Friday Night Smackdown!

Green Bay, Wisconsin
October 3, 2008
results thanks to pwtorch.com

-WWE Open.

-The new Smackdown opening montage and theme aired.

-JR and Tazz plugged Smackdown's all-star kickoff, then graphics showed the wrestlers from all three brands who will be present tonight, ending with The Undertaker, who got a big pop.

-They also plugged Jericho vs. Triple H vs. Matt Hardy for tonight.

-For you trivia buffs, Jeff Hardy was the first to make his entrance on MyNetwork TV. He came down for an eight-man tag match. During his entrance, Tazz mentioned that Vickie Guerrero wasn't in the building, and wondered who was running the show.

1- JEFF HARDY & REY MYSTERIO & FINLAY & BATISTA vs. MVP & JBL & THE BRIAN KENDRICK & KANE

During MVP's entrance, Hurricane Helms popped in to say that if MVP is the highest-paid star on Smackdown, he wants his money back. Something tells me the entrances will end up taking as much time as the match.

Finlay and Kendrick started the match for their respective teams. Fit used his smashmouth style to ground Kendrick, then tagged Batista. Back in was Finlay, who held the advantage over Kendrick on the outside of the ring. Hornswoggle even got into it, throwing himself onto MVP as the show went to break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Kendrick continued to play the faces' whipping boy with Rey Mysterio in the ring. Kendrick got his first offense against Finlay, then did his little dance, and unbeknownst to him, Hornswoggle was mocking him with a dance of his own in Kendrick's jacket. Kendrick finally saw it and chased Horny, and Finlay chased Kendrick. Ezekiel played a part in stopping Finlay. It was the heels turn on offense, as both JBL, Kane and MVP had their way with Finlay. JBL and Finlay both found themselves on the mat, but both were able to make tags; to MVP and Batista. Batista tossed MVP and Kendrick around, then hit a spinebuster on Kane. Batista powerslammed MVP then Rey got on Batista's shoulders and splashed MVP. Kane tripped up Mysterio on a 619 attempt and pulled him out of the ring; the show went to break again.

[Commercial Break]

It was Kane and Mysterio in the ring out of break. They didn't stay in the ring together very long, which was smart, as Kane tagged Kendrick in. JBL walked right in front of Batista, who was on the apron, and did his fall-away slam on Rey, looking at Batista all the way. That was cool. Batista broke up the three-count though. Hardy and MVP made simultaneous tags, and the crowd went wild. Things started breaking down after Hardy hit Whisper in the Wind. Mysterio hit a 619 on MVP then jumped on Kane, who was on the outside. Jeff hit his Swanton on MVP to pick up the win.

WINNERS: Hardy, Finlay, Batista & Mysterio at 20:09. Interesting to debut with a 20-minute match, knowing how WWE feels about matches “drawing” on free TV. Still, it was an action-packed match and a good choice to open things up.

-They showed highlights of the Big Show-Undertaker feud, and its beginnings at the last PPV.

-Show was walking backstage....and may be headed to the ring. Not sure though, as they chyron said “tonight,” rather than “next.”

[Commercial Break]

-Teddy Long, Tiffany and Mike Adamle were in Vickie's office. Big Show walked in and asked what they were doing in her office. Tiffany asked how Vickie was doing and Show told them to leave HIS office. Chavo walked in after they left, still favoring his back. Chavo said they need to come up with a plan so Taker doesn't get to him tonight. Show told him to shut up and that he's in charge. Chavo said he's a Guerrero and he should be in charge. They argued over whose fault it was and Show put Chavo in a match and said if he doesn't wrestle that match, he'll face Show himself.

-Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix came out. Marella said unless you've been hiding under JR's hat for the last year, you know who he is. He put up the Honk-A-Meter, and he was listed as holding the belt for 6.71 weeks. Santino said Shelton Benjamin was only champion of the United States, while he was champion of all the land masses protruding out of the seas. In other words: Planet Earth. Santino faces Shelton next.

[Commercial Break]

-Shelton came on the big screen first, and called Santino Beth's girlfriend.

2- SANTINO MARELLA vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN

Santino grabbed a headlock and said “See? I told you! I am the best!” The definition of speaking too soon, because Shelton took over with a boot to the face and a short-arm clothesline. He got a few more moves in before R-Truth's music came on and he started rapping his theme in the crowd. Shelton continued punishing Santino in the ring. Benjamin finally got distracted once Killings got to the front row, and that allowed Santino to pull Benjamin off the ropes and roll him up for the win.

WINNER: Marella, at 2:12.

-R-Truth went up the aisle and once at the top of the ramp, looked at Benjamin in the ring and shouted “What's up!?”

[Commercial Break]

-The Big Show came out. Show made it a point to talk to Vickie and said he had arranged a special match to make Vickie feel better.

3- CHAVO GUERRERO vs. MARK HENRY & THE GREAT KHALI

Chavo jawed at Show when ring announcer Justin Roberts announced that the opponent was Mark Henry. It only got worse from there.

