WWE Smackdown- May 2, 2008
by Sassy
Before the show begins, Theodore Long, assistant General Manager of Smackdown appears at the top of the entrance ramp. He says that the WWE Tag Team Championship, the WWE United States Championship, and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship will be defended on Smackdown.
Smackdown is broadcast from Atlantic City, NJ on the CW Network
Ringside announcers: Michael Cole & Mick Foley
Ring announcer: Justin Roberts
I have already read the spoilers for this event and I have to admit I am not looking forward to watching it in order to write the review.
Michael Cole is in the ring to introduce the new commentator for Friday Night Smackdown, Mick Foley. Foley enters the arena and makes himself at home at the announcer’s table.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match:
John Morrison from Los Angeles, CA
&
The Miz from Cleveland, OH
At a combined weight of 451 lbs.
Champions
Vs.
Jimmy Wang Yang
&
Shannon Moore
At a combined weight of 410 lbs.
Challengers
When the teams are introduced, Yang & Moore get a little louder pop from the lie audience. Yang and Miz begin the match and Miz immediately gets heat. Yang gets a loud pop for dropping Miz. Yang goes for the cover and Miz kicks out. Yang tags in Moore, Moore goes for a pin and Miz gets his shoulder up. Moore again goes for a cover and gets a two count. Miz tags in Morrison. The referee has to back Morrison up out of the corner when he goes after Moore with fists. Moore goes for a cover and gets a two count. Moore tags in Yang and Yang goes for the pin but Morrison kicks out. Yang tries for a suplerplex off the ropes but Morrison fights it off and pulls Yang to the mat. Morrison tags in Miz. Miz goes for a cover but can’t get the three count. Morrison is getting a lot of heat from the audience as he stands out on the ring apron talking about himself to the fans. Miz backs Yang up into the wrong corner. Yang sends Morrison down on the ring apron; Miz delivers a clothesline and goes for the cover. Miz gets a two count. Miz tags in Morrison. Morrison goes for the cover and gets a two count. Miz now gets heat from the fans while he stands on the ring apron giving the audience lip. Yang goes for a roll up off the ropes and gets a two count. Morrison tags in Miz. Moore begs for a tag, Yang delivers a jawbreaker to Miz, but Miz makes it to Morrison for a tag. Yang finally gets a tag to Moore. Moore comes in fired up, knocking Miz down on the ring apron and going for a cover on Morrison. Moore gets a two count. Morrison takes Moore down with a kick and goes for a cover, Morrison gets a two count but Yang enters the ring to break it up. Miz enters the ring and takes Yang out to the floor to do battle while Morrison is in the ring with Moore. Moore goes for a roll up and gets the two count. Morrison comes back with a cover and gets the three count. Time: 8 minutes
Winners: John Morrison with a corkscrew neck breaker & The Miz who retain the WWE Tag Team Championship
I’d prefer to see Yang and Moore with the tag team belts but, unfortunately, they didn’t get the job done in this match. I still don’t see Miz being in the ring with the other three wrestlers in this match. Morrison, Moore & Yang are all highflying, fast moving ring workers. Miz is much slower and less agile.
WWE ECW General Manager Armando Estrada is in the ring. Estrada is the special guest ring announcer for the next match.
Colin Delaney, from Rochester, NY, weighing 107 lbs.
Vs.
Vladimir Kozlov, from Russia, weighing 300 lbs.
Colin Delaney hasn’t won a match since his WWE debut. Delaney has a match against Estrada next week on WWE’s ECW. I don’t think tonight’s match is going to go well for Delaney. I realize this will be another squash match for Kozlov. The audience is busy chanting USA but it doesn’t faze Kozlov as he delivers a total beat down on Delaney. Time: 2 minutes
Winner: Vladimir Kozlov with a neck breaker
Nunzio is backstage lacing up his boots when The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry shows up. He tells Nunzio that the two of them have a match tonight. He slaps Nunzio on the back and wishes him good luck.
WWE Rewind: Cherry versus Natalya Neidhart. Natalya won the match with a sharpshooter.
Tag Team Match
Natalya & Victoria
Vs.
Michelle & Cherry
Michelle and Natalya start off in the ring. Natalya tags in Victoria but Victoria is busy trying to harass Cherry on the ring apron and allows Michelle to take advantage of the situation, Michelle goes for a bridge cover but Victoria powers out. Michelle tags in Cherry who comes off the top turnbuckle with a cross body block and goes for a cover. Victoria kicks out. Cherry goes for a roll up and gets a one count. Natalya pulls Cherry’s hair and Cherry knocks Natalya off the ring apron. Natalya pulls Cherry’s leg and trips her up and then delivers a kick to Cherry’s head when Victoria has the ref distracted. Victoria tags in Natalya. Cherry fights her way out of the corner but can’t get the tag. Cherry tags in Michelle. Cherry sends Victoria off the ring apron and to the floor. Michelle delivers a swinging neck breaker and goes for the cover but only gets a two count. Michelle climbs up to the top turnbuckle, Victoria pushes her off, Natalya goes for a roll up, grabs the tights and gets the three count.
