WWE Smackdown review
September 7, 2007
Aired on The CW
Report by Chris Rivers, PWTorch.com contributor

This week's Smackdown opens with a recap of last week's number one contender tournament followed by hype for the double main event tonight, which will see Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero in an I Quit match and a tag team match pitting Kane and Batista against Khali and Finlay.

MVP is in the ring for another edition of the VIP Lounge. He reminds everyone that he's not only the United States Champion, but also one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions. He announces that tonight his guests will be the WWE Tag Team Champions, MVP and Matt Hardy. hardy makes his way down and they argue over how big of a role MVP played in last weeks victory. MVP has the footage shown of his winning pinfall from last week. Hardy says he has some footage of his own from last week and shows everyone an encounter he had with MVP in the locker room area after last weeks match. In the footage, Hardy punches MVP and walks off with one of the tag title belts. Back in the ring, Hardy challenges MVP to a match for the US title at Unforgiven. MVP says that it will not happen because MVP has already gotten them a match at the pay-per-view defending their newly won tag titles in a rematch with Deuce and Domino. Then MVP announces that, as a warm-up for the pay-per-view, he got Matt a match for tonight against Deuce and it's next.

Promo airs for Jamie Noble vs. Hornswoggle for the Cruiserweight Championship later tonight.

[Commercial]

(1) Matt Hardy (w/MVP) defeated Deuce (w/Domino and Cherry). Back from commercial the match is already in progress. Deuce is taking it to Hardy. Deuce sends Hardy into the ropes and delivers a hard elbow for a quick one-count. Hardy slams Deuce's head into the turnbuckle followed by a running clothesline for a two count. Hardy with a headlock on Deuce followed by a hip toss. Deuce is up and sends Hardy into the ropes. Deuce sets early and gets a kick to the face for his troubles. Hardy charges Deuce and he drops Hardy throat first onto the top rope for a two-count. Deuce delivers forearms to Hardy for another two count. Hardy tries to fight back with a few punches. Deuce fights back with an elbow and a knee to Hardy's head. Deuce drops a fist on a prone Hardy followed by a front-face lock. Hardy drives Deuce back into the corner. Deuce fights back with punches to Hardy, who fights back with punches and headbutts of his own. Hardy comes off of the second turnbuckle with an elbow on Deuce and follows up with the Side Effect for a two-count. Hardy delivers a clothesline to Deuce in the corner. Matt Hardy into the ropes and a double clothesline by Deuce and Hardy. Domino climbs onto the apron. MVP knocks Domino into the ring and then trips Deuce. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate for the victory.

Video of Ashley "training" for Survivor: China

Backstage, Shannon Moore finds Jamie Noble setting a leprechaun trap for Hornswoggle using a big box propped up by a 2x4 and a box of Lucky Charms. Moore doesn't believe this will work. They go behind a wall to wait for Hornswoggle.

Video of Rey's Smackdown debut

Both main events are hyped again.

[Commercial]

(2) Chuck Palumbo (w/Michelle McCool) defeated Kenny Dykstra (w/Victoria). Dykstra grabs the early advantage. Palumbo fights back with a clothesline then charges Dykstra in the corner. Dykstra moves and Palumbo's shoulder slams into the ringpost. Dykstra begins working on Palumbo's shoulder. Quick pin attempt by Dykstra for a one-count followed by another pin for no-count. Punches from Palumbo. Both men collide off of the ropes. Dykstra comes off of the ropes and runs right into a powerslam by Palumbo. Palumbo follows up with punches and elbows then charges Dykstra in the corner. Dykstra meets Palumbo with a boot to the face. Dykstra goes to the second turnbuckle and jumps right into a belly-to-belly suplex. Palumbo hits a big boot on Dykstra followed by the Full Throttle for the win.

The invitation to Teddy and Kristal's wedding is shown.

