411's WWE Smackdown Report 07.16.10

Posted by Steve Cook on 07.16.2010

Big Show exposes a new side of the Straight Edge Society, Jack Swagger tries to prove he didn't attack the Undertaker, and six of the Money in the Bank match competitors face off in singles matches! Check out the full article for details!

Hi, hello and welcome to 411's WWE Smackdown Report! I'm Steve Cook, and next week you'll be treated to a brand-new Smackdown recapper who will certainly present the action from the Blue Brand the way that only 411Mania.com can. As for tonight's show, we get something of a preview of Money in the Bank, as six of the men in the Smackdown Ladder Match have been paired off against each other in singles matches. We'll also find out if Jack Swagger can prove he was not the man who attacked the Undertaker.

Let's get it started!



Kelly Kelly & Layla weren't always the worst of enemies…they formed the Extreme Expose along with Brooke Adams back in 2007. Those were simpler times, where the ladies could just dance with each other and have a good time. Now it's all about the hate. Brooke was released in November 2007, but she loved her time in ECW so much she would later sign with TNA.

What?

We get a video package showing that last week Jack Swagger & Big Show had a match that led to Swagger being accused of the attack on the Undertaker.

LET IT ROLL! We are in Louisville, Kentucky, the childhood home of the GOAT, Muhammad Ali! It's also the place where I spent four of the best years of my life. I have a lot of good memories of Freedom Hall from my time in Louisville and it's always nice to see the old arena on television again, even if my Cards have left for a newer venue. Todd Grisham & Matt Striker are your hosts. Will Jack Swagger have an alibi? We'll find out tonight.

Match 1: Non-Title Match
Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Dashing Cody Rhodes

On Tuesday, the Nexus beat Kofi up pretty bad, and we get clips of it! Keep on keeping on, brothers! They also beat Cody up, but we don't get clips of that. Tieup, hammerlock by Cody, reversal by Kofi into a headlock takeover, head scissors by Cody, Kofi powers out and we're at a standoff. Tieup into the corner, Cody with a headlock, off the ropes, shoulder block by Cody. Off the ropes, Cody fakes Kofi out and rolls him up for two. He sends Kofi headfirst into the top turnbuckle and stomps him down in the corner. Kofi whips Cody into the other corner, jumps into his arms and starts punching away. African uppercut by Kofi, but Cody pulls him headfirst into the corner. Cody drops Kofi chest first on the top rope and kicks him in the head, sending the Intercontinental Champion to the floor. He recovers as we go to commercial…

We're back, and Cody has Kofi in the feared abdominal stretch. He stands right next to the ropes, yet he doesn't use them for leverage like 99% of his fellow bad guys would. He releases the hold, and Kofi lands a punch before Cody Russian Leg Sweeps him. Cody gets points for using his unpadded knee as a weapon, as he knee drops Kofi for a two count. The fans get behind Kofi as Cody goes back to the abdominal stretch, occasionally applying a claw hold in a nice variation. Striker keeps referring to Kofi's offense as "Standing Room Only Offense", which I'm pretty sure doesn't make any sense. Kofi tries to power out with a hip toss, but Cody reverses it with one of his own. He then gets ranaed by Kofi. Cody runs into an elbow from Kofi. Kofi lands a few shots. Off the ropes, Kofi with a double leg takedown. He then runs into an elbow from Cody, who climbs the ropes and bulldogs Kofi down to the mat! Cover gets two. A loud Kofi chant starts as Cody misses in the corner. He doesn't miss when Kofi's up top though, and he follows him up…Cody tries a superplex, but Kofi knocks him off. Frog cross-body splash!

But wait a minute, through hellfire and brimstone it's Kane! I think this one's going to be over pretty soon. The referee calls for the bell (which doesn't ring since the bell ringer is a Kentucky graduate) as Kane choke slams Kofi down to the mat. Cody gets one as well.

Winner: No Contest (6:52 aired, *½)
This match had a couple moments where it looked like it might have been going somewhere, but ultimately it didn't.

Kane has some breaking news. There will be a bludgeoning tonight. He knows Jack Swagger. Jack Swagger is a liar. Swagger will pay for his sins, and he will enjoy extracting his vengeance when he declares judgment on the condemned. LIGHT THE RING POSTS!

Still to come, Christian vs. Drew McIntyre! Matt Hardy vs. Dolph Ziggler!

Grisham & Ziggler are at ringside and they speculate about the condition of Rey Mysterio's ankle before showing us clips of Rey's recent issues with his ankle & Jack Swagger.

