By Greg Parks, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Smackdown review
November 16, 2007
Taped 11/13/07 in Wichita, Ks.
Aired on The CW
Report by Greg Parks, Torch Team Contributor


-WWE Open.

-A video package aired previewing Mark Henry vs. Batista set for tonight.

-Smackdown Open.

-JBL and Michael Cole intro the program and talked about Batista requesting his match with Henry be no disqualification.

1- FINLAY vs. JEFF HARDY

The Intercontinental Title is not on the line here. Crowd is really into this one, despite the slow opening minute. Hardy threw Finlay to the outside and hit him with a baseball slide, then jumped over the top rope onto his opponent. Back in, a cover only got one for Jeff. Finlay dodged a Hardy charged by propelling him shoulder-first into the steel post. Kick to the head Finlay, followed by a rear chin-lock. Hard clothesline by the Irishman caught Hardy coming off the ropes. A rare dropkick by Finlay stopped a brief spurt of momentum by Jeff. Finlay dominated the match until Jeff hit Whisper in the Wind, and both men were down. Jeff dropkicked Finlay into the corner where Finlay put the shillaleigh, and Finlay tried to use it. He ended up getting DQ’d for it, and Jeff disposed of Finlay to the outside.

WINNER: Hardy at 6:37. The pace they set in the opening few minutes made it seem like they were going to go 15. Another DQ in a match involving Finlay.

-Undertaker is making a “special” appearance later on on Smackdown, and we get clips of the first-ever Hell in a Cell from 10 years ago.

[Commercial Break]

-Undertaker came out for his interview. He noted that he has been in Hell in a Cell for times than anyone else and no one has ever come out of that match the same. Taker said Batista would lose the championship at Survivor Series. He said the champ won’t survive Hell in a Cell, but he would.....rest in peace.

-Later tonight, Batista takes on Mark Henry in a non-title match. It’s also no-DQ.

[Commercial Break]



-Still to come, the official weigh-in with Great Khali and Hornswoggle. Also, Mr. Kennedy faces Rey Mysterio.

2- TORRIE WILSON & MICKIE JAMES vs. VICTORIA & BETH PHOENIX

I do like Beth’s music. Victoria and Mickie went at it first. Mickie rolled Victoria up for a near-fall. Beth hit a cheap-shot on Mickie, distracting her long enough for Victoria to take over on offense. Beth tagged in and they put Mickie down with a double hair pull. Beth rammed her shoulder into Mickie’s gut in the corner, but missed a second time and that allowed Mickie to tag Torrie. Beth missed a charge and Torrie got a roll-up for two. Neckbreaker was reversed into a sidewalk slam by Beth. Victoria went after Mickie on the outside while Beth hit her finisher on Torrie for the win.

WINNERS: Beth and Victoria at 2:37.

-The Hardys were in the locker room backstage. Jeff was leaving as Matt was getting ready for his match. Matt seemed upset Jeff was leaving, but Jeff said he had some stuff to do. They were both smiling in the end, though.

-Hell in a Cell moment: The famous Mankind vs. Undertaker match.

[Commercial Break]

-Time for another edition of the VIP Lounge with MVP. Matt Hardy is his guest. Hasn’t he been the guest on like half of these segments? MVP said being tag champ was truly one of the highlights of his career. Matt asked why MVP could allow what happened Monday with Jeff and Mr. Kennedy to happen. MVP explained it as he was in the spirit of competition and had no choice. Matt questioned when the last time MVP had defended his US Title. Hardy said MVP has intentionally been distracted with the tag titles so as not to have to give Matt another shot. Interesting theory. MVP said their friendship was more important. Matt broke the bad news to Porter: They’re not friends, never have been and never will be. The official challenge was made to MVP by Matt for tonight. MVP said he can’t. He said they already scheduled a tag title defense tonight- right now, as a matter of fact. Man, I’m almost siding with MVP in this debate.

3- MVP & MATT HARDY vs. JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ- TAG TITLE MATCH

Single-leg take-down on Miz by MVP got things started for the champs. Running boot by MVP but Porter came up lame. He tagged out to Matt. It appeared to be a right leg/knee injury for MVP. Morrison tagged and a distraction allowed Miz to get some offense in from the outside. Morrison targeted the left knee of Matt and both he and Miz worked on that part of the body. Hardy was able to hit a clothesline and tried to crawl over to MVP to make a tag. Morrison got up to tweak Matt’s knee and stop him from tagging. After another tag, Matt went to hit the Twist of Fate on Miz, but Morrison nailed his knee from behind and the cover was made for the victory.


WINNERS: Morrison and The Miz, to win the titles, at 3:51.

