Well here we go. The last Smackdown! before No Mercy (a.k.a. WWEâs last chance to boost the number of pay-per-view purchasers). And while I sure like to point out both the good and the bad in my Takes, I have to say that this nightâs episode was rather disappointing. One comes to expect quite the build-up to pay-per-views and, Iâm sorry to say, this episode just didnât do it for me.
Of course, in defense of WWE, it could be this head cold Iâm fighting or the mood Iâm in. Oh well, no one wants to hear me gripe. On to the show!
THE HEADLINERS AND THE HIGH-FLIERS :
While the writers may have intended Khali vs. Batista at No Mercy to be the big story, tonight I felt I had no choice but to give both The Headliners and High-fliers sections to that unlikeliest of tag teams, Matt Hardy and MVP, as they took on Deuce and Domino for the belts.
Not only do I enjoy the intrigue of having tag team champs are also rivals (and generally canât stand each other), but Iâm just waiting for the eventual explosion thatâs sure to come with this storyline.
Always wanting to try and show Hardy up, MVP kicked things off with a push-up contest between the pair. A quick swipe at Hardyâs hand and MVP cheats his way to victory there. But thereâs more to worry about afterwards as their opponents make their signature automotive entrance.
MVP and Hardy seem to work well together, shifting well between one-upping each other and good teamwork, and it showed again tonight.
The match was back-and-forth early and really started to kick into high gear right before, of course, a commercial break. With both Deuce and Domino on the floor, MVP nails an elbow from the apron and poses for the cameras as Hardy leaps over him from the top turnbuckle to take the 50âs flashback twins down. Of course, MVP looks irritated at Hardyâs move, but for the viewer it was as if it had been a perfectly planned combination. (Oh, wait â” it was.)
Back from the break, Deuce has turned things around and has the upper hand on Hardy with, believe it or not, MVP helping to cheerlead the crowd. MVP does finally get back into the match only to become the classic victim of the isolation tactic as Deuce and Domino tag in and out and work over MVPâs lower back for a while.
The tag at last comes and Hardy took it from there. In the chaos, Domino prepares to nail Hardy from behind with a belt, but MVP preempted the attack with a low blow, followed by a Twist of Fate from Hardy who got the win by pinfall.
My Take
While itâs unsure how long the creative team will keep this pair together, MVP and Hardy pull this off quite well. Granted, the contests between the two do get a bit silly at times, but theyâve got me waiting for that climactic moment when Hardyâs thirst for the United States Championship, or MVPâs arrogance, finally busts this championship pair in two.
But why, you ask, did I choose to put them in both categories? Well, to be honest, the intended âheadlinerâ of the night does nothing for me.
Khali is a monster. Heâs that Goliath that no one in their right mind would ever want to face. Heâs also boring. I simply cannot get my adrenalin pumping waiting for a match between Batista and a man who can no
ly move his own massive body around the ring and feels the need to shout gibberish that they probably donât even understand in India.
One thing is certain. Iâm looking forward to the return of some more meaningful rivalry over the World Heavyweight Championship. We know that Undertaker will get into the mix, and so should Edge when he returns. Until then, Iâll do something unusual and exercise some patience. Itâs not like I have much choice.
THE DOWNSIDERS:
Iâm giving two matches the distinction of being in The Downsiders tonight.
The first one involves a tall, muscular guy in a bandana riding down to ringside on a loud motorcycle. Sound familiar?
Chuck Palumbo took on â” who was that? Ace Steele I believe. Well, the poor jobber was allowed to get in a few blows in the midst of complete domination by Palumbo, but did a terrible job of selling a cross-body that Palumbo caught. Anyways, the match apparently served no purpose anyways other than to start a rivalry between Palumbo and Chris Masters, who just happened to run out and lock in his signature Master Lock.
My other downer of the evening was the match between Jimmy Wang Yang and Jamie Noble. These are cruiserweights, right? Iâve seen some high-flying, high-impact, high-risk out of them before. But tonight they just seemed tired. Lost of locks, holds, and rolling around before a few blows are finally exchanged.
The âResident Redneckâ did pull off a nice move with Noble in the corner, and combination of a kick and a complete flip. But the power game of Noble won out in the end in a disappointing match between two usually good competitors.
THE NUTSHELLERS:
– We got to see the announcement from The Chairman about John Cenaâs injury and subsequent loss of the WWE Championship, but nothing more that answered any questions leading into No Mercy.
– In case you missed it, the saviour_self spot aired again. People are still trying to decipher clues in these spots. Will the ad campaign be cut short by the suddenly greater need for star power?
– Batista did come out and talk up his No Mercy match with Khali, followed by more gibberish from Khali in retaliation. Isnât it nice to have a heated debate with someone who canât understand a word you say? (Or with someone you canât understand.)
– Kane whipped up on Kenny Dykstra with minimal effort.
– Acting General Manager Vickie Guerrero set what should be a good match next week between MVP/Hardy and Kane/Undertaker.
– Jesse and Festus finally debut, not something I was overly anxious for. However, after watching them in action, the mix of speed (Jesse) and power (Festus) might be interesting. Not to mention that apparently the sound of a ring bell apparently has an interesting effect on Festusâ personality. (Try from vegetable to grizzly bear, or something along those lines.) Iâm not completely sold on them, but Iâll give them a chance.
– Iâll give this to Rey Mysterio. It was fun watching him start to get the upper hand on Khali. Focusing on the leg of the monster, Mysterio even nailed his 619 around the outside corner of the ring and going up top before his No Mercy opponent Finlay interfered in the match. Enter Batista for the save, who dishes out a spinebuster to Finlay and a spear to Khali before getting in a chair shot to clear the ring.
All that being said, and knowing things have been rough in the WWE lately, I certainly hope theyâve got a few surprises in store for us at No Mercy. Iâm left feeling like viewers need something to get excited about again. I hope, for all our sakes (viewers and the WWE), that that certain something is found soon.
Don’t like my take? Let’s hear yours! Send me your e-mails to [email protected] … the best and worst of the bunch may be featured in future columns.
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