Posted in: Smackdown SmackDown 10th Anniversary Report (10/02/09)
By MIK
Oct 2, 2009 - 11:28:44 PM
In 1999, SmackDown redefined the sports entertainment world with an awe inspiring debut. Now 10 years and 527 episodes later, we celebrate a Decade of SmackDown. Welcome to the 10th Anniversary show! This is the final episode I will cover as your SmackDown reporter before I retire. The stage couldn’t be any bigger. Without any further ado, lets us witness history together.
Celebrating 10 Years of Action Packed Entertainment!
Boston, Massachusetts
A video plays highlighting some of the most memorable moments in SmackDown’s history. The footage includes Eddie Guerrero’s World Championship celebration, Arnold Schwarzenegger knocking Triple H out, the Rock laying the SmackDown, John Cena’s debut at the expense of Kurt Angle, Batista surrendering the World Heavyweight Championship, Stone Cold destroying the DX Express, the entire WWE roster honoring the men and women for the 9/11 attacks, Eric Bischoff locking lips with Stephanie McMahon, Jeff Hardy capturing the World Championship, the Undertaker’s destruction, and much more!
“Let it Roll” by Divide the Day then hits and a new SmackDown video plays featuring new clips of the superstars of today. Fireworks then follow as JR and Todd Grisham welcomes everyone to the Decade of SmackDown celebration. We are reminded that tonight’s main event will feature John Cena and the Undertaker teaming up with DX to take on CM Punk and the entire Legacy! Plus, the Rock will appear to give the WWE Universe a special message!
Batista’s music then hits and out comes the 290lbs Animal to a big pop. As Batista makes his way down to the ring, we are shown a clip from the December 16th, 2005 episode of SmackDown when Batista and Rey Mysterio defeated MNM to become to the new WWE Tag Team Champions.
Pyro’s then explode as the Big Red Machine, Kane, finds his way down to the ring for our first match of the evening.
Match 1: Batista v. Kane
Bell rings and the two giants lock up. Batista manages to corner Kane, but backs off at the referee’s order. Kane quickly strikes the Animal with an uppercut, but moments later, Batista retaliates by taking Kane off his feet with a clothesline for a 2 count. As Kane struggles to make it back to his feet, Batista applies a headlock. Kane back lifts the Animal up and connects with a back suplex. “Batista” chants break loose. Kane proceeds to work on the left arm of Batista as he applies an overhand wristlock. After some time, Batista powers Kane over the top ropes and onto the floor.
-Commercial-
Back, Kane is control as he has yet another overhand wristlock applied. Batista breaks loose once again, but Kane quickly uppercuts him. As Batista stumbles, Kane bounces off the ropes and tries to take the Animal’s head off with a clothesline, but Batista ducks and the two giants knock each other down with double big boots! The referee begins his 10 count. Kane is up at 4, but as he turns around, Batista takes him down with a shoulderblock. As Kane gets back up, Batista sends Kane to the corner and charges at him with a clothesline. Batista then tries to do it again, but this time Kane reverses it and catches the Animal with a clothesline of his own followed by a sidewalk slam for a 2 count. At this point, Kane goes up to the top rope and as he comes down, he catches Batista with his signature flying clothesline. Kane then signals for the Chokeslam. As Batista gets up, Kane walks towards the Animal and tries to grab him by the throat, but suddenly, Batista lifts Kane up and slams him down to the mat with a spinebuster. 1…2…NO! Kane kicks out! Batista then goes up to the top rope and as he comes down, Kane grabs him by the throat. As Kane lifts Batista, the Animal jumps off and charges at him, but Kane dodges him, causing Batista to crash into the turnbuckle. Kane then jabs Batista in the corner a couple of times before climbing to the middle rope and striking Batista with the 10 punches maneuver. Out of nowhere, Batista places Kane, who is still on the middle rope, onto his shoulders and drills him with the Batista Bomb for the win.
Post Match: Batista struggles to make it back to his feet to celebrate as the crowd cheers him on. After we get the replays, JR hypes Batista & Mysterio vs. Jericho & Big Show for the Unified Tag Team Championships at the Hell in a Cell PPV this Sunday.