MVP checked on Matt after the match. MVP invoked his re-match clause for right now. The champs started walking back to the ring as we hit a break.

[Commercial Break]

4- MATT HARDY & MVP vs. JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ- TAG TITLE MATCH

The match was joined in progress with Miz and MVP in the ring. Cole questioned the decision for MVP to invoke the re-match clause when both challengers appeared injured. Matt tagged in and Miz went to work on the knee again. Hardy tried to fight out of the heel corner but Miz hit his neckbreaker. Matt was able to put his foot on the rope on a pin attempt. However, they continued working on Matt and finally got him to submit.

WINNERS: Morrison and Miz at about 6:00.

After the match, MVP helped Matt up, raised his hand.....then attacked the leg. Ah, who didn’t see that coming? MVP took the knee brace of Matt off and started doing a number on the knee. Montel wasn’t limping during the attack, either, as the announcers noted. He brought the steel steps into the ring and dropped Matt knee-first onto them.

[Commercial Break]

-During the break, referees helped Matt Hardy to the back.

-Hell in a Cell rewind took us to 2000, Undertaker vs. Rikishi.

-Cole and JBL ran down the Survivor Series card.

-Next, Rey Mysterio faces Mr. Kennedy.

[Commercial Break]

5- MR. KENNEDY vs. REY MYSTERIO

I think every match has started the exact same way tonight- lock-up, then to an arm-bar/arm-wringer. Rey got an arm-drag on Kennedy, but couldn’t follow up. Leg-scissor takedown by Rey, then a kick to the leg. Rey twirled Kennedy into position for the 619, but Kennedy escaped out of the ring.

[Commercial Break]

Kennedy went after the mask out of break, then he flipped Mysterio over his head, and Rey landed right on those injured ribs. Kennedy whipped Rey chest-first into the opposite turnbuckle, but garnered him only a two count. Leg-scissors locked in by Mr. Kennedy. Rey got to the rope to break it up, but Kennedy worked on him some more on the outside of the ring. Kennedy got Rey in the Torture Rack, though it was not called so by the announcers. I was expecting “shades of Lex Luger” from JBL. Kennedy caught Rey in mid-air, and Rey countered that with a spinning DDT. Rey got up and hit a head-scissor, then a cross-body for two. Seated senton by Rey but he couldn’t get the cover. Kick to the head, but only two again. Kennedy regained his composure and hit a tilt-a-whirl back-breaker. Kennedy set Rey up for the rolling senton, but Rey flipped out and hit the 619. Again, Rey had to hesitate due to his injured ribs. He waited for Kennedy to get up to hit his finisher, but Kennedy stayed down. He got suckered in and thrown into the steel post. From the middle rope, Kennedy went for the rolling senton, but Rey countered wit ha hurricanrana for the win.

WINNER: Mysterio at 14:00. Good match, and I liked the psychology toward the end.

-Up next, the weigh in for the Hornswoggle vs. Great Khali match at Survivor Series. Still to come, Batista takes on Mark Henry.

[Commercial Break]

-Michael Cole emceed the weigh-in (and photo op!) between Hornswoggle and The Great Khali. Horny weighed in at 138 (and even that seems high) and Khali’s weight didn’t even register. Cole noted that Khali has, in the past, weighed in at as much as 420 pounds, good for a 280 pound difference. Khali, through Runjin Singh, said he wasn’t amused of the mockery Hornswoggle made of their match on Monday night. Singh ran down the list of wrestlers Khali has beaten and said Hornswoggle would be next. Cole then lined them up for a photo op for “all the photographers.” There were four of them. Horny was almost in tears through the whole thing. Cole thanked them and wished them both luck. Khali took Hornswoggle’s hat, crumpled it in his hand and threw it at Hornswoggle.

-Batista vs. Mark Henry, no-DQ, is next.

[Commercial Break]

6- BATISTA vs. MARK HENRY- NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH

Batista unloaded with shoulders to the mid-section of Henry. He took Henry’s left arm and wrapped it around the ring post. Batista slammed Henry against the post several times. Henry was able to shrug Batista off, but Big Dave came back with a huge spinebuster. He went to the outside and grabbed the title belt. He waited, then belted (pun intended) Henry with it and picked up the W.

WINNER: Batista at 2:13. Henry’s burial continues.

Batista’s assault wasn’t done. He sent Henry into the steel steps, then battered him at ringside. He choked Henry with a cable, then drove him head-first into the post again, and speared him. The champ picked up a steel chair at ringside and drove it into Henry’s back several times. Batista posed in the ring until Taker’s music hit. He didn’t come out though.

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