Drama’s Smackdown Report 5/8/09

Friday Night Smackdown!
May 8, 2009
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jim Ross and Todd Grisham

-We go back to last week and Jeff Hardy’s win in the Fatal Four-Way #1 contenders match for Judgment Day. We skip the animation and go right to GM Teddy Long in the ring. Teddy says it’s his honor and privilege to welcome back a former star of Smackdown and World Heavyweight Champion. Rey Mysterio comes out with his IC Title in tow. Rey takes a mike, and thanks Teddy. Rey pumps up the Pittsburgh crowd. Rey is happy to be back on Smackdown. He fought hard last week in the Fatal Four Way match, and was so close to get the #1 contender spot at Judgment Day. Rey says last week his friend Jeff Hardy was the better man. Rey knows he will get a #1 contender shot. For the time being, he will defend his Intercontinental Title against anybody at anytime. Rey is interrupted but the WALLS ARE BREAKING DOWN! Out comes Chris Jericho who’s not happy. Jericho says to Teddy that he is the face of Smackdown, and that this is his show, and he tells Teddy to introduce him. Teddy refuses. Jericho says he’s not surprised, but the fans won’t get an introduction, as his accolades speak for themselves and his presence makes Smackdown the #1 show. Jericho says Teddy is prejudiced and so are the hypocritical titworms here in Pittsburgh. Don’t know what Titworm is, but it’s awesome. Jericho says the booing fans are proving his point. Jericho says he’s disrespected by everyone, including the fly-by-night General Manager. Jericho says no one in WWE history was ever disqualified in a Fatal Four Way match yet he was and why was that? All he did was throw a chair at a pipsqueak like Rey Mysterio, who wasn’t going to win the match anyway. Jericho wants a championship match, and Rey tells him to shut up. Jericho gets in Rey’s face and tells him to watch his mouth. Rey repeats it and pushes Jericho to the ground. Rey says Jericho has to deal with the fact that he lost. Rey walks away and while Jericho is jawing Jeff Hardy’s music starts and the #1 contender comes down the aisle. Jeff says that if Jericho wants a championship match, he has to beat the current #1 contender. We get a moment of chanting, and Jeff says if it wasn’t for these fans, Jericho would be nothing. Jeff feels cool and confident that he’ll add a stipulation to their match tonight. If Jericho beats him, he’ll be added to the match at Judgment Day and it will be a triple threat match, so Jeff can expose him as the loser that he is. Jeff then smacks Jericho across the face. Jericho stares and walks away. So tonight if Jericho beats Jeff Hardy, he’s added to the title match with Edge at Judgment Day.

R-Truth vs. Mike Knox

Can’t remember R-Truth’s last match, but I’m very happy to see the modern day Bruiser Brody. Truth with some right hands to start and a headlock. Knox throws him into the corner and throws some rights. Truth with a leapfrog in the corner, then does that break dancing split to duck a clothesline and hits a spin kick. Truth with a couple of punches but Knox with a spinebuster. Knox with some low knees to the head and now a headlock. Truth with elbows to break it, but Knox throws him in the corner. Truth with a reverse elbow and drop kick. Truth drops Knox with a drop kick to the knee and a spin kick for 2. Truth goes to the top rope and hits a missile drop kick for 2. Truth with punches and kicks but the ref splits them up and Knox with a big boot to the face. Truth is stunned, Knox hits the STO and its over. WINNER: Mike Knox (Grade: 2)

Michelle McCool vs. Gail Kim

Since when did Alicia Fox turn heel? I thought she was a face with DJ Gabriel? Oh well, whatever. They lock up and McCool takes Kim down. McCool does pushups to the crowd. McCool with an armbar, but Kim breaks it and hits two drop kicks for 2. McCool bails, but Kim follows, throw Fox to the ground and drags McCool back into the ring. Kim goes for a double leg takedown but McCool catches her legs and drops her on the top rope. McCool with right hands and a head scissors. Kim gets out of the hold and Russian leg Sweeps McCool into the turnbuckle. Kim backs up and hits two clotheslines and a splash in the corner. Kim with a neckbreaker off the top rope for 2 as Alicia Fox puts McCool’s foot on the rope. Kim goes for a hurricanrana but McCool catches the legs, hooks the arms on her legs and drops her, in a finisher called the “Faithbreaker”. 1-2-3 and it’s over. WINNER: Michelle McCool (Grade: 2)

