In a nice touch, we get a warning saying that tonight’s episode may not be good for kids. Isn’t it funny that McMahon kept firing people yet goes in a burst of flames? Oh, my bet’s on suicide by the way. I’m surprised not many people have said that it, least not many people I’ve read. I could be wrong (or just too tired) and everyone could have guessed that already.
Michael Cole and JBL do the quiet and silent treatment in regards to McMahon. We get a recap of RAW including McMahon’s opening promo and McMahon’s final moments. I, personally, think that the McMahon death angle is fantastic. McMahon played it perfectly, something we’re all used to McMahon doing, and pulled out the one thing no one ever thought we would see or even thought about. I hope his character doesn’t come back and ruin what quite good be the best idea in years. Cole thinks that he had a premonition, which is why he delayed his time getting into the limo, but I still stand by the suicide idea. Besides, the idea of getting a premonition of dying and then going ahead with it? Doesn’t exactly make much sense in my head, but alright Cole. They don’t show the car explosion and cut right to the SmackDown roster giving a salute to McMahon from the entrance way. People in the crowd are laughing, obviously, but the shock is that the editors kept it in. How did they let that one slip?
Up next: Deuce and Domino against Paul London and Brian Kendrick.
Commercials.
There was a statement made by some actor dude representing WWE and McMahon family; they thank everyone who has given their support and that the show will go on.
Opening Contest: Paul London and Brian Kendrick vs. Deuce and Domino w/ Cherry
Domino and Kendrick start. Lock up and Domino takes Kendrick into the corner; Kendrick with elbows to both opponents, Deuce tries to attack from behind but London gets a running elbow. Double dropkick to Domino. London in with a double axe handle to Domino. Kendrick in with an elbow to Domino. London back in with the stomp to Domino. Kendrick BACK in and double team hiptoss gets Kendrick a two count. Domino sends Kendrick into the corner but Kendrick gets an elbow to Deuce. Kendrick gets sent outside after Deuce pulls the rope down during an irish whip. Domino with a suplex to Kendrick for a two count. Deuce in for a two count. Deuce with a knee drop for another two count over Kendrick. Deuce with a full nelson variation on Kendrick. Domino back in with a forearm to the back of Kendrick’s head. Kendrick falls behind a suplex attempt and gets a enziguri to Domino. Deuce and London tagged in. London with offence, atomic drop and heel kick to Deuce. Running dropkick in the corner. Spinning heel kick to Deuce gets London a two count. Deuce with the running boot to the face for the three count.
Winners: Deuce and Domino
Quick and but not the usual goodness. Two out of Ten. Too quick to be anything better.
Still to come: Edge against Ric Flair! There’s something I never thought I’d be recapping. Also, a rematch of Batista vs. MVP.
Commercials.
Good and almost great with William Regal, recapping some of his and McMahon’s memories. I’m shocked that they didn’t include Regal’s drug history.
Commercials.
Theodore Long gives an interview; saying in his 23 years in the industry he met some people who said he’d never draw, but meeting McMahon ended being one of the greatest things that could have happened because McMahon let him prove himself. Long says that the pictures in his office, Martin Luther King and Vince McMahon; McMahon let it all happen, and King made it all possible. Another good interview, which probably gave Long more advancement than any other segment he’s had in his WWE career.
Second Contest: Matt Hardy vs. William Regal
Lock up and Hardy gets a headlock takedown. Regal turns it into a one count. Hardy keeps the headlock applied and comes off the ropes with a shoulder block, headlock takedown follows. Hardy and Regal fight over a hold, with Regal doing a bridge. Hardy with a arm drag. Hardy gets a headlock but Regal gets to the corner. Regal with an elbow to the eyes of Hardy. Hardy with an elbow to a running Regal. Yodel elbow to the forehead of Regal. Twist of Fate attempts fails; Regal pushes Hardy into the ropes and back into a shot to the face. Shoulder body toss on Regal, who promptly rolls outside. Hardy goes to go outside but Regal trips him on the apron and positions Hardy against the steel post, kicking Hardy’s side into the post. Hardy with shots to Regal but Regal gets a series of knees to Hardy. Regal works the shoulder blades, pulling his arms back. Hardy looks to reverse but Regal begins putting more force in between the shoulder blades of Hardy. Hardy turns the lock into a nice, albeit weird, hip toss / arm drag. Regal with forearms to Hardy, but Hardy gets the side effect for a two count! Running clothesline by Hardy but the bulldog doesn’t get hit; instead Regal hits a NICE reverse fisherman’s for a pinfall attempt, but Hardy gets his leg on the rope. Regal goes for the double arm powerbomb but Hardy flips Regal over for a two count, Regal keeps the arms locked and gets the double arm powerbomb for a two count! Regal runs into a knee, Twist of Fate gets the three count!
