RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Sports and Wrestling WWE Smackdown Results...

Cool!! We get to see Batista wrestle for the belt................again.What is this...like four or five times now that the Heavyweight Championship match is Batista vs. whomever is the champ at the time? Why doesn't the WWE just give it to him already?

Answer to the challenge?
By Alissa Fuhrman
August 10, 2007

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Before a capacity crowd at the Chevrolet Centre, fury and aggression dominated SmackDown Friday night, building momentum to the Biggest Party of the Summer. A fired-up Batista started things off by taking his rage out on co-WWE Tag Team Champion Domino in one-on-one action, hitting Batista Bombs to score the pinfall and to punish his opponent’s interfering accomplice, Deuce. A video message from World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali then appeared, warning The Animal that he would fall victim to the Claw at SummerSlam, just like Ric Flair did on SmackDown a week before. Later that night, the “Nature Boy” had his mind set on revenge for that previous vicious attack attack by Khali; however, despite a valiant effort, even the 16-time World Champion couldn’t stop the newest weapon in the Punjabi giant’s awesome arsenal. After The Great Khali’s enormous hand forcefully clutched onto Flair’s skull and forced him to the canvas, The Animal sprinted to his mentor’s aid. Amazingly, though, even The Animal seemed unable to halt the champion’s powerful vice-like grip, and ended up lying beside his fallen friend.

Inflicting pain on Matt Hardy, meanwhile, had been part of Finlay’s agenda Friday night, which also saw Horswoggle offering a little ringside support for the Fighting Irishman. But then the miniature Cruiserweight Champion of the World’s fun was nearly cut short by Jamie Noble, who chased him back to the locker room area. Following right behind them – and thereby giving Hardy a count-out win in the ring – Finlay threatened Noble to stay away from his condensed-sized comrade. Unfortunately, in the process he accidentally knocked scalding hot coffee onto a red-hot Kane, who in return tossed Finlay onto a table, knocking him to the ground. Minutes later, Kane doled out more pain inside the ring with a vehement chokeslam on Sylvan for the victory. But then the Fighting Irishman got his payback, surprising the Big Red Monster from behind and laying him out with his shillelagh.

Our fans in Youngstown originally believed Matt Hardy might face United States Champion MVP in another challenge to prove who the better man is. But the Ballin’ Superstar, speaking from WWE’s studios in Stamford, Conn., informed everyone of a medical condition that resulted in him losing not only last week’s Arm Wrestling Contest to Matt, but nearly his life. The Franchise Playa said he had notified SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long of his Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a potentially lethal condition that causes his heart speed up to over 250 beats per minute, yet he was still forced to compete in last week’s challenge. As a result, following the competition, he required life-threatening heart surgery that would have put normal men on the shelf for at least a year. Yet as the Ballin’ Superstar himself reminded our fans, he is “half a man, half a-mazing,” and he has been cleared by doctors to return to ring action next week, where he will challenge Hardy to a competition of his own design.

In other SmackDown ring action, Mark Henry showed no sympathy for Sterling Keenan, obliterating his opponent with ease before finishing him off in a crushing bear hug. Continuing to show our fans why no one on the SmackDown roster wants to challenge him, the self-proclaimed Silverback proudly showed more footage of his vicious assault on Undertaker last May. But the World’s Strongest Man seemed taken aback as Druid music suddenly filled the arena, and a dark figure slowly walked away from the ring area, leaving only a trail of sand and footprints behind him.

Another surprise that had our fans erupting into cheers was the apparent return of Rey Mysterio – that is, until everyone realized that it was only an unfunny prank by Chavo Guerrero. In his tasteless attempt to literally mask his contempt for his former friend, the Mysterio-clad Chavo begged himself to take it easy on him when they meet at the Biggest Party of the Summer. But there was no mercy from Guerrero during his match with Eugene, especially after his embarrassingly bad attempt at a 619 through the ropes. A frustrated Chavo pulled off the mask and took his aggravations out on his opponent Eugene, finishing him off with a Frog Splash for the three-count.

