By Greg Parks, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Smackdown review
May 11, 2007
Taped 5/8/07 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Aired on The CW
Report by Greg Parks, Torch Team Contributor

I think we all know what happens here, so let’s get to it…

-WWE open

-Smackdown Open.

-From Pittsburgh, Pa., Batista faces Undertaker tonight in a steel cage for the World Title!

1- M.V.P. & FINLAY VS. CHRIS BENOIT & MATT HARDY
Benoit goes for the Crossface early against M.V.P. Lot of pretty quick tags in the early going. Benoit and Finlay take things to the outside, where Benoit hits a snap suplex. Hornswaggle makes an appearance as we head to break.

[Break]

Hardy tags in out of break, hitting the clothesline and bulldog on Finlay. Can’t get the pin, though. Porter tags in and has the advantage. After a failed pin attempt, Hardy catches him with the Side Effect for two. To the middle rope, hits the axe-handle to the back of M.V.P.’s neck. Porter sets Hardy on the top turnbuckle, and he elbows Porter off. Hardy hits a moonsault, but he appears to have injured the knee. Porter smells blood and goes fright for the knee. Now Finlay tags in. Finlay works into the half-crab. Finlay gets Hardy into the Indian Death-Lock, then tags M.V.P. Hardy kicks out of Porter’s grasp, but before he can make the tag, Porter nails him. Enziguiri by Hardy and Benoit tags in. Finlay is in and he gets back-body dropped. Three German suplexes for Finlay and Porter is knocked off the apron. Flying headbutt misses the mark for Benoit, though. M.V.P. tags in and gets leg-whipped. Benoit goes right into a pinning combo and is able to hold down M.V.P for the win.

WINNERS: Hardy and Benoit at 13:08.

-Highlights of the Batisa/Taker feud are shown, here we see Taker choose, on Raw, which champion he will face at WrestleMania.

[Break]

-Next Friday, Ozzy Osbourne performs the Judgment Day theme song on Smackdown. He’ll fit right in.

-Meanwhile, Jillian is in the ring, butchering another song.

2- JILLIAN HALL VS. MICHELLE MCCOOL
Jillian slaps Michelle, and Michelle goes for a spear. The two roll around until Jillian gets a hair toss. Michelle ducks a punch and takes Jillian down. Take down by Jillian but she’s got her feet on the ropes on a pin attempt. Uh-oh, Cole mentioned Jillian using WWE as a stepping stone to a music career. Where have I heard that before? Cartwheel into an elbowdrop by Jillian for a two-count. Jillian tries singing while getting Michelle in a rear chinlock. Michelle with a roll-up only gets one. Michelle lands some nice right hands to Jillian than hits a back-elbow. Suplex and double-leg take-down into a pin attempt. Belly-to-belly suplex (kind of) for two for the former school teacher. Handspring elbow by Jillian in the corner. She walks into a back-breaker by Michelle, and that’s enough to get the win.

WINNER: McCool at 3:44.
Started a bit sloppy, but picked up toward the end.

-Teddy Long gets a shoulder-rub from Kristal backstage. Kristal tries to broach the subject of bringing in Vickie as assistant, but the door knocks. Oh great, more hillbillies. The pair want to wrestle tonight, but Teddy says next week, they can come to Baltimore and fight. The Daltons, I believe is their name. Kristal finally name-drops Vickie. Kristal mainly uses the guilt-trip on Teddy, who agrees to interview her next week.

-February 18, 2007 takes us to Smackdown and Taker/Batista facing Cena/Michaels, and Batista spinebusts Taker then leaves the ring.

[Break]

-Michael Cole talks with Ashley via satellite, discussing her being attacked last month. Ashley talks about the music that gets her motivated for a return, then they touch on London & Kendrick losing the tag titles. So-so interview.

3- PAUL LONDON VS. DOMINO
They’re not big on variety with the tag division, are they? Domino misses a dive to begin, then gets a kick blocked, and another. London uses his feet offensively and aggressively goes after one half of the tag champions. London hits a dropkick as Domino takes five. London lands on his feet after Domino gets out of the way of a moonsault on the outside, and London gets caught coming back in the ring. Domino with a bodyslam out of a rest-hold. London gets a pair of roll-ups for near-falls, then tries for a back-slide. London hits a double-boot then a pair of clotheslines. Hurricanrana hits and so does a dropkick with Domino down. London grazes (me being polite) Domino with a spinning heel kick. London dropkicks Deuce off the apron, and simultaneously moonsaults onto Domino for the win.

