Smackdown
Aaron's UnReal Time Smackdown Review: Edge Fights His Replacement
By Aaron Wood
Mar 5, 2010 - 7:06 PM

Hello my Gathering!  Sorry about the lack of videos this week, but I had a LONG day at work in this new assignment, had a migraine when I got home and fell asleep instead of prepping this show, so apologies.  Normal service will resume hopefully next week.

Or, it might not, because this should be the last major thing my computer does.  You may recall last week, I mentioned plans to get a new one.  Well, unless it's snowing yet again outside, like it did last Friday, it all kicks off tomorrow.  The point being I want to harvest some parts of this machine (Namely the DVD drives and soundcard, and possibly my TV card) to save some cash.  So while the new one is being built, chances are I'll be left with my laptop and the need to re-wire my PS3 because the HDMI will need to go into my DVR to watch TV and when I want my laptop on the net, will have to use it's Ethernet cable.

Anyway, on with the show!

LAST WEEK ON SMACKDOWN:  A portly chick helped Michelle out,  Spear.  Ziggler stole JoMo's spot.  Spear.  And at least Drew McIntyre's match was non-title...  Spear...

THIS WEEK…
We kick off with the Jericho & Edge stuff from last week, where Edge said he was in Jericho's head with spear after spear.

Shouldn't he be taking 2 for that flinching???
After the credits, it was the Spearmeister himself, Edge, who came out to the ring.  He's taking on Big Show tonight.  So, not only is he facing the other half of the tag champions, but also Chris Jericho's old partner.  Unfortunately, that ironically seems initially lost on the announcers.  After clips of seeing Edge beating Daniel Bryan's eventual bitch last week, Edge took the mic.  He claimed he was concerned for Jericho's frame of mind, because he kept yapping about how great he is, but he kept getting speared.  Edge then said "Spear" a lot, which made me wish this was Rhyno and he was saying "Gore".  It just works better.

Anyway, Big Show came out by himself.  How odd is it that in the last 2 weeks, both of the tag champions have been on Smackdown, and yet neither week have they been together...  Edge said Show was a depressing surprise.  Why ya here?  Oh yeah, Miz ran his mouth and got speared for it.  And hey, they have a match later, and he's getting speared.  Show said Edge wasn't the only reason Show was here.  He was there to find out who they were facing for the tag titles at Mania.  What he didn't say was that, for time, he'll probably get bumped to the pre-show match.

And hey, Mr. Speario, you got lucky against Miz last week.  This week?  Not so much.  He's the biggest athlete in the world.  He's dominant.  Edge wondered if Show was going to eat him.  Show said he ate crap like Edge for breakfast and promised top knock Edge out.  Edge had to pick up on the phrasing of eating crap for breakfast, because they would explain the breath.  Edge said that at Mania he would win and tonight, Big Show was getting speared.  Edge motioned as if he was going for a spear, which caused Show to flinch.

Edge noted Show must have thought he was getting a spear.  Spear.  Spear.  Spear.  Show charged Edge, but was low-bridged out before Edge celebrated.

We cut backstage to see Teddy Long looking at HBK's new DVD when THE SCOTTISH INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION~!, Drew McIntyre walked in.  Drew said people seemed to be under the impression he lost to Kane last week, but he needed Teddy to set the record straight.  Long turned to the camera and said by orders of Vinny Mac, Drew's apparent loss last week was expunged.  The record would show that Drew was still undefeated.  Long then turned to Drew and said that Kane was still in the Money In The Bank match, but he would be given another shot, this time against Matt Hardy, and it would be next.  Drew thanked Teddy and offered his hand, but Peanuthead walked away.  How rude.

Matt Hardy def. Drew McIntyre in a "Now this is just taking the piss..." Money In The Bank Qualifying match
After the break, Drew came out first, to give us clips of Drew's non-loss last week and his hissy-fit afterwards.  He was followed by Hardy, who came out first with his NXT rookie (and a guy I really like), Justin Gabriel.  Drew backed Matt into the corner and pointed at the Mania sign.  He began working on Hardy, but was caught with a couple of hiptosses and a schoolboy for a quick 2 count.  Drew was then clotheslined over the top to the floor, before having his head rammed on the apron.  However, McIntyre scored with something of a flapjack onto the guardrail.  Drew wanted to take the countout, but Matt rolled back in just before the commercials.

