Tonight's Smackdown opens with the usual video package and pyro as Josh Matthews and Matt Striker welcome us to the show from Jacksonville, FL tonight. Striker hypes the Eight Man Tag Team Match in the main event tonight as we go to Tony Chimel.

Finlay def. Sheamus in a Belfast Brawl

Finish came as Sheamus connected with The Brogue Kick. Before The Celtic Warrior could attempt a pinfall, however, Ezekiel Jackson clobbers Sheamus with a Flying Lariat before dropping The Great White with The Book of Ezekiel. Finlay recovers and plants the shillelagh squarely into Sheamus' temple for the three count.

The remainder of the Nexus follows behind shortly after the contest. After momentarily adjourning to the cruiser, Cena's soldiers for hire produce two more victims from the bus. This time, they've abducted The Jarretts. Both bound and gagged, Barrett rockets both into the ring under the bottom rope where Cena sets them into execution position. Jeff Jarrett has been visibly roughed up, battered about both eyes, bruised face and bleeding from the mouth as Cena removes his gag. The ringleader tells Jarrett that as the thorn in the side of WWE since his departure, the one who created his own promotion simply out of defiance until it finally caught up with him, that he has earned a Warrior's finale.

Cena presents him with two options; to either: A) Cooperate and take the beatdown first so he doesn't have to witness what they are about to do to Karen or B) Rebel and be conscious to witness the whole damn thing.

Unwilling to let go of his pride, Jarrett spits blood into Cena's face. Cena smirks, and indignantly wipes the blood from his face before telling Jarrett he made the wrong choice. Cena signals to Barrett to hand him the handcuffs, which Cena promptly places around the top rope before restraining Jarrett, Cena also shackles Jarrett's feet around the bottom rope to ensure that The King of the Mountain is totally helpless to witness the Nexus' atrocities. With Karen still bound and gagged on her knees, The Nexus circles around Jarrett's wife and promptly begin a savage beating.

Powerless to do anything but yell at his adversaries, Jarrett watches helplessly distraught as Karen gets hit with each respective member of Nexus' finishing maneuver. After being subjected to Ezekiel Jackson's Torture Rack, a lifeless Karen Jarrett is lifted by Barrett and drilled with Wasteland before Justin Gabriel looms on the top rope. A devastated, broken Jarrett can only hang his head as Gabriel connects with the 450 Splash. Cena lifts Jarrett's head and slaps him across the face to make sure he's watching as Cena locks in the STFU on a by now motionless Karen Jarrett.

EMT's rush to the ring to aid the first lady of TNA, while the Nexus releases Jarrett's manacles. Jeff doesn't even make the effort to get off the mat as Nexus proceeds with another nasty mugging. Cena drops Jarrett with an FU then signals for Sheffield who stands at ringside. As the coup d' grace, Sheffield produces a branding iron which Cena buries deep into the forehead of the multi-time TNA World Champion. Once removed, it is revealed that Jarrett has been branded with the Nexus "N" as a symbol of defeat. The army stands once again, fists raised in unity to the furthering of "The Greater Cause" as we go to commercial.

Gangrel def. Christian

Finish came when Christian attempted a Spear and Gangrel countered in one fluid motion into an Impaler DDT. After the match, Christian debated the “fast count” with the referee before Gangrel spit blood in his face again.

The Divas of Doom discussing Monday’s Battle Royal and considering the implications of a Natalya victory leading to a match between the two at TLC. Phoenix says that they’ll worry about the issue when they get to it and tells Natalya to just remain focused on tonight’s tag team match with LayCool tonight. Phoenix heads to the ring as the match is next, but Natalya seems distracted by the possibility of becoming the Women’s Champion as we go to another commercial.

Beth Phoenix and Natalya def. LayCool

Finish comes when Beth hits the Glam Slam on Layla, but a determined Natalya makes the blind tag and locks in the Sharpshooter for the submission victory. An incredulous Beth Phoenix glares at Natalya for stealing her thunder and Natalya is not taking her eyes of the title as the Champion leaves the ring.

Another mysterious promo airs, this time the message says “ ...To do that which has never been done before...Second2012: SHARE HIM, REJOICE--120901.”

The Rated-R Superstar returns for another installment of The Cutting Edge. Edge opens the segment talking about how much he missed Gangrel and how he knew that Christian didn’t have it in him to put away a guy who hasn’t competed full time for WWE in a decade. Edge introduces his special guest for the evening, Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes. Cody comes out and says that Edge is no better than Booker T. Another tag team specialist who excelled in his solo career and can’t find it in himself to walk away and let the spotlight pour on those who are in their prime now.

Rhodes calls Edge selfish for hogging the attention even in retirement; instead of going home and staying there, Cody says Edge is still pathetically clinging to what his career could have expanded to had he not foolishly sacrificed his physical well-being to placate the simple-minded WWE Universe. Cody says that the fans don’t deserve his presence, but that he will demonstrate that he is deserving of the top spot on Smackdown when he tops both Ted DiBiase and Booker T to retain the IC Title at TLC.

