LAST WEEK ON SMACKDOWN:  Boogeyman enhanced his gimmick with an invisible space-hopper, MVP & Benoit couldn’t wait for Sunday and Scotland once again had a glorious failure just like it lost it’s mind to think right yesterday…)

THIS WEEK…

A change of pace...

This week's show kicked off not with pyro or right into an opening video but with Cole & JBL hyping up the Last Man Standing Match from Backlash before sending it to some vox pops from the fans on the match.  Then we got the usual opening credits leading right into...

Boogeyman def. William Regal by DQ in an "A DQ at the 2 of a guaranteed 3 count?  Meh...a win's a win..." match

Boogeyman came out first, and he brought a friend with him.  However, he wasn't of the Big & Red variety.  He was of the small and doppelganger one.  That's right, Lil' Boogeyman was BACK!  Unfortunately, Regal didn't have any little versions of himself with him.  He just had Dave Taylor...

They locked up with Boogey using his superior power, backing Regal into the corner.  Another lock up saw Boogeyman move into the side headlock.  Regal fought off Boogeyman in the corner, but he was pushed back.  However, Taylor distracted Boogey, allowing Regal a cheapshot.  Regal was able to kick Boogey's head into the ringpost.  Regal got some knees to the face, followed by a back elbow form an Irish whip for 2.  A chinlock was fought out of by Boogeyman, but Regal punched him down for another 2.  Boogeyman hit a high boot, following up with a charge in the corner.  Boogey then hit the Chokebomb, but Taylor stopped the count at 2, causing the DQ.  Taylor attacked the Boogeymen, but Kane came out and chased the Brits out and through the crowd.

Thoughts - 5/10 - Not much to see here, and to be honest, Boogeyman was moving a bit slow, but it was OK.  Nowt special though.

Don't get your hopes up anyone...

After, for whatever reason, we took in a recap of Vince McMahon's ECW Title win, we went backstage, where Teddy Long had former World Champion and recent Hall of Famer, Dusty Rhodes with him, and he was interviewing for the Assistant position. However, Dream thought he was in for the GM job.  So, when it came down to it, Rhodes didn't fancy it, and turned it down.  MVP barged in as Dusty left, claiming that if he wasn't given another US Title shot, he would bench himself for the rest of his contract.  Long didn't budge though and said MVP would have to earn it.  Against Kane.  In the main event.  Buggery.  MVP stormed out, revealing that Sergeant Slaughter, Brooklyn Boston Brooklyn Brawler and The Miz were outside ready to interview to be Long's own personal Jonathan Coachman.  MVP was just brilliant here.

Brian Kendrick def. Domino in a "I bet Domino would have won if he was Jimmy Snuka's kid..." match

London still wasn't officially OK to go, but his bandage had been downgraded from full warp around to a bandage.  The champs followed, with Cherry looking HOT!  They locked up, with Kendrick getting a headlock (oh no...not again...).  They went on to exchange hammerlocks.  Domino was clotheslined over the top, with Spanky following him out with a dive through the second rope.

Back in the ring, a knee drop off a snapmare got Domino a 2 count.  Domino put on a front facelock, but Kendrick got out of it and came off the ropes only to be hit with an elbow for another 2 count.  A bodyslam saw Domino hit the second rope, but Kendrick got a boot to the face.  Domino missed a charge, with Kendrick kicking at the legs.  Spanky took Domino down a few times, before a splash in the corner, followed by an enziguri.  Deuce got on the apron, but London stopped him, although he took a kick to the ribs for his trouble.  However, Spanky grabbed hold of Domino and hit the Sliced Bread #2 off of Deuce for the win!

Thoughts - 6/10 - Pretty decent match here.  Better than last week, especially since it didn't have the extended headlock sequence.

Matt Hardy def. Ken Kennedy in a "I wonder how many Wrestlemania Main Eventers Matt Hardy has beaten?" match

After another tease of them showing us highlights from Backlash, Kennedy came out, and in a great touch, there was a countdown on the screen (331 days to go).  Kennedy said that there were 331 days until he cashed the MITB case in and a new champion.  His briefcase also had his motif on it, a la RVD's last year.  Just before the match began, JBL predicted that Kennedy would face Hardy in the Wrestlemania main event.  BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Hardy got a headlock takedown, , but Kennedy rolled it over for a 2 count.  He pushed Hardy off, but Matt came off the ropes with a shoulder block, putting Kennedy down.  Kennedy got a headlock takedown of his own, but Hardy countered with a headscissors.  Kennedy got out of it, but Matt locked in a quick front facelock.  When they got back on their feet, they exchanged arm wringers, with Hardy getting the better or it, initially, taking Kennedy to the mat.  But Kennedy fought back with elbows to the jaw, before he kicked at Hardy while Matt was on the mat.  A Kennedy corner charge was blocked with a high foot, allowing Hardy to take down Kennedy again with the headlock.  At the ropes, Kennedy delivered a couple of straight punches, before going for a piledriver.  However, Hardy countered out of it, sending Kennedy over the top rope to the floor, as we also saw Kennedy was bleeding from the nose.

