Match 1: Kane vs. Chuck Palumbo vs. Great Khali vs. Mark Henry With the exception of Palumbo, who is subbing for Big Daddy V, obviously, this mini-battle-royal is a return from the October 30 ECW Monster Mash. It goes by almost as quickly, too. Kane asserts himself early on, shaking off a boot to the face from Palumbo to send the bike expert out on his own momentum. However, momentum wasn't on Kane's side for long. After a Khali Bomb, Henry picked up Big Red and dropped him over the top. Now, it's down to Khali & Henry, with Khali & Kane essentially trading places from that October night. Khali drops Henry with a chop, but then turns to play to the crowd. Big mistake. Henry picks up Khali and drops him over the top. Ballgame. Winner: Mark Henry.After the match, ECW champion Chavo Guerrero, who had been on commentary, attacked Henry. Big mistake #2. Repeated chop blocks to the knee don't even send the Olympic strongman to the mat. Instead, Henry is waiting when Chavo comes off the top and hits the World's Strongest Slam! Backstage, Teddy Long is with the remaining Divas in the competition. Eve Torres has been eliminated. That leaves Cherry & Michelle McCool in the finals, but before that can be set up (and Cherry is in shock that she's made it this far), Victoria & Maryse show up. Teddy sets up a wet & wild water fight for later.
Match 2: John Morrison vs. CM Punk 1st of two Money in the Bank preview matches on the card revisits ECW's feud of the year for 2007. Naturally, these two put on another classic. Back and forth they went, near fall after near fall. Punk hit a suicide dive right before the break, and had control. Morrison came back with a short-arm into a backbreaker and a neckbreaker. Punk hit a huracanrana off the top that Morrison sold like a champ. Punk tried the GTS, but Morrison countered into a sunset flip. Punk turned that into a slingshot into the corner. Punk tried the GTS again, but Morrison again countered and went for his corkscrew neckbreaker finisher, only to fall right into place for the GTS. Good night, sweet prince! Winner: CM Punk. Comments on the Floyd Mayweather-Big Show match at Mania from Michael Buffer, Ricky Hatton, Burt Sugar, Evander Holyfield, Antonio Tarver, Roy Jones, Jr., Thomas Hearns. Basically, a capsule of previous segments. We've since learned that it will be no holds barred, anything goes, and a win can be achieved by either pin, submission, or KO. Footage from the Wednesday press conference in NYC. Big Show cracked that he was going to launch the first Mayweather satellite. Cute. Mayweather was his usual self. Meaning, arrogant.
Match 3: Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch, & Mike Mizanin vs. Jesse & Festus & Kofi Kingston After seeing his partner lose in the last match, Miz is teaming with the 3 time World tag team champions in another preview of the 24-man battle royal that precedes instead of being part of Wrestlemania on Sunday. Man, this deserved more time. Jesse, as per usual, was the face in peril. Murdoch swung around behind the ref's back to take Festus off the apron, and that left Kingston to take the hot tag. Sometimes, smart strategy isn't so smart after all. Festus cleaned out Cade & Murdoch, and began pummeling Cade on the floor. Miz reversed a whip, but that only set up the Jamaican Buzzsaw, and Miz, just like Morrison a few minutes earlier, had his lights dimmed. Winners: Jesse & Festus & Kofi Kingston. As revealed on Tuesday, Gordon Solie is the last inductee into the 2008 Class of the WWE Hall of Fame.
Match 4: Batista vs. Snitsky Michael Cole tells us that Snitsky was "sent to Smackdown" by Raw GM William Regal, ostensibly to soften up Batista for Umaga on Sunday. However, the best laid plans of mice & men often go astray, and Snitsky never got out of the blocks. This was the mother of all squashes. Spear, spinebuster, Batista Bomb. Goodbye! Winner: Batista. Post-match, Batista pulled a chair from ringside and set it flat on the mat. He then executed a 2nd Batista Bomb on Snitsky onto the chair. Video package now up illustrating the nearly year-long feud between Edge & Undertaker. Edge would do well to pay heed to what just happened to Snitsky. Regal's plans went up in flames very quickly, but Edge's title reign will die a slow, painful death on Sunday. Trust me.
Match 5: Michelle McCool & Cherry vs. Victoria & Maryse Ouellette (Wet & Wild Water Fight) Eve Torres was eliminated from the contest earlier, and has been assigned as the guest referee for this match. It's also Maryse's 1st official match on Smackdown. As such, welcome to Diva Initiation 101, with Michelle, a former school teacher, as your instructor. Wardrobe finally found some shoes for Cherry to wear. Victoria came out in scuba gear and home made flippers. Vic slipped and fell on the wet mat twice, leading to 2 near falls. Late in the match, Maryse held Cherry, who seemed reluctant to even use a super soaker (I guess Deuce 'N' Domino haven't taught her anything), but Vic splashed Maryse instead with a pail of water. The impact sent Maryse down, and left Vic open for Michelle and the Wings of Love (Implant Buster/Angel's Wings). Winners: Michelle McCool & Cherry.
Match 6: Montel V. Porter vs. Chris Jericho (non-title) Our 2nd Money in the Bank preview match is also our unofficial main event. These two, though, have to go some to top the Morrison-Punk match earlier. They just didn't go far enough. Another even matchup, as the two champions traded near falls. Porter hit two Ole kicks, one in the corner, but could not close the deal. Tried the Playmaker, but Jericho was ready for that, and countered into the Walls of Jericho. Porter, frustrated, forced a rope break, but as Jericho gave up the submission hold and backed to the center of the ring, Porter went to the floor and retrieved both the US & IC titles. He threw one to the mat, which ref Jim Corderas retrieved, and set himself up to pancake Jericho with the other. Just as Corderas called for the bell, Jericho met Porter with the Code Breaker. A premature end, perhaps, but Corderas acted in response to Porter's intentions. Winner: Chris Jericho via DQ. Post-match, Jericho brought out a ladder from under the ring and plastered Porter with the ladder, then dropped it on top of the arrogant US champion.
Edge is so sure that he will end the Undertaker's undefeated streak at Wrestlemania, he's holding funeral services for the Deadman. That, dear hearts, is what we call putting the cart before the horse. Edge comes out looking dapper in a 3-piece suit. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder, however, don't appear to have gotten the memo about proper wardrobe for funerals. Vicki Guerrero & Teddy Long are already in the ring. Edge reads from a prepared statement, crammed onto a 3x5 card, but it just comes off as hollow. Vicki queues up a video pack that of course casts Edge as a hero instead of the cowardly base heel that he really is. As Edge begins making out with Vicki, the gong goes off. Hawkins & Ryder leave the ring, poised to meet the Deadman halfway, but they should've known better. Undertaker was in the casket all along. Edge is chokeslammed into the casket. Undertaker turns his attention to Vicki. Long promptly runs to the back, and after shrieking her lungs out, Vicki leaves the unneeded wheelchair and runs. Hawkins & Ryder are quickly dispatched with tombstones while Edge manages to escape. He's avoided the Phenom's grasp long enough. With all due respect to the PPV calendar, judgment day for the champion is nigh in 48 hours.
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