WWE: Friday Night Smackdown
April 20, 2007
Milan, Italy
Datchforum

The current Smackdown champions are as follows:
World Heavyweight Champion: The Undertaker (4/2/2007)
WWE United States Champion: Chris Benoit (10/13/2006)
WWE Tag Team Champions: Paul London & Brian Kendrick (5/21/2006)
WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Chavo Guerrero (2/18/2007)

Read along if you have the WWE Network!

This is the 400th Smackdown, ya’ll! Your hosts are Michael Cole and JBL.

• Batista vs. Finlay

They love their Batista in Italy as he gets a huge ovation from this crowd. Finlay looks to put over Batista’s size and strength by not working toe to toe with him, but instead having to resort to cheapshots to gain an advantage. He never really puts any moves together as Bats has an answer for everything Finlay tries here. There’s a great spot when Finlay gets Batista down on the floor and leaps off the apron only to be caught and then booted down. After a break, Bats is still in total control bouncing Finlay’s face off the ring apron when Mr. Kennedy runs down and jumps him for the DQ. (5:16 shown) No one comes to Batista’s aid as both Kennedy and Finlay give him their finishers. Check out Finlay for some wonderful old school cheating. Bats also came to wrestle here, by the way. **

Jillian Hall comes down to showcase her musical stylings. Michelle McCool – who was nearly collateral damage last week – comes out and puts an end to the horror.

• The Hardy Boyz & Chris Benoit vs. MVP, Chavo Guerrero & Gregory Helms

Benoit and Chavo start the match because of course MVP wants nothing to do with the US champ. Benoit chops, but Guerrero buries a knee to take over. Tag to MVP, he doesn’t mind being in the ring with Benoit as long as Benoit is down on the mat. Once he’s up and moving, MVP tags out to Helms. Benoit chops and tags out to Matt so they can pick up where their rivalry left off. Helms comes back with the straight jacket slam and pounds on Matt. Jeff cleans house, but Helms pulls a Samoa Joe and just walks away from the Whisper in the Wind. Due to the crash and burn, Jeff becomes *your* face-in-peril for a few minutes. As MVP goes to slug Benoit, Benoit blocks the blow and headbutts him back into the Sling Blade from Jeff. Hot tag to Benoit, he destroys everything that moves. Of course, MVP wants nothing to do with him, so he tags in Helms again. There’s the Hat Trick of Germans for Helms. The match totally breaks down as Matt and Jeff hit Helms with their finishers. Benoit delivers the Swandive Headbutt and submits Helms with the SHARPSHOOTER. (9:14) Fun little tag match here. ***

• WWE Tag Team Championship: Paul London & Brian Kendrick (c) vs. Deuce N Domino (w/Cherry)

The champs control early with their usual quick moves and double teams. London kicks the crap out of Deuce. Cherry distracts the ref while Domino nails Kendrick from the outside. London gets so pissed that he tries a Moonsault off the apron and misses – thus causing Kendrick to go at it alone for the rest of the match. Deuce N Domino look okay on offense, but they aren’t championship level guys. Trainers come down to check on London who has not moved since he splatted on the floor. They try to go for high drama with Kendrick reaching out for the tag every now and then, but since they never really got over to any degree, no one really cares. Not even the nice people of Italy. With no one to save him, Kendrick falls as Domino holds Deuce for a flying kick for the win and the tag titles. (8:53) The only team in the modern era to hold the tag belts longer than London and Kendrick would be the New Day. Much like the end of the New Day’s reign, it ended not with a bang but a whimper to quote TS Eliot. Anyways, we move onto our next pointless WWE tag titles reign. **¼

RAW REBOUND: Umaga loses the IC title to some Italian guy from the crowd named Santino Marella with some help from Bobby Lashley that Jim Ross deems the “Upset of the Century”.

Mark Henry vignette. He runs down the list of names he has put on the shelf. This was actually quite effective. He returns to Smackdown in two weeks!

• Kane vs. William Regal & Dave Taylor

Taylor and Regal actually come up with a great strategy: knock Kane out of the ring and hope he gets counted out. Of course, it doesn’t quite work. Regal and Taylor work him over European Style. Eventually, power wins out though as Kane comes back with his usual Side Slams and Flying Clotheslines. The CHOKESLAM is broken up and Regal decides its best they both just leave and take the countout loss. (9:12) One of the more smartly worked handicap matches I’ve seen in a while. Good stuff. **½

When we return, William Regal and Dave Taylor complain to Smackdown GM Teddy Long about being stalked by Kane. Thinking this will stop their whining, Long puts them in a tag match next week against Kane and the Boogeyman. Once they leave huffing and puffing, Kristal thanks Teddy for buying her all sorts of nonsense. He says bringing her to Milan has been the happiest time of his life. Actually, now that I look back on the whole thing, I feel genuinely bad for Teddy. He’s this middle-aged guy whose best years are behind him, probably feeling like the principal of a high school where all the kids make fun of “the old man” behind his back, and now he’s being manipulated and used by a woman who makes him feel wanted, vibrant, and young again. Think about how heartbreaking it would be to see a 60 year-old man crying on national TV because he’s been played the fool.

• The Undertaker vs. Mr. Kennedy

Taker isn’t interested in selling tonight. He hits a nasty big boot to stun Kennedy and works the shoulder to try for Old School. Kennedy knows it’s coming and nails Taker up top for a superplex. He gets two, but Taker sits right up. This crowd is loving it. Taker comes back and hits Old School. He clotheslines Kennedy to the floor as we go to commercial. When we return, Taker is still working on the arm and shoulder MMA-style. He misses the big boot in the corner though and Kennedy goes after the knee while his left arm dangles. Kennedy stomps Taker down in the corner and hits the Face Wash. For some reason, Kennedy goes for Taker’s arm and gets tossed to the floor. Taker bounces Kennedy off the steps and gives him the apron legdrop despite the injured knee. Back in, Kennedy catches Taker with the swinging neckbreaker. It doesn’t do much good though as Taker hits Snake Eyes and the big boot. Here comes the Chokeslam. Taker calls for the TOMBSTONE, but Finlay sprints to the ring for the DQ. (9:06 shown) Kennedy and Finlay pick up where they left off with Batista earlier in the show. Will Batista make the save? Why would he? Hey, I like badass Taker here and I’m a mark for Mr. Kennedy. I was digging this up until the end. **½

Next up, we will be heading over to London to revisit RAW as John Cena battles Shawn Michaels in a WrestleMania rematch for the WWE title! It’s a classic. You don’t want to miss this one.

Until then, so long for now.