The SmackDown Report

Reviews, Shows, TV Shows

Class is finished, and I hopefully now have a diploma. I’m not sure where I’m going to go from now, but fairly certain that next year will be my lazy year of just working. No deadlines or anything. But a break is making me happy, and starting Sunday I get to be lazy for an entire six days. How awesome is that?!

Also: my ratings are probably a bit off tonight. I wasn’t paying as much attention to the matches tonight as I usually do. I’m also pretty tired / lazy too, and the episode is pretty crummy too so the report is going to be lame. You’ve been warned.

Recap of our Vickie Guerrero and Edge relationship.

Tonight: Edge vs. Batista for the World Heavy Weight Championship, as well as Rey Mysterio and Kane vs. MVP and Big Daddy V.

Edge promo time. Edge reminds us about how he relinquished the championship (still love the idea of Edge vignettes done to Simply The Best) before running down a list of accomplishments. Edge says it hurt that none of the fans tried contacting him and that he considered retirement, which gets a good reception from the crowd in a bad way. Edge says about two months ago he got a phone call from Vickie Guerrero, and he says he knew she was calling him for selfish reasons and the pair knew it. Vickie began motivating him and was with him every step of the way, and the pair got closer and one thing led to another. Edge admits he’s in love with her. Vickie helped him with his return, including dressing up as a camera man. Edge isn’t happy about Undertaker giving Vickie the tombstone, and Edge says he’ll get revenge. Edge dedicates his match against Batista tonight to Vickie Guerrero. One thing I like about the Vickie / edge storyline is that it’s the polar opposite of Lita / Edge, and gives Edge a chance to show off his more melodramatic side. Should be awesome character development.

Recap of Hornswoggle / Finlay / Henry / Khali stuff from last week’s SmackDown.

Up next: Finlay and Hornswoggle vs. Deuce ’n Domino.

Commercials.

Finlay and Hornswoggle vs. Deuce ‘n Domino
Finlay and Deuce start. Lock up and Deuce forces Finlay into the corner, but Finlay shoves him off. Finlay with a headlock and short arm clothesline. Finlay with a suplex for a one count on Deuce. Deuce goes for the leg of Finlay, but Finlay turns it into a scoop slam. Finlay follows with a butt drop for a two count. Domino in with a scoop slam to Finlay before Deuce makes his way back in for a two count over Finlay. Finlay and Deuce knock heads, and Finlay rolls outside – Hornswoggle goes under the ring and trips Domino jaw first into the apron! Hornswoggle chases Cherry around the ring with a rat, but Deuce and Domino send Hornswoggle inside the ring. Deuce and Domino get ready to whip Hornswoggle with their belts, but Finlay with a shillelagh shot to Deuce! Hornswoggle with a Tadpole Splash to Deuce for the three count.
Winners: Finlay and Hornswoggle

Post match, Finlay does some dancing of his own. That’s enough to warrant this match. Two out of Ten. One point for the dancing Finlay.

Clips of Henry attacking Undertaker and then Edge cashing in the Money In The Bank contract.

Still to come: Edge vs. Batista.

Commercials.

McCool is backstage in a photography shot. Jamie Noble walks on up and reminds Michelle about how Noble defeated Palumbo last week. Palumbo ends up being right behind Noble, and Palumbo calls Noble’s victory last week a fluke. Noble tells him to calm down and that lightning will strike twice in their match tonight.

CM Punk vs. Kenny Dykstra
No Victoria? Oh. Punk with kicks to Dykstra right away. Dykstra knees Punk in the gut and sends him outside. Dykstra gets to the ring apron, but Punk kicks Dykstra down. Dykstra avoids the running knee by rolling outside. Dykstra with an arm breaker to Punk, before Dykstra majorly begins going after the arm. Punk tries for a arm drag, but Dykstra keeps a tight hold of the arm. Dykstra keeps the arm lock on and … keeps it on some more before Punk sends Dykstra face first into the top turnbuckle and follows with a low dropkick. Punk with kicks to Dykstra, a nice high kick gets Punk a two count. Punk with knees before a running knee in the corner. Punk tries for a bulldog but Dykstra blocks it, but Punk hits it moments later. Punk off the top rope into a dropkick by Dykstra, which connects to Punk’s arm, getting Dykstra a two count. Dykstra tries for a suplex but Punk turns it into the Go To Sleep for the three count.
Winner: CM Punk

CM Punk vs. Kenny Dykstra for a good fifteen minutes; I need to see that. Five out of Ten. By the way, Punk gets to pick a match against Mark Henry or Big Daddy V next week. So he chooses between one fat black guy and a fatter black guy. Oh the variety!

