Smackdown Week 3
The Smackdown video concludes, as well as a small video package showing what happened last week. Included is Mark Henry beating MVP in a street fight, John Morrison defeating Jack Swagger and Chris Jericho/CM Punk prevailing over Matt Hardy/Kofi Kingston. We cut to the arena where the show’s pyrotechnics are just finishing up.
The show begins with the familiar explosion of pyro followed by Chris Jericho’s music. The World Heavyweight Champion walks out onto the stage with his belt around his waist, and the crowd let him know how much they hate him with a chord of boos. Jericho smirks and makes his way down to the ring, indifferent to the heat he is getting. He walks up the steps and then gets into the ring, before taking his belt off and slinging it over his shoulder.
Chris Jericho: At Armageddon, I will have to defend my title in a championship scramble match... and before I address my potential opponents I have to ask something. Is General Manager Teddy Long
insane?
The crowd boos Chris, who frowns.
Chris Jericho: Does he think that it’s fair to have me defend my title against not one, not two, but
four other competitors? I know Teddy’s kind isn’t too good with numbers but surely even
he must realise that this means I only have a 1 in 5 chance of winning.
The crowd pops at the high chances Jericho will lose.
Chris Jericho: Fortunately, I have a lot of things on my side. I have skill, I have strength, I have speed, I have technical ability... I am the Superstar of the Year for 2008 for a reason!
I am the best in the world at what I do!
There are more boos as now Jericho smiles.
Chris Jericho: I guess all of these things kinda level the playing field, and it tilts even more in my favour when you see the caliber of opponents that could potentially end up in the title match at Armageddon. Seriously, are they
really the best Smackdown has?
Really? No wonder I am the single greatest entity on Friday nights.
There is more heat and Chris continues to grin.
Chris Jericho: Let’s start with CM Punk {big heat}. Punk is nothing more than an annoyance, a preacher... he seems to be worried more about promoting his useless straight edge lifestyle than winning any matches. Seriously, when you’re as successful as me you’ll realise the benefits of having normal habits. I have champagne with the Chairman of the WWE, I smoke cigars with celebrities. Punk misses out on this because of his ideals and
that’s why he’s pathetic.
That’s why I pinned him two weeks ago in the main event.
The crowd gives a mixed reaction as they don’t like either man.
Chris Jericho: Moving on to MVP {boos}. He is the perfect example of a hypocrite. Two weeks ago he turned on his tag team partner Mark Henry and then last week he called him out as fat and useless {boos}. I can relate to this, having recently parted ways with the Big Show. However, the difference between us is that I pinned my former partner to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series... he got pinned by Henry last week on Smackdown {cheers}. This proves that MVP is all talk and how he even
has the opportunity to face me for my title is absurd.
There is another mixed reaction, leaning towards cheers, something Y2J isn’t accustomed to.
Chris Jericho: And then we have Jack Swagger {again boos}.
Another hypocrite it seems. Two weeks ago he cost John Morrison the Intercontinental Championship after attacking him in his title match {heat}. I respected him after this, because he was making his mark on Smackdown. However, like MVP, he goes on to lose to Morrison the next week, proving that Swagger too, is all talk. Jack Swagger proclaims that he is the future, but with performances after last week he’s proving himself to be nothing more than a pathetic dork with a lisp.
The crowd is almost entirely cheering now, surprisingly.
Chris Jericho: Speaking of the man that humiliated Jack Swagger, we’ve come to John Morrison {big pop}. Not long ago Morrison reminded me of myself, in that he was rising through the ranks quickly and that he was doing so with dignity. When he debuted on Smackdown earlier this year I saw him rising to the main event, but since then everything has changed. He decided that the best path for him would be to shamelessly pander to the fans, wearing cheap furs and flashing cheesy grins in order to sell merchandise. Well the only thing that got him was a second tier title, and he’s even lost that now. Morrison went down the wrong path, and I will prove it to him at Armageddon.
The crowd begins to boo again, losing respect for Jericho.
Chris Jericho: Moving on to Mark Henry {many cheers} who is one of the most hopeless things in the WWE right now. He has been here for over 10 years and has never won a World title. A
waste of space that should have been fired long ago...
that’s how Henry is best described. I don’t even need to continue.
There is some big heat at the cutting down of Henry.
Chris Jericho: And finally... last... and probably least we have Matt Hardy {great pop}.
