TV REVIEW: WWE Smackdown: 27/11/09

Bridgeport, Conneticut

In the wake of their confrontation this Monday night on Raw, Batista and Kane go one on one to determine the number one contender to The Undertaker's World Heavyweight Championship whilst The Dead Man himself squares off in a non-title match with Chris Jericho.

NOTE: This an archived review written live at the time that WWE Smackdown aired on November 27th, 2009.

I'm archiving all my old reviews and including this one on Retro Pro Wrestling for the sake of prosperity.

Teddy Long books Chris Jericho against The Undertaker

Chris Jericho began tonight's show by heading to the ring to speak his mind and, as usual, the Unified Tag Team Champion had a lot to say.

After bragging about his confidence with regards to his upcoming TLC clash against DX and reminding everyone of his experience in previous TLC bouts, Jericho turned his attentions to the World Heavyweight Championship; imploring General Manager Teddy Long to insert him into the Number One Contender's match later in the show.

Instead, Long booked him into a non-title match against The Undertaker later on in the show, much to the dismay of Jericho and the delight of the Smackdown crowd.

Jericho was as brilliant as ever here and his interaction with the live audience and reaction to Long's announcement were especially enjoyable.

Cryme Tyme vs. The Hart Dynasty

Going at it again in yet another rematch, two of the only few full-time tag teams in the company nonetheless turned this rather pointless outing into a fun opening contest.

Despite the occasional brief flury of offence from Shad & JTG, it was David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd who dominated the bulk of the bout and eventually walked away with the win after a huge Saito Bomb from Smith to Shad Gaspard.
Your Winners: The Hart Dynasty

Back in Teddy Long's office, Vickie Guerrero and Eric Escobar interrupted a chat between the GM and Intercontinental Champion John Morrison. After first denying Escobar a shot at Morrison's title, Long quickly changed his mind when Vickie threatened to call Vince McMahon.

It feels like months since Escobar first arrived on our screens, and he still comes across as a glorified jobber.

CM Punk plugs Jeff Hardy's DVD

After introducing his new right-hand man Luke Gallows, claiming to have rescued the man formerly known as Festus and setting him off down the path of righteousness, CM Punk produced a copy of the new Jeff Hardy DVD and proceeds to lambast the former Smackdown star.

Not surprisingly, this raised the ire of Jeff's brother Matt Hardy, who headed to ringside to confront Punk.

Matt Hardy vs. CM Punk

With their exchange of words out of the way, Hardy and Punk let their fists do the talking as they locked up in a decent contest, trading the advantage until Gallows attacked and gave Hardy the win via DQ.
Your Winner via DQ: Matt Hardy

Afterwards, Gallows and Punk teamed up to deliver a brutal, entirely believable beat down to Hardy.

Josh Matthews interviewed Mickie James

Mickie James told Matthews that she would not let Michelle McCool's hurtful comments get to her, vowed to remain right where she is, and insisted that she had worked hard to get to Smackdown.

Funny, I could've sworn she simply moved over in the draft a few months back.

World Heavyweight Championship Number One Contender's match: Batista vs. Kane

After their confrontation on Raw earlier in the week, Batista and Kane collided for the opportunity to face Kane's brother, The Undertaker in a surprisingly good match.

Beating the hell out of each other, Kane and Batista delivered much more than this writer expected them to. The action spilled to the outside, where Big Dave attacked his foe with a chair then crawled into the ring to pick up the victory via count-out.
Your Winner via count-out: Batista

It's probably worth mentioning at this point that WWE Superstars debuts on Sky One on December 11th. From what I've read, that's a pretty good show, so I'll look forward to that one.

From the Vault: World Heavyweight Champion Edge retained his title against Batista in a 3-1 handicap match also featuring Curt Hawkings and Zack Ryder (Smackdown 2007)

Looking back at Edge and Vickie Guerrero's run as Smackdown's power couple, we get this passable effort as the duo conspire to keep the Big Gold Belt around the waist of the Rated R Superstar. It's hard to believe it's been two years since all this happened.

