We begin Smackdown with your new World Heavyweight Champion making his way to the ring and as he does we get a replay of his brief appearance on Raw where he was attacked by Edge. Chris Jericho happily begins his promo by informing us that he is indeed the new champ before bemoaning the interruption and attack from Edge on Raw. So of course Edge decides to interrupt this promo as well. Edge says that Jericho is the best in the world at getting speared by him and then says speared a lot to drive the point home. Jericho tells him that he will never spear him again, then dodges a spear, misses on a Codebreaker attempt and of course gets speared to end the segment.
MITB Qualifying Match: Dolph Ziggler def John Morrison & R-Truth: Ziggler decides to bail outside the ring and let the faces fight it out but they follow him out and toss him back in the ring. Dolph gets dropped with a double elbow and slides right back out of the ring again. However this time they just let him go and lock up with each other. Both Truth and Morrison score with kicks and go for covers but each time Ziggler slides back into the ring to halt the pin attempt. This leads to Morrison chasing him around the ring and Truth nailing Dolph when he ducks back inside. Truth then clotheslines John over the top rope when he re-enters before dumping Ziggler out of the ring on the other side. Truth follows him out with a slingshot crossbody but as he tosses Ziggler back in, Morrison knocks him off the apron and covers Dolph himself for a nearfall before hitting a commercial break.
Once corporate America has had its fun, action reconvenes with Ziggler in control of Truth inside the ring and Morrison nowhere to be found. A replay shows John getting sent into the ringpost just before getting kicked off the apron by Ziggler. Dolph locks on the sleeper hold on Truth but the hold is eventually broken by Morrison’s return to the ring. Ziggler hits a running Fame-Asser on Morrison for a nearfall then dumps Truth outside the ring before hitting an inverted bodyslam on Morrison for another long two count. John goes for a small package but it gets broken up by Truth who then tosses Morrison out of the ring. Ziggler continues to dominate getting a couple of two counts on R-Truth before Morrison returns to the ring to break up a small package attempt by Truth. Morrison fires away on Ziggler before getting caught from behind with a school boy from Truth that gets two. Truth then nails Morrison with a kick but the pin attempt is halted by Ziggler. Truth aims the Lie Detector at Dolph but he ducks it and Morrison is hit instead and the pin attempt is then stopped by Ziggler. All three men battle on top of one of the turnbuckles and Ziggler goes flying off first with a rough landing to the outside. Morrison then gains control by hitting an MDK Bomb on Truth and follows up with Starship Pain. But as he covers Truth, Ziggler pulls him out of the ring and covers Truth himself for the win and the spot in the MITB match at WrestleMania!
Hey did you hear that Shawn Michaels will face the Undertaker at WrestleMania in a rematch of last year’s match of the year? No? Well then watch this video package.
Women’s Championship Match: Michelle McCool def Mickie James: As per the developments of last week, Vickie Guerrero is the special guest referee. McCool starts with a side-headlock and a shoulder block takedown but James follows up with a series of dropkicks. Mickie hits a reverse neckbreaker off and exchange in the corner but when she goes for the cover Vickie is “distracted†by Layla. Michelle tries to toss James out of the ring, but gets tossed instead and Mickie follows up with a baseball slide to continue the attack. James then sort of gets McCool with a headscissors off the apron and Vickie does some yelling. Mickie tries to get the action back in the ring but eats some ring apron after a distraction by Layla. The action finally returns to the ring (as Beth Phoenix is shown watching from the back) as McCool tries to maintain her advantage. Michelle goes for a powerbomb but Mickie fights out of it with some punches and a hurricanrana. McCool hits a belly-to-belly suplex and covers but Vickie falls out of the ring while trying to get into position for the count. And no I did not make that last part up. Layla and Michelle check on their buddy and Mickie uses the distraction to roll McCool up for a pin attempt. But instead of counting the fall, Guerrero slaps James in the face. Mickie is obviously less than pleased and when she starts to argue McCool kicks her in the face and pins her for the title.
