Tonight's WWE Smackdown emanates live from the Conseco Field House in Indianapolis as Matt Striker and Josh Matthews welcome us to the show.
RAW General Manager Shawn Michaels enters and announces that he received word from the WWE Board of Directors earlier this week that the measure he took against ECW superstars who staged the walkout last week was unjustified and way out of line for a General Manager who's supposedly removed himself from bias to any party involved in the issue. As a result, Michaels says he has effectively been relieved of his duties as GM of RAW, but maintains his position as EVP of Talent Relations.
As a show of good faith, they're giving Michaels until the end of the show on Monday to find a replacement or one will be chosen for him. Michaels says that as his final order of business prior to Monday's decision, he will extend an olive branch: The ECW walkouts can elect five representatives of their choosing to compete in qualifying matches for the final five spots in the Royal Rumble Match at the PPV. Should ECW come away with victories in three of the five contests, they will be granted freedom to exist as their own separate entity complete with show and roster.
Teddy Long enters and announces that the three participants in the World Heavyweight Championship Match at the Royal Rumble will participate in tune-up matches tonight and that the first of the three will take place right now.
Sheamus def. Dolph Ziggler
Great opening match. At one point, Ziggler even countered the High Cross into a ZigZag for a two-and-a-half count. Finish came when Sheamus dodged a Corner Splash and nearly decapitated Ziggler with a nasty Brogue Kick for the three.
Ted DiBiase is backstage and Theodore Long approaches him to inform him that next week on Smackdown he will be one of five superstars receiving an opportunity for a spot in the 40-man Royal Rumble Match. Long tells Ted that he along with anyone else who hopes to qualify will have to defeat a random mystery opponent that no one will know until the time of the match. Teddy wishes DiBiase luck and informs him before leaving that there is to be no involvement in Cody Rhodes IC Title match with Chris Masters tonight as we go to commercial.
Cody Rhodes def. Chris Masters to remain WWE Intercontinental Champion
Masters actually had an impressive showing. Finish came as Masters ducked the Beautiful Disaster, then countered Cross Rhodes into the Master Lock. Rhodes struggled to break free before ultimately outsmarting his challenger by running to the corner, up the turnbuckles and shifting his weight into a bridging pin a la Bret Hart/Roddy Piper Wrestlemania VIII (look it up) and securing the pinfall to retain.
After the match, Ted DiBiase hits the stage and tells Cody that he was ordered to stay out of the match tonight, but nothing was said about when the match was over. DiBiase storms the ring and he and Rhodes exchange fists before DiBiase lures Rhodes into Dream Street, but Rhodes escapes and flees to the stage. DiBiase celebrates in the ring as Rhodes clutches the title.
Backstage with a handful of cruiserweight hopefuls claiming that they should be next in line to challenge for the Cruiserweight Title. Teddy breaks up the congregation and explains that Sin Cara will be in action later tonight against a new acquisition to determine the new #1 contender for the title. The Hurricane swoops in on his Hurri-Cycle and tells Teddy that a number of cruisers have been waiting in line longer than this new acquisition, yet the new guy gets an opportunity..."Wassupwitdat?!!" Hurricane swoops away on a conveniently placed rope as quick as he appeared. GM Long shakes his head, either out of disbelief or sheer confusion as we go to commercial.
Beth Phoenix def. Jazz to regain the WWE Women’s Championship
Actually a pretty good contest between these two Amazons. Showing incredible agility, Phoenix eludes the Bitch Clamp, leapfrogging over Jazz into position for her own Chicken Wing hold before planting the defending champion with a Glam Slam for the cover, the win and the title.
Striker and Matthews tease the upcoming Royal Rumble PPV Card, which now includes the Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Champion Bryan Danielson, Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler and five qualifying matches for the Royal Rumble Match featuring participants from ECW. Striker grabs a mic and says he has received word that the participants looking to qualify for Team WWE against ECW at the Rumble are as follows--Representing Smackdown are: Ultimo Dragon, Shelton Benjamin, and Chris Masters. Representing RAW are: Paul London and St. Louis’ own...EVAN BOURNE.