Intercontinental Championship: John Morrison defended against Eric Escobar (with Vickie Guerrero)

Even the flash and panache of the champion could do little do make Escobar stand out as anything remotely special in this forgettable contest which saw Morrison retain thanks to the Starship Pain.
Your Winner and still Intercontinental Champion: John Morrison

Angry at her boyfriend's loss, Vickie Guerrero dumped Escobar once the match was over. The two then stormed backstage, where Escobar let it be known that being with Vickie made him sick and that he was no glad their relationship was over.

Non-title match: World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker vs. Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho

With a silent Dave Batista watching on from the commentators table, veteran performers Jericho and Undertaker put on a solid main event with a decidedly old-school feel.

Predictably, the end came when Batista got involved, costing Jericho the match on a disqualification.
Your Winner via DQ: The Undertaker

Batista continued his assault after the bell, yet whilst Punk's earlier post-match beat-down was good and believable, Big Dave's attack on The Undertaker was almost laughable, mainly because the chair he used to attack the champion was so flimsy it wafted through the air and struck with all the impact of your average baking tray.

Final Thoughts: 
Ever since Batista returned to Smackdown, a showdown with The Undertaker over the Big Gold Belt has been inevitable. That they've managed to go this long before booking the match is a blessing that many fans will surely be grateful for, even if we are now faced with what was otherwise looking to be a strong pay per view in TLC being tarnished by what is sure to be a dire outing between the two behemoths.

That aside, this week's Smackdown was mediocre at best, with nothing outstandingly good nor bad.

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TV REVIEW: WWE SMACKDOWN - October 30th, 2009

Rochester, New York

Fresh from their triumphant performance at Bragging Rights, Smackdown head back to New York with their trophy in tow. Yet with Survivor Series approaching, there’s little time to gloat.

**NOTE: This is a review I originally wrote live at the time in 2009. I found this in my archives and decided to share it here** 

Teddy Long sets up tonight’s main event

This week’s Smackdown kicks off with a word from General Manager, Teddy Long. Not surprisingly, the Smackdown boss is pleased with his team’s victory at Bragging Rights, as is Chris Jericho, who interrupts proceedings to talk about the World Heavyweight Championship situation.

Following Raw’s example, Teddy announces that the title will be contested in a triple threat match at Survivor Series, with The Undertaker defending not only against The Big Show, but against the winner of a match between Jericho and Kane, due to take place later tonight.

Non-title match: Intercontinental Champion John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler

The two long-standing rivals get into a battle of wits on the microphone before their war turns physical in a very entertaining contest that Ziggler wins via count-out.
Your Winner via Count-out: Dolph Ziggler 

Backstage, Vince McMahon catches up with Teddy Long, informing the Smackdown GM that his probation period may soon be over following a recent spat of good work.

Not everyone is so happy with Long, as CM Punk arrives to complain about being left out of the world title picture. Hoping to appease one of his biggest stars, Vince books CM Punk in a match with, of all people, referee Scott Armstrong.

Beth Phoenix vs. Jenny Brooks 

Looking to re-establish herself as a dominant force in the Divas division, The Glamazon destroys enhancement talent Brooks in a short and sweet squash match.
Your Winner: Beth Phoenix

Full of Halloween cheer, Vickie Guerrero puts in an appearance dressed as a princess and insists the crowd refer to her as Princess Vickie Guerrero when she leads her boyfriend, Eric Escobar into competition next.

Eric Escobar vs. Matt Hardy

The veteran and the rookie collide in hard-fought contest, with newcomer Escobar looking to establish himself as a threat to the Smackdown roster, and seasoned pro Hardy hoping to get back to his winning ways.

He does just that, picking up the pinfall following a short, passable bout.
Your Winner: Matt Hardy 

After being attacked by his old friend at Bragging Rights, Rey Mysterio heads to the ring to try and work things out with Dave Batista.

Yet Big Dave is in no mood to make amends, instead insisting that their friendship is dead and from now on, Batista only looks out for Batista.

