WWE: Friday Night Smackdown
July 6, 2007
Dallas, TX
American Airlines Center

The current Smackdown champions are as follows:
World Heavyweight Champion: Edge (5/11/2007)
WWE United States Champion: MVP (5/20/2007)
WWE Tag Team Champions: Deuce N Domino (4/20/2007)
WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Chavo Guerrero (2/18/2007)

Read along if you have the WWE Network!

Your hosts are Michael Cole and JBL.

• MVP vs. Matt Hardy
  

Matt Hardy interrupts MVP running down the Dallas Mavericks. MVP seems to be controlling the nice, slow build to start with some 1980s feeling out stuff. Hardy stuns him with a running bulldog though. He continues with elbows and such, but misses a legdrop and MVP goes after the injured knee. Hardy knows what he’s doing and punches MVP out to the floor as we go to commercial. When we return, MVP has taken over and concentrates on the arm. Matt fights back and hits the AHH elbow drop he does these days. MVP catches Hardy coming off the ropes and tosses him over. As Matt rolls to the apron, MVP knocks him off the apron onto the barricade to injure his ribs. Back in, MVP stretches out Hardy on the mat and pounds on his ribs. BUT MATT HARDY WILL NOT DIE! He comes back with the Side Effect, but MVP kicks out at two. A second Side Effect connects. MVP avoids the Twist of Fate though. Hardy blocks a corner charge and heads to the top, but MVP runs up the ropes and tosses him down for 1-2-NO! Hardy withstands a barrage of forearm smashes and clotheslines MVP down. MVP avoids another shot at the Twist of Fate and gets Hardy up on his shoulders to drop him straight down on his ribs. MVP punts Hardy in the head for 1-2-NO! Matt sidesteps the Helluva Kick and tries another bulldog, but MVP shoves him off and connects with the Helluva Kick for 1-2-NO! MVP scoops him up again, but Matt slips out and hits the TWIST OF FATE FROM OUTTA NOWHERE! Cover, 1-2-3. (15:42 shown) So we’ve got ourselves a new US title contender. The usual solid performance from these two. ***¼

Another Michelle McCool spot. She’s still loving life, you guys!

In the back, Teddy Long and Kristal are discussing about the wedding to Vickie Guerrero when Edge threatens to walk out since he’s not on the card. Teddy tells him to stick around and host “The Cutting Edge” and his mystery guest will be “the biggest superstar in the history of The Cutting Edge”. He’s feelin’ that, playa. While Teddy and Kristal leave to take care of business getting that special guest, Edge seems to be sticking around to talk with Vickie. Uh oh.

• Chris Masters vs. Jimmy Wang Yang
  

Masters overpowers Yang to start. That shouldn’t shock you. He works in the press slam and a bunch of elbows to the head. Yang roars back, but gets his head taken off by a clothesline. Yang slips out of the bear hug and tries a Flying Body Press, but Masters catches him and slings him up into the MASTERLOCK for the submission. (2:51) So much for any hope of Yang moving up the ladder. ¾*

Afterwards, the Great Khali walks out and TREE SLAMS Yang for fun. He yells some stuff and issues an open challenge to anyone for the “Great American Bash”. Until someone accepts, he’ll continue his path of destruction through the roster.

More from Jesse and Festus. Look out, one of them is retarded and they are coming to Smackdown!

• The Major Brothers vs. Jeremy Young & Mike Foxx
  

They are Brett and Brian Major making their Smackdown debut here as part of the supplemental draft. We will get to know them better one day as Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins once they join La Familia at the end of the year. Lots of double-team moves to show they’re “in sync”. They finish with some sort of Side Effect/Russian Legsweep double-team that looks more complicated than it needs to be at 2:24.

REY MYSTERIO is soon returning to Smackdown!

• Ric Flair vs. Finlay
  

This is billed as the first ever meeting between these two. Flair goes after Finlay’s leg early, but Finlay rocks him with a series of uppercuts. Now, Finlay goes after the leg and locks in a half-crab. An Indian Deathlock brings more pain for Flair. Cole tells us that Finlay has renamed the hold the Celtic Lock, which just goes to show you can revamp any move with a new name and old psychology and still get it over. Flair makes the ropes, so Finlay pump-splashes his legs. Nice. He tries to splash the leg again, but Flair kicks him over the top. WOOO! NOW IT’S TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL! Flair chops him and clips his leg. THERE’S THE FIGURE-FOUR! Finlay makes the ropes. Flair tries another figure-four, but Finlay small packages him for two. Flair hits a shin breaker, but Hornswoggle runs in to distract him. FLAIR CHOPS HIM! YES!!! Unfortunately for Flair, that allows Finlay to grab the shillelagh and nail Flair in the leg to set up the Celtic Lock for the tapout. (10:16) See, you don’t need huge bumps or lots of crazy booking to tell a good story. **½

In the back, Victoria interrupts Torrie Wilson during a photoshoot and picks a fight. Some guy has the horrible task of grabbing hold of Torrie and keeping her away from Victoria.

Speaking of picking fights, the Great Khali and his translator assault some poor production assistant.

• Chuck Palumbo vs. Kenny Dykstra
  

Dykstra labels himself a “future Hall of Famer”. He’s interrupted by Palumbo making his return to Smackdown, who rides a Harley-Davidson out to the ring. What is this, 1997? He gets a belly-to-belly early. Kenny hits a crossbody and goes for the arm. Chuck charges into a boot and takes a dropkick. Kenny goes back to the arm, ramming Chuck’s shoulder into the buckle and hits an armbreaker DDT. Palumbo slugs his way back and finishes with the FULL THROTTLE (Gunnslinger). (4:39) There’s nothing really bad about Palumbo – the problem is nothing really sets him apart as something special. ¾*

RAW REBOUND: They show Bobby Lashley winning the “Beat the Clock” challenge so he can face John Cena at the Great American Bash for the WWE title.

Mark Henry promo. He’s a silverback gorilla, folks.

• Deuce (w/Domino & Cherry) vs. Eugene
  

Eugene becomes enamored with Cherry’s “roller skates”, so Deuce jumps him from behind. The Great Khali interrupts and destroys both guys. This leads to Khali reminding everyone of his open challenge. Who should answer the call but BATISTA. He comes out and stares down Khali. Well, I guess Khali got his answer.

The Cutting Edge: Turns out his guest tonight is none other than KANE. Well, that’s a disappointment. Edge talks about Kane’s dominance over the last decade, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Edge’s career. Kane doesn’t like that much, and he doesn’t like Edge, either. He adds an exclamation point by knocking Edge around a bit. Edge bans Kane from the Cutting Edge and then says they’ll never be in the same ring together. Well, of course, you know that wasn’t going to happen, as Teddy Long comes out and makes a match between Edge and Kane at the Great American Bash. Well, that kind of makes sense, given that Edge screwed the Undertaker out of the title and Kane and Undertaker are still on good terms as best we can understand those two. Not sure how I feel about this main event picture right now. I mean, it’s not so much that Kane isn’t a worthy challenger, he’s just not an *interesting* one.

Until next time, so long for now!