(Match Rating: 4/5. Okay, it wasn’t the best match ever, but this match provided the opening that was required to get the crowd going early and it did just that)
Backstage, several WWE Superstars and Divas are shown enjoying their time in a classic WWE party. GM Theodore Long comes in and greets some of the superstars and sees Maria talking to Michael Cole. GM Long compliments how lovely Maria is looking today when Hornswoggle comes by and gives Maria a glass of wine. Maria thanks the leprechaun and as she walks away, Hornswoggle gives her a little tap on the rear end causing Cole to say, “Vintage Hornswoggle!” Cole then offers GM Long some shrimp as Finlay drops by and asks Hornswoggle to get them some Whiskey causing Cole to say, “Vintage Finlay!” Finlay then tries to toast GM Long for a Decade of SmackDown and as GM Long tries to drink, CM Punk stops him causing Cole to say, “Vintage Punk!” Punk stares Cole down causing him to go away. Punk tells everyone that they should be ashamed of themselves. He adds that as long as he is World Heavyweight Champion, there should be no more alcohol on SmackDown. “If you don’t like that, I suggest you pay close attention to the main event tonight. You’ll find out exactly why Straightedge can save you,” Punk concludes as he walks away. GM Long then tries to greet some of the other superstars as some can be heard saying, “Excuse me, excuse me.” Vickie Guerrero, with a new hairdo, comes in and approaches GM Long. She accuses GM Long of not having a backbone because he lifted the ban on Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate in fear. A new superstar then walks in and Vickie Guerrero introduces him as Eric Escobar. Vickie says that Mr. McMahon has given her permission to manage him, which means that she is back on SmackDown. GM Long looks a little pale as Vickie and Escobar leave. Suddenly a gong is heard and someone grabs GM Long. GM Long, who looks even more paranoid, turns around and sees that its Santino Marella dressed as the Undertaker. Santino tells GM Long that this is a great costume party before GM Long finally takes his drink.
(Segment Rating: 5/5. Don’t tell me Hornswoggle did what I think he just did!? That lucky leprechaun! Alright, jokes aside, this was a fun segment that reminded me of the good ol’ days. BTW…how much of a dork did Michael Cole look like? Anyway, I am interested in the fact that Vickie Guerrero is back. Oh and one more thing, Santino rules!)
Still to Come: Biggest Tag Team Match in SmackDown History.
-Commercial-
WWE Did You Know? WWE offers all U.S military personnel free tickets to all its live events in the U.S.
We are back to the party where Cole and Finlay are sitting at a table together. Cole eats some shrimp as he appears noticeably drunk. Cole sees Hornswoggle and asks him to get some more shrimp. Hornswoggle, who feels offended, kicks Cole in the shin and enters the VIP Lounge nearby. A couple of guests are already in the VIP Lounge such as the Bella Twins, Mark Henry, Hornswoggle, and of course, MVP. Zack Ryder then asks MVP if he could get in, but MVP denies him the right. Ryder tries to offer Henry some money and Henry says he will allow Ryder to be in only if there is room in the VIP Lounge. Matt Hardy, Kelly Kelly, Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox, Charlie Haas, Layla, Sgt. Slaughter, and even the Iron Sheik are then allowed into the VIP Lounge. Ryder fumes at MVP about letting Sheik in and not him. Sheik laughs and says, “Ha, ha, ha, you know it jabroni!” The superstars and divas in the VIP Lounge then laugh at Ryder as they start to celebrate.
(Segment Rating: 5/5. Another good execution by the WWE here. We got to see the superstars of today interact with two WWE Hall of Famers. Plus, it was cool to see Zack Ryder’s new character get some exposure to a much more bigger audience as opposed to those who only watch ECW)
Back in the ringside area, Todd Grisham and JR talk about the late, great Eddie Guerrero’s contribution to SmackDown.
An amazing video is then presented honoring the legacy of WWE Hall of Famer, Eddie Guerero.
(Segment Rating: 6/5. That was not a typo. This tribute was absolutely amazing! If you missed SmackDown for whatever reason, go out of your way to see this emotion filled presentation. Trust me, it will bring back a lot of memories)
Still to Come: A Special Message from THE ROCK.
-Commercial-
Jack Swagger joins JR and Todd Grisham on commentary.