Henry with a very wet headbutt after a blocked Chavo punch. Khali quickly tagged in and landed his skull chop. Henry came back in and hit the World's Strongest Slam, then tagged Khali. Good teamwork by the heels, I suppose. Khali locked in the vice grip for the victory.

WINNERS: Henry and Khali, at 1:38.

After the match, Show punched Chavo with a straight right hand outside the ring. Show got the mic and told Undertaker he hoped he was watching and said that punch could be coming for Taker at No Mercy. The bell tolled and the lights flickered on and off. Show managed to get to the aisle and when the lights came back on, Taker was in the ring. The two stared at each other and Taker did the throat-slash gesture.

[Commercial Break]

4- TED DIBIASE & MANU & CODY RHODES vs. PRIMO & CARLITO & CM PUNK

The three next generation guys did an inset interview before the match and said that the Raw brand was supreme. Carlito said it was supposed to be 2-on-2, but he knew that Manu would be outside the ring and then proposed a six-man tag. Well, I thought it was already a six-man. Primo stole Carlito's line again and then Punk was introduced as a partner.

The heels worked over Primo, mainly in their corner. Manu did a diving headbutt, shades of yes, Umaga. Double-stomp by Dibiase on Primo. Primo almost made a tag, but couldn't quite get it. Russian leg-sweep by Cody. Primo finally made a tag, and Punk came in and cleaned house. Cody broke up a pin attempt by Punk on Dibiase and all six guys came in the ring. Carlito and Primo dove onto Rhodes and Manu on separate sides of the ring, while Punk hit the GTS on Teddy for the win.

WINNERS: Primo, Carlito and Punk, at 4:15.

-Jesse and Festus were watching backstage, and JR thanked them for helping WWE move to MyNetwork TV. They were still clad in their MyMovingCo clothes and had boxes that said that littered around their locker room.

-A bunch of divas came out for a Divas Lumberjack match, which is next.

[Commercial Break]

5-BETH PHOENIX vs. MICHELLE MCCOOL- LUMBERJACK MATCH

They really could've saved this match for a PPV. I know, WWE thinks women don't draw on PPV so why save a match for that when you can give it away on TV? But if they built it up correctly as a brand champion vs. brand champion, or if one of them were to switch brands, it could be big.

Beth shoulder-blocked Michelle down, and McCool came back with a roll-up for two. Beth got some interesting power moves in, including a complicated bell-to-back suplex. Interestingly, neither women went to the outside for quite a while. Kick to the face by Michelle for two. Beth rolled to the outside, as did McCool. She got jumped by the heel divas, and the face divas made the save. Maryse punched Michelle, but that didn't seem to really slow her up much. Maryse tried to interfere again, but Michelle kicked her away. But it allowed Beth to hit the Glam Slam for the win.

WINNER: Phoenix, at 3:47. Awkward in a few spots, but for the most part, it was solid. They both have their strengths in the ring, and it would be interesting to see how they'd do if given more time.

-They plugged the main event champion vs. champion vs. champion.

[Commercial Break]

-A video package previewed HBK and Chris Jericho's match at No Mercy.

-JR and Tazz previewed the No Mercy card.

-Matt Hardy and Triple H came out for the champion vs. champion vs. champion match.

[Commercial Break]

6- MATT HARDY vs. TRIPLE H vs. CHRIS JERICHO- TRIPLE-THREAT MATCH

The three started by jaw-jacking with each other, then Jericho got double-teamed. Triple H was the last man standing after Jericho got thrown into the ring-post shoulder-first, then Hardy got DDT'd by Trips. On the outside, Hardy tossed Triple H head-first into the announce table. Jericho hit a springboard dropkick on HHH, who collided on the apron with Hardy, and both men went down. The show then went to break.

[Commercial Break]

Hardy did the yodeling elbow onto Jericho as the show came back. Jericho continued his onslaught on HHH that started during the break. And as I type that, HHH hit a spinebuster on Jericho. Jericho threw Triple H out of the ring and Y2J went to work on Hardy. He tried a super-plex, but we got the powerbomb/super-plex combo with Triple H that we do in EVERY triple-threat match now. All three men were down, but HHH laid an arm over Jericho to get a two-count. Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho on HHH. Triple H nearly got to the ropes, but Jericho pulled him back to the center of the ring. Hardy interfered to break things up. Inside cradle by Hardy for a very near-fall. Hardy hit some of his pet moves, and avoided the Codebreaker. Hardy hit the Side Effect on Jericho, but Triple H snuck in to hit the Pedigree on Hardy for the win.

WINNER: Triple H, at 12:21. Well, it was the obvious outcome. I don't mind Triple H winning because he IS the champion on Smackdown.

After the match, Jericho hit the Codebreaker on HHH. Jericho went under the ring and retrieved a ladder. He knocked Matt out with it. He was about to slam Matt into it, but Jeff Hardy made the save and knocked Jericho out of the ring. After checking on Matt, Triple H came from behind, but Jeff hit him with the Twist of Fate. Jeff got on top of the ladder to dive on Triple H, but Vladimir Kozlov came out. Kozlov headbutted H