We are 48 hours away from the WWE’s next pay-per-view offering Breaking Point and in the main event World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk will take on Matt Hardy. With his showdown with the Undertaker just two days away, how will the Straight Edge Superstars look to make a statement tonight?
The show opens with the Undertaker come down to the ring. Honestly I was hoping for another impression by CM Punk, but I suppose their feud is not that far along just yet. Taker lets us know that not only is Punk going to lose this Sunday, but also submit and personally hand Taker his soul. The World Champion joins us to refute these claims and to dis UT’s gimmick and the fans that love it. Good opening promo from both men with both putting over their own submission finishers and their self-confidence.
Finlay vs Mike Knox: This match is a “Belfast Brawl†which I guess is just another name for no DQ. Before the match we get some pre-match comments from Knox and I consider turning back to the basketball hall of fame inductions. Finlay starts the brawl on the attack gaining control until Knox is able to catch him with a powerslam. The action spills outside but Finlay stops Mike’s first two attempts to use a weapon. Fit goes for a chair shot but it gets sent back into his face and we get sent into a commercial break.
As we return Knox is hitting a sidewalk slam onto the previously mentioned chair and seems to be in control. The action again returns to the ringside area and Mike begins beating on Finlay with trash cans and other items from under the ring. Knox tosses both Fit and the trash cans into the ring and continues to pit them against each other before leaving the ring to get a table. Knox sets the table up in the corner and sends Fit into it but it does not break. Finlay is able to reach his shillelagh and clobbers Knox with it to gain the pinfall victory. This was really just several minutes of two guys hitting each other with weapons.
Meanwhile backstage, we see Michelle McCool hitting on Dolph Ziggler who is unresponsive and just looking for Maria. McCool fakes a fall into Dolph’s arms and her buddy Layla snaps some pictures. I don’t know exactly where this cruise is going but I know I’d rather not make the trip. We get a “Price is Raw†video package from Monday and another plug for Bob’s book. I have to say I thought the concept was good and that Barker was very entertaining but I’d still like Raw to have more wrestling.
The Great Khali vs D.H. Smith: Natalya and Tyson Kidd accompany Smith to ringside and JR explains to us what their t-shirts mean. Before the bell can even sound, Kane is in the ring to attack his opponent on Sunday. Khali hits a big chop much to the reported dismay of the Big Show and his Punjabi Plunge which ends our segment with no match and not much of a fight either.
Chris Jericho & The Big Show vs Cryme Tyme: Great reaction shots from Jericho and Show as they watch the recap of their “lowlights†from Raw. This match kind of shows you how light the WWE is with tag-teams as the champs don’t really have any other teams to face on Smackdown. Jericho tries to rough up JTG as the match begins but it does not last as J uses his quickness to frustrate Chris and dump him outside the ring. The infuriated Jericho starts trashing the announce table in response and we take a commercial break to calm down.
When we return JTG has control of Jericho on the mat and soon tags in Shad for some tandem offense. After a press slam from Shad, JTG is tagged back in for another dynamic duo attack. Jericho is finally able to tag in the Big Show and he has no problem slowing down JTG. But J is able to escape and tag in Shad and he delivers a few shots to both opponents. He goes to the top rope but Show is waiting and nails him on the way down and Shad plays the wrestler in peril for awhile as both Show and Jericho take turns controlling things. But eventually Shad is able to turn the tide and get to JTG for the hot tag against Jericho.
JTG comes in on fire and hits a rapid succession of moves leading to a pinfall attempt that is broken up by Big Show. This brings Shad back into the ring and both big men are soon brawling outside the ring. Jericho reverses a turnbuckle attack into a pinfall attempt but can only get two even with using the ropes for added leverage. He then goes for the Walls of Jericho but JTG reverses into a roll-up that gets a 2.7 count. Chris tries to toss JTG over the ropes but JTG skins the cat to try to get back in. During this process, the Big Show rises from his struggles with Shad outside the ring and nails him with a right hand. JTG is out cold and Jericho covers him for the pinfall victory.
Vince McMahon is backstage and pays Smackdown GM Teddy Long a little visit. Vince complains of his disappointment in both Long and the show. Teddy halts his flow by promising a surprise next week that will change the face of Smackdown as well as something excellent at Breaking Point. Vince and I are both relieved to hear of these big plans.
