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WWE Smackdown review
April 4, 2008
Taped 4/1//08 in Miami, Fla.
Aired on the CW
Report by Greg Parks, Torch Team Contributor

-WWE Open.

-Smackdown Open.

-Tonight, Shawn Michaels will share his mixed emotions in the ring. Didn’t he do that Monday night?

-Anyway, things started off with a title-less Edge, along with Vickie and Chavo Guerrero (speaking of being title-less...), Teddy Long and the Edgeheads. Edge looked perturbed, to say the least. Edge said he has never been so ticked off in his life. He said he felt naked standing out their without the belt. Edge said he felt like he let Vickie down too. He said he’d be World Heavyweight Champion again. Then Chavo got the mic and said he let the entire Guerrero family down. Chavo then said Kane cheated and doesn’t have the guts to face him one-on-one. Chavo seemed to be getting more heat here than Edge. Vickie said both men would get title chances again at the next PPV, Backlash. She also said both of their respective opponents would face each other tonight, Kane vs. Undertaker. There’s a novel concept. They posed in the ring as the show went to commercial.

[Commercial Break]

1- MVP vs. MATT HARDY

This is a non-title match. Neckbreaker by Hardy, who declined to go for the cover, instead, laying more punches to the skull of MVP. Their brawl was taken to ringside, where Hardy threw MVP into the barricade. Hard clothesline by Hardy caught MVP coming off the ropes. Montel wanted to take a breather, but Hardy went after him. Back inside, MVP took over the offense. Both men went after each other, trading forearms to the head. Porter sent Hardy’s head off the announce table. Hardy worked out of a long rest-hold with a belly-to-back suplex. Porter, though, booted Hardy in the head. Boy, Cole and Coach are really sparring with each other tonight. Hardy went to work on the left knee of MVP. He was doing so much damage that Coach and Cole called for the referee to end the match. The match seemed on the verge of losing the crowd at 10:00, with the last four or so being Hardy working on MVP’s leg. MVP went back on the advantage on the outside, and the crowd chanted “MVP sucks.” Matt came back to hit the Side Effect and hit the elbow to the back of the head off the middle rope. He went for the set-up to the Twist of Fate, but was clotheslined by the US Champ. MVP went for the kick but Hardy took out his already injured knee. Matt then hit the Twist of Fate for the pinfall victory.

WINNER: Hardy, at 11:38. Okay match, but for something that should’ve been a brawl for ten minutes, there were a lot of dull spots.

[Commercial Break]

2- ZACK RYDER vs. FESTUS

Before the match, they showed a pre-taped interview with both Ryder & Hawkins from backstage. Festus took out both men at the outset. He threw Ryder out of the corner and socked Ryder in the opposite one. Ryder got on his back, so Festus flipped him over, then headbutted his chest and back. Festus threw some wild punches after getting out of an arm-bar. Flying shoulderblock hit the mark. After some more offense, Festus hit his finisher for the win.

WINNER: Festus, at 3:50. Well, they’re still getting treated like they’re the Major Brothers inside the ring, but they get to hang out with Edge, which gives them some credibility.

-Shawn Michaels will talk to the fans coming up tonight.

[Commercial Break]

-Still to come tonight, Undertaker faces Kane. And if either brother refuses to compete, they will BOTH be stripped of their respective titles.

-Cole sent it to a video recapping Ric Flair’s Sunday and Monday nights. Still gets to me.

-Backstage, Shawn Michaels was walking, on his way to the ring to address the Smackdown fans next.

[Commercial Break]

-Shawn Michaels came out. HBK said he didn’t do a good job Monday night of putting his match with Flair into words, so he’s going to try again tonight. Michaels said he didn’t know what was going to happen when he walked to the ring during Flair’s celebration. He said the hug Flair gave him gave HBK some closure. Michaels wanted to take the opportunity to do something, but was interrupted by Batista’s music before we could hear more. The Animal came out to address Michaels. Batista said he hasn’t found closure. He said Sunday night was hard for him because it was the last time he’d see Naitch in the ring. He said he’s taking it personally. HBK said it wasn’t easy for him either. Batista accused Michaels of knowing deep down, he did the wrong thing by facing Flair, but HBK said Batista was wrong about that. Batista said he wouldn’t have let his ego get in the way of his friendship with Flair. Batista made an inside comment about HBK not doing jobs. He said Michaels is the most selfish man he knows; if Michaels laid down once, Flair would still be here (kind of morbid, but I get it). HBK said he’s sorry Dave feels that way. Batista threw Michaels’s “Old Yeller” comments back in his face. Dave gave HBK a sneer, dropped the mic, and left the ring. Good, intense promo from both men.

