WWE: Smackdown!
November 16, 2007
Wichita, KS
Wichita Coliseum

The current Smackdown champions are as follows:
World Heavyweight Champion: Batista (9/16/2007)
WWE United States Champion: MVP (5/20/2007)
WWE Tag Team Champions: MVP & Matt Hardy (8/31/2007)

Read along if you have the WWE Network!

NOTE: We’re skipping ahead a few weeks because well – I’m FIVE MONTHS BEHIND.

TONIGHT: Two days before Survivor Series where he will be facing the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell, Batista has *REQUESTED* a no-disqualification match with Mark Henry. He’s lost his mind.

Your hosts are Michael Cole & JBL.

• Jeff Hardy vs. Finlay

Cole says that the GMs have agreed to share talent since we are at the week of Survivor Series. Whatever that means. Hardy takes Finlay to the floor early and wipes him out with a pescado. Back in, Hardy misses a corner charge and runs into the post for a game changer. Finlay grounds Hardy down with a chinlock. When Hardy starts to squirm, Finlay picks him up and pulls him into a short-arm clothesline. NASTY. Jeff escapes with a sitout jawbreaker, but Finlay is hardly phased and continues to work on Jeff with the chinlock. Hardy busts Whisper in the Wind out of nowhere and mounts a comeback. Finlay finds himself next to the Shillelagh and looks to use it on Jeff, but the ref takes it away and calls for the bell. (6:34) Hardy then punches back on Finlay and catapults him over the top rope to the floor to end the segment. This was fine, but nothing special. **

Clips are shown of the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels in the first Hell in a Cell from In Your House: Badd Blood back in October 1997.

WWE SLAM OF THE WEEK (brought to you by PSP): Smackdown, 11/2/07. The Undertaker challenges Batista to a world title match – in HELL IN A CELL.

Out comes the Undertaker to discuss Hell in a Cell things and put over the concept and how he’s an expert and will regain the world title. He talks about how he’s spent more time in Hell in a Cell than Satan himself. I mean, I didn’t know Satan was ever booked in Hell in a Cell. Rest in peace, Bats.

• Victoria & Beth Phoenix vs. Torrie Wilson & Mickie James

Beth Phoenix is DOMINATING. Victoria and Mickie start us off with wristlock stuff. Beth cheapshots Mickie from the apron to turn the tide. Tag to Phoenix, she bullies around Mickie and shoulder butts her in the corner. Beth tries one shoulder butt too many and Mickie rolls away to hot tag Torrie. Unfortunately, Torrie Wilson can’t really do anything and gets owned. GLAM SLAM gets the win. (2:38) The Divas division does look to be in good hands with Beth Phoenix. They just need a babyface who can stand up to her and you’ve got money. *

We see Matt and Jeff Hardy backstage. Jeff is leaving because he has plans. Those drugs aren’t going to smoke themselves. He wishes Matt good luck for tonight.

Clips are shown of the Undertaker and Mankind in the HELLACIOUS Hell in a Cell match from King of the Ring 1998.

MVP’s V.I.P. Lounge: His guest tonight is Matt Hardy. MVP talks about how having Matt Hardy by his side as his WWE tag team championship partner is a highlight of his career and that he truly respects Matt, but then Matt brings up the fact that MVP’s other partner Mr. Kennedy tried to put Jeff Hardy on the shelf on ECW during their tag match by pulling him off the apron onto his head to win the match. MVP explains that it was a *wrestling* match and did what he had to do to win. Now Matt wants to know when he last got a US title shot. MVP backpedals and Matt tells him he thinks the tag titles are a smokescreen to keep MVP from having to wrestle Matt for the US title. MVP pulls the *friend* card and doesn’t think they should compete. Matt lets MVP know they aren’t friends and never will be friends. MVP IS HURT~! He continues to try to get MVP to put the US title on the line, but MVP can’t tonight because they are defending the WWE tag titles – against JOHN MORRISON and THE MIZ.

