Friday Night SmackDown!
Friday 8/7 ET
Bridgeport, Connecticut


WWE’s “World is Watching” video package is shown.

Triple H is immediately shown making his way down to the ring when all of a sudden, Jeff Hardy attacks him from behind and the two begin a huge brawl. Chavo Guerrero and several referees try to pull the two guys apart, but get knocked down. Vickie then comes and tries to separate them, but gets knocked down when Triple H pushes referee Charles Robinson into her. Finally, after several minutes, the referee pull them apart.

(Segment Rating: 3.5/5. What a way to start off the show! This was indeed something different for the blue brand.)

-Commercial-

We get replays of what just occurred.

MVP is shown in the middle of the ring as JR and Tazz mention his terrible losing streak.

R-Truth makes his way through the crowd (with his Slammy Trophy) to a great ovation.

Match 1: MVP v. R-Truth
Bell rings and Truth boasts in front of MVP. The two attempt a lockup, but MVP takes a cheap shot and strikes with a knee to the gut of Truth. Truth fights back, but soon gets taken down with a nice overhead throw. MVP delivers several elbow shots and drops a knee to the spine of Truth and covers, but gets a 2 count. MVP applies a headlock, but he refuses to tap. Truth tries getting back up, but gets slammed down back into the mat. MVP then Irish Whip’s Truth into the ropes and connects with a back drop. MVP proceeds to lock in a Camel Clutch which Truth manages to get out of. Truth punches MVP a few times, but MVP grabs Truth and connects with an Oklahoma Slam. MVP then sends Truth to the corner and picks him up on top of his shoulders, but Truth reverses it and picks up the win with a victory roll.

Truth leaves the ring and MVP is irate. He then gets on the microphone. MVP says that this is his life and career he is talking about. He went from being the highest paid entertainer on SmackDown, the longest reigning US Champion in WWE history to almost nothing. And though this is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, it isn’t, but he has pride and more money than the people. KENNEDY—

Mr. Kennedy music hits and he talks from the stage. MVP tries talking, but they turn off his microphone. Kennedy says he is disappointed in MVP and tells him that he wishes he could help MVP put a smile on his face. Kennedy promotes his new movie, Behind Enemy Lines Columbia, and tells MVP to see the movie to cheer up.

(Match/Segment Rating: 3/5. A short, but good opening match indeed. To be honest, I think it is utterly ridiculous for the WWE management to give MVP such a lack of push. The guy certainly has the credentials that shouldn’t be overlooked.)

-Commercial-

RAW Rebound is shown.

They show a video promoting the arrival a new superstar coming to SmackDown! Sorry, but I couldn’t catch his name.

The Bella twins are shown backstage when The Brian Kendrick approaches them and begins to flirt. Primo and Carlito come in and ask if there is a problem. Kendrick is about to back away when Ezekiel comes in and he asks if there is a problem. Kendrick boasts and Primo tells him, “if you’re feeling froggy, jump!” Once the heels leave, Carlito teases Primo about that line.

-Commercial-

We are shown some clips of the WWE Slammy Awards.

Primo and Carlito are shown in the ring. Primo is set to be in one-on-one action against The Brian Kendrick. Ezekiel will be in Kendrick’s corner as usual.

Match 2: The Brian Kendrick v. Primo Colon
As the match starts, Primo takes Kendrick’s leg down. They back off and Primo once again gets the advantage with a nice armdrag. Kendrick gets back up and charges at Primo, but is tripped. Crowd laughs and Primo mocks Kendrick. Speed picks up here as Primo begins to dominate Kendrick with some quick executed offense. Finally, Kendrick goes to the ropes and when Primo approaches, Kendrick slaps Primo in the face and runs outside the ring and hides behind Ezekiel. Slowly, both competitors get back into the ring and Kendrick connects with a nice kick to the face on Primo. Kendrick continues to punish Primo by choking him using the ropes. Kendrick applies a modified headlock, but Primo fights out of it. Primo charges at Kendrick, but Kendrick sweeps him onto the ropes and once again chokes him. After about a minute or so, Primo finally fights back with punches and a roll over suplex. Primo then strikes with a headbutt and delivers a nice dropkick. Primo continues to build his momentum by connecting with a springboard high cross body and goes for the cover, but gets a 2. Primo decides to get on the top ropes, but Ezekiel distracts him. Carlito tries stopping Ezekiel, but Ezekiel rams Carlito into the steel steps. Off this distraction, Kendrick gets back up and kicks Primo in the face and wins with a roll up.

(Match Rating: 3/5. Another good match. I was about to rate this match higher, because of the pace of this match, but it did get rather slow at times. Nonetheless, it was a good match and I can see a future tag team match between the two opposing teams).

