411’s WWE Smackdown! Report 04.03.09

Welcome to 411’s Weekly Smackdown! Report. I am JP Truss your play-by-play man for Smackdown! Let’s get right to the action!

J.R. and Tazz are coming to you from Dallas, Texas!

Gail Kim and Maria and vs. Maryse and Michelle McCool

Yes! Now this is how you start a show! Maryse enters the ring as J.R. and Tazz pimp the Miss Wrestlemania match at…yes…Wrestlemania.

The others enter and we start it off with Michelle and Maria and a collar elbow tie-up. They quickly break and Michelle takes Maria down with a big tackle. Michelle goes for the power game very early on here and tries a cheap shot on Gail Kim but Kim ducks under it. Michelle turns and walks straight into a high kick from Maria. It’s good for a two count.

Maria goes on the attack with stiff rights and a kick to the jaw. Maryse tries to run interference but gets a shot for her trouble; however Michelle takes the opportunity and lays out Maria with a big boot. The ladies set Maria up in their corner and use frequent tags to beat her down. Maryse comes in hangs Maria in the Tree of Woe and tags in Michelle who nails Maria with a low dropkick. No pin attempt as Michelle allows Maria to try and get to her feet before forcing her back into the corner. Michelle tags in Maryse who knocks down Maria and puts her into the Camel Clutch. However, Maria breaks out of it and tags in Gail Kim!

Gail Kim is on fire in the ring and takes it to the Divas Champion with a huge running forearm into the corner. Maryse reverse whips Gail into the corner but Gail counters with a springboard cross body! Gail knocks Michelle off the apron and hits Maryse with an arm pull/boot to the face (I’ll have to figure out the name for that one) and hits the Straight Jacket Neck breaker! Gail pins Maryse and gets the three!

Winner: Gail Kim and Maria (Pinfall via Straight Jacket Neck breaker) *3/4 Quick and to the point. Gail Kim looks like she didn’t miss a beat in her transition from TNA to the WWE. In the end, the fact that Gail pinned Maryse will most likely come into play after Wrestlemania and a program between the two.

Eve is backstage with MVP to talk about the US Championship match tonight. She ask who’s going to go the Wrestlemania United States Champion and MVP replies that it’s all about he three part deal. 1st; beat Shelton Benjamin. 2nd; Win the Money in the Bank. 3rd; Become a World Champion.

Shelton breaks in and tells MVP that he makes it sound easy. Tonight, MVP has to fight a man with a chip on his shoulder and that he will get back what he never lost. That sounds like fighting words to me.

We go to Todd Grisham and Jerry Lawler in Houston and Wrestlemania Axxess. Honestly, the event does looks very interesting and allowing Grisham and Lawler to carry most of the rain water of tonight’s hard sell allows Smackdown to tie up any loose ends. So, it all seems good so far.

Brother vs. Brother Promo

We go to a video package of Matt and Jeff Hardy’s feud. Again, this has been a highlight of the Road to Wrestlemania and both brothers have step up their respective games tremendously. As far as I’m concerned this is the dark horse of Wrestlemania that we’ll most likely be talking about when it’s all said and done.

World Heavyweight Championship Match Promo

After the commercials we’re back at Wrestlemania Axxess and the kids seem like they’re having a great time. Grisham and Lawler turn their attention to the World Heavyweight Championship match. Granted there has been some ridiculousness to this angle that we could’ve gone without, but it has been reasonably entertaining and it gave us a handful of strong main events going into the big show from Cena, Show, and Edge. The match may be a toss up but overall, not the worst work the E’s ever done.

Edge has a message for John Cena after this commercial break!

Okay my power just went out….are you kidding me?!

EDIT: LARRY IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!

WWE US TITLE MATCH: MVP © vs. Shelton Benjamin

Benjamin on the attack at the bell with boots and clubbing blows to the back of MVP. Off the ropes and MVP back with the flying forearm, takes Benjamin to the corner, but Benjamin takes out the knee and then POWER BOMBS MVP into the corner, and gets the cover for 2. To the floor they go and Benjamin whips MVP to the steps. Breaks the count, back out and rolls MVP back in and covers for 2. Benjamin continues to work the back as he has MVP in the ropes and then drops a big knee. Chinlock by Benjamin, with the knee in the middle of the back for some added pressure. MVP comes back with rights, off the ropes and walks into a TBONE by Benjamin, who covers for 2. Tazz appreciated that. Benjamin with the rear mount and into the modified camel clutch to HUMBLE young MVP. Benjamin breaks, drops down and then reapplies the hold. MVP manages to get to his feet and then drops down with the electric chair. Both struggle to their feet, jawbreaker by Benjamin and then the Stinger Splash MISSES! Back elbow by Benjamin, but he runs into an overhead belly-to-belly throw and MVP covers for 2. Rights by MVP, off the ropes and clotheslines to Benjamin. A powerslam follows, but Benjamin back and MVP cuts him off and gets the knee buster. Off the ropes…BAAALLLLIN elbow drop! 1…2…NO! Benjamin connects with the reverse kick, covers and only manages 2. Benjamin shoots MVP to the ropes, MVP holds on, Benjamin to the apron and then up top for the BLOCKBUSTER~! 1…2…NO! A whip, reversal and float over by Benjamin….YAKUZA by MVP! Playmaker and that is all.

Good match for the time given, they have good chemistry.

Winner: MVP @ 7:00 via pin **½

EDIT: EXIT LARRY !

The power’s back on (too little too late) and Grisham and Lawler gives us a hard sell of the Wrestlemania card and also plugs a replay of the return of Vince and Shane McMahon from Monday’s Raw when we come back!