Back in the GM’s office, Assistant GM Vickie Guerrero gave Long an early wedding present for himself and his fiancée, Kristal: a tiny blue pill to help the GM rise to the occasion and spice up their love life. Meanwhile, Chris Masters decided to spice up his evening with an Open Master Lock Challenge to “anyone with the guts” to try and break it. One intense fan claiming to be a three-time All-State football player, captain of his high school wrestling team and someone who just got out of prison for manslaughter, seemed a little too willing for The Masterpiece’s liking. So Masters found another member of the Chevrolet Centre crowd, then clamped on the Master Lock and shook the fan like a rag doll.

Back in the locker room area, Michelle McCool let Victoria and Kenny Dykstra know that she wasn’t enjoying their excessive smooching session. Trading barbs with Michelle would only set the already unstable Diva off further when she later squared off in a match against Torrie Wilson; even after a Widow’s Peak and a three-count, Victoria continued pummeling away at the blonde beauty, right before our fans and Torrie’s ringside partner, Jimmy Wang Yang. Suddenly, Michelle raced down to the ring and came to Torrie’s aid, launching an attack that made Victoria retreat back up the SmackDown ramp. Needless to say, SmackDown’s All-American Girl didn’t love Victoria’s behavior that night… but she is loving life.

Ok, I watched this shit for my sins!
The opening match was little more than a squash match, making the tag champs look worthless.

Most times that one wrestler dresses up as another, and does a promo as them, its funny and entertaining, but Chavo doesnt seem to realise that.
The promo he shot as Rey was both dull and annoying.
His match against Eugene was ok, but Michael Cole ruined it by saying that Eugene was copying Chavo, when in fact all the taunts and moves he was performing were Eddies, not Chavos.

The stupidity of it is that despite failure to connect, Eugenes frog splash looked better than Chavos, as Chavo still cant pull it off properly, even after nearly 2 years!

While I know Sterlings name from the indy scene, when he is in a WWE ring, he's just a jobber.
How can WWE continue to push Henry as being so dominating when all they have been putting him up against these past few weeks, is jobbers from outside the company?
Surely this is what they have guys like Venis and Funaki for, and had guys like Scotty.
At least with jobbers on the roster:
They are known by the fans who just watch WWE
They occasionally pull off wins, something outside jobbers never do

Victoria vs Torrie was dull!

Hardy vs Finlay was ok, but ended crappily!
How can a grown man not catch a fucking midget?
And why would Finlay forfeit a match to protect Hornswoggle?

Kane vs Sylvan was another squash, and Finlay comes back, so I guess we now have a Kane/Finlay feud on our hands.

Masters and a no name jobber in a master lock challenge.
How many more times do we need to see this?

Khali vs Flair was shit.
Khalis finisher is a fucking joke.
The fact that Batista runs in for the save, and is fresh, only to be downed by the finisher straight away is a joke.
By this line of thought, Khalis should just apply this move at the start of verey match!

Pure shit!

Hand-slotted reprisal
By Alissa Fuhrman
August 17, 2007

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Our fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena hit the jackpot when they witnessed a WrestleMania 23 rematch on Friday Night SmackDown: Kane versus the World Heavyweight Champion, The Great Khali, in non-title action. Despite having a battered rib cage, the Big Red Machine fought hard. Unfortunately, his attempt to chokeslam the 7-foot-3 colossus was stopped short as his skull was forcefully clutched in Khali’s Vise Grip. With Kane on his knees, Finlay found a golden opportunity for revenge against his attack earlier that night, and attacked the Big Red Monster’s ribs. Already irritated from the humiliation he endured at the hands of Khali last week, The Animal ran out to stop the Irishman and the giant, only to again fall to the Khali Vise Grip.

A little VIP treatment awaited Matt Hardy Friday night when he and our fans joined the flashy United States Champion in “MVP’s VIP Lounge.” Matt arrived at the Ballin’ lounge, prepared for anything that the Franchise Playa could throw at him…or so he thought. Reiterating that he couldn’t compete in their next challenge, a Boxing Match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, due to his recently treated heart condition, the swaggering Superstar assured that his replacement – boxing’s only four-time Heavyweight Champion of the World, Evander Holyfield – would get the job done. MVP had an additional surprise contest in store for Hardy this night: Chris Masters and his Master Lock Challenge. Matt looked like he might have been up to the challenge and actually break Masters’ hold, until MVP repeatedly kicked Hardy’s exposed mid-section and laid him out with the Playmaker.