The reigning Intercontinental Champion, John Morrison, makes his way down to the ring.
RAW’s Kofi Kingston, is then introduced as Morrison’s tag team partner.
Dolph Ziggler’s music then hits and out he comes to a chord of boos.
Ziggler’s partner is none other than RAW’s Miz.
Match 2: Dolph Ziggler & Miz v. Kofi Kingston & John Morrison
Miz and Morrison start things off. Miz speaks some trash before taking a cheap shot on Morrison. Morrison quickly retaliates with a dropkick followed by a clothesline that knocks Miz out of the ring. Ziggler sneaks into the ring and tries for a sneak attack on Morrison, but Kofi gets in and scares Ziggler away.
-Commercial-
Back, Kofi catches Ziggler with a flapjack. Following a 2 count, Swagger stands up from the commentary booth and catches Kofi’s attention. This brief distraction allows Ziggler the chance to choke Kofi on the ropes. Ziggler then tags in Miz. Miz pounds Kofi in the corner and even connects with his signature swinging corner clothesline. Miz then goes to the top rope and connects with a double axe handle for a 2 count. Following the near pinfall, Miz applies a headlock. After some time, Kofi breaks loose, but Miz catches Kofi with a neckbreaker. Ziggler is then tagged into the match and he takes Kofi down with a forearm shot to the head followed by a standing elbow jump for another 2 count. Ziggler then locks in a modified sleeper hold. “Kofi” chants break loose. As the Jamaican superstar breaks free, Ziggler slams Kofi’s head down to the mat and tags in Miz. Miz charges at Kofi, but Kofi moves out of the way, causing Miz to crash into the steel post. Kofi and Miz then tag to their respective partners. Morrison immediately takes Ziggler down with a clothesline followed by a leg lariat and a standing Shooting Star Press for a 2 count. Morrison then waits for Ziggler to get back up so he could strike with the flying Chuck kick, but Miz distracts Morrison. Kofi comes in and takes Miz out on the floor. Morrison then tries for the Chuck kick, but Ziggler splits Morrison on the ropes. As Morrison stumbles, trying to keep his balance, Ziggler connects with Zig-Zag for the win.
Post Match: Ziggler stands over Morrison signaling that Morrison’s reign as Intercontinental Champion is over.
(Match Rating: 4/5. The only problem with this match was that it was too short. Other than that, it was excellent while it lasted. It was also pretty cool to see Miz and Morrison mix it up after such a long time)
Backstage at the party, Yoshi Tatsu, Kung Fu Naki, and Jillian Hall are doing karaoke to Shawn Michael’s theme song. Elsewhere in the party, Iron Sheik and Sgt. Slaughter are shown arguing about Iran and the USA. Further elsewhere, Cole is eating shrimp after shrimp, and is continuing his drinking. Jericho and Big Show walk in. Jericho tells tries to get everyone’s attention and when he is ignored, Jericho asks Show for some help. Show yells at everyone, telling them Jericho has something to say. Everyone quiets down and listens. Jericho says, “So here we are, the 10th Anniversary Party of SmackDown. If anything, the Big Show and I should be the guest of honor of this party since we were on the very first episode of SmackDown 10 years ago. You see, not only are we the most dominant and powerful duo in sports, but we also have the most longevity in SmackDown history. So maybe it’s time to wrap up this party and start showing the Big Show and I the respect that we deserve.” At this point, Michael Cole pukes all over Jericho’s pants and shoes. Jericho’s expression reveals how disgusted and shocked he is. Show looks, and he too feels nauseous so he runs away. Joey Styles comes in and gives us an “Oh My God!”
(Segment Rating: 5/5. I’m going to have to steal a quote from the NBA here. Chris Jericho is “where amazing happens!” His expression was priceless. Go figure, Michael Cole did something I actually enjoyed)
Up Next: A Special Message from THE ROCK.
(This should be a good one!)
-Commercial-
Back in the ring, Justin Roberts asks everyone to please welcome (via satellite), the Most Electrifying Man in Sports and Entertainment, The Rock!!!