Failure is a word that I think well describes Matt {boos}. He gets
chance after
chance but always seems to blow it somehow. It’s a pity though; he’s always had to play second fiddle to that
excuse of a human being, his brother Jeff {insane pop for the mere mention of Jeff}. You know, I bet Matt is secretly glad he’s gone because it has allowed him to be anything more than a joke. Matt, I know you’re not used to wrestling for World titles but maybe Armageddon will be the time you can finally prove to the world that you’re not as pathetic as you seem. Or, more likely, you will
fail like
every... other... time.
There is some great heat for these comments and Jericho chuckles.
Chris Jericho: So you see, in this perspective it seems almost natural that I will retain my title come next Sunday. Armageddon will only elongate the great title reign that all of you are witnessing. Four of the six sycophants that I mentioned will be in the ring with me for the main event but not one of them has any chance at-
*SOS... I hear dem shoutin’!*
The crowd pops as Jericho looks to the entrance ramp, annoyed. He frowns as Kofi leaps onto the stage and does his ‘Boop, boop’ mannerisms to an explosion of pyro. Kingston has a mic in his hand and he begins to talk as he walks to the ring.
Kofi Kingston: Hey, hey, cut the music {music stops}. Chris, are you done? Are you done with cutting down half the Smackdown roster? Well there is one person you forgot-
Chris Jericho: I was actually just getting to
you, Kofi. You are a
liar, a
fake. Pretending to be Jamaican in order to get a few extra cheers and sell a few extra T-shirts. I applaud you’re ability to maintain an accent for so long, but apart from that, I think you’re
pathetic.
The crowd boos as Kofi stops on the ramp and looks annoyed.
Kofi Kingston: Well I suppose I should say that I’m really from Ghana; in West Africa {he begins to walk}. My parents didn’t want me to be embarrassed of where I came from; it was their idea to have me pretend-
Chris Jericho: Exactly, you are nothing more than a pretender. You are a
fraud, Kofi.
A fraud!
The crowd boos as Kofi stops again, this time almost reaching the ring.
Kofi Kingston: After coming clean about my origins I realised that there is an advantage of being from Ghana. In Ghana, there are no rules. People don’t cut promos on each other and call each other names {he begins to walk}. In Ghana, it is every man for himself {he starts to walk up the stairs}. In Ghana, the people have to survive {he gets into the ring}... by
beating each other up!
Kofi gets nose to nose with Chris Jericho who doesn’t look amused. The crowd pop and begin to start a chant encouraging the two to fight. There is a cold silence as the two stare at each other, even though the arena is buzzing. Neither man takes a step back but then Jericho makes the first move by shoving Kingston back, as the crowd boos. Kingston quickly regains his composure and smiles, nodding his head. Suddenly he lashes out and clocks Jericho with the microphone, nailing him on top of the head. The crowd goes crazy as Kofi begins to pound Jericho with punches, and the Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla tries to escape. Eventually, a referee runs down to separate the two and both of them catch their breath, waiting on opposite sides of the ring as they prepare for their match. The commentators discuss what just happened, before we go to our first commercial.
***COMMERCIAL***
We come back from break and get some last minute hype for the upcoming non title match between Jericho and Kofi, before going to the match itself.
MATCH 1
Non-Title
Chris Jericho v Kofi Kingston
(Single)
After the bell rings Kofi Kingston’s tenacity and hunger for victory allows him to dominate the early proceedings with a few strikes and a signature high angle dropkick to the chin. Kofi means business tonight as he keeps the World Heavyweight Champion down after a flying forearm smash, which he follows up with a missile dropkick that gets a two count. Kofi then looks to capitalize with the Boom Drop off the top rope but Jericho rolls out of the way and catches Kofi in a small package for a two count. A one handed bulldog and double underhook backbreaker later and Jericho is in control. To slow down the pace, Jericho puts Kofi in an Argentine backbreaker submission and for a good thirty seconds keeps him in the hold, wearing him down and hoping for a tap out. Kofi tries to fight out but Jericho begins to spin and goes for the backbreaker drop but before he can execute it Kofi shifts position and catches Jericho with a hurricanrana. After some more back and forth action with counters, including Kofi escaping the Walls of Jericho, we see the sequence of events leading up to the finish. Jericho ducks the Trouble in Paradise and nails Kofi with a Step-Up Enzugiri. He looks to capitalize with a Lionsault but Kofi rolls out of the way and hits the SOS, before he goes to the top rope. He waits for Jericho to get up and dives down, only for Y2J to catch him with a Codebreaker in the middle of the move. Kofi goes down and the World Heavyweight Champion scores the 3.