Kristal and Vickie are in the back when Teddy comes in and presents Kristal with a little gift. It's the soon to be released CD by Jagged Edge. Teddy says they'll be appearing at the wedding in two weeks to sing. Kristal's phone rings and Teddy says he knows the ringtone. He says it's Kristal's mom and that she calls day and night. Kristal's facial expression says that it's not her mom. She leaves to have her conversation. Vickie says that since the CD Teddy gave Kristal is titled "Baby Makin' Project," maybe he should give a copy to Vince.

Another moment from Rey and Chavo's Smackdown past.

Hype for the double main-event

[Commercial]

(3) Kane & Batista defeated Khali & Finlay. Finlay and Batista start it off with an exchange of waistlocks. Front-face lock by Batista who is driven into the corner by Finlay. Batista with a wristlock followed by a headlock on Finlay. Finlay brings Batista down and rolls him up for a pin attempt for a one-count. Another wristlock into a headlock by Batista as he and Finlay back into the corner. Batista hits Finlay with punches and shoulder blocks. Batista sends Finlay across the ring who comes back into a bearhug for an inverted atomic drop. Batista with a double leg takedown into a slingshot where Finlay ends up spearing Khali.

[Commercial]

Back from the break and Batista is punching Finlay in the corner. Tag to Kane. Kane punches and kicks Finlay. Finlay tries to fight back with kicks of his own, but is stopped by a clothesline in the corner from Kane. Finlay is dropped throat first onto the top rope. Kane with a big punch to Finlay for a two-count. Kane with a suplex to Finlay for another two-count. Kane charges Finlay in the corner and misses allowing Finlay to tag Khali. Punches and kicks from Kane. Kane into the ropes, but Finlay pulls them down sending Kane to the outside where Finlay delivers a DDT. Back in the ring, Khali hits Kane with a headbutt followed by a short clothesline. Khali with elbows to Kane's head followed by another headbutt. Tag to Finlay. Finlay delivers kicks to Kane and gets a one-count. Finlay with a chinlock on Kane. Elbows and punches from Kane as he fights out. Finlay hits Kane with a running clothesline and tags in Khali. Kane takes a headbutt and boot from Khali and then Khali locks in a nerve hold on Kane. Kane ducks a Khali clothesline and grabs Khali by the throat. Finlay runs in and Kane grabs him with the other hand, throwing him to the outside. Khali fights out of Kane's grip with elbows to Kane's head. Kane hits Khali with an ensiguri. Outside of the ring, Finlay drives Batista kidneys first into the ring apron. Clothesline from Khali on Kane for a two-count. Tag to Finlay. Kane fights out of the corner with punches and elbows, but is slowed by a kick from Finlay who then throws him shoulder first into the ring post for a two-count. Khali's translator jumps on the apron allowing Finlay to go for the shaleleigh. Batista runs in and spears Finlay. Batista and Kane deliver a double clothesline to Khali, sending him out of the ring. Kane chokeslams Finlay for the victory.

Backstage Noble and Moore are still waiting for Hornswoggle. Hornswoggle approaches and surveys the trap while eating the trail of Lucky Charms leading into the box. He heads into the trap anyway and Noble yanks on the rope to bring the box down on Hornswoggle, but the rope breaks. When Noble and Moore check out the trap, Hornswoggle is gone, but the Cruiserweight Championship is still there...inside the trap. Noble enters and Hornswoggle brings the box down over Noble.

[Commercial]

Another Mysterio/Chavo moment

Jesse and Festus are backstage. They find Noble trapped in the box, but Jesse thinks that it's just a talking box. He asks the box what it's name is and Noble responds. Jesse looks at Festus and says that with a face like his (Festus') they'll name a box after him in no time.

(4) Hornswoggle defeated Jamie Noble. Referee Charles Robinson decides to start the match and give Noble a ten-count to get in the ring. Noble appears at the count of eight and can't make it to the ring in time, losing by count out.

Unforgiven is promoted.

[Commercial]

A recap of this week's McMahon saga.