Edge vs. Batista at Judgment Day. Haven’t seen Judgment Day yet.

Still to come: Edge vs. Batista. Up next: Kane and Rey Mysterio vs. MVP and Big Daddy V.

Commercials

Big Daddy V and Montel Vontavious Porter w/ Matt Striker vs. Rey Mysterio and Kane
I like the combination of Kane and V’s ring entrances, with V doing the poses when Kane does the pyro. Porter and Mysterio begin. Mysterio with kicks and elbows to Porter before he gets mounted punches in the corner. Kane in. Kane with the usual shots to Porter, but Porter shortly rolls outside and gets hit with a seated senton by Mysterio.

Commercials.

We’re back and Kane throws Porter into the ring. Kane takes it to Porter in the corner. Porter gets a slight comeback but runs into an uppercut by Kane. V gets tagged in. V with a belly to belly on Kane for a failed pinfall attempt. V tags Porter in, which doesn’t make much sense to me. Couldn’t he have just flattened Kane and won the match? Anyways. Porter works the arm of Kane with an arm lock, but Kane turns it into a school boy for a two. Kane is up in the corner and Porter goes for a running big boot but runs into a clothesline from Kane! Mysterio in with a Seated Senton to Porter. Snapmare and low dropkick gets Mysterio a one count over Porter. Mysterio with a springboard cross body. Mysterio sets Porter up for a 619 but Striker trips Mysterio!

Porter with mounted punches before he covers for a failed pinfall attempt. V is tagged in and he uses Mysterio as a stepping stone. V lifts Mysterio up and throws him down but Mysterio lands on his feet! Mysterio charges at V but V hit’s a spinning sideslam. Porter in, and he quickly covers Mysterio but Kane breaks the pinfall. Porter with a full nelson variation on Mysterio, but Mysterio escapes and begins fighting Porter away. Porter knocks Mysterio down at gets a brief pinfall over Mysterio. V gets tagged in, and he goes for the running avalanche on Mysterio but Mysterio escapes the corner! Porter tags himself in and tries to stop the tag, but Mysterio hits him with an enziguri before tagging out to Kane. Kane in to clean house! Sideslam to Porter before Mysterio is tagged back in. Mysterio and Kane both go to the top rope – Kane with the flying clothesline before he big boots V off the apron. Mysterio with a top rope head scissors, which sets Porter up for the 619! 619 connects and Mysterio off the top rope with a body splash for the three count.
Winner: Kane and Rey Mysterio

Had a few moments, but nothing more. Could’ve been quite good too actually, I think. Two out of Ten.

Another recap of Edge and Vickie last week.

Commercials.

Edge vs. Batista at One Night Stand.

Anastasia Rose is with Batista. Batista says he forgot that he hasn’t beaten Edge in a World Heavy Weight Championship match, but he’ll be putting Edge in the Hospital along with Vickie Guerrero.

Still to come: Batista vs. Edge. That little video match hype thing they’ve got Edge does things for me. Majorly.

Commercials.

Chuck Palumbo w/ Michelle McCool vs. Jamie Noble
Noble’s been on TV for about three or so months now, right? This is weird. Lock up and Palumbo sends Noble into the corner. Noble with offence to Palumbo, but Palumbo gets the upper hand. Noble off the ropes into an elbow by Palumbo. Palumbo with a big back drop. Noble with a low dropkick to the leg of Palumbo. Cole claims he’s been in a bar room brawl. Noble keeps going at the knee of Palumbo while McCool tries to rally the crowd behind Palumbo. Noble actually tries for a suplex, but Palumbo reverses it into one of his own. Palumbo with rights and a clothesline. Palumbo with a overhead belly to belly. Palumbo misses the big boot in the corner, and Noble gets a school boy – pulling the jeans of Palumbo – and gets the victory!
Winner: Jamie Noble

Four out of Ten. Alright match.

