WWE Smackdown
February 20, 2009
Portland, OR
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com
No WWE introduction video this week as we just jump right into a video recap of No Way Out, a Pay Per View that was VERY good to the Smackdown brand! We see highlights of the first Elimination Chamber for the WWE Championship which was the best one on the card in my extremely unbiased opinion. WWE Champion Edge was pinned in the first three minutes guaranteeing us a new champion at the end of the match. In a match that saw Vladimir Kozlov be pinned for the first time on TV, Jeff Hardy Swanton Bomb Big Show off the top of the pod, and some crazy Tombstone Piledrivers, in the end Triple H defeated Undertaker (and not for the first time) to become a thirteen time WWE Champion! After the match Edge begged Vickie to restart the match but she flat out told him it was his fault and he lost! Skip forward to the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber and we see Edge eliminate Kofi Kingston during his entrance. After that Vickie Guerrero, the highest ranking official in charge, put Edge in the match. He then beat all those Raw hacks and became the World Heavyweight Champion! Smackdown now has two World Champions!!
Justin Roberts is in the ring and he introduces the NEW World Heavyweight Champion Edge! Edge comes out looking crazy as usual as Jim Ross and Tazz welcome us to Smackdown. I hope Edge does the WRONG, WRONG, WRONG thing he did on Raw!
Edge soaks in the boos before saying that he knows each and every one of us wanted him to come out this week on Smackdown without the WWE Championship so we could taunt, jeer, and boo him just to rub it in. We wanted this because none of us have ever accomplished anything in life and we don?t want him to either. Edge says he’s a little different than us because he’s a winner and not a loser. When he sees an opportunity he takes it. He’s not afraid to take a chance so when he saw that Kofi Kingston couldn?t participate in the Elimination Chamber, he offered his services, and he shows us the fruits of that service ? the World Heavyweight Championship!
Edge says he is the first Superstar to compete in not just one, but TWO Elimination Chambers in one night! Because of that he stands here before us for a historic eighth time as our World Heavyweight Champion! Edge holds the title over his head and his music hits.
Jeff Hardy’s music now hits and he comes out sporting some really interesting face paint! He gets a hell of a pop this Oregon crowd! Hardy says the Edge did it but before he can complete the sentence he is cut off by a ?Hardy? chant! Hardy says Edge walked into No Way Out as a champion and he left a champion. Some people say that’s skill, that it takes guts. Some people even call him the ?Ultimate Opportunist.? Maybe he is, maybe he isn?t but we can all agree that he gets special privileges just because he’s married to a PITIFUL excuse of a General Manager!!
Edge asks if Jeff Hardy wants to come out and whine and complain just like John Cena on Raw. He says it’s bad enough that he had to go to Raw to address Cena and now he has to come to Smackdown just to be threatened like Cena did. Hardy says that’s not the case ? he’s just here to challenge Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship? TONIGHT!
The crowd is really buzzing now and they?re chanting ?Hardy!? Edge asks him what gives him the right ? is he taking those illegal substances again? Edge reminds him that he lost on Sunday, giving him no claim to a Championship match against him for the World Heavyweight Championship. Hardy then reminds him that the only reason he isn?t WWE Champion is because he pinned him in three minutes!
Edge asks if the people liked that and they cheer. He then asks them if they want to see him face Jeff Hardy and they really do! Edge says it isn?t going to happen no matter what Jeff Hardy does. There’s no way he’s going to compete against him here tonight! He asks if Jeff got it and Jeff says maybe he can try persuading his boss and wife because she does wear the pants in the family! Edge is her puppet ? she pulls the strings and he dances! Let’s face it ? if Edge wants to go to the bathroom, he has to raise his hand!
Edge is pissed now. He goes for a clothesline which Hardy ducks and hits the World Heavyweight Champion with a Twist of Fate!! Hardy leaves the ring with the fan’s approval as JR and Tazz talk about how Edge just got punked out.
