By Greg Parks, PWTorch Contributor

WWE Smackdown review
August 23, 2008
Taped 8/19/08 in Moline, IL.
Aired on the CW
By Greg Parks, Torch Team Contributor

I’m a day late, as I moved to a new place this week to start Grad school, and the CW affiliate here pre-empted the show for a Yankees game. Luckily, they showed it tonight.

-WWE Open.

-Clips aired of the Smackdown Summerslam matches.

-Smackdown Open.

-Vickie Guerrero was on the big screen. She noted that everything she’s done over the past few months have been due to Edge. She said he corrupted who she is as a person and cause her to cheat all of the fans. Vickie said she is now free to be her real self. She still had the evil laugh though. Vickie told the fans to give Undertaker a standing ovation when he enters the arena tonight. She announced the Smackdown Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. She explained the rules and said qualifying matches would take place tonight.

-JR and Tazz discussed the scramble announcement and the “new” Vickie.

-Maria came out for a Divas match, which is next.

-JR and Tazz discussed the scramble announcement and the “new” Vickie.

-Maria came out for a Divas match, which is next.

[Commercial Break]

-Jeff Hardy faces Great Khali, and Festus takes on MVP in Scramble qualifying matches.

1- MARIA vs. NATALYA

Some good wrestling early on from these two. They traded wrist-locks, and Maria ended up getting the best of it. Headscissors take-down was next. Natalya worked the leg of Maria, but Maria came back and hit a few clotheslines, and a bronco buster. Natalya got sent to the outside and Maria went after her. That led to Maryse coming out and attacking Maria for the DQ.

WINNER: Maria, at 3:25.

The heels continued their onslaught until Michelle McCool came out to even things up.

-Vickie was being wheeled backstage by Chavo and Bam Neely. They came upon Big Show, who lauded Vickie for making a Scramble match. She broke the news that he wasn’t going to be in a qualifying match to be in it. Show said it was OK, and walked away.

-A 10-man Battle Royal for a Scramble spot is next.

-Big Show came out, and the announcers wondered why, since he isn’t in the match. He took a seat at ringside to watch the match.

[Commercial Break]

2- 10-MAN BATTLE ROYAL- CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE QUALIFYING MATCH

Participants are Funaki, Armando Estrada, Super Crazy, Ryan Braddock, Scotty Goldman, The Brian Kendrick, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, Jimmy Wang Yang and Vladimir Kozlov. The last five got entrances. Interesting list of participants, for sure. The tag champs and Yang, along with Braddock and Estrada tossed Kozlov less than two minutes in. And he was my pick. Goldman went soon after. Show then entered the ring and eliminated Braddock, Crazy, the tag champs, Estrada and Funaki. He then tossed Kendrick, but Ezekiel caught him. Show press-slammed Yang out and Show left. The referees conferred and announced Kendrick as the winner.

WINNER: Kendrick, at 3:23. Just a bizarre match. It was clear the jobbers were in there to provide fodder for Big Show, but why not just put him in the match?

-Still to come, Undertaker returns to Smackdown.

[Commercial Break]

-They re-aired clips of Show tossing everyone from the battle royal.

-JR and Tazz sent it to another special look at R-Truth.

3- MVP vs. FESTUS- CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE QUALIFYING MATCH

For once, MVP went right after Festus once the bell rang. But his onslaught didn’t last long. Hard uppercuts on MVP by Festus. Fall-away slam and it’s pretty much been all Festus. And as I typed that, MVP shoved Festus shoulder-first into the post. “MVP sucks” chant from the crowd as MVP continued to work on the shoulder while Jesse cheered on his partner from ringside. Festus fought out of a keylock with headbutts. He was favoring his shoulder though, and MVP took advantage. Festus got some big right hands in, but MVP turned the tide again. Festus worked out of an arm hold with a Samoan Drop, then began hitting his signature moves. After a big boot, MVP decided to take a breather. Festus chased him and back-dropped MVP on the outside. As the ref’s count reached eight, MVP kicked Jesse and went into the ring. Festus checked on Jesse instead of getting back to the match, costing him a spot in the scramble.

