Source: Pro Wrestling Insider
After a quick video package with highlights from last week’s ‘Beat the Clock’ matches, we get the credits out of the way and straight into things with our first match of the night – Fit Finlay vs.. Matt Hardy in a Beat the Clock match. I wish they’d decide if its ‘Beat the Clock’ or ‘Smackdown Sprint’. Mr Kennedy of course leads the charge from last week with a time of 5mins 7 seconds. Finlay heads to the ring as Tony Chimmel announces that the match is a Beat the Clock Sprint Match. Make up your minds! As Matt Hardy heads to the ring, we cut backstage to comments from Mr Kennedy, who says his chances of winning this are pretty good.
Finlay dominates early on, but after a quick pinfall attempt, Hardy gets back into the match with a bulldog for a two count of his own, followed by a roll-up for another near fall. They go back and forth until with the clock down to 2 mins, Hardy hits two Side Effects but only getting another two count. Hardy goes for the move a third time but Finlay counters and starts laying into Hardy with forearms. Hardy gets a boot to the face in the corner but The Little Bastard distracts him as he climbs the ropes. Finlay cheap shots Hardy from behind but only gets another two count. Finlay locks in an Indian Deathlock with 40 seconds or so left on the clock, but Hardy manages to hang in until the clock runs down, resulting in a draw.
Post-match, Joey Mercury, complete with face mask, hits the ring and attacks Hardy. He grabs a chair and traps Matt’s face in it, but as he climbs to the top rope to jump down onto him, referees and officials run into the ring and prevent anything else from happening.
After the commercials, we cut backstage to Joey Mercury, who tells us that he won’t stop until Matt Hardy’s face looks worse than his.
Jimmy Wang Yang vs.. Tatanka is next up. This is a return match from last week, just for those of us who can’t get enough of these two. Tatanka jumps Yang on the bell as JBL makes references to possible Cowboy vs.. Indian matches from days gone by. Tatanka drops an elbow to the back of Yang and gets a two count. He hangs Yang upside down in the corner before charging into him. Yang responds with a series of kicks to the back of Tatanka’s knee as JBL refers to him as “the Asian Stone Cold Steve Austin.”
They go back and forth with punches before Yang hits a neckbreaker for a two count. He follows with a standing moonsault for another two count and a heel kick for a third near fall. He attempts a cross body but Tatanka catches him in midair and hits a modified side slam of sorts for the pinfall win.
Maryse is naked and getting into a bath while welcoming us to Smackdown, but she leaves us to watch a video package ahead of the upcoming London/Kendrick vs.. Regal/Taylor match. Backstage, we see all four in the upcoming tag team match. Regal mocks the champions, asking if they know what a wrestling match is, since there are no ladders tonight.
The WrestleMania recall is the WrestleMania X-8 match between Chris Jericho and Triple H.
Chris Benoit vs. Mr Kennedy is up next. No title on the line here, although we do get Kennedy’s usual pre-match routine on the mic as well as highlights from Kennedy’s win on last night’s show. Benoit takes the match straight to Kennedy, beating the hell out of him in the corner. He hits a German Suplex that sends Kennedy to the outside. Once Kennedy is tossed back in, Benoit hits an elbow drop for a two count. Kennedy grabs Benoit by the tights and throws him to the outside, following him outside and throwing him head first into the ring apron before heading back into the ring for a two count of his own.
Benoit hits a suplex and bridges for a two count, then follows it up with three more German Suplexes. He signals for the headbutt from the top, but Chavo Guerrero walks towards the ring. We cut away for a ‘Don’t try this at home’ video (bound to be updated after last Sunday’s PPV), and return to see Chavo alongside JBL and Michael Cole as Kennedy has Benoit locked in a rest hold in the ring. Benoit escapes the hold, and hits a suplex, but his momentum sends them both out of the ring.
Back in the ring, Kennedy gets another two count before locking in a good old abdominal stretch. He eventually breaks the hold and gets a near fall before hitting a suplex and getting another near fall. Benoit battles back with right hands to the head. He goes to the top rope but gets caught, allowing Kennedy to his a superplex. Benoit immediately responds, and attempts the crossface, but Kennedy escapes to the outside. He returns to the ring and avoids a sharpshooter attempt, and goes back to wearing Benoit down, who again attempts a crossface that Kennedy escapes.
