Welcome back to our Friday night Smackdown report! It’s been a long week so kick off your shoes, grab your favorite drink, curl up in your favorite chair. Hurricane Helms has his eye on “The Gold Standard” Shelton Benjamin’s title belt, Jeff Hardy and “The Game” Triple H can’t seem to settle their differences without the interference of “Rated R Superstar” Edge. Join us tonight as we follow a full two hours of Smackdown action…
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!
We open with a video of Jeff Hardy wining the WWE Championship at Armageddon. Jeff, in his extreme makeup, appears on camera and says “Here I comeâ€.
Smakdown is broadcast on MyNetworkTV, Jim Ross and Tazz are our ringside announcers and Jeff Hardy, as new WWE Champion, is introduced. Six minutes in and Jeff says “Wowâ€. He apologizes for taking so long but says it finally happened but he neglects to mention that it was one step away from Strike Three on Wellness Policy Violations. Edge appears to yell at Hardy and throws his hat for emphasis and Jeff calls him a liar but Edge claims he had nothing to do with what happened to Jeff at the hotel. Edge says that tonight it will be the ECW Champion, Matt Hardy, versus Edge and it will be Jeff Hardy, WWE Champion, versus the undefeated Vladimir Kozlov. Jeff delivers a Twist of Fate, grabs his belt, rolls out and we go to commercial break.
Tag Team Match: MVP and “The Gold Standard†Shelton Benjamin vs. Hurricane Helms and R-Truth
Everyone is in the ring except Truth who makes his standard entrance through the crowd singing his entrance song. Helms is rockin’ to the tune, MVP and Benjamin are not impressed. Truth and MVP start the match after a disagreement catches MVP in a quick roll up. Truth tags in Hurricane which JR and Tazz mention the losing streak of Porter and the return of Helms. Shelton tags himself in and R-Truth gets the tag. Shelton pummels Truth as Montel begs for a tag but he doesn’t get it and Truth comes back as Benjamin misses a dive in the corner. Helms gets the tag, sends MVP to the floor, goes up to the top, comes off with a cross body block and gets two before Porter breaks it up. Truth comes in and takes out MVP, Benjamin sends out Truth, Helms goes for a backslide, Montel delivers a kick and catches Shelton instead, Truth takes out MVP, Hurricane delivers a neck breaker, covers and gets the three.
Winners: Hurricane Helms and R-Truth via pinfall.
The match was fast paced and entertaining even allowing Shelton to show off some of his wrestling skills. Hurricane has done a great job since he came back to the ring. Vickie and Chavo Guerrero are backstage with Vickie bitching about the coffee Chavo just made for her. Edge appears to bitch about what Jeff just did to him and he wants Jeff tonight and breaks a lamp for emphasis and we go to commercial break.
Paul Marshall’s got you covered on Monday nights with Pulse Wrestling’s Real-Time Raw Report!
Festus with Jesse vs. John Morrison, one half of the WWE Tag Team with The Miz,
I see this as a race to the bell and Miz gets taken out by Jesse as he goes for the bell at ringside. Jesse rings the bell and Morrison is in trouble. Morrison is spending a lot of the match on his back until he hangs Festus up on the top rope and delivers a knee to the face, goes for the cover and gets one. Morrison actually has Festus down on the mat but Festus is back to his feet and Morrison comes off the ropes to be dropped by a shoulder block. Morrison springboards off the ropes and gets caught in a fall away slam, Miz gets involved, Jesse swings at Miz with the bell, hits the corner post, the bell rings, Morrison delivers a corkscrew neck breaker and gets three.
Winner: John Morrison with a corkscrew neck breaker.
This actually wasn’t a bad match until the mishap with the bell and we go to commercial break.
“Hola to Sky, the voice of RXW in Panama! If you think announcers in America do a great job of following the action, check out an RXW match. In the ring, on the floor, in the seats, Sky calls it like he sees and when he shouts “take that and keep the changeâ€, you know the action is hot and heavy! That’s a wrap for now but to find out more about RXW, visit Lucha Libre Panama! Spanish translation: Hola to Sky la voz de la RXW en Panama. Si piensan que los anunciadores en los Estados Unidos hacen un buen trabajo en seguir la acción, vean una lucha de la RXW. En el ring, fuera de él, entre el público, Sky narra lo que ve y cuando grita “agarra eso y quedate con el sencillo” sabes que la acción está prendida. Eso es todo y si quieren saber más de la RXW y la lucha libre en Panamá visiten Lucha Libre Panama.
We return to Smackdown in time for a DX Christmas commercial with Shawn Michaels and Triple H which may be longer than the match we saw before commercial break. Eve is backstage with ECW Champion Matt Hardy and Matt talks about Jeff winning the title last Sunday and says that he will beat Edge tonight just as Jeff beat him and we go to commercial break.
ECW Champion Matt Hardy vs. “Rated R Superstar†Edge
Edge starts off the match without a clean break but Hardy avoids being nailed by a fist and they end up on the mat with holds and counters until Edge gets a foot on the ropes. Edge again goes for a not so clean break but Matt catches him with a right hand before delivering a drop toehold and keeping Edge on the mat. Edge comes off the ropes and Hardy sends him over the top rope, Edge gets his foot hung up but gets sent to the floor and we go to commercial break.
