By Greg Parks, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Smackdown review
October 26, 2007
Taped 10/23/07 in Kansas City, Mo.
Aired on The CW
Report by Greg Parks, Torch Team Contributor

-WWE Open.

-Smackdown Open.

-Michael Cole and JBL opened the show, then previewed MVP & Matt Hardy vs. Finlay & Rey Mysterio for later tonight. In fact, they’re all in the ring for the VIP Lounge, hosted by MVP himself. MVP introduced Matt as his co-tag team partner and friend. Porter warned Finlay and Rey about any unnecessary physicality in the lounge tonight. The two discussed the options for their match at Cyber Sunday. Rey and Finlay just don’t hold my attention promo-wise. Rey warned MVP to worry about his own match on Sunday. Matt and MVP then talked about their match. Matt wanted the fans to vote for a wrestling match, and the crowd popped biggest for that stipulation. Back to tonight’s match, Finlay said he didn’t need Rey and pushed him aside. Rey got sick of Finlay treating him like a kid, and he attacked the Irishman. Rey kicked Finlay out of the ring then jumped on him on the outside. Okay but productive segment that got over not only tonight’s main event, but two matches for Sunday.

-Batista was interviewed backstage by the new lady announcer (if my archives are correct, her name is “Anastasia Rose”). Clips of last week’s JBL interview with Batista played. Batista warned whoever is voted referee to stay out of his way on Sunday. As for never beating Undertaker....there’s a first time for everything, he said.

[Commercial Break]

-Tonight, MVP & Matt Hardy face Rey Mysterio & Finlay.

1- KANE vs. MARK HENRY

Henry has been strangely MIA since the last time Undertaker whipped him. Henry worked over the injured ribs of Kane early on. He suffered the injuries on ECW on Tuesday night. Henry hit a bodyslam after Kane couldn’t lift Henry for a slam of his own. Crowd seems to be mesmerized by Henry’s domination. Either that, or they don’t care about him. Henry locked in the bearhug in the middle of the ring. Kane turned the tide with a boot in the corner. A chokeslam attempt was unsuccessful, but the follow-up try got the big man up and down for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Kane at 2:55. Not much to it. Neither man looked that impressive.

-Cole and JBL were shown at ringside, with a big “Vote for JBL” banner on the announce table, as well as both men wearing pins that plugged JBL. They showed a video of Mick Foley’s greatest moments, in case we’ve forgotten about him. Still doesn’t explain WHY he’s one of the options to be a referee.

-Tonight, the Undertaker will be interviewed by JBL.

[Commercial Break]

-A Diva Search video aired. Tough assignment for Grisham this week, getting roughed up by the girls as they play policewomen.

-Michael Cole was in the aisleway. He introduced the diva search finalists, Brooke and Eve. Each girl had 30 seconds to tell the fans why they shouldn’t vote for the other. Brooke made fun of Eve’s weight and called her boring. Eve said this was WWE, not The OC. She said there’s room for only one Brooke in WWE. She asked the fans to imagine who would win in a battle between the two. In terms of mic work....I’d say Eve was better, by a hair.

-The newest “Save_Us” video aired. The announcers made no mention of it, unlike Monday on Raw.

-All four men in the big tag match made their entrances. The match is next.

[Commercial Break]

2- MVP & MATT HARDY vs. FINLAY & REY MYSTERIO

Finlay and Matt started things off for their respective teams. Finlay tagged out quickly, and Rey tagged in. Should be interesting to see which man the crowd gets behind. MVP tagged in and Rey hit a spinning head-scissor take-down. Lots of tags early on, and not a whole lot of action. Rey tried kicking out the legs of Matt, to no avail. After dropping an elbow, Matt got a two-count. MVP was brought in and worked on Rey’s knee in the corner. When Rey took a breather on the outside, Finlay tried to get him to get back in the ring, screaming “suck it up!” at him. JBL said of Vickie Guerrero: “She’s a Guerrero, she was born into this business.” Well, MARRIED into this business is more like it. Finlay and Rey double-teamed MVP as Rey hit a splash with Finlay holding the arms of Montel. Rey was crotched on the top rope by MVP. Finlay interrupted a pin attempt on Rey, so Matt fought him off. Both teams then started arguing in the ring as the show went to break.