Winners: Natalya with a roll up & Victoria
The audience sees a video of the end of the Backlash WWE Heavyweight Championship Match. Undertaker wins the match but refuses to break the submission hold. Undertaker faces The Great Khali to defend his championship tonight.
The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry from TX, weighing 392 lbs.
Vs.
Nunzio from NY, weighing 170 lbs.
Nunzio waves to someone behind the scenes and Big Show appears next to Nunzio.
This must be the only way Nunzio can get a fair match in WWE. Nunzio has Show in his corner for support and perhaps a few tips on how to beat someone over twice your size. Henry keeps turning around to look at Show when he has Nunzio down on the canvas. Henry slams Nunzio to the match, goes for the cover and gets the win. Time: 2 minutes
Winner: The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry
After the match, Henry tries to pick up Nunzio and Show enters the ring to stop him. Henry backs out of the ring and goes to the floor, refusing to face down Show in the ring. Show has the mic and tells Henry that next time he should try to pick on someone his own size.
M.V.P. and Matt Hardy are heading toward the arena. Hardy will defend his newly acquired WWE United States Championship against MVP, the former champion.
WWE Slam of the Week: Matt Hardy wins the WWE United States Championship against MVP with a twist of fate.
WWE United States Championship Match:
M.V.P. from Miami, FL, weighing 248 lbs.
Challenger
Vs.
Matt Hardy from Cameron, NC, weighing 236 lbs.
Champion
I do like MVP but I don’t think Hardy is going to lose the championship this time around. The bell rings and MVP doesn’t want to wrestle his way through this match but Hardy does. MVP rolls Hardy over and gets his shoulders down to the mat. Hardy gets his shoulders up after a one count. Hardy takes MVP down with a running clothesline. MVP kicks out. MVP delivers a clothesline of his own and then goes after Hardy with right hands while Hardy is down on the floor. MVP tries to cover but Hardy powers out. Brawling doesn’t appear to be working for MVP so he tries a little wrestling. Hardy delivers a bulldog and goes for the cover but MVP kicks out at the count of two. Hardy delivers a neck breaker and goes for the cover for a two count. MVP delivers boots and a knee, goes for the cover and gets a one count. The ref drags MVP out of the corner away from Hardy and as MVP approaches Hardy again, Hardy delivers a boot and now Hardy is in charge of the match. Hardy goes for a roll over but MVP kicks out at the count of two. MVP misses the boot to the head, but he takes Hardy down with a clothesline instead. Hardy climbs up on the ring apron and MVP sends Hardy down to the floor and into the guardrail outside the ring and we go to COMMERCIAL BREAK IIN THE MIDDLE OF THE MATCH! Back to the match, MVP has Hardy down in the center of the ring. Hardy gets back to his feet and manages to break the hold MVP has on him. Hardy delivers a side effect and goes for the cover but MVP powers out at the count of two. MVP delivers a kick to Hardy’s skull and then sends him down to the mat. MVP tries for a cover and gets a one count. MVP sets Hardy up on the top turnbuckle. Hardy comes off the middle rope to take MVP down to the mat. Hardy goes for the cover and gets a two count. Hardy climbs up to the second rope and comes off with an elbow, goes for a pin and gets a two count again. MVP hits the kick to the head and then goes for the cover but Hardy grabs the bottom rope and the ref makes MVP break it up. MVP goes out of the ring and delivers a kick to Hardy’s head through the ropes and then rolls back in and goes for a cover. Hardy powers out at the count of two. MVP tries for a pin again and again gets a two count. MVP goes for a cover and gets a two count. Hardy makes it back to his feet and goes after MVP with fists but MVP again knocks Hardy down to the mat. MVP goes for a cover and gets a two count. Hardy back to his feet hits the twist of fate, goes for the cover and gets the three count. Time: 13 minutes
Winner: Matt Hardy with a twist of fate, retaining the WWE United States Championship
Foley is in the ring and he introduces The Animal Batista. Foley tells Batista that he had a tremendous match at Backlash with Shawn Michaels. Foley introduces the clip of the match where Michaels injured his knee and then taking out Batista with a super kick. Batista says that he means everything he said about Michaels. Batista says that he let his guard down and then Foley introduces the clip of Y2J Chris Jericho and the fact that Jericho believes Michaels was never truly injured and faked it in order to win the match. Foley asks Batista if he believes Michaels was faking. Batista says that if Michaels was faking an injury and wasn’t really hurt, the next time Batista sees Michaels he will be hurt.