Tonight we?ll be seeing a sit down interview Jim Ross had with the new WWE Champion Triple H concerning what happened at the end of Raw when Shane McMahon took on Randy Orton in an unsanctioned fight.
We now get a recap of what happened at the end of Raw with the unsanctioned fight. After DiBiase and Rhodes interrupted it, Orton punted Shane’s head into the rafters. After that Stephanie McMahon came out and got the RKO which led to Triple H running down to the ring? crying?
-Commercial Break-
Vickie Guerrero is texting when there is a knock at the door and it’s Kizarny! He says knock-knock in carnie talk and Vickie asks, ?Who’s there? leading to Edge storming in and kicking Kizarny out. That was stupid. Edge asks if she can believe that Jeff Hardy attacked him and said he’s her puppet. Edge says he’s making the decision and he’s facing Jeff Hardy TONIGHT! Vickie says as General Manager of Smackdown she can make that happen but she is not inclined to make it a Championship Match. Edge says of course not because that would be STUPID! Vickie looks a little upset and Edge apologizes.
Michelle McCool & Maryse vs. Eve Torres & Maria
This is Maryse’s first match back since dislocating her kneecap at a house show! This is her first televised match since winning the Diva’s Championship after defeating Michelle McCool! Also interesting to note that they changed Eve’s music so for all of those who bought the voices CD ? it’s already outdated! The moral of the story ? stop buying the WWE CDs.
Jack Doane rings the bell and it?ll be Maria starting this match out against Michelle McCool. The two lock up but McCool quickly gets Maria in a hammerlock and pushes her down to the mat ? disrespectfully I might add! McCool then kicks her in the ribs, picks her up, and punches her down again. She kicks her in the head, picks her up, and hits a European Uppercut. McCool has an Irish whip reversed on her and Maria hits a pretty bad looking monkey flip and then follows it up with a clothesline. Maria goes to tag Eve in but Maryse comes up behind her and punches her down! Doane kicks her out as McCool hits another European Uppercut and a kick to the midsection. McCool then throws her out of the ring!
Outside the ring Maryse kicks Maria a few times but the referee doesn?t see as he is distracted by the other two Divas! Maryse finishes her off with a kick to the ribs! McCool then puts Maria back in the ring and goes to pin her but Maria surprises her with an inside cradle however McCool kicks out at one! McCool quickly kicks her before she gets to Eve. McCool hits another European Uppercut and then suplexes Maria gut first onto the top rope! McCool then quickly goes into the ropes and low kicks Maria’s face as she dangles on the top rope. Maria crashes to the mat and McCool pins her for a two and a half count! McCool gets a neck vice on and knees her in the ribs a few times. McCool then hits a Russian Leg Sweep and pins Maria for another two and a half count! McCool bounces Maria’s head off her turnbuckle and forcefully tags in the Diva’s Champion Maryse!
Maryse comes in and hits a kick to the midsection followed by a forearm to the face. She arrogantly pushes Maria’s face a few times causing Maria to forearm her in the midsection. She goes for a clothesline but Maryse ducks it and hits a Stroke! Maryse takes some time looking arrogantly at McCool before covering Maria and getting a two and a half count! Maryse quickly gets on Maria’s back and pulls back her head, taking time to rub her face in the mat! Eve gets the crowd into it and Maria is able to get to her feet but Maryse knocks her down again! Maryse talks some trash in Maria’s face and Maria kicks her in the head, stunning her! Maria then runs and tags in Eve!
Eve rushes in and clotheslines Maryse, following that up with a dropkick, and follows that up with another dropkick! Eve kicks her in the midsection and hits a suplex followed by a float over to a cover and a count of two! Eve hits some forearms and a knee to the midsection before whipping Maryse into the corner! Eve mounts the second rope for the ten punches. McCool motions to get in, prompting Maria to try and get in, distracting the referee! McCool then kicks Eve in the face, causing Eve to fall back to the mat hard! Maryse talks trash before knocking Maria off the apron! She picks up the easy pin over Eve after that!
