The show starts with a video promo hyping the return of DX to Smackdown for their title defense. And no sooner is that piece over than DX are on screen and making their way to the ring for that very unified tag team title match. HBK and HHH don’t seem as jovial as normal but they don’t get the chance to share one of their promos because Rey Mysterio interrupts as soon as Triple H starts talking. Rey heads straight to the ring and to Shawn to let him know that he feels HBK is dissing him by assuming the Undertaker is going to beat him at the Rumble. HBK lets him know that is exactly what he thinks and Triple H makes fun of his height. Rey and Shawn threaten each other and this is interrupted by CM Punk and his Straight Edge Society. Punk wants to remind us all that he has a tag title shot tonight and HHH makes fun of him and his sidekicks. Smackdown GM Teddy Long then interrupts to change the advertised main event for the evening and instead of a unified tag-team title match, we will get Triple H against CM Punk and Shawn Michaels versus Rey Mysterio.
Triple H def CM Punk: The match starts right after the break and both Serena and Luke Gallows are still at ringside but Shawn Michaels left. Triple H overpowers Punk to start and goes for a quick cover after a clothesline. Punk is able to back the Game into the corner and takes control after a series of shoulder thrusts. After an irish whip, Punk puts his head down allowing HHH to go for the Pedigree but Punk bails outside of the ring. Trips pulls him back into the ring, but gets distracted by Gallows which allows Punk to strike and nail a slingshot clothesline that floors the Game and sends the show to commercials.
Punk has control as we return and a replay shows us that the Straight Edge Society had a hand in him keeping that advantage while we were away. Punk goes for a vertical suplex but Triple H blocks it and delivers one of his own but as he rises Punk nails him with a kick to the head for a nearfall. Punk goes for the high knee in the corner but HHH blocks it and follows up with a spinebuster. Trips wins a slugfest and follows with a facebuster before delivering another barrage of punches. Punk rebounds and is able to nail the knee in the corner, but HHH blocks the bulldog and catches him with a knee breaker. Triple H locks on the figure four but Serena distracts the ref so Luke can hit HHH to break the hold. CM Punk nails Trips with another kick and goes for the GTS but can’t hang on and HHH tries to set him up for a Pedigree. Serena jumps on his back to draw the DQ and all three members of the Society start to beat down the Game. Eventually Punk goes for the clippers and decides to do his Brutus Beefcake impression, but Shawn Michaels returns to break up the haircut. DX teams to dump Gallows out of the ring, but when they turn to attack Punk he puts Serena in front of him and exits the ring.
R-Truth def Chris Jericho: We get a replay of Truth pinning Jericho last week on Smackdown and for those of you who might have missed Superstars last night, Chris also got punked by him on that show. Jericho angrily attacks to start but his cockiness quickly gets the best of him and that pause allows Truth to answer back, flooring him with a kick and clotheslining him out of the ring. Truth tries to follow up with a dive outside the ring, but Jericho dodges it and he hits floor as we hit commercials.
As we return to action, Jericho is in control both physically and verbally but we are not treated to any replays. Chris works the midsection and after a gutbuster locks on an abdominal stretch. Truth hip tosses his way out of it and then launches a dancing attack while no-selling all of the previous damage he has taken. Truth gets a nearfall out of a kick and reverses a Walls of Jericho attempt for another long two count. Jericho goes for the Codebreaker but Truth hangs onto the ropes and when Chris misses he rolls him up again for the pinfall. Y2J is having a rough week.
Meanwhile in the locker room, Josh Matthews is able to secure an interview with Batista. Dave and his hat would like everyone to know that no one, specifically DX or John Cena, will stop him from winning the Royal Rumble this weekend.
