WWE Smackdown
March 13, 2009
Uncasville, CT
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com
No WWE promo video to open us up as we jump into a recap of what happened on Raw this past Monday during the contract signing for the World Heavyweight Championship! Edge and Big Show are pretty cordial with one another until John Cena comes out. Edge says that he and Show should kick him out of the ring until Vickie quickly (and loudly) keeps them back! It turns out she invited Cena out there because, in fairness to us, she’s allowing Cena to compete for the title at WrestleMania! John Cena said he’s going to tell the truth ? he interrupted the contract signing last Friday to tell Vickie something ? he loves her! They now play some love music as Cena fakes his way through it! He leaves the ring only to go up the ramp and admit he lied ? he doesn?t love her! He told Vickie that Raw was in Boston on March 2nd and he has ?friends.? We then saw footage of a security camera in Vickie’s office where, while Edge was in the shower, she made out with Big Show then slapped him on the rear! Cena did his best Desi Arnaz impression saying, ?Vickie, you?ve got some ‘splainin to do!?
The Smackdown video plays and we?re brought into the Mohegan Sun Arena with a great pyrotechnics display! However right off the bat I?ve caught some RARE sloppy editing by WWE. This was the second show of a double taping. On the stage it says WrestleMania XV is in 30 Days however as of Friday, the 13th, it’s only 23! No one’s perfect!
Jim Ross and Tazz welcome us to Smackdown. The Road to WrestleMania continues as Undertaker seeks retribution against Vladimir Kozlov for that defeat two weeks ago! Also tonight Matt Hardy tells all! Tazz isn?t sure what that means but we?ll find out tonight!
Edge’s music hits and the World Heavyweight Champion comes out dressed for a match! He looks a little flustered to say the least. His opponent? Kofi Kingston!
Edge vs. Kofi Kingston
This will be Kofi’s revenge against Edge for eliminating him before entering the Elimination Chamber at No Way Out! Some retribution as this is a non-title match!
Mike Chioda calls for the bells and Kingston has Edge cornered and goes to lock up but Edge puts his body through the ropes, prompting Chioda to call him off. Chioda has to force him away ? Kofi’s still steamed! Kingston and Edge lock up and Kingston gets Edge in a side headlock and soon after wrenches the arm! Kingston goes for a hammerlock but Edge reverses him into one of his own but Kingston elbows out, locking Edge in a side headlock and viciously wrenching his neck a few times before backing up and clotheslining the Champion down! Kingston covers for a one count.
Kingston quickly gets up and reapplies that side headlock. Edge is able to power out and get Kingston in a headlock of his own! Kingston elbows Edge in the midsection and pushes him into the ropes only to get knocked down with a shoulder tackle! Edge goes into the ropes, jumps over Kingston, goes back into the ropes, and gets taken down by a nice dropkick by Jamaican Me-Crazy!! Kingston covers for a two count. Kingston then whips Edge into the ropes but Edge holds on to the top rope and exits the ring, leaving Kofi to jump by himself. Edge is regrouping as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
As we come back we see Kingston go into the ropes and get taken down by a back elbow by Edge! During the commercial break we saw Kingston attempt to rush Edge only to get back dropped over the top rope to the outside!
In the arena we see Edge bounce Kingston’s head off the top turnbuckle and lay a right hand into him. Kingston tries to come back with a kick to the midsection and some punches but Edge cuts him off with a kick and a hard Irish whip into the corner! Kingston writhes in pain as Edge covers him for a two count! Edge now locks on a waist lock! Kingston fights up to his feet and elbows Edge in the face, breaking the hold! Kingston goes into the ropes and gets dropped with a one man flapjack! Edge covers for a two and a half count!
Edge uncharacteristically goes to the top rope, only for Kingston to punch his legs out under him, putting him across the corner chest first! Kingston then kicks him in the sternum, putting Edge on the apron, and dropkicks him off the apron to the outside! Kingston then does a beautiful vaulting body press over the top rope! Kingston quickly puts Edge back in the ring.