A doctor guy talks to Rey Mysterio and applies a brace to his ankle. Rey looks at the World Championship belt, and Josh Mathews asks how he's feeling. Rey still feels a lot of pain, especially when he stands up. How will he possibly be able to defend his championship at Money in the Bank. Rey says he's decided that he's not, and he will go out there tonight and forfeit his World Championship to Jack Swagger. He's not being serious. He will be there thanks to the support of the doctors & the ankle brace he's wearing. Jack showed him that what he did last week by jumping him was an act of desperation. Karma works in a mysterious way.

Jack Swagger is watching Rey's interview in his locker room and talking on the phone to somebody, who's stuck in traffic. In Kentucky, where nobody has any place to go. True story. He'll see this person soon, who has taught him a lot.

We get an exterior shot of Freedom Hall!

Match 2: Singles Competition
Drew McIntyre vs. Christian

Drew boots Christian in the gut and tries to whip him into the ropes, but Christian slides outside. They both end up on the apron and Christian ends up kicking Drew off after a series of reversals…he goes up top and cross-bodies Drew on the floor! Back into the ring, and Christian cross-bodies him there as well for a two count. Drew snaps Christian's neck on the top rope and covers for a two count. Drew throws Christian into the corner and punches him down. A forearm sends Christian to the mat and Drew applies his armbar that he likes to use as the fans get behind Christian. He fights out and elbows Drew in the corner, but when he goes up to the second rope, Drew knocks him to the floor!

After a commercial, Drew gets a two count. We're told Christian barely made it back into the ring before the ten count as Drew goes back to his armbar. Christian fights out, big right hand, kick, Drew slips out of a reverse DDT and rams Christian in the corner. Christian gets placed up top and that sets Drew up for the swinging DDT. Dude must not watch many Christian matches, but he manages to kick out at two. Christian punches away and hits the ropes, but Drew catches him on the cross-body attempt, which leads to Christian slipping out and hitting a reverse DDT for two. Dropkick off the second rope by Christian gets two! Drew runs into a drop-toe hold, Christian goes to the second rope and gets a kick in the gut by Drew for a two count. Drew catapults Christian into the corner, then punches him when Christian tries to go up top. Drew tries for a German suplex off the second, but Christian knocks him off and sunset flips him for two! Drew neck breaks Christian over his knee and gets a two count. Drew sets up for the Future Shock, but Christian backdrops him out of it. Up to the second, Christian with a flying uppercut! Drew with a boot, a series of reversals where both men try to apply their finishing moves, but the referee gets moved around and Drew thumbs Christian in the eye! Christian can't see, and Drew hits the Future Shock DDT to get the victory!

Winner: Drew McIntyre (8:22 aired, **½)
Pretty good match here. It felt like something was a little missing, otherwise it probably would have rated higher. I like the old Greco-Roman eye poke being utilized in victory by McIntyre.

Drew points in the general direction of the MITB briefcase hanging above the ring.

Alberto Del Rio wears a suit, reads a book and talks about his intelligence just like he did last week. I do enjoy the line where he says that an institute of higher learning was like a lactating mother, and he was a hungry baby. I can't say the Ville was full of MILFs, but I never hit the suburbs much.

Straight Edge Society Promo Time!

CM Punk, Serena, Luke Gallows & the Hooded Stranger are in the ring to speak on this. Punk quiets the Louisvillians and says that we all know he is a superior athlete that made his reputation by winning back-to-back money in the bank ladder matches at WrestleMania. While we live in a society where there are cracks in the foundation, we point fingers at the Society and think there's dissension in their ranks. There's not. They are all here and stand united and are stronger than ever…

Well it's the Big Show! Punk asks what he did to deserve this as Show makes his way to the ring with a big ladder and a small ladder. He protests that he was talking, but Show ignores him as he enters the ring. Punk tells them to turn his music off, but the sound guy doesn't listen. Hello? He's talking here. These people are listening to him. Show thought he was out there trying to put everybody to sleep. He knows that Punk's finisher is the Go 2 Sleep, but apparently Punk talking puts America to sleep. What does SES stand for, Snoozing Every Sunday? Punk corrects him. Show gets it, they're straight edge, they don't do anything wrong, they have short haircuts, Show does too. He's here because of Money in the Bank, to entertain everyone. As great as the SES is, "We stand here straight and don't do anything but talk about how great we are", or we can talk about something exciting, the first MITB match with the Big Show! That sounds exciting. Punk agrees, he can't wait to see Show climb up that ladder and do a 450 off of it, meaning his lazy 450 pounds falling off the ladder and falling through the ring to the earth. He tells his group to leave, and asks Show to entertain them while they sit at ringside. Show is hurt by Punk's meanness, but goes on to sell the MITB match. For one thing, if he's on top of a ladder and falls on top of somebody, that's it for them. Show is not very confident in the big ladder he brought to the ring, so he decides he will try and climb up it. Show breaks the second step! Embarassing, but that happens every now and then. He says he doesn't need a big ladder, so he brings out the little ladder. That won't work either. He breaks everything: cars, furniture, ex-girlfriends…he's afraid to have a dog in his house because he thinks he'll sit on it. He searched the country high and low, and Big Show's got a treat for us! Several crew guys bring out a freaking huge ladder, which is two really big ladders put together.. Show had it built…it weighs over 350 pounds, and for safety's sake it has a limit of 2,000 pounds! He sets it up. That is one fine piece of American ingenuity, that's what he calls a ladder!