McMahon tells Runjin Singh about Finlay vs. Great Khali at Armageddon, and Singh does a Hornswoggle impression. Singh imitates his own uncle before doing one of Khali. Turns out Khali is standing right behind him. Okay, whatever. I suppose they couldn’t have had Khali just destroy Deuce and Domino after Finlay and Hornswoggle beat them.

Up next: Edge vs. Batista.

Edge vs. Batista at Vengeance.

Commercials.

World Heavy Weight Championship: Edge vs. Batista
We even get the great post entrance introductions moment, making the match seem a bit more important. Lock up and Batista sends Edge down quickly. Lock up again, and Batista forces Edge down again. Edge ducks a right by Batista and nails punches of his own, Batista sends Edge into the corner for spears. Edge off the ropes into a shoulder by Batista for a pinfall attempt. Batista sets up for a Batista Bomb but Edge escapes the ring as we head to a commercial.

Commercials.

Batista with a scoop slam for a two count over Edge. Edge off the ropes into a Batista sideslam. Batista goes after the arm of Edge, hooking it on the rope for a few moments. Batista with a snap mare and low boot to the face of Edge for a two count. Batista positions Edge on the ring apron and gets some shots in. Edge stands up on the apron and Batista knocks him off and into the ring apron. Back in the ring Edge nails a neck breaker, taking us into a commercial break.

Commercials.

Edge has Batista in a sleeper hold variation move. Edge with the reverse X-Factor for a two count over Batista. Batista with a suplex to Edge. Batista goes up top and nails a flying shoulder block to Edge for a two count. I’m beginning to get really sick of Cole freaking out every time Batista goes up top. Edge runs into a spinning sideslam by Batista for a two count. Edge runs into a spine buster by Batista, who the signals for the Batista Bomb! Batista sets up but Edge turns it into a DDT! Edge doesn’t get the three count. Batista gets the running power slam. Batista sets Edge up for a spear, but the lights go out and the bells gong. When the lights return Undertaker is in the ring, with his hand around Edge’s throat, but Batista spears Edge! Chokeslam to Batista by Undertaker … and Theodore Long’s music begins playing!
Winner: Draw and Still World Heavy Weight Champion: Batista

Long makes his way out. Long says he knows Edge wants a rematch, and Long agrees that he does deserve a rematch. Long recites what Vickie Guerrero said to Edge in last week’s SmackDown (in regards to Edge ruining the Survivor Series main event), and also gives Undertaker a World Title match like Vickie did Edge! Long announces Edge vs. Undertaker vs. Batista! Okay, that’s a cool set up – what with Long quoting Vickie Guerrero and all. Nice to see a face authority figure back in the fold too.

Weird match. The entire thing seemed to go in Batista’s favour. It makes sense if they were trying to make it seem that Batista could finally defeat Edge in a title match, but doesn’t make much sense to see Edge’s return match be done in that fashion. Maybe Edge isn’t back to full ability and they wanted to hide it, make it look like Edge had ring rust or something, I don’t know. The match also felt like it was leading up to more, or a longer match, and didn’t. Either way, this was acceptable. Not amazing, not great, but they’ve done a lot worse. Four out of Ten.

The Inside Pulse
Finlay and Hornswoggle defeats Deuce and Domino: 2/10
CM Punk defeats Kenny Dykstra: 5/10
Rey Mysterio and Kane defeat Montel Vontavious Porter and Big Daddy V: 2/10
Jamie Noble defeated Chuck Palumbo: 4/10
Edge draw Batista: 4/10
SmackDown 30/11/07: 17/50

No minus point matches tonight – always a good thing. But, while there was no minus point matches, there was also no good matches. My suggestion is to miss this episode, unless you need to see Edge be dramatic and Theodore Long’s anticlimactic return. Until next week, have a good one!