Kingston ducks a clothesline by Edge, going into the ropes, and knocking him down with a flying clothesline! Edge quickly gets up only to get taken down by two Karate slaps! Kingston is now going all ?Jamaican Me-Crazy? as he dances around the ring before doing the Boom-Boom Leg! Kingston follows it up with a big splash for a two and a half count!!
Kingston waits for Edge to get up. Edge gets up in the corner and Kingston goes to whip him into the opposite corner but Edge reverses it only to have Kingston jump to the second rope! Edge charges and Kingston jumps over him! Kingston then high jumps to the top rope, sitting on Edge’s face while punching him. Tell me that’s not weird looking. Edge brings him out for a powerbomb but Kingston counters with a hurricanrana and hooks the legs for a two and a half count! Edge then pulls Kingston through the second rope to the outside just as Tazz is suggesting that Edge is off his game and distracted. Bad timing ? he’s been acting that way all match ? I?m just saying it was bad timing!
Edge goes to the outside and goes to put Kofi into the stairs but Kofi stuns him with a punch to the midsection and throws Edge head first into the steel stairs! Kingston throws him into the ring and climbs to the top rope! Kingston comes off with a BEAUTIFUL cross-body for a two and a half count!! Kingston has an Irish whip reversed on him and Edge takes him down with the big boot!
Edge now crazily waits for Kingston to get up for the Spear! Edge charges and Kingston vaults over him, hitting a sunset flip for a two and a half count!! Kingston goes for Trouble in Paradise but Edge blocks it, locking on Bret ?Hitman? Hart’s finisher, the Sharpshooter!! Edge really has Kingston bent as he desperately tries to reach for the ropes but has no choice but to tap out!!
Winner by Submission: Edge
Match Rating: ** ?
Later tonight we?ll see more of that Triple H breaking and entering crap. That was really silly.
Coming up next Carlito and Primo will attempt to unify the Tag Titles as they take on Miz and Morrison for the World Tag Team Titles!
-Commercial Break-
World Tag Team Championship Match
Miz & Morrison (c) vs. Carlito & Primo
Carlito and Primo make their way to the ring with the Bella Twins as we see a replay of the match for the WWE Tag Team Championships on Smackdown two weeks ago, where Carlito and Primo retained their titles.
Carlito and Morrison lock up in the center of the ring, starting the match for their teams. Carlito, quick as lightening, rolls up Morrison for a quick one count! Carlito then hits a quick small package for another one count! Morrison then charges and is hit with a backslide pin for a two count! Morrison angrily gets to his feet as Carlito smiles.
They circle the ring and lock up and this time Morrison gains the upper hand with a knee to the midsection. Morrison hits a European Uppercut, sending Carlito into the corner, and pummels him with punches and a knee to the midsection before the referee makes him back up. Morrison taunts Carlito and then whips him into the ropes. Carlito ducks his clothesline and springboards off the second rope with a back flip, landing on his feet when Morrison dodged it! Carlito then knees him in the midsection, goes into the ropes with a Million Dollar Knee Lift, continues into the ropes, and hits a clothesline for a two and a half count! Carlito whips Morrison hard into his corner and tags in his brother Primo!
Morrison holds on to the top rope as Carlito and Primo pull his legs, making him do a 180, landing on his face!! Primo covers for a near fall!! I like that move!! Primo picks Morrison up but is quickly stunned by a thrust to the throat! Morrison clubs Primo down and quickly (and desperately) tags in Miz!
Miz rushes in only to get a leap frog and a hurricanrana by Primo! Primo ducks a clothesline and hits a Russian Leg Sweep, with Primo rolling through for a two count! Primo has a whip into his corner reversed on him and Miz charges into Primo’s boots! Carlito makes the blind tag as both brothers springboard off the top rope with a double clothesline, Carlito covering for a two count! While this is going on, that referee must have seen his life flash before his eyes as Primo came close to falling on him after dropping Morrison with a dropkick!
Carlito bounces Miz’s head off the top turnbuckle and hits him with a left hand! Carlito whips him into the ropes but lowers his head and eats Miz’s boot! Miz goes into the ropes but Carlito ducks the clothesline, getting a waist lock on. Carlito pushes Miz towards Morrison but they stop before colliding. Miz then ducks Carlito as Morrison gets forearmed off the apron! Carlito then turns around and gets dropped by Miz with a leg sweep face buster! Miz grounds and pounds Carlito before pulling him to his corner and letting Morrison get the tag!