A week ago, Jamie Noble had cost Finlay a match against Matt Hardy when he tried to attack the fighting Irishman’s miniature comrade and Cruiserweight Champion of the World, Hornswoggle. On Friday night, Finlay made Noble pay dearly for his actions, working his knee and nearly ending the contest with a Celtic Cross -- until Kane suddenly appeared to deliver some week-old payback of his own. But while Kane attacked the Irishman, Noble unexpectedly got shoved into the Big Red Machine by Hornswoggle. In return, an incensed Kane handed Noble a hellacious chokeslam.

In other SmackDown action, a focused Chavo Guerrero made an example of what he plans to do to Rey Mysterio when he makes his big return at the Biggest Party of the Summer one week from Sunday. Aggressively manhandling and defeating Shannon Moore with a brainbuster wasn’t enough for Chavo to end his Friday night fun, however. Instead, the former Cruiserweight Champion, hoping Rey was watching at home, mocked the Master of the 619 by putting a replica mask over Moore’s head, then hitting the Frog Splash to injure his downed opponent’s knee.

Mark Henry also provided his own entertainment Friday night, by obliterating Brad Cardona and finishing him off with a catastrophic bear hug. But as the self-proclaimed Silverback once again showed video footage of his attack on Undertaker last May, disturbing footage from Death Valley suddenly aired on the TitanTron, the lights flickered and a familiar death knell sounded. The World’s Strongest Man looked increasingly uneasy as two Druids stood outside the ring, then vanished after a flash of light, leaving a mound of sand with footprints inside.

Raw’s Executive Assistant Jonathan Coachman wasn’t exactly following footprints so much as he was trying to help Mr. McMahon uncover which Superstar could be Mr. McMahon’s illegitimate child. The search brought them to Uncasville Friday night, but the Chairman’s past “indiscretions” could have been linked to anyone, from The Great Khali to Kane to Funaki to even Big Dick Johnson. Could one of the SmackDown Superstars have the Chairman in their blood? As Coachman told Mr. McMahon on Raw the other night, he may have an answer come Saturday Night’s Main Event; until then, the WWE locker rooms will remain abuzz.

A much happier conversation took place within the SmackDown General Manager’s confines, as glowing bride-to-be Kristal asked Torrie Wilson and Michelle McCool to be her bridesmaids when she and GM Theodore Long say “I do” on SmackDown Sept. 21. Victoria, accompanied by boy toy Kenny Dykstra, entered the room and expressed her disappointment that she wasn’t included in the bridal party, while Michelle countered that the best gift they could give would be if they didn’t show up at the wedding. After Victoria and Michelle furiously clawed each other, Long ordered the feisty vixens to take their frustrations out in the ring. It was apparent that the deranged Diva didn’t want Michelle loving life anymore, as she trash-talked and pounded mercilessly at the sexy Diva. Amazingly, SmackDown’s All-American Girl quickly turned things around with a authoritative kick to the head and a top-rope clothesline to score the pinfall.

In other SmackDown action, The Major Brothers faced WWE Tag Team Champions Deuce & Domino in a non-title match. The contest could have gone either way until Brian Major’s attempted crossbody for the victory missed Deuce, allowing the hot-headed Superstar to quickly take advantage with the pinfall.

This is the greatest Smackdown review ever!

2,000 points!

Michelle McCool(who the fuck thinks up these namnes )

Her parents!

Yeah! RACK the FUCK out allan1!

2,000 points indeed!

Really? It sounded so fake when I heard it.Like Val Venis....just a career name.