The Rock is then shown in his home with all his championships/awards in a huge showcase behind him. After clearing his throat, the Rock speaks…
“Hello! Apparently Dwayne Johnson has returned to Friday Nights. No wait that’s not right. Let’s do that again,” Rock says. “Technically, The People’s Champion has found his way to the WWE. That’s not it either, one more time. Hygienically, The Great One’s breath has never been fresher. That’s the one, that’s the one,” Rock claims before a screenwriter informs him that’s not the one. “Spiritually, the Brahma Bull is at one with nature,” Rock then adds. “Wow that sucked…and by the way, who in the blue hell is Dolph Ziggler?” Rock asks as he chuckles to himself.
Rock then remembers. He takes off his shirt, gets a little comfortable and shouts, “Finally, finally on the show he started, the show he put on the map, the show that was named after him, FINALLY, the Rock has come back SMACK-DOWN!”
The crowd is going completely crazy!!!
Rock continues, “ten years, SmackDown has been on the air and the Rock was there when it all began. From the very first time the Rock said the magic words that changed the English language forever, ‘layin the SmackDown on all your candy asses,’ from dropping the most electrifying move in all of sports and entertainment, the People’s Elbow, from unleashing the Rock Bottom, to the time the Rock’s baby left him and he found a new place to dwell, ‘it’s down at the end of jabroni drive at SmackDown Hotel,’ to the very first time the Rock walked out on SmackDown as WWE Champion and every single person in the arena from Berlin to Boston was chanting the Rock’s name!”
Rock pauses as “Rocky!” chants filter throughout the arena.
“Now ten years later, who’s champion now? Some guy named CM Punk? Straightedge dude who doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, always sits down when he’s using the toilet? Yeah, that guy. See you shouldn’t call him CM Punk, no no, you should be calling him ‘BM Punk’ for ‘Bowel Movement’ which is what the audience wants to take every time you open your mouth and start talking. The Rock has never faced Punk, but I have faced Punk’s opponent, Punk’s opponent who he’ll face this Sunday and his name is the Undertaker. Well the Rock and the Undertaker have history. We made history. All around the world we made history, sold out arenas. All around the world, the Rock was whopping the Undertaker’s ass!”
The screenwriter then corrects the Rock, forcing the Great One to admit that he beat Undertaker only one time and it was by disqualification. Funny. The Rock asks the screenwriter to delete his last comment because he doesn’t want to be Tombstoned by the Undertaker, but the screenwriter argues with the Rock. Rock calls him over and asks him if he has ever been Tombstoned. The screenwriter tries to answer, but the Rock tells him to shut his mouth. “You think that the Tombstone is some kind of pleasant experience?” Rock asks the screenwriter. The poor screenwriter tries to answer, but the Rock cuts him off by saying, “it doesn’t matter what you think!”
The Rock then notices the screenwriter’s blue shirt and tears it, but gets startled by the hairy man’s chest. “Shave that, that is disgusting,” Rock claims before shoving the screenwriter off the camera set. “But not as disturbing as this Sunday is going to be. This Sunday Night at Hell in a Cell, there’s going to be a new World Champion. The Rock says there’s going to be a new World Champion! A new era on SmackDown will be born, but make no mistake about it, no matter what, this show will always belong to the jabroni beating, l-l-l-l-loud, pie eating, has no fear, has no flaw, now that he’s tried SmackDown, maybe it’s time the Rock guest hosts RAW! The Rock will be the most electrifying host the show has ever seen! The People’s Champ, the Rock, there’s only one, get ready! If ya smell what the Rock….is….cookin’”
The Rock’s music then hits as the crowd cheers on in excitement.
Still to Come: 8 Man Tag Team Main Event!
(Segment Rating: 5/5. Simply Awesome! The Rock could go all night without boring a single soul. If you disagree, just go watch his classic interactions with Stone Cold, Undertaker, Mankind, Vince McMahon, and Triple H and see for yourself)
-Commercial-
Back, Justin Roberts informs us that this next match is a Lumberjack match for the WWE Women’s Championship!
Maria, Eve, Beth Pheonix, Jillian, Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes, Katie Lea Burchill, Layla, Natalya, Savannah, Brie, Nikki, and Kelly Kelly are introduced as the Lumberjacks.
Melina’s music hits and out comes the former 3 times Women’s Champion.
