Last week Batista returned to Friday nights and defeated Chris Jericho, this week he’ll challenge his tag-team partner the Big Show. And what about Teddy Long? Last week he was kidnapped by the Undertaker, will we learn his fate tonight? And what plans might the Undertaker now have for CM Punk? Let’s stop asking questions and find out!
We begin tonight’s broadcast with the only straight edge World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk. Punk reminds us all of his growing resume of awesomeness in which he lists making the Undertaker “tap out†at Breaking Point as number one. Punk wants someone from the office to come out and show him his due respect and tell him who he’ll be facing at the next pay-per-view. This gets answered by a group of druids who bring a casket to the ring while Punk wisely grabs a steel chair from ringside. Eventually Punk opens the casket and tied-up Teddy Long is inside. After making fun of him for a bit, Punk gets him out of the casket and unties him. Once he has caught his breath and has a mic Teddy tells us Punk that not only is the Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate submission no longer banned, but that he will defend his title against Taker inside Hell In A Cell in 9 days and face him tonight on Smackdown!
John Morrison & Finlay vs Dolph Ziggler & Mike Knox: Fit and Dolph start the match and is quickly in control with a shoulder block and slam. But as Finlay sets him up for an atomic drop Ziggler makes a tag to Knox and Mike blasts Fit with a kick from behind. Knox and then Ziggler both take turns going to work on Finlay on the mat before we head to a commercial break.
As we return to action Knox has control of Finlay with a headlock but Fit breaks it with a jawbreaker. But that move is not enough to turn the tide as Knox regains control and tags in Ziggler who continues the advantage for his team. Despite a few tease spots Finlay is unable to fight to his corner and tag Morrison as Knox and Ziggler keep the advantage and tag in and out a few times. But Dolph misses a stinger splash in the corner and both he and Finlay make tags. Morrison comes in firing on Knox quickly taking control of the match-up with a series of high flying moves. Dolph tries to get involved but Knox ends up taking out his own partner with a vicious crossbody. As the ref tries to get Ziggler out of the ring Finlay blasts Knox from behind with the shillelagh and Morrison follows with the Starship Pain and the pinfall.
Backstage Slam Master J is still trying to make friends with Cryme Tyme and Eve. Like any good friends they convince him to vandalize Teddy Long’s office. Unfortunately for J, Teddy catches him and is going to punish him by giving him a match tonight.
Kane vs Slam Master J: Kane defeated Matt Hardy on Superstars last night but I expect this match will be a lot less competitive than that affair. SMJ tries to take it right to Kane with some quick hits but the Big Red Machine is having none of that. One sidewalk slam and chokeslam later Kane has pinned J and that’s what you get for being a poser kids. According to JR, Kane has yet to be defeated by pinfall or submission since he returned to Smackdown.
Backstage CM Punk wants to talk to Vince McMahon about Teddy Long’s decisions this evening. Punk tries to elude to possible involvement by Vince in the conspiracy at Breaking Point but Vince side steps it and wishes him good luck with the Undertaker.
When we return from break, Vince comes down to the ring to promote next week’s episode of Smackdown which is the program’s 10 year anniversary. Vince then introduces Drew McIntyre and says that he has personally signed him to a contract to appear on the show. McIntyre changes his catchphrase to say that now his party has just started but is interrupted by R-Truth who enters with his usual sing-along thru the crowd. Truth eventually attacks Drew but a gaggle of referees break things up before they can go very far.
Batista vs The Big Show: We get reminded of Jericho’s match last week with Batista via the Smack of the Night and Jericho accompanies Show to ringside for this match. Sadly Chris does not join JR and Todd on commentary. Big Show casually tosses Batista aside after a lock-up and Jericho yells at JR’s to make sure he noticed it. Dave tries to take Show down with some momentum off the ropes and is again casually swatted aside much to Jericho’s delight. Big Show continues to pound away on Batista until “the Animal†ducks a charge to the ropes and as Show topples outside the ring we tumble to some commercials.