Batista attacks Matt Hardy

Heading backstage after a commercial break, Matt Hardy tries to talk some sense into Batista. Unfortunately for the elder Hardy brother, Batista is adamant in sticking with his new attitude and, just to prove it, he attacks Hardy.

Later on in the show, it is announced that Hardy and Batista will face off next week.

From the Vault: John Cena vs. Chris Jericho - Smackdown 2002

A rookie John Cena, long before he became the biggest thing in modern pro wrestling, tackles an angry Y2J in a good match which proves that Cena could actually wrestle if he wanted to.
Cena wins via DQ when Jericho hits a low blow.

Drew McIntyre vs. Finlay 

Anyone looking forward to an epic battle between Scotland and Ireland is probably disappointed. Instead of a fairly-fought contest, the dastardly Drew McIntyre attacks Finlay on his way to the ring, annihilates him on the outside and heads to the back with an evil grin spread across his face.
No Contest 

Up next, Mickie James wins the 2009 Halloween Diva Costume Contest hosted by Cryme Tyme. The whole thing is rather embarrassing to watch, and ends when Women’s Champion Michelle McCool attacks James after the victory.

CM Punk vs. Referee Scott Armstrong

TNA may have already done the whole ‘wrestling referee’ thing (remember Shane Sewell? Nah, me neither), but that doesn’t stop Smackdown from rehashing that angle as a clearly petrified Armstrong goes up against former World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk.

No surprise here, the Straight Edge Superstar obliterate the zebra and finishes him off with the Go To Sleep.
Your Winner: CM Punk 

Afterwards, Punk tells an unconscious Scott Armstrong not to forget the beating he just received.

Main Event: Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho vs. Kane (winner earns a title shot at Survivor Series) 

With a spot in the World Heavyweight Championship triple threat match at Survivor Series on the line, Chris Jericho and Kane go at it in a heated main event.

---

It’s a very enjoyable match, and arguably Kane’s best performance of the last two years. Unfortunately for The Big Red Machine, a good performance is not enough to win the match, and Chris Jericho walks into the Survivor Series main event thanks to the Codebreaker.
Your Winner: Chris Jericho 

Final Thoughts: 

Though far from Smackdown’s finest show, this week’s edition was nonetheless a good effort from all concerned.

In this writer’s mind, a heel turn for Batista was long overdue and should go a long way to freshening up his character and injecting a bit of life into an otherwise stale persona. The only problem there is that it takes away from CM Punk’s status as the brand’s number one bad guy.

In the title picture, your reporter is somewhat disappointed to see Smackdown devoid of its own ideas and simply copying Raw’s main event formula, but if this means Chris Jericho main eventing pay per views again, and possibly even scoring a surprise victory over The Undertaker then I’m all for it

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TV REVIEW: WWE SMACKDOWN 18/06/10

June 18th, 2010
RALEIGH, North Carolina


Just two days before they compete for the World Heavyweight Championship at Fatal 4-Way, champion Jack Swagger,  CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and The Big Show meet each other in tag team action, though not before settling some scores with the monster that is Kane.

Here's what went down

*Note: This is a WWE SMackdown review from my archives, written live at the time back in 2010.*

The Undertaker returns...or does he?

CM Punk began tonight's show with an entertaining promo in which he claimed that,though he wasn't responsible for the downfall of The Undertaker, he wished he was, adding that he would be the first in line to shake the hand of whoever actually was responsible.

Punk continued to deride the Deadman, insisting that the entire WWE Universe was now much better without him, until the lights in the arena went out. When they came back on, The Undertaker himself appeared to be standing  in the centre of the ring, staring down a nervous CM Punk. Yet it wasn't The Phenom at all, rather Luke Gallows in a fake wig and a trench coat.

Unsurprisingly, this mockery of The Undertaker brought Kane charging to the ring, only for Jack Swagger to follow him and and help the Straight Edge Society ambush The Big Red Machine.

Eventually, The Big Show and Rey Mysterio ran to Kane's aid and saw off the villains, only to attack Kane as well, extracting revenge for the attack he carried out on last week's show.