Hell's spawn
By Lennie DiFino
August 24, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Just 48 hours before he challenges The Great Khali for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, Batista stepped into the ring to face Finlay on SmackDown Friday night. The Animal and the fighting Irishman – who will also be at SummerSlam, as Kane demanded of Mr. McMahon a one-on-one encounter with Finlay at the Biggest Party of the Summer – physically decimated each other throughout the match until the World Heavyweight Champion made his way to ringside. When Batista seemingly had the match in his favor, Khali interfered and the two behemoths collided. As Khali attempted to apply his vicious Khali Vise Grip, Batista blocked the clutches and then unleashed an assault on the champion, sending a strong message before SummerSlam.

The United States Champion, Montel Vontavious Porter, had hoped the fists of Evander Holyfield would send a clear message to Matt Hardy at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Instead, it was MVP who was left in a heap after he got in “The Real Deal’s” face. Dissatisfied with that outcome, Porter issued a new challenge to back up his claims that he is better than Hardy – a One-on-One Basketball Challenge. The contest, however, came on the heels of General Manager Theodore Long’s announcement that next week on SmackDown, MVP must team with Matt and compete against Deuce & Domino for the WWE Tag Team Titles. As a result, the champions took full advantage of the basketball challenge, and left both Hardy and the Ballin’ Superstar laid out.

While the investigation into his paternity suit continues, Mr. McMahon was on SmackDown Friday night with the hopes of finding any clues to the identity of his illegitimate son. Instead, the Chairman encountered a slew of Superstars claiming to be his offspring, including Kane. At first, he insisted that there was no way “this monster” could be his offspring, but after granting a match with Finlay for SummerSlam, it looked as if Mr. McMahon was warming to the idea. That is, until Chris Masters made his way to the ring and declared he had proof that he was the true son of the Chairman: A photo of the two from The Masterpiece’s childhood. Masters’ may have been overreaching, though, especially when he challenged Kane to take the Master Lock Challenge. Instead, he was Chokeslammed by the Big Red Monster, much to the disappointment of Mr. McMahon.

As if Masters’ night hadn’t been bad enough, then Chuck Palumbo made his way to the ring and dismantled the Masterpiece. Palumbo’s return to SmackDown has been successful as the high-octane Superstar continued his winning ways.

No stranger to victory, the impressive Mark Henry demolished Brad Allen, only to again encounter the same presence that has haunted him throughout his path of destruction over the past several weeks – Undertaker. The World’s Strongest Man keeps insisting that he’s the ruler of the SmackDown jungle… but has he stepped into the domain that has for years been known as the yard of The Phenom?

Another SmackDown Superstar laying out his own share of devastation of late is Chavo Guerrero. In further preparing himself for his SummerSlam encounter against the man he injured 10 months ago, Rey Mysterio, Chavo annihilated Funaki. But instead of simply settling for the win, Guerrero instead opted to make an example out of his prone opponent, slamming a steel chair onto Funaki’s knee. Will Chavo’s aggressive ways help him defeat the returning Rey Mysterio this Sunday at SummerSlam?

Anger and aggression also seemed to follow Jamie Noble around as he continued his pursuit of Hornswoggle and the Cruiserweight Championship of the World. And he may have found it Friday night after defeating Jimmy Wang Yang in a No. 1 Contender’s Match. Having capitalized on this great opportunity, Noble has earned himself another match with Hornswoggle for the title. Can he capitalize this time, or will he fall short once more against SmackDown’s leprechaun?

It wouldn’t be summer without the Sexiest Women on Television. Thankfully, the Divas of SmackDown know this, so they treated our fans to a Biggest Party of the Summer Bikini Contest, only 48 hours before they all take part in SummerSlam’s Divas Battle Royal, the winner of which will become the No. 1 contender against Women’s Champion Candice. Torrie, Victoria, Kristal and Michelle McCool thought they were the only Divas competing in the contest, until SmackDown announcer Michael Cole revealed a surprise for our fans at the University of South Carolina. With that, he called out South Carolina’s own Mae Young, who at 84 years young thrilled our fans in her home state and actually won the contest.

