Smackdown Recap for 7/17/09

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It’s Friday night on the Pulse! While many people are out having a social life, and I would have rather been watching the Yankees beat the Tigers, you join me and we can discover what happened on WWE Smackdown!

The show opens with lots of pyro as JR and Todd welcome us to the show and hype both the main event and an interview with Edge. Jeff Hardy comes to the ring to discuss CM Punk’s promo from last week’s episode. I thought it was a nice touch that Hardy seemed to be ringside to do commentary on the Khali/Punk match last week yet didn’t say anything after Punk’s promo. Of course, I usually prefer Jeff saying nothing over his usual mic work.

Hardy wants us to know that he admits his mistakes, says he hasn’t failed a drug test in over a year, cleaned himself up without rehab and claims that he’ll win at Night of Champions. CM Punk comes out to offer a retort. Punk comes out swinging calling Jeff a joke, trashes him for thinking not testing positive for a year is an accomplishment and claiming he didn’t need rehab. Jeff attacks Punk after he says he worries about Jeff’s fans that look up to him becoming a statistic just like he is. Punk says he is going to be the bigger man and not return fire since he has a match next and we have our first commercial break.

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk vs John Morrison: Before the match we get a recap showing Punk’s loss (and post match GTS) to Morrison three weeks ago. Both men trade attempts to work the arm and gain the advantage with headlocks as things start to get testy with each reversal. Morrison starts to gain the advantage and an awkward GTS reversal dumps Punk to the outside but John’s attempt to follow up is reversed and lands him on his back outside the ring as we hit a commercial break.

We return with Morrison on the mat and Punk in control. Morrison makes the comeback until Punk reverses a top rope hurricanrana for a quick two count followed up by Welcome to Chicago for another count of two. Both men counter finishers and subsequent pin attempts before Morrison gets the win with the rollup. That is back to back losses for the champion against Morrison. Very good match, these guys have great chemistry together and the match featured several nice spots and a lot of reversals. After the match, John offers a friendly handshake but Punk refuses and leaves the ring as Morrison celebrates.

Layla (who is a former dancer for the Miami Heat) comes out in a D Wade jersey to cut a promo (?) and dance for the local fans. She is interrupted by Ricky Ortiz who cuts an anti-Miami promo while attempting to get them to “rally up”. He tries to give Layla one of his towels and she drops it. Face turn for Layla or just local flavor?

Now it’s time for Word Up with Cryme Tyme and Eve and our word for the week is “championized”. Former Miami Hurricane and current Arizona Cardinal Antrel Rolle joins us for the segment, but the “fun” quickly grinds to a halt when Jessie jumps in as we jump out to more commercials.

Kane vs R-Truth: As Kane makes his way to the ring we get a brief recap of some of the resent feud with the Big Red Machine and the Great Khali. R-Truth does not enter thru the crowd taking the more conventional route instead. He does however still want to know “what’s up” from the Miami crowd. Kane is in control early knocking Truth down each time with a series of uppercuts. Both men trade knocking each other out of the ring and with Kane on the floor we head to commercial.

Kane firmly takes control of the match as we return. Awkward commentary from Grisham and JR in this match as Kane continues to dominate. R-Truth finally makes a comeback with a few reversals but jumps off the top rope right into Kane’s boot. So Kane picks up the pinfall victory in what was more or less a squash. After the match, Khali comes out. R-Truth uses the diversion to hit a dropkick from the top rope and Kane exits thru through the crowd before Khali can take advantage.

The Hart Dynasty vs Cryme Tyme & Eve Torres: We get a brief recap of the tag match from last night’s Superstars, spotlighting the divas involvement. Eve and Natalya start but leave the ring quickly in favor of Tyson Kidd and Shad. My cable freezes up for a few minutes and when I have a “live” feed again Tyson Kidd is now in control of JTG. DH Smith prevents Shad from making the hot tag but not Eve and this forces Natalya back into the match.

Eve quickly gets power slammed by the Anvil’s daughter before unleashing a flurry of dropkicks and pretty decent handspring splash on Nat for a pinfall attempt. But it is broken up by Kidd and all of the male members of these teams are now battling outside. Natalya takes advantage of the distraction and hits a spinning clothesline on Eve for the pinfall victory. Decent match but I think they need more time then they’ve been getting to have a really good one. I am enjoying this feud and both of these teams so far.

Edge joins us (from home) as we return to be interviewed by Todd and JR. He seems a bit somber and reminds us a bit of his resume before saying he thinks this injury could be the end of his career. But adds he’ll do everything he can to get back in the ring and once again become a champion. Chris Jericho comes down to the ring (without the titles) and takes over the conversation. Jericho complains that Edge didn’t care about the titles or his partner. Chris says that he’ll find a better partner for Night of Champion and retain the unified tag-titles. Jericho then refers to Edge as injury prone, weak, frail and pathetic. Edge counters by saying that if and when he returns he’ll prove Jericho wrong.

Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio & Jeff Hardy vs World Tag-Team Champion Chris Jericho & Dolph Ziggler: As Ziggler enters we get a recap of last week’s main event and a reminder that Dolph will face Mysterio at Night of Champions for the IC title. Before the match can begin CM Punk comes out join us and offer commentary. Hardy and Jericho start us off and Jeff quickly takes control before getting dropkicked off the apron as we head to a commercial break.

As we return Ziggler and Jericho are in control of Jeff and Rey still has yet to enter the match. Mysterio finally does get the warm tag and takes control on Jericho. Dolph get a blind tag as Rey started to set-up for the 619 and tosses Mysterio into off the ring apron to briefly regain control of the match. The IC Champ reverses an attack in the corner and both Hardy and Jericho are tagged into the match. Jeff hits both the twist of Fate and the Swanton on Jericho but Dolph breaks up the pin attempt. The match quickly breaks down with all four men now involved. Chris and Jeff are soon outside near the announce table and Hardy tries to throw Jericho into Punk. We have a stare down between the two before Punk tosses Jericho into Jeff. Hardy hit the steel steps and the ref calls for the bell and a DQ will be our finish for tonight’s main event.

Rey has some words with Punk post-match before Ziggler lays Mysterio and the referee out on the outside. Jericho then rolls Jeff back in the ring and hits him with the Codebreaker. Punk looks on while slowly walking to the back as Jeff is locked in the Walls of Jericho and that’s our show. Only four matches this week but I enjoyed 3 out of 4 and especially liked the opening promo so I’d call it a good episode.