Drew McIntyre def John Morrison: This match is no disqualification and is for McIntyre’s Intercontinental Championship. Morrison cuts a promo before the match and drops several references for the internet alluding to McIntyre’s status with “the officeâ€. John is quickly on the attack with kicks and punches and goes for a quick cover after a dropkick. Morrison dumps the IC champ outside of the ring but when he follows him out to follow up, McIntyre grabs a kendo stick out from under the ring and get in a few shots on Morrison before sending him back into the ring and covering him for two. As with the other matches in this rivalry, McIntyre tries to focus on the midsection of Morrison. After a mid-ring slugfest won by Morrison, Drew slides out of the ring and grabs his title. But John stays on the attack with a dive outside and dodging his belt attack once back in the ring. However McIntyre is able to go low and poses with his championship after regaining control before a commercial break.
When we return to the match McIntyre is still in control and we get replay of that sort of action as Morrison goes for a springboard attack only to get dumped out of the ring. McIntyre tries to attack him with the ringsteps but misses and their battle briefly spills out into the crowd. Once they return to ringside, the kendo stick gets involved again for both Morrison and McIntyre. John hip tosses Drew onto the ringsteps and gets him back inside the ring for a long two count. Morrison goes for Starship Pain, but McIntyre gets his knees up and then hits his double-armed DDT on the IC title for the pinfall victory.
Michelle McCool def Layla: McCool comes out and as usual insults Mickie James before laying out an open challenge to anyone in the back. Mickie’s music hits but it is Layla wearing a fat suit and she and Michelle make fun of James some more. As for the “matchâ€, Layla runs around the ring for awhile acting tired and clumsy and McCool eventually pins her for the win. Really WWE? Someone continues to think shit like this is worth spending TV time on each week?
After a video package for the Royal Rumble, Batista stops Shawn Michaels in the back to tell him to stay out of his way this Sunday. HBK tells Dave he thinks he’s overrated but that he likes his hat so Batista takes it off to threaten him again. Luckily Triple H decides to join the conversation so Shawn can leave for his match that I am sure Batista will not interfere in.
Shawn Michaels vs. Rey Mysterio: Shawn takes Rey down with a side headlock then a shoulder block before laying in with some chops. Rey misses a charge to the corner and HBK dumps him out of the ring under the bottom rope. Mysterio is up quickly and plays chase with Shawn for a bit before getting him set-up for the 619 but Michaels bails outside to avoid the move. HBK gets set-up for the 619 again but he is just playing possum and tries to hit Sweet Chin Music but misses. Rey lands a kick of his own and head scissors both of them out of the ring and we get a commercial break.
As action resumes, Rey is laying into Shawn with low kicks and soon has him down in the corner. Mysterio starts to work on the leg and I think this might be the only time I’ve ever seen him do that. HBK hits a swinging neckbreaker to halt the attack but doesn’t really gain control until he trips Rey up as he climbs the top rope. Shawn then locks on a modified figure four but Mysterio reaches the ropes to break the hold. HBK picks him up to continue the attack but Rey nails him with an enziguri. Chops, punches and kicks go back and forth until Shawn hits the flying forearm and nips up. Shawn goes for the inverted atomic drop but Rey head scissors out of it and hits a slingshot senton for a two count. Rey goes for another slingshot move but HBK catches him for the inverted atomic drop and chops him down for a two count of his own. Michaels tries for a slam but Mysterio reverses it into a reverse DDT. He tries to follow up with another slingshot maneuver but HBK gets his knees up and then hits the elbow drop from the top rope and begins to stomp away to signal for SCM. Mysterio spin kicks him to block it and then connects with the 619 but he delays in dropping the dime and HBK nails him with Sweet Chin Music as he takes flight. However as Shawn goes for the pin, Batista runs in and spears him to end the match in a DQ.
Dave gives Rey a spinebuster and then picks up Shawn for a Batista Bomb, but Triple H runs down to save the day. The former pals slug it out before HHH hits Batista with a spinebuster and then clotheslines them both out of the ring. As Rey and Shawn struggle to their feet, the lights go out and The Undertaker appears to chokeslam them both to end the show.
