Friday Night Smackdown!
Houston, Texas
February 15, 2008
results thanks to pwtorch.com
-The new Smackdown HD opening montage aired, the Michael Cole and Coach
introduced the show as the cameras paned the crowd and pyro blasted.
1 -- BATISTA vs. MVP
MVP bailed out early in the match when outpowered by Batista. MVP returned to
the ring and kicked Batista in the stomach to take over for a minute. Batista
came back and hit a running boot to MVP while sitting in mid-ring. MVP
side-stepped Batista and threw him face-first into the middle turnbuckle. It
went back and forth for a while until Batista took MVP's legs out from under him
and eventually locked on the igure-four leglock. Coach said he's never seen
Batista use the figure-four before. MVP reached the bottom rope. MVP rolled to
ringside and they cut to a break.
[Commercial Break]
Back live Batista was still on offense, a change of pace from the norm where the
heel is usually in control after the break. MVP quickly took over, though, and
rammed Batista into the ringpost, then began working over Batista's left arm.
MVP scored a near fall at 12:00 after another kick to the face. He went back to
working on Batista's left arm. MVP tossed Batista to the floor, then whipped him
into the steel steps. He rolled Batista into the ring and scored another two
count. Cole and Coach talked throughout the match about these two and the other
four in the Elimination Chamber. Batista wrapped Batista's arm around the
ringpost, then yanked him by the arm into it shoulder-first. Batista blocked it
a second time and yanked MVP into the post instead. MVP recovered quickly, but
Batista caught him and rammed him back-first into the ring apron. MVP went after
Batista's arm again in the ring, then rolled up Batista with a yank on his
tights for a two count. Afterward, MVP threw Batista shoulder-first into the
ringpost. Cole said this match is all about momentum headed into Sunday. Batista
caught a charging MVP with a spear. Then he threw him shoulder-first into the
ringpost twice and then hit the Batista Bomb for the clean pin. Afterward, MVP
insisted that Justin Roberts, the ring announcer, proclaim that he is still the
U.S. Champion. Then MVP limped toward the back.
WINNER: Batista in 16:00.
STAR RATING: *** -- Really nice effort from both guys. They both logically and
consistently worked over a body part. They each convincingly and consistently
sold. There was a clean pin, also.
-Backstage, Zach Ryder and Curt Hawkins offered to be there for Edge tonight.
Edge said he had to do things alone. He looked nervous, like he's trying to
convince himself to be brave.
[Commercial Break]
-The John Cena "No Shortcuts to Your Goals" spot aired.
2 -- ZACH RYDER & CURT HAWKINS vs. DEUCE & DOMINO (w/Cherry) vs. SHANNON MOORE &
JIMMY WANG YANG vs. JESSE & FESTUS
WWE is really dedicated to get a classic car to an arena each week for Deuce &
Domino given how they basically are jobbers. When Cole said Moore kicked out at
two, Coach tried to give Cole hard time for saying he kicked out after two,
sarcastically asking if he kicked out at six. It was failed attempt to give Cole
a hard time. There are many things to give Cole a hard time about. That's not
one of them. Festus was his normal self, so the continued psych treatment hasn't
done any good. After the match, the heels attacked the winning team, but Festus
didn't help defend his partners because the bell rang to stop the match, so he
reverted to his calm self. Jesse rang the bell at ringside to set Festus. Festus
cleared the ring like a madman. Jesse then rang the bell again to calm Festus.
WINNERS: Wang & Moore & Festus & Jesse when Yang pinned Deuce in 3:00.
STAR RATING: 3/4* -- Short, but the post-match angle with Festus was funny.
Festus plays his role really well.
-They cut backstage to Vickie Guerrero being made up by the make-up artist.
Teddy Long stood behind her with the expression broken soul body language.
Vickie said she hopes Edge asks the big questions. She wanted to be made perfect
for this special night.
[Commercial Break]
3 -- VICTORIA vs. MICHELLE MCCOOL
Chuck Palumbo rode to ringside and revved his motorcycle to annoy, distract, and
intimidate McCool. It worked. It's funny how the totally cool motorcycle revving
was a babyface gesture a few months back when Palumbo returned, but now it's
seen as annoying and heelish. McCool complained to Chuck, giving Victoria a
chance to sneak in a Widow's Peak for the win.
WINNER: Victoria in 2:00.
STAR RATING: 1/4* -- Not a lot to the match, but the motorcycle intimidation was
effective at getting Palumbo over as playing mindgames.
-After the match, Palumbo entered the ring, stepped on her arm to hold her down,
then talked down at her saying he told her he was going to beat up her boyfriend
and make her watch. He stepped on her hair and continued to trash talk her and
told her to get used to his new attitude toward her.
4 -- UNDERTAKER vs. BIG DADDY V (w/Matt Striker)
The series of matches between people in the Elimination Chamber continued with
this battle. When Taker jumped onto the ring apron to complain to the ref, Taker
ran and knocked him down. Daddy V used that chance to jump Taker from behind and
shortly thereafter toss him to ringside where Striker took a cheapshot. A minute
later Taker took Daddy V down with a flying clothesline and then his top rope
walk into a forearm. He followed up with a DDT for the three count. Undertaker
locked Striker in his new submission hold afterward, prompting frantic tapping
by Striker.
WINNER: Undertaker in 5:00.
STAR RATING: 3/4* -- That was actually passable. It's one of those matches you
might be predisposed to hate, but it was just fine for a short, decisive win by
Taker against a bigger wrestler. Almost entirely across the board, WWE wrestlers
are looking less musclar than tey did six months ago. There are a few apparently
genetically gifted exceptions.