John Morrison vs Charlie Haas: Haas reverses a trip to the corner and hits a nice suplex to take control of the match. Charlie sends the IC champ shoulder first into the turnbuckle and quickly has him down on the mat to work over the arm. Morrison fights back with a series of kicks and a standing shooting star press to the tune of a long two count. Another battle in the corner leads to Haas wanting to try for an arm breaker off the top ropes but that is halted by Morrison. Charlie goes down and is in perfect position for Starship Pain which Morrison hits for the quick pinfall victory.
Post match John grabs a mic to put over his match last week and his opponent Rey Mysterio and we get some footage from last week as well. Morrison says Mysterio can have a rematch anytime he wants and this comment brings out Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler complains about getting looked over for his promised title shot. Morrison makes fun of him and gets the crowd to chat “Mr. Ziggles†at him. This is so insulting to Dolph it actually gets him to leave and we go backstage to hear from Josh and Matt Hardy who say nothing of note about tonight’s main event.
Layla vs Melina: Layla is of course accompanied by Michelle McCool who is walking with the aid of a crutch. Melina takes control early and send Layla into the corner climbing to the 2nd rope and laying in some punches but stopping after each to point at McCool at ringside. Layla does not appreciate this very much and awesomely shoves her off and then kicks her in the ribs. The commentary from JR and Todd is getting as annoying as Melina’s yelling in the ring. Eventually, Melina has Layla set-up on the ropes for something but misses the maneuver spilling outside of the ring. As the ref is distracted by Layla, Michelle hits Melina in the ribs with her crutch and this does enough damage for Layla to gain the pinfall victory. Not much of a match and not much of a feud. I am unsure which part of Smackdown I like least, Melina/McCool or Kane/Khali. What about you?
R-Truth is in the back with Josh and he wants Teddy Long to “lookout at the cookout†and give him a match with Drew McIntyre. The line of the night comes from this promo with R-Truth saying that he’ll be on Drew like a “monkey on a cupcake†Drew does not think it was nearly as funny as I did and attacks him from behind to deliver a beatdown. All of that was awesome. We then get the hard sell for the pay-per-view by JR and Todd in the ring and if you cannot or will not be ordering Breaking Point this Sunday check with us here at the Pulse for boatloads of coverage.
World Heavyweight Champion C.M. Punk vs Matt Hardy: It seems like Matt’s brother had an interesting day. This is a Submission Match and it’s about time the WWE did one of these or at least had someone submit to end a match given the PPV theme they are trying to sell. Hardy wants to throw hands to start but Punk looks to take things down to the mat. After a neckbreaker, Matt starts to work the neck and locks on a move I have not seen before to a standing Punk. Punk breaks the hold by sending Matt into the corner but gets shoved off the top rope when he tries to follow up with some offense. Matt goes for the Twist of Fate but Punk slips out of it and sends him shoulder first into the ring post not once but twice. Hardy slips off the ropes and falls outside the ring and we fall to another commercial break.
As we return, the action is back inside the ring and Punk is in full control. Shades of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew as Punk drives his knee into Hardy’s back as he shoves him down from the top rope. Punk blows someone in the crowd a kiss and hits a vertical suplex before following it up with a legdrop and a head scissors down on the mat. Hardy fights out of it to stand but Punk floors him with an enziguri. He follows with the high knee in the corner but cannot hit his bulldog and Hardy surprises him by locking on a figure four. Punk is able to reverse it and it is broken after reaching the ropes. Matt gets fired up and hits his bulldog and the Side Effect. Hardy then goes for the Twist of Fate again but Punk reverses to the GTS but Matt fights out of that and locks in a half crab. Punk is able to crawl to the ropes and as both men reach their feet he floors Matt with a kick to the side of the head. Punk quickly locks on the Anaconda Vise and Hardy has no choice but to tap out.
After the match as Punk celebrates his victory in the ring with his title, familiar bells chime and the area goes dark. When the lights return the Undertaker is standing at the top of the ramp hold the World Heavyweight Championship with Punk shocked and angry in the ring. That’s it for this week’s show but is that also the end of Punk’s title reign?
