Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho closed the show by delivering a Match of the Year candidate-quality Ladder bout for the World Title. Lance Cade interfered as Michaels appeared to have the belt won and received some Sweet Chin Music for his troubles. The finish was exciting and innovative, as both men engaged in a tug of war with the unfastened championship; Jericho finally seized the victory by slamming HBK’s head into the ladder, allowing him to retrieve the title.

Smackdown also provided a terrific main event, as Jeff Hardy challenged Triple H for the WWE Championship. The crowd popped huge for Hardy’s offense during the closing moments of the match, which included a Twist of Fate and Whisper in the Wind before the Charismatic Enigma scored with a Swanton Bomb on Hunter. However, as Jeff covered The Game, Triple H rolled him back into a pinning combination to retain the title. I didn’t much care for Hunter gaining the three-count immediately after taking Hardy’s finisher, but he continued to sell the move well following the bell, so the Swanton Bomb wasn’t completely buried here. This match was made better by the absence of any interference from Vladimir Kozlov (although he did confront Hunter backstage later on).

Montel Vontavious Porter came to the ring and expressed his displeasure at being excluded from the PPV before being interrupted by Randy Orton. The two jawed for a short time until Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, and Manu arrived. Orton returned to the back after trading barbs with Rhodes and MVP complimented the trio, who proceeded to demean the former U.S. Champion’s lack of second-generation bloodlines. As MVP headed up the ramp, CM Punk and Kofi Kingston appeared. Porter agreed to join the pair against the heels, but Punk and Kingston tricked him into entering the ring first before evening the odds for a six-man brawl.

Match Results: ECW Champion Matt Hardy over Mark Henry via pinfall … Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix over Candice Michelle via pinfall … Rey Mysterio over Kane via disqualification … Batista over JBL via pinfall to become the number-one contender to the World Title … The Big Show over The Undertaker via knockout when the referee stopped the match … WWE Champion Triple H over Jeff Hardy via pinfall … World Champion Chris Jericho over Shawn Michaels in a Ladder Match.
Views: 669

Write Comment

Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article. Personal verbal attacks will be deleted. Please don't use comments to plug your web site. Such material will be removed. Just ensure to *Refresh* your browser for a new security code to be displayed prior to clicking on the 'Send' button. Keep in mind that the above process only applies if you simply entered the wrong security code.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*