411’s WWE Smackdown Report 05.22.09

Welcome to 411’s Weekly Smackdown! Report. I am JP Truss your play-by-play man for Smackdown! . J.R. and Todd Grisham are coming to you from Cincinnati, Ohio!

Edge Speaks!

Edge is out and there is no way to pretend this is a mixed reaction. The fans are dumping all over the guy tonight.

Edge dismisses all doubt on who the face of Smackdown; telling the other superstars that he does not want any of them to come out and claim his spot because Judgment Day is over and he is still World Heavyweight Champion. Edge points out that Jericho lost to Mysterio, Punk lost to Umaga, and he embarrassed Jeff Hardy to retain the World Championship. A ‘Hardy’ chant starts and Edge declares Jeff Hardy isn’t in his league. Edge says Jeff is just like all of the people in the audience, who chant his name, who believes in him; a LOSER.

Well hold on Edge; because the GM of Smackdown has something to say about that. Long enters the ring and tells the Champ that he witnessed an atrocity. Long says he believes the referee’s decision is always final, but as the General Manager Long cannot deny that Matt Hardy illegally interfered in the match. So, at Extreme Rules Jeff Hardy will get a rematch! Edge is outraged, telling Long that he’s always making excuses for Jeff. The bottom line is that Jeff ran up against someone who was more determined than him. See, according to Edge he went deep into the vault of moves he has learned and took Jeff down with a Edgecution from the top rope. That is how Jeff lost and why he is not World Championship material. Edge ends with ‘Jeff is a failure’ and that brings out the man himself.

Jeff is looking a little worse for wear tonight but the fans seem just happy to see him. Jeff, however, tells Edge that he is right. That he is a loser, a failure, a let down, etc. etc. But, above and beyond all of that Jeff Hardy is a competitor. Jeff says he also knows that at Extreme Rules are all gimmick matches. SO, Jeff proposes that they have a match tonight and the winner decides the stipulations. Edge is outraged! Edge tells Long to tell Jeff that he can’t make matches. Jeff points out that Long said last week that the show belongs to the fans; so Jeff heads to the crowd to find out what they want to see. Of course, everyone wants to see the match. Edge is about to throw a temper tantrum and Long makes the match: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy tonight and the winner makes the stipulations for Extreme Rules.

Six Man Tag
John Morrison and Cryme Tyme vs. Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, and Ricky Ortiz

Sooo Ricky Ortiz is a heel now? Can we get some clarification on that one? The pop for Morrison is ridiculous. JR often promotes the guy and I think he’s made the right call. And hey! Cryme Tyme is actually wrestling tonight! This could be interesting.

Anyway we start this one off with Benjamin and Morrison. They measures each other for a moment before Benjamin has second thoughts and tags in Ortiz. Morrison and Ortiz tie up and Ortiz takes control with a knee to the gut. Ortiz hits a head butt that knocks Morrison to the corner. Ortiz takes his time throwing forearms and mocking Morrison’s entrance. Ortiz whips Morrison to the corner and Morrison leap frogs over Ortiz and hits a deep arm drag. Morrison holds onto Ortiz’s arm and tags in Shad Gaspard. Shad goes after the arm as well and nails a big shoulder block to it. Ortiz fights back and breaks the hold but Shad meets him with a huge running elbow. Shad follows it up with a big back body drop and scoop slam before tagging in JTG. Cryme Tyme hits the tandem splash and Morrison gets a tag as well. Morrison hits the break dancing leg drop on Ortiz and goes for a pin but gets a quick count. Morrison tags in JTG who leaps over the top and gets Ortiz with a Sunset Flip and gets a quick count.

Both men are up quickly and Ortiz stops him with a stiff head butt. Ortiz forces JTG into the far corner and tags in Charlie Haas. JR gives a shout out to Seton Hall as Haas hurls JTG to the outside. JTG seems annoyed with that and heads back in, drop kicking Haas through the ropes! Shad and Morrison come in to attack the far corner, but Ortiz and Benjamin escape to the floor! Commercial break!