Back form break, Hardy hit a standing elbow drop for a 1 count.  Kennedy got an armbreaker, before whaling away on the shoulder.  He rammed Hardy's shoulder into the turnbuckles for a 2 count.  Kennedy worked a top-wristlock with a bodyscissors to boot.  Hardy punched his way out of it and whipped Kennedy into a corner.  They took each other out.  Matt sent Kenneth outside and tried to follow, but Kennedy kicked Hardy into the steel steps.  Back in, Kennedy scored a 2 count form it, prompting Kennedy to knee and punch Hardy’s back.  A snapmare saw another headlock (this time of the European variety), adding some knees to the face for good measure.  Hardy slugged out of it though, but Kennedy countered a whip with a kick to the chest and a clothesline for 2.  Kennedy locked in a sleeper with bodyscissors, but Hardy elbowed out of it.  Hardy took a couple of stiff looking knees to the head, scoring Kennedy a few close 2 counts.

A corner charge by Kennedy was countered, as Matt punched away, forcing Kennedy into the other corner, where he hit the clothesline/bulldog combo, but the bulldog was countered.  Kennedy went for his briefcase, but Hardy kicked it away from him.  Hardy then hit the clothesline/bulldog combo.  .  Kennedy elbowed Hardy, and went up top, but Hardy caught him, but Kennedy dropped, draping Hardy, but when Kennedy approached, Hardy hit him with the Side Effect for 2.  They exchanged Big Boots and covers.  Kennedy went for the Rolling Samoan Drop on the mat, but it was initially countered.  Kennedy got it at the second go though for a VERY CLOSE 2 count.  Kennedy went up top, the Kenton Bomb met with knees, allowing Hardy to get a 2 count.  Hardy got the second rope leg drop for 2.  The Twist Of Fate was shoved off, but the Irish Whip attempt was countered, Hardy hitting the Twist Of Fate for the clean win!

Thoughts - 9/10 - Yeah, I'm going there.  I mean...Wow.  That was a great TV match, in a month where TV matches were possibly re-defined.  Great action from beginning to end, with the action perfectly clean.  Excellent stuff.

What a torn bicep gets you...

They sent it to somewhat-extended highlights of the Last Man Standing match from Backlash.  Only problem was they showed us a bunch of the main spots already in hyping this.  Although the multiple angle replays of the final spot were cool.  After that, Teddy Long announced that next week on Smackdown, Taker & Batista would face each other for the final time.  And this time, it was a steel cage match.  Kinda tells you that they would have done Hell In A Cell at the PPV if Taker could last that long.

Jimmy Wang Yang def. Gregory Helms in a "I guess they'll need to take the belt off Chavo if he's offski..." match

After Maryse welcomed us back, we had us some cruiserweight action.  Cole clapped along in a hoe-down stylee while JBL pronounced Maryse's name as "Maurice".  Thankfully, Gregory had stolen his doo-rag back from Vinny Mac.  Yang got a headlock takedown, but with a countered with a headscissored out of.  Another headlock was shoved off, but Yang came back with a shoulder block.  An arm drag by Yang crated separation, before the locked in an armbar.  Helms tired to arm drag out of that, but Yang held on, but he ended up dumped to the outside.  Helms speared Yang into the apron, before rolling him back in the ring for a one count.  Helms locked in a modified single leg Boston Crab, where Helms could punish the back with his knee. A suplex by Helms was followed with a bearhug, which was transitioned into a backbreaker for 2.

Yang got a headscissors takedown, before flipping out of a German suplex attempt before taking Helms down with a couple of dropkicks.  Yang went up top, but Helms caught him and hit an Electric Chair drop for 2.  Helms put Yang on the top rope and went for a superplex, but Yang blocked it, before headbutting down.  Helms went right back up, but it was again countered, where Yang turned round and hit the Moonsault for the win!

Thoughts - 6/10 - Again, fairly good stuff here.  Nothing particularly brilliant, but very much passable.

Probably best he sucks up at this point rather than try and get booed...

Batista made his way out to the ring.  He even looked half decently dressed, for once.  Batista got on the mic and said that he and Taker pushed each other to, and then went past the limit.  He said he wondered, while lying post-spear, if the title was worth the pain and destruction.  But he decided that it was a stupid question that it was worth it.  Well, you did ask it.  He said he'd go through hell again, because it was worth it and that he would regain the title next week.  Short and sharp.

More Matt Hardy goodness...

And we break out of 2002, as we moved onto the following year and the tournament for to decide the revived US Title winner, as Chris Benoit took on Matt Hardy in a semi-final match, with the title match at Vengeance.  Hardy had the little MF'er, Shannon Moore with him.  In a slightly ironic way for 3 and a half years later, Hardy's face was busted wide open early, and continued to take a pounding throughout.

Suffice to say, this was really good stuff, with Benoit winning, where he'd face the late, great Eddie Guerrero for the belt, Eddie winning it after Rhyno interfered.