We see another replay of what occurred between Triple H and Jeff Hardy at the start of the show.

-Commercial-

Hurricane Helms is in the ring preparing for a match. His opponent is the Gold Standard, Shelton Benjamin.

Match 3: Hurricane Helms v. Shelton Benjamin
Bell rings and Benjamin immediately takes Helms down with a fireman’s carry. Benjamin begins to pound on Helms in the corner, but Helms elbows Benjamin and goes up top. As Helms comes down, Benjamin drop kicks him which sends Helms to the outside. Benjamin brings Helms back into the ring and applies pressure to the surgically repaired neck of Helms. Helms tries to fight back, but Benjamin takes him back down with a swinging neck breaker. Benjamin then applies an armlock , but Helms kicks Benjamin in the back of the head to break the hold. Helms now begins to build momentum as he takes down Benjamin with a nice back slam and signals for the Shining Wizard. As Helms tries to kick Benjamin, Benjamin reverses it and gets Helms up in the electric chair like position, but Helms falls off as Benjamin connects with an inverted back breaker. Benjamin covers, but gets a nearfall. Benjamin Irish Whips Helms into the corner and charges at him, but Helms puts his feet up and knocks Benjamin down. Helms goes up top and Benjamin leaps up there, but trips on the ropes and falls back down. Helms connects with a botched cross body for the win.

Post-Match: Tazz interviews Helms and asks him how he feels to be back on SmackDown! Helms responds by saying that he wants the US Title…He’s just sayin…

(Match Rating: 3/5. Seems to be the story of the night thus far, a solid night with a few errors in between. Welcome back Helms!)

The Cutting Edge with Matt Hardy is up next.

-Commercial-

WWE Did You Know? WWE offers all U.S Military personnel free tickets to its live events in the U.S.

Edge is shown already in the middle of the ring. Edge states that with 2 days left until Armageddon, his 2 opponents in the triple threat match are ready to tear each other’s heads off, because of their violent past. Edge adds that Triple H was also the one that attacked Jeff Hardy on that Sunday morning prior to Survivor Series. Matt Hardy is then introduced.

Matt comes out and says that no matter what kind of excuses or spinning he is trying to make, he knows that Edge was the one that attacked Jeff Hardy.

Edge responds by saying that he was trying step up to the plate when Jeff couldn’t.

Matt knows Edge will do whatever it takes to get ahead; after all, he is the Ultimate Opportunist. Matt adds that he knows more than anyone that Edge is the scummiest person on the face of this planet.

Edge tells Matt that it could have been people like Randy Orton, The Miz, John Morrison, because they all want Jeff out of the company. But Better yet, it could have the man who had the most to lose, Triple H.

Matt says that all the facts points towards Edge and that he finally wants the truth from Edge.

Edge says he has some cold hard truths for Matt. First, the only reason Matt is getting involved in Jeff’s business is because nobody cares about Matt. Secondly, Jeff’s problems thrust him into the spotlight while Matt is overlooked. BUT the biggest truth is that people actually care about Jeff Hardy as they don’t give a damn about Matt Hardy.

Matt looks upset as the crowd chants “Hardy!”

Matt punches Edge down, but Vladimir Koslov makes his way down to the ring. Edge takes a cheap shot at Matt, and Koslov enters the ring drills Matt with numerous head shots, battering ram, and a modified spinebuster.

(Segment Rating: 4/5. Excellent segment. The Matt/Koslov rivalry actually has the potential of being something special.)

Still to Come: Triple H v. Jeff Hardy!

-Commercial-

We see some more clips from the Slammy Awards.

Match 4: Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins v. The Great Khali (Handicap Match)
Basically what you would expect. Khali dominates the two former Edge-heads with big boots, chops, and chokeslams. The finish came when Khali hits the Khali bomb on Ryder.

(Match Rating: 1/5. Nothing really need be said.)

Backstage, Eve interviews Triple H. Eve asks Triple H what is his response to Edge’s theory that he was responsible for attacking Jeff Hardy the day of Survivor Series. Triple H says that apparently Edge isn’t the only one that believes that theory as Jeff does as well. Triple H then asks Jeff does he seriously think he needs to attack Jeff to get an advantage, because he was never a big enough blimp on his radar to warrant an attack and rest assured that if it would have been him, Jeff wouldn’t be here tonight. Triple H then says that he doesn’t care who attacked him, but since Jeff has put himself in Triple H’s path, he will take him down and become WWE Champion at Armageddon.

-Commercial-

The Bella twins make their way down to the ring. Their opponents are Natalya and Maryse.