MVP & Christian vs. Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins

MVP and Christian looked to extract some revenge from Hawkins and Archer (who, according to Matt Striker, had been given a 30 day contract extension) after The Gatecrashers beat them both down on last week's show.

The match was decent, though hardly spectacular, and saw a solid victory for Vance Archer and  Curt Hawkins.
Your winners: Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins 

Backstage, Rosa Mendes approached Laycool with the idea of joining forces to become Laycoolrosa. The co-women's champions were unimpressed with the idea, and instead reduced Rosa to tears by ridiculing her loosing streak, her outfit and her make up. Well, that was a bit mean.

Moving on to Vickie Guerrero's office, the Smackdown Consultant first informed her nephew, Chavo Guerrero, that he had a match, before Dolph Ziggler arrived on the scene wearing a pair of very short, very tight shorts. Guerrero then had Ziggler put up a picture of the two of them so that she could admire his body as he did so. It was all a bit weird, and disturbing.

Chavo Guerrero vs. JTG 

With no time to prepare, Chavo Guerrero made his way to the ring still applying his wrist tape and with his boots untied. Still, it didn't stop him attacking his opponent from the outset. JTG finally gained some momentum and quickly put Chavo away with the Shoutout.

No idea what the point in that was, hopefully it may lead to something involving Chavo, who really is quite underutilised as a wrestler.
Your winner: JTG

After the match, JTG celebrated with three young kids, who looked totally confused as to why they were there.

Josh Matthews interviews Kofi Kingston

The Intercontinental Champion expressed his his disgust at the upcoming match between his rival, Drew McIntyre and Smackdown General Manager, Teddy Long, and vowed to beat McIntyre when the two meet at Fatal 4-Way.

Drew McIntyre vs. Teddy Long 

(Stipulation: If Teddy Long doesn't compete, he'll  be fired)

As per Vince McMahon's orders, the Smackdown General Manager was forced to the ring to square off against Drew McIntyre.

What transpired was less a match and more an exercise in ritual humiliation as McIntyre forced Long to get on his knees and admit that McIntyre was indeed, The Chosen One, then made the ageing GM lie on his back.

The bell rang, McIntyre put his foot on Long's chest, and the three count was made.
Your, erm, winner: Drew McIntyre

Afterwards, McIntyre set Long up for the Double-arm DDT, only to be distracted by the arrival of Kofi Kingston. Unfortunately for Kingston, he was unable to do much as an army of security guards McIntyre had placed at ringside cut off the Intercontinental Champion. With his enemy in the hands of the security mob, McIntyre was able to lay the blows into Kingston until Matt Hardy arrived from nowhere and attacked his Scottish rival. Security eventually took care of Hardy too, before Drew wrapped things up by hitting the Double-arm DDT on both Kingston and Hardy in the middle of the ring.

Well, talk about an effective way to get someone over as a heel, McIntyre looked strong as the ultimate bully.

Non-title match:  WWE Women's Champion Layla (with Michelle McCool) vs. Kelly Kelly (with Tiffany) 

As McCool and Tiffany watched on from ringside, Layla and Kelly put on a complete mess of a show between the ropes. This writer usually tries not to be too harsh against the  WWE Divas, but honestly, this was pretty awful.

After some  shenanigans involving Michelle McCool and Tiffany, Kelly Kelly won the match. Nobody cared.
Your winner: Kelly Kelly

Backstage, Josh Matthews interviewed Jack Swagger about this Sunday's Fatal  4-Way event. The World Heavyweight Champion was reminded of an event in his childhood when his father had told him that nobody remembers second place. Because of this, and because Fatal 4-Way will take place on Father's Day, Swagger dedicated his match to his Dad.

Dolph Ziggler vs.  Chris Masters

Introduced by Vickie Guerrero, Ziggler looked to use his speed against the strength of Chris Masters, who was about as over as a piece of cheese. Following a back and forth tussle which was actually pretty entertaining, Ziggler hit the Zig-Zag to earn the  victory.
Your winner: Dolph Ziggler

After a bit of hype for the Fatal 4-Way  pay per view, it was down to tonight's main event.

