Hey everyone and welcome to this week’s edition of Chris Reviews Smackdown. In this week’s blog I will be giving my TNA Turning Point predictions and analysing the show. Please feel free to leave some feedback via the comment board or drop an email to a_agreement_called_forever@hotmail.com

First off a HUGE thank you to WNWs South African Correspondent: Brandon Van Reenen for designing my awesome new blog logo. Brandon is a graphic design student and clearly a very talented one, he has also redesigned my considers logo which you can expect to see when I discuss TNA Turning Point during the week as well as my new blog on Roadrunner Records: Chris Reviews The Week In Wrestling Music, speaking of which thank you so much to the overwhelming amount of positive feedback I have received from readers all over the world with regards to the Roadrunner blog. Metal and wrestling (aside from my girlfriend) are the biggest things in my life and being able to write about both is fantastic!

I cannot remember a week where there has been so little actual wrestling news, this is probably due to the huge European tour WWE are embarked on which kept news stories to a minimum so rather than do a separate TNA predictions blog I figured I would do them here. One thing I would like to say though is I wish UFC Champion Brock Lesnar a speedy and healthy recovery from the serious illness he is currently suffering from. Lesnar was reportedly rushed to hospital after he collapsed in Canada, which must have been very scary both for Lesnar himself and those close to him. Get well soon Brock!

Before I talk Turning Point, I would just like to say I was seriously contemplating going well into my bank overdraft and getting some last minute tickets to this past Monday’s RAW. I am certainly glad I didn’t as the show did not come off well at all. Hatton humiliating Chavo is something I certainly would not pay money to see and the fact that Hornswoggle is more central to the WWE title match than the WWE title itself emphasizes everything I hate about RAW right now! I will be going to the Wrestlemania Revenge tour next April, I just cannot decide whether to go for RAW or Smackdown just yet and probably won’t until I get a better idea of the Wrestlemania feuds as this tour happens just before Backlash (or whatever silly gimmick WWE come up with for it) and Backlash is usually just Wrestlemania v2.

With RAW stinking to high heaven of late and PG programming affecting my enjoyment of ECW and Smackdown, I have found myself increasingly drawn to TNA which seems to pride itself on not being PG and continues to bring us edgy and controversial programming every week, which may not always be well booked (every match on Impact! the other week had outside interference or overbooking) but I am certainly finding Impact! a much better program right now than RAW which is something WWE should certainly take note of as I have always been a WWE fan over everything but RAW just sucks so much at the minute that I find myself craving an alternative and find Smackdown and ECW more than satisfy my WWE cravings for the week.

This Sunday TNA hold their Turning Point pay per view. With my increased interest in TNA programming I will now be bringing monthly pay per view predictions and show reviews as I feel it is important to cover as much wrestling news as possible on WNW and the fact I can happily sit through episodes of Impact and TNA pay per views now (rather than it being a painful, sleep inducing experience) this means I am more than happy to cover them for your reading pleasure. Turning Point on paper looks excellent, aside from a couple of hastily thrown together matches, and I am really excited to watch the show tomorrow night when I get home from work. I am not expecting a Hogan appearance or anything as I think they are preparing for the Hulkamania tour of Australia but I bet we will get plenty of Hogan promotional footage throughout the event. Something they may add to the card is a Black Machismo invitational match, which if they do I expect Lethal to lose. So without further ado here come my picks.

TNA X Division Championship Match: Amazing Red © vs Homicide

Homicide has been on a hell of a run recently and Red has just started to show what he is capable of in the ring. As much of a douche as Don West was on commentary, he works great as Red’s manager and I think this was a great call from TNA creative pairing the two of them up. This should be a very good, fast paced opener with plenty of high risk spots and insane x-division action that used to be a staple part of TNA programming. Despite Homicide being a member of the World Elite, I really hope there is no outside interference in this match and it ends in a clean finish. This feud still has plenty of distance to go yet and I feel Homicide is a better challenger than Red would be so I am giving Red the win here

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Amazing Red (retains X-Division Championship)

Scott Steiner vs Bobby Lashley Goldberg

This is the only match on the card that I have no desire to watch whatsoever. Lashley has steamrolled over everyone who has gotten in his way so far in TNA (including one of the current number one contenders, more on that later) and Steiner will become just another tick on that list. Hopefully this will be kept short and no doubt Lashley will be out to prove what a great MMA fighter he is once again and make Steiner tap or just knock him out with a punch. And to think I was actually excited when TNA first signed this guy…

