By Greg Parks, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Smackdown review
July 20, 2007
Taped 7/17/07 in Laredo, Texas
Aired on The CW
Report by Greg Parks, Torch Team Contributor

-I found out it is scientifically impossible to not come across spoilers on the internet. Tried to avoid finding out who won the title tonight, to no avail. And I think I only got through a day or so.

-WWE Open

-Smackdown Open.

-Cole and J.B.L. previewed an announcement regarding the championship. They went right to Teddy Long, standing in the ring. Long said that Edge’s personal physician said he won’t be able to wrestle for at least thirty days. According to the WWE by-laws, titles must be defended every thirty days, so Edge will have to give up his title. Long then introduced Edge. Edge asked for help with “appropriate lighting” while making the announcement. He made the announcement very somberly, and not in his usual heelish manner. Still, the crowd was having none of it. He explained the injury he suffered last week. Edge didn’t leave the crowd empty….he made a tribute video to himself for the crowd. What a guy. Long interrupted and said this was a bit too much drama for him. The GM announced the battle royal for later in the show, with the winner becoming the new champion. Long asked for the belt again, and Edge said he can’t do it. Edge promised he’d be a four-time champion upon his return. He finally relinquished the belt to Teddy Long. The camera followed Edge’s long walk back to the locker room. Great opening segment. Edge continues to perform at a high level in all facets.


[Break]

-They showed a clip of what just took place in the ring.

-They went backstage to a handful of wrestlers, who would be in the battle royal, warming up.

1- TORRIE WILSON VS. VICTORIA
Torrie got the advantage to start, hitting a chop in the corner, followed by a hair-toss. The two went to the outside of the ring to fight, then Torrie knocked Victoria back out of the ring and hit a baseball slide. Victoria though tripped Torrie up from outside of the ring. Back in, Victoria hit right hands and forearms until Torrie fought back. Torrie got an inside cradle for two. Victoria set Torrie up for her swinging side slam, but Torrie rolled Victoria up for a near fall. Into a rear chin-lock for Victoria. Victoria got a hair-toss in, but Torrie came back with a swinging neck-breaker for two. A knee to Torrie turned things around, then Victoria finished her off with the Widow’s Peak.

WINNER: Victoria at 4:38.

-The Battle Royal is next. Matt Hardy, Deuce ‘N Domino, Jimmy Yang and Batista were shown backstage, set to do battle next.

[Break]

-Rey Mysterio is returning.

-Earlier tonight, Edge gave up the title.

2- 20 MAN BATTLE ROYAL FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Only Batista, M.V.P, Finlay, The Great Khali, and Kane got intros. Batista and Mark Henry were paired off early on, as were Matt and M.V.P. Henry eliminated both Major Brothers, about 1:30 in. Shannon Moore got tossed a few seconds later, followed by Funaki by Khali.

[Break]

Still well over half the men left as we came back from break. Cole said Khali has been dominating. Henry and Khali faced off in mid-ring, but they didn’t get any hits in, as everyone ganged up on Henry to throw him, about 6:30 in. Kenny Dykstra was almost tossed by Matt Hardy. No attempts yet to even gang up on Khali. Batista snap-mared both Deuce and Domino out of the ring at about 10:00. They were followed right after by Dave Taylor. Kane and Batista squared off in the ring, until Jamie Noble went wild and tried to go after both. Instead, they simultaneously threw him out. Eugene tried to high-five them, so they threw him out. Chavo came off the top and onto Batista. The match continued during the break.

[Break]

Dykstra was eliminated just as we returned from break. On replay, it was shown that he was thrown out by Chris Masters. Hardy eliminated M.V.P, leaving eight left. Masters put the Masterlock on Yang, until Chavo broke it up. Yang and Chavo teamed up to throw out Masters. Yang then hurricanrana’d Chavo out. Kane and Batista tried to team up to toss Khali. Finlay put Yang on the apron, and Hornswaggle came out from under the ring to pull his leg off the apron and eliminate him. Khali then eliminated Hardy. There are four men left, but no sign of Finlay. As Khali was standing over Batista and Kane, Finlay came in with the Shillaleigh and went to work on Khali. Batista speared Kane, then threw out Finlay. Down to three. Batista and Kane went at it as Khali rested. As Big Dave tried to eliminate Kane, Khali came from behind and tossed them both for the win.

