WWE Smackdown/ECW TV Taping report
May 26, 2009
Los Angeles, Calif.
Report by Mike Roe, Torch specialist

-- Read the complete Superstars, ECW TV, and Dark Match notes from the taping prior to Smackdown

Smackdown taping results

Rey opened the show with a lot of pandering to local fans, including shouting-out a half-dozen Cali area codes. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of this edited out.

Jericho came out and made fun of Rey saying their no holds barred match at the PPV would be "off the hook." He asked if it would be off the hook when he gave Rey permanent brain damage with a steel chair.

Rey said that Jericho's words mean nothing, because he gave his word he wouldn't get hit by the 619 and guaranteed that he would win the Intercontinental title. He also guaranteed he would take out Mickey Rourke at WrestleMania, but Rourke knocked him out.

They showed Rourke in the front row. Jericho said he was lucky Jericho was too much of a professional to go punch him in the face right now.

Jericho gave his word and guaranteed that he would win the title at Extreme Rules. He said that honest men don't wear masks, only criminals, cowards, and those with dirty little secrets. He vowed to rip off Rey's mask and said that mask would be his downfall.

Jericho then went to cheap shot Rey, but Rey ducked and set up Jericho for the 619. Jericho dodged and bailed to the outside.

This opening segment was great, and Jericho's promo work was awesome.

(1) The Great Khali (w/Ranjin Singh) & R-Truth defeated Dolph Ziggler & Mike Knox. Khali fighting Knox was surprisingly decent. Dolph Ziggler abandoned Knox, leading to the finish where Khali pinned Knox with the tree slam. R-Truth tried to do Khali's dance after, and then Khali did some of R-Truth's moves.

(2) Women's Champion Melina defeated Alicia Fox (w/Michelle McCool). Alicia Fox is horrible and shouldn't be wrestling. Alicia horribly botched some spot before the finish, but Melina saved it by hitting her splits to the neck finisher.

John Morrison cut an incomprehensible John Morrison promo backstage, comparing himself and Umaga to trees. Interviewer Josh Mathews was perplexed, so Morrison said that this meant he was going to outthink Umaga. Shelton Benjamin interrupted. Neither had particularly great delivery, but Morrison in particular had some great lines about Benjamin. Benjamin told him that when Morrison was done with Umaga, they still had unsettled issues back in the real world. Morrison talked about how Benjamin had been horrible for years and referenced "the World's Most Forgotten Tag Team" with Charlie Haas. He also made fun of Benjamin's gold-dyed hair.

Jeff Hardy cut a short in-ring promo hyping his ladder match at Extreme Rules. He said that he would prove that his title win last year wasn't a fluke and said that he would be World Champion once again. As Jeff Hardy walked up the ramp, Umaga came out.

(3) John Morrison defeated Umaga via disqualification. Umaga came down to the ring with a strap, and ultimately used it on Morrison for the disqualification. He strapped Morrison and tied him in the tree of woe position in the corner, but before he could splash Morrison, Punk ran down for the save. He hit Umaga in the head with the Money in the Bank briefcase twice before hitting a bulldog onto the suitcase. Umaga bailed to the outside and held his head.

Afterward, Todd Grisham interviewed C.M. Punk. Punk said that he's never been in a strap match before, let alone a Samoan strap match, and in case Todd hadn't noticed, Umaga was Samoan. Punk added that, in all seriousness, he was going to beat Umaga in this match at Extreme Rules. He said that no one expected him to become World Champion, and no one expected him to win Money in the Bank twice, but because he's C.M. Punk, he did.

(4) Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas defeated Cryme Tyme. Haas didn't have a good night.

(5) Eve defeated Layla. The only reaction this match got was the fans catcalling and yelling "Take it off!" constantly. Not good.

Edge and Jericho argued backstage. Jericho acted pissed and told Edge that he could go out by himself for the main event tag match tonight.

Edge came out and cut a promo. He said that two words summed up Jeff Hardy: missed opportunities. Edge said that, unlike Jeff, he was the ultimate opportunist. Edge noted that Jeff had the opportunity to pick the stipulation for the Extreme Rules match last week, but he picked a match, the ladder match, that Edge has had more success in than any other WWE superstar. He said that in their previous matches, Jeff always made the highlight reel, but Edge always won. Edge said that before, it was always tag matches or Money in the Bank matches, but this time, it's their first singles match for the world title.

The main event was supposed to be Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy vs. Edge and Chris Jericho in a tag team match. Jericho's pyro and music hit, but he didn't show. Rey Mysterio came down and was doing that thing where he touches heads with fans wearing his mask. He did that with one fan who attacked him and jumped the rail. The "fan" took off his mask to reveal it was Chris Jericho in a Rey Mysterio mask and shirt. He beat Rey on the ramp, slamming him and beating him up. Jeff Hardy ran down and attacked Jericho, making the save. Rey was convulsing on the ramp. Jeff Hardy also got cut open hardway in here below his eye, and a ref came down with a towel to stop the bleeding. Afterward, they announced that Jeff had agreed to allow the match to continue as a handicap match.

(6) World Hvt. champion Edge & Chris Jericho defeated Jeff Hardy in a handicap match. Very good handicap match. Jeff hit the Twist of Fate on Jericho, but turned around into a spear from Edge for the pinfall.

After the match, Edge pulled out a ladder. He rolled hardy into the ladder and slammed it shut on top of him, then stood victorious on top of Hardy as the show closed.

Post-Smackdown taping happenings

After Smackdown was over, Edge got on the mic and pointed out that there was an advertised steel cage match between them for tonight, and since they were both there, he called for the cage to be lowered, even though Jeff Hardy was still being attended to by officials. The cage was lowered and Jeff staggered to his feet. Edge hit the spear, pinned him, and that was the match.

Dark Match: John Cena pinned the Big Show via Attitude Adjustment in four minutes. Not much to this, but a match to send the fans home happy after the heel champions retained in the other two dark matches.

After Cena left after the match, the ring announcer noted that Big Show had been center for the Denver Nuggets the night previous, and continued making fun of him. Show turned around from leaving and got on the mic, wishing the Denver Nuggets luck. He then asked if we were booing him, and he said that the fans couldn't boo him because he had lost weight. He asked who everyone in the arena thought was going to win the NBA championship this year. He asked if the fans were saying Lakers, to a big cheer. He then asked who they thought the best basketball team of all time was, which led to more Lakers chants. Big Show said that, all right, he'd like to wish the Lakers the best of luck in the NBA playoffs, and thanked all the fans for coming out. He also said that he was going to have a new line of weight loss products out so that everyone could be thin like him. As he walked to the back, the ring announcer (Justin Roberts) said that the Big Show would also like everyone to know that he shaved his back tonight just for all the fans. Big Show surprisingly did not go kill this man, and that's how the show ended.

Overall, a decent show with a few good matches, though nothing as great as that opening promo.

The show went almost four hours, starting at 6:30 and going until 10:20.

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