Miz catapults Carlito into Morrison’s forearm, causing him to fall back onto Miz’s knee, and Morrison vaults over the top rope with an elbow! Morrison gets a two and a half count! Morrison tags Miz back in and they do a double gut buster! Miz then tags Morrison back in and they hit a double team hot shot on Carlito! This gets Morrison another two and a half count! Morrison digs his knee into Carlito’s lower back and pulls back on his chin. He then converts it into a grounded Cobra Clutch. Somewhere Sergeant Slaughter is calling someone a maggot. The Bella Twins and Primo get everyone into it and Carlito gets to his feet! He tries to elbow out but Morrison catches him with a knee to the midsection and whips Carlito into the ropes but Carlito holds on! Morrison charges and eats a STIFF back elbow! Carlito ducks Miz’s interference on the apron, dropping him with a left hand! Carlito rolls under Morrison’s clothesline and tags in his brother!
Primo jumps over the top rope and blocks a punch by Morrison, coming back with a flurry of lefts! Primo takes him down with two nice clotheslines whips Morrison into the corner! Primo charges and hits a knee lifter in the corner before going into the ropes and taking him down with a diving back elbow! Primo does his cartwheel and jumping touching toes routine before dropkicking Morrison down for a two and a half count! Morrison stuns him with a punch to the midsection and an uppercut. Morrison whips him into the corner and charges only to eat some boots! Primo goes to the second rope, does the sign of the cross, and hits a diving head-butt! Miz runs in and gets thrown over the top rope! Primo whips Morrison into his corner and charges, jumping to the second rope, and tagging in his brother Carlito!
Primo hits the monkey flip and Morrison lands on his feet, smiling, then turns into a clothesline by Carlito, turning him inside out! Carlito covers for a two and a half count when the pin is broken up by Miz! Primo runs in and Miz ducks him, sending him over the top rope! Carlito then clotheslines Miz over the top rope but turns into a kick in the midsection and the Moonlight Drive!! Morrison covers Carlito to retain the World Tag Team Titles!
Winners & STILL World Tag Team Champions: Miz & Morrison
Match Rating: ** ?
The Bella Twins don?t look happy about this but the celebrating champions make them come with them! Carlito and Primo look upset while one of the Bella Twins actually holds Morrison’s hand while the other one doesn?t want anything to do with this! Brie Bella vs. Nikki Bella at WrestleMania! You heard it here first!
Our Main Event for tonight will be Undertaker trying to avenge his loss against Vladimir Kozlov! The Deadman vs. the Moscow Mauler! Also we?ll see more breaking and entering crap that played out like a B-Movie ? and that’s actually an insult to all B-Movies!
-Commercial Break-
Tazz thanks AC/DC for the use of their song ?War Machine,? one of the official theme songs they?ve given for WrestleMania 25!
We now get the Raw Recap with Triple H breaking into Randy Orton’s house for no reason. Why did he do it on live TV and not sometime over the weekend? I know it’s wrestling ? that’s the name of the game. Why were there so many screaming women in the house? That was just so stupid. I?m not eating this up because this is a ?Raw? storyline and I?m the Smackdown guy ? I?m eating this up because this was just stupid and insulting as a fan. I hated that garbage segment but I fear there’s more to come. That build is really rough.
R-Truth is coming out to the ring NOT through the crowd. He?ll be in tag team action next!
-Commercial Break-
WrestleMania 25 is 23 days away!! That’s about three weeks!!
R-Truth & MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin & Chavo Guerrero
Three out of four of these men have qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania! Poor Chavo!
R-Truth and Chavo Guerrero will start the match for their teams. They circle the ring before locking up. They struggle until Guerrero shoots behind and goes for a Full Nelson but R-Truth spins out only to get a snapmare! Guerrero goes for a chin lock but R-Truth quickly slithers down and kicks him in the temple! R-Truth gets up as Guerrero angrily charges with a clothesline but R-Truth splits under it, and takes him down with a deep arm drag, much like the soon to be Hall of Famer Ricky ?The Dragon? Steamboat would do! R-Truth then takes him down with a jumping heel kick, covering for a two and a half count! R-Truth wrenches the arm and tags in MVP!