The reigning Women’s Champion, Melina, then makes her way down to the ring.
Women’s Championship
Lumberjill Match
Match 3: Melina v. Michelle McCool
As the bell rings, McCool quickly sweeps the legs of Melina and punches her in the head multiple times . McCool then irish Whips Melina to the ropes, but Melina holds on. McCool charges at Melina, but Melina jumps and applies a neckscissors submission hold. With the hold still applied on the ropes, Melina tries for an axe kick, but McCool manages to flip Melina onto the apron. McCool then tries to punch Melina, but Melina does the splits on the apron to avoid the strike and proceeds to jab McCool in her abdominal area. McCool however quickly retaliates with a dropkick to Melina, who is still in the splits position on the apron, which forces Melina to fall onto the outisde floor. Fortunate for Melina, the face Lumberjacks don’t harm her. McCool sees this and so she brings Melina into the ring where she kicks Melina in the head. After taking some more beating, Melina finally catches McCool in the face with an elbow. Melina then builds on this momentum as she slams McCool onto the mat with a flapjack for a 2 count. As McCool then slowly gets back up, Melina tries to bounce off the ropes for an attack, but Jillian, who is one of the lumberjacks, grabs Melina’s feet. Melina kicks Jillian and proceeds to splash onto both Jillian and Katie Lea outside of the ring. At this point, all the lumberjacks begin a huge brawl that the crowd seems to enjoy. As the referee is trying to restore order on the outside, Melina slips back into the ring and goes up to the top rope to hit McCool, but Beth Pheonix splits Melina on the turnbuckle. This sets up Melina for the Faith Breaker in which McCool connects on. 1…2…3! McCool wins.
Post Match: As the heel divas head back up the ramp, McCool climbs to the middle rope where she raises her championship high above her head.
(Match Rating: 3.5/5. Why not? Sure it was kind of sloppy out there, but it is typical of WWE to showcase their divas on big occasions like tonight. And because of that, this interaction amongst the divas made sense.)
Todd Grisham then informs us that the Undertaker has a special message for CM Punk…
Somewhere in the backstage area where the light is dark, Undertaker states that CM Punk is about to enter the domain of the Undertaker. “The domain of eternal suffering,” Undertaker adds. “A place where there is no forgiveness. I will reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship and in the process, I will knock you from the black horse of self-righteousness. And the pills, the alcohal, and the drugs that you so despise, you soon will crave. Welcome to Hell’s Playground. Welcome to Saitan’s Structure. Welcome to Hell in a Cell!”
(Segment Rating: 5/5. It’s old school Undertaker…need I say more?)
-Commercial-
Back, the party continues with several of the superstars and divas dancing. Drew McIntyre then arrives and stops everything because he has something to say. “As the newest member of SmackDown, I would like to make a toast. Here’s to SmackDown, here’s to your future World Champion, here’s to Drew McIntyre, and here’s to the party just getting started!” McIntyre then drinks, but out of nowhere, R-Truth intervenes and tackles McIntyre down. The two superstars brawl as some of the divas scream and others yell, “Break it Up!”
(Segment Rating: 5/5. I’m very surprised WWE is forcing McIntyre’s character down our throats. Oh well, the brawl was interesting and it is good to see the writer’s attempting to do something with Truth)
Back in the arena, a music hits asking fans, “Are You Ready?” The crowd erupts as it’s the return of DX to SmackDown! Shawn Michaels and Triple H do their complete entrance, but no typical microphone jokes before the match.
The WWE Champion, John Cena, is then introduced and the roof just exploded as John Cena returns home. During Cena’s entrance, we are shown a clip from the April 14th, 2005 edition of SmackDown when Cena introduced the new WWE Championship Spinner Belt.
Gong….Lights go out….
Gong….Flames emerge from the stage area as the Legendary Undertaker makes his way down to the ring. “A chilling moment,” JR says of the Phenom’s entrance, “as the late Gorilla Monsoon used to say, anytime the Undertaker comes to the ring, it is a moment in time.” During the Undertaker’s entrance, we are shown a clip from the September 28th edition of SmackDown when then GM Vickie Guerrero stripped Undertaker of the World Heavyweight Champion and proceeded to ban him from the WWE only to have the Phenom extract his revenge by delivering a Tombstone on Vickie Guerrero.