Winners by Pinfall: Michelle McCool & Maryse
Match Rating: * ?
The tension is a little strong between Maryse and Michelle McCool but in the end they both get their hands raised.
Coming up next is highlights of the date the Bella Twins had with Miz and Morrison!
-Commercial Break-
Just for Men presents the Smack of the Night, which is last week’s non-title match putting Carlito and Primo against Miz and Morrison with a Valentine’s Day date with the Bella Twins on the line. Miz and Morrison cheated to win the match and the date with the Bella Twins!
Its 8:15 on Valentine’s Day and Miz and Morrison have just sat down with the Bella Twins. Miz pours champagne for the table and Morrison reveals that he’s wearing a sports coat? with no shirt. He says he’s hot. Miz proposes a toast ? in life there are winners and losers ? they toast to Valentine’s Day with them and not the Colons ? saying it like an actual colon. One of the Bella Twins say ?Salute? and Miz forces the champagne down on her! They say before they drink they need food in their stomachs. Miz and Morrison then complain that the service is horrible and scream for the waiter or garcon as the Bella Twins act embarrassed.
Jump to 9:25 on Valentine’s Day. Morrison complains that his chicken is burnt ? it actually is. The waiter ? who looks familiar ? comes over and says they?re getting complaints. Miz asks if the waiter is stupid and he says no. Morrison then shows off his abs and says that he didn?t get those by eating butter, leading him to asking why there is butter on his crab leg. Miz takes his plate and gives it to the waiter and forcibly takes one of the Bella’s plates and gives it as well, to her disapproval, of course. Miz tells him to get them a new server.
Its 9:30 and we?re in the kitchen. Primo (disguised as the waiter) says he doesn?t get it ? he spit in their food and burned their chicken but they wouldn?t eat it! He taps the chef on the shoulder which turns out to be Carlito! He’s wearing a long blond wig and a horrible blond mustache. Primo says he thought he looked stupid and Carlito says he does. Carlito says Primo could give the news on Telemundo, whereas he looks like a young Brad Pitt! Primo says to forget about that ? they have a problem. They won?t eat and they want a new waiter. Carlito says he has a plan!
Its 9:59 and both brothers approach the table? with pies! Primo says he’s very sorry for the poor service tonight but dessert is compliments of the chef. Miz says he recognizes the waiter and Morrison rips the wig off to reveal its Primo! Miz rips Carlito’s wig off as well! Primo throws his pie but it hits one of the Bella Twins! Carlito makes the same mistake! Miz and Morrison escape un-pied as Carlito and Primo try to plead their innocence! They put some pie in their face and walk off while Carlito yells to them that they would bring them to J.C. Penny’s! Primo blames this on Carlito and he’s just concerned that they called them colons again!
It’s announced that next week Carlito and Primo will be putting the WWE Tag Team Championships on the line against Miz and Morrison! If Miz and Morrison win they?ll be undisputed Tag Team Champions!
Shelton Benjamin now makes his way to the ring. We see a replay of MVP’s match against Chavo Guerrero which was interrupted by Shelton Benjamin hitting Pay Dirt on MVP! Guerrero followed that up with a Frog Splash! Next Shelton Benjamin will team with Chavo Guerrero!
-Commercial Break-
JR thanks AC/DC for the use of their song ?Shoot to Thrill,? the official theme song of WrestleMania 25! Still to come tonight is Edge vs. Jeff Hardy in a non-title match, as well as JR’s exclusive interview with Triple H!
R-Truth makes his entrance through the arena rapping his song which is kind of growing on me a bit. I?d like to say R-Truth is as well but I can?t. R-Truth is double teamed by Chavo and Benjamin as he makes his entrance! MVP runs down to break up the double team and the referees run down to break it up! We?ll get this all sorted out over the break because this is supposed to be a tag match!
