WWE: Friday Night Smackdown
February 16, 2007
Seattle, WA
Key Arena

The current Smackdown champions are as follows:
World Heavyweight Champion: Batista (11/26/2006)
WWE United States Champion: Chris Benoit (10/13/2006)
WWE Tag Team Champions: Paul London & Brian Kendrick (5/21/2006)
WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Gregory Helms (1/29/2006)

NOTE: This is the WWE Network version so you can all follow along.

TONIGHT: On the go-home show for No Way Out, RAW invades Smackdown as John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Edge, and Randy Orton are all here! While Cena and Michaels battle Mr. Kennedy and MVP, Edge and Randy Orton will face the Undertaker and Batista!

Your hosts are Michael Cole and JBL.

• Finlay vs. The Boogeyman
  

Great visual as Finlay comes running through the smoke of Boogeyman’s entrance to run him over, throw him into the ring apron, and then toss him into the steps. So Boogeyman suffered his first loss just last week? Dang. Hasn’t he been around for like over a YEAR? Anyways, Finlay is pissed. After he roughhouses with Boogeyman, he gets yanked to the floor to start up Boogeyman’s comeback. Clotheslines and such. Boogeyman misses a Stinger Splash and gets clubbed down for two. Finlay delivers the seated senton. He grabs the shillelagh to distract the ref while the Little Bastard jumps in the ring. He tries to whack Boogeyman with a cane when a midget Boogeyman appears from under the ring to confront the Little Bastard. The crowd is loving this. Those two get into a fight where the ref has to break it up. Meanwhile, Boogeyman picks up his staff and jabs Finlay in the gut to get his win back and set up a mixed-tag match for No Way Out. (4:07) Well, the finish was at least entertaining. People do seem to love midgets and this was a cool way to get another one involved. ¾*

Let Us Take You Back: WWE RAW, 2/15/07. Donald Trump showed up to challenge Vince McMahon to a match because he didn’t like being mocked over the Rosie O’Donnell situation on the RAW after the Royal Rumble. Vince doesn’t take the bait and proposes they find representatives to wrestle each other instead. Trump must think that’s one of the worst deals he’s ever seen and adds the hair match stipulation. McMahon doesn’t trust Trump as far as he can throw him and accepts the terms. THE MATCH IS ON! Btw, Jeb is a mess. He’s a waste – and everybody knows it.

• Brian Kendrick (w/Paul London) vs. Deuce (w/Domino & Cherry)
  

Deuce & Domino have TWO non-title wins over the tag champs and will get a title shot at No Way Out. So much for the ladder match. It’s been rinse-wash-repeat with this Smackdown tag division for the longest time. They bring in a team, they beat Kendrick and London on free TV, and then they lose at the PPV not allowing anybody to get over. Deuce absorbs punches from Kendrick and drills him with a clothesline. Not much in the old wrestling moveset for Deuce. It’s mostly punchy-kicky stuff to keep Kendrick down. When Kendrick mounts his comeback with dropkicks and such, Domino grabs him by the foot to get him all distracted. Meanwhile, London runs and leaps off the steps to knock down Domino. While the ref seems a little too interested in where Paul London stands, Domino sneaks over and shoves Kendrick off the top rope. Deuce then comes off the ropes and catches Kendrick with a running boot for the win. (3:43) I believe Cole calls that the Crack ’em in da Mouth. I call it a running boot to the jaw. ½*

Let Us Take You Back: WWE RAW, 2/15/07. We check out what went down in the dual-brand eight-man tag match that included the Undertaker, Batista, John Cena & Shawn Michaels against Edge, Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy & MVP. Quite a “who’s who” of 2007. Undertaker and Batista left Michaels and Cena laying to end the show.

Now back to Smackdown, John Cena and Shawn Michaels are caught talking in the locker room. Shawn says his only goal in life is to make sure absolutely nothing happens to Cena – until WrestleMania 23.

SLAM OF THE WEEK (brought to you by Just for Men Hair Color): WWE RAW, 2 weeks ago (?). Shawn Michaels won a triple-threat match over Edge and Randy Orton to go to WrestleMania 23 to face John Cena for the WWE title.

• John Cena & Shawn Michaels vs. Mr. Kennedy & MVP
  

I would be a bad recapper if I didn’t mention John Cena and Shawn Michaels are the RAW tag champs right now. Kennedy and Michaels start the match. Kennedy corners Shawn and runs his forearms over Shawn’s face just to be a dick. Hammerlocks are traded in the middle of the ring. Shawn elbows out and hiptosses Kennedy to stagger him for a headlock. Kennedy corners Michaels again, but runs into a boot. Tag to Cena, he’s got a hiptoss and a slam for Kennedy. Cena misses a corner charge though and gets hit with a clothesline. MVP gets a tag, but doesn’t stay in long after hammering on Cena. Back to Kennedy, he charges into another boot in the corner to allow a hot tag to HBK. He fights them both off and hits the Flying Elbow on Kennedy. MVP tries to stop Shawn from tuning up the band, but he gets knocked off the apron to the floor by Cena. Kennedy ducks Sweet Chin Music and retreats to the floor, but then Shawn wipes out both Kennedy and MVP with a somersault plancha. Commercials! When we come back, the babyfaces continue to control Kennedy. MVP gets a tag and runs interference while Kennedy holds the ropes open for Shawn to tumble out to the floor. Kennedy gives him a nice short-arm clothesline to turn Shawn inside out. Back in, MVP hits the BALLIN elbow drop. Kennedy keeps Shawn cornered with punches and stomps before nailing the Face Wash. HBK tries fighting out of the Smackdown corner, but MVP cuts him off with the Sami Zayn corner kick for two. Cena calls out to HBK to get up out of a chinlock, but Kennedy puts a stop to a comeback and hits the Finlay Roll. Michaels rolls away from the KENTON BOMB and makes the HOT TAG TO CENA~! He takes out the heels, he hits MVP with the Protobomb, and he lands the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Kennedy appears with a chair, but Shawn Michaels blows him away with SWEET CHIN MUSIC! FU to MVP! Cover, 1-2-3. (13:22 shown) Kennedy worked hard, but I don’t think we saw enough from MVP here. All things considered, I still thought this was a really fun match. ***