We are back and clearly the tables have turned. JTG is down in the ring and Benjamin is putting the boots to him. Benjamin looks to go for a hammerlock slam but switches it into a modified shoulder breaker; nicely done. We get a recap of how JTG got on the bad end of this one. As it turns out he got distracted. Benjamin stays focused on the arm of JTG and tags in Charlie Haas and pulls JTG into a arm bar. Good strategy by Haas. JTG is back on his feet and tries to fight his way out of it but Haas gets a handful of dreadlocks and takes JTG down. Haas pulls JTG back to his corner and tags in Ortiz, who also goes after that weakened shoulder. A big knee drop to the shoulder leads to a twisting hammerlock into a front power slam. Ortiz goes for a cover and gets a near fall. Ortiz nails some hammer blows to the shoulder before getting in a arm bar but again JTG gets to his feet. JTG tries again to fight out of it but cannot follow up fast enough. Ortiz forces him into the corner and tags in Benjamin.

Benjamin measures the weakened JTG and forces him into another corner, throwing a few punches before JTG begins to fight back. JTG gets the better of the situation and forces Benjamin closer to JTG’s corner. JTG goes for a tag but Benjamin blocks him with a single leg take down. Benjamin keeps a hold of the leg and pulls JTG from his corner and back toward his own. Now Benjamin goes to his corner and goes for a tag but JTG gets to his feet and kicks him off. Benjamin tags in Haas who tries to chase down JTG just as JTG goes for a tag. Haas goes on the attack as Morrison asks the referee if the tag counted and it does! Morrison is the legal man!

Morrison comes in with a clothesline! Back flip dropkick! Big calf kick on Haas! Morrison is on fire!Morrison backs up and nails a big running knee on the sitting Haas. Morrison goes for the pin and it gets broken up by Ortiz and Benjamin. Shad Gaspard comes in and is blocked with a kick from Benjamin. Benjamin and Ortiz double whip Shad and go for a double clothesline but Shad runs straight through it. Shad goes for a double clothesline of his own and hits Ricky Ortiz! JTG takes Benjamin to the outside! We’re down to Haas and Morrison!

Haas is up and goes for a German Suplex but Morrison flips onto his feet! Haas cannot believe it! Morrison sling shoots Haas off the top rope. Morrison heads up the corner and hits Starship Pain! ….WHAT?! Split-Legged Corkscrew Moonsault made more sense than that. Anyway, Morrison gets the pin and the three.

Winners: John Morrison and Cryme Tyme (Pinfall via …Fine: Starship Pain) **3/4 Certainly nothing wrong with this match although Cryme Tyme seemed to have a bit of a slow start. The team has always had potential and hopefully they’ll have some time now to work on their skill set. A fine opening match for the show.

Josh Matthews is in the back with the Women’s Champion Melina. Matthews asks her thoughts about the #1 Contenders match tonight between Michelle McCool and Gail Kim and Melina says that she’s a competitor and she wants to show she is the most dominant Diva in WWE history. She did it on Raw and she wants to do it again on Smackdown. Before Matthews can follow up Alicia Fox enters and completely blocks him out with her hair alone. Alicia tells Melina that Michelle want her to tell Melina that the Women’s Championship will soon be hers. Then Melina tells Alicia to tell Michelle not to send a little girl to do a woman’s job and Alicia gets a bitch slap for her trouble.

Did You Know? – Smackdown is watched a lot. There you go.

We get a package highlighting the media war between the WWE and Denver Nuggets owners. Here’s the bottom line; the owners of the stadium wanted a backup plan just in case their team lost. However, the team hasn’t lost and they need a stadium to play in and no need for a backup plan. However, once a deal is signed you just can’t sweep the other side under the rug, especially considering the attraction the WWE plus the level of production involved. In the end it was just bad business by Kroenke and rightfully the WWE is now burying them in what they’ve done. If the Nuggets don’t win Game 4 it will be a long time before management lives this one down.