WINNER: MVP, at 8:11. Crowd wasn’t into this as much as I thought they’d be.

-Finlay takes on Shelton Benjamin in a Scramble match, next.

[Commercial Break]

-JR and Tazz plugged WWE 24/7.

3- SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. FINLAY- CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE QUALIFYING MATCH

Benjamin cut a promo on Michael Phelps, and said that he’s the only real Gold Standard. Finlay gave Shelton a nice elbow right to the bridge of his nose. Finlay out-wrestled Shelton, but Benjamin was able to create separation and take a few breathers. Benjamin turned it up a notch and Finlay responded in kind. The two brawled to the outside, then broke and got back in the ring. Finlay worked over the ankle of Shelton. Finlay went shoulder-first into the post and Shelton went right on the attack. Referee Charles Robinson asked Finlay if he wanted to continue, and of course he did. He ended up catching Shelton in the apron, but Benjamin knocked Finlay off the top rope and to the outside in an ugly spill.

[Commercial Break]

Benjamin continued his assault on Finlay out of break. Finlay hit a jawbreaker to get out of it, but Shelton then applied a nerve hold. Interesting neck-vice type move by Shelton. Finlay got his feet up on a charge, and the match began to even up. Finlay began to get some momentum, but Mike Knox came out to mess with Hornswoggle. That distracted Finlay long enough to hit Paydirt and get the win.

WINNER: Benjamin, at 16:19. I had no problem with this match.

Knox went into the ring and did some more damage to Finlay.

-Tonight, Undertaker returns to Smackdown.

[Commercial Break]

-Tonight, Jeff Hardy faces Great Khali in a Scramble qualifying match.

-They showed the Jericho-Michaels segment from Summerslam.

-Vickie, Bam and Chavo were all backstage. Chavo tried to get himself a qualifying match, to no avail. He then asked why Taker hasn’t shown up yet. Chavo suggested Taker might hold a grudge against Vickie. Chavo talked her into making an apology.

-Triple H came out to watch the next match closely. The final qualifying match is next.

[Commercial Break]

4- THEGREAT KHALI vs. JEFF HARDY- CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE QUALIFYING MATCH

Jeff tried to hit-and-run, but it didn’t have much effect. Jeff hit the ropes and ran into a hard clothesline. Headbutt by Khali. Khali settled in with a nerve hold. He tried to get Jeff up for a Khali Bomb, but Jeff got out of it and went to the top. Khali chopped him off and to the outside. Weak Twist of Fate by Jeff. He went to the top, but Ranjin Singh distracted him and Khali plucked him out of the air. Triple H took out Singh, then clocked Khali with a steel chair. Hardy hit Whisper in the Wind (ug-ly), then the Swanton for the pin.

WINNER: Hardy, at 5:20. These two don’t mesh well, and it was proven in this match.

[Commercial Break]

-Triple H was in the ring and discussed the Scramble. HHH said with the odds he faces, the title is likely to change hands. However, he’s been in every match WWE has to offer and he is called The King of Kings for a reason. All of a sudden, Kenny Dykstra came out and grabbed the mic from HHH. He was pissed he wasn’t even considered for the Scramble, then HHH pedigreed him. “Good to see ya Kenny” HHH said. Well that was certainly worth it.

-Vickie was crafting her apology backstage with Chavo and Bam. Ryder and Hawkins then came in so they could go out as a family.

[Commercial Break]

-A Summerslam video package aired.

-Vickie was in the ring with her family, reading her apology to Undertaker. She called herself a great woman several times in it. She urged the fans to give a standing ovation as she called for Undertaker to come out. He did. She asked for him to accept her apology, since she DID deliver Edge to him. She even got down on her knees to apologize. Taker grabbed the mic and said he came out for her soul. He fought off La Familia until Bam Neely shoulder tackled him. Chavo got a chair but Taker kicked it into him. He then chokeslammed the tag champs. By then, Vickie had made it up the ramp. Taker made the throat-slash gesture in her direction.

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