MVP comes in and punches Guerrero in the midsection along with some knee lifts! MVP whips Guerrero into the ropes and takes him down with a flapjack! Guerrero’s tighty-Kerwin Whities are showing! MVP hits a knee on him for a two count! MVP locks on a butterfly on Guerrero and R-Truth tags in, punching Guerrero in the ribs!
R-Truth hits a nice suplex but Guerrero quickly rolls to his stomach and begins to get up. Guerrero then surprises him with a single leg takedown and pummels him with right hands. Guerrero gets R-Truth in a side headlock and goes to tag in Benjamin who just coldly stares at him, not offering his hand! He’s obviously upset over Chavo hitting him with the Frog Splash a few weeks back! R-Truth counters out of the headlock with a back suplex! R-Truth covers for a one count. Guerrero gets picked up by R-Truth but he’s able to power R-Truth into the corner and Benjamin makes the blind tag finally.
Benjamin and Guerrero stare at each other, leaving R-Truth to capitalize on a distracted United States Champion with right hands! Guerrero tries to get involved but gets dropped with a right. R-Truth hits a kick to the midsection and a European Uppercut. R-Truth has an Irish whip reversed on him and he’s taken down by a nice kitchen sink! This only gets him a one count. Benjamin shoots a half-nelson and knees R-Truth in the ribs. Benjamin then hits a gut buster while looking at MVP! He covers R-Truth for a two count! Guerrero wants the tag and, after thinking about it, Benjamin tags him in!
Guerrero kicks R-Truth in the ribs upon entering. Guerrero picks him up only to hit him again with a European Uppercut. R-Truth reaches for MVP but Guerrero is in his way so he starts shooting some right hands into his midsection but the crafty Guerrero hits him with a belly to belly side suplex and covers for a two count! Guerrero gets him in a side headlock and tags in Benjamin.
Benjamin comes in and punches a wide open R-Truth in the ribs Benjamin then methodically locks him in an abdominal stretch. MVP is going crazy on the apron getting people into it. It appears to be working and R-Truth punches out of it! He hits Benjamin with a knee to the midsection and hits a right hand. R-Truth goes into the ropes and jump on Benjamin, doing a wheelbarrow into a nice bulldog! Both men are down and their partners want the tag! R-Truth scores the tag to MVP!
MVP comes in like a house on fire, knocking Benjamin down with a clothesline, then a back elbow, and then a nice right hand! MVP whips Benjamin into the ropes and hits a belly to belly overhead suplex, covering for a two and a half count! MVP whips him into the ropes and gets a nice knee to the midsection and a European Uppercut. MVP goes into the ropes and takes Benjamin down with a flying forearm for a two count! MVP ducks a clothesline and hits Benjamin with a throat thrust and a face buster! MVP now gets the tired crowd into it and hits his BALLIN? Elbow! MVP covers for a two and a half count again!
MVP sizes Benjamin up and then stops Guerrero interfering, punching him and then hip tossing him into the ring! R-Truth charges Guerrero but is made to look a fool when he’s back dropped over the top rope, landing with a thud! MVP then clotheslines Guerrero over the top rope but turn into Pay Dirt giving Benjamin the easy 1, 2, 3! I don?t like how they used this finish two matches in a row. Poor planning there.
Winners by Pinfall: Shelton Benjamin & Chavo Guerrero
Match Rating: **
Backstage Matt Hardy is walking with a cold look on his face. He?ll be telling all next!
Friday Night Smackdown’s 500th episode is next week!! Superstars on all three brands will be there!! You be there too!!
-Commercial Break-
The WWE Smack of the Week is brought to us by AutoZone. It’s the Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin Money in the Bank Qualifying Match last week. Hardy looked to have it locked up but his evil brother Matt punches Benjamin, causing the disqualification!
