BY Wade Keller, Torch editor

KELLER'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
NOVEMBER 16, 2007
TAPED TUESDAY IN WICHITA, KS.
AIRED ON THE CW

WHAT HAPPENED: 1ST HOUR

-The show opened with a video package on the Batista vs. Undertaker "Hell in a Cell" match at Survivor Series and his match against Mark Henry on this show. He said he's not just going to beat Mark, he's going to punish him.

-The Smackdown opening aired, then Michael Cole and JBL introduced the show as the camera panned the crowd.

1 -- FINLAY vs. JEFF HARDY

During Finlay's ring intro, they showed Finlay beating up Rey Mysterio last week. A clip aired of Kennedy yanking Hardy off the ring apron to the floor on ECW earlier in the week. FInlay worked over Hardy at ringside, then back in the ring continued on offense with a hard clothesline collision and some matwork. Hardy took some nice bumps off of Finlay clotheslines. At 4:00 he settled into a chinlock. Hardy stood and dropped down with a chinbreaker on Finlay. Finlay, though, recovered first, dropkicked Hardy while Hardy was sitting, and scored a two count. He reapplied the chinlock. Not much of a big deal was made of Jeff wrestling on Smackdown. It's as if the brand extension just suddenly became soft without a need to explain each instance as something negotiated and special since they'll all i the same Survivor Series match. At 6:00 Hardy hit a Whisper in the Wind and a running dropkick to make a full fledged comeback. Finlay grabbed his shillelagh, but ref Charles Robinson yanked it away from Finlay. Finlay yanked it back, so the ref called for the DQ. Hardy, though, ducked and launched Finlay with a catapult over the top rope. Hardy held the shillelagh mid-ring and then his IC Title belt.

WINNER: Hardy in 7:00.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Just fine.

-A clip aired from the October 1997 Hell in a Cell match between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. It's always strange to hear Vince McMahon on commentary. That was near the end of his run doing play-by-play.

[Commercial Break]

-Undertaker made his full ring intro. JBL touted what Taker did to Mick Foley in a Hell in a Cell match. Cole said, "There is no doubt Hell in a Cell makes men legends, but also ends men's careers." When he says men, he means "Superstars" for those of you indoctrinated on WWE vernacular. (That sounded like something Bob Backlund would say.) Taker stood mid-ring and said the Cell has been called a Devil's Playground, and nobody has entered it more than he has. He said no man who has entered it has left quite the same, "so I guess we can call it the Dead Man's playground." He told Batista that his fate will be the same as all others. "You will lose the World Heavyweight Championship." Good to hear Taker stress the title as something at stake and meaningful in the match, rather than hyping exclusively the mystique and danger of the match itself. Good, concise promo.

[Commercial Break]

-Cole and JBL plugged the weigh-in for later between Great Khali and Hornswoggle.

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

Cole touted that last week Smackdown was the no. 1 broadcast network show last Friday among people 35 and under. He listed the other major networks they outdrew. JBL then said, "Thank you," taking full credit.

WINNERS: Phoenix & Victoria in 2:00 when Phoenix pinned Torrie. "What a Smackdown debut for Beth Phoenix," said JBL.

STAR RATING: 1/4*

-They went backstage to Jeff Hardy finishing changing into street clothes was Matt Hardy taped his wrists. Matt asked where he was going. Jeff said he had to head out; he had some "private plans" with a smile. Matt said he understood.

-They went to a clip of Mick Foley's big HIAC bumps against Undertaker. Jim Ross handled commentary and for a moment, sounded a lot more like Ross circa 1987 than today's 2007 Ross vocally.

-Cole plugged the Batista vs. Henry no DQ match.

[Commercial Break]

-The MVP Lounge: MVP introduced Matt. He said they've been rivals, but his reign as tag champion with Matt has been one of the highlights of his career. He declared himself the team captain and touted how they had become friends. Matt asked if that's true, how did he allow to happen to Jeff what happened on Tuesday night. MVP stammered and said he had nothing to do with it. Hardy said he had visual proof, then they went to a clip. JBL defended MVP, saying he didn't see all that happened. Matt asked if MVP was contending that he didn't have a choice. MVP said yes, and he was trying to keep Matt from getting cracked on the head with a chair again. Hardy then asked when the last time was he defended the U.S. Title against him. He said he's keeping them busy defending the tag titles as a way to dodge defending the U.S. Title against him. Matt proposed a U.S. Title match. MVP tried to shift attention again to the tag titles and their friendship. Hardy said they're not friends and they never will be friends. MVP said that hurts. Matt said what will hurt is him defeating him for the U.S. Title. MVP then revealed that he had a tag title match scheduled for them immediately.

3 -- MVP & MATT HARDY vs. THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON -- WWE Tag Team Title match

More clips aired from ECW, setting a Smackdown record for ECW footage on one show. Early in the match, after nailing Miz with a high-boot, MVP began favoring his knee, limping to the corner to tag in Matt. Matt looked at him with concern and suspicion. Miz and Morrison worked over Hardy's leg. JBL said they could see history as the heels double-teamed Hardy for a few minutes. Hardy showed a sign of life with a clothesline. When Hardy went for a Twist of Fate on Miz, Morrison clipped him from behind leading to a quick surprise pin by Miz. Hardy writhed in pain on the mat after the match, clutching his knee. MVP told them to hold on and return to the ring for their rematch. He said they have a rematch clause and are invoking it right now. Miz and Morrison headed back to the ring.

