by Greg Parks, PWTorch.com Contributor

WWE Smackdown review
April 17, 2009
Taped 4/14/09 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Aired on MyNetwork TV


-WWE Open.

-Smackdown Open, complete with Smackdown’s newest superstars in it.

1- JEFF HARDY vs. THE BIG SHOW

JR said this “may” be one of the last opportunities we have to see Big Show on Smackdown. Well since he’s on Raw now, I’d hope so. Other than that, no explanation as to why Show is still fighting on Smackdown. Big beal by Show as he tried to corner Jeff. Single-leg take-down worked about as well as you’d think for Hardy. Headbutt put him down. This week, Show’s giant hands were equated to tennis rackets. Crowd was abuzz during this match, despite Show having total control the first few minutes. Hardy choked Show on the ropes in a desperation move to gain the advantage. A couple right hands was all he could do though. Big legdrop by the giant. Side-kick by Show met Hardy as he came off the ropes. Lots of kids in the first few rows opposite the hard camera. Show missed a big boot, crotching himself on the ropes. But Show tossed Hardy out of the ring on a charge attempt. They went to break with Hardy on his back on the outside.

[Commercial Break]

Show had Hardy in a nerve hold upon return from break. Hardy broke out with a jaw-breaker as Show was sweating like mad. Predictably, Show missed the second-rope elbow and both men were down. DDT by Hardy as Matt came down to ringside. He jumped up on the apron but got down before Jeff could touch him. Jeff then jumped off Show’s back (he was on all fours) and flipped over the top rope and onto Matt. Back in the ring, Whisper in the Wind was (kinda) blocked by Show, who nailed Jeff with a right hand for the pin.

WINNER: Show, at 11:48. Big man vs. little man match, helped out by the fact that Jeff plays a good underdog.

Matt came into the ring with Jeff out, got in his face and did some trash talking, then dropped about eight legdrops onto Jeff. Entering Macho Man territory there.

-Later tonight, Triple H and Randy Orton have a face-off. Not sure what that is supposed to be exactly.

-Also coming up, Batista faces Ted Dibiase.

[Commercial Break]

-The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh were in the ring, no doubt for the Khali Kiss Cam. Apparently, Santina will be on next week. Singh had them put a picture of Santina up on the TitanTron as he talked about how great she looks. To prepare himself, Khali wants to find a beautiful Volunteer in the crowd to warm him up for next week. Singh picked someone out of the crowd, a rather attractive young lady. Elizabeth from Knoxville (there’s a shocker). Singh asked if we wanted to see Elizabeth “get her smooch on” with Khali. Khali made out with her as Grisham stoically said on commentary “it happened.” Khali raised his arms and yelled, presumably in success. Singh asked her to put into words the euphoria she’s feeling. She said it was the most passionate, romantic kiss ever. Singh asked Khali how he felt. Singh translated by saying Khali complimented Elizabeth, but there’s only one woman who holds the key to Khali’s heart- Santina Marella.

-Backstage, Maryse was leaving the makeup area and heading to the ring to face Gail Kim in what could be her final Smackdown match.

[Commercial Break]

2- MARYSE vs. GAIL KIM

Maryse taunted Kim by sitting on the top rope before the match. Once the two women started the match, Maryse threw Gail out of the ring and she landed with a thud on the outside. Maryse pounded her with rights back in the ring. I think she’s relying to much on the “zip it” taunt is Maryse. Nice back-breaker by the French-Canadian diva for two. Kim worked out of a camel clutch and began to maker her comeback. Blockbuster off the top by Kim for two. Kim fell short on a cross-body but was still able to get a piece of Maryse. Kim hit her finisher on Maryse, a jaw-breaker using the foot, for the win. Didn’t particularly look good.

WINNER: Kim, at 3:47.

-This Monday night, from London England, Randy Orton faces Triple H. But tonight, they have some sort of vague face-off.

-R-Truth made his trademark entrance through the crowd. He faces John Morrison next.

[Commercial Break]

3- R-TRUTH vs. JOHN MORRISON

Some chain wrestling to start, then Truth hit a flying kick for two. Morrison came back with a kick to his own, which struck Truth right across the face. Truth flipped over on a suplex and gave Morrison a jaw-breaker. Bicycle kick got two for Truth. Morrison flipped Truth off the middle rope and onto his back, then hit the Moonlight Drive for the win.

WINNER: Morrison, at 3:52. Disappointing it was so short, but I’m sure they didn’t want to overload him as he wrestled on ECW as well. Still, fun while it lasted.

-Triple H was walking backstage, getting ready to come out for his face-to-face confrontation with Randy Orton.

[Commercial Break]

-Triple H came out first for the face-off with Orton. Hunter was like a caged animal inside the squared circle, waiting for Orton. Randy’s music hit, but he didn’t come out. There were two stools in the ring and carpet. Orton showed up, instead, on the TitanTron and asked Triple H if he really thought he was going to show up in the ring with Backlash this Sunday. Orton said he’s this close to getting the WWE Championship- so why would he jeopardize that by coming out tonight and perhaps making a mistake. Is that more mood music in the background? (Mood: tense). Orton said Hunter has turned his allies into enemies and he has no one. He said all it’ll take is for one of Hunter’s teammates to make a small mistake, and Orton becomes WWE Champion. Orton was confident Triple H would get himself disqualified on next Sunday. Trips began laughing and Orton asked if he thought it was funny when he RKO’d his wife or DDT’d her. Clips of those happenings were spliced in with Orton’s comments, making it feel even more over-produced. Orton talked about kissing Steph that time on Raw and this time, Hunter just laughed it off. Orton finally got pissed and asked Triple H what was so funny. Hunter said it’s something Randy doesn’t know.....that the match they have this Monday....well, it’s no-DQ. Triple H claimed it would be just him and Orton, but if it’s no-DQ, it can be pretty much anyone. Trips said he’d finish things this Monday.

