Hit The Ropes Radio | Smackdown Recap 9/4/09

The Straight Edge Champion runs down Jeff’s past transgressions: the airport incident and failing the Wellness Policy that caused him to miss WrestleMania 24. Punk is here to save all those who needs saving

He then turns his attention to the Deadman. Punk wants ‘Taker to come face him face-to-face. The crowd chants “We Want Hardy.” Obviously, they missed the memo. Punk is not afraid of the psychological games The Phenom plays and states: “I have no breaking point.” Punk then makes reference to his infamous Anaconda Vice submission maneuver before Matt Hardy storms the ring. We have a good old-fashion brawl before the standard pull apart by the referees.

Backstage, Punk chases down Theodore Long and wants to know what he’s going to do about Matt’s actions. Long makes a match between Punk and less-loved Hardy boy for the main event. Punk wants to make sure the belt is not up for grabs and Long assures him that it was non-title.

Match #1: The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh and Finlay vs. Mike Knox and Kane

Khali comes to the ring first, followed by Finlay. Knox walks to the ring while a small video plays where Knox gives us another creepy anatomy lesson. Knox starts with Finlay. The team of Knox and Kane get the early advantage before Finlay gets a tag to Khali. Kane hightails it and tags Knox back in, wanting no part of the Punjabi Playboy.

Knox gets in and gets a clothesline for his actions. Back from commercial, Khali is still in control. Finlay comes in to continue beating down Knox. The Irishman climbs the top rope and Kane pushes him off. Finlay tweaks his arm on the fall and Knox works over on it. Finlay hits some strikes on Knox until Knox hits a devastating crossbody.

Match #4, technically 3: Eve and Maria v. Natalya and Layla

Starting off is Maria and Natalya. Maria has the advantage in the ring, until she turns her attention to Layla, who is on the ring apron. Layla gets Maria outside the ring where Natalya ambushes her with a clothesline.

The heels are now in control and apply some quick tags to keep Maria isolated. Maria is able to hit a jawbreaker on Layla giving her the opportunity to tag in Eve. Eve bodyslams Layla before doing her flipping senton-like move. Maria runs in to prevent Natalya from interfering. Eve then hits a cartwheel body splash for the win.

Winner: Eve and Maria by pinfall using body splash

Opinion: Smackdown! is in dire need of some better Divas, as McCool, Natalya, and Melina are the only talented ones. Eve and

Layla do show progress. Maria, not so much. Given the participants, this was a decent match.

Josh Matthews is backstage with Matt Hardy. Hardy says Punk should worry about The Undertaker but he also should worry about Matt. Matt is coming to take Punk’s career.

Backstage, Teddy Long is watching the new WCW DVD before Vince McMahon comes in wearing a pink sports jacket. Don’t know what the point of the whole segment was about. I guess Long is still on “probation.” Vince might have been sarcastic with all his praise towards Long.

Eve and Maria are backstage until they are interrupted by Michelle McCool. McCool puts down Maria and calls her Dolph’s flavor of the week. Melina comes in on Maria’s behalf and chases McCool away. Melina tries to, once again, talk to Maria about Dolph but Maria wasn’t having it.

Match #2: John Morrison v. Rey Mysterio (Intercontinental Championship Match)

This is the first one-on-one contest between these two individuals on Smackdown!. Before the match starts we go to commercial. Back from commercial, we get some chain wrestling from the two where they displayed their agility. A “Let’s Go Morrison” chant is audible. We get a shot of Ziggler watching the match on TV back in the locker room.

We go to a second commercial after Mysterio gets a one-count after a pin attempt. Back from break, Mysterio is launched into the turnbuckle. We get a head scissor takeover by Rey on JoMo sending both men to outside. They milk the 10-count as both men crawl back in the ring at the nine mark.

Rey tastes some unyielding ring post giving Morrison the upperhand. That isn’t for long as Mysterio is able to hit a tremendous head scissor takedown where he does two full revolutions on Morrison’s body. Shot to Morrison’s skull by a Mysterio kick followed by a springboard moonsault. Only a two-count for Mysterio.

Mysterio is in control for a bit before Morrison hits a flipping mule kick. Standing shooting star press by Morrison only gets a two. JoMo launches Rey’s small frame under the bottom rope and bouncing off the arena’s floor. Morrison throws Mysterio back in, hits a flashy legdrop, but only gets another two count. Both guys go for a crossbody at the same time and collide in mid-air. We go to our THIRD commercial.

