Tonight's Friday Night Smackdown comes to us live from the Thomas and Mack Center under the lights of the LAS VEGAS STRIP and for the first time since its inception, the RAW Roulette Wheel has made its way to Friday Night. The final five Royal Rumble spots will be contested under stipulations decided by the Roulette Wheel. Josh Matthews and Matt Striker welcome us to the show as we go to ringside.
Dolph Ziggler storms to the ring and grabs a mic, going on a tirade about the fallout from the Texas Bullrope Match with Randy Orton on last week's Smackdown. Ziggler demands that Theodore Long come to the ring and rectify this situation. Long comes to the ring and tells Ziggler that he's not too high on being demanded to do anything and asks him what the issue is. Ziggler tells the production crew to roll the tape from last week. After review, it is discovered that as Orton set Ziggler up for the rope hung DDT that ended the match last week, Ziggler simultaneously tagged the top turnbuckle on a blind reach from the outside as Orton tagged to win the match. Ziggler maintains that he never should have been removed from the World Title Match at the Royal Rumble and Long has no choice but to agree. The evidence is too strong.
Long says that there is nothing he can do as far as last week's decision is concerned but says he will speak with the Board of Directors concerning getting Ziggler back in the match in time for the Rumble. Long advises Dolph that a win in the main event tonight will go a long way in getting him back in. Long says his opponent will not be Randy Orton as he has been given the night off, but the GM reassures Ziggler that he will find him an opponent before the night is out. Ziggler tells Long that he's decided to up the ante and play with "House Money" tonight. Ziggler vows to win and get back into the main event at the Rumble or risk walking from the WWE forever. Long reluctantly makes the stipulation as we go to break.
World Champion Bryan Danielson comes to the ring prepared to team up with Sheamus to take on Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes and The World's Strongest Man Mark Henry. All four men are in the ring and we go backstage to Teddy Long and the roulette wheel. The spin produces a "STRANGE BEDFELLOWS MATCH". By rule of the pre-match stipulation, teammates switch sides and the match now becomes World Champion Bryan Danielson teaming with Mark Henry versus Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes and Sheamus.
Cody Rhodes and Sheamus def. Bryan Danielson and Mark Henry
Finish comes as Danielson counters an Irish Whip into a Corner Back flip and Randy Orton's theme inexplicably hits. The split second distraction is enough for Rhodes to connect with the Beautiful Disaster and follow up with Cross Rhodes for the three count. Rhodes celebrates a clean victory over the World Heavyweight Champion, but is met with a Brogue Kick. Sheamus ends up on the receiving end on the World's Strongest Slam and Mark Henry has established momentum with nine days to go before the Rumble.
Wade Barrett backstage with the GM assessing the opening contest. Barrett tells Long that the three men in the ring who are actually IN the Rumble next Sunday are lying to themselves to believe that they're going the distance and says the Barrett Barrage is traveling with no brakes until Wrestlemania, where he will steamroll through the main event and capture his first World Championship. Long tells Barrett to shut up and spin the damn wheel. Barrett obliges, and comes away with a Special Guest Referee Match. Long tells Barrett that both his opponent and the official will remain a mystery until such time that the contest begins. Barrett storms out as we go back to ringside.
The Hurricane comes to the ring, prepared for his qualifying match and finds that WWE Brass has selected BILLY KIDMAN as his opponent. Theodore Long spins the wheel from the titantron and determines that the Hurricane and Kidman will square off in a Lumberjack Match, and out come the Cruiserweights.
The Hurricane def. Billy Kidman to qualify for the Royal Rumble
Finish came when Chavo Guerrero (very stealthily) snuck up on the apron and shoved Kidman off the top rope during a Shooting Star Press attempt. Hurricane followed up with a Shining Wizard to pick up the improbable victory. Four spots remain in the chase for a Rumble spot.
Striker runs down the updated Royal Rumble card and promotes the final showcase for ECW talent to earn a qualifying match at the PPV later tonight.
Heyman is seen heading to the broadcast table for the ECW showcase up next as we go to commercial.
Back from break with SABU and THE SANDMAN looking to snag the final spot in a qualifying match at the Rumble as Theodore Long stands at the wheel. Another spin produces a "PLAYER'S CHOICE". The Extreme Pioneers opt for a Sin City Street Fight.
Sabu def. The Sandman in a Sin City Street Fight to earn a qualifying match at the Royal Rumble
Bloodfest. Just about every weapon that could be wrapped in razor wire, was. Finish came as Sabu ducked a Kendo Stick-wielding Sandman and came back with a Barbed Wire Steel Chair to the face. Sabu gained control of the Singapore Cane, wrapped it in barbed wire and repeatedly drummed Sandman’s face with it before polishing off his longtime rival with a Triple Jump Moonsault to secure the final qualifying match at the Rumble. Heyman announces that Sabu will attempt to qualify for the Rumble against St. Louis’ own, EVAN BOURNE.
