WWE SummerSlam! – August 17, 2008
Get ready for the hardest-hitting, most explosive blockbuster of the summer, starring John Cena, Triple H, Batista, The Undertaker, and more! Check WWE.com for more information.




Friday Night Smackdown!
Fridays 8/7 ET
Hershey, Pennsylvania

Tonight, as Edge prepares to face a returning Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell Match at SummerSlam, the Rated R Superstar will have a mystery guest on “The Cutting Edge.” As Edge plans for his first ever HIAC Match, who will his special guest be? Let’s find out…



SmackDown! video package rolls and fireworks go off as JR and Foley introduce us to another edition of Friday Night SmackDown!

JR informs us that their will be a special guest in Edge’s Cutting Edge segment later on tonight.

“No More Words” hits and yes Jeff Hardy makes his way out to a huge ovation. During his entrance, we are told that Jeff will take on Edge at tomorrow night’s Saturday Night’s Main Event. Jeff grabs a chair and sits at ringside in front of the announcer’s table.

Jimmy Wang Yang is apparently already in the ring.

MVP comes out and will be Yang’s opponent. But before the match starts, MVP grabs a mic and tells Jeff that he is happy he is out here. MVP tells Jeff that last week he tried to enlighten and open Jeff’s eyes to the risky and reckless behavior that he has. As a result, he tells Jeff that he will never be a WWE Champion. MVP then tells the ref to start the match.

Match 1: Jimmy Wang Yang v. MVP
MVP gets on the offensive from the start as he knees Yang in the gut several times. When Yang tries to build momentum, MVP reverses an irish whip into a flapjack and proceeds to kick Yang numerous times. As the match progresses, MVP tries to snapmare Yang, but Yang lands on his feet and shocks MVP with kicks of his own. Yang then sends MVP to the corner and rams his feet into MVP’s face. Yang then climbs the turnbuckle and leaps off. MVP however reverses this into a gutbuster. MVP then connects with his signature kick to the head and this bout is already over.

Post-Match: MVP begins to celebrate as Jeff Hardy grabs a mic and enters the ring. Jeff says that if MVP ever gets personal and mentions things regarding his house, the fire, or his dog, he will show MVP just what kind of a man he is. MVP then tries a blind side attack on Jeff, but Jeff reverses it into a Twist of Fate. Jeff tells MVP that he makes him sick and kicks him once more before he finally leaves the ring.

(Match/Segment Rating: 2.5/5. The MVP/Jeff altercation really saved this match. The match was basically a total squash, but things did get interesting when Jeff layed out MVP. A possible bout between the two at SummerSlam won’t be bad.)

JR and Foley then informs everyone that Jeff is scheduled to take on the Great Khali later on tonight.

-Commercial-

Back, we see Chavo rolling Vickie into her office telling her that he will find out who Edge’s guest will be in the Cutting Edge. As they are about to enter the office, they see Alicia Fox talking to a woman. Vickie looks disgusted. Alicia walks off as Bam comes and tells Vickie that her room is ready.

Mr. Kennedy’s music hits and he makes his way down to the ring. He plays around with the crowd until his opponent, Shelton Benjamin, makes his way out to the ring. This will be a non-title bout.

Match 2: Mr. Kennedy v. Shelton Benjamin
As the bell rings, Kennedy tries getting into the head of Benjamin by repeating his name. The two then lockup with Benjamin getting in a snapmare. They back off and then lockup once more, but this time Kennedy gets the upper hand as he gets in a wristlock. Kennedy then applies an armlock maneuver. Benjamin breaks the hold by striking Kennedy in the mouth with a right hand. Benjamin proceeds to get a powerslam and attempts to get the victory, but gets a 2 count instead. Benjamin then throws Kennedy in the corner and begins to pound on him. Moments later, Benjamin tries to irish whip Kennedy, but it is reversed into a half nelson from Kennedy. After getting a 2 count, Kennedy focuses on Benjamin’s left shoulder. Afterwards, a nice sequence of armdrags take place with Kennedy once again getting the better end of it. When Benjamin finally gets out of the hold, he tries to clothesline Kennedy, but is instead taken down by a roundhouse kick. Kennedy then tries to connect with his signature kick to the face maneuver, but is kicked in his patella beforehand. Benjamin then rams Kennedy’s shoulder into the steel post.

