411’s WWE Smackdown Report 4.24.09

Posted by JP Truss on 04.24.2009

Tonight the WWE dives headlong into Backlash with one more show before Sunday night! Edge get the last word on his epic rivalry with John Cena. Undertaker and Big Show collide. Maryse defends the Divas Championship against Gail Kim and Priceless faces Shane McMahon and Batistia in the main event!



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

Jim Ross and Todd Grisham are coming to you from London in the United Kingdom!

Edge Speaks!

Edge comes back and looks like he's back to his usual, cocky self. The crowd shows Edge a little appreciation before he gets started. He starts off with two weeks ago, when John Cena told him he was a desperate man. That no matter what Edge throws at Cena, Cena always got back up. And…..he was absolutely right.

Edge calls it the old cliché of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object since he will stop at nothing to get what he wants and John Cena has an unshakeable will that forces him to keep getting back up. Edge recalls 2006, New Year's Revolution, when he won his first WWE Championship from by cashing in his MITB briefcase and usually that would be too demoralizing to come back from…but Cena did. Since that time Edge has cost Cena World Titles, he has beaten Cena for World Titles; he's even slapped his father in the face. But always Cena has come back. However, that changed on Monday night.

We get a clip of the One Man Con-Chair-To (that seemed to have a delay on it for some odd reason) then right back to Edge. Edge says he likes to think his voice was the last thing Cena heard before he went unconscious. But, just in case it wasn't Edge will be happy to remind all of us and him how his night ended on Monday and how it will end at Backlash. We got back to the Tron and another clip of Edge counting to ten over an unconscious John Cena.

Back in the ring a single spotlight is shining down on Edge. Edge tells Cena that he has the strongest resolve of anyone he's ever fought. It almost (key word: ‘almost') makes Edge want to respect him. But Edge despises Cena too much for that. Cena's will cannot match Edge's resolve. Edge declares this to be it. If he can't beat Cena this Sunday for the World Heavyweight Championship that he has nothing left to throw at him. Vickie Guerrero can't help. Edge has no friends and in Cena's own words Edge is a desperate man.

So, this Sunday they will lay it out in the ring one final time. The war of attrition between them that has gone on for three years has to come to a definitive end. In the end, Edge will walk away as the champion. He will be the Last Man Standing.

This is one of Edge's best promos period. Excellent psychology and delivery and the crowd helped push it to the next level. Great work here by Edge.


Matt Hardy and Kane vs. Jeff Hardy and CM Punk

Jeff has his face paint back on. Not sure why this one was booked but it seems like a good idea so let's not go in with preconceived notions shall we?

Note: CM Punk and Kane have a match at Backlash. Somehow that one slipped past me.

Matt and Jeff seem ready to start this one off but Matt changes his mind and tags in Kane. Jeff goes on the attack but Kane shoves him to his corner. Punk sneaks in a tag and the two of them attack Kane and get the upper hand before the referee forces him back out of the ring. Punk goes for an Irish Whip but Kane reverses it. Punk dives through Kane's legs and catches him with a dropkick. Kane stumbles into the Punk/J. Hardy corner and Punk tags in Jeff before putting Kane into an arm lock. Jeff comes off the top and hammers Kane's shoulder. Kane fires back with a huge uppercut and tags in Matt; who finally seems ready to go but Jeff forces him into the corner. The referee makes him back up but Jeff slips away and hits Matt with a clothesline. Jeff goes for a slingshot dropkick but Matt slides out of the ring. CM Punk prevents Matt from getting too far and Jeff takes advantage with a Baseball Slide. Jeff slings over the top rope and hits Matt with a big cross body! Who will win this one? We'll find out after the commercials!

We're back and Jeff whips CM Punk, who hits Kane with a big knee lift. Jeff leaps off Punk's back and hits a high dropkick on Kane. Kane is down! Punk goes for a pin and gets two. Punk goes back to work on Kane's shoulder, ramming it and tagging back in Jeff. Kane is double whipped by Punk and Jeff Hardy, who meets him with a double dropkick right to the knees. Punk and Jeff hit Kane with a double DDT and Jeff goes for the pin. One count. Jeff gets distracted by Matt, which gives Kane time to boot Jeff to the outside. Matt goes on the attack, stomping his brother out of the ring. Kane leaves the ring and rams Jeff's back into the ring post before putting him back in the ring. Kane goes for a pin and gets a two count. Kane tags in Matt, who takes Jeff down with an elbow to the back of the head. Matt forces Jeff into the near corner and strikes him with a few heavy rights before the referee backs him off. Jeff tries to fight back but Matt stops him with another shot to the back of the head.