Over in Teddy Long’s office, he sends away Jillian Hall to go practice her dance moves or whatever that was supposed to be that she was doing. Is anything about the way she looks even remotely real? Kristal is still there and tells Teddy she has a hidden talent she wants to show him. Teddy just stands there and smiles like a goof while she strips down to her bra and starts to take that off too when we go to commercial.

A vignette airs to let us know that Dusty Rhodes will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year!

Back in Teddy Long’s office, we get to see Teddy checking out the naked front while we check out the naked back of Kristal. As much as I love at the front of a woman, there’s something really sexy about a well-toned back, too. Seinfeld was right. Women’s bodies really are a work of art. Men’s bodies are just for getting around – like a jeep. Anyways, Teddy sends her away and lets Bobby Lashley into his office. They shake hands when Mr. Kennedy comes in from out of nowhere (how many doors are there in this office anyway?) crying he’s a singles competitor and not a tag competitor. He says he’s used to beating up people on his own. In fact, he even beat Bobby Lashley that one time on Smackdown. He then challenges Bobby Lashley to an ECW world title match at No Way Out and demands Teddy Long make it happen. After Kennedy leaves, he tells Teddy to make it happen.

Time for Ashley to reveal her Playboy cover. She has a degree in communications. Hilarious. A huge blown up cover of the magazine hangs from the ceiling. Let’s just say Adobe Photoshop works wonders.

They replay the Trump/McMahon confrontation from RAW.

• Gregory Helms vs. Scotty Too Hotty
  

Helms jumps Scotty right at the bell and beats him down in a corner. Scotty comes back though and bulldogs down Helms for the WORM. In the middle of the WORM, Daivari runs out and attacks Scotty Too Hotty for the DQ in 1:59. Funaki, Jamie Noble, Shannon Moore, and Jimmy Wang Yang all get their moments to shine to scare the Cruiserweight champ. ½*

After commercials, Maryse welcomes us back to Smackdown from her bath tub. So does Big Dick Johnson. It got weird real fast.

In the back, Edge conspires with Randy Orton about getting Batista and the Undertaker to turn on each other.

Since Smackdown will be in San Diego next week, Rey Mysterio will appear to give us an update on his injured knee.

• The Undertaker & Batista vs. Rated RKO
  

Taker and Bats in total control to start. Taker hits Old School on Edge and turns things over to Batista. He slams Edge and keeps an eye on Orton. When Orton jumps in the ring, Bats corners them both and delivers shoulder butts. Taker comes in for STEREO CLOTHESLINES to send the heels to the floor to set up a commercial break. When we return, Bats knocks Orton off the apron and takes Edge to the floor. When we puts Edge back inside, Orton grabs him for the inverted backbreaker move. As Batista stands up, Edge drills him with a baseball slide. Back in, a DOUBLE DROPKICK to Bats gets two. Orton delivers the Garvin Stomp for two. Batista fights out of the VINTAGE ORTON chinlock, but Edge clotheslines him down to prevent the tag. Well, only for like a second. Bats reaches Taker for the hot tag. He avalanches Rated RKO and goes for the Double Chokeslam which of course fails. When Taker gets whipped into the ropes, Orton gets pulled out by Batista while Edge gets nailed with the Jumping Lariat. The ref gets taken out as Taker gives Edge the Snake Eyes and the Big Boot. Meanwhile, Orton runs Batista into the ringpost and distracts Taker for a moment, which is enough time for Edge to nail him with a SPEAR. Edge wants a Conchairto, but Taker doesn’t. He goozles Edge, but Orton low blows Taker. Orton blasts Taker over the head with the chair! Another ref comes down to count as Edge covers Taker for 1-2-NO! Bats finally wakes up and goes CLOTHESLINE CRAZY on Rated RKO! Spinebuster to Orton! As he lifts up Orton for the Demon Bomb, Edge runs in for the SPEAR. Oh, but Taker sits up – and he’s bleeding hardway. The Chokeslam and the TOMBSTONE to Edge gets the win. (9:29 shown) Well, at least Taker looked awesome here and Rated RKO was more than game to bump for the old timer. That chairshot to the head was insane. ***¼

Afterwards, Shawn Michaels and John Cena ambush Taker and Batista. Michaels gives Taker some SWEET CHIN MUSIC while Cena delivers the FU to Bats — which is a “mirror image” of how RAW ended.

I will also be doing the No Way Out PPV (duh) and the RAW after to continue our Ten Years After series! Until next time, so long for now!