Match 5: The Bella Twins v. Natalya & Maryse
I believe it was Nikki and Maryse to start things off. Maryse slaps Nikki in the face and Nikki responds with a Lou Thez Press much to the audiences delight. Nikkie then tosses Maryse across the ring by pulling her hair. Maryse gets back up and tags in Natalya. Natalya charges at Nikki, but is tripped. Nikki proceeds to tag in her sister, Brie. The twins double team Natalya and eventually, Brie connects with a jumping snapmare. Brie then tries a judo flip, but Natalya flips Brie over which sent her crashing into the mat. Several minutes later, the finish came when Natalya caught Brie in a fall-a-way like slam position and Nikki came in to drop kick Brie on top of Natalya for the win.

(Match Rating: 2.5/5. Good divas bout. The Bella’s are pretty impressive.)

Backstage, Eve interviews Vladimir Koslov. She asks him what are his thoughts as he prepares to fight Matt Hardy at Armaggedon. Koslov says Matt is not a worthy competitor and will destroy him. Once he does, he is coming for championship gold. Everyone must fall…

-Commercial-

Tazz and JR go over the Armageddon card.

We get another replay of the Jeff Hardy/Triple H incident that occurred at the beginning of the show.

Triple H’s music hits and he makes his way down to the ring.

-Commercial-

Jeff Hardy’s music hits and he makes his way down to the ring to a rock-star like ovation.

Main Event: Triple H v. Jeff Hardy
The bell rings and both men strike each other with right hands, but Jeff gets the upper hand. They then take it to the outside early as Jeff rams Triple H into the barricade. Jeff gets in the ring and connects with a baseball slide. Jeff then flies from the apron and takes down The Game. Further damage is done as Jeff sends the King of Kings into the steel steps. Jeff then throws his entire body at Triple H that takes down both men for about a minute. As both men slowly roll into the ring, Triple H takes down Jeff with a clothesline. Who’s going to survive? We will find out…

-Commercial-

Back, we see Triple H Irish Whip Jeff into the corner, thus knocking him down. Triple H repeats this and gets a near fall. Triple H then whips Jeff into the ropes, but Jeff kicks The Game across the chest and clotheslines him over the ropes. Jeff then splashes onto Triple H to the outside. Jeff throws Triple H back into the ring and attempts a Stinger Splash, but misses it as The Game dodges it. Triple H begins to strike Jeff in the face in what JR described as “piston like right hands.” Triple H then connects with a long balanced vertical suplex. Triple H gives Jeff the DX crotch chops and connects with the Harley Race knee drop. At this point, Triple applies a sleeper hold which grounds Jeff for quite some time. Crowd begins to chant “Hardy!” Jeff punches Triple H a few times, but receives a facebuster for his hasty actions. The Game covers, but receives only a 2 count. Triple H lifts Jeff up and takes him down with a powerful right hand. The Game continues the beatdown as he throws Jeff to the outside and slams his head twice on the announcer’s table. The Cerebral Assassin brings Jeff back into the ring, but it is Jeff who takes Triple H down with forearm shots. Jeff tries building momentum, but is cut short as Triple H grabs Jeff and connects with a spinebuster that practically came out of nowhere. The Game cover, 1…2…No! Jeff kicks out. Over the next 30 or so seconds, we see at least 5 different reversals between both men, but Jeff winds up connecting with a Whisper in the Wind. After a 2 count, Jeff connects with a facebuster, throws his t-shirt to the crowd, but misses a Swanton Bomb! At this point, Edge makes his way down to the ring and spears both Triple H and Jeff Hardy. Referee Wes Adams calls for the bell.

Post-Match: Edge holds the WWE Champion high above with the crowd booing him as the show comes to an end…

(Match Rating: 3.5/5. This match would have easily been a 4 had the match had not ended the way it did. It was an amazing match that further builds towards the WWE Championship match at Armageddon).





Quick-Match Results:
-Match 1: R-Truth def. MVP
-Match 2: The Brian Kendrick def. Primo Colon
-Match 3: Hurricane Helms def. Shelton Benjamin
-Match 4: The Great Khali def. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
-Match 5: The Bella Twins def. Maryse & Natalya
-Main Event: Triple H v. Jeff Hardy ends in a No-Contest.

Smack of the Night: Triple H v. Jeff Hardy

Overall, tonight’s show was a good one, despite no Undertaker or Big Show. I am really looking forward to seeing the WWE Championship match at Armageddon. Seriously, this match now has a lot of build up between Triple H and Jeff Hardy. Now you throw Edge into the mix and we can expect anything to happen. SmackDown! is certainly becoming better, and even though the overall show rating is less than the past two weeks, I must say that this show did contain a LO T of wrestling. Final Rating: 7/10.




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