-Commercial Break-
Handicap Match
Shelton Benjamin & Chavo Guerrero vs. MVP
This will be a Handicap Match since R-Truth cannot compete!
We join the match already in progress and see MVP shoot Benjamin into the ropes and clothesline him down! MVP follows it up with a back elbow! MVP whips Benjamin into the ropes but makes the mistake of lowering his head and pays for it with a kick in the chops! Benjamin goes for Pay Dirt but MVP counters with a belly to belly overhead suplex! MVP quickly covers but only gets a one count. MVP punches Benjamin in the face and looks towards Guerrero, giving Benjamin the opening to hit him in the midsection. Benjamin forces MVP into the corner and tags in Chavo Guerrero!
Guerrero delivers some right hands to MVP but he’s able to block one and come up with some right hands of his own! MVP whips Guerrero into the ropes and hits a tremendous back body-drop! MVP sends him into the ropes again and hits a one man flapjack! MVP shoots a half nelson and pins Guerrero for a count of one. MVP picks Guerrero up but Guerrero is able to sneak in a few right hands. Guerrero hits a European Uppercut and MVP quickly gets a throat thrust on him! MVP then hits his version of the face-buster and follows it up with his BALLIN? elbow-drop! MVP covers and it is broken up at two by an interfering Shelton Benjamin, who quickly jumped over the top rope and stomped his head! MVP responds by punching Benjamin off the apron! MVP now puts Guerrero in the corner and goes for the Drive By Kick but Benjamin pulls him away, leaving MVP to painfully hook his leg on the top rope! Guerrero tags in the United States Champion!
Benjamin comes in and stomps MVP’s head before doing the ground and pound. He follows it up with some crossfaces. Benjamin kicks him in the ribs. He hits a snapmare and locks in a chin lock! MVP gets to his feet and punches out! He goes into the ropes and Benjamin surprises him with an Exploder (T-Bone) Suplex! Benjamin covers for a two and a half count! Benjamin waits for MVP to get up but gets too close to his own corner and Guerrero makes the blind tag in!
Guerrero comes in as Benjamin looks confused and hits MVP with a kick to the midsection and a European Uppercut. Guerrero hits a second uppercut, which floors MVP, and he covers for a two and a half count! Guerrero stomps MVP and locks on an arm bar but quickly switches it to a front face lock. This leads to Guerrero hitting the Three Amigos! I haven?t seen that done completely in a while! Uncle Eddie would be proud! Guerrero now signals for the Frog Splash and Benjamin blind tags in!
Guerrero isn?t happy about this and blind sides Benjamin with a forearm to the back of the head! Guerrero goes to the top rope and hits a Frog Splash on Shelton Benjamin! He then leaves the ring, leaving MVP to hit Benjamin with the Drive By and pin him for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: MVP
Match Rating: **
Chavo Guerrero mouths off to MVP as JR and Tazz discuss that both MVP and Chavo want that United States Championship. Too bad there can?t be a United States Championship or Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania because these guys are needed for the Money in the Bank. Hopefully this year though?
Up next is Jim Ross? interview with Triple H. JR says it’s intense!
-Commercial Break-
Did you know that WWE had more live events last year than the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL combined? Wow, you don?t say! Is it because none of those leagues ever play overseas except for special, one time only things? Seriously, that’s not something to toot your own horn about.
JR’s interview with the new WWE Champion Triple H is taking place now. It’s going to be good so I?ll provide a word for word transcription for you.
-Earlier today-
JR: Ladies and gentlemen, momentarily we?ll be joined by Triple H and we?ll get his comments on the atrocious actions of Randy Orton ?on? this past Monday night’s Raw. For those of you that may not have seen this tasteless incident, please take a look.
-We see a video package of Orton punting the entire McMahon family except for Linda and the kids. He says its cause by IED ? Intermittent Explosive Disorder. That wouldn?t be a play on words for Improvised Explosive Devices ? you know the things terrorists use to kill our soldiers? Nice going, WWE! This video took way too long.-
-JR is joined by Triple H-
JR: Hunter, what are your reactions, your thoughts after seeing that video tape?