A big scoop slam by Matt leads to a running leg drop. And another. And another. And Matt stops to smile for the cameras. And another one! Matt goes for the pin: 2 ½! Punk rallies the crowd behind Jeff as Matt locks in and overhead chin lock. Matt works the hold until Jeff finally gets to his feet and forces Matt into the corner. Jeff again goes on the attack with shots to the midsection but Matt stops him with a knee. Matt whips Jeff into the corner and charges, but Jeff blocks him with both boots. Jeff attacks with a flying clothesline and both me are down!

Matt gets to Kane first and Kane stops Jeff from getting to his corner. Kane stomps Jeff for a moment before hitting a huge vertical suplex. Kane goes for the pin and gets a near fall. Kane whips Jeff into his corner and knocks him silly with a running clothesline. Kane tags in Matt who chokes his little brother with his boot until the referee makes him back away. Kane, opportunistic as always, attacks from the outside and now the referee has to stop CM Punk from getting in the ring. Matt pulls up his brother and nails him with a haymaker. Matt goes for the pin and gets the near fall. Matt locks in a side headlock and pulls Jeff to his feet. Matt appears to be going for something but Jeff breaks away! Whisper in the Wind! Out of nowhere! Jeff goes for the pin but Kane breaks it up! CM Punk is in and knocks Kane out of the ring. Huge Suicide Dive nearly crushes both men!

Back in the ring the Hardy brothers are slugging it out but Jeff gets the upper hand with a spinning mule kick. Double leg drop to the midsection leads to a low dropkick. Jeff is feeling it! The crowd is feeling it! Jeff goes for the Twist of Fate but Matt shoves him into Kane who happened to be on the apron. Matt rolls up his brother and gets the three! What?!

Winners :Matt Hardy and Kane (Pinfall via Roll-Up) **1/2. A very interesting start to Smackdown with a consistent flow and good action from everyone involved. The ending was a little sloppy but I won't begrudge them too much.


-Did you know? …You know, I think I'm going to skip this stuff tonight. Seriously it's kind of getting old.


We get a video package of the feud between Randy Orton and the McMahon Family. Excellent work, as usual, by the production team.

The Big Show makes his entrance for the last time (???) on Smackdown. The match starts after this commercial break!


The Big Show vs. The Undertaker

The Big Show is already in the ring when we get back from commercials and has a microphone in hand. He states that Smackdown's superstars will be able to sleep a little better now that he's going to Raw. However, tonight he was going turn out Undertaker's lights when he locks this (his fist) load this (his fist) and fires it (his fist) into his face.

Cue the gong and creepy smoke. The Brits are on their feet for the signature entrance of the Undertaker. Grisham and JR continuing hyping the match as the Undertaker makes his way to the ring. Finally the bell rings and things one is on. Both men size each other up and look ready to go it before tying up. Show forces Undertaker into the corner and Undertaker backs out of the way of an attempted shot from Show. The two tie up again and Undertaker goes for a side headlock but that only leaves him open for shots to the torso from Big Show. A big head butt from Show knocks the Undertaker into the corner.

Show continues with shots to the body but the Undertaker fires back with shots of his own. Show quickly puts a stop to that with a knee to the gut. Show traps Undertaker in the corner and works over the Dead Man's ribcage with big lefts. The Undertaker finally gets some space between them and begins to fight back, knocking Show to the ropes. Undertaker goes for a head butt but it seems to hurt him more than it hurt Big Show. Show fires back with a head butt of his own, wait…make that a series of head butts that knocks the Undertaker off his game. Undertaker is knocked into the ropes and Big Show goes for a Big Boot. Undertaker gets out of the way and Show is tied up in the ropes! Undertaker answers back with a running boot of his own! Commercial break!

We're back and Undertaker hits a leg drop on Show on the apron! We get a clip of Show reverse Irish Whipping Undertaker into the security wall as both men catch their breath in the ring. Undertaker gets to his feet and charges at the Big Show but Show counters with a mule kick. Show hits another head butt this time on the back of Undertaker's neck and it takes him down. Show pulls Undertaker up and takes him down again with a leg drop bulldog and clearly he felt that one.