#1 Contenders Match for the Women’s Championship
Michelle McCool w/ Alicia Fox vs. Gail Kim

Alright this should be a pretty good match up here. We start it off with a collar elbow tie-up and Michelle muscles Gail into the corner. Michelle pie faces Gail, who responds with a shove. Gail charges into a knee from Michelle who backs Gail to the ropes and goes for an Irish Whip but Gail counters with an attempted crucifix but Michelle holds onto her. Michelle tries to toss her off but Gail counters with a arm drag.

Michelle heads out of the ring to get her breath back but Gail isn’t having it. Gail heads to the outside and gets a knee to the gut for her trouble. Michelle rams Gail’s knee into the ring post and Gail seems to have felt that one. Michelle hurls Gail back into the ring and goes for the pin but gets a quick count. Michelle now goes on the attack, hammering the knee of Gail Kim before going for a leg lock. Gail tries to kick out of it, finally getting Michelle to break it. Gail tries to get to the corner but Michelle beats her to it and ties Gail’s leg up in the ropes! The referee begins the count and Michelle breaks it up at 3. Michelle reminds the referee she has until five and it gives Gail some time to get in a forearm shot. Gail charges and locks Gail in the Flying Dragon (Head scissors/Arm bar Combo)! Uniquely yet excellently executed. Michelle struggles before dropping to her knees. Gail goes for a roll up but Michelle’s foot gets caught in the ropes and Gail is forced to break the hold. Gail tries to get up but Michelle strikes with a leg sweep. Michelle slides out of the ring and pulls Gail out, making her land on the weakened knee. Michelle slides back to break the referee’s count as Gail tries to pull herself up on the apron. Michelle pulls Gail up but Gail hits an arm breaker counter on Michelle.

Gail is back in and fired up. Gail goes on the attack with a series of forearms until Michelle fires back with a kick to the leg. Michelle charges into a kick from Gail Kim. Gail steps up and nails a heel kick to the back of Michelle’s head! Michelle is stunned and Gail hits a Straight Jacket Neck breaker. Gail goes for the lateral press and gets a near fall! Gail rolls to the apron and goes for the corner, but Alicia Fox distracts her. Gail disposes of her and heads to the top rope but Michelle blocks her with a big kick. Michelle pulls Gail out of the corner and hits the Styles Clash. Michelle gets the three!

Winner: Michelle McCool (Pinfall via Styles Clash) **3/4 This was certainly one of the better women’s match in recent WWE history with both Gail and Michelle showing why they’re at the top of the division. Months ago I said I had faith that the WWE females could overtake the weakening TNA Knockouts and I think at this point I can say ‘told you so’. I can see Gail versus the Women’s Champion sometime around Summerslam and by then we’ll be talking seriously about the group as a whole.

We head back to the broadcast table where JR and Todd Grisham have Rey Mysterio via satellite. JR asks how it feels to retain the Intercontinental Championship over Chris Jericho and Rey points out that Jericho is talented at wrestling as well as running his mouth. Rey says what made his victory so special was that he was able to hit the 619: the move Jericho said he wouldn’t allow in the match. He gets the fans to say ‘619’ along with him and promise to represent for the fans as he faces whoever his next challenger will be. He also wants to carry on the belt’s legacy and those who worn it, including many Latinos such as Pedro Morales, Tito Santana, and of course Eddie Guerrero. Rey says that one day he hopes to be considered one of the greatest of all time. JR tells him he’ll have the opportunity but wants Rey to tell the fans why he wrestles with a mask. Rey says he wears the mask…because you wouldn’t want to see him without it. Nice comeback. Rey says he was just joking and says that the mask has been a tradition for Mexican luchadores and in the Hispanic community for many generations. It is a way for him to pay homage to his heritage. Rey says that it took many years training with his uncle to earn that mask. Every time Rey steps into the ring he wears the mask with pride and honor and he will never take it over during competition. Because, for a luchadore, being unmasked is the biggest dishonor.

Besides, Rey points out, it looks cool.

But above all of that, without the mask Rey is not Rey Mysterio and that is damn true. Before JR can say thanks, the ‘Save Us’ pyro hits. Which can only mean one thing.

Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk

We get a recap of the incredible match-up between Punk and Jericho on WWE Superstars and I’m hoping this will top it.