Drew had a head and arm lock on as we came back.  Matt got out and looked for a Side Effect, but Drew reversed into a neckbreaker for 2.  McIntyre countered a neckbreaker attempt from Hardy into a Northern Lights Suplex, picking up a 2 count form that.  McIntyre locked on an abdominal stretch on the mat.  After getting out of it, Hardy blocked a corner charge, but was cut off on the top rope.    Drew was knocked down though, and Hardy scored with the elbow to the back of the head.  Hardy looked to finish, but Drew reversed into the Futureshock DDT.  However, Matt backdropped out.  Another Twist Of Fate was countered with a Jacknife cover, but Hardy reversed it into a sitout pin for the three!  Drew has lost his first match!  Again!

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6.5/10 - Fairly short, and not altogether crisp.  At least the idea of Drew losing is going somewhere, rather than randomly tossing it away for the sake of it happening.  There's one MITB spot left, and right now, it looks like a mix of the great unpushed in the match that outside of Christian winning it right now, the winner means a rather surprising push coming.
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Drew, as we would say in Scottish vernacular, "tai'n a maddy" once again, ripping off the top of the announce desk and kicking a chair.  He then got in Matt Striker's face, telling him he would be at Wrestlemania.  He then kicked the steps before reclaiming his title.

In the back, John Morrison's parkour training was on the screen, and being admired by Slam Master J, who said he had been doing some himself, showing off his abs before leaving.  R-Truth and David Otunga came in.  Truth said he was a bit of a hothead after losing on NXT, but they were straight now. David affirmed this in a way that told everyone everywhere that they weren't OK.  David disappeared and they got talking about last week as they "got caught slippin'" in their 3-way with Dolph Ziggler, who jacked their Mania spot.  Morrison talked about people wanting to go to Mania, and they had one last shot tonight, and they had to get on the same page.  Truth said he had a few ideas for a team name.  Dis' & 'Dat?  Two Times What?  Maybe not.  Morrison came in with Black Magic & The White Shadow!  Truth retorted with Rock & Rap.  Either way, Truth had a name they could agree on.  The Unified Tag Team Champions!

Your WWE Rewind from last week is Shelton Benjamin's win over Punk to make Mania.

Shelton Benjamin def. Dolph Ziggler in a "That's more like the Ziggler we know and abide..." match
Somehow, before the match began, they pimped out tickets going on sale for Extreme Rules, sop if nothing else, we know that PPV survived.  After floating over a charge in the corner, Dolph tried the sleeper, but Shelton hit a jawbreaker to break it quick.  The Stinger Splash missed though, and Ziggler rolled Benjamin up for 2.  Ziggler stomped on Benjamin before hitting a nice dropkick for a 2 count.  Dolph locked in a chinlock, and when Shelton stood up on it, Ziggler hit a neckbreaker for 2.  Mr. Ziggles then hit his elbow drops for another near fall.  Ziggler looked for a monkey flip out of the corner, but Benjamin landed on his feet and then hit a backbreaker.  Ziggler reversed a whip, but was knocked down.  Ziggler missed a clothesline and was hit with a German Suplex for a 2 count.  Benjamin missed another corner charge and Ziggler looked again for the Sleeper.  When Shelton shook him off, he looked for the ZigZag, but Benjamin countered and hit a catapult into the corner before hitting Paydirt for the three.

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7/10 - Fun match to give Shelton some momentum.
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The announcers pimped out the main event, with Striker questioning if Edge was ready to face Big Show.

Out of the break, we saw the triple threat tag team match to face ShoMiz later.

Ezekiel Jackson def. Jimmy Wang Yang in a "What's with ECW guys being kept strong this week?" match
Jimmy Wang Yang was already in the ring before Zeke finally came home to Smackdown, only this time without a douchey little guy in a leather jacket.  Yeah...  This didn't last long, as the final and shortest reigning ECW champion, basically killed Yang.  Yang made Jackson look like a million bucks though.  The "Book Of Ezekiel" uranage won it in short order.

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3/10 - I'll go for three because of Yang's bumping.  Made it a more fun match.
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We cut backstage to see Rey Mysterio come up to his daughter with a Rey doll.  Tiffany appeared and Rey thanked her for looking after the kid.  Rey asked if she needed anything, before saying she could watch daddy on the TV, which came as something to a surprise to Aaliyah.  You know, as if she had never comprehended ever seeing her father on a big, black flat-screened box before.  Rey then got his kid to cross him in Spanish before he left Tiffany and the kid to have fun.

