Friday Night Smackdown!
August 1, 2008
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Jim Ross and Mick Foley


-We recap last week’s final segment, as the Undertaker will return at Summerslam to face Edge, in the Devil’s Den: Hell in the Cell.

OPENING ANIMATION

-Jim Ross welcomes us to chocolate country, Hershey PA and tonight Edge will have a special surprise guest on The Cutting Edge. Suddenly the Charismatic Enigma comes out, as Jeff Hardy takes a ringside seat for our opening match.

MVP vs. Jimmy Wang Yang

MVP grabs the mike as he comes to the ring, and he tells Jeff that regardless of what happens he will never be WWE Champion. MVP says he will never be Champion because he doesn’t know how to be. MVP works Yang over with some kicks, but Yang reverses an Irish Whip with some forearms but MVP takes him down with a slam. MVP with some kicks to the ribs, followed by some unusual arm submission maneuver. Yang breaks out of it with some kicks, but MVP with a knee to the gut. Takedown and a kick from Montel for 2. Yang reverses a snap mare with a kick to the head for a 1 count. MVP whipped into the corner and another kick. Yang goes to the top but MVP with a gutbuster reversal. MVP with a windmill kick to the head for the 3 count. Maybe he’s replacing the Playmaker with this kick finisher. WINNER: MVP (Grade: 1.5)

-Jeff gets in the ring and tell MVP enough is enough, and if he ever mentions his house, the fire or his dog MVP will pay the price. MVP tries a sucker punch and Jeff reverses into the Twist of Fate. We’ll see Jeff again later as he takes on The Great Khali.

-Back from break and Chavo Guerrero is wheeling Vickie backstage when they run into the wedding planner Alicia Fox. Bam Neely opens Vickie’s door and they go in.

Mr. Kennedy vs. US Champion Shelton Benjamin

Mr. Kennedy seems to enjoy being a babyface, maybe that will help him get on track. They lock up and Shelton with a headlock takedown. Kennedy reverses and goes for the Mike Check but Shelton bails. He gets back in and Kennedy with an armbar. Kennedy works the shoulder over but Shelton breaks it and a suplex for 2. Shelton with a knee to the head and he works Kennedy over in the corner. Kennedy comes back with some turnbuckle shots but the ref breaks and Shelton takes advantage. Kennedy with a half-nelson for 2. Kennedy goes back to the armbar. Shelton breaks it with some forearms but Kennedy with a nice spin kick. Off the ropes but Shelton trips him, then slams Kennedy’s shoulder into the post as we go to break. Back from break and its Shelton now with the armbar on the shoulder that was put into the post. Kennedy tries to break with some forearms but Shelton with a low knee for 2. Shelton goes back to the left armbar. Shelton with a hammerlock into a shoulderbreaker for 2, as JR credits the Horsemen for that move. God I love him on Smackdown. Shelton with a head scissors armbar and Kennedy’s hurting. Kennedy fights it for a couple of minutes but eventually gets to his feet and turns it into a half Boston Crab. Very well-wrestled match so far, as both men have used swift counter maneuvers. Shelton gets to the ropes, and Kennedy breaks it but when he re-charges Shelton pushes him out of the ring. Shelton follows and he continues to work the arm over. Kennedy with a quick kick to the knee and he’s in control. Shelton breaks free and hits the ropes for a splash for 2. Shelton goes for clothesline but Kennedy catches him and tries a backslide but Shelton breaks it. He tries for the clothesline again but Kennedy catches him and hits the Mike Check for the 3 count. A very good TV match as both men use psychology and patience to get their workrate over. WINNER: Mr. Kennedy (Grade: 3)

-Eve Torres interviews Shelton after the match, and he says he doesn’t make excuses but he says he has Bronchitis. That’s very lame.

-Hawkins & Ryder are backstage and they’re talking about nothing in particular, when Chavo comes in and asks why Alicia Fox is here and who Edge’s guest on the Cutting Edge is tonight. The Tag Team Champions know nothing and Chavo leaves.