Matt Hardy now makes his way to the ring to a chorus of boos. He gets in the ring and says as we all know the black cloud continues to loom over Jeff Hardy’s head, and will continue to do so until he sucks it up, becomes a man, and decides to fight him! Matt says he came out tonight to get things off his chest ? some things he tried to communicate to Jeff Hardy but, of course, he didn?t listen. Tonight he’s going to FORCE him to listen!
Matt mentions that Jeff went through a lot this past year. A lot of ups, downs ? highs, and lows. He couldn?t compete last year at WrestleMania because he was suspended because he was out having a little too much fun. As for him he couldn?t compete at WrestleMania because he was injured ? he had a LEGITIMATE injury. However since day one of Jeff’s suspension no one cared about Matt. ?No one gave a damn about ME or my injury!? Everyone wanted to know about Jeff ? ?Is Jeff getting the help he needs,? ?Is Jeff going to be returning to the ring,? ?What is Jeff thinking?? Matt says Jeff didn?t have a care in the world at that time ? everything was business as usual. He locked himself in his studio and recorded songs, painted pictures, and refused to be responsible for his own actions, and like always everyone expected Matt Hardy to come over and pick up the pieces. He looks disgusted.
Matt then mentions that Jeff has suffered a lot of unfortunate accidents. He was attacked in the stairwell, his car was run off the road, and there was the pyro incident. Hardy wonders who could have done this ? a group of people, someone holding a grudge, or perhaps just ONE person! There is one day in particular that Matt remembers clearly. Shortly after Jeff’s suspension, Jeff and his girlfriend Beth left their house. While they were gone they received a call by Matt, saying Jeff’s house was on fire! Matt didn?t watch it ? he could only picture in his mind Jeff losing everything he?d worked so hard for. All his recordings and art work. Jeff wanted Matt to rescue his dog Jack but Jack didn?t make it. Sometimes accidents turn into tragedies that are incredibly hard to believe!
Matt now pulls out a dog collar, presumably Jack’s. He smells it and looks repulsed. He holds it up to the camera and asks Jeff if he remembers it or what’s left of it. He found it the day after Jeff lost everything in a heap of ashes and he’s been holding on to it for a very long time. He?d decided he?d give it to him when the time was right and the time is now. He wants to give it to him now as a token of his love for his brother Jeff Hardy!
Jeff Hardy now walks out to no music and just gets right in the ring. Jeff circles him a few times before ripping the microphone out of Matt’s hands. Jeff says this is so hard to believe ? Matt’s behind everything that’s happened to him! Jeff can?t believe Matt would try to blow him up and he never believed his own flesh and blood could be capable of something so horrible! Jeff tells him not to bring up his house, dog, and everything he loves! Jeff says that Matt wants to hurt him and that he hates him! Matt doesn?t love Jeff ? he hates him! Jeff then says, ?But you know what, Matthew Moore Hardy? You hate yourself more than you could ever know!? Jeff says Matt is sick, twisted, and demented? and so is he!!
Jeff then spears Matt down and pummels him with right hands!! Matt Hardy rolls out of the ring cowering and pleading his sorrow!! He says he loves Jeff and is sorry!! Jeff is in the ring looking sad and intense!! Matt walks up the ramp looking scared but halfway up he smiles!! What a segment!!
-Commercial Break-
We see replays of what just happened between Matt and Jeff Hardy!
We see a replay of what happened on Monday Night Raw with Maryse beating Melina and then the big brawl afterwards. Jim Ross then mentions that the winner of the Diva Battle Royal would be named ?Miss WrestleMania!?
Michelle McCool & Maryse vs. Maria & Melina
Maria and Michelle McCool will start the match out. They lock up but McCool quickly gets a knee in her midsection! McCool hits a right hand and whips her into the ropes only to be taken down by a Lou Thesz Press, with Maria bouncing the back of McCool’s head off the canvas! Maria kicks McCool in the ribs, clotheslines her down, and hits some forearms! Maria whips her into the ropes but lowers her head and McCool slams her back by her hair! McCool then forearms her in the back of the head and pummels her with some European Uppercuts and punches. McCool wrenches the neck and uses the second rope for leverage, prompting the referee to make her break the hold! She then knees her a few times in the face and face plants her. Maria is selling well as McCool kicks her down. McCool hits a European Uppercut and whips Maria into the corner but Maria is able to put the brakes on and charge out, with both Divas clunking heads!