Matthews and Striker recap the Hall of Fame Inductees to this point, which now includes Randy Savage (who will be going in alongside Miss Elizabeth), Owen Hart, Edge, The Rock and as of Monday Night, Jake “The Snake” Roberts. The tribute video from RAW is run again. Striker acknowledges Edge and HBK’s conversation from Monday night and speculates as to which Tag Team will be joining the hallowed halls next Monday Night from Phoenix.
Teddy Long spins the wheel again and announces that the next Royal Rumble Qualifying Match will be a “TRADING PLACES MATCH”, meaning superstars participating will be performing in the role of their opponent.
Hunico (as Yoshi Tatsu) def. Yoshi Tatsu (as Hunico) to qualify for the Royal Rumble
Donning Yoshi’s signature war paint, Hunico puts away Yoshi Tatsu (complete in Barrio fatigues and Custom Low Rider Bicycle entrance) with a Diving Senton Bomb to pick up one of the final Rumble spots.
Wade Barrett is heading to ringside for his qualifying match, still fuming over the idea that he’s in the dark with regards to both his opponent and the guest referee selected by GM Teddy Long as we go to commercial.
Wade Barrett def. Billy Gunn (Guest Referee-The Big Show) to qualify for the Royal Rumble
Gunn puts up a good fight, but Barrett eventually triumphs by dropping him with Wasteland. Barrett begins mouthing off to Big Show, who has already qualified as tensions escalate heading toward the Rumble. Big Show clocks Barrett with WMD and tosses him over the top before leaving the ring.
Dolph Ziggler backstage with Borash. He promises to defeat whomever Teddy Long places in front of him tonight. Ziggler advises Orton to stay as far away from tonight’s main event as possible, or next week’s Smackdown will be the worst night of his career. Ziggler storms off as we go to break.
Royal Rumble recall flashes back to 2005 and Muhammad Hassan’s,...er, less than grand premiere at the 2005 Royal Rumble. So polarizing a figure was Hassan that all superstars in the ring rallied together to ensure that he didn’t emerge victorious, dumping him from the ring just as swiftly as he had entered.
Muhammad Hassan is in the ring and vows that he will not be excommunicated from the Rumble, nor the WWE quite as easily this time around. Theodore Long appears on the titantron and after spinning the wheel tells Hassan that his career is on the line in a “BLAST FROM THE PAST MATCH”. After a pause, we find that Hassan must qualify or leave depending on his performance against--TATANKA.
Muhammad Hassan def. Tatanka to qualify for the Royal Rumble
Finish comes when Hassan counters Tatanka’s Samoan Drop with the Maxillae Clutch and promptly drops him to the canvas with Skullduggery for the three count.
Theodore Long announces that only one spot remains in the Royal Rumble Match and says that the final stipulation will be determined by the next spin of the roulette wheel. The dial lands on the tile labeled “???”. As a result, Theodore Long announces that the final spot will be determined by the winner of a 20-Man Over-The-Top-Rope Last Chance Battle Royal.
Kane wins a Last Chance Battle Royal to earn the final spot in the Royal Rumble Match (the contest also features The Usos, Heidenreich, David Hart Smith, Caylen Croft, Bill DeMott, Cryme Tyme, Rob Conway, D’Lo Brown, LAX, David Otunga, Charlie Haas, Terry Gordy Jr., Daivari, Domino, Chris Sabin and A-Train) simultaneously eliminating The Usos.
After dumping Chris Sabin and David Otunga, Kane double chokeslammed Jey and Jimmy to the floor to secure the final Rumble spot.
Dolph Ziggler headed to the ring, Jack Korpela chases him down and informs him that his match to get back into the Title hunt at the Rumble has just been announced as a Steel Cage Match as we go to our final break.
Back from break and Ziggler is in the cage awaiting his opponent. Much to his chagrin, it’s the returning MATT MORGAN.
Dolph Ziggler def. Matt Morgan in a Steel Cage Match to earn back in to the World Title Match at the Royal Rumble.
Not surprisingly, Morgan owned this match, nearly ending Ziggler’s career on several occasions, but Ziggler refused to quit. Ziggler even managed to counter the Hellevator into a ZigZag for a two count. Finish came when Morgan cued up for a Carbon Footprint on a teetering Ziggler, but the force of the kick sent Ziggler directly through the cage wall and to the arena floor, thus ending the match. After the contest, Orton jumped the barricade and delivered and RKO through the Spanish Announcers’ table. Orton celebrates now, but next week could be a nightmare for the Viper as Smackdown goes off the air.
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