After the break, the Straight Edge Society came out.  Punk was in  a cutting-a-promo-on-the-way-to-the-ring kinda mood this week.  He said Rey's popularity came form one thing.  Parent's inability to be proper role models for their children.  The kids love Rey.  They filled the arena's, wearing his stuff and tune in to see their superhero.  And they do it subconsciously to fill the void their parents have left in them.  Mysterio wasn't a superhero.  In fact, he was the same average neglectful parent.  Last week, they cheered Rey's cowardice, because that was all they knew.  He was just a man, and he kept refusing to face Punk man-to-man.  He kept taking cheapshots and had stripped him of his right to be a three-time MITB winner.  Unprovoked, he put his hands on Luke, and Luke had been feeling guilty.  Well, Punk was in a forgiving mood.  He knew Luke was sorry.  Punk's forgiving mood then changed since he wasn't forgiving Rey.  He wanted Luke to make Rey answer for his actions.  And Gallows wasn't just fight for himself or Punk, but an entire society.

Rey Mysterio def. Luke Gallows in a "And that's Punk out of lackeys for Rey to beat.  Time to shave some more heads!  START WITH DARREN YOUNG!  GET RID OF THAT STUPID HAIRCUT!" match
The bigger Gallows got the upperhand early, and while Rey kicked out the legs, he turned a bulldog attempt by Rey into a back suplex.  Luke was hit with a headscissors, but Luke came back with a flying shoulderblock.  We saw Punk's NXT Rookie, and cheap-Orlando Jordan knock-off, Darren Young watching the TV.  Gallows continued to work over Rey, until he made a charge and sent out the ring.  Punk spoke to Luke as we broke.

We returned and Rey went down to a short clothesline. Rey kicked off Gallows, but was sent over to the apron, where he was sent into the ringpost, landing on the floor.  Gallows press slammed Rey back in the ring, and worked him over some more.  After a belly to belly suplex, Gallows hit the old Festus headbutts to the back and ribs, followed by a fallaway slam for 2.  Gallows locked on a bearhug, but Mysterio quickly fought out, before avoiding a corner charge.  Rey began to build momentum, picking up 2 off a crossbody.  Gallows came back with a clothesline for a 2 of his own.  Rey scored with something of a X-Factor before heading up top.  Gallows cut him off.  After being knocked down though, he caught Rey with his Fake-Kane uppercut and then hit a big splash for a close 2 count.

Rey locked in a guillotine on Gallows, looking for a submission.  Gallows got the rope, but Rey took out the leg, dropping him in 619 position.  Serena, however, protected Gallows.  Punk teased getting in the ring, allowing Gallows to look for a powerbomb.  However, Rey shifted his weight and downed Gallows in a pinning position for three!

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7/10 - A fun big man/little man match here.  Continues Punk's frustration.  Could do with setting up their Mania match now though...
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Punk looked for a GTS, but Rey fought him off and slipped out the ring as the Society seethed in the ring.

In the back, Jericho approached his old running buddy Big Show, putting over ShoMiz's recent good times.  However, Show knew what the platitudes were about though.  Jericho asked Show to kill Edge and show him he was still the giant destroyer Jericho knew he was.  You know it to Jericho.  Show said it wasn't about Jericho.  He wasn't facing Edge tonight for him.  He was doing it for himself.  He walked off and Jericho grinned, believing his job was done.

A pretty cool HBK/Taker advert for Mania, using "Ain't No Grave" by the late Johnny Cash.

The RAW Rebound was about HBK's Monday night., with his opening promo and tag title match loss at the end.  And Sheamus's attack on HHH afterwards as well.  Oh, how it makes my heart sing that all the little paranoid IWC members who were sh**ing themselves about HHH somehow finagling his match with Sheamus into some sort of title match because "HHH doesn't do midcard" are being shown to be so very wrong...

