Tonight's Smackdown opens with the usual video package and pyro as Josh Matthews welcomes us live from Richmond, VA. Josh is joined on commentary by Matt Striker. Striker teases the match between Kane and Mordecai, the triple threat match for the Cruiserweight Championship and the debut of the "Big Rig", Brodie Lee as we go to the ring and Wade Barrett, who stands in the ring with fellow ousted members of Nexus, David Otunga and Justin Gabriel.
Barrett tells the crowd that this has been arguably the worst week of his life, after being part of the losing effort in the main event at TLC and being ousted from the group he helped to create the next night on RAW. Barrett says that he and his fellow excommunicated cohorts plan to make the best of a bad situation and ensure that 2011 doesn't end on a sour note by making an example out of someone tonight.
Barrett demands that Theodore Long make official a 3-on-1 handicap match tonight between Barrett and company against the World Heavyweight Champion Bryan Danielson. Theodore Long emerges and says they'll get Bryan Danielson tonight, and while he says he's confident that Danielson could take all three of them at once, he's made a six-man tag team match tonight with Danielson partnering with Sheamus and The Big Show as we go to commercial.
Back from commercial and Striker promotes WWE Tribute to the Troops set to take place Monday Night from Fort Dix in New Jersey. Scheduled to perform are Skillet, Halestorm and New Jersey's own Bon Jovi.
Randy Orton versus Mark Henry
Orton comes down to the ring prepped for a match with the World’s Strongest Man, but Theodore Long quickly intervenes and reminds Orton that the severity of the beating Henry endured in the Chairs match at TLC included several broken teeth, a crushed larynx and a hyperextended left arm, thus rendering him not medically cleared to compete tonight. However, Teddy Long says there is someone backstage just waiting to return to the ring and is spoiling for a good fight. Long stands to the side and out comes--A-TRAIN!
Randy Orton def. A-Train
A-Train looked impressive in his return, owning much of the contest and even landing a Derailer for a two count. Finish came when A-Train attempted a Train Wreck and Orton escaped into an Inverted Backbreaker and dropped A-Train with an RKO for the three count.
Backstage with Theodore Long, who books the main event for Tribute to the Troops; a Six-Man Tag Team Match featuring WWE Champion CM Punk, World Heavyweight Champion Bryan Danielson and United States Champion Alex Riley versus The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett.
Robert Roode is arguing with James Storm backstage over just where his head is at with the recent intrusion of Chris Harris into their Tag Team Title reign. Roode tells Storm to sort out his priorities and figure it out before their Tag Team Title defense on Monday against London and Kendrick.
Stacy Keibler heading to the ring to defend the Women’s Championship next.
Stacy emerges prepped to issue an open challenge for the Women’s Title, which brings out Theodore Long, shaking his head. Teddy tells Stacy that he knows her opponent tonight well enough to know that she picked the WRONG night to show up on Smackdown--For the first time in over five years, Stacy Keibler will defend the title against a returning JAZZ.
Jazz def. Stacy Keibler to become the NEW WWE Women’s Champion
The Baddest Bitch dominates throughout the match. Stacy mounts a small flurry and even set up for a Spinning Wheel Kick, but Jazz captures Stacy’s incredibly long leg before she can connect and transitions into a Jazz Stretch before rolling into a Leg Trap STF she now bills as the “OrJazzm”. Stacy screams in pain before inevitably tapping out, giving the title back to Theodore Long’s former charge.
Matt Striker promotes The Undertaker versus Muhammad Hassan for later tonight, running a video package showing how this business left off in 2005, with Hassan choking Taker out with Piano Wire before ultimately being thrown from the stage by a Last Ride at the Great American Bash. Footage then runs of Hassan choking out Taker yet again in his return last week.
Bryan Danielson is confronted in the dressing room by Dolph Ziggler, who reminds the Champ that it’s irrelevant how he performs tonight, because he will not be leaving the Royal Rumble with the title. Danielson then reminds Ziggler that his odds aren’t that great either; not only will he have him to contend with, but the Viper, Randy Orton. Danielson invites Ziggler to sit back and watch the main event to see what a REAL wrestler looks like as we go to commercial.
Back from commercial, as Chavo Guerrero and Hunico stand in the ring awaiting the defending champion, upon Sin Cara’s entrance, Teddy Long makes another dubious entrance and informs the cruisers that this title match will now be a Fatal Four Way Match--featuring THE HURRICANE.
The Hurricane def. Sin Cara, Chavo Guerrero and Hunico to become the NEW WWE Cruiserweight Champion
Finish came when Sin Cara connected with a Springboard Senton/Lionsault Combo on Hunico and Chavo dropped the champion with Gory Bomb. While in a seated position, Chavo takes a Shining Wizard to the back of the head and Hurricane picks up the three.
Theodore Long backstage with advisors discussing the fallout from Monday’s show and the walkout of a considerable portion of the roster to ECW. Teddy Long says he has approved a measure proposed by Triple H and RAW GM Shawn Michaels that Michaels will announce at the top of the Tribute to the Troops show next week. In the meantime, Teddy Long says that Michaels sent him a text that Long Island’s own Zack Ryder be in action at New Jersey’s Fort Dix and will go one-on-one with Alberto Del Rio at the Tribute show.
