By Greg Parks, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Smackdown review
June 6, 2008
Taped 6/3/08 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Aired on the CW
Report by Greg Parks, Torch Team Contributor


-WWE Open.

-Highlights were shown of Edge vs. Undertaker from One Night Stand this past Sunday.

-Vickie Guerrero, along with La Familia, were in the ring. They all had champagne to celebrate the demise of the Undertaker. Vickie then introduced the new World Champion, Edge (but not after pausing several times to allow the fans to show their disgust). Edge first saluted La Familia, saying he couldn’t ask for a better group of friends. He told Vickie that she completes him. Edge said he ended Undertaker’s career on Sunday. He said he did Taker a favor, because if Taker had beaten him, he would’ve hunted down the Dead Man and beat him so badly that Taker would voluntarily leave WWE. Ouch. Edge toasted Undertaker, saying, “May he rest in peace.” But before they could take a sip, the lights went out. When they came back on, La Familia was looking around, but Edge was the one behind it, saying “gotcha!” to everyone. Vickie then announced that on July 9th, she and Edge would be getting married on Smackdown. Jeez, maybe she should see the previous marriage ceremonies that happened on Smackdown and think of somewhere better to have it. La Familia poured champagne on the champ when Batista came out.

He came to the top of the entranceway and said he came out to wish them good luck in their upcoming wedding. He said he hopes they live happily ever after. Then he switched gears and said he’s kidding, that he really hates them and he hopes they make each other miserable. Batista noted last week, he was going to challenge whoever won the TLC match this week, so he was out there to do just that. Vickie said he’s not getting a title shot. Then she said if he wants a match, he’ll have to earn it tonight. It’ll be Edge, Chavo, Hawkins & Ryder against Batista and three partners of Vickie’s choosing. Edge said if Batista doesn’t win, he’ll never get another title shot against him again. Intriguing for sure, and Edge cut a pretty good heel promo.

-Santino was getting ready backstage for his match with Cousin Sal tonight.

[Commercial Break]

1- FINLAY vs. CHUCK PALUMBO- BELFAST BRAWL

Finlay went after Palumbo before the bell, when Chuck went after Hornswoggle. Soon after, the match did get officially underway. Palumbo got the first big move of the match, throwing Finlay hard into the steel stairs. Chuck grabbed some a metal trash can under the ring, but Finlay dropkicked it into him. Finlay landed a drop-toe hold on Palumbo, who went head-first into the can. Palumbo turned the tables on Finlay after he was thrown out of the ring. Churck tried to loosen a turnbuckle, but couldn’t do it, so he went to another one. That gave Finlay time to grab the shillaleigh, but Palumbo saw it coming and nailed Finlay with a boot to the face. Hornswoggle low-blowed Palumbo, when Chuck was about to hit Finlay with the chain. That distraction allowed Finlay to get the shillaleigh shot in and win the match.

WINNER: Finlay, at 4:46. Just a bit of a garbage brawl. I would’ve put Chuck over here, but whatever. Just a mid-card feud to fill time.

MVP was shown watching the event from a skybox.

[Commercial Break]

-The Big Show came out. He was all smiles, but also showed the effects of his One Night Stand match, with a heavily bruised out. He joked that his chances for being on “America’s Next Top Model” are out. Nice CW plug there. They showed highlights of the end of the match, with Show caning everyone in sight. Show began to talk about Kane, but Mark Henry came out to interrupt. Henry said a few weeks ago, Show told him to pick on someone his own size, while this past Sunday, Show was in a match using sticks. I don’t see how they connect at all...Henry should’ve said in the match, everyone Show beat was smaller than him. Henry had the guys in the truck play the incident that caused the eye injury to Show. Show said even with his bad eye, he can see Henry is full of it. Show called Henry out and Mark came to the ring but stopped short. Henry then laughed at Show thinking he’d fight tonight.

-Cousing Sal was preparing for his match with Santino by...slapping Piper in the face.

-Also tonight, Batista and three mystery partners face La Familia.

[Commercial Break]

-Clips of WWE receiving the inaugural Corporate Patriot Award. Model LeAnn Tweeden and, yes, John Ratzenberger gave soundbites that aired.

2- DEUCE ‘N DOMINO vs. THE GREAT KHALI- HANDICAP MATCH

Record producer Rick Rubin was in the crowd. Khali? I thought he was taking more time off than this. Deuce tried to go low on Khali, but he couldn’t get in there. Deuce got caught in a claw-hold, and Khali threw him down. Domino came in and got booted down. The Greasers finally decided to gang up on Khali, but that predictably didn’t work. Domino and then Deuce got Khali bombed. Domino was the unlucky one to get pinned.

WINNER: Great Khali, at 1:51.

-The Smackdown Divas were welcomed into Vickie’s office. She said her show needs a women’s champion and that Smackdown was going to crown one. Tonight, there would be a “Golden Dreams” match where the winner would be eligible to win the first ever Divas champion.

-Next, it’s Sal vs. Santino. We got a video package on the “feud.”