Kennedy misses a clothesline, that allows Benoit to go back to the German suplexes. He hits three, then heads to the top rope and connects with the diving headbutt. He makes the cover, but again only gets a two count. Kennedy hits a one-man flapjack then a legdrop and again gets a two count. He hit his “Kenton” move, then climbed to the top rope, only for Benoit to catch up with him. Kennedy shoved him off and hit a dropkick from the top rope, only for Benoit’s foot to be on the bottom rope as Kennedy made the cover. Kennedy again went to the top rope but missed a somersault move of sorts. Benoit then made his comeback with a few forearms, and another half dozen or so German suplexes before locking in the sharpshooter. Chavo Guerrero hit the ring, but Benoit caught him, and attempted a sharpshooter. Kennedy then rolled up Benoit from behind before he could get the sharpshooter locked in to get the win. That was a pretty lengthy match.
After commercials, we’re reminded that we’ve got MVP and Undertaker in ‘Beat the Clock Sprint’ matches, but up next, we get to see Part 2 of the Batista story.
Tag Team Titles on the line next, with Paul London & Brian Kendrick defending against William Regal & Dave Taylor. Of course, Ashley is at ringside as well. Taylor and Kendrick start the match, with Taylor taking Spanky to the mat right away and outwrestling him. Kendrick tags out to London, who applies a headlock but quickly finds himself on the wrong end of an uppercut from Taylor, who tags out to Regal. Regal hits a backdrop, but London lands on his feet and hits a dropkick. Really cool spot. The champs double team to hit a suplex on Regal, before Kendrick hits him with a monkey flip. London is tagged back in but runs into a clothesline, which gives Regal the opportunity to tag out.
So far, this is a really good match. All about the wrestling. Unfortunately the crowd couldn’t care less. Regal takes London down to the mat as Cole states how there’s “no lollygagging around,” whatever that means. Regal and Taylor make quick tags, continues to work over London, who is isolated and grounded on the mat. After a few minutes of working over London, he makes the tag to Kendrick, who clears house. He hits a sweet looking superkick on Regal and gets a two count. He follows up with a cross body from the top, but Regal rolls through and gets a near fall of his own. With London and Taylor on the outside, Kendrick hits a backslide of all things on Regal and gets the pinfall win. Really good match.
After a video package showing MVP being burnt by Kane at Armageddon, Maryse takes us into the commercials by telling us there’s more to come.
We return to take a trip into the vault. On last week’s show, Mark asked for “something good” if they filled time this way again this week. Unfortunately, we get highlights from The Undertaker vs. King Booker from August 2006, which ended in a DQ after interference from The Great Khali, who no-sold about twenty punches.
We’re back to the Beat the Clock Sprint, as MVP vs. Vito is up next. Great. At least we know it can’t go more than five minutes. MVP comes to the ring with half his upper body bandaged up, selling his burns from Armageddon. Vito gets the dubbed in Hogan pop as Cole gets overly excited as always. A total nothing match, which is overshadowed by JBL going crazy on commentary for the possibility of Vito getting a World Title shot. With a minute to go, MVP hits a big boot on Vito for a two count. The opening four minutes seriously had nothing happening, with the crowd sat on their hands. With 25 seconds to go, MVP makes three pinfall attempts with nothing in between them, and the clock runs down. The fun continued on the outside after the match, with Vito tossing MVP into the ring steps. Awful match.
After highlights of Khali debuting on RAW this past Monday are shown, we’re informed that on next week’s show, we’ll see Chris Benoit vs. Chavo Guerrero for the US title in a No DQ match.
Backstage, Kristal interviews Batista. He says that Kennedy has beaten six World Champions on Smackdown and would give him a tough match at the Royal Rumble. He says that as for The Undertaker, “that would be a first,” and walks off.
Its main event time, with The Undertaker vs. The Miz in the final ‘Beat the Clock’ match. Lengthy Undertaker entrance out of the way, JBL goes nuts for The Miz’s entrance music, enthusiastic to see ‘Taker kill him. Miz stalls and avoids ‘Taker for 30 seconds, but eventually is levelled with a right hand, and Undertaker proceeds to beat the heck out of him. ‘Taker hits Old School and a legdrop with 3 minutes left on the clock, then signals for a chokeslam, only for Mr Kennedy to run towards the ring. He distracts ‘Taker, allowing Miz into the match. ‘Taker shrugs off two dropkicks and hits a big boot for a two count with 2 mins 20 left on the clock.
After a couple of legdrops on the apron, ‘Taker gets another near fall with 1min 20 left to go, as Kennedy continues to distract from ringside. ‘Taker hits Snake Eyes and another boot to the face with a minute to go. He hits the chokeslam but Kennedy helps pull Miz out of the way, with the referee unable to see Kennedy interfering. With ten seconds left on the clock, ‘Taker hits a tombstone, but time runs out before the referee can count to three.
Mr Kennedy wins the Beat the Clock Spring, and will face Batista at the Royal Rumble. Smackdown ends with ‘Taker looking on in the ring as Kennedy celebrates up the ramp way.
