And yes, I know that the graphic is of Edge with the WWE Championship and not the World Heavy Weight Championship. It’s the thought that counts.
A nice little video hype for Undertaker and Batista tonight; kept short, simple, and actually makes the entire episode already seem a whole lot more enjoyable than most others. Tonight: World Heavy Weight Championship Main Events, but we’ve got Montel Vontavious Porter kicking us off.
Opening Contest: Montel Vontavious Porter and Finlay vs. Chris Benoit and Matt Hardy
Benoit and Finlay start. Lock up goes around the ring a little while before Finlay gets the arm of Benoit only to be punched off. MVP tagged in. Lock up and MVP gets a headlock, gets sent into the ropes with the usual stuff, and Benoit shortly connects with the Crossface but MVP gets to the ropes. Hardy tagged in with punches to MVP, elbows by Hardy for not even a one count. Benoit tagged back in but MVP quickly gets the upperhand and pounds away at Benoit, Benoit gets the boots up and a northern lights suplex on MVP for a one count. Hardy back in. Neckbreaker gets Hardy a two count. Finlay tagged in, and Benoit tagged back in as well. Chops by Benoit, Finlay rolls outside and avoids the baseball slide by Benoit but Benoit quickly gets a snap suplex on the outside. Hornswoggle moment, and we head to commercials.
Commercials.
We’re back and Benoit hits Finlay with a back drop. Hardy tagged in with elbows to Finlay, clothesline bulldog combo follows and gets Hardy a two count. Headlock by Hardy, and MVP tagged in. MVP stomps down on Hardy in the corner. Forearms by MVP for a two count. Side Effect by Hardy for a one count, broken by Finlay. Hardy goes highish and gets an elbow for a two count over MVP. MVP ducks a swing by Hardy and positions him on the top rope and goes for a super back drop but Hardy fights him off and hits a moonsault for a two count. Hardy gets tripped by MVP for a one count, with Hardy having injured his knee. Finlay tagged in and right away goes to the weak leg of Hardy and locks in a single legged Boston crab. Finlay drops all his weight on the leg of Hardy and applies an Indian Deathlock, tagging out to MVP in the meanwhile, who comes in and continues the attack on the knee. Benoit gets the tag and gets a shoulder body toss and triple Germans to Finlay. Benoit goes up top and misses the Swandive Headbutt, Finlay tags out to MVP. Dragon whip on MVP by Benoit for… the three count? Hm, alright then.
Winner: Matt Hardy and Chris Benoit
Suppose it was such a sudden pinfall to hype up the way that pinfalls often happen in multi-pin matches. Either way, was quite good for something that ended far too early and abruptly. Five out of Ten.
Recap of Undertaker deciding his WrestleMania Opponent.
Commercials.
Hall is singing, Mc stops her and we’ve got a match.
Second Contest: Jillian Hall vs. Michelle McCool
Lock up and Hall forces Mc into the corner for a slap, Mc tackles Hall and gets mounted punches. Hall with a weird snapmare on Mc, Mc ducks a clothesline and trips Hall and gets in a bad camel clutch. Hall trips Mc and gets a two count, using the ropes. Hall slams Mc onto the match and chokes Mc, before pulling on her hair at the ropes. Handspring elbow drop by Hall for a pair of pinfall attempts. Hall gets a sleeper hold on Mc before slamming her down. Mc gets a roll up for a failed pinfall attempt. The two exchange rights, with Mc getting the better of the situation. Mc with an elbow to Hall, suplex, and a pin with bridge for another failed pinfall. Mc with a belly to belly for a two count. Hall trips Mc and gets the Handspring Elbow in the corner, Hall goes for an irish whip but Mc turns it into a spinning backbreaker for a three count.
Winner: Michelle McCool
Started pretty bleh, but Mc debuts two new moves to her arsenal – least, I don’t remember her doing them – and that satisfies me enough. Two out of Ten. SmackDown Diva Standards.