Finlay def. The Miz by Countout in a "Kinda like when you put your mistresses panties on when you're in a hurry as her boyfriend comes...I fear I've said too much..." match

After a Mark Henry video where he promised to return soon (well, 2 weeks ago, he promised to return in 2 weeks, so where was he?), We had ourselves with Finlay in another apparent heel vs. heel match...

Finlay got a headlock to start, but after he was sent into the ropes, he came back with a shoulderblock, before eh mocked Miz.  Finlay got an arm wringer, but Miz punched away with Finlay, knocking the Irishman out of the ring.  Hell, it even impressed JBL.  However, Miz followed him out and got knocked on his ass for his trouble.  Hornswaggle poked his head from under the apron to poke Miz in the eyes as Finlay took control.  Finlay hit a short-arm clothesline in the ring, before removing a turnbuckle pad.  With Charles Robinson distracted, Hornswaggle got in the ring, where Finlay lawn-darted him into Miz's gut.  Miz avoided a spear in the corner, allowing Miz a roll up for 2.  Miz punched and stomped away, before hitting knees to the gut.  Miz hit his clothesline into the corner.  Miz went after Hornswaggle under the ring.  But the little guy snuck up behind him and hit him with a big shillelagh.  Miz gave chase , but ran into a Finlay clothesline.  Finlay slammed Miz down and climbed to the second rope (using Miz as the first step) but landed on Miz's foot.  The fought on the outside, where Miz was pulled under the ring.  Robinson started a count.  Miz re-appeared with Hornswaggle's hat on.  Miz, visibly pissed, backed up the aisle, giving Finlay the Countout win.

Thoughts - 6.5/10 - This was decent stuff, if rather oddly booked.  First of all, are they turning Finlay, or aren’t they?  I could even take tweener, but beyond what they've done with him and Kennedy, they've not done anything to establish the direction they are going in one way or another, so it's rather jarring to see him wrestling heels, when he's still overtly a heel himself.

He didn't mean he'll show No Mercy.  He meant he'll next be showing up AT No Mercy...

Undertaker had a pre-prepared video.  He said that he took Batista's soul and his health at Backlash, and next week, Batista would be stepping in the "devil's playground" where Batista would Rest in Peace.  Even shorter and even sharper.

MVP def. Kane in a "Not an Inferno Match (and that there was anything was that, mind...just stating the obvious...)" match

After yet another recap of Vince McMahon's ECW Title win (indeed, he exact same video as earlier), although this time, they pimped Vince vs. RVD on ECW next week, MVP made his way out for the main event.  Kane followed, setting of his corner pyro (I wonder how this match will ended up then...)  Kane forced Kane into the corner, starting off not unlike his half-brother, with strikes to MVP.  MVP got in an elbow, but he came off the second turnbuckle right into a bearhug, before Kane dumped him in the corner, where he choked MVP.  A Kane scoop slam got a 2 count. Kane began to work on MVP's back, but a whip was countered with a kick to the chest.  However, MVP was thrown over the top to the apron, and while MVP got to drape Kane across the top rope, Kane booted Porter off the apron as we took our final break.

We came back as Montel sent Kane, shoulder first, into the corner, before hitting an armbreaker.  Porter began to work on the arm (as Cole noted the work done to Kane's arm last week), but Kane whipped Porter into a corner.  However, Porter got his foot up and went back to the arm.  Kane burst back with a clothesline after MVP had to pulled off of Kane at the ropes, but Porter kicked the arm, before locking it back in.  However, MVP ran off the ropes, into a big boot.  Kane hit a charge in the corner, but a second one missed, allowing MVP to hit his high boot in the corner.

Kane got the side slam for 2, but Kane's next Irish whip was countered into a neckbreaker.  Kane teased a chokeslam, but it was blocked, but Porter came off the ropes into a back drop.  Porter was downed allowing Kane to go up top, where he hit the flying clothesline.  Regal & Taylor appeared from nowhere.  With the referee distracted, Regal brought back the majestic POWER OF THE PUNCH!  MVP then hit the Playmaker and got himself another shot at Benoit!

MVP did sports moves to celebrate, while Kane looked pissed as the show ended.

Thoughts - 7/10 - Pretty good match here, with some nice work on the bigger guy by MVP and a great touch with Cole & JBL pointing out the work the Brits did last week.

OVERALL - 7/10 (- 0.5 on last week) - Pretty good show this week, although it did feel as if they suddenly had to hold off a bit until next week, as to adjust for Taker's injury.  I can't entirely blame them for it, but it does mean they have lost a week ahead of Judgment Day.  That said, not everything stood still.  MVP won another title shot, while the Kane/Brits angle moved on a bit.  Very watchable, but nothing overly special that you have to see.

That’s all I got for now, but if you have something to say about this week’s Smackdown, you can e-mail me at dedicated e-mail address, or come hunt me down on the WWI Forums!

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Well, I’ll be back soon enough, but for now, I believe I’ve fulfilled my contractual obligations.  For reading this, And continuing to support World Wrestling Insanity, you’re cooler than the other side of the pillow…

I’m out.