By Wade Keller, Torch editor

KELLER'S WWE SMACKDOWN
SEPTEMBER 26, 2008
LIVE FROM COLUMBUS, OHIO
AIRED ON THE CW (for the final time)

[Q1]

-Clips aired of Vladimir Kozlov beating down Triple H last week. Then the Smackdown opening aired and Jim Ross and Tazz introduced the show.

-Backstage Vickie Guerrero insisted Chavo Guerrero tell her what Undertaker told him. He hyperventilated as he described Undertaker choking him last week (while wearing a camera on his head, apparently). He said he begged Undertaker to let go. He said Taker wanted him to be a messenger and tell her - but not for seven days, apparently - that tonight's coming for her. She looked deathly afraid. She grabbed Chavo and told him to guard her. She said before Taker can get to her, he needs to go through him. She also told Chavo to go get Big Show and come right back, as Big Show can protect them. Jeff Hardy walked in and said he wanted a match with Kozlov. Vickie said she'll tell him what she told Triple H earlier - that they need to concentrate on facing each other at No Mercy. She shoed him out of her office. Big Show then walked in with Chavo. He put his arm around Vickie.

1 -- TRIPLE H & JEFF HARDY vs. MVP & THE BRIAN KENDRICK

-Triple H's intro song played. Ross said in just six days they move to a new address and in just nine days No Mercy takes place. Ross said Hardy and Triple H have to fight in nine days, but coexist tonight. Ross said this is a great match to kick start Smackdown. It began 11 minutes into the show. At 3:00 Triple H and Hardy worked together to knock both heels over the top rope to the floor. They cut to a break.

[Q2]

[Commercial Break]

After the break, the heels were in control. They showed that during the break Ezekiel helped them take over. Kendrick had Triple H tied up on the mat. At 7:00 Triple H hot-tagged Hardy into the ring. He went to work on Kendrick and had the crowd excited. Kendrick made a comeback and tagged in MVP. At 12:00 Hardy hit a Whisper in the Wind out of nowhere. Triple H encouraged a Hardy tag as the crowd also cheered him on. Hardy leaped and tagged Triple H. He met MVP with a running high knee and then a kneelift and a clothesline for a two count. He hit a spinebuster on MVP, then gave the same to a charging Kendrick. The crowd popped. As Hunter set up a Pedigree, Kendrick nailed him with a kick. Hardy bodyblocked Kendrick and both tumbled to the floor. Hunter then gave MVP a Pedigree for the win. Afterward, Hardy entered the ring, handed Triple H his belt, and raised Triple H's hand. Ross said Hardy may have been handing it to Hunter for the final time.

WINNERS: Triple H & Hardy in 14:00.

STAR RATING: **1/2 - Solid, formula, rudimentary, and ultimately effective TV tag match.

-A video package aired on The Great Khali followed by a plug for Khali vs. Kozlov later on the show.

[Q3]

[Commercial Break]

-Ross thanked Les Moonves and Dawn Ostroff for their support over the years. Tazz wished The CW luck in the futire, adding that they're excited to move to a new network.

-The "WWE 24/7" segment showed Roddy Piper & Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair & Sid Justice.

-Shelton Benjamin walked out with his U.S. Title belt. He entered the ring and said there are certain people on the WWE roster who live with no standards at all. He singled out R-Truth. He said he has no business in a WWE environment. He said to him it's a joke when he sees him singing and dancing with the fans. He said he's nothing but a street urchin. He said it kills him that the fans are so blind that every time he comes into the arena, they join him in that ridiculous chant of "What's up? What's up?" He said he'll tell the fans what's up. R-Truth's music interrupted. He made his way through the crowd singing to his song and dancing. He still has trouble keeping up with the pace of the song he wrote for himself. Can't they remix it just five percent slower so he doesn't seem to be struggling so much to get the words out to the beat of the music? The crowd's into his gimmick, though, and it's a lot of fun, even if it's not as cutting edge as it's portrayed. Truth got in Shelton's face. He paused, then blurted, "What's up?!" Shelton stepped back, and then without saying anything, walked to the back. Truth's music played again. He danced and rapped some more, losing the beat yet again quickly. Shelton glared back at him.

-Tazz plugged that next week the IC Champ Santino Marella would face U.S. Champ Shelton.

