Source: PWInsider.com
This week’s edition of Smackdown! in the UK kicked off with what may or may not have been slightly modified music to open the show. I’m not sure. I find it very hard to pay attention to Smackdown right now as it is.
Michael Cole and JBL open things up at ringside, and in a nice touch are stood up for an “old school” opening. They run through what’s going to happen on tonight’s show, plus show highlights from Batista-Booker T at Summerslam. Rey Mysterio’s music hits, the (nicely dubbed) crowd pops, and it’s time for tonight’s opener:
Rey Mysterio vs Finlay
As Mysterio made his entrance, The Little Bastard was shown sneaking out from under the ring. We cut to footage of Vicki turning on Rey last week on the show before Finlay makes his entrance (I really wish he was introduced from Belfast, NORTHERN Ireland). Finlay gives Rey a slap to the face then takes an early upper hand with a forearm and a takedown into a front facelock rolling through into a suplex. JBL started to talk about how guys like Bret Hart and Tiger Woods continued their careers when they lost somebody close to them, which was a little bizarre. Finlay continued to dominate the match as we cut to commercial.
We return from commercial with JBL still talking about the Guerrero situation as Mysterio tried to get back into the match with a series of right hands, followed up by a head scissors and a dropkick to the face for a near fall. Finlay got straight back into it and countered another head scissors into a side slam for a near fall. JBL commented that Finlay never misses a step and that he “grew up around car bombs” before going back to commenting on how Mysterio has changed in the ring since the problems with Chavo began and that he can “no longer do it on Smackdown”.
Finlay slowed the pace down, locking in a Boston crab on Mysterio in front of much less energetic crowd than we saw on RAW this week. Again JBL and Michael Cole continued to talk about Vicki and Chavo, pretty much forgetting about the action in the ring. Mysterio made his comeback with several kicks to the legs and then to the head leading to a near fall. Mysterio then hit a senton for another two count as the crowd started to come to life. Finlay escaped the 619 and Mysterio missed a springboard after slipping on the ropes, allowing Finlay to pick up the win.
After the match, JBL got into the ring to interview Rey after “embarrassing himself once again.” JBL asked him if his wrestling had gone downhill because Vicki Guerrero slapped him. Rey walked away but JBL pushed him on the point, saying that the entire Guerrero family deemed him “a piece of trash.” Rey walked off without comment, paused in the aisle then walked to the back.
While I’ve talked about how much I’ve hated the Guerrero-Mysterio storyline constantly over the past few months, I have tried to look past the bad and try and – if nothing else – tolerate what I’m seeing. It’s impossible.
After a promo for the UK tour this November (which we’ll be covering extensively at WrestleMag), Ken Kennedy makes his way out to the ring ahead of his match with Danny Gimondo. Kennedy did his usual entrance on the mic before the match got underway. Pretty much a squash, with Gimondo getting in some moves and looking solid for what he did do. Kennedy quickly hit his finisher from the top rope and picked up the win.
Post-match, Kennedy called out Teddy Long and said he’s beaten the best that Smackdown! has to offer and wants to take a page out of John Cena’s playbook by going to RAW. Long said that there’s one Smackdown! star Kennedy hasn’t faced, and made Kennedy vs The Undertaker for No Mercy on October 8. Crowd popped, Kennedy looked pissed, Teddy danced.
After another commercial, we return in time for another lengthy promo for ‘The Marine’. You may have seen it mentioned briefly on WWE television over the past couple of weeks.
Brian Kendrick, Paul London & Ashley Massaro headed out to the ring for their 6-person match with KC James, Idol Stevens & Michelle McCool. London and Stevens started out with a series of headlocks before making quick tags out. I understand that part of WWE’s TV shows are to hype up PPV’s, but we’re 40 minutes into the show and Cole and JBL between them will have called about a dozen moves. Ashley Massaro gets tagged in and comes off the top rope to hit KC James as JBL and Cole talk about Undertaker and Kennedy at No Mercy.
James and Stevens get the upper hand and work over London, with Michelle McCool briefly tagging in to slap London repeatedly. London eventually made the hot tag and Kendrick cleared house before diving through the ropes to James and Stevens on the outside. Ashley and Michelle got into a catfight before London and Kendrick double teaming James to pick up the win.
A King Booker promo aired before our next match.
Vito made his way out for commentary on the next match (William Regal vs Lashley). JBL was disgusted and sat away from him, which Michael Cole tried to get a hug off the dress-wearing star. Vito said that Regal was a very emotional guy. Regal cut a promo saying he was supposed to face Vito but told Teddy Long that he threatened Vito with a sexual harassment lawsuit for “exposing me to his undercarriage” last week. I really hope the point of this is not building up to Regal vs Vito at the PPV. Lashley got a good pop and took it straight to Regal before dumping him outside the ring nearby Vito, who stuck his ass in Regal’s face.