• WWE Tag Team Championship: MVP & Matt Hardy (c) vs. John Morrison & The Miz

MVP and the Miz tie-up to start. MVP grounds Miz down and knees him in the face. As Miz staggers in the corner, MVP shows off with the Helluva Kick. MVP then limps over to Matt and tags out. The crowd immediately calls bullcrap on the injury. Matt hits the corner clothesline and the running bulldog on Morrison for two. The challengers corner Hardy and go after his left knee. And I mean, they DESTROY his left knee. When Matt starts to fight out of the corner and hit a desperate Twist of Fate on Miz, Morrison sneaks up behind him and clips the knee. Miz jumps on top of Matt and covers for the UPSET THREE-COUNT to win the tag titles. (3:50) To show he cares about the team, MVP drops a bunch of ’90s boy band names on Miz and Morrison and immediately wants to use their rematch clause.

• WWE Tag Team Championship: John Morrison & The Miz (c) vs. MVP & Matt Hardy

Match is JIP as MVP’s knee buckles after a leapfrog and he tags out to Matt Hardy who still hasn’t recovered. Miz and Morrison keep Matt on their side of town and tear at the left knee. A knee bar from Morrison actually ends up making Matt tap out to give the *new* tag champs the win once again. (2:45 shown) While it appeared at the time that the WWE was just switching Smackdown’s tag belts from one dysfunctional team to another dysfunctional team as Miz and Morrison weren’t exactly best buds, Miz and Morrison actually made the most of their opportunity and got the team over and became the most memorable thing about tag team wrestling in 2008 WWE. *½

After Miz and Morrison leave with the tag belts, MVP raises Matt’s arm out of respect – and then KICKS MATT IN THE KNEE! YES! He pulls off the boot and knee brace to do further damage to the left knee. It gets even worse as he wraps Matt’s knee around the post and then Helluva Kicks the steps into the knee. AWESOME. MVP then brings Matt back into the ring with the steps and drops Matt knee first onto the steps. OUCH. MVP shouts at Matt that he will always be better than him. They show shots of chicks in the crowd wincing and crying over Matt. Now if this were 25 years earlier, there would be a riot in Wichita. Great angle.

Clips are shown of the Undertaker chokeslamming Rikishi off the Hell in a Cell into some wood chips from Armageddon 2000.

WWE SMACK OF THE NIGHT (brought to you by Auto Zone): RAW, 11/12/07. A lumberjack match between Triple H and Umaga went OUT OF CONTROL.

• Mr. Kennedy vs. Rey Mysterio

Finlay running Mysterio’s ribs into the ringpost last week will play a factor in this match. Kennedy punches on Rey, but gets caught with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Rey goes for the 619 early, but Kennedy ducks out as we go to commercial. When we return, Kennedy tears at the mask. Rey gets fired up only to be flipped onto his face for two. Hard whip into the corner begins the rib work. Kennedy grabs a body scissors and Mysterio complains that he can’t breathe. Rey makes the ropes as they go to the floor. Kennedy drives Rey into the barricade and the ring apron for two. He picks up Mysterio for a Torture Rack that Cole needs JBL to explain that this hold hurts the ribs. Rey gets caught in mid-air trying a quebrada, but spins around and DDTs Kennedy. BOTH MEN ARE DOWN. Another headscissors by Rey staggers Kennedy into a springboard crossbody block for two. Time for La Silla, but Rey can’t capitalize on a pin. Buzzsaw Kick gets two though. Rey charges into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Kennedy can only get a two-count. Mysterio finds the 619, but Kennedy stays on the mat and waits for Rey to come after him. Kennedy then yanks Rey into the corner. BRILLIANT. He wants to give Mysterio the Green Bay Plunge, but Rey fights him off and headscissors Kennedy to the mat for the win. (10:39 shown) This was fine, but never felt like Rey was in too much trouble here. I feel like Kennedy is better against bigger opponents than Rey. **½.