-Commercial-

We see Benjamin still in control as he has an armlock applied. As Kennedy tries getting out of it, he get’s knocked back down by a knee to his gut. Benjamin then proceeds to hit a shoulder breaker. Benjamin continues this pressure by locking in a arm scissors submission hold. Crowd gets behind Kennedy. Kennedy desperately tries getting out of the hold and finally does when he reverses the hold into a half Boston Crab. Benjamin however, makes it to the ropes. As Kennedy approaches Benjamin, he gets thrown to the outside. Benjamin follows and rams Kennedy’s shoulder into the apron. Benjamin then throws Kennedy back in the ring, but immediately gets taken off his feet when Kennedy strikes his leg. Kennedy then connects with a beautiful facebuster, but gets only a 2 count. Kennedy then sends Benjamin to the corner and charges at him, but receives and elbow to the face. Benjamin then jumps onto the top rope and connects with a nice crossbody. After another near fall, the two exchange numerous reversals until Kennedy finally kicks Benjamin in the chest and connects with the Mic. Check. 1-2-3, Kennedy wins. (Match Rating: 3.5/5. Holy Cow! This bout was a really solid wrestling match. Excellent reversals, momentum shifts, and unexpected maneuvers. I hope this victory puts Kennedy in line for a US Title Match in the near future as I would certainly like to see these two go at it again.)

Post-Match: Benjamin grabs his US Title and leaves the ring when he is approached by Eve. She asks him what happened in the ring tonight. He says that he shouldn’t make excuses since he is the Gold Standard, but in all honestly, he shouldn’t have been out here tonight as he is suffering from an acute bronchitis.

Backstage, we see Ryder and Hawkins listening to their personalized ring tone when Chavo approaches them and asks them who Edge’s guest will be later on tonight. They say they do not know and Chavo tells them that if they find out, let him know immediately.

JR and Foley plug the Jeff/Khali match for later on tonight.

-Commercial-

Brian Kendrick makes his way down to the ring with his body guard, Ezekiel. He gets on the mic and tells everyone that there has been no attitude change. He then tells everyone that he doesn’t care about the people and if they have a problem with that, they should take it up with Ezekiel.

Stevie Richards is introduced as Kendrick’s opponent.

Match 3: Brian Kendrick v. Stevie Richards
Right as the bell rings, Kendrick takes control of the match as he strikes Richards with numerous kicks. Kendrick covers, but gets a 2 count. Kendrick then applies a unique crossface maneuver and follows it up with a kick to the gut. Kendrick then locks in a Boston Crab and proceeds to kick Richards in the face. Richard finally begins to build momentum however when Kendrick misses a bodysplash attempt. Richards returns the favor with numerous kicks of his own. Kendrick then charges at Richards, but gets caught in a spinebuster. After a 2 count, Richards kicks Kendrick in the face and he lands on Ezekiel. Richards slides out of the ring and looks at Ezekiel. In the meantime, Kendrick rolls back into the ring. When Richards enters the ring again, he is distracted by Ezekiel. Kendrick chokes him on the ropes and connects with The Kendrick (Slice Bread No. 2) for the win.

Post-Match: Ezekiel enters the ring and applies a Torture Rack on Richards.

(Match/Segment Rating: 2 /5. Decent for what it was…a squash. I would actually like to see Ezekiel compete in the ring.)

Backstage, we see Edge entering the building.

-Commercial-

The Great Khali’s music hits and he makes his way down to the ring accompanied by Ranjin Singh. JR hypes up the big man and informs everyone that he has a 16 in. fist and an 84 in. chest and wears a size 6X shirt.

Jeff Hardy makes his way down to the ring to yet another huge ovation.

Match 4: The Great Khali v. Jeff Hardy (No-DQ Match)
The bell rings and Khali talks some trash. He proceeds to shove Jeff and Jeff responds with a shove of his own. Jeff then punches Khali and attempts several forearm shots, but Khali strikes the Rainbow Haired Warrior down with a massive clothesline. Khali then smashed Jeff’s head in the turnbuckle and continues to beat him down with an elbow shot to the head. Khali follows up these shots with two big bodyslams. Khali then slaps Jeff’s chest in the corner. Jeff finally starts fighting back as he kicks Khali and climbs the top rope. Khali quickly slaps Jeff in the chest again and Jeff falls out of the ring.

-Commercial-

Khali is still in control as we see Khali take Jeff down with a clothesline. We are shown a footage that during the break Khali ram Jeff into the steel steps. As a result, Jeff is bleeding from the shoulder. Khali then applies a nerve hold as the crowd gets behind Hardy. Jeff finally gets back to his feet and punches Khali. Out of frustration, Khali irish whips Hardy, but Jeff jumps off the ropes and successfully connects with a Whisper in the Wind and Khali is knocked out. Crowd goes absolutely crazy here. Jeff then connects with the Swanton Bomb. As he goes for the pin, MVP comes running down to the ring, but Jeff dropkicks him back down. Jeff then connects with a plancha over the ropes and lands on MVP. They fight outside until Khali gets back up and grabs Hardy by the head. Khali slaps Jeff on the chest once more and proceeds to lock in the Vice-Grip. Jeff is out as the referee calls for the bell.