World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger and CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio and The Big Show

Following their confrontation earlier in the show, The Big Show and Mysterio took on Swagger and Punk in tonight's main event.  The action was solid throughout, with both teams trading the advantage before Rey Mysterio picked up the win for his team by pinning the World Heavyweight Champion.
Your winners: Rey Mysterio and The Big Show

Afterwards, Kane came to the ring and destroyed everyone again, before performing The Undertaker's salute towards an empty casket which sat ominously on the stage surrounded by shooting flames as Smackdown faded to black.

---

Final thoughts: 

Though most of tonight's matches were fairly short compared to your average Smackdown episode, this was still a reasonably enjoyable show on its own merit without being anything especially amazing.

The only problem we have now is what's likely to happen come Fatal 4-Way. I'm expecting NXT to interfere in the Raw 4-way match, whilst Kane has pretty much made it known that he'll be involved in the Smackdown match. How the two matches are going to be different from one another is anyone's guess, and it's only really the interference that's going to make both bouts interesting.

Speaking of Fatal 4-Way, I'm holding out hope that Kofi Kingston walks away with the win in  his title match with Drew McIntyre. Both men are solid in their roles, but after McIntyre's utter destruction of Kingston, Hardy and Teddy Long, common sense says that the evil villain deserves his comeuppance sooner rather than later.

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TV REVIEW: WWE SMACKDOWN 18/06/10

June 18th, 2010
RALEIGH, North Carolina


Just two days before they compete for the World Heavyweight Championship at Fatal 4-Way, champion Jack Swagger,  CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and The Big Show meet each other in tag team action, though not before settling some scores with the monster that is Kane.

Here's what went down

*Note: This is a WWE SMackdown review from my archives, written live at the time back in 2010.*

The Undertaker returns...or does he?

CM Punk began tonight's show with an entertaining promo in which he claimed that,though he wasn't responsible for the downfall of The Undertaker, he wished he was, adding that he would be the first in line to shake the hand of whoever actually was responsible.

Punk continued to deride the Deadman, insisting that the entire WWE Universe was now much better without him, until the lights in the arena went out. When they came back on, The Undertaker himself appeared to be standing  in the centre of the ring, staring down a nervous CM Punk. Yet it wasn't The Phenom at all, rather Luke Gallows in a fake wig and a trench coat.

Unsurprisingly, this mockery of The Undertaker brought Kane charging to the ring, only for Jack Swagger to follow him and and help the Straight Edge Society ambush The Big Red Machine.

Eventually, The Big Show and Rey Mysterio ran to Kane's aid and saw off the villains, only to attack Kane as well, extracting revenge for the attack he carried out on last week's show.

MVP & Christian vs. Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins

MVP and Christian looked to extract some revenge from Hawkins and Archer (who, according to Matt Striker, had been given a 30 day contract extension) after The Gatecrashers beat them both down on last week's show.

The match was decent, though hardly spectacular, and saw a solid victory for Vance Archer and  Curt Hawkins.
Your winners: Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins 

Backstage, Rosa Mendes approached Laycool with the idea of joining forces to become Laycoolrosa. The co-women's champions were unimpressed with the idea, and instead reduced Rosa to tears by ridiculing her loosing streak, her outfit and her make up. Well, that was a bit mean.

Moving on to Vickie Guerrero's office, the Smackdown Consultant first informed her nephew, Chavo Guerrero, that he had a match, before Dolph Ziggler arrived on the scene wearing a pair of very short, very tight shorts. Guerrero then had Ziggler put up a picture of the two of them so that she could admire his body as he did so. It was all a bit weird, and disturbing.

Chavo Guerrero vs. JTG 

With no time to prepare, Chavo Guerrero made his way to the ring still applying his wrist tape and with his boots untied. Still, it didn't stop him attacking his opponent from the outset. JTG finally gained some momentum and quickly put Chavo away with the Shoutout.

