WWE Friday Night Smackdown 2/18/11

WWE Friday Night Smackdown
February 18th, 2011
San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California
Attendance: ???

We're only two days away from the big Elimination Chamber PPV, but tonight is an important occasion because it's the 600th episode of Smackdown, a mighty big accomplishment when you think about it. We've got a huge 12 man tag match to start us off tonight. Let's do this bitch.


Your hosts are Michael Cole, Josh Matthews, and Booker T


John Cena/Randy Orton/Edge/Rey Mysterio/John Morrison/R-Truth vs. CM Punk/Dolph Ziggler/Kane/Sheamus/Wade Barrett/Drew McIntyre

This is the WWE's way of celebrating their 600th episode I guess, and it's not a bad idea. Huge matches like these always go over well with the crowd. Edge and Drew start us off and Drew eats a big boot immediately. The tagging is far too frequent and chaotic for me to keep track of in the start here, with two new guys coming in every few minutes, doing a few hot moves and tagging out. Orton tags Cena in, who gets some clearly audible boos from the crowd (probably because of The Rock's promo on Raw). He lays a few shots in on Ziggler and then tags Morrison in. Morrison goes for the Starship Pain, but Ziggler delivers a huge back suplex off the top instead as we cut away to commercial. When we return Sheamus is giving Morrison a big suplex for a two count. Punk tags in now and gets some great heat just for that, and he slaps a leg-vice around Morrison's neck. As Booker T so astutely points out at this point, "the fans are excited!". And they are, this crowd is HOT for this match. Mysterio tags in with a big Lou Thesz press to Punk and Mysterio follows it with a springboard body press for a two count. Punk tries for the GTS, but Mysterio counters and tries for the 619, but Punk just grabs Rey and gives him a big twisting backbreaker. Kane tags in now and applies a bearhug of all things to Rey, which is just a weird visual. Mysterio evades a chokeslam from Kane, but then gets launched outside like a cruise missile right into CM Punk! Kane just threw Rey Mysterio like he was a damn football there. After a quick commercial break we return to see Wade Barrett delivering a big backbreaker on Rey for a two count. Sheamus tags in now just mauls Rey as this has deterioated into Rey vs. 6 Evil Heels basically. Crowd is still red-hot though. Irish Curse backbreaker from Sheamus, but somehow Rey kicks out again. Barrett tags back in and they're clearly focusing on isolating Rey in their corner. Rey moonsaults off the top onto Barrett! Edge and Ziggler tag in now and Edge goes to town on him with a facebuster and the impaler DDT. He goes for the spear, but Sheamus boots him in the face, then Morrison hits a springboard spinkick on Sheamus! Kane hits the ring and chokeslams Morrison, but Cena comes up right behind them and gives Kane the Attitude Adjustment, but Punk grabs Cena after THAT and gives him the Go to Sleep, which prompts Orton to give Punk an RKO, and finally McIntyre to give Orton the futureshock DDT. Good GOD that was an incredible sequence of finishers. Rey gets a hurricanrana on Barrett and then throws Ziggler in with him and he gives the both of them the 619! Ziggler tries to recover, but he turns around just in time for Edge to give him the Spear for the 3 count at 12:00 (shown). Wow this was an excellent TV match with a BLAZING hot crowd. The finishers sequence at the end was creative and executed well, and there wasn't a moment of rest from anyone involved. This match definitely delivered the quality expected for Smackdown's 600th episode. ***½


After the match Vickie Guerrero comes out and reminds everyone that Edge is no longer the World Heavyweight champion, and that Dolph Ziggler is. She accuses Edge of attacking Teddy Long, and the tells Edge that he's FIRED! Oh the humanity!


We return from the commercial break to see Todd Grisham interviewing Cody Rhodes, who has a clear plastic mask over the upper half of his face, which is just plain creepy. Cody says he's got a very important announcement next
week for the WWE Universe.


Eve/Beth Phoenix vs. Maryse/Layla

Michelle McCool is on commentary now, which is always good because I personally think she plays the heel role perfectly. Beth and Maryse start it, with Beth obviously dominating in the beginning. Layla tags in and tries an armbar, but Beth just grabs her and slams her down to the mat. Eve tags in and gives her a dropkick and suplex for a two count. They trade weak kicks and then Michelle leaves the announcer's table, but Beth Phoenix punches her injured foot. Eve is distracted by all of this commotion though, so Maryse and Layla give her a very weak pair of superkicks and Layla covers Eve for the win at 2:29. Just your usual sloppy Diva's match here, nothing more. ¼*


When we return from the commercial break we get to see The Rock's promo from RAW in it's entirety again, which was amazing if you haven't seen it yet.


Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz

Both men are looking to go into the Elimination Chamber PPV with some momentum, so this is an important match. They trade waistlocks to start with Miz putting Kofi down with a shoulderblock. Big armdrag from Kofi and he tries working the arm. Three cross-body blocks get Kofi a two count. Kofi tries to springboard, but Miz cuts his legs out from under him as we have to take a commercial break. when we return Miz is in control, suplexing Kofi for a quick two count. They do the Greco-Roman knuckleluck sequence and then start trading kicks. Hurricanrana by Kofi, followed by a dropkick for a two count. Kofi comes off the top with a cross-body, but again Miz kicks out. Big neckbreaker from Miz gets a two on Kofi. Kofi starts getting fired up and does the Boom Boom leg drop on Miz. Suddenly Alberto Del Rio starts walking down the aisle to the ring, where he starts whipping his scarf at Kofi. That's enough to distract him and Miz finishes Kofi with the Skull Crushing Finale at 6:49. Fun little match here for the time it got, and it gives the Miz some more momentum going into the PPV on Sunday. **½


After a brief commercial break we return to a classic Smackdown clip from February 19th, 2004. It's Eddie Guerrero's championship celebration after his title win the previous night. After the clip Booker gets a bit misty-eyed talking about Eddie Guerrero.


WWE Tag Team Title Match
Santino Marella/Vladimir Kozlov (C) vs. Justin Gabriel/Heath Slater

Why the hell is Gabriel stuck with these shmucks? His look and finisher
alone should be enough to get him over solo. Gabriel and Koz start us off, with Kozlov easily overpowering Gabriel. He gives him a big fallaway slam that takes Gabriel all the way out of the ring. Ezekiel Jackson and Wade Barrett make their way to ringside now as Slater tags in and starts attacking Kozlov's leg. Santino gets the tag and starts laying in his usual shots, throwing in a diving headbutt for a quick two count. Santino nips up like he's Shawn Michaels and then hits the Cobra on Gabriel, but Barrett and Jackson break it up for the DQ at 2:01. Was there a point to this other than just having the Corre beat up some people? After the match the Big Show makes the save for Santino and Kozlov and they tease a Big Show-Ezekiel Jackson confrontation down the line. ½*


After a commercial break we return to Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero in the ring for Ziggler's coronation ceremony. Ziggler celebrates with the belt like he just won the lottery, when suddenly Teddy Long's music hits and the GM of Smackdown is back in the house! Vickie spills the beans that Ziggler was the one to attack Long weeks back. Long says he's back in charge, and he books a World title match right here and now between Ziggler and Edge...


WWE World Heavyweight Title Match
Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler

Edge is fired up here and he hits a facebuster and immediately goes for the spear, but Ziggler leapfrogs over him. They fight outside for a bit, exchanging kicks. Back inside Dolph tries coking Edge on the bottom ring rope and laying in elbow smashes. Ziggler slaps on the sleeperhold now, wearing Edge down. Edge tries to escape but he just gets caught in the sleeper again. Rocker-Dropper (or Fameasser if you're a Billy Gunn mark) from Ziggler and he tries the Zig-Zag, but Edge counters and spears him for the win to retain/regain the title at 3:01. I'm not really sure what the point of this phantom title reign for Ziggler was, but these two work well together. Too short to amount to anything though. *½


After the match Teddy Long fires Dolph Ziggler. Yeah I think assault and battery would be enough to fire someone. Edge grabs a mic and talks about how he was here for the first episode of Smackdown and he's here now, with the title. He mocks Dolph and Vickie for a bit, and then he gets the crowd to do the "Goodbye" chant to Ziggler as confetti falls from the ceiling.

Bottom Line:

This was a fine way to celebrate 600 episodes, as the opening 12 man tag match got some decent time and was an excellent exhibition of the abilities of everyone involved. The rest of the show is kind of forgettable, but we finally got the Teddy Long angle wrapped up. There was enough angle/feud progression though to add with the excellent opening match for me to give this show the Thumbs Up.


Score: 7/10