(Match Rating: 3/5. A good showing by the two. This was one of Khali’s better matches. Like I said earlier, I would like to see this MVP/Jeff feud continue to a SummerSlam matchup.)

Post-Match: Once Khali left, MVP got in the ring and boasted.

JR and Foley then show us a clip of R-Truth

-Commercial-

Maria’s music hits and she has finally made her long awaited debut to SmackDown!

Her first opponent on the blue brand is none other than Victoria.

Match 5: Maria v. Victoria
Bell rings and Victoria takes Maria down with a face-lock takedown. Victoria then throws Maria out of the ring and follows. Maria runs back into the ring and so does Victoria. Maria sees the opportunity and dropkicks Victoria down. Maria then proceeds to connect with a headscissors takedown. Victoria, however regains the momentum when she catches Maria charging at her and puts her down with a powerslam. Victoria locks in a full nelson submission. Crowd cheers for Maria and she manages to finally break the hold when she ram Victoria back into the corner. After a few reversals, Maria kicks Victoria in the face and connects with a flying clothesline from the top rope for the win. (Match Rating: 2/5. It was good for a divas match. Could it have been better? Yes, as I believe these divas are capable of performing at a higher level.)

In the back, we see Edge and Alicia talking. Edge tells her that he has bought a ticket for Alicia so that she can sit in the crowd and watch the Cutting Edge later on tonight.

-Commercial-

JR and Foley hype the 21st annual SummerSlam on August 17, 2008.

“Well, it’s the Big Show!!”

The Big Show comes out with a huge smile on his face.

Domino is Show’s opponent.

Match 6: Big Show v. Domino
Right as the bell rings, Show grabs and slides Domino far out of the ring. Once Domino gets back into the ring, Show slams Domino’s head into the mat. Domino gets mad and throws his shirt at Show, but Show retaliates with a big boot. Show then slaps Domino in across the chest. Show then clotheslines Domino and picks him back up for a chokeslam. This match is already over.

Post-Match: The Big Show celebrates when all of a sudden Umaga’s music hits. He enters the ring and circles around the Big Show with no physical altercation taking place.

(Segment/Match Rating: 2/5. This was a complete squash. I would hope for the Big Show to have a match at SummerSlam (with Umaga) as I think he deserves to be in one of the biggest events of the year.)

Backstage, Chavo, Bam, and Vickie are in front of a television set. Chavo apologizes for not finding out who will be the Edge’s special guest in the Cutting Edge, which is next!

-Commercial-

The Hardcore Cutting Edge Segment!

Edge’s music plays and he makes his way down to the ring to a chord of boos.

We see a table, ladder, and a chair in the ring.

Edge takes a seat in the chair and speaks…

He says that all week he has been searching for inner peace. He says that his marriage is going through a rough patch. Moreover, he will be stepping inside Hell in a Cell against the Undertaker.

Crowd Chants for Undertaker.

Edge says that he has watched all of the footage. He says that he has seen the cruelty, the pain, the suffering, the Undertaker. He says that every time he closes his, he sees the Undertaker. BUT tonight, he says that he does see some of that inner peace, because he surrounded himself with his instruments of destruction. (TLC) He says that these are the things that helped him banish the Undertaker in the first place. He then says that he found the one person that can help him against the Undertaker. This person will help Edge not only survive, but thrive in Hell in a Cell. That person is someone that knows the Undertaker better than anyone else in WWE history. That person is his guest in the Cutting Edge tonight. That person is Mick Foley.

Edge then begs Foley to get in the ring. Crowd chants for Foley. Foley is hesitant at first, but gets in the ring.

Edge says that he realizes that he and Foley has had a lot of history, but he is a changed man. Edge says that despite what he and Foley have been through, there is something else that he sees in Foley that keeps on disturbing him. Edge then tells us that he has a footage to help Foley remember. It plays…

It was 10 years ago in 1998 that the WWE exploded into the Attitude Era. We see the Tyson/Austin fight, Sable, DX invading WCW, The Rock, and the one thing that will be remembered in the history of mankind: The infamous Hell in a Cell Match between Undertaker and Mankind aka Mick Foley. It shows Undertaker throwing Mankind off the top of the cell and through the announcers table as well as the Chokeslam that broke the roof of the Cell. And so the question remains to this very night…Will that one hellacious night be the undying legacy of the Hardcore Legend?

The video stops and we can hear the crowd chanting for Foley.