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley Goldberg

6 Sides of Steel Match: Awesome Kong vs Tara

I know Kendra doesn’t think Tara can hang with the best in the Knockout division but for once I have to disagree with her. I think Tara is one of the best female wrestlers out there and I think this could be one of the best matches of the night as long as it is given plenty of time and both women are allowed to go out there and give their all. Kong and Gail Kim had some legendary matches and I am thinking this could be just as good as any of them. This feud has also been built really well on Impact! and I have really enjoyed the constant brawling between the two. Whoever wins this is sure to become number one contender to ODB’s title and despite Tara’s ability I am expecting that to be Kong as she is on a major push once again since breaking free from Saaed, so despite a hard fought and well wrestled effort from Tara I am giving Kong the win

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Awesome Kong

TNA Tag Team Championship Match: The British Invasion © vs Beer Money Inc vs The Motor City Machine Guns

One of the things I like best about TNA programming is that unlike WWE, they do not treat their titles as props and title holders usually get decent reigns with the belts and despite the fact that I do not believe Brutus Magnus belongs anywhere near any kind of championship I can see TBI retaining here. Beer Money have proven time and time again that they are one of the best tag teams in wrestling right now and I would love to see an extended feud between them and MCMGs but this may have to wait for a few months as Dixie Carter seems determined to push Magnus no matter how awful both his ring work and mic work remains. Williams is another matter and hopefully at some point will get a singles push as he is an awesome wrestler. I expect Big Rob may end up being the deciding factor in this one and will cost BM and MCMG the match somehow. I am looking forward to this one as five of the six men involved are awesome so we should get a very good match.

Chris’ Predicted Winner: The British Invasion (retains TNA tag team Championships)

Hernandez, Matt Morgan and Pope D’Angelo Dinero vs Team 3D and Rhino

This match was really thrown together at the last minute and to me seems an excuse to get Hernandez and Morgan on the card. However the storyline behind this match is strong and I am really enjoying the fact the Rhino is becoming significant again. Dinero’s abrupt face turn caught me a bit off guard and I am not sure that he won’t end up costing his team the match and betray them. In fact I would say this is the hardest match on the card to call as we all know how much TNA are behind Hernandez and Morgan but with so much emphasis on 3D and Rhino in recent weeks it would be bizarre for them to lose here. However excluding some dirty tactics from Dinero a win for the faces here would further prove Rhino’s point and drive Team 3D to more extreme heelish tactics further down the line so I am going with that. I wouldn’t rule out some involvement from Raven seeing as this has a very original ECW feel to it and he would fit right in but Abyss would probably see him off before he could cost the faces the match.

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Hernandez, Matt Morgan & Pope D’Angelo Dinero

All The Title On The Line: The Beautiful People vs ODB ©, Taylor Wilde and Sarita ©

For all the good that TNA have been doing recently they do still sometimes get it very wrong and this match is the perfect example of that. The rules are unclear, the stipulations stupid and the Beautiful People just are not very good in the ring. Velvet Sky can just about hold her own but is not a patch on either Sarita or Wilde and Lacey Von Erich just plain sucks. I hope this match is kept mercifully short and the faces go over and retain their collective championships so that ODB can go on to feud with Kong and Sarita and Wilde can face some competition worthy of their talents. If I was watching this live with a group of friends I would suggest a sweepstake for how many botches Lacey makes in this match and just for the record I am going for 5! Hopefully TNA will steer well clear of lame match types like this once Hogan takes over!

Chris’ Predicted Winner: ODB ©, Taylor Wilde and Sarita © (retain their respective championships)

Kurt Angle vs Desmond Wolfe

As good as the main event will doubtlessly be, nothing will be able to follow this match and I have not been as excited for a wrestling match since Undertaker vs Michaels earlier at Wrestlemania this year. This is two of the best in the world going at it and the very definition of a dream match. I still hate the Desmond Wolfe moniker but I am sure it will grow on me as time goes by. Wolfe has impressed the hell out of me so far in TNA with his awesome promos and beatdowns of Angle and decimating the likes of Cody Deaner in one move was exactly what was needed, in my opinion, if you put Curt Hawkins one on one against The Undertaker you would not expect him to get in any offence whatsoever. Kurt Angle has also made the transition to beloved babyface very easily, thanks to the savagery of Wolfe’s attacks and the Impact Zone have embraced him. It shows how great a heel Wolfe is that he can turn the biggest heel in TNA history babyface in the space of one night! If it wasn’t for the fact this is just the first match, in what I am expecting to be a long running feud, this could be a MOTY candidate and still might be, if given enough time. However I certainly do not see a clean finish and am expecting either a double count out or Wolfe getting disqualified by using a weapon after getting frustrated at Angle kicking out time and time again. Either way this is going to be awesome and if I did not have to be at work so early tomorrow I would stay up through the whole pay per view just for this match. If I wake up early tomorrow I may just youtube this one first thing in the morning before I go!