WHAT HAPPENED: 2ND HOUR
[Commercial Break]
-Edge was shown pacing nervously backstage. Michael Cole and Coach were shown on
camera briefly, then they threw to a video package on the Elimination Chamber
followed by Cole and Coach running down the line-up for No Way Out. Kane's ring
intro took place.
[Commercial Break: It's hard to imagine Smackdown didn't lose some second hour
viewers by having two commercial breaks and a video package and PPV plug in the
opening 11 minutes of the hour when a lot of new viewers are shopping around for
a show to get invested in.]
5 -- KANE & C.M. PUNK vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN & CHAVO GUERRERO
Odd foursome to be put in a tag situation. There's no link between either pair
of partners. Cole got revenge on Coach, giving him a hard time for saying
Shelton and Chavo "don't team up hardly ever." Cole said, "I don't think they've
ever teamed together before tonight." Coach said, "That's what I said." Cole
responded, "You said hardly ever, actually." Punk hot-tagged Kane at 4:00 and he
took Chavo down with several clotheslines. Kane hit a sideslam, then hit his top
rope clothesline. Shelton broke up the three count. Kane choked him in response.
Chavo and Shelton went for a double-team, but Kane took Chavo down with a
clothesline and Punk springboarded into Shelton with a clothesline. Punk then
gave Chavo his GTS for the win.
WINNERS: Kane & Punk in 7:00.
STAR RATING: *
-A video feature aired hyping Steve Austin's new DVD.
[Commercial Break]
-The Raw Rebound aired.
[Commercial Break]
-A recap aired of the Finlay-Hornswoggle-Vince McMahon "Kiss My Ass" segment on
Raw.
6 -- THE GREAT KHALI (w/Runjin Singh) vs. FINLAY (w/Hornswoggle)
Coach pushed hard how fans must watch the Elimination Chamber this Sunday if
they've never seen it before. What about those of us who have seen it before?
Khali absorbed some early forearms by Finlay and methodically knocked him around
the ring and ringside. Finlay yanked Khali's neck across the top rope, but when
he entered the ring, Khali clotheslined him. Khali then applied a long nerve
hold in mid-ring. Cole said, "Imagine what that must feel like." I have a
suggestion. Imagine what it's like to watch it. Khali gave Finlay a big boot as
soon as he escaped. When he charged in the corner, Finlay moved and then climbed
to the top rope and leaped off into Khali's big hand. Khali lifted and slammed
Finlay to the mat hard. Hornswoggle ran into the ring and hit Khali with the
shillelagh. Singh went after Hornswoggle, but Hornswoggle kicked him away. Khali
then grabbed Hornswoggle and shoved him hard to the mat. Finlay then hit Khali
with the Shillelagh in the arm and then the head. Khali went down. Finlay made
the cover and got the pin.
WINNER: Finlay in 6:00.
STAR RATING: 1/2* -- Man, there was a time Khali doing a job meant something.
Not that the shillelagh wasn't used, but it's not the type of devastating
foreign object blow that seems like it should take down the giant. This show is
hardly building up a sense of jeopardy for the Smackdown babyfaces in the
Chamber on Sunday.
-Long wheeled Vickie toward the ring. Her wheelchair legs were wrapped in red
and white boas or feathers or something. They cut to the ring with an elaborate
display of flowers bouquets and balloons.
[Commercial Break]
-Edge walked to the ring. He said he's been in many big matches, but for the
first time in his life he's really, really nervous. He said he's called the
Rated-R Superstar, but tonight it stands for "really, really in love." The
wedding song played as Long wheeled her to the ring. She had a mild-wide grin of
anticipation on her face. Long stoically helped Vickie to her feet and into the
ring. Edge held the ropes open for her. Long folded the wheelchair, then slipped
it into the ring and set it up for Vickie to sit in again. Edge signaled for
Long to leave the ring. Edge said before he asks her the special question, he
wants to sing her a passage from a song, a close personal friend, and a member
of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Edge sang, "Baby, you're all that I want,
when you're lying here in my arms, I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in
heaven. And love is all that I need and I found it there in your heart, it isn't
too hard to see, we're in heaven." He was badly out of tune; Vickie reacted like
it was the greatest thing she had ever heard. Edge said the World Heavyweight
Championship isn't the most important thing in the world to him. He said he's
found something more important. He got down on one knee and said he wants her to
make him the luckiest man in the world. "Vickie, will you be my wife" He then
presented her a ring. The crowd booed, but Vickie said she would. They made out
as the violins played.
Rey's music played. He stepped out and said it disgusted him. He said now that
Vickie is getting married, he hopes she's dropping the Guerrero name because as
of now, she's disgracing it. Edge got upset and insisted Rey apologize to his
fiance. Rey told him to take it easy. He said if Rey doesn't apologize, after No
Way Out, he'll be in a wheelchair, not Vickie. Rey entered the ring as the crowd
chanted "619, 619." Rey spoke in Spanish, then told Edge in English he's done
apologizing. He said if he loves Vickie so very, very much, we'll see how much
he loves her after he beats him at No Way Out and becomes the new World
Champion. Re fought off an Edge attack and gave him a quick 619 followed by an
attempt at a springboard Thesz press. Edge ducked and Rey landed on Vickie,
knocking her backward in her chair and knocking her out. Rey didn't seem overly
remorsful. Edge ran to her side and checked on her as the show ended with Rey's
music playing.