-Back from break in Pittsburgh, and we’re 9 days away from Judgment Day and Josh Matthews is with Jeff Hardy. Jeff says the only thing running though his mind is Edge’s title. Jericho’s whining and politicking, but tonight that will end. After Judgment Day it will be all about how Jeff Hardy defeated Edge to become World Heavyweight Champion. We now go backstage with Teddy Long, Maria and Ricky Ortiz when the World Champ bursts in, making fun of Ortiz’s “Rally Up” catchphrase. Edge wants to know why Jericho gets a possible title shot at Judgment Day. Teddy says Edge should be lucky he’s still champ at all, since last week if it wasn’t for Umaga, CM Punk was a hair length away from cashing in MITB and becoming the champ. Edge says Punk was taken care of. Teddy decides again tonight, Edge will face CM Punk again, and Punk can cash his MITB if he wants to.

John Morrison vs. Charlie Haas

Haas comes out with old WGTT buddy Shelton Benjamin. They lock up and some mat grappling. Haas with a front facelock. Morrison gets to the ropes and Haas with a cheap shot. Haas goes to the turnbuckle but Morrison reverses and gets some punches and kicks in. Haas pushes off and goes for a charge but Morrison ducks under the rope. Morrison with a punch, then a missile drop kick off the rope for 2. Haas off the ropes and is backdropped. He jaws at Shelton then goes back to Haas. Haas reverses a whip and Morrison is crushed into the ropes. Haas with a chop and some kicks. He hits a nice butterfly suplex for 2. Morrison with some right hands but Haas with a big boot and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. Nice match so far. Haas with a knee in Morrison’s back while pulling the arms. Morrison drop kicks out of it. Morrison with right hands and a drop kick, then clothesline. A swinging boot but Haas goes low. Morrison whipped into the corner gets the boots up. Morrison with a knee to the head, then he drags Haas to the corner, then hits the RVD split-legged corkscrew moonsault for the win. Really nice match as Morrison shows some new stuff and Haas kept pace. WINNER: John Morrison (Grade: 3)

-Morrison is jawing with Shelton outside and Shelton comes to the steps. Shelton of course being the heel walks off.

World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. CM Punk

We go back to last week and Umaga’s surprise attack on Punk as he was about to cash MITB in. They lock up and Edge with a headlock. Punk fights out and gets a hammerlock. Edge gets to the ropes to break it. Edge with a low knee works Punk over in the corner. Punk is whipped in the corner but ducks the charge and goes to the armbar. Edge whips Punk in, but Punk doesn’t bite on the clothesline, so Edge charges and Punk backdrops him over the ropes. Punk then flies through the ropes and hits Edge outside. Punk throws Edge back in the ring and goes off the ropes but Edge ducks and boots Punk in the head. Edge with an elbow drop and another. More elbows follow and a 1 count. Edge with a full nelson. Punk butts out of it and lifts Edge for the GTS but Edge elbows out of it and gets the armbar submission. Punk knees Edge in the head to break it. Punk with right hands, ducks a clothesline, then both men go for cross body blocks and hit the deck. Punk with forearms and Edge with a low knee. Edge goes for a suplex but Punk blocks it, hits a series of kneelifts and a heel kick to the face. Punk hops the rope and hits a clothesline for 2. Punk misses a charge in the corner, and Edge goes for a school-boy roll but Punk gets one himself for 2. Punk gets Edge up for the GTS but Edge gets out of it, then Punk gets him up again for the GTS but Edge grabs the top rope. Punk pulls him off and tosses him across the ring. Edge goes for a spear but Punk ducks and Edge goes through the ropes to the outside. Edge gets to his feet and then decides to beg off and leave. The ref counts him out and ends. Shit ending but another great match between these two. WINNER: CM Punk by countout (GRADE: 3)

-As Punk is talking to Edge, Umaga sneaks in and hits a thrust kick, a toss across the ring and the Samoan Spike.

-We return from break and are joined by YO YO YO…Cryme Tyme. Shad and JTG get in the ring and set up this week’s Divas special competition.

Arm Wrestling Match: Layla vs. Eve Torres

They lock up and Eve gets a lead until Layla has them stop it as she says her elbow is hurt. They lock up again and now Layla gets the advantage but Eve starts taking the lead and beats her. WINNER: Eve Torres.