WWE Championship Match Promo

We’re back and we get a promo going over the rivalry between Triple H and Randy Orton. Okay, if we put cards on the table I think we can all agree that this is one of the more underrated matches going into Sunday’s show. When this angle started I couldn’t have been happier with it. It was a fresh approach that combined the past of both Orton and HHH with this new familial spin. However, a few directional missteps nearly crushed the entire deal. As I’ve stated this is something I believe best left in the ring and it’s in the ring where it all really came together. The attack on Stephanie by Orton and the return of Vince and Shane helped solidify this one in the last moments. Plus you know and I know Orton and HHH can deliver in the ring so while the build-up may have been underwhelming the match it should pay dividends.

The promo is also very well done, which we all should have expected. Now, to the less impressive commercials!

We’re back and we get a promo profiling Wrestlemania 14. This was definitely one of the greatest, if only because someone took out Pete Rose. Oh and some guy named Mike Tyson was there too.

Hall of Fame Promo

We’re back at Wrestlemania Axxess and while promoting the match between the Legends and Chris Jericho Lawler points out that Mickey Rourke will be at ringside. That’s fine with me and should keep things entertaining if nothing else. Now, if we could only get some of those Academy Awards judges at ringside…at least in chair shot range.

Sorry…that’s probably just sour grapes from The Dark Knight getting snubbed. It takes awhile to get over theses sorts of things I hear.

We get another promo of Stone Cold’s Hall of Fame induction that will happen live on the USA Network and he’ll be inducted by none other than Vince McMahon himself. Some may have a problem with it, but I feel it’s perfect. After all, the rivalry between these two virtually recreated World Wrestling Entertainment so it only makes sense for McMahon to somehow be involved. Of course, there is the fact that McMahon rarely gets involved in these sorts of events. In fact, it was Shane McMahon that inducted Vince, Sr. into the Hall of Fame. So everything works out.

Icon (HBK) vs. Icon (Undertaker) Promo

Well not so much of a promo as it is a replay, at least for the first part. A replay shows from Monday night and the ‘funeral’ and on a short personal note, I was watching Raw on Monday and screaming that Shawn was in the casket. When Undertaker opened the lid and Michaels wasn’t in there, I almost kicked my desk out.

Anyway, that brings us to what will in all likely hood the Match of the Night. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels has, hands down, the best build-up and a terrific story with two of the greatest performers in the history of wrestling period. This match is worth every penny Vinnie Mac is asking for and hands down will be the match that shapes this year’s Wrestlemania. I’m looking forward to it and I know I’m not the only one.

Jeff Hardy vs. Ezekiel “The Green Mile” Jackson w/The Brian Kendrick

Okay, that does it. Someone needs to talk to Jeff about his face paint. Seriously, now he looks like freaking Kung Fu Panda! Come on man!

The bell rings and Jeff tries to get the early upper hand but Jackson stops him with a knee to the gut. A big slam by Jackson leads to an elbow, but Jeff gets out of the way. Jeff takes control of the match and takes Jackson down in the nearby corner. Jeff hits the swinging low dropkick to Jackson. Jackson gets to his feet and Jeff charges right into a huge clothesline from Ezekiel Jackson.

Jackson is now firmly in control and gets Jeff into a side bear hug. Jeff tires to get away but Jackson will not break the hold. Slowly Jeff drops to a knee and wilts to the mat with Jackson grinding in the hold. The crowd’s chants do not bring him awhile until TBK starts taunting him. Jeff gets to his feet and Jackson is forced to break the hold in order to knock Jeff down. Jackson whips Jeff into the corner and Jeff reverses it into a Whisper in the Wind! Jackson tries to get to his feet but Jeff clotheslines him over the top! Big cross body onto TBK and TGM! Jeff is on a roll!

Jeff disposes of TBK until Jackson sends him back into the ring. Jackson tries to slide in but Jeff meets him with a running low dropkick but the big man gets up. Jeff hits Jackson with a DDT but the big man STILL gets up! Big Twist of Fate by Jeff! Jackson is down! Jeff goes to the top and hits the Swanton Bomb! Jeff Hardy gets the three count!

Winner: Jeff Hardy (Pinfall via Swanton Bomb) ** A decent enough match to give

Jeff celebrates as Smackdown closes.

Final Thoughts : Anyone expecting a wrestling show tonight probably was disappointed. The goal was obvious; sell Wrestlemania. That goal was accomplished by using live shots from Wrestlemania Axxess. This approach is reasonably new but I wouldn’t be surprised if the WWE didn’t use it more often. Since Axxess doesn’t get a lot of air time, this helps promotes the event that looks very well put together. The in ring action wasn’t bad but it was far from the focus of the show and anyone could tell. I apologize for the lack of a review for the US Championship match. That will be uploaded later this wekend once I’ve seen it. In the end this was a clip show that did not try to be anything other than a clip show. It did its job and that’s all it will really be remembered for so if you didn’t see it, you didn’t really miss out.

I’d be remiss if I closed this article without mentioning the sudden departure of Smackdown’s Color Commentator Tazz. According to reports, he and the WWE are still on good terms and he is taking a much deserved break. Tazz has my respect not only as a wrestler but as an all-around professional; because when he couldn’t go in the ring anymore he was willing to step aside and reinvented himself. Not necessarily because e had to but because he wanted to. There are many, many, wrestlers with various injuries and aliments still pushing themselves towards the breaking point. Tazz is an example of what should be the rule and not the exception for this business. I hope Tazz enjoys his time away from ringside, like I said before he has deserved whatever time he needs.

Don’t forget Tuesday’s is the Worst Wrestler of the Week and to keep up with all of the updates not only from me but from the site, make 411 Mania your homepage and Bookmark it to receive instant notice of news and commentary from the best professional wrestling resources in the USA. Until next week, JP is DONE SON.