The referee is counting them down. He gets to eight and they both make the tags! Melina cuts Maryse off with a kick to the midsection and some forearms! Melina then goes into the ropes and kills her with a clothesline! Melina throws her down and covers for a two count! Melina has a whip into the corner reversed on her. Maryse runs into her boots and Melina comes off the second rope with a senton! Melina stands over her and Maryse stuns her with a kick in the head! Maryse gets a front face lock on and goes for the tag to Michelle McCool but she won?t tag in, similarly to what Shelton Benjamin did in the previous match. Melina then locks her in an inside cradle for the win!
Winners by Pinfall: Maria & Melina
Match Rating: *
Michelle McCool walks away and Maryse turns her around and they brawl! They brawl all over the ring until Maryse is able to escape! Jim Ross mentions this means it’s Smackdown 1, Raw 1. Actually it’s Smackdown 2, Raw 1 as Maria was in this match as well! So I guess you could really say it’s Smackdown 1.5, Raw .5. Whatever!
Backstage Edge is lamenting his woes over to Chavo Guerrero. Edge asks if Chavo saw it and he did. Edge says John Cena humiliated him on Raw and now he has to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Big Show AND John Cena! Edge wonders how she got them in this mess and how she could cheat, since he’s such a ?loving? husband. Oh, yeah, summer 2008 was a real happy time for them! He says he’s loving and faithful! Chavo says he knows her better than anyone and Edge speculates whether he went with Vickie too! Chavo says he doesn?t know her that well but that they?re related by marriage, not blood! Edge then puts his hands around Chavo’s throat and pushes him against the wall! Edge asks if everyone is conspiring against him. He says he won?t be played that way and NO ONE is going to take his championship!!
Up next is the final Money in the Bank Qualifying Match between Finlay and The Brian Kendrick!
They profile WrestleMania XX, which I was at. It?ll be interesting to see how they do this without Chris Benoit in it! They profile most of the matches but strangely leave out Undertaker’s return and the World Heavyweight Championship match! Sad that they just can?t get over it ? everyone else did. What he did was horrible but you can?t erase history ? he did exist and win your top prize!
-Commercial Break-
Did you know WWE is available in more television households in China than the MLB and NFL combined?
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Finlay vs. The Brian Kendrick
This will determine the final participant in a match also featuring CM Punk, Kane, Mark Henry, Christian, Kofi Kingston, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin!
Before the bell rings Ezekiel Jackson drills Finlay with a forearm! Charles Robinson kicks him out of the ring! Robinson then checks on Finlay’s condition but he looks more pissed than hurt!
Robinson calls for the bell and The Kendrick charges and Finlay scoops him right up and slams him down hard! Finlay hits a European Uppercut and twists his arm a few times before pulling him down by his hair and covering for a one count! Finlay tries to drag The Kendrick away but The Kendrick kicks him off. The Kendrick then gets on the apron and Robinson forces Finlay away!
The Kendrick comes in and slaps Finlay in the face, pissing Finlay off more! The Kendrick then bails and Finlay chases! The Kendrick gets right behind Ezekiel, stopping Finlay in his tracks! Jackson then grabs the shillelagh and throws it away! Finlay now is telling Jackson to bring it and The Kendrick blindsides him with a suicide dive! The Kendrick poses before bouncing Finlay’s head off the apron, and putting him back in the ring.
The Kendrick climbs to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick on Finlay! The Kendrick covers for a two and a half count! The Kendrick hits some crossfaces and locks on a sleeper hold with his legs wrapped around Finlay! Finlay eventually gets to a knee, turning it into a side headlock, and Finlay takes him down with a sit-out jawbreaker, which looks like a Stone Cold Stunner. The Kendrick no sold it and dropkicked him down!