John Morrison & R-Truth def. The Hart Dynasty & Cryme Tyme in a "See, I knew it.  The Hart Dynasty weren’t in a six-person match, and so they lost!" Triple Threat match to become No.1 Contenders to the Unified Tag Titles
Morrison & Truth came out first, with Truth's entrance (sans Otunga) leading us to a recap of his night on NXT..  The Dynasty was next, followed by Cryme Tyme.  Only 2 men in the ring at the same time in this one, and it was Morrison and Shad who started off.  Morrison slipped out a slam, but was caught on a dive, being hit with a big spinebuster for a 2 count.  After the break, Morrison was still in, this time against JTG.  Shad tagged back in quickly, as he was whipped into Morrison.  JTG tagged in immediately again, but Tyson Kidd stole a tag form him.  JTG hit Kidd with a dropkick before leaving, forcing Kidd to tag in THE REAL CANADIAN BULLDOG, DH Smith.  Smith went to work on Morrison with a GREAT Belly-to Belly suplex sequence, ending with an overhead throw.  Smith looked for a suplex, but Morrison slipped out.  Morrison and Smith bonked together.  Cryme Tyme tried to tag in from Morrison, but when Tyson Kidd tagged in, and went after Cryme Tyme, this afforded Morrison the chance to tag in Truth.  Truth went to work on Tyson, with his usual offence.  DH Smith broke a pin, leading to the match breaking down.  Morrison took out Shad and Smith over the top.  JTG distracted Truth, allowing Kidd to springboard in with a missile dropkick for a 2 count.  Tyson then whipped truth off the ropes, but he ducked a clothesline and hit the Lie Detector for the three count.

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7/10 - Fun match that sets up Morrison & Truth as challengers.  I just hope I'm wrong in that this is going to end with Morrison turning heel again.
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Morrison and Truth celebrated their heading to Wrestlemania by doing some breakdancing.

Should there really be a shirt that says "Simply Flawless" that comes in size XXXXL???
After the break, we joined Simply Flawless and Vickie Guerrero.  They were sucking up to Vickie for helping last week.  The heels mocked the slap on Mickie.  And as a thank you, they had a present for Guerrero, her own Simply Flawless shirt.  Beth Phoenix walked up from behind, causing Michelle & Layla to leave.  Beth asked Vickie when she was getting her title shot.  Vickie blew her off at first and then said Beth wasn't the most dominant diva on Smackdown, she was.  And she wasn't getting a title shot unless she said so.  Beth told Vickie not to cross her.  Vickie said she wasn't intimidated, saying she should ask Mickie about crossing her.

Matt Striker & The Legend That Is Todd Grisham went over the current Wrestlemania card, pretty much in full.

Edge def. The Big Show in a "Why isn't Edge now challenging for the Tag Titles?" match
Edge tried to stick and move, but was quickly caught with a headbutt, leading to Big Show working over the No.1 Contender.  Edge slipped out the ring and caught Show on the top rope, before coming back in, but was run down.  Show continued to methodically work Edge over.  Show climbed out the ring, but Edge reversed a posting.  Back in the ring, Show hit another headbutt.  He followed with a bodyslam and some choking in the ropes.  Big Show locked in a chinlock, but Edge managed to jawbreaker out of it.  Edge was slammed over.  Show went up to the second rope, but his attempted Vader Bomb/Elbow Drop missed as Edge rolled out of the way.  Edge blocked a corner charge and looked for a DDT out the corner.  He was pushed off, but Edge kicked the legs out from Show, before hitting a bulldog for a deuce.  Edge looked for an Edge-O-Matic, but was thrown off.  Show called for the chokeslam, and grabbed Edge, but Edge countered into a DDT.  He then got up in the corner and called for the Spear before hitting it for the win.

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7/10 - Decent enough TV main.  No more, no less.
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Chris Jericho ran in from the crowd and looked for a belt shot, but Edge ducked it and hit yet another spear on the champ, leading Striker to give the "SPEAR! SPEAR! SPEAR!" line.  Edge got the mic again and got the crowd to chant along with the "Spear" buzzword, as Jericho took his leave up the ramp and the show ended.

OVERALL - Better show than last week, but not by a bunch.  At least there was a good deal of Mania-focus.  But it's certainly clear that Smackdown is WAY behind in priorities right now with RAW getting the Mania focus and NXT taking up creative's time as well.  The one thing I would like right now is for Jericho to get some heat on Edge.  I get where they're going with the Spear thing, but right now, it's heading into "forgone conclusion" territory.  Some form of ambiguity before Mania would be nice.  But otherwise, everything’s moving along just nicely.