Big Show is taking his time now and begins attacking with shots to the back of the neck and head. Undertaker is knocked to the middle rope and Show more or less sits on the back of Undertaker's head until the referee counts to four. Another head butt to the back of the neck drops the Undertaker and he slips out to the apron. Show pulls him up, going for another blow but Undertaker uses the top rope to get out of it. Big Show is stunned as Undertaker slides back in the ring but charges anyway. Undertaker ducks under it and begins firing back at Big Show with hard rights.

Undertaker goes for an Irish Whip but Show reverses it and takes the Undertaker down with a huge clothesline. Show steps on the side of Undertakers head before clubbing the back of Undertaker's neck again. Show tries to grab Undertaker but Undertaker fights him off. Undertaker goes for a Choke slam but Show knocks him aside. Show signals for a Chokes lam and hits it! That's got to do it! NO! So close to a nearly fall! The Big Show cannot believe it!

Big Show pulls the Undertaker up and locks in a Dragon Sleeper. The Undertaker is fading quickly underneath his old maneuver but counters at the last moment with a DDT! Undertaker slings his arm over the Big Show but only gets a two count! Both men get back up and the slug fest begins. The UK crowd gets into as the Show begins to take the upper hand. Undertaker is knocked into the corner and Show charges, but Undertaker gets his boots up. Undertaker bounces off the ropes and ducks under an attempted right hand and the Undertaker hits the running lariat! Undertaker goes for the pin and gets the near fall.

Undertaker grabs the arm of the Big Show and heads to the top. Undertaker goes for Old School but Big Show counters with a huge right hand! The Undertaker is stunned and staggers across the ring but he's still not out. The big Show watches and measures the Undertaker as he gets up. He's thinking Roaring Fist and nails it to the back of the head/neck! Undertaker is out of it! The referee calls for the bell! WHAT?!

Winner :The Big Show (Pinfall via TKO) **1/2. The match was good news; surprisingly so in fact. However the ending made very little since and was clearly done to protect both men. If that was the objective, there had to be another way to do it. Especially considering the post-match shenanigans. Overall, Show and Undertaker do deliver a quality match-up here that just so happens to have a bad ending.

Post-match Undertaker is back on his feet and still wants to fight; which amuses the Big Show. Show pretends to go and tries to get a cheap shot but the Undertaker ducks under it a knocks Show out of the ring. This time Show is leaving while he still has his victory intact.

Up next Gail Kim will face Maryse for the Divas Championship! Yes!


WWE Divas Championship Match
Gail Kim vs. Maryse

I'd like to take this time to thank Vince McMahon. Maryse and Gail Kim for two weeks in a row? That was definitely the right call!

The women start of in each others faces. Maryse pie faces Gail and Gail answers back with a big right. Gail knocks Maryse to the mat with a boot and slams her face first onto the mat. Maryse is quick to get up though and answers back with a kick that sends Gail to the corner. Maryse charges but Gail slips out of the ring, letting Maryse crash and burn. Gail flips over Maryse and rolls her up but only gets a two count. Gail gets to the middle rope and springboards off into a cross body (hits right tonight) onto Maryse. Gail holds onto the pin and gets the near fall.

Gail and Maryse are back to their feet and Maryse stops Gail with a sot to the midsection and a face plant. Maryse is now in control and slams Gail's face repeatedly into the mat until the referee backs her off. Maryse continues slamming Gail into the mat, wiping her face on the mat and not even bothering to go for the Camel Clutch. By the time she gets around to it Gail knocks her off. Maryse goes for a side kick but Gail ducks under it and takes her down with a clothesline. Another clothesline to Maryse sends her to the corner. Big leaping clothesline by Gail Kim and she is now in control!

Gail Kim whips Maryse into the corner but Maryse blocks the charge with an elbow. Maryse steps up to the top rope but Gail blocks it. Frakensteiner from the top! That could be it! No; only a near fall for Gail Kim! Kim goes back the top, or at least tries to until Maryse decides to make a run for it. Gail chases her down and shoves her back into the ring but Maryse stuns her with a shot off the middle rope. Maryse drags Gail back in and hits the DDT. Unique pin on Gail and its over.