-Layla boots Eve in the gut and hits her with a neckbreaker that Eve half-sells. Waste of Cryme Tyme’s abilities. We go backstage as Jesse and Jimmy Wang Yang are talking but are interrupted by Dolph Ziggler, who says he’s heading to the ring with something to say. With that we return from break and Dolph Ziggler does indeed head to the ring. Ziggler says now that he’s on Smackdown he’s going to through all the roster and be the #1 man. He will cement his place as #1 on this show as he issues an open challenge to anyone in the back.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Great Khali

No shock here. No Runjin Singh tonight. Must be getting his sideburns tended to. Ziggler starts pleading with him but Khali has nothing of it. Ziggler bobs and weaves but Khali with a clothesline. Khali with a slam into the turnbuckle and some choking. Khali with a big chop, but Ziggler ducks the kick and Dolph with some kicks. Ziggler goes outside to grab a chair and starts wailing on Khali’s legs and is disqualified. WINNER: Great Khali by disqualification (Grade: 1)

-Ziggler lays into Khali with more chair shots and leaves.

-Back from break and we go to the Raw Rebound, which chronicles Legacy busting Shane McMahon’s ankle. Grish and JR go over the Judgment Day card:

WWE Championship: Randy Orton © vs. Batista
World Heavyweight Championship: Edge © vs. Jeff Hardy
John Cena vs. Big Show
CM Punk vs. Umaga

-Edge rejoins the festivities, as he’ll head to ringside for commentary as our main event is next.

Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho

To recap: if Jericho wins, he enters the World Title match at Judgment Day and it will be a Triple Threat match. Jericho with a boot to start, and some right hands. Into the ropes and Jeff with a spear and he throws right hands. Jericho is worked over in the corner but he reverses a whip and misses a drop kick. Jeff with his double leg split for 2. Jericho with some right hands. Jeff reverses a slam attempt and gets one of his own. Jeff gets to the top rope but Jericho bails but Rey Mysterio comes down to the aisle. Jericho turns and Jeff hits him from behind. Jeff with a head slam into the turnbuckle. Jeff’s whipped into the ropes but Jericho misses a charge and goes over the corner to the floor. Jeff follows and slams Jericho into the wall. Jeff backs up and goes for his flying leg sweep into the barricade but Jericho ducks and Jeff slams into it. Jericho gets into the ring and the ref’s counting. Jeff gets in at 9 and Jericho gets a 2 count. Jericho keeps working Jeff over as we go to break. We return and Jericho keeps on Jeff while jawing with Edge. Jericho grabs the legs and catapults Jeff into the second rope. Jeff gets some right hands but Jericho with a low knee for 2. Jericho with a sleeper that Jeff powers out of and clotheslines Jericho. Jeff comes off the ropes with another clothesline. Jericho reverses a whip into the corner, but Jeff goes for the Whisper in the Wind and slips on the top rope. Don’t know if that was an accident or not. Jericho follows Jeff to the second rope but Jeff punches him off it and this time hits Whisper in the Wind for 2. Jericho takes Jeff down ratchets the Walls up. Edge is rooting for Jeff by saying “Be a Man”. Jeff gets to the ropes and Jericho’s begging with the referee. Jericho waits for Jeff to get to his feet which gives Jeff time to block a suplex and hits a facebuster. Jeff goes for a Swanton and misses. Jericho hits a Lionsault for 2. Great match, but with these two that’s no surprise. Jericho with right hands, but Jeff grabs the leg and Jericho misses an Enziguiri. Jeff goes for a Twist of Fate but Jericho spins out and goes for the Walls again but Jeff kicks him off and they exchange small package 2 counts. Jeff clotheslines both he and Jericho out of the ring. Both are up and Jericho throws Jeff into the broadcast table, knocking Edge to the ground. Both back in the ring and Jericho with a 2 count. Edge goes to the apron and is jawing with Jericho, which gives Jeff a chance to get a roll-up for 2. Jericho goes for the Greg Valentine roll up with the legs on the ropes but Rey tells the ref that his feet are on the ropes so he doesn’t count it. Jericho starts jawing with Rey, which gives Jeff a chance to hit the Twist of Fate and the Swanton Bomb for the 3 count. WINNER: Jeff Hardy (Grade: 3)

-Jeff goes up the ramp and Edge bails. In the ring Rey hits Jericho off the ropes with the West Coast Pop and we’re done for the night.

FINAL GRADE: A-

MVP: Jeff Hardy
Runner Up: John Morrison
Non MVP: Chris Jericho
Runner Up: R-Truth