Drama’s Smackdown Report 11/6/09

Friday Night Smackdown!
November 6, 2009
Providence, Rhode Island
Todd Grisham and Matt Striker

OPENING ANIMATION

Todd & Matt welcome us to Providence and the Dunk! Tonight’s main event has the “new” Batista taking on Matt Hardy, after last week’s sneak attack. But we begin with the gong, the darkness, the lightning, and the World Heavyweight Champion. Still the greatest entrance in wrestling history. Down comes the Undertaker to a big ovation. Taker has the mike and says it seems like an eternity ago that the creature of darkness arrived to strike fear in all mortals. He says at Survivor Series the dark birth of the Undertaker occurred, and all who opposed him perished. Year after year they still come for this, and he raises the World Title. He says they all want a chance, but he says it’s the Holy Grail for all who step in the ring. Taker says Big Show betrayed an entire team for an opportunity to become Champion. He says what he won was a termination at the hands of the Deadman. Now to Chris Jericho. Taker says there are few things in this world that bring joy to his dark heart. One of those things is to fight alongside his brother Kane. The second thing is to fight against his brother Kane. Last week Chris Jericho took that opportunity away. At Survivor Series he will be vanquished too. Taker is interrupted by said Chris Jericho, 1/3 of the triple threat match at Survivor Series. Jericho says after 10 years this is what the WWE Universe was waiting for. These two great superstars meeting face to face, but Jericho asks Taker what a Phenom is. Jericho says based on the definition he is the Phenom. He’s exceptional with all the accolades, the best at what he does. Jericho says for years Taker’s been brainwashing these gelatinous tapeworms and enabling them that he’s something he’s not. Jericho says he’s not a Deadman, he’s just a man. Just like Kane, John Cena, Big Show, men Jericho has defeated. At Survivor Series he will defeat Undertaker and be World Champion for the sixth time. Jericho says he’s not afraid of the smoke and the gong, for Taker is just a man. Jericho is not afraid and never will be. Taker grabs Jericho by the throat and they brawl. Taker boots him in the head and Jericho bails.

-Todd & Matt recap what happened with Batistas & Rey Mysterio at Bragging Rights & Smackdown last week.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Dolph Ziggler & Hart Dynasty vs. Intercontinental Champion John Morrison & Cryme Tyme

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…I’m bored of Cryme Tyme now. They have their funny segment but since losing the Tag Title match at Summerslam, they kind of lost their luster. As for the Hart Dynasty, they need to go on a run and get the Tag Straps. They deserve it more than anyone, even more than Legacy. Legacy has passed the moment where they need the straps. They’re borderline main eventers now. Hart Dynasty on the other hand have about a .500 record on TV and that’s not good enough. Stop giving wins to Cryme Tyme and give them to Hart Dynasty. They have a future, Cryme Tyme doesn’t. As for Ziggler/Morrison, just put them in an IC Title match and get it over with. It doesn’t matter who wins, although Ziggler should probably have a run with it, he’s earned it. Morrison may be ready for the next level. This match is basic TV, and for once the right team won. Ziggler pins Gaspard for the win, and the Harts pick up a much needed win. WINNERS: Dolph Ziggler & Hart Dynasty (Grade: 2)

COMMERCIAL BREAK

-Josh Matthews is with Rey Mysterio alone in the locker room. Rey says he’s upset, since one of his own family members walked out on him, over something so small. Rey starts talking Spanish. Josh announces that Rey and Batista will meet at Survivor Series. Rey says that Batista’s watching, and he says that Batista’s not listening to logic or anything, and he threw away the spirit of Eddie Guerrero. Whatever it is, Rey says he’ll get it out. Rey’s never seen this side of Batista before, but at Survivor Series, everyone will see a side of Rey no one has ever seen.

Beth Phoenix vs. Brittany Carter

Wondering if this Carter girl is a local worker, but my Rhode Island friends have never heard of her either so who knows. It’s a glorified squash, as they seem to be rebuilding Beth as a hot monster again. WINNER: Beth Phoenix (Grade: 1.5)

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Drew McIntyre vs. Jimmy Wang Yang

Wow, this feels like a 1988 episode of Superstars, with back to back jobber squashes. Well this isn’t really a squash as McIntyre pearl harbors Yang and tosses him out of the ring. McIntyre says this party isn’t even starting. Although Yang wants the bell rung to fight, so we will have a match. DDT later and its over anyway. WINNER: Drew McIntyre (Grade: 0)

-Josh Matthews stops Batista backstage, and he asks why he’s attacked Rey and Matt Hardy. Batista says it’s about being Champion, and that’s it. He doesn’t want friends anymore; he wants to be #1.

Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox

I look at Mike Knox and I can’t believe that when ECW started in 2006, he was “dating” Kelly Kelly. Knox dominated the action early, pounding Rey in and outside the ring. Even with Rey winning this match, it still made Knox look like a big-time monster. I would move Knox back to ECW and have him join William Regal’s crew with Kozlov and Zeke. Then maybe they can have a tag title on the show. Rey wins with the 619 & Slingshot Splash, but Knox wrestled a good match and controlled the pace. WINNER: Rey Mysterio (Grade: 2)

COMMERCIAL BREAK

-Todd & Matt announce that next week on Smackdown Dolph Ziggler will get his Intercontinental Title shot against John Morrison.

CM Punk vs. R-Truth

Pretty cool combination here as they’ve never met in the ring together. I hope with Batista turning heel that CM Punk doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. There’s definitely not enough faces on Smackdown, which made it even more annoying that John Cena won at Bragging Rights and didn’t leave Raw. I just realized that Scott Armstrong is refereeing the match, and Punk doesn’t like what he thinks is a slow count. Punk starts jawing with him about counting too slow, then R-Truth rolls him up and Armstrong counts just a little bit faster for the upset win. Surprisingly good result as Punk is flipping out. WINNER: R-Truth (Grade: 2)

Backstage, Mickie James, Michelle McCool and Layla jaw with each other about the Survivor Series match, the Women’s Title, and she calls Layla “Scary Spice”. Nice outside shot of the Dunk. We then go back to last week when Matt Hardy tried to reason with Batista, and got his ass kicked for his troubles.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

-Back from break with the Raw Rebound, looking back at Ozzy & Sharon’s performance. We return with Josh talking with Matt Hardy. Matt says he knows about betrayal and what happened between he and Jeff. Batista’s either scared, selfish or forgotten where he came from. Tonight there will be no talking, but there will be plenty of fighting.

Matt Hardy vs. Batista

I wonder when they’ll change his entrance theme music. He no longer does the machine gun pyro thing, he just…walks alone. Now the key thing here is Batista will have to change his style, and start to dictate pace and be a little dirty. Sure he was like that when he was in Evolution, but he was also a lower mid-carder and no one really cared. Now with the spotlight clearly on him, except for those single match shots with Shawn Michaels and John Cena in 2008 he really needs to be vicious and overpowering on a grand heel scale. Striker’s starting to get a little more heel edge since joining the show, as he’s clearly behind Batista in this situation. The match ends when an off-the-wall Batista cracks Hardy in the back with a monitor off the SD table. He continues beating Hardy down and throws him into the steps. WINNER: Matt Hardy by disqualification (Grade: 2)

-Batista throws Matt into the ring and was about to go for a Demon Bomb, but instead throws Hardy down and leaves the ring and with that we’re out. Next week an IC Title match, and for the first time ever…Undertaker vs. Chris Jericho one on one.

FINAL GRADE: B