-Commercial-
The Guest Host for next week’s edition of RAW is Ben Roethlisberger.
“I Hear Voices” hits as Randy Orton and the rest of Legacy find their way down to the ring.
The only Straightedge World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk, is then introduced to a chord of boos!
Main Event: Undertaker, John Cena, & D-Generation X v. CM Punk, Randy Orton, & Legacy
Cody Rhodes and Cena start things off. As the two lock up, Cena gets the upper hand of Rhodes as he applies an overhand wrislock. Shortly thereafter, Cena follows up with a clothesline and a bulldog for the early 2 count. Cena then tags Triple H into the match. The Game punches Rhodes in the face once which causes Rhodes to tag in Dibiase. After a brief staredown, the two exchange a couple of right hands until Triple H takes Dibiase down with a massive clothesline. The Game then connects on a neckbreaker, but gets a 2 count. Shawn Michales is then tagged in. The Game holds Dibiase up as Michaels chops Dibiase across the chest. Dibiase suddenly starts to fight back, but Michaels catches Dibiase in the face with a boot. Michaels then attempts to tag Triple H back into the match when the crowd starts chanting “Taker.” As a result, Michaels looks over to his WrestleMania 25 opponent and offers to tag him. Undertaker takes some time to make a decision and just as he tries to accept the tag from Michaels, Dibiase pulls Michaels away and kicks him in the lower abdominal area. Dibiase then whips Michaels to the ropes where Undertaker does make the blind tag to Michaels. Michaels drops Dibiase and turns around to see the Undertaker staring him down. Rhodes quickly gets into the ring and tries a sneak attack on Michales, but Undertaker knocks him down with one big punch. The announcers wonder whether or not this situation between the WrestleMania 25 opponents will implode as we go to break.
-Commercial-
Back, Undertaker tags Triple H into the match. The Game enters and successfully connects on a standing vertical suplex. Triple H then does the DX crotch chop and drops a knee onto the forehead of Rhodes. Michaels is then tagged back into the match, but Rhodes punches Michaels multiple times in the face before tagging out to Dibiase. Dibiase punishes Michaels before making the quick tag out to Randy Orton. Orton slithers into the ring and ambushes Michaels in the corner before tagging out to CM Punk. Punk stumps a mudhole in Michaels before distracting the referee, allowing Legacy to illegally choke HBK. Punk then lifts a downed Michaels and connects on a back suplex. Following a 2 count, Punk tags Orton back into the match. Orton kicks Micheals several times before applyig a sleeper hold. “HBK” chants breaks loose. At last, Michaels back drops Orton and created some separation. As Michaels crawled to his corner to make a tag, Orton already tagged Rhodes into the match. Rhodes tried to to pull Michaels away, but received an enzigiri for his troubles. Michaels then finally got the hot tag to Cena. Cena came in and caught Rhodes with multiple shoulderblocks and tackles before signaling for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena connects and proceeds to lift Rhodes up for the Attitude Adjustment, but Dibiase gets in the ring. Cena realizes it and sets Rhodes down in the corner and grabs Dibiase. Cena sends Dibiase to the same corner as Rhodes and then he splashes onto the the both of them. Following that, Cena lifts both Rhodes and Dibiase on top of his shoulders for the Attitude Adjustment! Rhodes however slips off and Legacy connects on Hi-Lo to put a stop to Cena’s building momentum.