Winner: Matt Hardy
Sadly another quick match, but a very good quick match once they got going. Six out of Ten.
Still to come: Edge against Ric Flair, and Batista against MVP.
Commercials.
Jillian Hall doesn’t know what to say. Hall gives another good interview; this time, however, Hall proves she can do some not too bad serious acting.
After RAW stuff with authorities arriving at the suicide scene. Why didn’t a single wrestler come out to see the limo? And why do they still have Condemned posters up?
JBL says a tank full of gas could have caused the explosion; and a simple mobile phone could have detonated the explosion. This entire thing is going to be so irritating when it turns out to be suicide.
Still to come: some matches!
Commercials.
Chavo Guerrero defends Vince McMahon, trying to give being a jerk some credibility. Guerrero says he hopes the WWE remains. Ah, see, right now would be the perfect time for them to try and have someone take over: Eric Bischoff, maybe? What a way to cap off their rivalry.
Montel Vontavious Porter will defend against Ric Flair at Vengeance.
Ric Flair runs into Batista and wishes him good luck against MVP tonight. Didn’t I say a few months ago they should put Flair back in Batista’s corner? WrestleMania Roundtable? Yes. Yes I did.
Third Contest: Batista vs. Montel Vontavious Porter
Batista tries to go for the leg of Porter to start, but fails. Porter goes for the leg and gets closer than Batista did, but the two do some chain wrestling (awkward!) which ends with a shoulder block by Batista. Porter gets behind Batista, but Batista gets a drop toe hold and a headlock on Porter. Batista with hooked shoulder blocks to Porter. Porter rolls outside and stays away from Batista for a few moments, leading to an assault by Porter. Porter stomps on Batista in the corner. Short arm clothesline by Porter (not Finlay standards but not terrible) for a pinfall attempt. Porter with shots to the face of Batista. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb but Porter rolls outside.
Commercials.
Porter off the ropes into a elbow by Batista. Porter rolls outside again, but Batista joins him this time. Porter sends Batista shoulder first into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Porter goes for the big boot but Batista rolls out of the way and drags Porter outside. Batista goes to send Porter into the steel post but Porter falls behind Batista and sends him into the steel post and then into the security rail, which is where Porter nails the running big boot! Back in the ring, Porter gets a two count. Batista with a snapmare to Porter. Elbow drops by Porter for a two count. Porter with a half nelson and headlock, Batista escapes and gets Porter with a clothesline! Batista runs into a big boot, so Porter runs into a sideslam for a two count. DDT by Porter for another two count. Porter goes for the ten count punches, Batista goes for the Batista Bomb but Porter falls down and dropkicks Batista into the corner! Porter goes for the running big boot but runs into a spear! Batista Bomb ends this!
Winner: Batista
Yet another good match; something has gotten into these two. Seven out of Ten. Some people will probably disagree, but I think this was a good match.
Still to come: Edge against Ric Flair.
Commercials.
Sgt. Slaughter interview. Slaughter says he’s lost his general, but McMahon was no ordinary general – saying that McMahon went into combat with everyone else, and never retreated. Slaughter says Heaven couldn’t handle McMahon and that Hell sure as hell didn’t want him – but Slaughter will keep fighting for McMahon. Weird interview, but not too bad I suppose. Shouldn’t one of these interviews involve much more emotion, though? Not a single person has cried yet.
Commercials.
Cole and JBL welcome us back. We get footage of the ruins of the limo. Some guy called Daniel Beck is the lead investigator in the thing. Thank GOD they hired some random actor to play this role!
Edge reflects and can only imagine just how much McMahon sacrificed. Edge ponders and does a pretty interesting interview in the process.