WINNER: London at 4:08.

-Taker/Batista rivalry moment from March 30, the contract signing for the WM match on Smackdown.

[Break]

4- KANE VS. DAVE TAYLOR
Both tag partners are at ringside. Regal has a battle scar (stitched lip) from a run-in with the Boogeyman at a live event earlier in the week. Kane is all offense ‘til Taylor takes a powder and goes to the outside. Big uppercut from Kane but Taylor gets his boot up on a charge in the corner. Regal grabs Kane’s leg but it doesn’t affect his offense. That is, until he goes to chase Regal and Taylor takes advantage. Taylor works the arm of Kane until the Big Red Monster fights back. Kane with a splash in the corner followed by a side-walk slam. Regal gets on the apron when Kane goes to the top, but Little and Big Boogeys take care of Regal. Clothesline, chokeslam, pin.

WINNER: Kane at 3:15.

-The Taker/Batista WrestleMania match is reviewed by way of video package. The steel cage match is next!

[Break]

-Some Pittsburgh Steelers are at ringside.

-Highlights of the Last Man Standing Match at Backlash are shown.

-The cage is lowered as we get a tale of the tape between the two. They’re succeeding at giving this a big-match feel, certainly.

-Batista makes his entrance as we go to break.

[Break]

5- BATISTA VS. UNDERTAKER, WORLD TITLE MATCH, STEEL CAGE
Batista has a bug-eyed look of fear as Undertaker enters the cage. Undertaker lands some right hands early as the two behemoths punch away at each other. Big boot catches Batista coming off the ropes for a two-count. Right arm of Taker is taped, and right knee of Batista is also. Powerslam by Taker but he misses a follow-up elbow. Batista tries for a powerbomb but Taker goes for the leg. Batista hits a shoulder-tackle off the top. Batista tries to escape through the door, but Taker stops him as we go to break.

[Break]

-Undertaker is trying to get to the top of the cage as we come back. Batista is really laying in the right hands on Taker, and the crowd is really against him. Batista tries to climb the cage, but Taker comes to and Batista gets crotched on the ropes. Taker puts the boots to the Animal. Big boot by Taker drives Batista’s head into the steel fencing. Batista fights back with punches and both men meet in the middle of the ring with a double-clothesline.

[Break]

Batista comes at Taker with a boot and a near-fall. Taker is not in a good way here. Taker gets some knees into Batista’s leg. Taker is coming back here, with two splashes in the corner on Batista. Snake-eyes and boot hit on the former champ. Taker chokeslams Batista in the middle of the ring. He crawls over to make the pin and kicks out at two. Taker gets Batista up for a Tombstone but Batista reverses and tosses Taker into the cage. The dead man is busted open as we go to break.

[Break]

Batista hits the spinebuster on Taker as we come back from break. Batista goes for the ten-count of punches, but only hit seven before trying to climb on top of Taker to get over the cage. Taker grabs him off and powerbombs him. Batista kicks out of a VERY near-fall. Taker gets the door opened for him, but he can’t make the slow crawl out. Taker sits Batista on the top, then they both get to a vertical base on the top rope. Taker was going for a chokeslam there, but both men are still on the top. Batista finally punches Taker off as Batista makes the climb. They’re in a race now to climb over. Both men fall, apparently at the same time. Bell rings and referees Mickie Henson and Jimmy Korderas goes to the announce table to see a replay on the monitors. Looks like Batista hits first, but you can’t see him hit. Korderas rules a draw.

WINNER: Draw at 15:48, Taker retains.

-As the cage is raised, Mark Henry returns, attacking Undertaker at ringside. Has Henry actually GAINED weight since he left?

6- EDGE VS. UNDERTAKER, WORLD TITLE
I like the nice touch with Korderas not wanting to start the match. Edge goes right for the pin to no avail. Edge waits for Taker to get to his feet, then spears him for the title.

WINNER: Edge at 1:23.

-Edge walks up the ramp, then when he sees Taker come to in the ring, he heads back in and knocks Undertaker down with the briefcase. The belt goes over the shoulder of Edge as we are out before Cole can finish his sentence.

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