Sin Cara’s music hits and the masked luchador catapults into the ring for his #1 contenders match as we go to commercial.
We return from commercial and we find out that Sin Cara’s opponent for #1 contention tonight is none other than the Japanese Buzzsaw--TAJIRI! Tajiri has brought back his associate JIMMY YANG in his corner tonight.
Tajiri def. Sin Cara to become the #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title
Finish came as Sin Cara cornered Tajiri on the top turnbuckle and attempted to execute a Moonsault Side Slam only to have Tajiri stealthily splash him with the Poison Mist (Blue, as to blend in with the mask), sending him crashing to the mat. Back on the canvas, Tajiri connected with a Buzzsaw Kick to pick up the three count.
After the match, WWE officials are presented with quite a challenge, Sin Cara has clearly been misted in the eyes, but they can’t tend to the problem without removing Cara’s mask. Cara even begs them off when they try, despite being in blinding pain. Officials stretcher Cara to the back to determine what should be done about this issue.
World Heavyweight Champion Bryan Danielson is backstage, headed to the ring for his match, next!
Bryan Danielson def. Kane via DQ
Solid match, Danielson seemed overmatched at times, but quickly recovered and even took the Machine off his feet with a Top Rope Missile Dropkick before Mark Henry entered and started throwing chairs from ringside into the ring. One chair flew through the air and caught Danielson above the eye, busting him open. Having been incapacitated, the referee was out of position, and thus suspected Kane of throwing the chair calling for a DQ. Displeased, Kane chokeslammed the ref and proceeded to chokeslam a bloody Danielson through the announce table. Kane throws a boot to Henry’s face and storms out.
Big Show comes down for his scheduled match with Henry but Teddy stops him, telling him that Henry is still not medically cleared to compete. Big Show will go one-on-one with Mordecai instead.
Big Show def. Mordecai
Good back and forth match. Finish came when Mordecai attempted a top rope clothesline and was met mid-jump with a WMD for the pin.
The video feed cuts out and the same clock appears from Monday Night simply saying--It Begins: 95 Hours, 40 minutes, 38 seconds and counting.
As Big Show celebrates in the ring, he’s jumped from behind by MUHAMMAD HASSAN, JINDER MAHAL and THE GREAT KHALI. Khali takes Show off his feet with a Brain Chop and LAX storms the ring again. Theodore Long says he has had enough of this over the last couple weeks and says we’re going to settle this immediately. The team of five will face LAX, Jeff Hardy and THE UNDERTAKER, next!
The Undertaker, Jeff Hardy and LAX def. The Mid East Exchange
Absolute bedlam. Finish came when The Undertaker tombstoned Jinder Mahal for the duke. After the match, Hassan berates Mahal as they leave the ring.
Randy Orton walking backstage in preparation for tonight’s main event as we go to our final commercial.
Back from break and Wade Barrett makes his entrance, introducing his new manager, WILLIAM REGAL. Regal will coach Barrett through tonight’s main event as Orton makes his entrance and charges the ring to initiate a brawl with the former bare knuckle brawler.
Wade Barrett def. Randy Orton when William Regal and Dolph Ziggler interfered
Finish came when Orton primed for the RKO and Regal jumped the ring apron to pull Barrett to the outside and argue on the apron with the ref. Their attention diverted, DOLPH ZIGGLER sneaks in behind and attempts a ZigZag that Orton counters. Randy attempts another RKO on Ziggler, but Ziggler counters back, tossing Orton directly into the path of a Winds of Change Side Slam by Barrett. Bryan Danielson runs down and chases Ziggler through the crowd as the former Nexus leader plants Orton with Wasteland and picks up the three count.
Barrett and Regal celebrate the newly formed union at ringside, as Orton stirs back to his feet. Teddy Long enters and says next week there will be a six-man social experiment as Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler and Bryan Danielson will be forced to team up against Wade Barrett, Sheamus and Cody Rhodes. The three opponents in the World Title match engage in a staredown and Matt Striker wishes us a very HAPPY NEW YEAR as Smackdown goes off the air for the final time in 2011.
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