The Brian Kendrick vs. Stevie Richards

Yes, he is going by “The Brian Kendrick”, as JR really feels he has a hint of Brian Pillman in him. I hope you’re right JR, because that means we have a future superstar on our hands. Kendrick takes the mike and says he used Paul London to get where he is, and he really doesn’t care about the fans. If anyone has a problem with that, take it up with Zeke. Typical heel stuff. Kendrick starts with some big kicks for 1 count and now the hold of the night, the armbar. Kendrick with some forearms and a knee to the head. Kendrick with a low drop kick for 2. Kendrick with a Boston Crab and another kick in the head. A kick to the ribs for 2 by Kendrick. Kendrick misses a blind charge and Stevie fights back with some kicks of his own for 2. Stevie with a powerbomb for 2. Kendrick rolls to the apron and Stevie with a kick to the face and Zeke catches him in mid-air. Zeke puts him back in the ring and it gives Kendrick a chance to boot Stevie in the head. “The Kendrick” gets the 3 count. His finisher is a reverse DDT off the second rope. Not a bad match, as I like Kendrick’s character. WINNER: Brian Kendrick (Grade: 2)

-Zeke puts Stevie Richards in a form of the Torture Rack for good measure.

Edge arrives in the building as we go to break.

The Great Khali vs. Jeff Hardy

Khali shoves Hardy shoves him back, then goes for some punches and kicks but they do nothing. He charges and Khali clotheslines him. Khali works over Hardy in the corner with his usual plodding offense. Jeff’s getting drilled with reverse elbows and chops. Khali with a big bodyslam, followed by a second one. More big chops as the crowd is dying fast on this one. Jeff tries to fight back with some kicks but he goes to the second rope and Khali throws him to the floor and he’s out as we go to break. Back from break and Khali with a big clothesline after getting thrown into the steps during the break. The steps rip Jeff’s shoulder open and Khali with a boring nerve pinch on the cut. This match is extremely boring. Jeff gets to his feet and throws some rights. Khali whips him in but Jeff hits the Whisper in the Wind takes Khali down. Jeff gets to the ropes and hits the Swanton Bomb, but MVP comes in before he goes for the pin, and Jeff takes him out. They brawl outside and Khali grabs Jeff by the head and throws him down. Khali sets up and cranks up the head vice. Jeff fights for a bit but he’s passes out and Khali wins. I know MVP got involved after Jeff hits the finisher, but did he have to job to Khali? UGH. WINNER: Great Khali (Grade: 1)

-MVP gets in the ring and taunts Jeff Hardy as he’s out cold.

-We have our second vignette on R-Truth, which I guess is the name Ron Killings will get. R-Truth is average, but like I said last week it’s better than K-Kwik. R-Truth talks about his life in prison and how it changed him.

Maria vs. Victoria

Maria is just a ball of energy who really seems to be enjoying what she does. Victoria with a takedown and she cranks on Maria’s neck. Victoria with a side slam for 2. She throws Maria out of the ring but Maria gets back in an eats a drop kick. Maria gets a kick in but Victoria with a powerslam for 2. Victoria with some odd wrist lock into a Full Nelson. Maria’s fighting it and she backs Victoria into the corner. Maria with some kicks and a sunset flip for 2. Maria with a clothesline, then another clothesline, but off the top rope for the pin. Match was crap but Maria wins her Smackdown debut. WINNER: Maria (Grade: 1)

-Edge and Alicia are backstage talking in a hallway and he tells her in his own smarmy way that he got her a front row ticket for the Cutting Edge later tonight.

-They mysteriously play the open to the Triple H “King of Kings” DVD again. How about he come on the show and do something?

-JR and Mick go over the Summerslam card, August 17 in Indianapolis:

WWE Championship: Triple H © vs. Great Khali
Hell in the Cell: Undertaker vs. Edge
John Cena vs. Batista

The Big Show vs. Domino

I think we know where this one is going. Domino tries a waist lock, but Show breaks it and throws him out of the ring. Domino gets back in and they lock up, but Show throws him down again. Domino with a low knee but he comes off the ropes and Show with a boot to the face. Show with a big chop and a right hand. Show drops the chokeslam and its goodnight Domino. WINNER: Big Show (Grade: 0)

-As the match ends, Umaga comes down the aisle and gets in the ring. They look each other over and that’s it.