Triple H: JR, Randy Orton’s been walking a fine line around here for a while now. This past week on Raw he put his hands (pauses). A lot of people may not like my father-in-law Vince McMahon but he’s a sixty-three year old man. Randy Orton kicked him in the head and then he hid behind doctors and lawyers. He did the same thing to my brother-in-law Shane for trying to defend his father. And then (clears throat) he put his hands on my wife.
(Triple H looks at the camera)
Triple H: You?ve crossed the line, Orton, one you can?t come back. Stephanie is the mother of my children.
(Triple H gets up and leaves)
-Commercial Break-
Still to come tonight is Edge vs. Jeff Hardy in a non-title match!
Scotty Goldman vs. Umaga
JR mentions that WWE.com’s Goldman may get the delete button pushed on him tonight. He has no idea how right he is.
Umaga enters the ring and immediately punches Goldman. Charles Robinson calls for the bell and the match is officially started. Umaga punches him in the corner a few times before taking him to the middle of the ring and hitting his spinning sidewalks slam, dumping Goldman on his head! Ouch!! Umaga whips him into the corner and charges but Goldman moves. Goldman goes to the second rope and jumps off into Umaga’s foot!! Umaga now puts him in the corner and hits a devastating Samoan Wrecking Ball!! Good God!! Umaga then tosses him up and Samoan Spikes him out of the air!! Umaga ends the match and Goldman’s WWE career. I?ll definitely have some commentary about this in my thoughts below.
Winner by Pinfall: Umaga
Match Rating: *
The WrestleMania Rewind is WrestleMania 14 which was in the Boston Gardens! This was a great one. They compared this as the start of a Revolution, much like a certain Revolution that started in Boston in 1775. This event saw Stone Cold Steve Austin win the WWF Championship for the first time and put Shawn Michaels on a four year hiatus. Tyson punched him out of the WWF for a while.
Vickie Guerrero is coming towards the ring. She has a major announcement to make. What will it be?
-Commercial Break-
The Smack of the Week is brought to us by AutoZone. It’s this past Monday night’s Raw with JBL saying he?d had an epiphany where he goes to WrestleMania and defeats the Undertaker, ending the streak. This brings out a newly ?emancipated? Shawn Michaels who said if anyone is going to face Undertaker at WrestleMania 25, it’s him! They set up a match against one another next week with the winner earning the right to challenge Undertaker at WrestleMania!
Justin Roberts asks us to welcome Smackdown’s General Manager Vickie Guerrero! She excuses herself and says she has something very important to say. She excuses herself and asks for a little bit of courtesy! She says she doesn?t know who Shawn Michaels and John Bradshaw Layfield think they are. They both think they can break Undertaker’s winning record at WrestleMania of 16-0 but neither of them are worthy of that challenge. Last time she checked, Undertaker is on her show! If anyone is going to take that challenge, it?ll be the man who is undefeated in singles competition. Ladies and Gentlemen, Vladimir Kozlov!
Vickie says to prove that Kozlov is worthy of this challenge, he will beat the Undertaker in a match next week on Smackdown before he defeats him at WrestleMania!
Kozlov takes the microphone and speaks in Russian. All I can make out is Shawn Michaels, JBL, Undertaker, and WrestleMania. He then translates that Shawn Michaels and JBL are not undefeated. He will destroy one of them on Raw. Then he will break Undertaker on Smackdown and WrestleMania! That’s all she wrote! Kozlov goes to Raw Monday and will face Undertaker next week!
Still to come tonight is Edge taking on Jeff Hardy in a non-title match!
A video showcasing Gail Kim plays!! She’s coming to Smackdown!! Yes!!
-Commercial Break-
WrestleMania 25 is FORTY-FOUR days away!!