The Kendrick went to baseball slide him out of the ring but Finlay just stepped out and pummeled The Kendrick with some punches! Finlay eggs Ezekiel on and then catches The Kendrick in the ring apron, pummeling him with forearms! Finlay puts The Kendrick in the ring and clotheslines him down hard! Finlay does it again and hits his running seated splash! Finlay goes to the second rope and Ezekiel distracts him by getting on the apron. Finlay gets off to yell at him and turns into a jumping heel kick by The Kendrick!
Finlay counters The Kendrick going for The Kendrick by driving his shoulder into his midsection! Finlay then hits the Celtic Cross for a three count! Finlay is going to WrestleMania!
Winner by Pinfall: Finlay
Match Rating: * ?
Finlay celebrates his win with his son Hornswoggle! Finlay is the final man entered into Money in the Bank!
Coming up next is Undertaker vs. Vladimir Kozlov!!
-Commercial Break-
Tazz thanks Kid Rock for the use of the song ?So Hott,? another official theme song of WrestleMania 25.
We now take a look at John Cena’s nemesis in 12 Rounds Miles Jackson. I?m not impressed at all. This looks like crap. Who has money to waste in this economy?
Jim Ross and Tazz now break some major news! It’s official ? it?ll be Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy at WrestleMania 25! Also we?ll see Edge take on Big Show and John Cena with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line! Undertaker will take on Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton will attempt to take the WWE Championship!
Undertaker makes his entrance. He?ll face Vladimir Kozlov next!
-Commercial Break-
The WWE Rewind is brought to us by Resident Evil 5! It’s Vladimir Kozlov defeating Undertaker two weeks ago on Smackdown!
Undertaker vs. Vladimir Kozlov
Jim Ross mentions that Vladimir Kozlov has never lost on Friday Night Smackdown.
The referee calls for the bell and Undertaker immediately big boots Kozlov down! Undertaker puts Kozlov in the corner and pummels him with right hands and a kick to the midsection! Taker whips him hard into the opposite corner and clotheslines him down! Undertaker hits some elbows for a two count! Undertaker approaches Kozlov, who is near the ropes, and he pulls Undertaker out of the ring!
Kozlov follows Undertaker to the outside and bounces his head off the announcer’s table! Kozlov hits him with a punch and bounces his head off the table again! Kozlov puts him back in the ring and walks right into a right hand by Undertaker! Kozlov under-hooks both of Taker’s arms and head-butts him three times in the heart, sending Undertaker through the ropes!
Kozlov follows Undertaker to the outside and poses to the crowd. He peppers Undertaker with some punches and goes to whip him into the barricade but it gets reversed on him and Kozlov lands with a thud! Undertaker rolls in the ring to break the count and then clotheslines Kozlov over the barricade!
-Commercial Break-
We come back to see Undertaker hits a leg on Kozlov on the apron! Undertaker walks around outside for a second before getting back in the ring. Kozlov is in the corner and Undertaker charges him with a high knee! Undertaker then hits some right hands on him and some kicks! Undertaker than chokes him in the corner and rolls his eyes back, much like he did when he first debuted in 1990! That’s old school and that makes me happy! Undertaker than intimidates the referee away.
Kozlov hits Undertaker with a punch in the midsection but it doesn?t faze him as he simply punches him in the face! Undertaker than has an Irish whip reversed on him in the corner. Kozlov charges and eats a big boot! Undertaker quickly goes into the ropes and gets powerslammed for a two count! Kozlov punches him in the kidneys and drives his shoulder into his midsection in the corner! Kozlov does the old ?rope-a-dope? (though Undertaker is no dope!) and chokes him against the ropes! Kozlov assaults Undertaker with more punches and drives his shoulder into his midsection again. The referee backs him away.
Undertaker is dazed in the corner but when Kozlov approaches he springs to life, grabbing him by the throat, and throwing Kozlov in the corner, pummeling him with punches! Out of no where Kozlov shoots a single leg takedown and punches him a few times, covering for a two count! Kozlov then gets a chin lock on Undertaker on the ground. The crowd tries to get Undertaker in to it but Kozlov really has him locked in. Undertaker eventually gets to his knees and punches out! Undertaker punches him again but Kozlov just clotheslines him down and covers for a two and a half count! Kozlov then goes right back to the chin lock! Undertaker eventually powers to his feet and back suplexes out of it!!