Theodore Long is with Kristal Marshall, and “The Dalton Boys” come in and they’ll make their debut next week. Marshall suggests that Long hire Vickie Guerrero; Marshall reminds us that they’re best friends etc, and pretty much guilts Theodore Long into giving her a chance. Ohhhh … I like it, I just hope that once Vickie Guerrero is General Manager this entire Marshall and Long thing is over.
Recap of No Way Out. Still haven’t watched that.
Commercials.
RAW Rebound: Edge becoming Mr. Money In The Bank. I’d love to see Edge vs. Mr. Kennedy at WrestleMania 24.
Ashley Massaro is in WWE Studios; long story short, she’s feeling better, promotes Rage Against The Machine, and she wants to beat up Jillian Hall.
Third Contest: Paul London w/ Brian Kendrick vs. Domino w/ Deuce and Cherry
I finally remember which is which! Go me! Only took me about four months. London is right on Domino (after a while), but Domino gets a shot to the weak ribs. London off the ropes with a dropkick sending Domino outside; he goes for the moonsault off the apron but lands on his feet. Back in the ring, Domino with bland offence to London. Cobra clutch variation by Domino is followed by a scoop slam; Domino goes up top and jumps into a big boot, Domino catches the boot but London quickly gets a small package for a pinfall attempt. London with a flapjack to Domino; Domino runs into a pair of boots. London with clotheslines, atomic drop and hurricanrana, low dropkick to a kneeling Domino. Spinning heel kick to Domino, Deuce on the apron and London hits the dropsault – landing on Domino for the three count.
Winner: Paul London
Yawn … One out of Ten. Should’ve been so much better (and higher rated, as is my natural reaction for London / Kendrick matches).
Recap of Batista and Undertaker on the SmackDown before WrestleMania. I wonder where my tape of WrestleMania is?
Commercials.
Fourth Contest: Kane w/ The Boogeymen vs. Dave Taylor w/ William Regal
Kane beats on Taylor right away; scoop slam, elbow drop and Taylor rolls outside but is quickly sent back in by Kane. Kane sends Taylor into the corner and runs into a big boot, Taylor with forearms to the chest and distracts the referee while Regal grabs the leg of Kane – Taylor runs at Kane but Kane knocks him down. Taylor works the arm of Kane, uppercut by Taylor follows. Kane with rights to Taylor, clotheslines in the corner and a big sideslam. Kane goes up top for the Flying Clothesline – Regal distracts Kane but gets pulled off the apron by Lil’ Boogeyman. Chokeslam to Taylor for the three count.
Winner: Kane
Boring. Boring. Boring. -Two out of Ten.
Some Undertaker / Batista video stuff; I got distracted by Wikipedia temporarily.
Commercials.
Recap of the Last Man Standing.
We’ve got 50 minutes left and the tale of the tape is shown. Batista makes his entrance.
Commercials.
Main Event 1: World Heavy Weight Championship: Steel Cage Match: Batista vs. The Undertaker (Champion)
Lock up and the two force each other into the ropes, before Batista pushes Undertaker back across the ring. Undertaker with a knee to the gut and shots to the head of Batista, the two begin exchanging rights and Undertaker shortly gets a big boot for a two count. Undertaker kicks the leg of Batista and gets a scoop slam, elbow drop by Undertaker misses. Batista with a short arm clothesline for a pinfall attempt. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb but Undertaker gets a shot to the leg and gets an elbow drop to the leg as well. Undertaker sets Batista on the top turnbuckle and looks to go for a superplex, Batista sends him down to the canvas and comes off the top rope with a flying shoulder block for a two count. Batista goes to leave the cage but Undertaker attacks the weak leg and we’re headed to a commercial break.
Commercials.