No idea what the point in that was, hopefully it may lead to something involving Chavo, who really is quite underutilised as a wrestler.
Your winner: JTG

After the match, JTG celebrated with three young kids, who looked totally confused as to why they were there.

Josh Matthews interviews Kofi Kingston

The Intercontinental Champion expressed his his disgust at the upcoming match between his rival, Drew McIntyre and Smackdown General Manager, Teddy Long, and vowed to beat McIntyre when the two meet at Fatal 4-Way.

Drew McIntyre vs. Teddy Long 

(Stipulation: If Teddy Long doesn't compete, he'll  be fired)

As per Vince McMahon's orders, the Smackdown General Manager was forced to the ring to square off against Drew McIntyre.

What transpired was less a match and more an exercise in ritual humiliation as McIntyre forced Long to get on his knees and admit that McIntyre was indeed, The Chosen One, then made the ageing GM lie on his back.

The bell rang, McIntyre put his foot on Long's chest, and the three count was made.
Your, erm, winner: Drew McIntyre

Afterwards, McIntyre set Long up for the Double-arm DDT, only to be distracted by the arrival of Kofi Kingston. Unfortunately for Kingston, he was unable to do much as an army of security guards McIntyre had placed at ringside cut off the Intercontinental Champion. With his enemy in the hands of the security mob, McIntyre was able to lay the blows into Kingston until Matt Hardy arrived from nowhere and attacked his Scottish rival. Security eventually took care of Hardy too, before Drew wrapped things up by hitting the Double-arm DDT on both Kingston and Hardy in the middle of the ring.

Well, talk about an effective way to get someone over as a heel, McIntyre looked strong as the ultimate bully.

Non-title match:  WWE Women's Champion Layla (with Michelle McCool) vs. Kelly Kelly (with Tiffany) 

As McCool and Tiffany watched on from ringside, Layla and Kelly put on a complete mess of a show between the ropes. This writer usually tries not to be too harsh against the  WWE Divas, but honestly, this was pretty awful.

After some  shenanigans involving Michelle McCool and Tiffany, Kelly Kelly won the match. Nobody cared.
Your winner: Kelly Kelly

Backstage, Josh Matthews interviewed Jack Swagger about this Sunday's Fatal  4-Way event. The World Heavyweight Champion was reminded of an event in his childhood when his father had told him that nobody remembers second place. Because of this, and because Fatal 4-Way will take place on Father's Day, Swagger dedicated his match to his Dad.

Dolph Ziggler vs.  Chris Masters

Introduced by Vickie Guerrero, Ziggler looked to use his speed against the strength of Chris Masters, who was about as over as a piece of cheese. Following a back and forth tussle which was actually pretty entertaining, Ziggler hit the Zig-Zag to earn the  victory.
Your winner: Dolph Ziggler

After a bit of hype for the Fatal 4-Way  pay per view, it was down to tonight's main event.

World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger and CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio and The Big Show

Following their confrontation earlier in the show, The Big Show and Mysterio took on Swagger and Punk in tonight's main event.  The action was solid throughout, with both teams trading the advantage before Rey Mysterio picked up the win for his team by pinning the World Heavyweight Champion.
Your winners: Rey Mysterio and The Big Show

Afterwards, Kane came to the ring and destroyed everyone again, before performing The Undertaker's salute towards an empty casket which sat ominously on the stage surrounded by shooting flames as Smackdown faded to black.

---

Final thoughts: 

Though most of tonight's matches were fairly short compared to your average Smackdown episode, this was still a reasonably enjoyable show on its own merit without being anything especially amazing.

The only problem we have now is what's likely to happen come Fatal 4-Way. I'm expecting NXT to interfere in the Raw 4-way match, whilst Kane has pretty much made it known that he'll be involved in the Smackdown match. How the two matches are going to be different from one another is anyone's guess, and it's only really the interference that's going to make both bouts interesting.