Punk says that he's reminded of King Kong standing on top of the Empire State Building, and King Kong fell off. He says that if it wasn't for Kane injuring his arm, he wouldn't be in a sling, so he would be the one climbing the ladder like he has two times before and winning the MITB match. Gallows & the Stranger take the opportunity to attack Show from behind! Gallows hits Show in the head with the small ladder and they stomp Show down while Punk climbs the huge ladder and declares himself the winner. Of what, nobody knows, but Show gets back up and tosses Gallows & Stranger over the top rope. Punk is on top of the ladder with nowhere to go. Show climbs up, Punk tries to kick and elbow but has no luck as Show grabs him from behind…

AND UNMASKS HIM! HE BALD, YO! Big Show laughs and smiles while Punk whines and cries like a baby. The reaction shot here is one of the greatest things in recent memory and I expect it to be a GIF on every Internet forum in the world tomorrow…



Grisham is right, Punk looks like Big Show Jr.! Good fun segment here.

Jack Swagger finds out that the driver for his mystery friend is lost and is shocked because there are two roads in Kentucky. Hey, there are four in Louisville alone! He needs the evidence and needs it now! Yes, he's right. Be careful and get here quickly!

Match 3: Mixed Tag Team Action
Co-Women's Champion Layla & Trent Barreta (w/Caylen Croft) vs. Chris Masters & Kelly Kelly (w/Tiffany)

You know, I keep trying to form a mixed tag team with Reby Sky but she won't have any of it. Probably because I'm on the SD beat this week and not recapping her show. Anywho, last week Team LayCool beat Kelly up backstage. Those meanies! Michelle McCool is already in Kansas City, according to Matt Striker. Kelly & Tiffany do their hip bump with Masters in the middle. That's not nearly as scandalous as it sounds. Kelly slaps Layla to start the match, and rams her head into the top turnbuckle, then kicking Layla down. Kelly handsprings into a boot from Layla, who covers for two. Another slap from Kelly, but Layla sends her down and stretches her after a backbreaker. This is distracting. Also distracting is Rosa Mendes, who runs down while jumping rope. That actually takes a lot of athletic ability, or at least more than I have. The Dudebusters run over to help Rosa with her jumping rope, which Layla doesn't like at all. Masters runs over and clotheslines Croft & Barreta down, and Kelly takes advantage of all these distractions, hitting Layla with the K2 and getting the pinfall.

Winners: Chris Masters & Kelly Kelly (1:34 *)
It wasn't long enough to go anywhere wrestling-wise, but there was enough entertainment value here to keep me interested.

Rosa registers shock that her distraction would cost Layla the victory. That's not going to help her cause to join Team LayCool. She runs off while jumping rope before Layla tears her head off. If looks could kill…

Grisham & Striker hype the MITB PPV. Check out the 411 Wrestling Roundtable on Saturday for some predictions from the 411 staff!

Match 4: Singles Match
Matt Hardy vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero)

Matt talks about how he will win the Money in the Bank ladder match, cash in his MITB contract on that very night, and will leave Money in the Bank as Matt Hardy: World Champion. Yeah, and I'm going to get to form that mixed tag team I was thinking about during the last match. We go to commercial…

Alberto Del Rio enters a room and looks at a statue. He is an extraordinary man and full of bravery. He also sounds like one of those inspirational posters. He breaks stereotypes and competes with passion. People send him gifts like that statue.

