Tonight's WWE Smackdown comes to us live from RBC Arena in Raleigh, NC as Josh Matthews and Matt Striker welcome us to the show. With two nights to go until TLC in Baltimore, Striker hypes tonight's main event between the team of Bryan Danielson and Randy Orton and the team of Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett, but is quickly interrupted by Theodore Long.
Long announces that following the reprehensible actions of John Cena and the Nexus on Monday Night, the other five Nexus members will find themselves in action tonight against their TLC opponents, meaning Wade Barrett will be removed from the main event and replaced with The World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry.
CM Punk shows up unexpectedly and tells Teddy Long that he was in the neighborhood in hopes that Teddy's creativity might exceed that of his RAW counterpart, Triple H but was discouraged to find that it might be worse. Punk ridicules Long for not thinking outside the box with regards to both match structure and respective opponents. Punk points out that every time the ring breaks out into a pier-six brawl, it automatically gets booked as a tag team match. The WWE Champion tells Teddy that his style of booking is as boring as everyone professed Lance Storm to be in 2003, when in fact Punk claims Storm had more charisma and pure wrestling ability than the entire locker room has now.
The Second City Savior rips the GM, saying that he could do a LOT better than booking the participants of two major matches against each other in a tag match in the main event. Punk questions whether or not Theodore Long even remembers how to officiate a contest. This raises eyebrows and Long accepts Punk's challenge. Tonight in the main event, CM Punk will go one-on-one in a non-title match with the Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes with Theodore Long as the special guest referee. Punk accepts the challenge in turn, commending Teddy for a good effort before tossing him the mic and walking away.
Sin Cara def. Billy Kidman, Trent Barreta and Chavo Guerrero to become the NEW WWE Cruiserweight Champion
Finish came in quick sequence. Barreta connects with a Dudebuster DDT to Kidman. Chavo mounts the top turnbuckle for a Frog Splash, but Sin Cara connects with a Pele Kick to stun Guerrero. Cara then mounts the top rope himself dropping Chavo with a Moonsault Side Slam, landing on top of the other two participants. Cara makes the cover on Chavo to pick up the win and the title.
A promo for tonight’s NEW main event runs, still to come tonight.
Theodore Long seen backstage with the Kings of Wrestling letting them know that 24 other tag teams have signed up for the invitational battle royal on Sunday. In other words, The Kings have the slimmest chance of any defending champion of leaving the PPV with the gold. Claudio loses it, grabs Long by the collar and pins him against the wall. Hero plays mediator and tries to talk his partner down, telling him to save the aggression for Sunday. The Kings leave, clearly frustrated with what has transpired. Long breathes a sigh of relief, having escaped with his life as we go to commercial.
Another mysterious promo is run. This one says “...The old standard will fall...Second2012: SHARE HIM, REJOICE--111907.”
Ezekiel Jackson def. Christian
Good back and forth contest. Christian connects with a Spear, but only gets two. Captain Charisma sets up for the Killswitch, but Jackson counters, lifting Christian into a Torture Rack and forcing the submission. Nexus begins a march down to ringside, but Christian escapes through the crowd before they can convene on him.
Theodore Long chases remaining members of Nexus from ringside, but tells Slater and Gabriel to stay put because their match is next and it’s against Kane and the Big Show.
Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel def. Kane & The Big Show
Obviously, the larger opponents dominated much of the contest. However, mid-match was visited by the Pale Warrior--Mordecai. Carrying his crucifix staff, Mordecai ominously plants it in the arena floor. Lightning flashes, thunder rolls and clouds form as the unorthodox figure rolls his eyes to the back of his head. Within moments, Kane collapses to the mat, clutching his eyes. It becomes clear within moments that the Big Red Monster has become inexplicably blinded.
An enraged Big Show chases down Mordecai, but the second he approaches, a white fog rolls in and the zealot evaporates into piles of white sand. As Big Show handles the substance, he spontaneously begins bleeding from under the fingernails and turns to return to the ring. With each successive step, Show begins to stagger, before dropping to one knee and finally passing out on the entrance ramp in a puddle of his own blood. As Kane blindly feels his way around the ring, he easily falls victim to Sweetness and a 450 Splash for the win.
After the match, EMT’s rush to help the Big Show back to his feet, his face donning the crimson mask for no understandable reason. More officials run down to the ring to escort an incapacitated Kane back to the dressing room area as we enter an unsettling commercial break.
Theodore Long announces three huge matches for next week’s final Smackdown of the year. Sin Cara will defend his new Cruiserweight Championship against Chavo Guerrero and Hunico; Mordecai will step into the ring for his first official match with Kane and Brodie Lee will make his debut against Simon Dean.