Undertaker is on the top turnbuckle and kicks Batista down, before going back down to the canvas and kicking Batista’s leg again. Batista drags Undertaker down and gets mounted punches in. Batista with a low blow to Undertaker. Spears by Batista in the corner, running clothesline in the opposing corner and Batista begins climbing the cage. Batista gets to the top rope and Undertaker punches his weakened leg, Batista falls groin first on the top rope. Undertaker big boots Batista into the steel mesh and covers but Batista has a hand under the rope. Batista and Undertaker get stereo clotheslines.
Commercials.
Batista with a big boot to Undertaker and gets a two count. Batista with right hands to Undertaker, comes off the ropes with a clothesline to Undertaker for a two count. Undertaker attacks the leg of Batista and gets a pair of running clotheslines in the corner. Snake eyes big boot combo. Undertaker hits the Chokeslam and gets a two count, almost a three. Undertaker signals for the Tombstone and sets up but Batista falls behind and sends Undertaker face first into the steel mesh, and Undertaker is now bloodied.
Commercials.
Batista sends Undertaker back into the steel and Undertaker comes back into a spinebuster by Batista for a two count. Batista with a seven count punch in the corner, he goes to escape but Undertaker hits a powerbomb for a two count. Undertaker goes to escape through the door but Batista distracts Undertaker by grabbing the leg, and Undertaker returns to the ring. Undertaker positions Batista on the top turnbuckle and chokes away at Batista, joining him on the top rope – the two exchange shots and Batista punches Undertaker off of the top rope! Undertaker sits up as Batista climbs the cage, Undertaker too climbs the cage and they both escape – and allegedly both men’s feet hit the mat at the same time. Eventually, it ends up being another draw between these two.
Winner: Draw Still Champion : The Undertaker
If only they had five more minutes. As it stands, though, I got to say that’s a contender for one of Batista’s best matches (what little that says). I really enjoyed this, none the less, but I do wish that there had been five or so more minutes to really do some big shots. Seven out of Ten. The cage rises and Mark Henry makes his GLORIOUS return by attacking The Undertaker! Henry gets the gut drops on Undertaker, leaving him laid out in the middle of the ring, and you know whose music hits. We’ve got our second main event of the evening.
Main Event 2: World Heavy Weight Championship: Edge vs. The Undertaker (Champion)
Edge gets a two count right away. Edge gets another two count. Undertaker sort of limps up, and Edge hits the spear for the three count and the World Heavy Weight Championship.
Winner And NEW Champion: Edge
Well, this is most certainly a welcome roster change. Suppose I can’t really add anything more to this situation, can I? WWE.com’s recap of the situation has nothing on the simple “That’ll put butts in the seats” tactic and reeks of over exposure. I’d rather they have kept the surprise secret, since Batista vs. Undertaker (and that glorious Henry return) should’ve been enough to up the ratings, while the Edge title match makes me think that unless WWE.com spoil the results of the event then the show in question might as well not be watched, be ignored, and forgotten about. Of course, most of SmackDown is like that. Hm. Anyways; match was just New Years Revolution 2006 MITB cashing with a different champion, and without the same crowd energy. -Five out of Ten.
Weird to see Undertaker in a squash though. Isn’t it?
The Inside Pulse
Chris Benoit and Matt Hardy defeat Montel Vontavious Porter and Finlay (Benoit pins MVP): 5/10
Michelle McCool defeats Jillian Hall via pinfall: 2/10
Paul London defeats Domino via pinfall: 1/10
Kane defeats Dave Taylor via pinfall: -2/10
The Undertaker and Batista go to a draw (Steel Cage Match): 7/10
Edge defeats The Undertaker via pinfall: -5/10
SmackDown 11/05/07: 8/60
A great last hour atop of a mostly mediocre show. Good opening and last half, so I suppose the good out weighs the bad. Edge is back, Michelle McCool is constantly showing improvement, King Booker and Rey Mysterio should be returning soon, Vickie Guerrero too. Looks like SmackDown might finally regain some of it’s dignity. I recommend this week’s episode simply because of the last hour, the rest is completely miss worthy. Until next time everyone!
