Swimming Across the Smackdown Review.
Big Hugo here with this weeks Smackdown! review. This is a one time deal, so I’m going to give a pretty in-depth report. Enjoy it, I know I will…….The pyro hits and off we go. Michael Cole puts over Wrestlemania and we start into the program.
Edge welcomes us to the ‘Cutting Edge’, slobbering over Vicky Guerrero, Eddie would be sick. He says he has never lost to the Undertaker calling himself the ‘true phenom’. Vicky announces Edge and The Edgeheads vs. Undertaker main event. Edge then says Ric Flair will see his 35 year career come to a crashing halt.
Massive pop for Ric, and it looks like we have a show. Edge claps Flair as he enters the ring. The crowd is lapping this up, it’s great, lots of WOOOing. Edge invites Flair to get comfortable then proceeds to run him down. Edge tells Ric he will not be Michaels at Mania. Ric says the “show will go on”. Edge says Flair is living in a dream, and calls him a looser. Bad move. The heat he’s getting for this is nothing short of brilliant. Ironically Edge started the ‘YOU SUCK’ chant for angle, but now he’s the one hearing the slander. Flair tells Edge he will loose The World Title at ‘the grandest stage of them all’. I love Ric Flair. He points out the Vicky/Edge relationship is a sham. Vicky gets cranky. She asks Ric who he thinks he is… Wow… Edge gets in Flairs face. He tells Ric next week he will have to face him and The Edgeheads in a handicap match, in a cage. Edge calls Vicky his soul mate then WOOOs at Flair earning himself one hell of a slap. Cue the music and Flair exits the arena…..Great start to the show, Edge is amazingly cruel and disrespectful; Flair (to quote the old Edge) totally reeks of awesomeness. These two have some great chemistry, if Flair survives Michaels and Edge falls to the Undertaker Wrestlemania curse, I’d love to see Edge take on Flair.
A video package for Mania hits. It’s pretty cool. Batista vs. MVP is announced for later tonight, for the US Title…..As we come back Morrison, Miz and Chavo are in the ring. Their opponents are Jessie and Festus teaming with CM Punk. The bell rings and the ‘heels’ bail. Jessie struggles to get Festus under control. Punk is starting against Miz. A nice feeling out sequence here. Punk gets the early advantage with a kick and Miz tags Chavo. Punk backdrops the ECW Champ and tags in Jessie. Jessie looks strong against Chavo until Miz knocks him off the turnbuckle while the ref is distracted by Festus. Miz and Morrison take control of Jessie. Morrison keeps him down. However after tagging Miz, Jessie gets to Festus and the rampage begins. The crowd is kind of dead for what should have been a hot tag moment. Festus smashes everyone and gets a near fall on Miz, but it’s broken up by both Morrison and the Miz. The finish sees Punk and Jessie taking out Morrison and Chavo with twin panchas while Festus hits a facebuster-flapjack on Miz. Not a great match, but Festus looks strong…..1.5/5 Stars
Michelle McCool and Jamie Noble are in the back. Noble breaks up with Michelle? Were they even going out? How very odd. He says women can’t resist him and wishes Michelle luck tonight. Michelle looks kind of sad as the camera pans over her.
Batista vs. MVP for the US Title is next!
MVP has a lot of heat as he comes down to the ring. On a side note, his beard is awesome. MVP looks focused. Cole puts over that MVP has been champ since May of last year. The crowd goes mental for Batista. He does is his usual entrance jumping and shouting, he stares at MVP the whole way during his entrance, then smacks his chest like Tarzan before flexing and posing for the crowd. The fans love it; absolutely love it. MVP screams something to the effect of ‘it’s my belt’ on the outside. The bell rings and off we go. Batista overpowers MVP early. MVP outwrestles Batista, and then bails out of the ring. He’s getting some good heat here. Batista goes back to the power game and hits a dodgy looking kick to the guy of MVP. The crowd is not into this match. The two brawl on the outside; Batista forces MVP back into the ring and locks in a single leg crab. MVP struggles to the rope; Batista uses the full five count before releasing the hold. Batista has control of MVP, driving hard shoulders to his gut. He nails a sick looking running kick to MVPs right leg. MVP hits a running boot to the face of Batista and gets a two count. The crowd comes alive for the animal here. MVP slaps on a rear naked choke tiring the big man out. Batista fights him off, but MVP hits a basement dropkick and gets a near fall. MVP hits a cool knee-to-face buster for yet another near fall. This is a nice, slow paced deliberate match. MVP cracks
The Animal with a huge kick on the outside and earns himself a quick two count. MVP takes the leg of Batista, who fights him off. Batista misses a corner shoulder charge; MVP misses with the corner-boot. Batista hits a big side slam for a long two count. MVP counters a powerslam attempt with a hard ‘eye of the hurricane’. He goes for the playmaker, but it is countered with the spinebuster. Batista is fired up and takes the fight to the outside. The ref’s counting them both out, but MVP gets back into the ring at 9! MVP wins via count out and retains the title! The crowd hates it! This was a nice match that the crowd didn’t really get behind. I loved the psychology, MVP needing to use his intelligence to get the leg up on the big man. Batista was too strong for his own good, and took his eye off the ball, that cost him the match and the momentum!…2/5 stars.
A video package airs putting over the McMahon / JBL / Finlay feud over.
Edge and Vicky are getting all lovey-dovey in the back. There’s a knock at the door and Noble burst in. He demands a match with Chuck Palumbo. He says he’ll take on anybody. He says he’ll take on someone bigger then him. Vicky tells him he can face the Big Show. Noble looks like he’s about to cry.