Regal got back into the match and applied a headlock as Vito and Cole talked about Vito being the toughest man to wear a dress and being in touch with his feminine side. Cole always sounds so at ease talking about femininity (is that a word?) and things other than wrestling. Lashley fought back with a belly-to-belly suplex and a forearm before quickly setting him up for a running powerslam which Regal escaped out of only to swiftly walk into a spear by Lashley, who picked up the pinfall. Short match which could have been a lot better if given more time.
Vito jumped into the ring to congratulate Lashley before trying to get a handshake out JBL, who refused.
We return from commercials with The Miz. JBL finally says something constructive on commentary, declaring that “he’s annoying.” Even more annoying is that Miz gets mic time, and that fans are joining in with his “HOO-RAH” thing. Thankfully, Matt Hardy’s music hits, and the Hardy brother who isn’t getting a push hits the ring. JBL mocks Cole for calling Miz undefeated, saying that Miz has “had one match against a guy whose Indian name means ‘Milk Cow’”. Hardy takes it to Miz from the start before Miz gets back into it with a hangman type move and then slows the pace down with a headlock. Hardy powers out and hits a series of clotheslines and gets a two count, then hits the Side Effect for another near fall. Miz goes to the outside but gets caught by Hardy with a cross body over the top rope to the outside. Hardy then goes to the top rope but Gregory Helms interferes and pushes him off the top to the canvas, with Miz capitalising and rolling up Hardy for the win.
Hardy chases Helms to the back while The Miz celebrates in the ring. Hoo-Rah! *sighs*
Michael Cole hypes up tonight’s Batista-King Booker main event later tonight before we cut to another promo for the UK tour this November.
Tony Chimmel introduces Chavo Guerrero’s new business manager, Vicki Guerrero, who comes out without any music. Vicki introduces Chavo, saying he his dedicating his match with Tatanka tonight to the Guerrero legacy. Tatanka takes the match to Chavo (his first match on Smackdown! since coming out of retirement, we’re reminded), working over his left arm. Chavo escapes an armlock and starts to work over Tatanka’s left leg. Nice old school feel to the match as Tatanka tries to power out of the hold with knees to the back of Chavo, following it up with a backdrop and a series of reverse elbows. Tatanka hits a few chops before going to the top rope and hitting a tomahawk chop for a two count. Tatanka again tries to pin Chavo but Chavo holds onto the rope, which Charles Robinson sees and stops before counting to three. As in recent weeks, Tatanka gets upset with the referee about being screwed out of a pin, and Chavo capitalizes and picks up the pinfall win.
Backstage, MVP tells Teddy Long that he’s been following John Cena’s possible jump to the show and that he wants Cena’s money to sign a Smackdown! contract. MVP asks for tickets for him and his women to watch the show – Long tells him if he wants a seat to go and buy tickets.
A video package for Batista plays ahead of the title match with King Booker, which is up next.
We return from commercial with Sharmell introducing King Booker. The “All Hail” chants are cut short when they enter the ring by the sound of Batista’s music, who comes out to the only real “superstar” reaction of the night. With Batista and Booker both in the ring, Tony Chimmel does the big fight feel introductions, which I really think adds to things. Booker takes the mic and tells Batista he can walk away now, or take a Royal ass-whooping.
Batista asks if Booker would like his body buried or cremated before we cut away to a promo for Monday edition of RAW with HHH vs Vince McMahon at MSG.
The match gets underway with Batista taking the early advantage, laying into Booker in the corner. He continues to dominate as they go to the outside, with Booker being thrown into the barricades at ringside before being rolled back into the ring where Batista makes a cover and gets a two count. Booker goes for a reverse heel kick but Batista blocks it and takes Booker down with a spear for another two count. Batista then went for a clothesline but Booker ducks out the way and hits the Book End to get another two count as we cut to another commercial.
We return with the two battling it out on the outside, with Sharmell getting involved and screaming at Batista. Booker hit Batista with a kick across the throat on the outside before rolling him back into the ring for a near fall. Booker then follows it up with a superkick for another two count. Booker is now compared to Tiger Woods by JBL for being “in the zone,” as Batista hits back with a series of clotheslines and a side slam for a two count of his own. Batista then spots William Regal at ringside and lays him out, before preventing Sharmell from using a chair. With the referee distracted, Finlay hits the ring and decks Batista with his shillelagh, allowing Booker to make the cover and get the win.
Post-match, Batista is attacked by Finlay, who hits him again with the shillelagh before busting Batista wide open on an exposed turnbuckle and then hitting him with a chair shot. He continues his attack with several shots with the shillelagh. Finlay screams that Batista doesn’t know what he’s in for, as referees restrain him. A bloody Batista is left laid in the ring as Finlay looks on as the show goes off the air.
Overall, not a bad show I guess. If you didn’t catch it, there’s not a lot you’ve missed out on, which tends to be the case for Smackdown!. Hopefully the move to CW in a couple of weeks will help those in WWE that still doesn’t realize it that this show needs a rocket up it.