Speaking of Fatal 4-Way, I'm holding out hope that Kofi Kingston walks away with the win in  his title match with Drew McIntyre. Both men are solid in their roles, but after McIntyre's utter destruction of Kingston, Hardy and Teddy Long, common sense says that the evil villain deserves his comeuppance sooner rather than later.

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TV REVIEW: WWE SMACKDOWN 10th ANNIVERSARY SHOW 2009

02/10/09
Boston, Massachusetts

Finally..The Rock, has come back to Smackdown. Well, in video form at least; delivering a special message to wrestlers and wrestling fans alike as part of the ten year anniversary of WWE Smackdown. Celebrating in style, all three brands are on hand for a very special edition of the best wrestling show on TV that culminates with an epic eight-man tag team main event.

Here's what went down when the stars of Smackdown celebrated their birthday.

*Note. This review was written live at the time back in December 2009. I found it recently whilst going through my writing portfolio and decided to post it here.* 

Batista vs. Kane 

Following an exciting video highlighting some of Smackdown's most memorable moments, two of the brand's biggest men collide in the ring.

As Big Dave makes his way to the ring, we're treated a flashback of the time he and Rey Mysterio defeated MNM for the tag team titles, and whilst he'll no doubt be hoping that a similar scene plays out come Hell in the Cell this Sunday, right now 'The Animal' has his hands full with 'The Big Red Machine'.

It's a decent effort from both men which produces a reasonably entertaining match, at least by their individual standards. After some hard-hitting, back-and-forth action, a Bastita Bomb puts Kane away for the three count.

Your Winner: Batista

Out in the back, the entire WWE roster is on hand for one giant party, celebrating ten years of Smackdown. Michael Cole pokes fun of himself by over-using his 'vintage' catchphrase (it's funny the first time, but soon gets just as annoying as when he uses it at the commentator's table) before Finlay orders some Irish whiskey and proposes a toast to Smackdown. Not surprisingly, CM Punk arrives on the scene to denounce the debauchery.

There's a cameo from Santino who, under the impression that it's a fancy-dress party, is decked in Undertaker attire and thus scares the life out of Teddy Long, but the highlight of the whole segment is the appearance of a returning Vickie Guerrero.

After lambasting Teddy for reinstating The Undertaker's Hell's Gate, the nuclear heat machine herself announces that she'll be returning to the brand to manage newcomer, Eric Escobar. Whether Escobar is much good remains to be seen, but this writer welcomes the return of one of the most entertaining women the show has ever seen.

After a quick commercial, we've got more from the big party. There are some things in life that this reporter never thought he'd have to commit to writing and 'a drunken Michael Cole eats shrimp with Finlay' is certainly one of them. Vintage Cole makes a joke about Hornswoggle's height, causing the little leprechaun to kick him in the shin.

Over on the other side of the room, Zack Ryder is denied access to MVP's V.I.P Lounge, whilst everyone from Charlie Haas to The Iron Sheik are allowed inside.

A Tribute to Eddie...

Smackdown fades into an emotional tribute video to the late, great Eddie Guerrero, and your reporter isn't ashamed to admit that it brought a tear to the eye.

Tag Team Match: Intercontinental Champion John Morrison & United States Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler & The Miz

Building towards their respective title matches at Hell in a Cell, Ziggler and Miz take it to their opponents in a very entertaining tag team contest as Jack Swagger watches on from ringside.

Meeting in the ring for the first time since they were separated, The Miz and John Morrison elicit a rave response from the Boston crowd as they kick things off, before things explode into an exciting, fast-paced bout which ends when Ziggler hits the Zig Zag on Morrison to pick up the win for his team.

Your Winners: Dolph Ziggler & The Miz 

Back at the party, racial stereotyping is in full effect as Yoshi Tatsu and Kung Fu Naki indulge in a spot of karaoke, singing Shawn Michael's theme tune. Jillian Hall takes over and the party comes screeching to a halt as her voice sends a disturbing chill up your writer's spine.

