Jon Mezzera, PWTorch.com Contributor (7.5)

This was another good episode of Smackdown. It wasn't as good as last week's episode (I didn't do a Roundtable Review, but if I had it would have gotten a 9.0 for being such a great episode). But, it was still good. It didn't get off to a great start however. CM Punk's opening promo was OK. He delivered his lines well and there were a few over-the-top moments for his character like when he said that one drink makes you an alcoholic, but overall I am still bothered by the notion that he is a heel for saying that people shouldn't do drugs. He has so much potential as a top heel, which he would show at the end of Smackdown, but the character needs a bit of tweaking. Beyond that, it was very predictable that there wouldn't be an opening main event. You knew something had to happen to postpone the match until later. Vince McMahon's appearance only made me question why Teddy Long being on probation seemed to be dropped as an angle over the last several weeks. The other bad part of Smackdown was Kane kidnapping Ranjin Singh. I don't care about Singh so this failed to get me to care about Kane vs. Khali.

Other than that, Smackdown was quite good. John Morrison vs. Tyson Kidd II was even better than the first match last week on Superstars. Kidd has shown enough potential to where I hope he breaks away from the Hart Dynasty and becomes a singles star sooner rather than later. The Fatal Four Way #1 contender match for the Intercontinental Title was fun to watch, but predictable with Dolph Ziggler as the winner. JTG vs. Chris Jericho was a good match that helped to further establish Cryme Tyme as a legit threat to Jericho & The Big Show. The main event of Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk was a good 11 minute match. Matt Hardy as the special guest enforcer was a nice surprise and he played his part well. The ending was unpredictable and really leaves open some interesting possibilities leading into SummerSlam. I'm curious to hear Matt's explanation for what happened. The ending with Punk destroying Hardy then telling the EMTs to fix him so he can break him again was that heel character shinning through that I mentioned above.

Greg Parks, PWTorch.com Contributor (7.5)

While CM Punk's opening promo was fine, I can see that style of promo wearing out over the long-term. Luckily, "long term" and "Jeff Hardy" probably aren't going hand-in-hand as far as the immediate future goes. I still don't get the "Teddy Long is on probation" angle, even less now after it was picked up again after being not mentioned for weeks. I was glad to see another Morrison vs. Kidd match-up. I could probably watch that every week.

The debut of Slam Master J went about as well as expected. Who would've thought WWE would've found a place for him on TV before his former partner, Festus? I was pleasantly surprised by the Fatal Four-Way match. JTG upsetting Chris Jericho was a nice surprise and they worked well together. I think we need to hear from Kane about his fascination with Khali and Singh soon, before people stop caring about this feud, if they haven't already. Not sure I get Matt Hardy helping his brother, other than because Punk baseball slid him earlier in the match. I really hope Matt isn't turning face here.

Lee Stevens, PWTorch.com Contributor (8.0)

There was plenty to like with Friday's Smackdown, including the continuation of Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk in the "Boo to sobriety" battle. The addition of a returning Matt Hardy made for an interesting night and I particularly enjoyed the first face-to-face meeting of the Hardys as Matt couldn't even look his brother in the eyes.

John Morrison and Tyson Kidd didn't disappoint and extra credit to Natalya, who may be the most active person outside of the ring since Jimmy Hart hung up his megaphone. A solid 4-way match produced a favorable result and I'm pleased that they're giving Dolph Ziggler another chance to impress against Rey Mysterio. WWE also deserves credit for boosting the relevance of the Tag Team Titles with Cryme Tyme and Chris Jericho & Big Show.

Slam Master J. The Great Khali. In-laws. Root Canal. I.R.S. audits. I enjoy all of them equally.

Otherwise, a solid show and I appreciate the build towards SummerSlam.

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