WINNER- Chris Jericho by PINFALL in 12:36
The crowd boos as Chris Jericho’s music plays and the World Heavyweight Champion prevails once again. He has his arm raised by the ref and quickly snatches his title belt away. Kofi Kingston rolls out of the ring and recovers in pain as Jericho celebrates and the commentators put over his victory. We then go to a video package.
Tonight we are treated to a video package highlighting the tag teams of the WWE. It begins with Smackdown two weeks ago where Teddy Long announced there would be an 8 team tournament to decide the new Unified Tag Team Champions. We see a tournament bracket with all 8 teams, showing that Priceless have already been eliminated thanks to the Colons on Raw. We then see highlights of the teams in the second match, to take place tonight. Cryme Tyme and the team of Drew McIntyre and Finlay are shown in a split screen, before some of their highlights play. The third match up is to be Jesse & Festus against Regal’s Roundtable and highlights are shows, especially of Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov who would look like favourites in the tournament. The final match is to be decided as we see two black boxes where the tag teams would be. We then go back to the tournament bracket, which now has pictures of the tag titles in the centre. We fade away to a commercial.
***COMMERCIAL***
We go backstage to where Brandon Powers is with Montel Vontavious Porter, whom the crowd boos profusely upon seeing. MVP is sporting casual clothes and as always, his signature chain that he wears around his neck. He looks distressed about something and seems to be looking around often, in a somewhat suspicious manner.
Brandon Powers: Montel, two weeks ago you shocked the world by turning on your former partner Mark Henry-
MVP: Hey, not so loud brother! I don’t want him hearing his name or...
MVP begins to mumble as a puzzled Brandon shrugs his shoulders and continues.
Brandon Powers: Regardless of what has happened, you are going to be competing at Armageddon in a triple threat match with Mark Henry and CM Punk. As long as you aren’t pinned in that match then you progress to the main event where you take on Chris Jericho and three other men for the World Heavyweight Championship. What are your thoughts on the possibility of you becoming a world champ?
MVP: {speaking quietly} Let me tell you... whoever you are...
Powers is about to cut in but MVP brushes him off with a shake of his head.
MVP: I don’t care who you are, but you and the rest of the world should know that me being World Heavyweight Champion was meant to happen. MVP doesn’t feel like MVP without some
gold around his waist. I’ve got all the bling in the world man, but the collection doesn’t feel complete without a title belt. At Armageddon I will not only progress to the main event but I will get the final fall in the championship scramble and I will become Champion!
The crowd boos as they don’t want this to happen.
Brandon Powers: Tonight, you are also partnering with CM Punk and Jack Swagger to take on the team of Matt Hardy, John Morrison and Mar-
MVP: Shhhh, I know who is in the match. Frankly, it’s not on my mind as my eyes are already on the prize; the prize being the World Heavyweight Champ-
There is a bang in the background as MVP suddenly begins to panic and look around frantically.
Brandon Powers: Is there anything else-
MVP: Man, I gotta go, this interview is over...
Montel doesn’t even finish his sentence as there is suddenly another bang in the background. A few seconds later there is a bang, but it sounds a lot closer, and Mark Henry bursts into the shot as the crowd pops. Henry looks angry and he throws equipment out of the way, before running into a frightened Brandon Powers.
Mark Henry: Which way did he go!?
Brandon Powers: Err... who-
Mark Henry: MVP
goddammit!
Brandon cowers backwards and points the way that Montel went before Mark Henry immediately begins to charge in that direction. We see a shot of a scared Powers as he watches the World’s Strongest Man pursue his foe, before we cut to the ring where the commentators mention that Henry must still want more revenge against MVP.
Eve’s music then plays and she runs out onto the stage to a pop, accompanied by her tag team partner for the evening in Maria. The duo slap hands with all the fans along the ramp, before sliding into the ring and high fiving each other.
The Women’s Champion’s music then begins to play as Michelle McCool and Beth Phoenix walk out onto the stage to heat. Beth looks angry and Michelle looks bitchy as the duo walk to the ring, keeping their distance from each other. Beth slides in while Michelle uses the stairs, and they meet each other in their corner. Both teams then talk to each other before the match starts, and the crowd buzz in waiting.
