Tonight's WWE Smackdown comes to us live from the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Ireland as Josh Matthews and Matt Striker welcome us to the show. We go directly to the ring where Teddy Long is giving us the rundown of what to expect from tonight's show. Teddy says the final spots in the United States Championship Scramble Match and the Elimination Chamber Match will be filled tonight, but says he is out to address the situation between Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio.
Sheamus enters to a massive pop and tells Teddy Long that he has thoroughly enjoyed returning home on this latest overseas tour. The Great White promises to kick Del Rio's arse all the way back to Mexico at Extreme Rules.
Del Rio interrupts from the stage and tells Sheamus that he's kept him from the Elimination Chamber, he's kept him from the WWE Championship and at Extreme Rules, Sheamus won't be kicking arse, but will be making an arse of himself for asking for this match.
Sheamus asks why Del Rio wasn't at ECW in Dublin getting his arse kicked for the hometown crowd. Del Rio tells Sheamus that he's too classy to be seen in Dublin and that Belfast isn't much better.
Teddy Long says he needs another week to come to a determination on a stipulation, but that one will be reached in time for the PPV. In the meantime, Teddy says he's developed the main event for tonight; it will be Sheamus and a partner of his choosing versus Alberto Del Rio and a partner of his choosing. Sheamus wastes little time and says after Tuesday, his decision is a lot easier, saying he'll be teaming with FINLAY tonight which draws an EXPLOSIVE pop from the Belfast crowd. Del Rio fumes on the entrance ramp, but the decision stands.
Zack Ryder is backstage, heading to the ring for the Scramble Qualifier as we head to our first break.
Back from break with the Smack of the Week, which profiles A.J. Styles, Mr. Anderson and Teddy Hart qualifying for their respective spots.
Zack Ryder makes his way to the ring to a respectable pop in preparation for his qualifying match and waits patiently for his opponent. Ryder is filming the Belfast crowd with his flip camera and is now wearing a promotional pin of Ric Flair's head saying "WOO! WOO! WOO!" which draws some chuckles from the Irish crowd. Suddenly "WHAT DOES EVERYBODY WANT?!" booms from the rafters and the crowd erupts as AL SNOW makes his return to Smackdown, with Head in tow of course, as the opening contest gets under way.
ZACK RYDER def. AL SNOW to qualify for the CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE
A solid opening contest. Snow attempted a quick win with a Snow Bomb early on, but could only pick up a two count. Ryder stormed back with a Broski Boot but couldn't collect a win. Finish came as Snow attempted the Snow Plow, but Ryder escaped down Al's back and connect with a Rough Ryder for the duke. After the match, Snow took out Ryder with a HeadShot. With four spots filled, only one more superstar will get an opportunity to compete for the U.S. Title at Extreme Rules.
We go backstage to Teddy's office, and Long is on the phone when Deuce N' Domino barge in as the latest in a line of displeased talents to meet with the GM over the weeks. Domino tells Teddy that he feels they aren't being given a fair shake in the Tag Team Division. Teddy tells them that they had a chance to qualify for Tag Team Turmoil a few weeks ago and they blew it. This sets Domino off and Deuce steps in to try to mediate the situation. Deuce tells Teddy that they want a match to prove themselves tonight and Teddy agrees. Long tells them to get ready, because they're up next. D 'n' D head out as we go to commercial.
Back from break as Deuce ‘N’ Domino head to the ring in their mint-condition Pink Cadillac and await their mystery opponents. The Greasers are surprised to find Jigsaw and Delirious standing at the top of the ramp. Delirious grabs a mic and through his rambling, says something about “Happy Meals” and warns Deuce N’ Domino that they’re in for the fight of their lives before rushing down to the ring to get their match started.
JIGLIRIOUS def. DEUCE ‘N’ DOMINO
Pretty good match. Deuce and Domino control the early going, using their clear size advantage. Deuce starts pounding away at Jigsaw, but Delirious makes the save and starts laying into Deuce with The NeverEnding Story. Domino tries to save his partner, but Jigsaw cuts him off with a Leap of Faith. Finish comes as Deuce goes to Crack ‘Em In Da Mouth, but as Deuce goes for the kick, Delirious interrupts with a Super Kick of his own.
Jigsaw tangles with Domino while Delirious takes Deuce out with a Panic Attack. Jigsaw then throws Domino to Delirious, who hits IVF and Jigsaw completes the transaction with a Cancun Tornado for the victory.
In the back, we see Petey Williams meeting with Teddy Long and Petey seems pleased with his spot on the roster. Teddy tells Petey that he’s pleased with his in-ring work and informs him that there’s a blue-chipper on the roster who’s been wanting to get in the ring with the feisty Canadian and that he’s made the match happen. Petey wants to know who it is and Teddy tells him to head to the ring and find out for himself. Petey heads out as we go to break.
