Friday
Night Smackdown
January 25, 2008 – Recap by Sassy
Promo for WWE HD.
Smackdown
is broadcast from the University of Virginia on the CW network.
Ringside announcers: Michael Cole and Jonathan Coachman
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
Michael Cole tells the audience this is the first Smackdown
in HD. The Royal Rumble will be this Sunday on pay per view.
2 on 1 Handicap Match
Rey Mysterio from San Diego, weighing 165 lbs.
Vs.
Zack Ryder
&
Curt Hawkins
At a combined weight of 437 lbs.
Audience favorite: Rey Mysterio
My favorite: Rey Mysterio
This wasn’t the kind of match I was looking for. It is a
predictable match, unfortunately, as well as knowing that Mysterio most likely
won’t leave the Royal Rumble with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Winner
Rey Mysterio
by DQ
One of the Edgeheads brought in a chair but Mysterio managed
to kick the chair, sending it into the holder. The referee disqualified Ryder
& Hawkins and Mysterio chases the two out of the ring with the chair.
Replay of the final moments of the previous match.
Cole tells the audience that tonight it will be The
Undertaker versus Big Daddy V.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, Jesse is backstage with two
enlarged photos of his partner, Festus. Jesse tells the fans the reason they
have not been seen lately on Smackdown is because Festus has a problem. Festus
is at the doctor’s getting help for his problem.
Domino
Accompaned to the ring by Deuce and Cherry
&
Jimmy Wang Yang from Atlanta, GA, weighing 206 lbs.
Accompanied to the ring by Shannon Moore
Audience favorite: Jimmy Wang Yang
My favorite: Jimmy Wang Yang
Cole reminds the audience that Domino and Yang are not in the
Royal Rumble this Sunday.
Winner
Jimmy
Wang Yang
With a little outside help from Shannon Moore after Deuce and
Cherry interfered in the match.
Jamie Noble is backstage and is accosted by Chuck Palumbo.
They immediately get into an argument when Michelle McCool shows up. They decide
to play nice in front of McCool. Cole tells the audience they will be in six
person tag team match coming up next.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, promo for Jeff Hardy who faces
Randy Orton at the Royal Rumble for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Once
again, I suspect Jeff will not walk away from the Royal Rumble with the
championship belt which is a shame.
Six Person Intergender Tag Team Match
Chuck Palumbo
Accompanied to the ring by his motorcycle
&
Michelle McCool
&
Jamie Noble from Hanover, WV, weighing 202 lbs.
Vs.
John Morrison from Los Angeles, CA, weighing 219 lb.s
One half of the WWE Tag Team Champions
&
Layla
&
The Miz
One half of the WWE Tag Team Champions
Audience favorites: I’m not sure
My favorites: Jamie Noble, Chuck Palumbo & Chuck’s
motorcycle
I do have to admit the Noble/Palumbo/McCool romance gimmick
is much more entertaining than the Edge and the Smackdown General Manager
relationship. Mcool gets knocked off the ring apron when Palumbo shoves Noble
into her. Noble stops the match and calls for help, going out to help McCool on
the floor.
Winners: I don’t think there were any winners. None were
announced.
Palumbo then attacks Noble and beats him up outside the ring.
Noble took quit a few hits after the match was over and so does the ref when the
ref tries to intervene to stop Palumbo from beating up on Noble. The audience
reacts with calls of “you suck” directed at Palumbo. McCool gets back on her
feet in order to stop Palumbo from continuing his attack on a downed Noble, but
Palumbo slams her to the floor outside the ring. Palumbo delivers another kick
to Noble’s ribs before the audience begins to chant again. Something tells me
the romance is over.
Replay of the action outside the ring.
McCool is removed from ringside on a stretcher.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, recap of the VIP lounge on last
week’s Smackdown – MVP and Ric Flair who will be facing each other in a
career threatening match at the Royal Rumble.
MVP, WWE United States Champion, enters the ring. He is
dressed in his street clothes.
MVP has a mic. He is here to remind the audience that he is
better than Ric Flair. MVP accuses Flair of taking a cheap shot at him and then
running away last week. I have a feeling Flair is going to walk out of the Royal
Rumble with his career still intact even though MVP is telling everyone
otherwise. MVP declares that at the end of his own career, he will be accepting
his introduction into the WWE Hall of Fame as The Greatest Sports Entertainer of
All Time.
Flair interrupts MVP’s speech. Flair also has mic in hand.
Flair tells MVP that he is very entertaining and the he wouldn’t mind retiring
at Madison Square Gardens however Flair is not ready to go home and Flair will
beat MVP at the Royal Rumble.
Promo for www.wwe.com.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break.
Belfast Brawl
No Count Outs and No DQ
Finlay from Belfast, Northern Ireland, weighing 233 lbs.
Accompanied to the ring by Hornswoggle
Vs.
The Great Khali from India, 7’0”, weighing 420 lbs.