MATCH 2
Michelle McCool & Beth Phoenix v Maria & Eve
(Tag Team)
Eve starts the match in the ring with the Women’s Champion and the bell rings. The two ladies lock up and Michelle pushes Eve forward into a corner and is forced to break the grapple. She does so, but then doubles Eve over with a powerful kick to the gut. Michelle grabs Eve and whips her into the ropes, only to be nailed with a crossbody block on the rebound. The crowd pops as Eve rolls into a cover, only for McCool to roll through. She knees Eve in the back and then runs off the ropes, before nailing her with a standing baseball slide. Michelle tags in Beth, who runs in and picks up the recovering Eve, only to be nailed with a forearm to the gut. Eve gets in two more strikes to the midsection, but then Beth will have no more as she nails a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. Beth then puts Eve in an abdominal stretch and maintains the hold, while the crowd rallies behind Eve and encourages her to break the hold. She naturally does, but before she can go for a tag Beth spins her around. However, the Glamazon is hit with a dropkick out of nowhere and staggers away, allowing Maria to be brought into the match. Maria runs in as Michelle is also tagged and she nails the champ with two clotheslines in succession. Maria runs off the ropes and goes to nail Michelle with the Beautiful Bulldog but the Women’s Champion pushes her forward into the opposite ropes and nails her with a big boot on the way back. Michelle picks up the limp Maria and nails her with the Faith Breaker, which naturally is followed by the victory.
WINNERS- Michelle McCool & Beth Phoenix by PINFALL in 3:49
There are some lesser boos from the crowd as Michelle and Beth have their arms raised by the referee, successful as a team despite having their differences. They then hold each other’s arms up and Michelle goes to leave but Beth pulls her back and levels her with a clothesline! There is a mixed reaction as Phoenix picks up the Women’s Champion and hits her with the Glam Slam, with authority! The reaction of mostly cheers continues as ‘Glamazon’ plays and Beth walks to the back, leaving Michelle down in the ring. The commentators discuss a potential title match as we go to a commercial.
***COMMERCIAL***
As we return, we hear some new music. It is a rock-based remix of Finlay’s old music, ‘Lambeg’. We realize whose it is as Drew McIntyre and Finlay step out onto the stage to moderate heat. The tandem walk down to the ring and Finlay shows the crowd the shillelagh in his hand, threatening a few people at ringside with it. The duo slide into the ring and Drew takes a microphone as he prepares to talk.
Drew McIntyre: Tonight, we get our match where we prove to the world that we are the most dominant tag team not only on Smackdown, but in the history of the WWE. We get to be in a first round match for the Unified Tag Team Championship tournament. All we need to do is beat the two
losers in Cryme Tyme and we’re one step closer to being the champions. When that inevitably happens, I hope it will show you people not to mess with us. We are your superiors, and we are soon to be your tag team champions! We are the
United Powers!
The crowd boos while Finlay takes the microphone.
Finlay: Don’t you people like what we’re saying?
The crowd boos and replies with a resounding ‘No!’
Finlay: Well too bad, because unless you’re willing to personally confront us about it then you’re going to have to learn to live with it. We’re going to be on Smackdown dominating the competition for a good while, so you’d better learn to love us. If we’re bothering you that much, then you can meet
me out back and
I’ll see that you won’t be able to walk ever again in your life!
The crowd boos as Finlay holds up his shillelagh and shakes it intimidatingly. Someone at the front of the crowd catches his eye though and it’s a man who is abusing Finlay, shouting phrases like ‘you suck’ and ‘go back to Belfast’. Finlay notices this and get out of the ring, before getting in the guy’s face.
Finlay: Oh you don’t like us?
The man replies with a strong ‘hell no’!
Finlay: Well then you’ll hate us even more when we’re the Unified Tag Team Champions!
The crowd boos and the angry man swings at Finlay, accidentally hitting him in the chest. There are ‘ooh’s from the crowd as a pissed off Finlay takes the fan and pulls him over the barricade to the outside. The crowd boos as Finlay takes the helpless man and throws him against the ring apron. Finlay then goes to hit him with the shillelagh but suddenly-
*BROOKLYN, BROOKLYN!*
The crowd goes wild as Finlay looks towards the entrance ramp, where Cryme Tyme are already running down to aid the man. Finlay drops him and scurries back into the ring to Drew, just as Cryme Tyme reaches the outside of the ring. They help the man back to his seat, before sliding into the ring opposite the heels.
Shad: Yoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyo yo!
“YO!â€
Shad: Yo!
“YO!â€
Shad: Yooooooooo...
JTG: What’s up, it’s ya boys Cryme Tyme and we’re ready to
beat down these two punk asses right now! Y’all wanna see dat?
The crowd pops as Cryme Tyme high five each other.