JR and Tazz get some breaking information that Triple H is heading to Nashville on Monday night where Raw will be and he?ll be confronting Randy Orton!
Stone Cold Steve Austin is the first inductee into the Class of 2009 Hall of Fame. We?ll take a look at the next two inductees ? those guys who live in Amarillo, Texas, Terry and Dory Funk!
Since you can?t get a look because you?re reading this, let me just say that the Funks are two of my favorite guys to ever wrestle. They were a great tag team but they were even better as singles competitors. They were so unique. Dory, Jr. was the classic wrestler. He was the guy with the cowboy hat and easy going, really non-threatening promos during the 60s and 70s. He was also NWA Champion for quite a long time ? and a damn good one too! Terry Funk started out the same way but he was a more different character than Dory. He was a tremendous wrestler in his own right but he really stood out as a person who transcended the business. You ever wonder how hardcore became mainstream? It’s this guy right here. There were other guys, like The Sheik and Abdullah the Butcher, who were hardcore before him but he’s the one who really made it big. Terry Funk would go on to put ECW on the map. Middle aged and crazy! Now he’s a senior citizen and even more crazy. The guy is still going strong and I don?t think he?ll ever fully retire. Holy God I pray that their friend Dennis Stamp gets booked to appear at the Hall of Fame with them! The guy still isn?t booked, damn it!! They?ll be inducted by Dusty Rhodes who will forever be a yellow, egg sucking dog.
Edge comes out and his pyro doesn?t go off! Hopefully it doesn?t go off when Jeff Hardy comes out!
-Commercial Break-
Tazz thanks Saliva for the use of their song ?Hunt You Down,? the official theme song of No Way Out!
Edge vs. Jeff Hardy
This is a non-title match in case I didn?t say it enough.
Mike Chioda calls for the bell and Edge immediately charges Jeff Hardy and immediately gets taken down with a drop-toe-hold! Edge angrily grabs his mouth in pain as Hardy backs off, as if to say, ?Gotcha!? Edge charges Hardy and gets taken down with an arm drag! Hardy taunts the crowd as Edge looks miffed. Edge now hits Hardy with some right hands before sending him into the turnbuckle but Hardy jumps over Edge and takes him down with an arm drag and locks in the arm bar! Hardy taunts the crowd and keeps the arm bar locked in tight. Hardy punches his arm and starts a ?Hardy? chant for himself! Edge gets to his feet and pushes Hardy to the corner. Chioda separates them and Edge gets a cheap shot in on him!
Edge puts a big right hand to Hardy and looks to the crowd. Edge has a whip into the corner reversed on him but he tries to push over Hardy and instead gets his feet caught on Jeff’s shoulders! Hardy then slams him face first to the mat! Edge pulls himself up on the ropes and rushes Hardy only to be taken down with another arm drag! Hardy locks in a Fujiwara Arm Bar now! Edge eventually gets to his feet and gets a knee in Jeff’s midsection. He clubs him a few times and punches him down. Edge whips Hardy into the ropes but Hardy holds on to the ropes! Edge charges and Hardy back body-drops him over the top rope but Edge lands on his feet on the apron! Hardy kicks his legs out and baseball slides him off the apron!
Hardy goes to the outside and bounces Edge’s head off the barricade and puts Edge back in the ring! Hardy comes in through the second rope and Edge kicks him in the face! Hardy is hung up on the second rope and Edge hits a twisting neckbreaker on him! JR wonders if there is any way Hardy can recover as we go to break!
-Commercial Break-
We come back to see Edge elbow Hardy in the back of the neck! Edge then illegally chokes Hardy on the middle rope before going into the ropes and hitting a cross-body across Hardy’s back, putting the pressure on that neck! Edge covers Jeff Hardy for a count of two and a half! Edge is frustrated by locks on a neck vice. Edge then locks on a Cobra Clutch with a grapevine around the legs. Hardy gets to his feet and elbows out. He goes for the ropes but Edge pulls him down by the hair! Chioda admonishes him because that’s illegal.