-They showed Brie and Maria heading toward the entrance set.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

2 -- MARIA & BRIE vs. VICTORIA & NATALYA

Ross asked Tazz if Maria and Brie even expect to win given their lack of experience. Natalya shoved and slapped Brie a few times. At 5:00 Natalya knocked Brie to the floor. Brie went under the ring, then came out looking refreshed. Tazz said, "Wait a minute." It was obvious that Brie's legs were still visible when the new Brie crawled out from under the ring. Her body would have had to stretch out to about 12 feet long for that to work. Ross said he needed his glasses checked. She face planted Natalya for a two count. The kick out was about as awkward as you'll see. Brie tagged in Maria who finished Natalya with a top rope crossbody block and a three count. Tazz said he's a bit perplexed, but a win is a win for Brie and Maria.

WINNERS: Brie & Maria in 6:00.

STAR RATING: 1/2*

-A video package aired on Kozlov.

-WWE Fact: WWE has aired more episodes tan E.R., Cheers, and Seinfeld combined with 800 episodes as of Monday.

[Q5]

3 -- VLADIMIR KOZLOV vs. THE GREAT KHALI

Khali established he was more powerful early. Khali headbutted Kozlov and gave him a boot, sending him to the floor. Ross said the undefeated Kozlov has never faced anyone like Khali. Tazz said this is his first real test. Kozlov yanked Khali to the mat and dragged him to ringsizde. Khali headbutted Kozlov. Kozlov ducked a clothesline and Khali hit the post with his arm. Kozlov re-entered the ring. Triple H's music then played. He entered the ring. Kozlov backed out and stepped to the floor. Tazz said Kozlov has been saying he wants competition, so there it is. Kozlov stepped slowly back onto the ring apron. Khali also stepped up from the other side. Triple H turned to punch him. Kozlov entered the ring and hit Hunter. The two heels then stomped away at Triple H. Hardy made the save. He should have waited a little longer if he really wanted the best chance at becoming champion in nine days. As the heels got the best of Hardy, Triple H brought his sledgehammer into the ring. Kozlov bailed out. Khali took a shot from the sledgehammer and then rolled out of the ring. Khali pointed at Triple H from center ring and shook his head. Triple H called him back into the ring. Hardy stood behind Triple H as the staredown continued. Kozlov wagged his finger at Triple H's sledgehammer. Tazz said that was smart. Triple H gave him a crotch chop.

WINNER: No contest in 2:00. At least they didn't give too much of Khali vs. Kozlov away as the intrigue of Kozlov getting tested shouldn't be given away in that context. As an angle, it worked fine. Since they didn't overhype the Kozlov-Khali match, it wasn't too much of a letdown.

-A commercial aired for next week's "World Television Premiere of WrestleMania" on Thursday and the special "All Star Kickoff" of Smackdown featuring champion vs. champion matches.

[Commercial Break]

-They showed some Ohio Buckeye college football players at ringside cheering, then Tazz and Ross ran down the line-up of No Mercy.

-They went backstage to Chavo, Vickie, and Big Show. Chavo said if he were Vickie, he'd be nervous. He said he has a funny feeling that tonight Undertaker is going to get to her. Show stood up and asked Chavo what his last name is. "Isn't it Guerrero?" He said he was getting a feeling Chavo was going to abandon his family. He asked him if he saw what he did to Undertaker at Unforgiven. He said he knocked him out and then played that footage over and over (and over and over) again last week. He played the footage yet again. Show then smiled and asked Chavo if he saw that. Chavo said he did. Show said Taker may get to him, but there's no way he'll get to Vickie because if he tries, he'll take him out of action. Congrats to Show for finishing that sentence. Most wrestlers just say they'll "take him out." You're never 100 percent sure whether that means "take out of action" or "take out to a movie" or "take out for a walk." Vickie told Chavo his match was next. Show told him to "man up."

[Commercial Break]

4 -- CHAVO GUERRERO vs. JIMMY WANG YANG

During Chavo's ring intro, Shane Helms appeared on the screen in the corner and told Chavo that Undertaker is coming to get him so why is he there. "I'm just saying." Ross noted that Bam Neely wasn't there. Tazz said this isn't a good time for him to be missing. He wondered if they had a falling out. Wang dropkicked Chavo out of the ring, then slingshot himself onto him at ringside. Chavo caught Wang with a dropkick as Wang leaped off the top rope. He threw him to the floor, kicked him at ringside, and threw him back into the ring. Back in the ring he applied an armbar. Wan made a comeback at 5:00. Tazz said Chavo didn't seem like himself, in part because he didn't have time to prepare for the match and warm up. Wang hit Chavo with a top rope crosbody block for a near fall at 6:00. Wang followed with a moonsault set-up, but Chavo knocked him off the top rope into a crotch of the turnbuckle. Chavo followed with the Three Amigos, drawing scattered boos. Wang countered the final suplex with a small package for a near fall. Chavo followed with a rolling Liger kick out of nowhere for the win.