The bell rings and the two competitors circle each other. We start with a few kicks from Punk, followed by a scoop slam and big kick to the chest. Punk goes for a quick pin and gets a quick count. Jericho heads for the corner and Punk follows, getting in a few punches before Jericho fires back. Jericho shoot s punk to the ropes and catches him a back elbow. Jericho mocks the fans ‘CM Punk’ chant as Punk pulls himself up on the apron. Jericho goes for springboard but Punk lowers to the top rope and sends Jericho flying to the floor.

Punk pulls up Jericho and slams him back first into ringside, twice, before sending him back into the ring. Punk goes for a pin but Jericho breaks out of it. Punk backs Jericho to the ropes and Jericho counters with a big punt. Jericho bounces off the ropes and Punk catches him, looking for Go To Sleep but Jericho elbows his way out of the move. Jericho fires back with a running forearm to the back of Punk’s head, which takes him down.

Now Jericho is on the attack, grounding Punk with punches. Jericho pulls Punk up and hits a big back suplex before going for a pin and gets a two count. Jericho looks in a modified sleeper and Punk struggles in the center of the ring. Punk gets to his feet and counters out of the move with an arm drag. Punk takes Jericho down with a low dropkick. Jericho hobbles to the corner and Punk meets him with stiff kicks to the chest. The referee forces him to break and Jericho drops to the mat. Punk whips Jericho to the ropes and flip him with a stiff knee to the midsection, kitchen sink style. Punk goes for a cover and gets a near fall. Jericho gets whipped to the corner and Punk charges, getting sent over the top rope but landing on his feet. Punk goes for the springboard clothesline but Jericho dropkicks the top rope, sending Punk off balance and crashing into the mat. Excellent counter, rarely used but something looking back is kind of obvious. Commercial break!

We are back as Punk goes for an Irish Whip but Jericho hangs onto the top rope, avoiding a dropkick from CM Punk. Jericho hits a low dropkick to the downed Punk and gets a near fall. Jericho backs I up and hits a leg drop and goes for a pin, getting another near fall. Jericho sends Punk to the corner and taunts Punk before whipping him to the opposite corner and hitting a big running clothesline. Jericho sets Punk onto the top rope, going for a superplex but Punk fights out of it and knocks Jericho to the mat. Punk stands and hits a flying cross body, but Jericho rolls through and gets a near fall! Jericho goes for a enzuguri and miss, letting Punk attempt a la magistral pin! Haven’t seen that in a while! Near fall for Punk!

Punk blocks Jericho with a spinning mule kick, following it up with a standing calf kick. Jericho is reeling and Punk charges in, getting smashed with the double boots. Jericho goes for the pin and gets a two count. Jericho keeps Punk down with arrogant kicks to the head before sending Punk to the corner. Jericho goes for the bulldog but Punk reverses it and sends Jericho chest/crotch first into the corner! Punk backs up and nails the running knee lift to Jericho’s back! Punk is calling for the GTS! This is going to be it! Punk gets Jericho up but again Jericho backs out of it. Jericho bounces off the ropes but Punk catches him with a Tilt-A-Whirl into another GTS! Jericho fights out of it again and goes for the Walls of Jericho but Punk counters with an inside cradle! Punk gets a two but Jericho breaks out of it and goes for the Walls of Jericho again! Jericho locks it! Jericho locks it in the center of the ring! Punk is clawing at the mat, crawling to the bottom rope and finally making it. Jericho is forced to break the hold!

Jericho backs it up again and charges right into the GTS! Jericho is sent reeling out of the ring just as Umaga appears! YOUUUUUMAGA! And he has a leather strap! Umaga attacks with the strap and the referee calls for the bell!

Winner: CM Punk (Victory via Umaga-ference) *** Okay I will say in advance that this rating may be because I’m putting this match up against their match on Superstars. This was a great match between top Smackdown competitors however and both men deserves plenty of credit. And as long as they keep it at this level, they can face each other a thousand times and I won’t complain at all.

Umage hits the big thrust kick on Punk, followed by setting him in the corner and uses the strap to tie him into place. Umaga then goes on the attack, relentlessly attacking the head of CM Punk before hitting the Samoan Spike. Umaga heads out of the ring and takes the microphone from Justin Roberts. Is he going to speak? Umaga can talk?!

