This weeks SmackDown starts with Teddy Long in the ring, introducing Rey Mysterio as one of the greatest ever on SmackDown, and said that getting him back in the draft was one of the best things to ever happen to the show. It’s true, but it also highlights that moving him to RAW a year ago was a huge mistake.

Rey first puts over Jeff Hardy for beating him last week. But says he’ll get another shot, and will also defend the IC title against anybody. This brings out Chris Jericho, but he pretty much ignores Rey and rants at Teddy Long, firstly about how great he is, then about how he was screwed last week, becoming the first person in WWE History to be disqualified from a four way match. I would guess that’s not true but if you look at the rules perhaps it should be, which fits Jericho’s character perfectly.

Rey tells him to shut up and says he’s sick of Jericho disrespecting the fans so he walks away, which just pisses Jericho off even more, as Jericho complains again about being screwed the previous week and how he deserves a title shot. This of course brings out Jeff Hardy, who is also tired of Jericho’s complaining, and challenges him to a singles match tonight where if Jericho wins he gets added to the main event at Judgement Day, making it a triple threat. I thought this whole promo was going great until that last bit, as essentially Jeff is putting nothing on the line while Jericho can get a World Title shot for no consequences if he loses. That’s now two weeks in a row that SmackDown has done the long opening promo segment intertwining a couple of angles and different characters, and if you’re opening the show with interview time I much prefer this method over one guy droning on for 20 minutes by themselves like you get from some people, notably Triple H, from time to time.

The opening match sees R-Truth, following his lame rapping through the crowd on his way to the ring, face Mike Knox. After Killings does some side kicks, Knox basically destroys him, Knox uses the distraction from the referee breaking them in the corner to hit a jumping pump kick on Truth for the win.

Up next was Gail Kim taking on Michelle McCool. McCool had Alicia Fox at ringside in a manager/cheerleader type role. A short match ends when McCool blocks a huracanrana to win with the Faith Breaker, which is her name for the Styles Clash. McCool as the arrogant heel will have much more of a chance to get herself over on SmackDown now that Maryse is on RAW and not overshadowing her. Things like doing pushups after a move are arrogant heel staples that should be around forever. Kim looks nowhere near the Gail Kim we saw in TNA, and while that might be expected given she isn’t playing the underdog against a monster like Kong, and she’s on what appears to be the secondary show as far as women’s wrestling goes, but doing clean jobs on TV to McCool every week isn’t going to help her.

Then clips are shown of the Edge/Jeff Hardy Cutting Edge segment from Superstars, before Hardy cuts a promo backstage talking about ending Jericho’s whining and going on to win the World Title at Judgement Day (yes, I’m spelling correctly).

Dolph Ziggler and Maria are backstage with Teddy Long, so Edge storms in, kicks them out, and complains to Teddy Long. Long makes Edge v. Punk in a rematch for tonight.

Charlie Haas v. John Morrison is up next, and the most interesting thing here is that Shelton Benjamin is sat down at ringside supporting Haas, so maybe we will see a reunion for that team. It’d be great if WWE gave a shit about tag team wrestling, but they don’t so I wonder how far this will go. Morrison won with a corkscrew moonsault, and there’s no doubt his flashy finisher. Afterwards, Shelton stood up and teased confronting Morrison before walking away. I don’t see the star quality in Morrison that was supposedly there without Miz. He takes flashy bumps and looks great, but that’s it. And that’s not a bad thing because a large amount of the WWE roster don’t have either of those things, but in the ring I’m still yet to see him put together a good singles match or cut a decent solo promo.

Clips are then shown of Umaga attacking CM Punk as Punk was about to cash in his Money In The Bank briefcase at the end of last week’s SmackDown, before Edge and Punk have a rematch from last week’s main event. This was shorter, and saw Edge outsmart Punk by walking out to lose by countout after a hot series of countermoves ended with Punk avoiding the spear and Edge flying through the ropes to the floor. Before then you could tell they have good chemistry together, and given a long term feud could have some excellent PPV matches. After the match, Punk challenged Edge to come back to the ring, but Edge stalled for time long enough for Umaga to come out and attack Punk, including laying him out with the Samoan Spike, which he didn’t use last week. That’s good news, it’s a deadly heelish finisher strike that people buy into as a killer move. Later in the show, when running down the Judgement Day card, it was confirmed that Punk v. Umaga has been added to that show, a show that really looks like it’s the SmackDown side carrying things because who could possibly give a fuck about Orton v. Dave?

Cryme Tyme are out for some PG rated gangsta-talk and an arm wrestling contest between Eve and Layla. Eve wins, then Layla takes her out with a neckbreaker.

Dolph Ziggler is then in the ring to announce an open challenge, and just as I’m thinking that any open challenge made by a midcard heel is always answered by Kane in one of those unwritten rules of wrestling, The Great Khali’s music hits. I guess that works too. Then the match goes a totally unexpected route as Ziggler is able to avoid Khali’s big hits, and when Khali gets tied in the ropes (not really, that’s being incredibly generous but that was the intention) Ziggler takes him down with several chairshots. OK he took a DQ loss, but he will definitely have people talking about him and it certainly made me take notice.

The main event is Chris Jericho v. Jeff Hardy, where Jericho gets added to the Judgement Day main event if he wins, and World Champion Edge is on commentary. They have a really good long match, playing off each other really well for a dramatic main event with several great nerfalls on both sides, the kind of match that you wouldn’t feel short-changed by if it was 2nd or 3rd from the top on PPV. Edge is supporting Hardy on commentary, stating that he knows he can beat Jeff one-on-one and doesn’t want a repeat of Armageddon where Hardy won the title by pinning Edge in a triple threat, and it definitely, much like last week, made me want a Jericho/Edge heel v. heel feud at some point down the road. Rey Mysterio also came out at some point, and got involved at the finish as Jericho tried to do the old Ric Flair pin with his feet on the ropes, but Rey informed the ref. Jericho shouted at Rey to stay out of his business, and turned around to be hit by the Twist Of Fate and Swanton for Hardy to get the win. Hardy confronted Edge afterwards, who backed away up the ramp and backstage, then the show ended with Rey attacking Jericho in the ring, laying him out with the seated senton.

Another good, wrestling heavy show here. I’m very happy with the new SmackDown.

Mark Bright
mark@ifight365.com