Back from break as Petey Williams heads to the ring. Justin Roberts gets on the mic and introduces Petey’s opponent as being from The Last House on the Left and weighing in at 200 pounds...SAMI CALLIHAN. The Indy fans are firmly behind Sami. Petey looks perplexed as Callihan stalks to the ring and the bell rings.
PETEY WILLIAMS def. SAMI CALLIHAN
Terrific ten-minute match with high spots left and right. Callihan almost picked up the win with a Boing Splash, but Petey escaped at two. In turn, Petey almost put Sami away with a Sharpshooter, but The Callihan Death Machine was able to reach the bottom rope. Finish came as Callihan went for a Headlock Driver, but Williams countered with a Russian Leg Sweep and punctuated with a picture perfect Canadian Destroyer for the win.
After the match, Petey celebrates at ringside, until getting jumped by someone in the crowd that turned out to be The Amazing Red! Red jumps the guardrail and puts a beating on Petey. Red overwhelmed The Canadian Destroyer with a blizzard of kicks, before putting him away with Code Red and a Red Star Press before exiting through the crowd again.
We head to the back and see KURT ANGLE in the locker room, heading out for his WWE Championship Qualifier NEXT as we go to break.
Back from break and Petey Williams storms into Teddy Long’s office, ears smoking from the beatdown he received at the hands of Red. Teddy says he’ll get on the horn to Jim Cornette as soon as possible to set up the match for next week’s Smackdown.
Back to the ring and Kurt Angle enters to a HUGE Pop and the usual, now endearing “YOU SUCK” chants. The graphic displays that four men have qualified with two spots remaining. Angle paces like a caged animal awaiting his opponent. Then...
“YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME”. As Metalingus BLASTS through the rafters, the entire Belfast crowd is ON THEIR FEET as The Rated-R Superstar EDGE makes his way back to Friday Nights.
EDGE def. KURT ANGLE to qualify for the ELIMINATION CHAMBER
Outstanding match from bell to bell. Both men got “WELCOME BACK” chants during the opening minutes. Kurt worked meticulously over Edge’s leg to prime for the Ankle Lock, but Edge seemed to have a counter for every attack.
Angle finally would cinch in the Ankle Lock, but Edge would reach the bottom rope. The momentum would shift with Edge fighting valiantly back into control and Angle moving to the defensive. Edge nailed a beautiful Edgecution for a two-count. Angle attempted an Angle Slam, Edge rolled through and attempted a Spear, but Angle leapfrogged it and came back with a trifecta of rolling German Suplexes before releasing Edge half way across the ring.
Finish came as Angle tried to put Edge away with a Diving Moonsault, only to have Edge roll away and send the Olympic Gold Medalist crashing to the mat. Edge retreated to his corner and nearly split Angle in half with a CATASTROPHIC Spear for the win. The Rated-R Superstar has qualified for the Chamber, joining John Cena, Brodie Lee, Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe; leaving only one spot open.
Backstage with Teddy and Matt Morgan. Matt thanks Teddy for giving him another shot in WWE and placing him in the U.S. Title Tournament. Anxious to determine his opponent, Morgan asks Teddy for the inside scoop, but The GM’s keeping this one under wraps. Teddy tells Morgan his match is next as we go to break.
Back from break and we get a video recap of Zack Ryder snapping up the fourth spot in the Scramble. Justin Roberts informs us that the final spot is up for grabs in the next contest. The Blueprint Matt Morgan enters first making his triumphant return to the WWE and looks fired up. Matt Morgan looks pleasantly surprised to find out that his opponent tonight is the one and only DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE. The Belfast crowd EXPLODES, clearly ready to feel the BANG!
DDP def. MATT MORGAN to grab the final spot in the CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE
A very physical ten-minute match that surprisingly saw DDP hold his own. Morgan used the distinct size advantage to gain an early edge, picking up a two-count with a Big Boot. Morgan tried to put things away early with a Carbon Footprint, but Page ducked out and came back with a Flying Clothesline. The enthusiastic crowd is showering DDP with chants of “YOU STILL GOT IT” and Page seems to be feeding off the energy. Finish comes as Matt Morgan locks Page in for the Hellevator. But in mid-flight, Page SOMEHOW counters beautifully into a Diamond Cutter and picks up a surprise three count. The scramble is now set as Page becomes the fifth man. Morgan graciously accepts defeat and rolls from the ring, letting DDP have his moment in the sun.
Heading backstage, we see Justin Gabriel on his way to ringside for his match up next as we go to commercial.
Justin Gabriel is warming up in the ring as Teddy Long hits the titantron and informs him that he admires his ring style and knows he’s ready to go at any given moment, which is why he wants to introduce a new talent for him to share the ring with. Out marches another Indy darling, ISYS EPHEX. Gabriel looks puzzled, uncertain how to react to the eccentric Independent Mainstay as the bell rings to get the match going.