“You think you’re hurt now? Wait till Extreme Rules!”

Yes! Umage can talk! Maybe that’s why it took him so long to get back in the ring: repeating English 101? Umaga challenges Punk to a Samoan Strap Match before whipping him with the longer part of the strap for good measure.

JR and Todd Grisham pimp Raw’s main event before we head to commercials!

Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth

Yes folks it is Dolph Ziggler and he is less annoying than R-Truth’s entrance. I have spoken.

We start it off with a collar elbow tie-up and Dolph takes control quickly with a big shoulder tackle. Dolph hits the ropes and Truth answers back with a big arm drag. Truth goes for a punch but Dolph answers back with a flapjack on the top rope. Dolph Niggler goes on the attack, kicking Truth on the back on the head before hitting the big take down. Dolph goes for the pin and gets a quick count. Dolph goes for a modified camel clutch and Truth quickly is own his feet and breaks out of the hold but Dolph blocks him with a kick to the midsection. Truth gets whipped to the corner and Dolph charges but Truth steps out of the way. Truth nails Dolph with a big right, followed by a back elbow. Huge twisting calf kick stuns Dolph. Dolph fires back with a punt and charges right into a pressing flapjack from R Truth. Truth backs up and hits Ziggler with a huge Bicycle Kick and gets a near fall. Truth heads to the top rope and Ziggler forces him down the hard way. Dolph hits the Jumping Russing Leg Sweep, which I propose he calls the ‘Greetings from Dolph’. It’s good enough for the pin and the victory.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler (Pinfall via Greetings from Dolph) *3/4 Alright this match was the one weak spot in the night. It wasn’t terrible by any means; just weak. Both Ziggler and Truth have the capacity to deliver a solid match but this just felt out of place. Maybe it was just because of the time given or the awkward finish but I’m giving this one a pass for now and hope for something more concrete down the road.

Dolph Ziggler celebrates right before The Great Khali’s music hits. Dolph is backed down the ramp by Khali and he goes to the ring to escape, only to get nailed with a spinning elbow shot from R-Truth. Khali steps into the ring and Ziggler comes to in time to leave the ring and make his escape through the crowd.

We get a recap from the furious (???) rivalry between Layla and Eve. I guess this means it’s about to come to ahead! That’s right folks, next week it will be Layla vs. Eve in the ring!

Edge Tries to Reason with Long

We cut to the back where Edge is talking to Theodore R. Long. Edge warns that the match tonight will lead to the obliteration of Jeff Hardy as we know it and it’ll be on Long’s head. Edge prepares to leave as Jericho enters and Edge insist Jericho calls him ‘Champ’ as well as the Face of Smackdown. Jericho mutters, ‘not for long’. Long asks what Jericho wants to complain about but Jericho says he’s in the back to make an observation. Jericho says that he hear Mysterio talk about pride and honor but he is really a coward hiding behind a mask. Jericho demands a rematch at Extreme Rules. Long says Mysterio was already there and requested a No Holds Barred match against Jericho. That puts a smile on Jericho’s face and he leaves without another word.

Jeff Hardy vs. World Heavyweight Champion Edge

This should be a good one. The crowd is white hot for this too. The bell has rung as this one is under way!

Edge starts it off by forcing Jeff into the corner. Edge goes for a pun but Jeff counters with a roll up but Edge breaks out of it quickly. Both seem to still be testing each other out. They tie up and Edge gets in a side headlock but Jeff switches it into a roll up and gets a one count. Edge seems a bit more concerned now and a Hardy chant starts up. Edge goes for a kick to the midsection and tries a scoop slam but is countered again with another roll up! Edge escapes and vents on the outside. Jeff tries to pull Edge back in but Edge pulls his feet out from under him. Edge gets back in the ring and goes for an elbow drop but Jeff gets out of the way. Jeff gets in a side headlock and brings Edge down, keeping the hold. Edge tries to get in a headlock of his own but Jeff keeps it on. Edge gets to his feet and goes for a back suplex but Jeff maintains the hold and counters with a take down.