[Commercial Break]

3- SANTINO MARELLA vs. COUSIN SAL

Mick asked, “To what do we owe this pleasure? Santino’s a Raw guy!” There was silence, probably because neither could explain why he was on Smackdown. “Working for a living” was Sal’s theme, and he even had a Titan-Tron. He was accompanied by Jimmy Kimmel and Roddy Piper. Sal came out wearing a kilt. Kimmel’s girlfriend Sarah Silverman was in the crowd as well. Sal wore a singlet a la a high-school wrestler.

Santino offered Sal a hand in friendship, but Santino pulled it back when Sal fell for it. Santino picked Sal up and threw him down so Sal went to Piper for advice. Santino got Sal in a waist-lock but Sal got out of it. Crowd is surprisingly not crapping all over this. Santino offered himself to Sal, so Sal grabbed a side headlock. Sal gave Santino a forearm to the face, then the airplane spin. Marella missed a charge and Sal hit a nice vertical suplex for one. Santino came back with a vengeance, no longer kidding around. Piper got on the apron to distract the ref, while Santino hit the ropes and was tripped up (I think) by Kimmel. Sal rolled up Marella to get the pin.

WINNER: Cousin Sal, at 3:22.

Marella attacked Sal then was about to get his hands on Kimmel. Piper turned him around and punched him, while Kimmel stop on him as he rolled out of the ring. Hey, I’ll give credit, it was semi-entertaining.

-Batista teams with three mystery partners to take on La Familia tonight.

[Commercial Break]

-MVP was once again shown hanging out in the skybox, talking on his cell phone.

-Clips of Cousin Sal’s first pro match were shown. Jimmy was testing Sal for a concussion backstage while he was icing his shoulder. Eve Torres tried to ask Sal some questions, but Jimmy answered them all. Jimmy said he already set up Sal’s next opponent and The Big Show walked in. Sal went after Jimmy, but Show grabbed Sal and took him away.

-Elsewhere backstage, The Miz and John Morrison were taunting Hornswoggle by stealing his hat. Finlay came in to stop them, then Horny got a water gun and shot it at the duo.

-In Vickie’s locker room, La Familia was hanging out. They headed to the ring, but Edge held Chavo back to talk to him in private. Edge asked him to be his best man and Chavo accepted. Edge said he wanted to have several children with Vickie, which drew a confused look from Chavo.

-The Golden Dreams Match (whatever that is) is next.

[Commercial Break]

4- GOLDEN DREAMS MATCH

Okay, so you have to get a giant gold star, which is hanging on a pole. The winner will be one of the participants in the Divas Championship match. All seven of the Smackdown/ECW divas are involved here. Cherry threw Maryse out of the ring, then went for the star. Victoria shoved Cherry off the top and to the outside. The ring was emptied until it was just Michelle and Natalya. Maryse stopped Michelle from getting the star. Victoria hit a superplex on Michelle while Natalya powerbombed them off. She then climbed the rope and got the star.

WINNER: Natalya, at 2:25. Not exactly a banner in-ring night thus far.

-Still to come, the big eight-man tag match.

[Commercial Break]

-Michael Cole threw it to highlights of the McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania Press Conference held in L.A. earlier in the week.

5- JIMMY WANG YANG vs. VLADIMIR KOZLOV

Yang tried some martial arts, then went after Kozlov’s legs. Kozlov hit a boot square to the face of Yang. He then applied a half-crab. Yang went for a moonsault, missed, but landed on his feet. But Yang wrenched his knee and Kozlov hit an overhead throw for the pin.

WINNER: Kozlov, at 2:03.

-Eve asked Batista how he feels about going into a match not knowing his partners. Batista made it short and sweet, saying he knows that Vickie’s going to try to screw him.

[Commercial Break]

6- CURT HAWKINS & ZACK RYDER & CHAVO GUERRERO & EDGE vs. BATISTA & NUNZIO & FUNAKI & COLIN DELANEY

Before the match, when referencing McMahon’s Millions Contest, Foley said, “Mr. McMahon has thrown away this much money since he signed Goldberg!” Cole totally no-sold the comment.

Batista had success in the ring against one of the Edgeheads, so Chavo tagged in. He didn’t do any better, with Batista holding the upper-hand. Batista tagged Delaney, whom he rocket launched into Chavo. Delaney was hammering away on top of Chavo as they went to break.

[Commercial Break]

Predictably, the heels were working over Delaney out of break, with Curt Hawkins doing the damage. Chavo then tagged in and finally, the champion Edge. Hard Irish whip into the corner by Edge had Delaney hurting. Edge teased having Delaney tag Batista, but then Edge knocked him off the apron and had Delaney tag Funaki. The heels did some triple-teaming on Funaki behind the ref’s back in the corner. Extended beat-down on Funaki took place. Funaki almost hit his finisher on Edge, but the Rated R Superstar threw him off. Funaki avoided a Ryder charge and finally made the hot-tag to Batista. Batista destroyed Hawkins, and the rest of La Familia. As Batista was about to hit his Batista Bomb, Edge took him out. Things then got out of control, as the heels tossed out all the faces. Batista came back though with a double-spear, spinebuster and then finally Batista Bombed one of the Edgeheads for the pin.

WINNERS: Batista, Nunzio, Delaney and Funaki at 13:57.

The show closed with Batista’s arms raised in victory.

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