Back to the action, Edge misses a charge into the corner and Matt maintains control by working on the left arm. Hardy comes off the ropes and catches a knee to the gut before being tossed outside. As Matt tries to get back in the ring, Edge delivers a baseball slide, comes out and sends Hardy shoulder first into the steel steps and Hardy is holding his left shoulder as he rolls back in. Edge works on Matt’s shoulder and then delivers a fist to the forehead. Edge slams Hardy into the mat, covers, gets two and goes back to work on the shoulder. Edge stomps on the shoulder until the referee backs him up and Matt comes back with forearms before being taken back down to the mat with an arm drag. Hardy delivers a back suplex but can’t go for the cover, comes off the ropes with a swinging neck breaker, covers and gets two. Matt goes up to the top but Edge is back to his feet and cuts him off. Edge climbs up but Hardy uses and elbow to send him back down, Matt comes off with a moonsault, covers and gets two. Edge goes up top, Matt catches him with a foot, delivers the Side Effect and covers but Edge gets a foot on the ropes. Matt comes off the ropes with an elbow, Edge rolls him up with the tights, a dual clothesline and both men are down. Edge comes at Hardy, ends up face first into the turnbuckle, Edge sends Matt into the post, delivers a spear, covers and gets the three.
Winner: Edge with a spear
Another good match with both workers doing a good job in and out of the ring.
Mr. Marshal picks up the action again on Thursday with Total Nonstop Weekly.
Carlito one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, with Primo vs. Ezekiel Jackson with “The†Brian Kendrick
I’m always disappointed when Kendrick isn’t in the ring but Carlito goes to work on Jackson before the bell rings. Brian mouths off and Carlito stomps on his hand. Carlito does a great job on staying ahead of Zeke until he comes off the ropes and runs into the big guy. Jackson applies a bear hug and the red marks on Carlito’s back are bright from being sent into the corner earlier in the match. Carlito delivers rights to the side of the head to break the hold but gets taken down with a hard clothesline. Outside the ring, Kendrick takes a shot at Carlito, Carlito drops him and Primo shows up to help, Carlito comes off the top with a cross body but Jackson kicks out. Carlito springboards off the ropes and gets nailed in the back. Zeke delivers a modified choke slam, covers and gets three.
Winner: Ezekieal Jackson with a modified choke slam>
Not Carlilto’s best match but good against the huge force that is Jackson. We go to commercial break.
Another Independent promotion that has captured my attention is IWA Mid-South. They have great indy talent and matches for everyone from good old rasslin’ to hardcore! Tomorrow night IWA Mid-South has a Charity Show in Joliet, Illinois for the Kids at Hart Program. For more information on IWA Mid-South and upcoming events, visit Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South.
Winner receives future Diva’s Championship Match: Maria vs. Maryse
Diva’s Champion Michelle McCool is at ringside to watch the match but Maryse is busy trying to be a diva until Maria slaps her and knocks her down with a lot of slapping and screaming before the action goes out to the floor. This becomes more of a brawl than a wrestling match with neither worker doing much that is impressive. Maria hurts her knee, Maryse delivers a DDT and gets the cover and three.
Winner: Maryse with a DDT
This was a standard diva’s match with nothing to remark about. After the match, Maryse and Michelle are face to face with Maryse indicating she will have the title belt. MVP is backstage but Mr. Kennedy appears to make it all better by wishing him Merry Christmas from Mr. Kennedy (Kennedy) and we go to commercial break.
Eve is backstage with The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh regarding Khali’s kissing Mae Young and Khali says he has now found his true soulmate. And The Great Khali is having a tough time keeping a straight face.
Main Event: “The Moscow Mauler†Vladimir Kozlov vs. and we go to commercial break.
WWE Champion Jeff Hardy
Kozlov begins the match with an arm drag and then a waist lock as he powers Hardy down to the mat. Vlad tosses Jeff outside but Vlad’s check is bleeding. The Mauler goes out, Jeff rolls in and delivers a baseball slide and we go to commercial break.
Back to the action, Kozlov sends Jeff shoulder first into the corner post and then picks Jeff by the leg to work on the knee by slamming Jeff into the canvas. Vlad delivers a power slam and covers, getting two. Kozlov delivers a belly-to-belly suplex and gets two. The Mauler misses a charge into the corner and delivers a Whisper in the Wind, comes off the top with a second and, as usual, Edge charges into the ring so that he and Vlad can beat on Jeff. The ref is ineffective but we see Triple H backstage heading to the ring as Edge charges into the ring with a chair. Kozlov chokes Hardy with a boot as Trips hits the arena. Edge gets caught with a pedigree and Trips now has Kozlov on the floor pounding on him. Jeff is back to his feet in the ring, sort of, as Kozlov head meets the announcer table and Triple H has the sledge hammer. Vlad bails out of the ring and heads up the ramps but Trips follows him as Hardy delivers a Swanton bomb to Edge in the ring
Winner: As usual for the Main Event on Smackdown, there was no winner due to a run in
Thank you for joining us. Everyone have a great weekend and stay safe! Check Pulse Wrestling every day for the best in professional wrestling news, updates, columns and reviews. And join me every Friday night for the live Smackdown Report!
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