Jeff works the hold as Edge again gets to his feet, breaking out of the hold with shots to the back of the leg. Edge nails a perfect punch right to the temple of Jeff Hardy which nearly takes him completely off his feet. Clearly his head is still giving him trouble. Edge goes for an Irish Whip but Jeff reverses it, sending Edge sternum first into the corner. Jeff follows up with a clothesline to the back of the head before slamming Edge face-first into the top turnbuckle. Edge slumps down and Jeff hits the slingshot dropkick straight into the chest of Edge but Jeff lands on his head in the follow through. Jeff staggers off as Edge watches and waits before nailing the running big boot. Jeff is down! Commercial break!

We are back and Edge has gone ballistic with knee shots to the temple of Jeff Hardy. Edge is feeling pretty good with himself right now. Edge heads to the outside and sets Jeff up on the apron before hitting another kick directly to the side of Jeff’s head. Jeff twists and collapses to the mat as Edge arrogantly steps back into the ring. Edge takes in the reaction in favor of Jeff Hardy before going out and rolling Jeff back inside. Edge goes for the pin and gets a near fall. Edge gets back to his feet and pulls up Jeff, hurling him head first to the corner. Edge whips him across and charges but Jeff catches him with a back elbow! Edge backs up and tries again but Jeff gets both boots up! Whisper in the Wind! Where did that come from?! Jeff connects but can’t follow up. Finally he gets the pin but only gets a two count.

Both men are back on their feet and Jeff takes down Edge with a flying forearm. Make that two forearms. Jeff goes for the pin and gets a two count. Jeff nails Edge with the front suplex and he is ready! He can feel it! He’s going to the top rope but Edge rolls to the far side of the ring. Jeff has no choice but to come back to the mat and ducks under a punch from Edge, hitting an inverted atomic drop. Jeff goes for the double leg but Edge blocks it. Edge goes for a pin and gets a near fall.

The Hardy chants start again as Edge pulls Jeff up and brings him down with a neck breaker. Edge pulls himself up and goes on the attack, targeting Jeff’s head once again. Edge heads to the second rope and measure Jeff as he climbs to his feet. Edge leaps from the top but Jeff counters with a huge dropkick!Jeff is up and hits a baseball slide that sends Edge to the outside. Jeff slings over the top and hits a huge cross body on the Champion. The momentum is swinging over as Jeff sends Edge into the ring. Jeff slams Edge and heads to the middle rope, hitting a big leg drop. Jeff goes for the pin and gets the near fall. Jeff waits for Edge to stand and goes for the Twist of Fate but Edge fights out of it. Edge steps back and goes for a Spear but Jeff with a perfect Sunset Flip! Jeff gets the near fall!

Jeff again goes for a Twist of Fate but Edge counters it with a backslide pin, getting a near fall. Edge has had enough and set Jeff up for the Edgecution but Jeff blocks and counters with the Twist of Fate! This is it! Jeff crawls to the apron and slowly makes his way to the top but Edge blocks him with a big right. Edge heads up and he’s thinking Top Rope Edgecution but Jeff blocks and knocks Edge back to the mat! Swanton Bomb! BY GAWD Jeff Wins!

Winner: Jeff Hardy (Pinfall via Swanton Bomb) **** You know I and other writers on this site have talked about the endless potential of Smackdown at in the last two days, for any doubters (if any are left) we saw it with two fantastic matches. First was Punk vs. Jericho on Superstars and now tonight Edge and Jeff literally brought the house down. This had everything a wrestling fan could ask for: drama, psychology, and hold for hold, blow for blow throwback wrestling. The fan in me may have tacked on an extra star but as far as I’m concerned this is MOTY material and may have been the last step Smackdown needed to reach the top of the mountain.

THE Todd Grisham is in the ring and wants to know what the stipulations will be for Extreme Rules. Jeff declares that it will be a LADDER MATCH! And that is the exact match it should be for these two! Edge looks on in absolute shock as Jeff stands tall in the ring as this edition of Smackdown closes.

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