-Commercial-
Back, Punk dropkicks Cena in the back of the head for a 2 count. Orton is then tagged in and he chokes Cena on the ropes before proceeding to club Cena across the chest several times. Orton then backs off and drops a vicious knee onto the neck of Cena. As Cena struggles to sit up, Orton slaps Cena around and mocks him. Suddenly, Cena grabs Orton for the Attitude Adjustment, but Orton jumps off at the last second and drills Cena with a DDT. Following a 2 count, Orton tags Dibiase into the match. Dibiase comes in and kicks Cena in the temple. Following a 2 count, Dibiase applies a headlock. “Let’s go Cena!” chants break out. As Cena struggles to break free, Dibiase quickly knocks Cena down with a powerful clothesline. Dibiase then starts to talk some trash and he too starts toying around with Cena. Cena then punishes Dibiase for his mistake by slamming Dibiase with a belly to belly suplex. With both Dibiase and Cena down, the referee begins his 10 count. At last, both men make the tag. Cena tags in Triple H while Dibiase tags in Punk. Triple H catches Punk with the signature high knee as well as the Double A Spinebuster. Undertaker is then shown wanting into the match so Triple H makes the tag out to the Phenom. Punk sees the tag and so he cowars out and tags out to Orton. Orton doesn’t look happy, but that doesn’t stop Undertaker from bringing Orton into the ring. Undertaker strikes Orton with numerous punches. This is followed by snake eyes and the running big boot. Dibiase gets into the ring to distract the Phenom, but Undertaker gives Dibiase a boot to the face. In the mean time, Orton quickly recovers and catches Undertaker with a neckbreaker. As Orton crawls to make the cover on the Deadman, Undertaker locks in Hell’s Gate to Orton. Rhodes quickly gets into the ring and kicks Undertaker, forcing him to release Orton. Triple H then gets into the ring and sends Rhodes to the outside. From behind, Dibiase grabs Triple H for Dream Street, but Michaels gets into the ring and strikes Dibiase with Sweet Chin Music! As Dibiase stumbles, Triple H recovers and hits the Pedigree of Dibiase. Punk then comes into the ring and he kicks Michaels down. Cena sees this and he lifts Punk up for the Attitude Adjustment. Cena drops Punk onto the outside on top of Dibiase and Rhodes. In the ring, Orton slowly makes it back to his feet as all four faces surround him. Orton is eventually lured into the Tombstone Piledriver for the grueling victory!
Post Match: The crowd is going crazy cheering on the four winners of the match. Confetti starts to fall as Cena’s music hits and he poses for the crowd. DX’s music then hits as they too pose for the crowd. And finally, the lights turn dark blue as the Undertaker’s music hits and he poses for the crowd as the 10th Anniversary episode of SmackDown rolls off the air.
(Match Rating: 5/5. Once again, this wasn’t the best match ever, but it was the perfect way of concluding a 10th Anniversary show. Fans were tremendously into this match! As a traditional wrestling fan, it was great to see these guys mix it up. They are all premiere guys in this company, and they showed why tonight.)
Quick Match Results:
-Match 1: Batista def. Kane
-Match 2: Dolph Ziggler & Miz def. John Morrison & Kofi Kingston
-Match 3: Michelle McCool def. Melina (Lumber-Jill Championship Match)
-Main Event: Undertaker, John Cena & D-Generation X def. CM Punk, Randy Orton & Legacy
Smack of the Night: Undertaker, John Cena & DX vs. CM Punk, Randy Orton & Legacy
Tonight’s broadcast was one that wont’ be forgotten for quite some time. It was a really fun atmosphere that felt very special. The backstage party segments reminded me of those from the Attitude era and as a fan of WWE for over a decade, I really enjoyed those segments. The best part of this show was that not only did it feature a blockbuster tag team main event, but it successfully hyped multiple storylines for Sunday’s HIAC PPV. If I had any complaint, it would be Jericho and Big Show being inactive (not competing). But hey, let’s not be negative here…we got to actually see the Rock on WWE TV. What a pleasant surprise it was to see him. Final Rating: 9/10
Well in case you haven’t heard by now, after tonight, I will no longer be writing the reports for SmackDown…
…And so I ask you for the final time…Do you have any questions, concerns, or comments? If so, feel free to email me, MIK, at mik123@ymail.com
Final words from yours truly:
I would like to thank Calvin Martin, who is the creative genius behind this website that you all love to read. He wants to have these reports up ASAP for you, the fans, to read as quickly as possible. He doesn’t get enough credit for his work “behind the scenes” and so I would like for him to be recognized for not only that, but also for giving me the opportunity to write the reports for you guys. Speaking of you guys, I would like to also thank all of you for making my experience here at LOP an enjoyable one. It has been one hell of a ride. Now before ‘walk out the door,’ I would like to leave you with a quote that relates to my future here on LOP:
“This is not goodbye forever. This is only goodbye for now. And if the time is right, I’m sure I’ll see you in the future. Thank you all!”