-Still to come, Undertaker vs. Kane.

[Commercial Break]

-Kane was backstage, and the camera pulled back to reveal Undertaker there with him. And that was pretty much it.

3- VLADIMIR KOZLOV vs. MATT BENTLEY

No music for Kozlov on the way to the ring for his Smackdown debut.. For those who’ve forgotten, he’s the “I love Double-Double-E” guy. Kozlov squashed Bentley and finished him off with a version of the Muscle Buster.

WINNER: Kozlov, at 1:12.

[Commercial Break]

-Still to come, for the first time in four years, Undertaker and Kane go one-on-one.

4- JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ vs. SHANNON MOORE & JIMMY WANG YANG

This is non-title as well. Yang nailed a hurricanrana on Miz, then tagged in to Shannon Moore. As Yang had Morrison by the hair, Miz interfered and took out Moore. That led to Morrison hitting his finisher...for the win?

WINNERS: Morrison & Miz, at 1:34.

After the match, Great Khali came out. He took out both tag champs, then pulled Yang into the ring by his head (Yang was standing on the outside) and press-slammed him back to the floor. Moore received the Khali Bomb. Khali got the mic and did some talking, though none of it you could understand. That led to Big Show coming out. They went toe-to-toe. Show said Monday night Khali was in his house and tonight, he’s in Khali’s. Khali simply walked away. Show still had the bruise from Mayweather’s punch on Sunday night.

[Commercial Break]

-Finlay and Hornswoggle return to Smackdown next week.

-Teddy Long was in the ring with three men in suits. Apparently, Long is in the ring to announce the winner of the top divas contest. He gave the mic to the owners of Beverly Hills Choppers, who is supplying the motorcycle (or, “chopper”) to the winner. Thankfully, he kept it short. Long brought out the two finalists: Cherry, and Michelle McCool. Oooh, we even get a drumroll! Johnny Prado (I think that’s how you spell it), announced Michelle as the winner. She and Cherry both checked out the bike. As she got on the bike, Victoria’s music played and she came out. She said the contest was a joke and that she’s the number one diva on Smackdown. The two ladies started brawling in the aisle when Nattie Neidhart made her debut and attacked McCool, then slapped Cherry. If they can turn her into Smackdown’s version of Beth Phoenix, there’s a money feud for the women down the line. She pushed McCool into the ring post. Cherry went to check on her as Neidhart went to the back. Coach and Cole both said they had no idea who she was.

[Commercial Break]

-A WrestleMania video package aired; I believe it was the one that aired right after the show Sunday night.

-Kane came out. I guess they’re billing Kane’s win as the second-quickest WM match ever. They still have Bundy/SD Jones at WM 1 as being shorter. The match will start after the break.

[Commercial Break]

5- KANE vs. UNDERTAKER

They pushed each other away on consecutive lock-ups. Hip-toss and bodyslam by Kane for two. Taker worked over Kane’s left arm. After a stalemate, Taker took out Kane’s leg. Kane prevented Taker from going Old School, but the World Champ still had his little brother by the arm. Clean break in the corner, followed by a slap and some trash talk by Kane. So Taker gave him a punch to the jaw. Another slap from Kane. The two men traded haymakers in the middle of the ring. Kane got the boot up and kicked Taker in the face. Taker pounded at Kane in the corner, then dumped him over the top rope to the floor. Back in the ring, both men were on their knees and the hitting continued. Taker grabbed Kane by the throat, and Kane did the same. They hit stereo big boots and both men landed on their backs on the mat. Then, they both sat up at the same time. The EdgeHeads, Edge and Chavo all came out for the DQ, attacking both men.

WINNERS: No Contest, at 9:14.

The four men attacked, then gloated. Both Taker and Kane sat up again and destroyed the four. Edge and Chavo both got chokeslammed. Tombstone to both men as well. Kane and Undertaker stood with their titles raised as the show ended.

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