The fans are behind Matt as we start, with Dolph briefly dominating on the mat before Matt fights out. Headlock takeover by Matt. Dolph fights up, off the ropes, shoulder block by Matt gets a 1 count. Matt goes back to the headlock, Dolph leans him against the ropes and kicks him in the gut. Matt fights back, whipping Dolph into the corner but running into an elbow. Dolph goes up, but Matt tries to knock him off…he ends up blocking an axe handle attempt from Ziggler and then knocking him over the top rope. Matt follows him outside and slams his head into the ring apron, but Dolph sends him into the barricade as we go to commercial…

We return and Dolph's still in charge. He drops a couple of elbows on Hardy, getting some extra height on the last one for a two count. Dolph applies the armbar, which must be the move of the month in the WWE heel locker room. Matt fights out, but Dolph kicks him and whips him into the ropes…Matt tries for a sunset flip but Dolph goes to the ropes and maintains the advantage with a stomp. Mr. Perfect neck snap by Dolph, and he covers for two. Striker refers to Dolph's fans as the Dolphins. I like it. Ziggler takes his time, which leads to Matt punching back. Matt goes off the ropes and runs into Ziggler…nothing comes of it and Matt goes down to the canvas. Don't know what that was about. But he recovers, hitting Dolph with two clotheslines and flap jacking him to the mat for a two count. Matt goes up to the second rope and yodels. Elbow to the back of the head gets a two count. Dolph elbows out of a Side Effect attempt, but Matt power bombs him out of a Famouser attempt and gets two. Matt misses a moonsault off the top, Dolph cradles him for a two count. Matt lands the Side Effect and covers for two, with Ziggler reaching the ropes with his fingertip! He slips out of a slam attempt and tries to apply the sleeper hold, but Matt breaks it. Vickie Guerrero gets up on the apron, which distracts the referee…Matt goes for a Twist of Fate, but Dolph shrugs him off and pushes him near Vickie! Fortunately he doesn't hit her, but it's enough of a distraction for Dolph to hit the Zig Zag! It's over!

Winner: Dolph Ziggler (8:31 aired **¼)
This match also came off a little flat to me, and there were some periods where there just wasn't a lot going on. Decent enough effort from these two, though nothing too special.

Why is somebody in Louisville wearing a Phillies jersey? And for heaven's sake, it's a basketball jersey! Of a baseball team! There's so much wrong with this.

Earlier tonight, Kane choke slammed Kofi Kingston & Cody Rhodes. It's been a tough week for those two, hasn't it?

Jack Swagger's picture is on the back of the WWE semi! Nice! He comes out to greet the man who provides the evidence that will prove he didn't attack the Undertaker. Looks kinda familiar, but I can't quite place him.

Main Event Promo

Jack Swagger comes out with who the graphic tells us is Mr. Swagger. Ah, Jack's dad! That's where I recognized him from, the 4th of July cookout at the Swagger house. Jack says that he has lived a fortunate life. When you have his physical genetics, it's easy to get caught up in the limelight and lose sight of friends and family when you're put on a pedestal. When you're being attacked by a monster like Kane, it's easy to lose sight of what's important, which is winning the World Heavyweight Championship. Tonight he will clear the good name of Swagger and prove that he had nothing to do with what happened to the Undertaker. On Memorial Day, he found time to spend with the one man that made him the All-American American American. He introduces us to his father! The Swaggers hug. On Memorial Day they did what they do best, they won and looked good.

Exhibit A is the Swaggers working out early in the morning. Jack did at least 175 pushups.
Exhibit B is the Swaggers winning the blue ribbon at the Memorial Day Father & Son Fishing Classic. Mr. Swagger says it was the biggest fish he's ever seen. It was a proud day! Any moment Jack stands beside his dad is a proud moment.
Exhibit C shows the Swaggers winning the Oklahoma State Chicken Wing Eating Contest. Man that chicken was good…

But through hellfire & brimstone it's Kane! Does he believe the Swaggers? Kane doesn't believe a word that he just said. Jack says he has more evidence. Exhibit D is Jack winning a 5K & his 64-year old father finishing second. He had nothing to do with it, but Kane goozles him! Mr. Swagger pleads with Kane not to hurt him, and Jack lands a punch and applies the ankle lock to Kane! But wait a minute, Rey Mysterio hobbles down and 619s Jack! Unnecessary! The Swaggers glare at Rey, but Kane is back up to his feet and he goozles Mr. Swagger & Jack! Jack manages to kick his way out, but Daddy doesn't, and Jack pleads with Kane not to do it…while not getting in the ring to stop him. He can't watch as Kane choke slams Mr. Swagger! Jack is angry, yelling "that's my father!" on the outside, but he still won't get in the ring, and he can only watch as Kane picks up Mr. Swagger and Tombstones him! Jack just walks off, emoting fear.

You know, I'm a Jack Swagger fan, but the kid's gotta man up here and protect his father. What kind of a son leaves his elderly father to be destroyed by Kane?

So long and good night, everybody!