Winner :Maryse (Pinfall) **1/4. No real complaints here. A few slow spots since Gail is faster than Maryse, however Maryse continues to improve and both deliver a solid Divas match up.


Jeff Hardy…in the BOWERY!

Jeff is in the back and says that words like "extreme" and "intensity" meant everything to him. He used to know exactly who he was and know exactly where he wanted to go. For him, living for the moment was more than a catch phrase for him, but things have changed due to Matt. Matt beat him at Wrestlemania, which was the biggest match of his career. Matt said he would send Jeff home on a stretcher and he did that as well. Matt even pinned Jeff tonight. But, Jeff promises Matt's overconfidence will kill him. All of the pain and suffering Matt brought into his life will show and Matt will see he is as crazy as he's ever been. There won't be ladders, tables, chairs, or stretchers…just the words ‘I Quit'. And after Backlash when Matt is on Monday Night Raw he'll be known as the older Hardy brother who quit not just when it matter the most…but for the rest of his life!

Solid work by Jeff who seems to be challenging VINTAGE Raven more and more.


MVP is on his way to the ring! Commercial break!


-Did You Know? NO! And I don't want to know!


We get clips from MVP being a topic of discussion on The View…so that's what Long meant last week! I hope he does go on The View; that might be an Epic Win for all of us.

MVP vs. Chavo Guerrero

Next week at Madison Square Garden MVP will defend his United States Championship against Dolph Ziggler! Okay, exactly how did Dolph Ziggler earn a shot at the belt? And if it's that easy someone let me know, because I have a much better handshake than the former Spirit Squader.

Anyway, back to the ring and we start this one off with a collar-elbow tie up. MVP gets a side headlock but Chavo shoves him off, MVP answers back with a shoulder tackle. MVP is distracted by...himself apparently and Chavo takes advantage with a running double knee lift to MVP's back. Chavo goes on the attack, nailing MVP with punches before dragging MVP's arm on the bottom rope. Chavo slides in and hooks in and overhand armbar. MVP struggles for a moment as Chavo switches over to a hammerlock. MVP breaks out of it and counters with a scoop slam. Chavo gets to his feet and MVP takes him down with a back elbow. MVP follows up with a clothesline but Chavo answers with a big drop kick! Chavo hits a low dropkick that sends MVP to the outside.

Chavo leaves the ring and kicks MVP in his weakened shoulder before sending him back into the ring. Chavo climbs up the apron and is hits with a huge knee lift from MVP! Big vertical suplex brings Chavo back into the ring! He's feeling it! He's feeling it!

BALLIN!

MVP goes for the pin and gets a near fall. MVP whips Chavo to the corner and Chavo gets his boots up to stop him. Chavo charges and MVP counters with an overhead throw. Playmaker ends it for Chavito!

Winner :MVP (Pinfall via Playmaker) **. Decent match that survived solely on the chemistry and psychology between these two. It gets an extra half-point in protest of a certain individual getting a title match over Chavo.

Speak of the Devil. Dolph Ziggler's music (he has music?) hits and he comes out with an overblown and clearly fake applause. Dolph congratulates MVP on his win as the crowd asks ‘Who are you?' Classic. Dolph says the he hopes that lady off The View was watching because that was the last time he will leave a match US Champion. What he's trying to say is MVP's championship will be his and after he faces him next week at MSG he will introduce himself to that View lady as the new US Champion: Dolph Ziggler! …..Really? Really? It actually wasn't too bad…but I'm still scratching my head on how he so quickly got a championship match.

The Main Event is next!


-Apparently that Secrets of Magicians show still comes on. I thought that guy unmasked himself though and quit….hmmm…


Before we go to the match we get a replay of John Cena's promo from WWE Superstars and if you haven't seen it: go see it. Or read the Superstars recap done by 411's Rob McNew. Either way; check it out. Grisham and J.R. run down the card for Backlash as Batista heads to the ring. The rest of the entrances and eventually the match are up next!

Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. vs. Shane McMahon and Batista

We get a replay of the events from the main event at Raw, which can only mean that there may be some unresolved issues heading into this one. We start of DiBiase and Shane and a tie up. DiBiase forces Shane into the corner and goes on the attack. The referee makes him back off but it's not enough to stop DiBiase's onslaught. DiBiase finally backs up but Shane takes the moment to answer back with a series of rights. Shane Irish Whips DiBiase and meets him with a high back elbow! Arm drag, arm drag, and another arm drag from Shane. Shane drags DiBiase to his corner and tags in Batista and the Animal takes control.

