Good news people; I got a job! I can buy lots of stuff! I can finally buy lots of alcohol! Life is good.
Recap of the Punjabi prison match from No Mercy. I kind of enjoy the Punjabi Prison stipulation, but I’ve only seen the Great American Bash one. That jump should automatically go in Batista’s entrance video.
We’re taped from Detroit, Michigan (if you care about that). Tonight we’ve got Rey Mysterio against Finlay in a Number One Contender’s match for Cyber Sunday, and Kane and Undertaker against Montel Vontavious Porter and Matt Hardy. Big night!
Opening Contest: Chuck Palumbo w/ Michelle McCool vs. Chris Masters
Palumbo dominates to start. Masters kicks Palumbo away and tries for the suplex, but Palumbo reverses it with one of his own. Palumbo misses an elbow drop and Masters takes Palumbo into the corner. Masters with a suplex for a two count. Palumbo offs the ropes into a powerslam by Masters. Masters teases for the Masterlock but Palumbo doesn’t let Masters lock it in. Palumbo runs into a boot by Masters, but Palumbo follows up with an overhead belly to belly. Palumbo misses a big boot, Masters misses a clothesline and Palumbo with the school boy for the three count.
Winner: Chuck Palumbo
Alright match. Pretty hot crowd helped. Two out of Ten. Masters attacks Palumbo from behind and locks in the Masterlock. Palumbo passes out and McCool checks on him.
Commercials.
Promo for Big Daddy V. Wonder how long it’ll be until we see a triple threat between him, Khali, and Batista?
Second Contest: Jesse and Festus vs. Jobbers
Jesse is quicker, Festus dominates, Deuce and Domino watch the match from backstage. Jesse and Festus win.
Winners: Jesse and Festus
Another inoffensive and entertaining squash … But it’s still a squash. -Three out of Ten. Deuce and Domino bad mouth them post match; Jamie Noble walks up to them and tells them that Jimmy Wang Yang was making suggestive comments about Cherry. Deuce is not happy, and the trio drag Noble to Vickie Guerrero’s office.
Still to come: Kane and Undertaker vs. Montel Vontavious Porter and Matt Hardy.
Commercials.
Third Contest: Brett Major w/ Brian Major vs. Drew McIntyre w/ Dave Taylor
Lock up and Intyre forces Major into the corner. Another lock up, Intyre works the arm of Major. Major reverses and begins working the arm of Intyre, but Intyre regains control briefly only for Major to get a hip toss. Major with a front facelock, but Intyre gets to the ropes. Intyre with a hammerlock to Major. Major off the ropes with a very nice leg lariat, and then with an elbow for a brief pinfall. Intyre rolls Major up for the three count.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
Really not much of a match, and it looked like it could’ve gone somewhere. Passable way of two minutes. One out of Ten.
Diva Search stuff. We’re only down to four … Already? Shit, it goes so quick when you don’t watch it every week. I’m still mentally handicap after watching that horrible Talent Competition of last year’s competition.
Montel Vontavious Porter is backstage on the phone, when Matt Hardy approaches him. Porter thinks he’s an expert on taking on Undertaker and Kane, but Hardy tells them that they have to operate as a team. Porter says that tonight they will be THE tag team champions.
Commercials.
Fourth Contest: Montel Vontavious Porter and Matt Hardy vs. Kane and The Undertaker
Before the match even begins, Cole begins teasing a future rematch between the two teams. Hardy and Kane start. Hardy goes behind Kane first and clubs away; Hardy off the ropes into a clothesline by Kane. Scoop slam by Kane. Taker gets tagged in. Taker quickly goes for the old school but Hardy stops it and Porter gets a clothesline to Taker. Taker brings Porter into the ring and the Brothers try to Chokeslam Porter out of the ring but Hardy drags him outside …
Commercials.
We’re back and Porter is being dominated by Taker, only to then be dominated by Kane. Kane irish whips Porter into the corner. Kane charges after Porter but Porter avoids the attack, and Kane’s shoulder meets the steel post. Porter punches away at Kane and gets the running big boot for a two count, barely. Hardy in, and so is Taker. Taker with punches to Hardy in the corner. Porter gets tagged in and he goes right at Taker with punches. Taker throws Porter into the corner and punches away at Porter. Taker with shoulder blocks to Porter, and an old school for a two count pinfall. Kane in with a sideslam to Porter. Kane goes up top and connects with the flying clothesline; Kane covers but only gets a two count! On the outside, Taker sends Porter face first into the steel steps. Taker sets Porter up on the ring apron and gets an elbow shot and follows up with the leg drop. Taker covers for a two count. Kane runs into a high elbow by Porter, and Porter follows up with a facebuster to Kane. Hardy in with offence to Kane. Hardy tries for the clothesline bulldog to Kane, but Kane pushes him off! Kane runs into a high boot by Hardy, and Hardy nails a pair of elbows off the second turnbuckle.
Hardy tries for the Twist of Fate but Kane pushes him into the ropes and Hardy comes back into a big boot! Hardy with a Twist of Fate on Kane out of nowhere! Porter tags himself in and covers Kane for a two count! Taker gets tagged in and hits Porter with the snake eyes and big boot. Porter ducks a right hand by Taker, which lands on Hardy. Taker with a Tombstone to Porter for the three count.