MITB Qualifying Match: Kane def Drew McIntyre: The IC champ cuts a pre-match promo to brag about being undefeated and to inform us of his plans for WrestleMania. Unimpressed, the Big Red Machine begins a flurry of offense with and uppercut and gets a two count following a vertical suplex. McIntyre turns the tide with a hotshot reverse neckbreaker and follows up with a clothesline for a nearfall. Kane hits a sideslam for a long two count but then misses with his flying clothesline. McIntyre hits a move kind of like the Zig-Zag for a long two count and then goes for the Future Shock but Kane escapes. Kane goes for the chokeslam but settles for a big boot instead and it gets a nearfall. McIntyre goes for the Future Shock again but Kane fights out of it and kicks Drew right in the face for the pinfall. So Kane is in the MITB and McIntyre suffers his first loss which he is less than pleased about.
The current United States champion and one half of the unified tag-teams champions the Miz makes a visit to Smackdown this week for a promo. The Miz complains about not having a match at WrestleMania scheduled yet and he challenges Teddy Long to find Show-Miz a suitable challenger for their titles. Long answers by saying he’ll take it under advisement before booking him in a match tonight against Edge.
MITB Qualifying Match: Shelton Benjamin def CM Punk: Shelton apparently has chosen Smackdown after his brief free agency from ECW. Punk backs Shelton into a corner and tries to stomp a mudhole before the ref forces a break. Benjamin responds with a series of strikes that forces Punk to take a quick break with his posse on the outside. Benjamin tries to greet him as he re-enters the ring but gets dropped face first on the top rope and Punk hits a slingshot clothesline. Punk continues to press his advantage and gets a neckbreaker for a long two count. Shelton snaps him with a german suplex with a bridge off a reversal for a nearfall and gets fired up for a comeback. He misses on a Blinger Splash attempt and walks right into a kick to the head and just barely escapes the subsequent pin attempt. Punk hits his high knee in the corner but Shelton is able to shove off the bulldog attempt. Luke Gallows climbs on the apron to offer a distraction but is attacked by a just arriving Rey Mysterio. This further distraction leads to Benjamin slipping out of a GTS attempt and hitting PayDirt on Punk for the win and the spot in MITB.
Edge def The Miz: During Edge’s entrance we get a replay of his altercation with Jericho in the show’s opening segment. During Miz’s entrance we get a commercial break. Miz stalls to start but eventually Edge gets him in a rear waist lock and uses it for a takedown then hits a northern lights suplex with a bridge for a brief pin attempt. Edge works a side headlock for a bit with the Miz using his knee to escape it the second time. Edge slides out of the ring and Miz tries to follow with a baseball slide but misses as Edge returns to the ring. A brief cat and mouse ensues that is won by Edge and Miz gets sent into the ringside barricade before returning the action to the ring. Miz gets sent into the corner and tries to hit Edge with a kick as he charges but Edge ducks it and slides out of the ring. Edge climbs back in the apron but is denied re-entry by the Miz who hits him with a knee and then sends him into the ringpost as we get sent into some commercials.
When we return to action, the Miz is laying in shots with his elbows before inking in a chinlock. We are assured that Edge has been on the receiving end of a beating during the commercial break but are not show a replay to support Striker’s claims. Miz attacks the hair for a takedown and follows with a kick to the face for a two count. Miz then takes his assault to the turnbuckles and hits his corner clothesline. He climbs to the top rope but Edge catches him somewhat in mid-flight with a flapjack to turn the tide. Edge hits Miz with a SRLS as (Bryan Danielson is shown watching on the monitors in the back) then nails a big boot and gets fired up. After a couple of clotheslines the Edge–O–Matic connects but is only enough for a count of two. The Edgecution is attempted but Miz blocks it and gets a backbreaker into a reverse DDT for a nearfall. Miz sets up for the SCF but Edge escapes and hits him with Edgecution then makes with the funny faces as he sets up to strike with his mighty spear. That feared spear connects and Edge wins the match by pinfall.