[Commercial Break]

They returned with Matt and MVP double-teaming Finlay in their corner. Finlay and MVP started some mat wrestling, and Finlay tried to tag, but Rey stepped away. Finlay turned the tide with a right hand behind the ref’s back, then tagged out. A few minuets later, Matt tried a running Razor’s Edge, but Mysterio was able to sneak out of the move. Matt came back and hit a Side Effect on Rey. Matt got busted open at this point, and was sporting a crimson mask. Finlay targeted the cut on Hardy’s head. Referee Jim Korderas backed Finlay away and checked on Matt to see if he could continue. Rey tagged in and hesitated before going after Hardy. MVP tagged himself in when Matt was in position for the 619, but Rey improvised and pushed MVP into position and hit both men with his signature move. While the ref was attending to Hardy, Finlay hit Rey with the shillaleigh. Play of the Day by MVP finished in for the tag champs.

WINNERS: Matt Hardy and MVP at 17:24. Took a while to get going, but it’s hard to have a bad match with these four in the ring.

-Still to come, JBL interviews Undertaker.

[Commercial Break]

-Cole previewed a video package chronicling the history between Undertaker and Batista. I believe it’s the same one from last week.

-Backstage, Armando Estrada and Vickie Guerrero discussed the business relationship, as well as an ECW triple-threat match taking place tonight. Jamie Noble walked in after Estrada left, and Vickie was none too happy to see him. Noble again tried to apologize, then started hitting on her. He spoke dirty to her, which she seemed to like. Vickie then suggested a match between Noble and Batista. Noble was confused. He alleged that Vickie was violating his person. He ranted as he left the office.

[Commercial Break]

3- BATISTA vs. JAMIE NOBLE

Noble actually hit some kicks and punches to start, then Batista got sick of that and hit a spear. Spinebuster followed, then the Batista Bomb and goodnight.

WINNER: Batista at 1:07. Batista glared at JBL after the match while holding the belt over his head. JBL tried to ignore Batista and began to talk about the weather in Kansas City, and Batista yelled at him in front of the announce table, then pounded on it with his fist.

-A video package aired on Steve Austin, much like the Foley one earlier.

-Up next, an ECW Three-Way with John Morrison vs. Big Daddy V vs. The Miz.

[Commercial Break]

4- THE MIZ vs. JOHN MORRISON vs. BIG DADDY V

Miz and Morrison looked like they were going to double-team V, but Miz was the only one to go after the big man, and what’d you’d expect to happen happened. V splashed both men in the corner, then sent them over the top with a double-clothesline. Big Daddy missed a charge and ran shoulder-first into the post on the outside. Miz then went after Morrison. V stayed down on the outside and Miz and Morrison went at it in the ring. But Miz made the mistake of hitting a move on Morrison that propelled him to the ringside mats, where V was up and clothesline him. Samoan drop for Morrison from V back inside the squared circle. Side slam for Miz. Elbowdrop on Miz and that got the three-count.

WINNER: Big Daddy V at 3:32. Why would anyone vote for V/CM Punk, especially after the “match” WWE put forth between the two at No Mercy? Did they do that expecting fans to vote for Big Daddy V so they could get the match they didn’t get at NM?

-JBL will interview The Undertaker tonight.

[Commercial Break]

-Some Kansas City Chiefs pretended to wrestle at ringside.

-WWE Magazine presented the Raw Rebound.

5- JESSE & FESTUS vs. TWO UNNAMED JOBBERS

Festus started things off and took out both men. About a minute in, Festus launched Jesse off the top and onto one of the jobbers for the pin.

WINNERS: Jesse & Festus at :53.

-Cole and JBL ran down the Cyber Sunday card.

-JBL went to the ring for his interview with the Undertaker.

[Commercial Break]

-JBL gave a monologue before introducing Undertaker, and most of it was about how he should be the guest ref at Cyber Sunday. Then we got a special advertisement, paid for by the friends of JBL. It was basically a political ad for JBL as ref. It wasn’t too bad, actually. He then brought out guys with t-shirts with “Vote for JBL” on them. This went on way too long. Taker finally came out. He took off his jacket and hat, looking like he was ready for a fight. JBL tried to give him a t-shirt. It didn’t take. JBL tried to get out his “Wrestling God” catchphrase, but Taker grabbed him by the throat and chokeslammed him. Batista’s music hit and the champ came out. Batista made the first move, spearing the dead man. Taker sat up and stared up the aisle at Batista to end the show.

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