Whilst all this is going on, Sgt. Slaughter and the Iron Sheik get into a less-than-eloquent argument over which is better; the USA or Iran. The Sheik chokes on a piece of food, causing The Hurricane to come to the rescue.

Elsewhere, Michael Cole throws up on Chris Jericho's shoe, setting off a chain reaction as The Big Show also hurls. The look on Jericho's face deserves several awards.

Finally, The Rock has Come Back to Smackdown...

You could argue that the reason The Rock's appearance on tonight's show is such fun is all down to nostalgia. You could even argue that the reason his appearance makes for such a good segment is simply down to the novelty factor. You could, but you'd be wrong.

The reason why The Rock's segment on the tenth anniversary of Smackdown show is so good, is because The Rock himself is so good. Despite his years away from the business, 'The Great One' manages to deliver an incredible promo that puts most of today's current stars to shame. It's a hilarious, exciting performance from one of the most popular superstars in WWE history as The Rock brings out all his old catchphrases, puts over the Hell in a Cell pay per view and even hints at a possible guest host spot on Raw.

WWE Women's Championship Lumberjack Match: Michelle McCool defends against Melina 

With what looks like every WWE Diva in the company surrounding the ring, McCool defends her title against Melina in a fun little match that eventually breaks down into a full-scale diva riot.

As the lumberjacks, or jills, if you will, lay into each other on the outside, Beth Phoenix gives McCool the assist in keeping hold of her gold.

Your Winner and still WWE Divas Champion:

In a silly promo complete with creepy music, The Undertaker cuts his usual 'you will burn in the depths of hell' promo on CM Punk, and promises to make the champion need pills and alcohol. Yeah, great message for the PG crowd, 'Taker.

From the Vault: Matt Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero, Smackdown 2002.

Is it just me, or is Chavo becoming something of a FTV regular? Not that anyone's complaining; going up against another FTV regular in Matt Hardy, the Mexican warrior takes it to his opponent in a very enjoyable, hard-hitting contest which is interrupted towards the finish by Kane...not the actual person, just, as Michael Cole describes it, his 'presence being felt'. This distraction is enough to allow Chavo to drill his opponent and pick up the win.

Your Winner: Chavo Guerrero

Heading to the back, the party is in full flow when Drew McIntyre takes up the microphone and proposes a toast; to Smackdown, to the future World Champion, to himself, and to the party just getting started. This brings out R-Truth, who ruins everybody's evening, and the cake, by brawling with McIntyre. The WWE Superstars come together to break things up, and the party is pretty much over.

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Eight-Man Tag Team Match: DX, WWE Champion John Cena & The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton, Legacy and CM Punk

Billed as  'the biggest eight man tag team match in Smackdown history', this one certainly isn't short of star power as the top performers of both the red and blue brands do battle in a solid, action-packed main event.

A particularly nice touch comes in the form of lingering tension between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, still playing up the rivalry that led to their MOTY candidate at Wrestlemania 25.

The two legends aside, everybody plays their part well, creating a very enjoyable match which brings an equally enjoyable show to a close when The Undertaker pops Orton with the Tombstone for the win.

Your Winners: DX, John Cena and The Undertaker

In the post-match, the winners celebrate, each star posing to their own theme music as blue confetti falls from the rafters.

Final Thoughts:
For the last ten years, Smackdown has consistently proved its worth as an entertaining show and tonight's anniversary celebrations were a fitting tribute to a program which rarely fails to deliver. Despite not achieving very much (other than reaffirming the beliefs of most people that Michael Cole is some sort of idiot), the backstage party skits were entertaining, whilst the in-ring action ranged from good to great.

The return of Vickie Guerrero is most welcomed by this writer, and even after months away from the spot-light the former General Manager didn't miss a beat.

Yet for all that was great about tonight's show, one thing stood head and shoulders above the rest as the greatest; that spine-tingling promo from The Rock. If any one of Smackdown's current stars could develop even half the skill and charisma possessed by 'The Great One' in his prime, then the Friday night show may well continue to impress for many more years to come.

Happy tenth anniversary, Smackdown. Here's to ten more great years.

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