ISYS EPHEX def. JUSTIN GABRIEL
Easily upset of the evening as Gabriel threw everything at Isys, but he kept coming back for more. Gabriel connected with a Blue Thunder Driver, but only got two. This slowly evolved into a chop contest with the finish coming as Isys caught Gabriel attempting a 450 Splash and stunned him with a Pele’ Kick before wrapping things up with a Burning Hammer for the three count. A very surprising victory for Isys in his debut match.
Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez are backstage speaking with their partner, shrouded by shadows. Del Rio smirks and throws out a signature wink as he shakes hands with the mystery partner.
Jeff Hardy heads to the ring for the final qualifying match of the evening as we go to break.
Back from break and the graphic now shows five of the six spots in the Elimination Chamber have been filled. Hardy hits the ring to a great ovation from the crowd. Hardy waits on his opponent, and the Indy fans are brought to their feet once again as the legendary NIGEL McGUINNESS hits the ring, making his WWE debut.
There is somewhat of a mixed reaction as McGuinness is an Englishmen in enemy territory, Nigel engages Hardy in a staredown as the bell rings to open this match to the history books.
NIGEL McGUINNESS def. JEFF HARDY
Another hard-hitting fifteen-minute match. Hardy took his game to the air with Whisper In The Wind and Hardyac Arrest, but only collected a two-count. Nigel got some offense going after blocking a dropkick and nearly taking Hardy’s head off with a European Uppercut. Finish came as Hardy set up for the Swanton Bomb, but Nigel crashed into the ropes, throwing Jeff off balance. Nigel connected with The Tower of London to pick up the three and secure the final spot in the Elimination Chamber.
Backstage with Sheamus and Finlay heading to the ring as we go to our final commercial.
We get a video recap of the Tag Team Main Event on ECW and how Sheamus and Finlay have taken Ireland by storm this week.
Back to the ring as Ricardo Rodriguez is introduced and he in turn introduces Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio arrives in a 1969 Jaguar XKE Convertible Series II valued at over $175,000. Del Rio struts to the ring with a grin plastered on his face and grabs the mic from Ricardo. Del Rio informs the Belfast crowd that he found someone with just as much disdain for Finlay as he has for Sheamus. Alberto points up to the ramp and out walks ZAQUARY SPRINGATE III. The crowd appears genuinely perplexed, no one knows who the hell this guy is.
Springate grabs the mic and says his hatred for Finlay has slowly developed for the last 20-25 years, from the time he was learning the trade in Kent. ZS3 says time and again, Finlay screwed him out of title opportunities and has hit the big time for retribution.
Sheamus hits the ramp and tells them talk is cheap and to put their money where there mouth is. Finlay emerges to an ENORMOUS hometown pop. Finlay grabs his own mic and tells Belfast that it feels damn good to be home. Finlay turns his attention to ZS3 and tells him that what he went through in Kent is nothing compared to what’s about to go down now. Sheamus and Finlay rush the ring and here we go.
SHEAMUS and FINLAY def. ALBERTO DEL RIO and ZS3
A brutal confrontation. ZS3 and Finlay duked it out in the ring while Sheamus and Del Rio engaged in a slugfest at ringside. Finlay gave Springate everything he had, even connecting with a Rolling Hills, but ZS3 kicked out at two.
By the time Del Rio rolled back into the ring, Sheamus met him with a Diving Battering Ram. Sheamus is rolling as order is finally restored to the match. Order would quickly disintegrate again, as Finlay brawled on the floor with Del Rio and Sheamus and ZS3 had it out in the ring. ZS3 connected with a British Bomb for another two.
Finish came as Sheamus set Del Rio up for White Noise, but Rodriguez would jump up on the apron. Sheamus slingshot Ricardo into the ring. As the ref tended to Rodriguez, Finlay snuck up behind Del Rio and clobbered him between the eyes with the shillelagh, sending him to the floor. The ref is helplessly trying to control all of the chaos happening at ringside, leaving ZS3 alone in the ring with the fighting Irishmen. Finlay got in another shot with the shillelagh, sending ZS3 staggering into a Brogue Kick, then staggering back into a Celtic Cross. Finlay crawls to the cover and picks up the victory.
After the match, The Irishmen play to the crowd, only to have Ricardo jump Sheamus from behind. This turns out to be a VERY bad idea. Finlay dishes out a THIRD shot with the shillelagh, sending Ricardo into the Brogue Kick. Sheamus grabs a mic and addresses the unconscious Del Rio, lying out cold on the arena floor. The Great White tells Del Rio that he hopes he enjoyed the ride tonight, because regardless of the stipulation that Teddy Long picks for their match next week, it’s a mere appetizer for Extreme Rules. Sheamus and Finlay play to the hometown crowd in Ireland as Smackdown goes off the air.
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