Conquests and champions
By Lennie DiFino
August 31, 2007

ALBANY, N.Y. – Rey Mysterio’s return to Friday Night SmackDown saw the high-flying Superstar take part in the Championship Competition to name the No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship held by The Great Khali. Also participating were Finlay, Kane and Rey’s longtime friend Batista. Finlay defeated Kane in controversial fashion and then interrupted the match between The Animal and Mysterio, giving Rey the victory via disqualification. In the final match, The Irishman took on the Master of the 619, with Rey managing to come out on top to earn a championship match at Unforgiven. The Great Khali made his way to the ring, and the two SmackDown Superstars had the most lopsided stare down in the history of sports-entertainment.

From bitter rivals in the ring to a formidable tag team, United States Champion MVP and Matt Hardy took on the WWE Tag Team Champions Deuce & Domino. The champions attacked both MVP and Matt last week during the One-on-One Basketball Challenge, and the U.S. Champion and Hardy looked for retribution. While the young North Carolinian fought his hardest, MVP concentrated on Deuce’s girl Cherry outside the ring. When Hardy tagged in his partner in a highly unorthodox manner, the cocky MVP retaliated and then picked up the victory to crown new WWE Tag Team Champions.

Hoping to shake off the embarrassment of this past Monday night on Raw, Mr. McMahon was in Albany as the search for his illegitimate son continued. Jonathan Coachman paraded out a host of women he believed could be behind the paternity suit, and the Chairman was taken down memory lane once again. The women spoke of their experiences with Mr. McMahon and our fans saw the Chairman in an opposite light from the picture painted on Monday by Triple H. Mr. McMahon then had stern warnings for the rest of the McMahon family –words of warning that will play out Monday on Raw when Linda, Stephanie and Shane return to WWE – with their lawyers.

Warnings should be issued every time Mark Henry enters an arena and the self-proclaimed silverback once again proved that case. Henry made his colossal presence felt as Eugene interacted with our fans in Albany, demolishing the happy-go-lucky Superstar. After the destruction that has become accustomed to any Superstar in Henry’s path, another video played that showcased the return of Undertaker. Has the confidence of the World’s Strongest Man placed him directly in the path of The Phenom?

One Superstar who has returned to SmackDown with a new fire is Chuck Palumbo. The revved-up Superstar took the Masterlock Challenge issued by Chris Masters, but Masters attacked Palumbo before the challenge could happen. Palumbo managed to fight off Masters, and the two exchanged glares and words as the Masterpiece exited the arena.

Hoping to offer his own challenge to a championship is cruiserweight Jamie Noble. The No. 1 contender to Hornswoggle’s Cruiserweight Championship told Shannon Moore that he will challenge SmackDown’s leprechaun when he is ready. After humiliation in his first few encounters with Hornswoggle, Noble may want to rethink his strategy before he ends up on the short end of another Hornswoggle embarrassment.

WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Smackdown talent Eugene as of September 1. We wish Eugene the best in all future endeavors.

Eugene released!!!

Bob "Hardcore" Holly might be done as an active pro wrestler. Holly is reportedly having issues with his arm as a result of recent surgery and was slated to return to the Smackdown brand very soon.

The word that made the rounds at WWE's TV tapings yesterday was that his condition got worse after the surgery and he has having problems with feeling in his arm. A majority of the blame is being put on the doctors who operated on him.

We will continue to follow this situation as it develops.

Summer fizzles, but SmackDown sizzles
By Louie Dee
September 7, 2007

CINCINNATI – Summer may be unofficially over after Labor Day, but the first Friday Night SmackDown after the holiday weekend proved that tensions remain hotter than ever as Unforgiven approaches. What started with a main-event pair of grudge rematches in the Queen City this week ended with a potential harbinger of what lies ahead at the pay-per-view extravaganza on Sept. 16.

In the first of the grudge rematches, Batista & Kane once again defeated World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali & Finlay, just as they did last month at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Little did the champion and The Animal know, however, that they would come face-to-face once more at the end of the second rematch.