WINNER: Chavo in 7:00.

STAR RATING: **1/4 -- Nice pace and a good variety of athleticism.

[Commercial Break]

-A commercial aired hyping the Mr. Perfect DVD.

[Q7]

5 -- CURT HAWKINS & ZACH RYDER vs. CARLITO & PRIMO COLON

Tazz said Carlito and Primo are brothers, but they haven't been a regular tag team on Smackdown. Ross said they teamed a lot in Puerto Rico. Tazz said that was a while ago. Ross told him not to get upset about it. Tazz said he wasn't mad. Primo hit an early head scissors on Hawkins. Tazz said you don't see many athletes do that anymore. Carlito tagged in and hit a nice dropkick. Hawkins threw Carlito into the ringpost and tagged in Ryder at 3:00. The heels soon took over on Carlito. After tossing Carlito to the floor at 7:00, they cut to a break.

[Commercial Break]

Primo got a hot tag and nailed Ryder with a top rope dropkick for a two count. Hawkins broke up the pin attempt. Carlito knocked Hawkins out of the ring. Ryder went for a surprise pin on Promo. Carlito tagged in and hit the Back Stabber for the win.

WINNERS: Carlito & Primo Colon at 12:00 to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles.

STAR RATING: **1/4 -- Another solid tag match. Some nice highspots. Primo has been a spark for Carlito, it seems. It wouldn't been nice to invest more in this feud and build up to a tag title change with more of a chase, but this in theory gives instant credibility to the Colon Brothers.

-Jesse and Festus backed into the arena in a MyMovingCo. van.

-They cut backstage to Chavo telling Show and Vickie that Taker sent another message. He asked what they're going to do. Show said they're going to smoke him out. Vickie said he should join them in the ring. Chavo didn't like that. Vickie proposed it was that or stay backstage alone. Chavo considered it, and then followed Show and Vickie.

[Q8]

[Commercial Break]

-Jesse and Festus were shown carrying things out of the ring and into the back of the moving truck. Kenny Dykstra and Ryan Braddock were back there. Did they untie them to let them eat and pee and such the last week or two? Dumb comedy that just stretches any semblance of realism, so it's hard to get emotionally invested seconds later in any way in Undertaker being an actual threat to the well-being of Vickie.

-Big Show came out to his music along with Vickie and Chavo. Vickie entered the ring and began with her signature, "Excuse me! I said excuse me!" She then got right to, it asking, "Where are you, Undertaker? All of us are waiting for you." She said she should have never reinstated him to begin with. A video package aired on the Show-Taker-Vickie saga. Then back in the ring, Vickie sported a smug smile. She said, "Gosh, Undertaker, are you having second thoughts because I still don't see you." She laughed. Chavo said this isn't such a good idea. Show grabbed the mic and said everyone is waiting for him to come out and save the day. He said it won't happen because Undertaker's has lost his nerve and been humbled. He said he broke his spirit and jaw and destroyed the myth of the Undertaker. The lights went out and when they came back on a few seconds later, Chavo was missing. Show asked Vickie, "Where's Chavo?" They showed on the big screen that Taker had Chavo by the throat. Show ran to the back to get to him. Vickie shouted, "Hurry! Hurry!" Taker tossed Chavo around the room, throwing him into the couch and then flipping the couch over for no reason. He stood on Chavo's throat. The video began to crackle and then went black. Vickie stood alone in the ring. Tazz said this might be a good time to enter the ring to check on Vickie's thoughts. Undertaker's music played and the lights went out again. When they came back on, Taker was standing in the ring behind Vickie. She turned around and immediately began crying. He stared her down and made monster faces. He grabbed her by the throat as she shrieked, "No!" He then gave her a Tombstone piledriver. The fans popped as Taker kneeled over her. His music played again and the lights flickered blue as the show ended. Decent ending that fits with Taker's character. It build Taker vs. Show without giving away any physical contact between them.

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