Matt Striker teases the confrontation between Mordecai and Kane later tonight and the main event between Team Barrett and Team Danielson. Booker T enters as the IC Champion coming out of the TLC PPV in his first title defense as we go to commercial.
Cody Rhodes def. Booker T to become the NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion
Finish comes as Booker T goes for a Scissor Kick, but Cody dodges. Booker sets up for an Arm Wrench Mule Kick, but Cody captures Booker midway through the Arm Wrench with an inverted facelock and plants the IC Champion with Cross Rhodes to pick up the win and reclaim the title. Ted DiBiase chases off Rhodes before the new IC Champion can add insult to injury. These two seem as though they’re on the path for another collision course as we head into a new year.
The feed cuts out and the titantron suddenly reads “I’M ON MY WAY...IT BEGINS 1/2/12; SHARE HIM, REJOICE--092710.” The feed cuts back and Matthews and Striker are utterly dumbfounded.
Undertaker versus Muhammad Hassan is advertised to take place next as we go to commercial.
The Undertaker def. Muhammad Hassan via DQ
Undertaker connected with a Tombstone Piledriver, but a count was never achieved as Daivari immediately charged the ring to break up the fall and trigger a DQ.
Daivari’s efforts were quickly backed up by RANJIN SINGH, JINDER MAHAL and THE GREAT KHALI. Daivari and Singh hold Taker back by the arms while Mahal locks in for a Full Nelson Slam. Khali helps the Deadman to his feet and hits a Punjabi Plunge and a Brain Chop before squeezing the skull with the Khali Vice.
Hassan locks the Camel Clutch on an unconscious Undertaker, once again choking him out with piano wire before gunshots ring out and LAX runs out to make the save. Konnan batters Singh and Daivari, Hunico hits a top rope Spinning Heel Kick on Mahal and Homicide nails Hassan with a Gringo Killer. Hernandez locks into a staredown with Khali. Khali attempts another chop, but Hernandez ducks out of the way and locks in a crucifix hold, incredibly dropping Khali with a Border Toss. Undertaker returns to his feet and grabs Daivari with a choke hold before planting him with a Tombstone as LAX taunts the Arab Exchange from the ring.
Matt Striker teases the anticipated confrontation between Kane and Mordecai, NEXT!
Kane def. Mordecai
Solid back and forth match. Kane returned wearing a new version of his classic mask. The finish came when Kane kicked out after a Crucifix Bomb. After retreating to the corner, The Big Red Machine stunned an approaching Mordecai by summoning a fireball and tossing it into the Pale Warrior’s face, thus blinding him and in effect gaining a measure of revenge for last week’s unprovoked attack. A Chokeslam from Hell later gave the win to Kane.
A promo airs for the upcoming Royal Rumble.
Matthews and Striker recap the card for the upcoming PPV; which to this point consists of the 40-Man Over-The-Top-Rope Royal Rumble Match, The World Championship Match between Danielson, Orton and Ziggler and The WWE Championship Match featuring CM Punk and the individual behind the recent promos.
The Tribute to the Troops special now features a full slate of marquee match-ups: Punk/Danielson/Riley v. Miz/Ziggler/Barrett, Zack Ryder versus Alberto Del Rio and Beer Money, Inc. versus London and Kendrick plus Kane in action versus the Nexus’ own John Cena, Cody Rhodes issues an open challenge, Jeff Hardy one-on-one with The Undertaker, Drew McIntyre versus The Big Show and Team WWE (John Morrison, Randy Orton, Sheamus and Triple H) versus Team ECW (Christian, Jack Swagger, Rhyno and JBL)
Another promo for the main event tonight as we go to commercial.
Brodie Lee def. Simon Dean
Total squash. Simon Dean tried to reason with The Big Rig, but Brodie responded by whipping Simon off the ropes and into a hideous Tilt-A-Whirl Side Slam. A Brodie Bomb later and Simon was out on his feet. Brodie put on the finishing touch by dropping Dean with Snake Eyes and decapitating the fitness guru with a skull-shattering Big Rig Boot for the three count.
One final promo runs for the main event as we go to our final commercial.
Bryan Danielson, Sheamus and The Big Show def. Wade Barrett and the Corre
Match disintegrates into chaos. Justin Gabriel turns face and abandons Otunga and Barrett, turning the match into a 3-on-2 affair. Finish comes as Otunga takes a WMD squarely to the face while Barrett, the legal man, walks into a Brogue Kick and falls easy victim to Cattle Mutilation. Barrett submits to end the contest.
After the match, Dolph Ziggler hits a ZigZag and walks into a Brogue Kick. Sheamus turns around to celebrate, only to get clocked with WMD. Big Show walks directly into an RKO and Orton storms the ring. Orton then focuses his attention on a downed World Champion and strikes with another RKO as Danielson gets back to his feet. Orton tosses the World Championship at an unconscious Bryan Danielson and poses on the turnbuckle to end the show.
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