The Undertaker's video interrupts Cole (YES!) to show a single black wagon hearse drawn by a single black horse with a druid as the coachman. Taker appears and disappears numerous times on the hill behind the hearse. Back in the ring a druid has appeared. Mark Henry comes down and, after hesitating, starts to choke the druid. The lights go out and, when they come back up, the druid is gone and Henry is left in the ring strangling the cloak.

[Commercial]

Footage from Rey and Chavo's previous I Quit match is shown.

A rundown of the Unforgiven card.

Chavo heads to the ring and cuts a pre-match promo. Not very good and, in fact, awkward at times. He seemed like he wasn't focused on what he had to say next.

[Commercial]

(5) Rey Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero in an I Quit match. The two exchange kicks and punches. Rey slips outside for a breather. Back inside, Rey delivers kicks and punches to Chavo followed by a hurricuranna that takes both men to the outside. Rey goes for a chair and Chavo tries to stop him. Rey delivers a couple of kicks to Chavo's hamstring. Both men grab chairs and swing twice. The chairs connect each time. Rey drops his chair and Chavo drives his chair into Rey's gut. He tries to hit Rey again, but Rey moves and Chavo connects with the apron, dropping his chair. Rey with a kick to Chavo's head. Rey now has the chair and delivers two shots to Chavo. Rey hits a hurricuranna off of the chair and continues his chair attack. Rey rolls Chavo into the ring and brings in the chair. Chavo hits Rey with a belly-to-back suplex. Chavo then sends Rey shoulder first into the ringpost. Chavo torques Rey's knee on the top rope, but Rey will not quit. Chavo take another shot at Rey with the chair. Out of nowhere Rey hits Chavo with a bulldog on the chair then executes a side Russian leg sweep on Chavo onto the chair. Rey then hits the 619 on Chavo using the chair. Rey goes for the pop, but Chavo throws the chair up into Rey to stop him.

[Commercial]

Back from break and Chavo is dominating Rey. He sets up two chairs and attempts to powerbomb Rey through the chairs, but Rey punches his way out. Chavo knees Rey in the gut and throws him outside the ring. On the outside, Chavo takes a chair to Rey's injured knee and then puts the chair around Rey's throat and sends him throat first into the ringpost. Back inside the ring Rey fights off Chavo to deliver a drop toe hold onto the chair. Rey with a kick to Chavo's head followed by a sitting senton onto Chavo who was sitting in the chair. Rey hits Chavo with the chair again, but Chavo battles back and hits a quick Gorybomb on the chair. Chavo hits Rey's knee again with the chair and then places the chair across Rey and goes to the top. Rey scrambles up and knocks Chavo off balance, causing him to straddle the top turnbuckle. Rey then delivers a chairshot to Chavo's head which has him dangling to the outside of the ring in a tree of woe. Rey hammers Chavo's knee time and time again until Chavo finally screams out "I Quit!"

After the match, Khali came to the ring. Rey attempted to fight off Khali, but Khali hit Rey with a boot to the face and then locked in the vice grip on Rey's skull. Rey began to bleed from the nose. Batista ran down and hit Khali with the title and speared him from the ring.

In the back Teddy stopped Khali and his translator saying that if Rey can make it to Unforgiven it will be Khali vs. Rey vs. Batista in a triple threat match.

Score (5.0): This was a decent show. Rey vs. Chavo was easily the best match of the night. The Taker segment did what it was supposed to do, but with the popularity of illusionists like David Blaine and Criss Angel today, WWE might want to look at bringing them in to help with "mysterious happenings" like disappearing druids. If they didn't have to turn off the lights, the intrigue would go way up.

We suggest these recent related articles...

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 10/8: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Thursday show, including Roman Reigns & Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 10/4 & 10/7: IWGP World champ Okada vs. Roderick Strong main event, plus Briscoes vs. Time Splitters, more from "Field of Honor," Overall Reax

MCMAHON'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 10/7: TNA Title Series kicks off, Bound for Glory fall-out, more; Overall Reax