Both men are down and in pain but Undertaker sits up! Kozlov and Undertaker trade punches with Undertaker coming out on top! Taker whips him into the corner and hits a corner clothesline! Taker whips him again, hits snake eyes, and goes for the big boot but Kozlov hits him with the Battering Ram Head-Butt!! Undertaker barely kicked out!!
Undertaker then sits up and hits him with a ton of punches! He whips him into the corner and viciously clotheslines him down! Undertaker goes for Old School and hits it perfectly unlike two weeks ago! Undertaker signals for the Chokeslam and hits it!! Undertaker now signals for the Tombstone!! He lifts Kozlov up and hits the Tombstone Piledriver, pinning Vladimir Kozlov for the first time on Friday Night Smackdown!!
Winner by Pinfall: Undertaker
Match Rating: ** ?
Undertaker poses while Jim Ross and Tazz are left wondering if this was Undertaker sending a direct, violent message to the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels! This will conclude Smackdown for Friday the 13th!
Quick Match Results
Edge def. Kofi Kingston via Submission (non-title)
World Tag Titles: Miz & Morrison* def. Carlito* & Primo to RETAIN
Shelton Benjamin* & Chavo Guerrero def. R-Truth & MVP*
Maria & Melina* def. Michelle McCool & Maryse*
MITB Qualifier: Finlay def. The Brian Kendrick
Undertaker def. Vladimir Kozlov
Bump of the Night: R-Truth getting back body dropped over the top rope!
Match of the Night: Edge def. Kofi Kingston ** ?
Mike’s Thoughts
Before I start I?d just like to mention how excited I am about Smackdown’s 500th episode next week! It’s going to be a terrific show ? don?t miss it!
This was a very good, wrestling heavy Smackdown, and since this is a wrestling show, I?m VERY happy about that! On the flip side not much was done in terms of build for WrestleMania as most of that was done on Raw? and not done well.
The World Heavyweight Championship match is officially determined even though we all knew it was coming since last week. I liked sitting on the edge of my seat and wishing I knew what secret Cena had told and I wish they?d kept that going. Cena got what he wanted ? why would he just give up his big secret just like that? I wish they kept that going so we?d have more stuff to hang on. Now that it’s all out in the open we had no Vickie Guerrero or Big Show tonight ? how does that help build for Smackdown’s title main event? I was disappointed with that.
On the other hand I wasn?t disappointed with the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels segment. That’s old school and that works best. It was just enough to leave the fans salivating and wanting more! Undertaker doesn?t need to ?break into? Shawn Michaels? home to drive the angle home ? all you need is a microphone and a little talent. That segment with Triple H and Randy Orton was just so blatantly phony it was almost embarrassing? and that’s the real Main Event. Yikes!
The Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy match is official after tonight. Another great segment by the two brothers! They?re pretty similar, in my view, to Bret and Owen Hart in that maybe they weren?t the best promo guys (?and that’s why I kicked your leg out of your leg!!?) but they were close enough to bring real feelings and emotion into their feud. That’s what’s going on here. I hope to see them go at it into the summer. I can?t wait for their match at WrestleMania!
My one criticism of tonight is the three tag matches. The first one for the World Tag Team Titles was fantastic but the next two used almost the same finish as the Tag Title Match or employed one of its spots. Did the same agent produce all three of these matches? Was his mind a little blank so he just used the same finish twice in a row and then used a spot in the second one in the third one? That was a little strange but it didn?t really hurt the show or the matches. There just needs to be some attention to detail sometimes.
My friend Lisa Arpino was at this event like I mentioned last week ? I?m still jealous a week and a half later!
All in all a very good Smackdown, wrestling wise, and it did some good for the Road to WrestleMania. I expect Smackdown 500 will be even better!
Final Smackdown Rating: ** ?
As always I?d love to hear all those who liked the recap and even those who didn?t!
E-Mail ? MikeyT817@hotmail.com
See you next week for Smackdown’s 500th episode!!
Thanks for reading!