In that battle, Rey Mysterio furthered his quest for revenge on Chavo Guerrero, defeating his bitter rival in a brutal “I Quit” Match. Rey took a page out of the Guerrero playbook, forcing Chavo to quit by hanging him upside-down from the turnbuckles and repeatedly bashing his knee with a steel chair – the same tactic Chavo used last October, when he put Rey out of commission during their first “I Quit” Match on SmackDown.

That’s when the fireworks truly began, as The Great Khali came out to confront his Unforgiven challenger. Rey attacked, but the massive champion retaliated and nearly squashed Rey’s head like a grape with the Khali Vise Grip. The Animal came to the aid of his fallen friend, but the damage had been done; Rey was beaten and badly bleeding from the mouth, a ghastly visual that even Batista’s thunderous spear on Khali couldn’t erase from our fans’ minds. There was something General Manager Theodore Long could do about it, however: He changed Unforgiven’s World Heavyweight Championship Match from Khali against Mysterio to a Triple Threat Match between Khali, Mysterio and The Animal.

In another Unforgiven stunner, Matt Hardy earned a championship match for the pay-per-view, but not exactly the one he wanted. While he challenged MVP to a United States Title clash, Hardy found out that he and his new partner would instead defend their WWE Tag Team Championship against former champs Deuce & Domino. As “team captain,” MVP then graciously set Matt up in an impromptu match against Deuce, a bout MVP helped his partner win with some timely outside interference.

When a druid appeared in the ring moments after a video played trumpeting Undertaker’s return, Mark Henry thought he had his chance to begin punishing The Phenom and his minions. Unfortunately, as soon as Henry got his hands on the druid, the lights went out; when they returned, Undertaker’s minion was gone and all the self-proclaimed Silverback had to hold on to was his black cloak. While the World’s Strongest Man may have left Cincinnati disappointed, he hopes to sing a different tune when he finally meets Undertaker in Music City, U.S.A. – Memphis, Tenn. – at Unforgiven.

Speaking of disappointment, Friday night was another bad one for Jamie Noble. With a match against Cruiserweight Champion Hornswoggle on tap, the No. 1 contender formulated a plan to use Lucky Charms as bait to capture the Leprechaun underneath a heavy box before their bout. Sadly, his Wile E. Coyote-esque scheme didn’t quite come to fruition; like many of the less-than-cunning Looney Tunes canine’s plans to capture Road Runner, Noble’s plan ended with him on the business end of a backfire, as the clever Cruiserweight Champion trapped his challenger inside the box instead.

Making matters worse, neither Shannon Moore, who watched Noble’s wacky plan unfold, nor Jesse & Festus – who finally made it to SmackDown, but were too amazed by the “talking box” to realize what (or who) was inside – helped Noble out. The match began without him, and while he finally freed himself, he wasn’t able to get to the ring to beat referee Charles Robinson’s 10-count, giving the champion a count-out victory. Once the No. 1 contender finally got in the ring, some well-placed marbles took him down long enough for the pint-sized prankster to scamper away.

In other action, Michelle McCool once again got the best of Victoria when Chuck Palumbo defeated Victoria’s boy toy, Kenny Dykstra. McCool, who came to ringside with Palumbo on his motorcycle, later thwarted Victoria’s attempt to ride away on Chuck’s chopper. A big kick from JBL’s favorite Diva floored the multiple-time former Women’s Champion, allowing Palumbo to take care of business inside the squared circle and finish Dykstra with the Full Throttle.

Labor Day may mark the unofficial end of summer, but the season doesn’t truly end until after Sept. 21. Be sure to save that date, as SmackDown will celebrate the close of one season and the dawn of another with a bang – the marriage of Theodore Long & Kristal Marshall on the season premiere of SmackDown in Atlanta. As the bride and groom revealed this week, Atlanta-based R&B sensations Jagged Edge will be on hand to sing “their song” at the ceremony, and perhaps do some thuggin’ and buggin’ with Mr. and Mrs. Long. One thing is for sure: It’s going to be steamy in Hotlanta on the final day of summer. Holla!