Edge tells Mick that that was 10 years ago and the people still have not forgotten about it. Edge says that he knows that Mick’s body feels like that match was yesterday. He says that everyday that Foley gets out of bed, Foley can feel that pain. And despite all that, Foley walked out on his own…

But Edge does mention that he remembered seeing Foley walk before that match and after that match. And he can’t walk properly because of it. Edge says that he can see that that eats away at Foley. He can see the fire in Foley’s eye. Edge then tells Foley that if he helps Edge, then Foley can exercise the demon of the Undertaker, that he can get rid of the Undertaker, and that perhaps all the pain may also wash away.

Foley finally speaks. He tells Edge that he brings up some very good points. After all, he never was the same. And there is part of him that really wants to help Edge, but he just can’t seem to do that because over the past few weeks, Edge has hurt Foley’s credibility. Foley then mentions that the one thing that keeps him still going is his words and his bond with the people. Foley then says that for many years, he believed Edge was the greatest superstar in WWE history and although that may not be a popular choice among the fans, they still think Edge sucks. Foley proceeds by saying that the people see an Edge week in and week out that likes to take shortcuts and willing to play the numbers game. But worst of all, they see an Edge that is willing to rely on his wife. And as a result, he won’t help Edge. BUT he does know the one person that can help Edge – Edge himself. Foley then tells Edge that he needs to look inside his heart, his soul, and his mind to find the Edge that made him once say that Edge was the greatest superstar in the WWE. That’s the same Edge that wouldn’t mind of seeing his flesh burn, because it reminded him of victory. Foley then says that just two years ago, Edge and Foley competed in the greatest hardcore match at WrestleMania 22 and that’s the Edge that has to be present at SummerSlam. Foley proceeded saying that if that were to be the case, then he and JR would have the pleasure of calling the greatest and violent matchup in WWE history. But if Undertaker steps into the ring with the ‘current’ Edge, then, as God as his witness, Undertaker will tear him apart. Foley then asks Edge if he understands…

Edge says that he understands and knocks Foley down and out of the ring with a microphone. Foley fights back and kicks Edge away. Foley grabs a steel chair from under the ring, but Edge kicks it into Foley’s face. Edge proceeds to spear Foley down and his head bounces off the steel steps. Edge then gets in the ring and sets up the table and ladder. Crowd begins to chant for Undertaker. Foley gets in the ring and applies the Mandible Claw, but is immediately low-blowed. Edge then hugs Foley and puts him onto the table. Edge then grabs a steel chair and climbs up the ladder. He murmurs the words, “I understand!” and leaps off the ladder and crashes onto Foley and breaks the table in the process.

Replays are shown and Edge appears to be favoring his right knee, hopefully nothing too severe occurred.

As the show comes to an end, JR tells the people that this was the Edge that Foley was referring to earlier on.

(Segment Rating: 5/5. This was perhaps the greatest segment I have seen this year. It was really an emotional one with Foley’s pep talks. He still can put on and put over interviews, and superstars. Hopefully we see this ‘Edge’ more often.)



Quick-Match Results:
-Match 1: MVP def. Jimmy Wang Yang
-Match 2: Mr. Kennedy def. Shelton Benjamin
-Match 3: Brian Kendrick def. Stevie Richards
-Match 4: The Great Khali def. Jeff Hardy
-Match 5: Maria def. Victoria
-Match 6: The Big Show def. Domino

Smack of the Night: Mr. Kennedy vs. Shelton Benjamin

Impact of the Night: Edge leaping off the Ladder and breaking Mick Foley through the Table.

Overall, tonight’s show a good one. I’m not going to be too harsh rating this week’s show, due to the absence of Triple H. For those that do not know, he was not able to appear on SmackDown! this week due to the birth of his second child. The Kennedy/Benjamin match was a really good one and the Jeff/MVP rivalry is looking good. I really enjoyed the last segment and I recommend you to actually see it online if you get the chance. It was one of those moments that you rarely here about these days. Final Rating: 7/10. (Worth a Watch. C+)

Be sure to catch WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event Tomorrow on NBC at 9/8 ET.



As promised from last week, I will share my opinions on what I think regarding the Internet Spoilers. It takes away the interest we would normally get on TV. I don’t like it at all when people say SmackDown! is boring based off of what they read from Internet Spoilers. I encourage people not to read the spoilers, but it’s really not up to what I say. To really sum it all up for you, I hate the Internet Spoilers.

Do you have any questions, concerns, or comments? If so, feel free to email me, MIK, at mik123@ymail.com





With just a few weeks before SummerSlam, will any new matches be announced? What will Foley have to say about Edge? How will the Triple H/Khali rivalry progress? Will the Undertaker return next week? Tune in next week to Friday Night SmackDown! to find out!