Hall of Fame announcement: A video package putting Mae Young over airs. Yay for Mae!
Class of 2008:
Ric Flair
Peter Miavia
Rocky Johnson
Mae Young
Cole and Coach plug the three hour RAW. A video package airs putting over the ‘Wrestlemania Rematch’ night.
Diva Swimsuit contest is next. Eve Torres gets a nice pop when she makes her way down. Cherry isn’t wearing her skates. Maryse looks amazing. Victoria looks angry. Michelle McCool gets a huge pop, looking very sexy in a basket ball jersey. Coach goes over the rules, something about winning a motorcycle. The dances off begins.
Eve gets a massive pop for her tight one-piece. Cherry is great, she looks scared. She is slow to disrobe, but when she does, she gets over. Holy French… Maryse gets a big reaction. Victoria dances, like a crazy person, and ‘botches’ something… Michelle plays the crowd and gets a fun reaction. She’s real easy on the eyes too.
Maryse stars a fight with Eve, Michelle gets involved, and as Joey Styles would say CATFIGHT! CAAATFIGHT! Candy bails and Michelle is left standing tall in the ring.
Well that was pointless. I wish they were actually wrestling that would not be so degrading for each and every woman in this business.
A video package airs putting over Rey Mysterio’s injury and Big Shows assault. The flame still burns as Kane makes his way down the ring to take on Chuck Palumbo. It’s good to hear the fans still pop for Kane; alas for Palumbo, the fans jeer. Kane looks ready to kill someone. Chuck looks like he wants to beat someone up, too bad Noble’s busy tonight. The two men lock horns and Kane backs Palumbo into the corner. We get a bit of a brawl-fest, before Kane hits a running dropkick! Palumbo takes Kane down with a huge clothesline and pummels him on the deck. He bum-rushes Kane into the corner and wails away on him with big right hands. Chuck takes Kane’s head off with a big clothsline foe a near fall. Kane gets up and fights back with a massive clothsine followed by the running splash-sidewalk slam combination. Kane climbs ups top but Palumbo takes him off the top. He follows up with a Yakuza kick, but Kane sits up! It’s not looking good for Chuck and Kane puts him in a goozle and one chokeslam later it’s all over. That was a nice even paced match. Kane looked stronger then Chuck, but Palumbo did hold his own…..3/5 Stars.
A video package for the Big Show / Mayweather match airs.
Jamie Noble’s execution….Big Show looks trim and angry. This should bee squashtastic. Jamie tries to out maneuver Show. He fails and Show owns him. Noble uses a low blow to lose the match. Big Show is now going to kill him. Two big shots to the gut later and Noble is in bits, bleeding from the mouth. Noble looks in really bad shape, he could be staring at broken ribs.
Big Show gets the mic, joy of joys! Big Show says most of the WWE doesn’t like him, but they like Floyd even less. He makes an issue of the $20,000,000. He calls the Mania match a ‘risk versus reward’ match. He says after Mania Mayweather’s career will be bankrupt. Squashtastic! I feel bad for Jamie; he was decimated by the heavy rights of Show….0.5/5 Stars. (Not bad for a Non-Match)
Undertaker vs. Edge and The Edgeheads is next!
Zack, Curt and Edge look confident as they await the Phenom. I love how over Taker is. When that bell hit’s the fans light up! He has to have the best entrance in the history of professional wrestling. Edge can’t look away as the Deadman makes his way up the ramp. The ‘Heads look like they’re about to wet themselves and bail out of the ring with Edge.
Hawkins starts off with Taker. Taker wastes no time demolishing him with a huge lifting choke. Ryder is next. He pounds him in the corner and tosses him to Edge, who doesn’t tag in. Taker is focused on Edge. After every shot he takes he glares at Edge. Taker hits his leg drop on the apron and tries to get Edge to tag in. Ryder hasn’t done anything to slow the big man down. Taker misses a running bodysplash as Edge pulls Ryder out of the way. Ryder takes advantage, and hits a big dropkick. Hawkins and Ryder exchange quick tags, keeping Taker down. Edge tags into the match, but Taker grabs his throat and plants him with the DDT! Edge gets quick tag to Hawkins and hits an amazing top-rope armdrag. Edge tags himself in, but eats a boot from the Deadman. Taker goes for the death valley choke, but Hawkins and Ryder break it up. Taker chokeslams both Edgeheads, but suffers a spear for his troubles! Edge wins via pinfall! That was a surprisingly good handicap match. After the match Undertaker looks ready to explode! I’m loving this angle, Edge is slowly building momentum against the Phenom!…3/5 Stars.
Well this was a solid edition of Smackdown, Batista and MVP put on a good match that was sort of killed by a lack of crow reaction. Jamie Noble took a squash like nobody I’ve seen in a while. I’d like to see him get a push soon. Big Show looks unstoppable, that’s just what WWE need heading into Wrestlemania. His win tonight was another effort to show his dominance against smaller men. I hope he devastates Floyd, I really do. The six-man tag match was really lack lustre tonight. It was just kind of there, nothing impressive. Kane and Palumbo was a surprisingly impressive match. I hope they make something out of it in the future. It has a lot of potential. Edge and Undertaker is shaping up to be an absolute show stealer! I loved the handicap match, it was a good way to get Edge a win without damaging the Undertaker’s credibility. The opening promo with Flair and Edge was awesome. Batista and MVP was a good build to the actual title match next week. I’m actually really looking forward to next week’s Smackdown! It should be a good show. Overall I’m giving this show a 7/10.
I hope you all enjoyed this column. Keep reading and writing;
Hugo
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