s ever had to go through that, especially the wrestlers! The match was good and he didn’t have much rust on him! Welcome back Hurricane!
Random Thought: Hurricane Helms looked like a young version of George Carlin tonight. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
I’m still waiting for something big to happen with MVP. I’m starting to lose all hope now. He’s so much better than what he’s getting!
I’m still interested to see what they do with Michelle McCool. She’s acting awfully heelish lately!
Next week’s show is going to be a good one. It’s the go home show to Armageddon, the last Pay Per View of 2008, and we’ve got Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy! That’s going to be awesome!
All in all this was a TREMENDOUS edition of Smackdown. We had some good storyline improvements, some good segments (even the Khali Kiss Cam wasn’t unbearable!) and some EXCELLENT wrestling!
Final Smackdown Rating: *** ¼
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