Kristal Marshall says that McMahon had a lot of controversy (that’s a big word for someone with a sugar daddy). Marshall says her last interaction with him was strange and that her heart goes out to his family. The WWE will miss him, dearly, as will the fans.
Fourth Contest: Number One Contendership to Cruiser Weight Championship: Daivari vs. Jamie Noble (!!!) vs. Shannon Moore vs. Jimmy Wang Yang
Guerrero is sitting at ringside too, by the way. The four separate to start; Moore with an atomic drop and one count pin bridge on Noble. Yang with a two count school boy on Daivari. Yang trips Daivari and covers but Noble breaks the pinfall right away. Yang with a spinning heel kick to Noble in the corner; Yang goes to skin the cat but Moore gets a dropkick. Moore gets attacked by Daivari. Moore with a spinning heel kick to Daivari. Noble with a scoop slam to Moore for a one count. Noble with a vaulting body press to Daivari on the outside, Moore follows up with a senton over the top rope, and Yang follows with a crossbody off the top rope to the heels. Moore and Yang go to the top, Noble attacks Moore and hits a powerbomb whilst Moore gets a superplex to Yang. Noble gets a two count over Moore. Daivari with failed pinfalls over Moore and Noble. Daivari runs into a leg lariat by Noble. Noble positions Moore on the top rope but Moore elbows him off and gets the twisting senton for a two count, broken by Daivari. Yang gets a moonsault on Daivari for the three count.
Winner and Number One Contender: Jimmy Wang Yang
Watchable. Two out of Ten.
Commercials.
Main Event: Edge vs. Ric Flair
Lock up and Edge ends up in the corner, and sells the Woo. Edge with a headlock takedown, Flair turns it into a one count. Flair slams Edge down using the hair. Edge takes Flair into the corner for the almighty slap of bitchiness, which Flair sells with a massive chop to Edge. Flair continues the chops and rakes Edge’s eyes on the ropes. Hip toss by Flair and Edge rolls outside. Edge with rights to Flair in the corner, Flair responds with chops. Edge falls face first on the canvas after a failed dropkick. Flair goes after the leg of Edge and tries for the Figure Four but Edge escapes. Flair stomps on the knee of Edge. Flair kicks Edge down and gets rights to the jaw and chops; Flair covers for a two count. Flair with a single legged Boston crab on Edge. More chops by Flair. Flair with a knee breaker. Flair goes for the Figure Four again but Edge escapes out of the ring again.
We fade out and back into Flair giving Edge chops in the ring. Edge and Flair begin exchanging clubs, with Edge coming out the better over Flair. Edge with a suplex to Flair. Edge positions Flair on the apron and pulls on the jaw, letting go at the four count. Back in the ring, Edge hits a big knee drop to Flair – and sells it afterwards, nice idea there. Crossbody to Flair in the corner, Edge covers for a one count. Flair attacks the knee and picks it up but Edge gets an enziguri. Edge goes up top but jumps off into a chop by Flair. Strut by Flair is followed by chops and a shoulder body toss. Flair with a knee drop to Edge. Flair with even more chops followed by a backdrop. Flair goes for the Figure Four and connects! MVP runs down but is greeted by chops!
Winner: Ric Flair
Flair fights Porter off and turns right into a spear by Edge. Edge punches away on Flair until Batista makes the obvious save. Batista sends Porter out of the ring but turns around into a spear by Edge! Not too bad, but it never clicked to me just how many chops Flair does nowadays, I did know he did a lot but damn … I suppose that’s the difference between watching someone on RAW or ECW and rating them on SmackDown; I pay more attention with SmackDown, while the other two are much more passive viewing. Three out of Ten.
The Inside Pulse
Deuce and Domino defeat Paul London and Brian Kendrick (Deuce pins London): 2/10
Matt Hardy defeats William Regal via pinfall: 6/10
Batista defeats Montel Vontavious Porter via pinfall: 7/10
Jimmy Wang Yang defeats Daivari, Jamie Noble, and Shannon Moore (Yang pins Daivari): 2/10
Ric Flair defeats Edge (MVP interference leads to DQ): 3/10
SmackDown 15/06/07: 20/50
Regal / Hardy and Batista / MVP were good but the rest was nothing to go out of your way for. However this was a very interesting show thanks to the McMahon angle, which means it gets a thumbs up from me. Until next week people.
