For some reason, they didn’t show this on Friday like they usually do. So it’s not my fault, at all, that this is late. I don’t like it when they tape shows outside of their usual places, the production values always seem a bit toned down. Apart from that, though, it’s pretty cool that they actually do shows in other countries… now all they need to do is bloody well come to Australia for some damnes shows.
Opening Contest: Batista vs. Finlay
Circling to start (those walking fans are distracting). Lock up and Batista shoves Finlay down right away. Batista gets a hold of the arm of Finlay, arm drag and Batista hooks the arm of Finlay’s with the rope. Finlay with elbows to Batista, uppercut and Finlay continues the attack with the headlock. Some more non-action. Finlay stalls for time. Finlay drops Batista throat first into the second rope and sends Batista outside, Finlay jumps off the apron but Batista catches him, drops him, and big boots him down. Batista with spears in the corner and a snapmare, a rather violent one at that, before Batista gets in a sleeper hold on Finlay. Finlay gets to the ropes, and Batista sends Finlay outside over the top rope.
Commercials.
We’re back and Batista sends Finlay face first into the security rail and then the apron, Mr. Kennedy attacks Batista from behind and ends this sucker.
Winner: Batista
Two on one, which of course includes the shillelagh. Celtic Cross on Batista. Toootally not the match I was hoping for. Zero out of Ten.
Still to come: Undertaker vs. Mr. Kennedy
Commercials.
WWE has had some press in Italy. Good for them.
Jillian Hall makes her way out to the ring. We get a clip of McCool finding Hall taking Massaro out. Hall laughs over it, and because Massaro can’t be at the arena, Hall has prepared some Opera. Hall is in the best shape that she’s been in months from a sports entertainment viewpoint here, although that doesn’t say much. The segment gets drawn out a bit before McCool makes her way out. Mc steals the microphone and says some Italian, with the translation being You’re Horrible. Mc bitch slaps Hall and punches away at her, before sending Hall out of the ring. This storyline is… well … there are a few places that it could lead, but I suppose the good thing is that these two girls are finally getting some time, and may remind people that they’re not terrible in the ring.
Commercials.
Second Contest: The Hardy Boys and Chris Benoit vs. Chavo Guerrero, Gregory Helms, and Montel Vontavious Porter
Are Guerrero and Helms an official tag team now? Benoit and Guerrero start; lock up and Benoit gets a headlock, sent into the ropes and back with a shoulder. Benoit off the ropes into a kitchen sink knee, and MVP is tagged in. MVP with stomps and Helms is quickly tagged in and comes into an arm drag and dropkick by Benoit. Matt gets tagged in and eventually comes off the ropes with an elbow to the head of Helms. Helms with a nice double arm reverse DDT, mounted punches follows. Helms off the ropes into a clothesline by Matt, Jeff tagged in with a dropkick. Jeff with hip tosses on the cruiser weights, whisper in the wind misses and Guerrero is tagged in. Guerrero with uppercuts. Guerrero with a suplex to Jeff. Helms chokes Jeff at the ropes; Guerrero tagged back in with a low dropkick to Jeff for a two count. Guerrero with a headlock on Jeff, Jeff escapes and punches away at Guerrero but runs into a dropkick for a two count. Helms in; back breaker combo to Jeff, Helms covers and Matt breaks the pinfall. MVP in and covers Jeff for a failed pinfall.
Guerrero comes back in, knocks Matt off the apron, Benoit distracts the referee while Guerrero and Helms stomp away on Jeff. MVP tagged in with a suplex to Jeff for a two count. Benoit headbutts MVP, Jeff with the sleeper drop, and Benoit is tagged in! Benoit in – snap suplex on Guerrero onto MVP. Helms tagged in; triple Germans connect, Guerrero sends Benoit outside. Twist of Fate on Helms, Swanton. MVP tries to stop the Swandive but Benoit knocks him off and connects with the Swandive to Helms; Sharpshooter on Helms ends it.
Winners: The Hardy Boys and Chris Benoit
The last forty or so seconds where fun, and the rest was adequate. Four out of Ten.
Up next: Paul London and Brian Kendrick defend against Deuce and Domino.
Commercials.
Maryse welcomes us back to SmackDown.
Third Contest: Tag Team Championship: Deuce and Domino w/ Cherry vs. Paul London and Brian Kendrick (Champions)
Note: Tag Team Champions shouldn’t enter first. Deuce has the short hair. I always have to remind myself. Kendrick and Deuce begin; lock up and Kendrick gets a headlock but gets sent into the ropes. Some fancy stuff before Kendrick gets a forearm and dropkick; London tagged in. London off the turnbuckle with a crossbody. Kendrick tagged in with an elbow to the shoulder of Deuce. Deuce whips Kendrick into the corner, Kendrick flips over and tags London in – London in with a stomp to the shoulder. Kendrick tagged in and the champs nail a double hip toss, Kendrick goes to the ropes and Domino attacks, but London attacks Domino. Moonsault on the outside by London misses Domino. Domino attacks Kendrick from behind before he is tagged in by Deuce; Domino in with an elbow drop.
London gets tended to by EMTs on the outside. Deuce gets a two count over Kendrick. Domino tagged in and Kendrick gets sent into a pair of high knees by Domino. Domino gets a sleeper on Kendrick, Kendrick escapes and goes for a sunset flip but Domino picks him up and clotheslines Kendrick down for a two count. London is still out. Deuce in with knees to the face of Kendrick, getting only a two count. Domino tagged in with a knee drop, mat slams to Kendrick. Kendrick tries to mount a comeback but Domino gets in a clothesline for a two count. Deuce tagged in with a very nice forearm or elbow drop to Kendrick for a two count. Kendrick with some offence, including a running elbow to Deuce. Kendrick goes for the tag but realizes London isn’t there, Deuce with the running boot to the back of Kendrick’s head. Domino tagged in, he picks Kendrick up, tags Deuce in, and Deuce kicks Kendrick directly in the head and covers for the victory!