-Undertaker is in action next, for the first time on Smackdown since his Wrestlemania match with Shawn Michaels.

[Commercial Break]

-A replay showed what happened earlier tonight, when Jeff flew onto Matt Hardy and Big Show knocked Jeff out.

-Matt was backstage with Teddy Long. Teddy said at Backlash, Matt will face Jeff in an “I Quit” match. Matt said now, he’s finally going to get Jeff to say the two words that will erase Jeff from his world. Long said he hopes Matt makes him say “I Quit,” because after all Matt has put Jeff through, Jeff would do just that much and more to Matt.

4- SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. THE UNDERTAKER

Shelton tried to run away from Taker, with little success. Taker bodyslammed him and elbowdropped Sehlton. He went for Old School early on, and hit it. Shelton flipped over on a suplex and hit a neckbreaker, which prompted Grisham to wonder if Shelton was on the way to the biggest win of his career. Gonna take more than a neckbreaker, Todd.

[Commercial Break]

Benjamin was still on the offense out of break, though the fans were trying their darndest to get Taker back into it. Shelton was concentrating on the neck of Taker, a good move after the questionable condition its in following Wrestlemania. Benajamin was really cranking on Taker’s neck, sitting on his chest while doing so. Taker got his hand around Benjamin’s throat though to break it. Benjamin flew off the top rope, right into a choke. Chokelsam countered into a jumping DDT by Shelton for a two-count. Taker fought back until Benjamin German suplexed him, with a bridge, and got a very near-fall. It appeared that Benjamin tried to Tombstone Taker, but he paid for his cockiness by having it reversed and into a Tombstone of Taker’s own for the win.

WINNER: Undertaker, at 10:37. Perfectly fine match with some good near-falls at the end.

-Backstage, MVP was in his locker room. New Smackdown superstar Dolph Ziggler walked in to introduce himself, but Teddy Long barged in, totally ignoring Ziggler. Long talked to MVP, saying he wishes he could keep him on Smackdown. Long said he has a friend Sherri who has a talk show and she’d like to talk to MVP. Turns out, it’s Sherri Shepherd from The View. Long said for now, MVP should focus on his match up next though.

[Commercial Break]

5- MVP vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER

Ziggler faked an introduction before the match and pie-faced MVP instead. Ziggler wisely left the ring instead of running into a big boot. MVP applied some knees straight to the breadbasket of Ziggler. Ziggler found the ropes to avoid a corner boot by MVP. Ziggler capitalized, throwing MVP shoulder-first into the ring post. Dolph worked the left arm, then landed an elbowdrop for two. More work on the arm from the very intense Ziggler. MVP fought out with some elbows and a clothesline. Overhead throw by MVP. “Ballin’!” elbowdrop for two. Ziggler took out MVP’s knee on a charge attempt, then sent him head-first into the middle buckle. Roll up, with the tights, and Ziggler got the win.

WINNER: Ziggler, at 4:45. Not a particularly aesthetically pleasing match. Ziggler’s offense didn’t do much for me (aside from some of the arm work).

Ziggler got the mic and reminded MVP of his name.

-Batista vs. Ted Dibiase is the main event, and it’s next.

[Commercial Break]

-Grisham and JR discussed the Backlash card.

6- BATISTA vs. TED DIBIASE

Batista shoved Dibiase off on the lock-up. Dibiase went right after the left leg of Batista, but Batista turned the tables and got Teddy in the corner, hitting him with shoulders to the gut. Standing suplex and a cover for two by The Animal. Hard Irish whip into the corner. Batista zoned in on the lower back of Dibiase. He set up for the Batista Bomb, but Dibiase smartly went after the leg again. He kicked away at the leg as the show went to break.

[Commercial Break- included a local ad for a card show in Rochester, featuring former pro wrestlers Johnny Powers and Ox Baker]

Grisham noted we were watching Batista’s firs singles match since December of 2008. Dibiase stayed aggressive, mounting Batista and punching him in the noggin several times. But he ran into a big boot, then avoided a charge that sent Batista flying through the ropes and to the arena floor. Dibiase wrapped Batista’s leg around the ring post. Batista fought out of the corner, but he couldn’t fight out of a side Russian leg sweep. Double-stomp off the middle rope onto the hamstring of Batista. JR talked about Dibiase being a natural in this business. Weak small package by Batista for two. Batista came back with rights, but a drop toe-hold put Batista back down. The adrenaline was flowing though and he came back with a spinebuster and back body-drop. Spear by the big man and he signaled for the finish as he limped around the ring. Batista Bomb and it’s good night for Mr. Dibiase.

WINNER: Batista, at 11:36. Batista showed a bit of ring rust, but Dibiase looked good.

Greg Parks has been covering Smackdown for PWTorch.com since January of 2007. You can also hear him every-other-week in the post-Raw audio show in the Torch VIP audio section and read his all-new blog in the VIP forum. Check out his column each week in the PDF-exclusive version of the Torch Newsletter. Comments, questions and feedback are welcome, and can be sent to g_man9784@yahoo.com.

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