Edge taunts the crowd and takes his time before picking Hardy up. He then hits a nice twisting neckbreaker for a two and a half count! Edge is really frustrated now. He sizes Hardy up and waits for the Spear! Edge thinks twice and hits a knee in Hardy’s spine before going back to the chin lock ? which is really a sleeper hold. Hardy gets to his feet again and elbows out! Hardy goes into the ropes, ducks a clothesline, goes back into the ropes, and dives but Edge ducks and Hardy flies out of the ring! Crash and burn! That was cool!
Chioda is counting Hardy out and Edge is going to let him. Hardy gets in at nine and Edge stomps him upon reentry! Edge hits an elbow and covers for two and a half! I haven?t seen Edge do an elbow-drop? ever! Edge goes to the top rope and Hardy punches him off to the outside! Hardy then hits a plancha over the top rope! Hardy puts Edge back in the ring and shoulders him before going for a sunset flip and pins him for a two and a half count!! They then both go for a clothesline and both go down!!
Both men are being counted out now. They both get up at seven! Hardy approaches Edge who sweeps his legs and pins him with both feet on the ropes but Chioda catches him! Edge and Chioda argue and Hardy rolls Edge up for a two and a half count! Edge punches Hardy and goes to bounce his head off the turnbuckle but Hardy blocks it and bounces Edge’s head off instead! Hardy then hits Whisper in the Wind!! He then covers for a two and a half count!!
Hardy goes into the ropes, ducks a clothesline, and clotheslines Edge! Hardy goes back into the ropes and hits a twisting clothesline! Hardy hits an Inverted Atomic and then sends both of his legs into Edge’s ?midsection? but really it’s his crotch! Hardy then dropkicks him in the face and covers for a two and a half count!!
Hardy gets the crowd into it! He has a whip reversed on him and Edge lays him out with a big boot! So much for that! Hardy is on the apron and Edge goes to pick him up but Hardy pulls his neck down on the top rope! Hardy then slingshots over the top rope with a legdrop! Hardy covers and gets two and a half with Edge gets a foot on the rope! Hardy continues to get the crowd into it and goes for the Twist of Fate but Edge counters into the Edge-O-Matic! Edge covers for a two and a half count!!
Edge now sets Hardy up for a Spear. Hardy slowly gets up and turns. Edge goes for the Spear but Hardy gets a small package like he did at No Way Out but this time only gets two and a half!! Hardy then immediately hits him with the Twist of Fate and goes to the top rope!! Jeff Hardy hits the Swanton Bomb but before he can cover he is hit with the Twist of Fate by his evil brother Matt!!
Winner by Disqualification: Jeff Hardy
Match Rating: *** ?
Matt Hardy grabs the microphone and says it doesn?t seem like Jeff can get rid of the black cloud over his head but he’s going to give him an opportunity to turn his luck around. Matt proposes next week it be he and Jeff ? one on one!! Matt Hardy then leaves the ring.
Jeff Hardy slowly gets up and gets taken down by Edge with a Spear! Edge raises his World Heavyweight Championship over his head as Smackdown ends.
Quick Match Results
Michelle McCool & Maryse* def. Eve Torres* & Maria
Handicap Match: MVP def. Shelton Benjamin* & Chavo Guerrero
Umaga def. Scotty Goldman
Jeff Hardy def. Edge via DQ (non-title)
Bump of the Night: Umaga murdering Scotty Goldman
Match of the Night: Jeff Hardy vs. Edge *** ?
Mike’s Thoughts
That was a tremendous, top notch Smackdown tonight. The Road to WrestleMania is really taking off now. I love it and the best part of it is that Smackdown has both of the World Titles! Does it get any better? Last week I was a little weary about this Road to WrestleMania but now I?m hooked. WWE always finds a way to get me into it.