Winners and New Tag Team Champions: Deuce and Domino
What an anticlimactic way to end the reign. Of course, I am not happy about this, but it was certainly a fun ride and also an interesting way to end the reign. Three out of Ten. Why the hell end it on a SmackDown episode, though? Especially to two guys who I need to check the roster page to see who’s who before every match.
Still to come: Undertaker vs. Mr. Kennedy.
Commercials.
RAW Rebound: Santino wins the belt. Don’t care, but good for him.
Run down of the Backlash card. I like the graphics, nice to see them go old school and use still frames.
Kane smiles at the camera.
Commercials.
Mark Henry returns! Ohhhh, the excitement! I’ve gone all giddy! TWO WEEKS! Set your recorders! That’s going to be one squash NOT to miss!
Fourth Contest: William Regal and Dave Taylor vs. Kane
Regal attacks Kane to start, but Kane throws Regal across the ring and gets a hammerlock. Kane works the arm of Regal, Regal fights him off and Taylor comes in with uppercuts. Kane whips Taylor into the ropes and back into an elbow. The match goes outside, Taylor back in the ring first and Kane goes to return but Regal trips him and Kane goes jaw first into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Taylor takes it to Kane in the corner. Taylor with a headlock but Kane turns it into a scoop slam. Regal in, he knocks Kane down and stomps directly to the head. Kane sends Regal into the corner but runs into a high boot by Regal. Taylor tagged in with a splash in the corner. Regal tagged in, double team suplex on Kane by the Brits for a two count. Taylor in with a dropkick to the face of Kane. Regal with knees to Kane’s head, Taylor in and picks up Kane, and Regal gets a high running knee to the head of Kane for a pinfall attempt. Regal in but runs right into a choke! Taylor runs into a choke too! Kane fights them off with a double clothesline, throat thrusts, side slam to Regal. Kane goes up top and goes for the Flying Clothesline, which connects! Big boot to Taylor before Kane clotheslines him outside, and Regal and Taylor leave the ringside area only to be counted out.
Winner: Kane
Far too long. Zero out of Ten.
Commercials.
Apparently everyone is talking about The Condemned. Don’t quote me on that, though.
Taylor and Regal are charmishingly peed off about Kane; Long books them against Kane and The Boogeyman in a tag team match. Kristal Marshall has off been spending Long’s money most probably, after all that’s what sugar daddies are for. Long says that being with Marshall has been the “most happiest” time of his life, and I look away and burn my eyes as they kiss.
Recap of the Batista beat down earlier tonight.
Mr. Kennedy makes his entrance! His music sounds a lot better now that I finally hooked my subwoofer back up, got to love that bass.
Commercials.
Main Event: Mr. Kennedy vs. The Undertaker
Undertaker goes for a chokeslam early on but Kennedy fights him off and runs into a big boot for a two count. Taker hooks the arm and gets some offence in before going for Old School, Kennedy stops Taker on the top rope and goes for a superplex but Taker throws Kennedy off, Kennedy is right back up and hits the superplex for a one count. Kennedy gets sent into the corner and comes back into a clothesline by Taker, who hooks the arm and connects with the Old School before sending Kennedy outside.
Commercials.
Taker is dominating when he return, and Taker sends Kennedy shoulder first into the turnbuckle before locking in a hammerlock, turning it into a pinfall for a two count. Taker chokes Kennedy in the corner but misses a running big boot; Kennedy is quick to attack Taker. Taker gets some offence in but Kennedy trips him up and works the leg, as well as punches to the forehead. Kennedy kicks away at Taker in the corner and gets that nice running boot. Kennedy covers for a two count. Kennedy hooks the arm of Taker but Taker gets to his feet, Kennedy with knees to Taker but Taker arm drags Kennedy outside. Taker sends Kennedy into the steel steps and sets Kennedy on the apron for the usual offence. Back in the ring, Kennedy with a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. The two exchange rights, Taker comes off the ropes with a clothesline to Kennedy. Snake eyes and big boot combo and Taker signals for the chokeslam, and connects! Taker signals for the Tombstone but Finlay gets into the ring and the referee disqualifies Kennedy.
Winner: The Undertaker
Finlay and Kennedy continue their attack on Undertaker. No one comes to the save. An alright match, but wouldn’t have hurt to go a few minutes more. Four out of Ten. End show.
The Inside Pulse
Batista defeats Finlay via DQ (Kennedy interference leads to DQ): 0/10
Chris Benoit and the Hardy Boys defeat Montel Vontavious Porter, Gregory Helms, and Chavo Guerrero (Helms submits to Benoit): 4/10
Deuce and Domino defeat Paul London and Brian Kendrick (Deuce pins Kendrick): 3/10
Kane defeats William Regal and Dave Taylor via count out: 0/10
Undertaker defeats Mr. Kennedy via DQ (Finlay interference leads to DQ): 4/10
SmackDown 20/04/07: 11/50
Meh. This was there. Unless you really NEED to see new Tag Team Champions, then this show was a pretty easy to miss episode. Oh well. I’m not glad about the fact that they threw away a tag title change on such a meaningless show, since it could’ve been something quite good at Backlash or Judgment Day, but I am glad that they did the change in a nice fashion with the style of London and Kendrick finally being a disadvantage. Until next time, laters guys!