Shad: We are ready to go through this competition and end up with our first ever tag team championships. Y’all hear dat?
The crowd pops again and Cryme Tyme high five once more, this time in a more complex fashion. JTG goes to say something once again but is interrupted.
Drew McIntyre: Stop!
THE PARTY IS OVER! Nobody wants to see you two clowns parade around and make fools out of yourselves every week. They want to see the future of the WWE and a future World Heavyweight Champion, titles bestowed to me by
none other than the Chairman himself, Vince McMahon.
JTG: Well he must’ve been loony at the time ‘cause what I’m seein’ here is a wack job dat nobody understand next to a grandpa that carries around a stupid stick all day!
The crowd pops as the United Powers look at each other, decide enough is enough and attack Cryme Tyme. The crowd instantly starts booing as Finlay strikes Shad with the shillelagh while Drew attacks JTG with kicks to the midsection. Drew throws JTG to the side and joins Finlay to double team Shad. However, before any further damage can be done, ‘Mac Militant’ starts playing and out comes GM Teddy Long, to a big pop.
Theodore Long: Hold up playas, what do you think y’all are doing before your big match? You can’t just attack your opponents with foreign objects before you go in big matches like this one! And what do you think you were doing attacking members of
my crowd? Get some referees down there to sort this out!
Three referees run down to the ring and make sure the teams don’t touch each other before the match.
Theodore Long: Drew, Finlay, you two don’t run Smackdown,
I do! And for what you’ve done today I’m going to make a small adjustment for your upcoming match! I’m making it an
Extreme Rules match!
The crowd goes wild as in the ring, Drew and Finlay seems supportive of this decision.
Theodore Long: However, the Extreme Rules will only apply to
one team, and that will be Cryme Tyme!
The crowd pops even louder as in the ring the United Powers are furious that only their opponents can use weapons. On the flipside, Cryme Tyme are ecstatic and high five each other once again.
Theodore Long: Hopefully this will teach y’all a lesson in respect. Holla playas!
The crowd pops as Teddy Long goes backstage, and the referees separate the two teams for their match where only Cryme Tyme can use weapons. Before the bell is rung, JTG goes to the outside and retrieves a chair for use later in the match.
MATCH 3
Unified Tag Team Championships Tournament
Drew McIntyre & Finlay v JTG & Shad
(Tag Team- Extreme Rules for Cryme Tyme)
Shad pairs up with Finlay and grabs him in a waistlock, as JTG scares McIntyre out of the ring with the steel chair. The larger member of Cryme Tyme whips Finlay into the ropes and on the way back nails him with a big boot to the face. He covers for a quick two as Drew tries to slide into the ring, only to be ushered out by JTG with the chair. Shad lifts Finlay up and hits him with a scoop slam to cheers from the crowd. Shad lifts him once more and this time it is JTG who drops his chair before knocking him down with a dropkick. The two members of Cryme Tyme then grab Finlay and lift him, putting him in position for a double suplex. However, Drew seizes the moment to slide into the ring with a weapon of his own, Finlay’s shillelagh! The crowd boos as McIntyre hits Shad in the back and the ref immediately calls for the bell.
WINNERS- JTG & Shad by DISQUALIFICATION in 0:49
The crowd is booing intensely as Drew also nails JTG in the back with the weapon. Cryme Tyme fall to their knees respectively as Drew tosses Finlay his shillelagh, before grabbing the chair that JTG dropped earlier. Finlay knocks out JTG with a shillelagh shot to the forehead, while McIntyre wipes Shad out with a chair shot to the back of the skull. Seemingly not bothered by the fact they lost the match and are out of the tournament, the United Powers are eager to beat Cryme Tyme down even more, but referees snatch their weapons and pull them away before they have the chance. The crowd boos as the United Powers ascend the ramp, leaving JTG and Shad out in the ring with referees tending to them. JR and Grisham discuss the scenario before we go to a Raw rebound.
We go to the first Raw rebound of the night and are shown Vince McMahon announcing a huge main event in John Cena & The Undertaker taking on The Big Show & Randy Orton, a match containing all four participants for the WWE title fatal 4 way match at Armageddon. We see snippets of promos by Show and Orton before going straight to the main event. We see the action that takes place before the finish, where Orton pins Cena after a Punt Kick even though the Champ wasn’t even the legal man. Orton celebrates but not for long as his teammate in The Big Show gives him a big Chokeslam after the match.
***COMMERCIAL***
, interesting to see what it will be