There are a few big stories to talk about but I?ll start off with the one that dominated most of the show. Edge is the World Heavyweight Champion. Who in the world saw that coming? If you e-mail me and told me you were the person who saw that coming then I flat out won?t believe you. That was a tremendous shock and that looks like it will be Smackdown’s main title focus as Triple H is a bit locked up on Raw with Randy Orton. Edge is a great heel and I argue that he gives Randy Orton a run for the money. Edge is one of those really annoying heels that I can?t get enough of. Surprisingly there was no hint of the Big Show-Edge-Vickie love triangle tonight but I?m assuming Big Show is still selling his injuries given at No Way Out. Still this is some great stuff even if we have seen Edge vs. John Cena a million times.
The other big story is Triple H’s interview. While it was a short one, it was intense. Triple H with red eyes breaking kayfabe and admitting that he is married to Stephanie McMahon in real life, even though they divorced in 2002. This has been wrestling’s worst kept secret for the longest time and the cat is finally out of the bag. Great stuff and I?m looking forward to seeing him take on Randy Orton at WrestleMania? even though that’s another match we?ve seen a whole bunch of times.
The OTHER big story is Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy. Brother vs. Brother! This angle is eons better than it was in 2001 if any of you remember that. I?m really excited about this one and I don?t believe that it?ll really happen next week. It’s got WrestleMania written all over it! I hope this feud goes on into the summer like Owen vs. Bret did! I?m interested in the coming weeks (and months) with these two.
The other, OTHER big story is the fight for who faces the Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Shawn Michaels and JBL seem to think they?re entitled to it on Raw so Vickie Guerrero counters with Vladimir Kozlov! Who will actually face him? I hope it isn?t a triple threat match. That would suck. It needs to be one on one and it needs to be Shawn Michaels. Still it?ll be an interesting road with Vladimir Kozlov going to Raw on Monday and then facing Undertaker next Friday.
Scotty Goldman, the winner of the Worst Superstar of the Year Award (awarded by me), has been released and I have to admit I?m not surprised. The only thing I?m surprised about is that it didn?t happen on Black Friday last month. Nothing against Colt Cabana ? he’s a tremendous talent. My beef was with the character and creative, not with him. Seriously, whose crackpot idea was that? ?Oh let’s put him in red tights that has the words ?BAM? and ?BOOM? all over it and script him ridiculous things to say!! It?ll get over!!? I thought Michael Hayes stopped drinking? Scotty Goldman was a horrible character and I?m glad it’s dead. However releasing Colt Cabana was a horrible idea! Keep him at FCW and repackage him! You didn?t even give him a chance! That guy can work!
Random Thought ? What’s happened to the Sleeper Hold? I haven?t seen that move actually locked on in the longest time! They never do that spot anymore where the referee raises the victim’s hand and if it hits three times then the match is over but the match is never really over because he always gets it up right before the third fall! I miss that but I guess if they?re going for more realism (impossible) they probably eliminated it.
Miz and Morrison’s Valentine’s Day with the Bella Twins (and Carlito and Primo) was pretty funny but not as funny as I was hoping. Still we?ve got a great match coming next week as Carlito and Primo put their championships on the line against Miz and Morrison.
The United States Championship title picture looks promising, even if Chavo Guerrero is involved. I have nothing against Chavo except he’s been booked to look like a joke lately. Still, I?m excited to see the matches every week mainly because Shelton Benjamin, Chavo Guerrero, and MVP are tremendous talents.
All in all it was a tremendous Smackdown with some great build to WrestleMania! Any show in which you have Jeff Hardy taking on Edge in a twenty-five minute match is a great one in my book! Hell yeah, Smackdown!
Final Smackdown Rating: *** ?
As always I?d like to get some feedback on the recap! Let me know what you expect on this Road to WrestleMania! If No Way Out showed us anything it’s that anything can and will happen on this Road!
E-Mail ? MikeyT817@hotmail.com
Thanks for reading!