Batista lifts DiBiase to his shoulder and walks within arms reach of Rhodes. DiBiase tries for a tag but Batista keeps knocking his hand away. Okay that was pretty funny. Batista prepares for a power slam and Rhodes makes a blind tag. However, Batista feels something's up and takes down Rhodes with a clothesline just as he steps into the ring. DiBiase charges and Batista catches him with a Spine buster! Power slam to Rhodes! Near fall for Batista.

Batista tags in Shane, who goes after the shoulder of Cody Rhodes. Shane drops him and hits a big elbow. However Rhodes answers back with a stiff shot to the back of Shane McMahon. Rhodes tags in DiBiase and they go for a double back suplex but Shane flips out of it! Rhodes and DiBiase goes for a double clothesline but Shane ducks out of the way, allowing Batista to take them both down with a double clothesline of his own! Tandem clotheslines send both members of Priceless to the outside! Commercial break!

We are back as Shane tags in Batista and they pull up Rhodes for a double suplex. Shane steps back and admires the stalling suplex before assisting in completing the move. Batista pins Rhodes and gets a two count. Batista whips Rhodes to the corner and hits a clothesline, tagging in Shane in the process. Batista sets Rhodes up with a pendulum Back Breaker and Shane hits the elbow from the middle rope. Shane goes for the pin but DiBiase breaks it up. Shane gets distracted long enough for Rhodes to hit a dropkick on the back of Shane's head.

Rhodes tags in DiBiase who goes on the attack, stomping Shane on the mat. Shane tries to get to Batista but DiBiase stops him and forces him back into his corner. Rhodes tags himself in and both men tandem whip Shane into the corner. Shane is on a knee and Rhodes takes him down with a stiff boot to the head. Rhodes goes for the pin and gets a two count. Rhodes keeps Shane in the center of the ring and attacks him with a few punches before putting Shane in his corner and going for another punch. Shane blocks it and begins answering back with strikes of his own but Rhodes counters with a Russian Leg Sweep. Rhodes tags in DiBiase and holds Shane as DiBiase comes off the middle rope with a double stomp on Shane's torso! DiBiase goes for the pin and gets the near fall.

DiBiase locks Shane in a standing chin lock and Shane breaks out of it with a double leg take down. Shane goes for his corner but DiBiase blocks him again and tags in Rhodes. DiBiase hits a big slam and Rhodes follows up with a deliberate knee drop. Rhodes goes for the pin and gets a two count. Rhodes is starting to get frustrated and stomps Shane as Shane tries to get back to his corner. Rhodes hits Shane with a Snap mare Takeover and locks Shane in an overhead chin lock. Shane struggles and fights back with shots to the midsection. Shane gets to his feet and Rhodes shoves him to the ropes. Rhodes goes for a suplex but Shane reverses it into a DDT! Both men are down!

Rhodes tags in DiBiase who cuts off Shane and knocks Batista off the apron. Shane tries to take advantage with a roll up but DiBiase knocks him into his partner who is again knocked off the apron! Shane takes down DiBiase and Batista is in the ring. Shane looks confused until Batista shoves him out of the way as Rhodes comes off the top rope. Spine buster! Mid-air Spine buster by Batista! Shane goes for the pin and gets the three!

Winner :Batista and Shane McMahon (Pinfall via Spine buster) **3/4. Not a bad main event at all. Good psychology from Shane and it continued to play on the slight breaks in the team of Batista/McMahon/HHH as well as giving Rhodes and DiBiase room to put on a solid performance.

Batista and Shane celebrate as Smackdown closes.


Final Thoughts: Good going home show that set up all of the big matches for Backlash well along with delivering several strong wrestling matches. The two big matches that were pushed were Edge vs. Cena and Jeff vs. Matt with the WWE Championship match getting a decent rub at the end. Of course, a major problem for the show continues to be that its operating as if the Draft just got finished happening. Once Backlash is in the books I'm expecting for things to refresh and the Raw talent actually start keeping on Raw. Despite that minor complaint it was an enjoyable night of wrestling.