-Chavo’s backstage talking to Vickie and no one knows who Edge’s guest on the Cutting Edge, which is next.

-We have the Cutting Edge, as the Rated-R superstar is in the ring with a ladder, a table and a chair. Edge says all week he’s been searching for inner peace. He’s been trying to fix the rough patch in his marriage, and in just over 2 weeks he’ll be walking into Hell in the Cell with the Undertaker, and the crowd pops for that. Edge is silent as the crowd chants “UNDERTAKER…” He’s watched all of the footage and the cruelty of a Cell match, since this is Edge’s first Cell match. All he sees when he closes his eyes is pain and suffering. This week he comforts himself with his comfortable instruments of destruction, the table, ladder, and chair. These things were used to put the Undertaker away in the first place. Edge has also found the man that not only will help Edge survive the Cell but knows the Undertaker better than anybody. That person is Mick Foley. Foley’s stunned, but Edge says please. Foley takes off his headset and goes into the ring. Jesus Mick, have a salad. Edge tells Mick he knows about their history, but beyond that there’s something else stronger. Edge reminds Mick of it through a really sweet vignette about the year in wrestling 1998. About Austin, Vince, The Rock, and DX. However 1998 will forever be remembered for the King of the Ring and the Hell in the Cell. Wow that was 10 years ago? God how old am I? NO JOKES. Edge tells Mick every day the Hardcore Legend feels all the pain from that match. Edge says it still eats away at you, about what the Undertaker did to you in that match. Edge begs Mick to help him overcome Hell in the Cell, and maybe all that pain will wash away. Mick says Edge makes some good points, but Mick says there’s a problem. Mick says even though he says Edge is the greatest wrestler in WWE, the fans think Edge is a cheating, lying, short cut taking worm. Mick says the Edge that’s groveling for his woman, and wearing white tuxedos will not defeat the Undertaker, but the Edge that defeated Mick Foley in the greatest hardcore match ever at Wrestlemania XXII can beat the Undertaker. So Foley will not help him, because only Edge can help Edge. Does Edge understand? With that Edge says yes, then cheap shots Foley with a shot with the microphone, and Mick rolls to the outside. Foley fights back but Edge spears Foley into the steel steps. Foley gets back in the ring and attempts the Mandible Claw, but Edge with a low blow. Edge lays Mick onto the table in the ring, and then he takes the chair, climbs the ladder about ¾ of the way, and slams the chair into Mick’s face. We go off the air as Edge is smiling at his handiwork. An excellent finishing segment with a grand slam promo my Foley.

DRAMA’S TAKE: A very unusual show that had it ups and downs. I like the chemistry between MVP and Jeff Hardy. As much as it seems like he’s taken a notch down from earlier in the year, he’s still over and this will be a good platform to really build his popularity again. Kennedy/Shelton was the match of the night, and as a face I think Kennedy can rebuild his tattered career and get back to where he was after winning last year’s Money in the Bank match. Maria adds some star power to the show on the divas side, but I wonder if that will lead to a Michelle McCool heel turn? I like the start of the Brian Kendrick character and hopefully he can be built into something for the lower mid-card. Maybe team him with Vlad Kozlov and be a mis-matched heel team. Maybe, maybe not. The final segment was pure gold, and it got Edge back to being the Edge from before the draft: Evil, hungry, and downright nasty. Foley did his job perfectly as the grizzled old school guy who tells the current superstar to stop taking shortcuts. No Triple H, which is unacceptable since he’s champion. I know his daughter was just born, but at least sell some Khali injury or something. Khali baits Triple H into the parking lot and gets the Vice Grip on him or something. Don’t just not show up, and have us re-watch the beginning of his DVD again. So as much as the show was good to re-build Edge back to what he was before the roster changes, many major pieces of the show were not there and with Summerslam around the corner, matches need to be made. FINAL GRADE: C

MVP: Edge
Runner Up: Mick Foley
Non MVP: Triple H (For being absent without a note)
Runner Up: Michelle McCool (See Triple H)

The Brian Kendrick is my new favorite part of Smackdown. I hope they don't hold back on his push, because he's absolute gold in this new role.

You are correct. The Brian Kendrick is hot right now.