Smackdown! is live and rolling, erm, scratch that, taped and rolling from Cleveland, Ohio. No LeBron James sighting tonight but The Undertaker will be making his long awaited return to FNS.

The show starts with a recap of last week’s fantastic Loser Leaves the WWE Steel Cage match between Jeff Hardy and World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk. Everyone should know that I am not in the least bit a Jeff Hardy fan but the guy is tremendously over.

Jeff Hardy’s music and pyrotechnics go off and here comes Hardy much to the delight of all the kiddies and the Hardy marks. They soon realize it is just CM Punk masquerading as the enigmatic one, face paint, arm stockings, and all.

We get a recap of Drew McIntyre’s re-introduction on last week’s show where he showed R-Truth what’s up.
Match #3: R-Truth v. ???

R-Truth comes out rapping and dancing as usual. McIntyre, in street clothes, runs in and assaults Truth again. Butterfly DDT by McIntyre lays Truth out. McIntyre then gets on the mic and tells the fans that he will stop all of our parties until he is taken seriously.

Winner: None

Opinion: Not a fan of Truth, so I’m loving the hostility that McIntyre is showing. He’s been down in development for a while, so he needs to make an impact on TV. I think this is a great start.

Main Event: Matt Hardy v. CM Punk (non-title)

Matt is the second one out and he is wearing his black jacket thing that looks like it was once a part of Paul Burchill’s pirate’s gimmick.

Crowd chants “Hardy” as he strikes Punk repeatedly with right forearms. Punk gets a few moves in before Matt hits a neckbreaker. Matt stays on the offensive a while longer before Punk is able to get a few elbow strikes in. Superplex by Hardy gets a two count. Before going to commercial, Punk knocks Hardy off the apron using a shoulder charge.

Punk has Hardy in an abdominal stretch and the announcers play up the fact that Matt had surgery after the appendix rupture. Punk works over Hardy’s abdomen with strikes, a kick, and a body scissor.

Kane goes for a clothesline on Finlay before Finlay could make a tag to Khali. Finlay ducks and Kane goes flying over the top rope. Outside, Kane goes after Singh causing Khali to intervene. The ref gets distracted long enough to allow Finlay to strike with the shillelagh.

Winner: Khali and Finlay by pinfall, using shillelagh

Opinion: A pretty good tag match, especially since Khali was involved. I’m not excited about seeing the Singapore Cane match between Kane and Khali at Breaking Point but I do like what we are seeing from Knox and Finlay.

Returning to the ring, JoMo has Mysterio in a body scissor but Mysterio wills out. Morrison gets knocked off the apron to the outside and then eats another head scissor takedown. Mysterio throws Morrison back in the ring, hits a springboard leg drop, yet only gets a two count.

Morrison counters Mysterio’s next move and follows it up with a stiff kick to Mysterio’s face. Two count. Mysterio is soon able to regain control, goes for a couple more pins to no avail. Mysterio climbs to the top rope to attempt a high-risk move but JoMo hits a dropkick catching Mysterio mid-flight. Morrison goes for Starship Pain but Mysterio moves out of the way.

Seated senton by Rey Rey followed by the 619. Another springboard move attempt by Rey is avoided by Morrison, who follows up with a springboard kick. “This is Awesome” chant can be heard.

Morrison gets a two count. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Morrison seems to set things up for the Starship Pain. Rey is able to quickly get up to stop JoMo. Mysterio attempts to do a reverse hurricanrana but Morrison holds on and Mysterio crashes and burns. Starship pain connects for the win. Post match, Morrison and Mysterio shake hands and hug.

Winner: John Morrison by pinfall using Starship Pain (New IC Champ)

Opinion: Awesome match, even though the outcome was known due to Mysterio’s suspension. Both men gave their all here and it was indeed awesome

Matt is able to get out and hits a leg drop from the second rope. Twist of Fate attempt is avoided by Punk but Matt gets an inside cradle for another two count. Roundhouse kick by Punk to Matt’s head gets Punk a two count. Hardy hits the Side Effect but can’t keep Punk down for the three.

Outside the ring, Punk lays Matt out. He then gets a chair and hits Hardy in the stomach first, then on the back. Punk places the chair around Matt’s head, ready to throw him into the ringpost. We hear the familiar gong and the lights go out. When the lights return, ‘Taker is standing at ringside. He grabs hold of Punk’s throat and chokeslams him through the announce table. As the fire burns in the background, we go off the air.