Edge tells Cody that he IS just like Booker T. He is a multi-time World Champion who rose up through the ranks, working for it not expecting to be handed to him. Edge says he broke his body every single night to give the WWE Universe the best damn show he could offer and yes, in the end it cost him his career prematurely. Edge says that there is one area of his personality where he differs greatly from Booker T. Edge tells Cody that Booker would be generous enough to let him know when a beatdown was coming. From behind, DiBiase and Booker T BOTH jump the Intercontinental Champion, ending with Booker hitting a Scissors Kick and Edge nailing the champion with a Con-Chair-To to end the segment.

A promo runs for tonight’s Eight Man Tag Team Main Event which is still to come as we go to commercial.

Matthews and Striker run down the updated card for the TLC PPV.

Sin Cara versus Chavo Guerrero for the Cruiserweight Championship ends in a No Contest

A very entertaining match that very nearly saw Sin Cara unseat the current champion with a Top Rope Moonsault Side Slam, but before Sin Cara could make the cover, the match was interrupted by a returning MORDECAI. The Pale Warrior emerged and laid waste to both contenders, dropping the champion with a Crucifix Powerbomb and destroying Sin Cara with a Rope Hung Stunner.

Mordecai then cut a promo on how the unwashed masses of the WWE have long been in need of purification in his absence and tells the WWE Universe that he shall serve as both the savior of their conscience and the protector of their souls. Kane emerges and locks into a staredown with the zealot before Mordecai descends the ring steps and disappears into a white fog.

Countless Tag Teams, including the tag team champions, are seen backstage in Teddy’s office arguing over the conditions of the Invitational Battle Royal at TLC. Long berates all of them, saying that the Battle Royal is in nine days in Baltimore, not right now in his office. The GM orders all of them out of his office and says if there’s anyone foolhardy enough to accept the challenge, he’s got a six-man elimination tag team match waiting in the ring right now. All three members of the returning La Resistance accept the challenge and head to the ring.

Kane, Rhyno and Lashley def. La Resistance

The match was over nearly before it started. Sylvan Grenier started first against Kane and almost immediately walked into a Chokeslam from Hell for the first three count. Dupree and Conway were simultaneously defeated when Lashley and Rhyno lined up in opposite corners and connected at the same time with a Spear and a GORE. After the match, Lashley received a warm welcome back and the ever unpredictable Kane chokeslammed both of his partners before staring skyward to the TLC banners.

Another promo for tonight’s main event as we go to commercial.

We return from break and SIMON DEAN has returned to demonstrate the newest energy product from the Simon System. Willing samplers include several returning superstars, such as Snitsky, Heidenreich and Luke Gallows as well as some newer faces to WWE, such as Slyck Wagner Brown and Brodie Lee. Simon says (HA) that 4 out of 5 superstars approve of Simon’s new product and in accordance, the research follows the results of the latest demonstration as Slyck, Heidenreich, Snitsky and Gallows all approve. Brodie samples the product and spits it in Simon’s face. As the other samplers disperse, Brodie rebounds off the ropes and LEVELS Simon with a heinous Big Rig Boot. As Brodie leaves Dean unconscious, RON SIMMONS hits the entrance ramp and, well...You know where this is going.

Big Show def. LAX and Hunico in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match

The match was short-lived as Homicide and Hernandez set it up as a test of character for Hunico. Undeterred, Hunico went after Show with everything in his arsenal, but very little has any effect. Big Show exercised his decided size advantage, tearing Hunico limb from limb before putting him out of his misery with a WMD. After the match, JUVENTUD, PSICOSIS and SUPER CRAZY hover out on their Juan Deere’s towing flatbeds. Homicide and Hernandez load a prone Hunico onto one of them and hitch a ride on the other two. Apparently, Hunico has been welcomed into the brotherhood.

One final promo for the main event tonight which is coming up next. Randy Orton seen walking backstage and is suddenly ambushed by all four men on the opposing team. Henry and company leave the Viper lying and leaving the status of the World Heavyweight Champion’s team in question.

World Heavyweight Champion Bryan Danielson, Booker T, Ted DiBiase and Randy Orton def. Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett and Dolph Ziggler

A good match until order disintegrated into chaos. Both teams demonstrated great tag chemistry until Cody attacked DiBiase while he was standing on the ring apron which cleared the benches. Henry and Danielson began brawling at ringside again, DiBiase took Barrett into the crowd and Booker and Rhodes began fighting their way up the entrance ramp, leaving legal man Dolph Ziggler in the ring.

Incredibly, Orton’s music hits and the Viper limps to the ring to the disbelief of a stunned Ziggler. Danielson sneaks back into the ring after tripping Henry into the steel ring steps and makes the tag to an injured Orton. The former United States Champion attempts a Perfect Plex, but Orton instinctively counters into an RKO and crawls to the cover to pick up the unlikely three count.

After the match, a fuming Ziggler continues his beatdown of Orton before reaching under the ring and pulling out a stack of four tables, setting one in each corner. The heels all resurface in the ring, starting with Cody Rhodes, who plants Orton through a table with Cross Rhodes. Barrett slams The Viper through another corner table with Wasteland. Henry takes Orton to the middle rope and shatters another table with the World’s Strongest Slam before Ziggler caps it off with a fourth-corner ZigZag through the final table.

Theodore Long comes out and announces that Dolph Ziggler will team with Wade Barrett to face off with Bryan Danielson and Randy Orton next week. As Orton lies broken among a mountain of splinters, Ziggler coldly stares down his victim as Smackdown goes off the air.