WINNER: Khali at 24:06

Batista kicked the stairs at ringside in anger. Teddy Long presented the title to Khali in mid-ring. And, of course, held the title upside down.

[Break]

-A replay of the end of the Battle Royal.

-Kristal attempted to interview Khali backstage. And I guess Khali attempted to GIVE an interview backstage. His translator said Indians all over the world are celebrating the first Indian World Champion. Fireworks and parades in celebration. Lunjin Singh also threw in a Kwik-E-Mart reference and said Indians will be thought of differently now. It’s going to be a reign of total domination.

-Elsewhere backstage, Vickie Guerrero was pacing until Teddy came into the picture. Vickie was worried about who would face Khali at the PPV. Vickie thought Batista should, because he signed a contract to face Khali. Teddy thought Kane, because he was the #1 contender. So tonight, Batista and Kane will face each other with the winner fighting Khali at Great American Bash. “Now that’s tabernacle,” said Long. I think I missed the boat on that one.

[Break]

3- MATT HARDY VS. KENNY DYKSTRA
Both got quick pin attempts. Matt took Kenny over with a side headlock. He then got a sunset flip for a near-fall and Kenny began to go on offense. M.V.P was seen watching the match backstage. Not a lot of heat here….wonder if the crowd was taken out by the Khali win. We’d have at least three Hardy chants at this point. Kenny tripped Matt up nicely, then came over the top rope onto him for a two count. Dykstra with a chin-lock. Matt came back but was met with a high dropkick by Dykstra. Short-arm clothesline followed that up, and another. Hardy fought out of another chin-lock, then Dykstra applied a sleeper. Matt suplexed out of it. Drop-toe hold by Dykstra, and he continued with the right hands. Matt shrugged off a neck-breaker, then nailed Kenny coming off the ropes. Knees to the head of Dykstra, then a bulldog out of the corner by Matt. Bodyslam by Hardy, then an elbow to the back of the head. Dykstra gets away from the Side Effect and hops to the top rope, but Matt crotched him and hit the Side Effect from the top for the pin.

WINNER: Hardy at 8:15.

-Tonight, Batista faces off against Kane.

-A video package on Chuck Palumbo aired. Well, Chuck and his bikes.

[Break]

-Jesse and Festus on: Magazines.

-Backstage, the new announcer got a word with M.V.P. He asked Porter about Matt, who eliminated him from the battle royal. As expected, Porter belittled the announcer.

-Cole and J.B.L ran down the Great American Bash card.

-Kane and Batista is next!

[Break]

4- KANE VS. BATISTA
Kane knocked Batista off his feet with a shoulderblock, then went for a quick cover. Batista then clotheslined Kane off the ropes and got a one-count. A long collar-and-elbow tie-up led to Kane getting the advantage on a non-clean break. Kane with a bodyslam for a two-count. Batista suplexed out of a chinlock then pounded away on the Big Red Machine, including a knee-lift. Side-headlock on the mat by Batista, but he gets elbowed coming off the ropes after breaking it. Kane hit some uppercuts in the corner, but was reversed into the opposite buckle and clotheslined. Back-and-forth action followed, until Kane knocked Batista out of the ring.

[Break]

Back from break, the two were slugging it out mid-ring. Kane went to the top, but Batista caught him and powerslammed him off. He set up for the Batista Bomb, but Kane backed him into the corner. Kane came back to hit a sidewalk slam for a near-fall. Kane went to the top, but missed the clothesline, as Batista rolled out of the way. Batista hit a spinebuster to follow up. Kane met Batista with a boot, and hit the chokeslam. Batista kicked out at two. Batista literally walked into a powerslam, but wiggled out. Kane though clotheslined Batista over the top. J.B.L chastised Batista for going to the outside after him. Kane got reversed and whipped into the steel steps. Kane was thrown into the ring. Batista hit a flying shoulderblock off the top rope. Khali then sauntered out to the ring and went after Batista. Both Kane and Batista then worked over Khali, and clotheslined him over the top. This brought Teddy Long out, to say that Khali would face Batista AND Kane in a triple-threat match at the Bash.

WINNER: No Contest at 12:23.

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