Clips are shown of the Undertaker and Randy Orton inside Hell in a Cell at Armageddon 2005. I’m surprised they showed this one since Orton is the WWE champion. Not to mention the Undertaker could have contracted Hepatitis thanks to Bob Orton Jr.

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN for Hornswoggle and the Great Khali: Michael Cole brings out the competitors who will meet at Survivor Series. Hornswoggle weighs in at 138lbs, and Khali breaks the scale. Cole says he is about 420lbs making a 280 pound disadvantage for Hornswoggle. Khali cuts a Khali promo. Ranjin Singh says he watched the mockery from RAW and he was NOT amused. Khali has defeated the Undertaker, Cena, and Batista. On Sunday, Khali will add Hornswoggle to the list. They stand for a photo. Khali stands with his junk in Hornswoggle’s face. Khali then steals Hornswoggle hat and crumbles it up as Hornswoggle cries.

• No-DQ Match: Batista vs. Mark Henry

Batista boots Henry down and takes his shoulder several times to the ringpost. Back inside, Bats bends back on Henry’s arm. Henry shrugs him away, but staggers into a Spinebuster. Batista then heads to the floor, grabs the world title, and nails Henry in the face for the win. (2:13) Seems like every no-disqualification match could end this way. ¾*

Afterwards, Bats takes Henry to the floor for more ringside violence. He spears down Henry and hits him repeatedly with a chair. BATS HAS GONE TO A DARK PLACE, FOLKS. What does that mean for this Sunday at Survivor Series when he must enter HELL IN A CELL against the Undertaker? BONG. The light go blue and just the Undertaker’s eyes are shown on the screen. OH MAN.

AND NOW FOR A SPECIAL BONUS MATCH!

• Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio – (WWE Smackdown, 11/9/07)

We’re going to see if we can finally find some closure on this Mysterio-Finlay feud that’s been going on for months. Finlay bullies Rey around to start like he’s his big brother – shoving him around and grabbing his traps. DOES THAT HURT? HUH? DOES THAT HURT? Rey finds a headscissors to take Finlay out to the floor so he can show off with an Asai Moonsault. Commercials! When we come back, Finlay finds himself back in control and delivers a Jumping Senton Splash for two. He bounces Mysterio’s sternum on the apron. Rey tries to fight back with a fancy headscissors and gets dumped off into the corner. Rey retreats to the floor grabbing his back. Finlay thinks that’s cute and slams him into the apron. Back inside, Finlay gets two. He then delivers that full body slam where Rey’s feet land on the ropes putting more impact on the back and shoulders. There’s a Boston crab. Rey doesn’t so much find the ropes as Finlay lets him go so he can drop a knee on the lower back. To the floor, Finlay slings Mysterio into the barricade. Now back to the Boston crab. This time Rey does make the ropes and rolls up Finlay out of the corner (and the top turnbuckle gets pulled off) for two. He starts kicking at the knees and mounts Finlay in the corner for a ten-count corner punch, but Finlay gives him a stun gun on the exposed turnbuckle. Cover, 1-2-NO! While the ref starts repairing the top turnbuckle pad, Finlay grabs his shillelagh. Rey pops up and dropkicks Finlay down for two. NOW HERE COMES REY MYSTERIO. There’s La Silla, but Finlay cuts him off with a clothesline for two. Finlay ducks the 619, but eats a Buzzsaw Kick followed by another La Silla for 1-2-NO! This time the 619 connects, but Finlay runs into the ropes to stop the WEST COAST POP. Finlay grabs Mysterio and delivers the CELTIC CROSS for the win. (14:53 shown) Afterwards, Finlay takes Rey over to the announce table and smashes JBL’s laptop over his head. As if that wasn’t enough, he picks Rey and drives his body into the ringpost. NASTY! Now will Rey make it to Survivor Series?! This one got plenty of time to breath. They didn’t try to do too much and just had one heck of a match. Good stuff. ***¼

Until next time, so long for now!