Dolph Ziggler & Mark Henry def. Randy Orton and World Champion Bryan Danielson
Orton nails a Viper DDT on Ziggler and sets up for the RKO. This brings in Henry which in turn brings in the World Champion to make the save, but Henry nearly decapitates Danielson with a clothesline and drops him with a World’s Strongest Slam. Amidst the chaos, Orton sneaks up behind Henry and drops him with an RKO instead. Orton turns his attention back to Ziggler, who’s still down in the corner.
As Orton helps the former United States Champion back to his feet, it becomes immediately obvious that Ziggler was playing possum as Dolph comes out of NOWHERE with an RKO of his own and picks up the stunning pinfall.
Jeremy Borash interviewing John Cena backstage. Borash asks Cena what has prompted these unmitigated attacks against TNA personnel and talent and questions what the origins of the “Greater Cause” he keeps hearing about are? Cena responds with a death glare, telling Borash that “Everything will come into focus in due time and the Nexus’ intentions will be made clear soon enough.” before storming off. Cena in action next.
Sheamus seen backstage walking through the “weird” section of the corridors, along the way crossing paths with the likes of EUGENE, THE BOOGEYMAN, JIM DUGGAN, SNITSKY and HEIDENREICH. Sheamus walks away, shaking his head saying “This place keeps getting stranger, and stranger and stranger...” as we go to commercial.
Sheamus def. John Cena via DQ
Finish comes when Cena sets up for the F-U, but Sheamus escapes and connects with the Brogue Kick. Before Sheamus can get to the cover though, The Nexus clears the locker room and storm the ring to jump Sheamus. In no time at all, Triple H leads the cavalry out of the locker room and we have a 10-on-10 brawl in the ring, including the previously incapacitated Kane and The Big Show.
All members of Nexus are chased from the ring, leaving David Otunga in the ring by himself against Triple H’s team. All members of Hunter’s team hit their finishers, ending with a Pedigree. Hunter and company taunt the remaining Nexus members from the ring apron as Teddy Long emerges and demands that the ring be cleared except for Wade Barrett and the Undertaker...because their match is NEXT!Barrett’s confidence appears shaken as we go to commercial.
The Undertaker def. Wade Barrett
Solid match. Barrett gave Taker everything he had, including Wasteland. Yet somehow, the Deadman refused to quit. Out of desperation, Barrett lands a Sitout Powerbomb, but Taker locks in Hell’s Gate. After several minutes of struggle, Barrett finally taps. After the match, Taker attempts a Tombstone Piledriver, but is interrupted by a ring apron intrusion by DAIVARI.
The Phenom grasps a hold of Daivari and sets up for a Chokeslam instead. Before the Last Outlaw can follow through, he is attacked with a steel chair from behind by MUHAMMAD HASSAN. Unbelievably, the man who was widely considered the most controversial figure on WWE Television has returned. Hassan locks in a Camel Clutch armed with Piano Wire, choking out the Deadman. Hassan and Daivari celebrate a successful game plan as the stunned crowd in attendance gives a mixed reaction and we go to a final commercial.
Cody waits in the ring, reprimanding Teddy Long to make sure he calls a fair match down the middle tonight and Long starting to get defensive. As Punk makes his entrance to the ring, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz jump the WWE Champion from behind and begin a beatdown that Cody willingly leaves the ring to join. This draws out RAW’s R-Truth and Cody’s opponent on Sunday, Ted DiBiase, to join the fray and even the odds. Teddy Long leaves the ring and grabs a mic. Long says he may be acting as a ref tonight, but he’s still GM as well and he’s decided to make an adjustment. The main event will now be a six-man tag team match.
CM Punk, R-Truth and Ted DiBiase def. Cody Rhodes, Alberto Del Rio & The Miz
As with every multi-participant tag match, the contest quickly falls into disorder. Truth drops Del Rio with Lil’ Jimmy who in turn gets planted with a Skull Crushing Finale. DiBiase connects with a Flying Knee Smash and Cody hits Cross Rhodes. As Cody attempts a Beautiful Disaster against Punk, the WWE Champion ducks out of the way and connects with a roundhouse kick. Punk whips Rhodes to the corner and plasters Cody with a Shining Wizard/Bulldog Combo before putting on the finishing touch with the GTS for the three count.
After the match, Miz and Del Rio jump Punk and Truth and we have another full-scale donnybrook. Booker T makes a run-in to clear the ring of DiBiase and Rhodes, and Long tries his best to break up the war of attrition that’s tearing his ring apart. In the midst of the battle, Punk gets carried away when clearing the ring and drops Long with the GTS by mistake. Realizing what he’d done, Punk initially shows concern but shrugs it off, what’s done is done. Booker T helps the GM back to his feet as Punk celebrates with the title and momentum heading into Sunday’s TLC PPV as Smackdown goes off the air.
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