Accompanied to the ring by R.Singh
Audience favorite: Finlay
My favorite: Finlay
There are certainly a lot of Hornswoggle hats in the
audience. Finlay did bring along his favorite weapon but that’s the only
weapon I see. Finlay points at Hornswoggle and Cole says that it might be a
warning to Khali to stay away from Hornswoggle. Singh tosses in a chair to Khali
which gives Finlay a chance to hit Khali with the shelleigh but it doesn’t
have much of an effect on Khali. Finlay is down and again Singh sends in a steel
chair for Khali but Finlay manages to nail Khali with a low blow and then hits
him with the chair. Khali doesn’t go down, but he does knock the chair
backward into Finlay’s head. Outside the ring, Khali goes after Hornswoggle
but Finlay picks up the shelleigh and tears into Khali. Khali is down on the
floor and Finlay continues to beat on Khali. The ref has to step in and stop
Finlay. Finlay picks up a steel chair and nails Khali. Khali is bleeding from
the forehead.
Winner
Finlay
with a lot of help from his weapon and steel chairs
Cole reminds the audience that The Undertaker will take on
Big Daddy V tonight.
Promo for Edge.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, Vince McMahon is backstage with
Hornswoggle and Finlay. McMahon thanks Finlay for protecting Hornswoggle.
McMahon tells Finlay that he has made Khali mad. McMahon says he needs to have a
private chat with Hornswoggle so Finlay leaves the area. McMahon wants
Hornswoggle to know what could happen to him during the Royal Rumble match.
McMahon tells Hornswoggle that he can’t trust anyone, including Finlay, during
the Royal Rumble Match. He tells Hornswoggle his last name is McMahon, not
Finlay, and he is never to forget that.
The Animal Batista enters the ring. He is dressed in street
clothes. Coach says that his favorite to win the Royal Rumble Match is Batista.
Batista wishes Rey Mysterio good luck in his match against Edge at Royal Rumble.
Batista says he is putting every competitor in the Royal Rumble match on notice.
He won his first title match when he won the Royal Rumble match in 2005.
Promo for the Royal Rumble.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, replay of the McCool/Palumbo/Noble
problems earlier this evening, including Palumbo’s beat down of Noble. Cole
tells the audience that Palumbo’s knock down of McCool doesn’t appear to
have been an accident. Film clip of McCool being removed from the arena on a
stretcher with Noble stopping the stretcher to check on McCool. Noble promises
to take care of Palumbo for what he did to McCool.
Big Daddy V from Harlem, NY, weighing 487 lbs.
Accompanied to the ring by Matt Striker
Before V’s opponent is introduced, replay of the
confrontation between V and The Undertaker last week on Smackdown.
Vs.
The Undertaker from Death Valley, weighing 299 lbs.
Audience favorite: The Undertaker
My favorite: The Undertaker
The Undertaker won last year’s Royal Rumble Match, went on
to Wrestlemania and won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. If he wins this
Royal Rumble, he will be one of very few who have won two Royal Rumble Matches
in a row.
Winner
The Undertaker
via submission hold
The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry shows up after the
match is over. He comes around to the side of the ring but he doesn’t get in
the ring. He does tell The
Undertaker that he went too far. Henry has to help V to the back.
Promo for Randy Orton.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, promo for The Royal Rumble Match.
Royal Rumble Line Up
Royal Rumble Match
30 Entrants – Winner Receives a Championship Match at
Wrestlemania.
WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton, Champion vs. Jeff Hardy, WWE Intercontinental
Champion and Challenger
Career Threatening Match
Ric Flair vs. MVP, WWE United States Champion
JBL vs. Chris Jericho
WWE World Heavyweight Match
Edge, Champion vs. Rey Mysterio, Challenger
CM Punk from Chicago, IL, weighing 222 lbs.
Accompanied to the ring by Rey Mysterio
Before Punk’s opponent is introduced, the ECW Championship
match between CM Punk and Chavo Guerrero is shown, including interference by
Edge, who cost Punk the title belt.
Before Punk’s opponent is introduced, we go to
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break,
Vs.
The Rated R Super Star Edge from Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
weighing 250 lbs.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion
Accompanied to the ring by Zach Ryder and Curt Hawkins
otherwise known as the Edgeheads
Audience favorite: CM Punk
My favorite: CM Punk
Obviously Punk wants to get even with Edge for interfering in
his match against Chavo Guerrero. Mysterio has joined Cole and Coach at the
announcer’s table for commentary. Edge doesn’t appear to be doing well in
his match against Punk. Punk ends up out on the floor and we go to
Commercial break in the middle of the match.
Back from commercial break, both men are back in the ring and
now down on the mat. Punk is making this a kicking match and he’s doing a
great job. A roll up and I thought Punk had it. No such luck. Edge kicks out.
Close call when Edge makes a cover. Punk powers out at the two count. The
audience is chanting “CM Punk”. Punk slips off the top rope and gets caught.
The audience looks a little concerned. I thought maybe one of the Edgeheads got
involved but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Replay of the slip and it was a
slip. Edge is setting up for the spear but he gets a knee to the face instead.
Another try for the pin but Edge manages to kick out at the count of two. Edge
nails Punk with the spear and gets the win.
Winner
Edge
Not a bad match but I was just sure CM Punk would be able to
pull it off. I think I was surprised Edge won because he managed to do it all by
himself without any outside help.
WWE ECW LIVE !! / JANUARY 22
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