Tag Team Match
Jesse & Festus
At a combined weight 501 lbs.
Vs.
Curt Hawkins
&
Zack Ryder
At a combined weight of 435 lbs.
The bell rings and Festus goes after Ryder & Hawkins. Ryder bails out of the ring leaving Hawkins to take the punishment. Festus body slams Hawkins to the mat and tags in Jesse. Jesse goes for the cover, but only gets a two count. Jesse goes for a cover again and gets only a one count. Jesse ends up in the wrong corner and Hawkins tags in Ryder. Jesse goes for the cover and gets a two count. Jesse lets himself get distracted and ends up in trouble in the middle of the ring. Ryder goes for the cover and gets a two count. Ryder tags in Hawkins and Hawkins goes for a blatant choke. Festus is pounding on the top turnbuckle trying to get Jesse to get to the corner for a tag. Jesse tries to get away from Ryder who is now the legal man in the ring, but Ryder pulls Jesse’s hair and slams him to the canvas. Ryder tags in Hawkins, Hawkins goes for the cover and gets a two count. Hawkins tags in Ryder. Hawkins kicks Festus’s hand away but Jesse manages to get the tag and he goes after both men, sending one off the apron ring to the floor and taking the other down in the ring with a shoulder block. Festus goes for a cover but is distracted and Festus gets nailed in the throat. He tags in Jesse who comes off the top turnbuckle but misses Hawkins when he rolls out of the way. Hawkins goes for the neck breaker, covers and gets the win. Time: 6 minutes
Winners: Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder with a neck breaker
I didn’t like the outcome of this match but I have to give a little bit of credit to Hawkins and Ryder for being so underhanded in their actions in the ring. Festus did what Festus always does by brute force, but Jesse didn’t get enough ring time to show his talent in the ring.
Finlay from Belfast, Northern Ireland, weighing 233 lbs.
Vs.
Julio Dinero from Brooklyn, NY, weighing 228 lbs. (already in the ring)
Finlay brings along his favorite weapon to the ring. I think Dinero works in WWE developmental but am not certain. Finlay starts off with a little bit of wrestling, goes for an early cover and only gets a one count. Finlay backs Dinero up in the corner and pounds on him until the referee makes Finlay back up. Dinero takes the opportunity to get a shot in but Finlay drops him with a clothesline. Dinero comes back at Finlay and Finlay sends him through the ropes and out to the floor. Finlay goes out on the floor after Dinero and slams him into the ring, but someone is pulling Dinero under the ring. Finlay pulls back and Hornswoggle appears. Finlay rolls Dinero back into the ring and delivers a slam to the mat, followed by the Celtic cross, goes for the cover and gets the three count. Time: 2 minutes
Winner: Finlay
After the match, Hornswoggle enters the ring and delivers a tadpole splash off of the ropes to Dinero who is still down on the mat.
Cole introduces a video of The Undertaker taking out Big Daddy V and others with the new submission move Undertaker has been using, concluding with the win over Edge at Backlash.
The Great Khali is heading toward the arena.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
The Undertaker, from Death Valley, weighing 299 lbs.
Champion
Vs......
Before Khali is introduced, the Rated R Superstar Edge, Vicki Guerrero and Teddy Long appear at the top of the entrance ramp. Vickie says there will not be a world heavyweight championship match because Undertaker has injured several superstars in the ring with the chokehold he has been using. She says that choke holds are illegal in the WWE and that he has ruptured the larynx (even though she pronounced it wrong) of WWE superstars and that it is her responsibility to look after the well being of the superstars (who writes this crap?) and it has nothing to do with Edge but from this moment on the choke hold that Undertaker uses is banned. She tells Undertaker if he ever uses the chokehold again – if she screws this speech anymore, I’m going to mute the show – she tells him that Undertaker has been stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship.
She tells Undertaker to walk up the ramp and surrender the title to her. She says that she will send someone down to take the title and bring it to her. Khali enters the arena and heads toward the ring. I guess he’s going to be taking the title away from Undertaker and this must not be a match.
Undertaker lays the title down on the mat and glares at Khali. Khali looks at the audience, at the belt and at Undertaker. He steps toward the title belt and stares down Undertaker. He reaches down for the belt and then stops. The audience is chanting for The Undertaker. Khali reaches down again, touches the belt; Undertaker delivers a kick and then locks in the submission hold to Khali. Hawkins & Ryder enter the ring and take the belt to hand to Vickie who still can’t get her butt out of the wheelchair. Undertaker now realizes that the belt has been stolen from the ring and he stares at Edge and Vickie as they leave the arena.
I’m sure others have said it, but I’ll say it here. If the storyline with Edge and Vickie gets any worse, expect the Smackdown ratings to drop. It’s worse than a joke and not worth the time to turn on the television let alone sit down to watch it.
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