Winners: Kane and Undertaker
I was hoping for more, to be honest. If the Hardy hot tag had lasted for longer, then you’d have had a really good match on your hands here. Five out of Ten. I’d love to see a rematch one day shortly, perhaps even as close as Cyber Sunday.
Still to come: Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay
Commercials.
Raw Rebound. Gotta love the fact that Shawn Michaels is back. Apart from that, I haven’t watched RAW yet.
There’s a new interviewer; Anastacia Rose. Mysterio claims that at No Mercy, it was the first time Mysterio wrestled Finlay. Mysterio goes off in Spanish. Mysterio feels he has the shot against Batista at Cyber Sunday.
Recap of the T. Lo heart attack.
Jamie Noble is backstage with Vickie Guerrero, who looks like a bad victim of a make over. Noble calls Guerrero an opportunist, and compares them two over what he did between Deuce, Domino, and Wang Yang. Guerrero books Jamie Noble against Great Khali. And that’s next! Line of the night from Noble: “Gawd, tarnations!”
Commercials.
Fifth Contest: The Great Khali w/ Runjin Singh vs. Jamie Noble
Gee, I wonder how this will go. Khali wins with the Vice Grip and Noble is even shorter in comparison.
Winner: The Great Khali
-Five out of Ten. Of course.
Commercials.
It’s already only two weeks until Cyber Sunday. Recap of some of the last Taboo Tuesday / Cyber Sunday votes. I really would’ve preferred for them to keep it as Taboo Tuesday, to be honest, but oh well.
Sixth Contest: Jimmy Wang Yang vs. Deuce w/ Cherry and Domino
Yang shoves Deuce to start. Deuce attacks Yang and pretty much dominates for a while. Deuce places Yang on the top rope and clubs at Yang’s back. Deuce goes for a high back drop but Yang pushes Deuce off and gets the moonsault for the very sudden three count?!
Winner: Jimmy Wang Yang
Domino attacks Yang post match, and Cherry slaps him a few times. Deuce and Domino nail Yang with the Crack ‘Em In The Mouth. -Five out of Ten. Like it deserved anything at all.
Commercials.
Batista makes his way on out to commentate for the Number One Contender’s match.
Commercials.
Mysterio and Finlay make their entrances, but JBL gets on the microphone before hand. JBL reminds us that the referee for the World Championship Match will be chosen by the fans.
Main Event: Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio
Mysterio kicks and clubs away at Finlay to start. Mysterio backs up and Finlay attacks quickly. Finlay runs into an elbow by Mysterio, and Mysterio nails a headscissors takedown which sends Finlay into the turnbuckle. Finlay goes outside quickly goes for the shillelagh, but Mysterio gets a springboard senton out to Finlay.
Commercials.
We’re back and Mysterio is in control. Mysterio kicks Finlay into the corner and nails a running dropkick. Mysterio with a snapmare. Mysterio goes onto the apron and looks to climb the turnbuckles but Finlay shoves Mysterio into the steel post. Finlay whips Mysterio into the corner turnbuckles. Finlay with a boston crab on Mysterio. Finlay knees Mysterio in the side and covers for a two count. Mysterio comes off the ropes and looks to go for a crucifix pin but Finlay turns it into a backbreaker. Mysterio ducks a clothesline and comes off the ropes with a headscissors takedown. Mysterio with a bulldog for a two count. Mysterio goes for the 619; Finlay rolls outside and Mysterio nails a baseball slide. Back in the ring, Finlay clubs and knees Mysterio. The two begin a brawl, which the referee continually tries to seperate. Finlay and Mysterio shove the referee down, and he disqualifies the pair of them!
Winner: Draw
Finlay hits Mysterio with a short arm clothesline afterwards. Finlay goes to hit Mysterio with the shillelagh, but the bells go off and the lights go black! When the lights return, the Undertaker is in the ring and both Finlay and Mysterio are out cold. Undertaker makes a sign for the belt as SmackDown fades out. Match was alright; interesting finish too. Four out of Ten. If the ‘Vote for Referee’ stipulation wasn’t applied already, I’d hope that this would lead to a Taboo Tuesday title situation; winner of the votes (Undertaker, obviously) gets a match against Batista, while the other two take on Hardy and Porter. Could be interesting to see two teams of enemies taking each other on for the Tag Team Championship … Can always dream, I suppose.
The Inside Pulse
Chuck Palumbo defeats Chris Masters: 2/10
Jesse and Festus Squash: -3/10
Drew McIntyre defeats Brett Major: 1/10
Undertaker and Kaner defeats Montel Vontavious Porter and Matt Hardy: 5/10
The Great Khali defeats Jamie Noble: -5/10
Jimmy Wang Yang defeats Deuce: -5/10
Finlay draw Rey Mysterio: 4/10
SmackDown 12/10/07: -1/70
First time in a while since we got into minus points. An overall passable show. The squashes went quickly, and the good matches went for their fair share of time, which is always a good thing. The tag match had the ability to be a great match but failed to live up to my expectations, so I’m hoping to see a longer and more intense rematch one day soon (Cyber Sunday, Survivor Series, or even Armageddon? An elimination tag match between the two teams at Survivor Series would be awesome). If they continue something between these two teams, it could be a fantastic way to drag out the storyline between Hardy and Porter and produce a few matches worthy of either man’s best of DVD, should one be made. As for the main event; the brawl was a nice touch, and different to many other brawls I can remember seeing on WWE. Until next week, have a good one!