WINNERS: Miz & Morrison to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles.

STAR RATING: * -- Not much to the match, but the finish was so sudden and unexpected, it worked.

[Commercial Break]

4 -- MIZ & JOHN MORRISON vs. MVP & MATT HARDY -- WWE Tag Team Title match

The rematch was joined in progress with the heels again working over Hardy's vulnerable leg.

WINNERS: Miz & Morrison in 3:00 via tapout to retain the WWE Tag Team Titles.

STAR RATING: 3/4* -- Not much of a match in the sense that it was just the heels working over Hardy's legs, but it made sense that Hardy would tapout after that much of a sustained beating on his leg. So everything told a nice story. It didn't add up to a great match, but it was an effective way to move along the MVP-Hardy storyline.

WHAT HAPPENED: 2ND HOUR

-After the match, MVP helped Hardy to his feet and raised his arm in the air. Fans cheered. MVP then kicked Hardy in the knee. Hardy shouldn't have told him earlier they aren't friends and never will be. Cole exclaimed disgust. JBL said he didn't blame MVP at all. MVP ripped off Hardy's boot and knee brace. Then he stuck Hardy's left leg between the ringpost and the steps and kicked the steps. This took a somewhat comedy-oriented storyline that's been drawn out about as long as it could without overstaying it's welcome and raised it a level to a more serious feud. It's good for MVP to be able to move his character along, too. MVP dropped Hardy knee-first over the steel step base which he had brought into the ring. Hardy gasped in pain. They showed fans practically weeping at what they were witnessing. MVP got in Hardy's face and said, "I will always be better than you!"

[Commercial Break]

-The Save_Us video aired ending with the "This Monday" tag.

-They replayed the MVP attack on Hardy from the previous segment. Then they showed Hardy struggling to make his way to the back with help of several referees. He gasped in frustration and pain.

-A clip aired of Undertaker in 2000 sending Rikishi sailing off the top of HIAC into a truck bed of wood shavings. Cole and JBL then hyped the entire Survivor Series line-up.

[Commercial Break]

5 -- MR. KENNEDY vs. REY MYSTERIO

At 2:00 Rey set up an early 619, so Kennedy bailed out before he could get kicked. They cut to a quick break.

[Commercial Break]

Kennedy was in control after the break. He tried to tear Rey's mask off of his head. After whipping Rey chest-first into the corner turnbuckle at 6:00, he applied a body scissors and worked that for several minutes. After a brief stretch at ringside, Kennedy scored a two count inside the ring. Kennedy lifted Rey into a torture rack. Rey slipped into a sunset flip for a near fall at 9:00. Rey made a comeback at 10:00 including a head scissors takeover followed by a body press of the second rope for a two count. He then hit a West Coast Pop leading to a two count. Kennedy fired back with a backbreaker for a two count. Rey came back with a low dropkick and a 619. Kennedy was knocked out cold - or so it seemed. As Rey tried to set up a follow-up, Kennedy didn't get up, so he moved in toward him. Kennedy popped up and threw Rey into the ringpost. Nice sequence there. Kennedy then set up a move off the second rope, but Rey reversed it with a huracnarana off the top rope into a cover for a three count.

WINNER: Rey Mysterio in 14:00.

STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- Good match. Some original sequences. Good pacing. Nice finish.

-A clip aired of a December 2005 HIAC with Taker vs. Randy Orton.

[Commercial Break]

-Michael Cole stood mid-ring and introduced Hornswoggle for the official weigh-in. Hornswoggle walked out without the jovial, carefree dance. Instead, he pensively walked to the ring. Next, Great Khali walked out with Runjin Singh. Hornswoggle weighed in at 138. JBL said that was a lot heavier than he thought. Khali weighed in at... he broke the scale, which burned out just after he stepped on it. Cole said Khali has weighed in at as much as 420 pounds in the past, meaning here will be weight differential of as much as 280 pounds at Survivor Series. Singh interpreted, saying Khali wasn't amused by his training video with Coach. They set up a photo op with the two next to each other. Hornswoggle lined up with Khali's crotch area. He began to cry. Coulda been the smell, not sure.

[Commercial Break]

6 -- BATISTA vs. MARK HENRY - No DQ match

Batista went after Henry aggressively at the start. He yanked Henry's arm into the ringpost at 1:00. Batista applied an armbar. Henry powered out and tossed Batista a few feet. Batista fired right back with a sidewalk slam. He stood over Henry and then walked to ringside and grabbed his title belt. He KO'd Henry with it to win. Cole called it a "major statement" win.

WINNER: Batista in 3:00.

STAR RATING: * -- Just fine for what it was.

-After the match, Batista whipped Henry into the ringside steps. Then he choked him with a cable. After a few chairshots for good measure, he returned to the ring and held up his belt as the Taker bell sounded and the lights turned blue. A close-up of Taker's eyes filled the big monitor and the show ended with Batista looking intensely up at them.

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