Tony Donofrio, PWTorch.com Contributor (7.0)

I came off thinking that this was a pretty solid show where the main event actually didn't live up to the rest of the show (the exact opposite of Superstars the night before). I was all for Batista turning heel upon his return to Smackdown but so far it has been a bust, in my opinion. The main event was really a glorified squash match, even if Matt Hardy did technically get the win. Matt Hardy and CM Punk being in WWE's doghouse has helped pull down what was (and still is) WWE's best actual wrestling show of 2009. Speaking of Punk, the current storyline that developed on Smackdown is entertaining. However, anytime you go from being World Champion to feuding with a referee, it can't be a good sign.

Chris Jericho's interaction with The Undertaker was a great kick-off to the show. Jericho has been and always will be golden on the mic and tonight was no exception. I think Jericho is ripe for another World Title run. However, I can't believe that Jericho's first ever match with The Undertaker is going to be given away for free on next week's Smackdown. Here's hoping that that match doesn't end conclusively, leaving those two to headline the Royal Rumble in 2010. That would leave Jericho and Edge free to headline WrestleMania and tear down the house!

As for the rest of the show, I love where Smackdown is going with the Women's division. I hope they follow through with it and make the title seem important. With the possible arrival of Katie Lea Burchill in a few weeks, Smackdown's Women's division could at least start to rival that of what TNA has in it's Knockout's Division. John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler next week should be another quality match. However, at what point does Ziggler actually need to win a big money match? Does he become the Tommy Dreamer of the original ECW in terms of the Intercontinental Championship? I see Ziggler winning the title next week, he almost has to. I also hope (as many of us have for months now) that this is the last match that will involve The Hart Dynasty and Cryme Tyme in the same ring. Finally, if Mike Knox didn't show that he should be a regular contributor near the mid/top of the card on Smackdown with his match against Rey Mysterio this week, then he never will.

Jon Mezzera, PWTorch.com Contributor (5.5)

This was a slightly above average Smackdown. There were a few things to like, a few to dislike and a bunch of stuff that was right in the middle. I liked the opening with Undertaker's promo about the importance of the World Title and defending it against Big Show and Chris Jericho. I liked Jericho's response even better. However, that was all the for Smackdown's main event at Survivor Series which didn't make sense. I liked Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox. The announcers did a good job of selling how this was a test for Mysterio in going up against a larger opponent. They worked well together and put on a match that had Knox in control for much of the time, but they kept things interesting by having Mysterio make short comebacks to rally the fans. Also, at seven minutes it didn't overstay its welcome (unlike a similar match that I will get to in a moment).

I also liked CM Punk vs. R-Truth. It was a good match and fit in well with Punk's feud against Scott Armstrong. However, Armstrong is a referee and this feud is doing nothing for Punk. This is why the show is just getting a slightly above average rating. Punk and Truth put on a good match and the twist at the end with the fast count was good and Punk's tantrum after losing was well done. However, I don't like the storyline itself.

I also didn't need to sit through the Raw Rebound for a third time this week. I enjoyed Raw, but they picked the worst segment of the show, "Raw Has Talent," to highlight, which is bad. I don't want to ever sit through the same video so many times in one week, but when that video is this bad it makes things even worse.

Now we come to the main event, which was almost twice as long as Knox vs. Mysterio and it was very boring. Watching Batista methodically beat down Matt Hardy was not fun. It was monotonous. The crowd was out of the match entirely and for good reason. This was almost a 13 minute squash.

Greg Parks, PWTorch.com Contributor (6.0)

First off, props to WWE for advertising, ahead of time, the Morrison vs. Ziggler I.C. Title match for next week. Hopefully, it gets a mention on the shows early in the week next week as well, as that has all the makings of an entertaining match. The face-off with Jericho and Taker makes me think that, even if the two feud for a month or two over the title, they could meet again at Wrestlemania if Edge isn't ready to go. Jericho taking on The Streak could make for some good TV, and the feud will likely still feel fresh since they've been kept apart for so long.

The main event match wasn't great, but everything else was relatively solid. I liked the continued build of McIntyre, and while Punk vs. R-Truth was a good match, I can't help but think the match didn't do anything for either guy: Truth's big win is overshadowed by Punk's feud with the referee, and Punk loses to a mid-carder and continues a feud with a non-wrestler. Beth Phoenix's squash was, quite frankly, awesome, and I liked the backstage segment with Mickie, Michelle and Layla, setting things up for Survivor Series.

We suggest these recent related articles...

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 10/8: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Thursday show, including Roman Reigns & Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 10/4 & 10/7: IWGP World champ Okada vs. Roderick Strong main event, plus Briscoes vs. Time Splitters, more from "Field of Honor," Overall Reax

MCMAHON'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 10/7: TNA Title Series kicks off, Bound for Glory fall-out, more; Overall Reax