As Smackdown returns from the break, Show has Batista in a headlock down on the mat. We are shown a replay of Jericho providing a distraction so that Show could nail a spear on Dave. Chris goes over to the announce table to tell them that Big Show is now “the animal†and demands that they say that to the audience. Jericho also seems to have lost his tie and jacket while we were gone. Show continues to control Batista on the mat with a bear hug and things look to be going his way at least until he decides to climb to the top rope. Of course Show misses his top rope attack and this allows Batista to rebound and hit him with a spear. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb but can’t lift the Big Show. Show tries for the choke slam but Batista slips behind him trips him up and locks on an ankle lock? Jericho jumps into the ring to interrupt and Batista nails him with a spinebuster as the ref awards him the match via DQ. Batista then uses the ankle lock on Jericho for a bit before releasing it so both tag champions can limp away from him.
Meanwhile in Teddy’s office, Mr. McMahon comes in to remind him that only Long, CM Punk and the ref were involved in the conspiracy against the Undertaker and no one else. Vince would also like to see his picture (that he asks for every week) finally hung on Long’s office wall. However when Teddy produces the picture it seems that was what Slam Master J spray painted in the office earlier. Vince is less than pleased.
JTG vs David Hart Smith: Does anybody know what JTG is supposed to stand for? Shad and Eve accompany JTG to the ring and Natalya and Tyson Kidd do the same for Smith. Both men look to get started quickly but JTG gets the better of things with his high energy attack including a facebuster from the second turnbuckle. But Smith fights back and gains control using his power based attack. Smith hits a nice power slam for a two count and follows that up with another slam and a submission hold. But as he tries to take the action to the corner, JTG fires back up and attacks. JTG hits a flashback off the ropes and celebrates before going to the top rope to celebrate. He then hits a standing leg drop on Smith but as he goes for the cover, Natalya puts Dave’s foot on the rope to break the count. Eve comes over to attack Nat and Shad then breaks up the battling beauties. All of this serves as enough of a distraction for Tyson Kidd to nail JTG with a kick to the head. Smith follows up with a nasty back suplex and pins JTG for the victory.
Batista is in the back for a brief chat with Josh. Batista wants to use this time to challenge Chris Jericho and the Big Show for their tag-team titles. It seems he’d like that match to be at the upcoming pay-per-view and his partner will be Rey Mysterio. Is Rey’s suspension already over?
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk vs The Undertaker: As Punk enters we get a recap of his chat with Teddy Long that opened the show. Even though this feud hasn’t really been long enough to “deserve†the HIAC treatment, I’m more interested in this match in nine days than any other on the card so far. Punk ducks and dodges Taker as long as he can but eventually Taker gets his hands on him in one of the corners. After a few knees Taker shoots Punk into the opposite corner but Punk is able to stop his charge and gets some shots in of his own. As the battle returns to the middle of the ring, Taker again takes control and in an attempt to send Punk into the corner yet again he actually sends him out over the top rope and we hit some commercials.
Back from break and the action is back in the ring but very briefly as Taker soon dumps Punk right back over the top rope. Punk leads him on a brief chase around the ring but is unable to take advantage of this as Taker ends up dropping him throat first across the top rope. Taker continues the assault with his leg-drop off the apron and brings things back inside for some Old School but it is blocked by Punk. The champ tries for a super-plex but gets shoved off by the Dead Man. Punk goes back to the attack before Taker can remove himself from the top turnbuckle and hits with several headbutts before another super-plex attempt that connects! Punk tries to work over the larger man down on the mat but that does not last long as Taker fights up and tries to set him for the chokeslam. Punk fights out by going low with kicks but Taker is quickly back in control after hitting snake eyes, a big boot and a leg drop. After flooring Taker with a kick to the head, Punk goes for the pinfall but instead gets locked in Hell’s Gate. But Punk is quickly in the ropes and the ref breaks the hold. Punk slips outside the ring and goes to grab his title belt but Taker interrupts his actions and tries to put him thru the announce table with the Last Ride. But Punk fights out of it and slides back into the ring right before the ref makes the 10 count. Punk takes his belt and runs up the ramp to pose having won this match by count-out and that ends the show.