Forgive and forget?
By Lennie DiFino
September 14, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS – On SmackDown, Batista squared off against World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali, just two days before they — and hopefully Rey Mysterio – square off in a Triple Threat Match at Unforgiven. The Animal was still on the prowl even after he speared Khali on Raw, seeking retribution for his friend, and former WWE Tag Team Co-Champion, whom Khali brutalized last week. The Khali Vise Grip that left Rey demolished and bloodied a week ago was applied on Batista Friday night, but the Punjabi Giant was disqualified when he refused to break the hold. The brutal nature of Batista and Khali’s encounters has grown well past the boiling point, and threatens to explode this Sunday.

With just one week until the happiest day of their lives, both General Manager Theodore Long and his fiancée, Kristal, put the finishing touches on their pre-wedding arrangements. While Kristal and her bridesmaids continued their behind-the-scenes planning -- with a bachelorette party -- the men of SmackDown threw a bachelor party for the General Manager. Best man Ron Simmons asked SmackDown’s newest team Jesse & Festus to supply the “entertainment,” and the Superstars did not disappoint. The Major Brothers, Sgt. Slaughter, "The Natural" Butch Reed and others joined in the party to help Long celebrate his final days as a single man.

Before they defend their WWE Tag Team Titles this Sunday against former champions Deuce & Domino, Matt Hardy & MVP tried to one-up each other on SmackDown in a chess match. After MVP “sneezed” and prematurely ended their latest one-on-one contest, Hardy informed the Ballin’ Superstar that he would be in action that night against Domino. Matt assured that he would indeed be in his unwilling partner’s corner -- much like MVP had been when he helped Hardy to victory over Deuce last week – and he was vocally true to his word. Fashioning himself as the U.S. Champion’s biggest fan for most of the contest, Hardy lead the Minneapolis crowd in “M-V-P,” chants while the brazen Superstar – still wearing most of a rather expensive suit – engaged in a slugfest with Domino. When Deuce tried to interfere, Matt knocked him to the ground – but in the process also angered his own partner. As MVP scolded Hardy, Domino rolled him up in a small package to steal the win. Can the bomber-jacketed duo carry that momentum into Unforgiven as they attempt to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship, or will Matt Hardy & MVP figure out how to work together and keep the gold?

Before his encounter with Undertaker at Sunday’s Unforgiven, Mark Henry came to SmackDown dressed as a druid and telling our fans, “Undertaker’s powers pale in comparison to mine.” But as Henry showed a video of his vicious attack on The Deadman back in May, another Undertaker video suddenly aired on the TitanTron. Afterward, a bolt of lightning flashed in the arena, hitting the stage and setting aflame a huge Undertaker symbol. Then came a final warning for the self-proclaimed Silverback: “Mark Henry…. Unforgiven…. You will rest in peace.” Are Mark Henry’s days of domination coming to an end at the hands of The Phenom?

One Superstar who knows Undertaker well is his brother Kane, who was in action against Finlay in WWE’s first-ever Belfast Brawl. The brutal rivalry between these two Superstars reached a whole new level Friday night, as the Big Red Monster and the Irishman, quite frankly, beat the living hell out of each other. Late in the grueling contest, Kane seemed to gain the advantage and readied himself to use the steel steps as a weapon. But Finlay would neutralize the threat with a steel chair to the monster’s ribs, then picked up the victory with a devastating Celtic Cross.

In other SmackDown action, Chuck Palumbo and Kenny Dykstra both became involved in Michelle McCool’s match against Victoria, causing a double disqualification. But then General Manager Theodore Long ordered that a Mixed Tag Team Match take place, and the budding rivalries between all four individuals heated up once more. Palumbo’s dominant streak continued to roll forward as he nearly decapitated Dykstra with a clothesline that sent him flying over the top rope. It also gave Michelle the opening she needed to nail the deranged Victoria with a kick to the head for the victory.

Also, Shannon Moore defeated Jamie Noble after outsmarting his fellow cruiserweight. As the match progressed, Moore screamed that the little bastard son of Mr. McMahon, Hornswoggle, was under the ring. As an incensed Noble went looking for the Cruiserweight Champion of the World, Moore rolled him up for the pin instead, once again giving Noble the short end of the stick.