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Double Count out or Kurt Angle via disqualification.

TNA Championship Triple Threat Match: AJ Styles © vs Samoa Joe vs Daniels

A couple of weeks ago I talked about how as much as I love the idea for this match, the booking behind creating it had been daft considering how Joe and Daniels had performed at BFG. I can understand TNA wanting to put on outstanding matches but they really should put more thought into creating their number one contenders. However this feud has been built really well and I felt TNA jumped the gun when they made it clear a couple of weeks ago that neither Joe or Daniels were AJ’s mystery assailant as they could have played this right up to the start of this match. This one should be outstanding and I am expecting all three men to give their all, especially considering that match that would have preceded them. I cannot see AJ dropping the title here as he deserves a long and dominant reign and I expect him to overcome both Daniels and Joe here, perhaps pinning Daniels to further issues between them. After the match I expect the attacked to reveal himself as Tomko and annihilate AJ much as Undertaker did to Punk at Summerslam, setting up a decent feud between the two and finally some of the main event recognition that Tomko deserves.

Chris’ Predicted Winner: AJ Styles

So with the predictions out of the way lets take a look at this week’s Smackdown

Striker and Grisham welcome us to ringside and hype tonight’s main event between Chris Jericho and The Undertaker and tonight’s contract signing between Rey Mysterio and Batista as well as Ziggler facing Morrison for the Intercontinental Championship.

Match 1: CM Punk vs R-Truth

Punk draws plenty of heat from my English counterparts as we see highlights of Punk losing to R-Truth last week. Before the match gets underway and Punk mocks the United Kingdom and talks about how we used to rule half the planet but now we are just as sad and pathetic as the Americans and we can pretend we don’t spend out time in little pubs downing pints of ale and filling our lungs and those around us with poisons from our fancy cigarettes and cigars as well as one of the most disgusting habits Punk has ever seen: chewing tobacco, which will cause cancer inside of two years. Punk says we are weak minded and we have no hearts and we are practically decomposing right in front of his eyes. Punk says all we can do is boo or wave a crooked finger at him for being preachy. Punk says we need someone as righteous as him to preach to use the proper way to live and we should all aspire to be as great as he is. Punk asks if he thinks he is better than us, absolutely, he is perfect in every day and free of poison and he doesn’t need a crutch to get through his everyday life and he does not need a crooked official like Scott Armstrong to fight his battles for him and he has lodged an official complaint with the board of directors and tonight he will beat R-Truth and then beat him again at Survivor Series, just like he could easily beat up anyone in the arena tonight. Punk says he is the choice of a new generation and Truth is going to ask what’s up and Punk says he can answer that right now: Straight Edge is what’s up and that could save our entire pathetic country and the entire world. Truth raps his way to the ring and is over here in England although not as much as when I saw him in a dark match last time round. Truth tells Punk he can file a complaint any time he want but Truth wants to file a complaint about Punk for impersonating a man. Truth says he didn’t want to come out here and put Punk down or make him look stupid as he is already doing a good job of that himself, Truth says he came out here to add some flavour excitement and to shut Punk up. Truth says the hard working people pay good money to see action not here Punk preach. Truth says Punk is a punk and the truth is Punk preaches to people to make him feel better about his own life and tonight the truth is going to hurt. The bell rings and the match is underway. Punk shoves Truth but gets dropped with a right hand and Truth forces Punk into the corner before slapping Punk and attempting to whip him but Punk reverses it only for Truth to leapfrog him in the corner but get caught in the GTS position in the process. Truth wriggles free and connects a leg lariat for a quick one count. Punk connects a kick to the gut but Truth tosses him over the ropes as we go to commercial. Back from the break Truth has a nerve hold applied but Punk battles to his feet and forces Truth in to the corner, dropping some shoulder in the process. Punk tries to force Truth in to the opposite corner but Truth hits an uppercut before heading to the top rope but Punk kicks him off and stalks him across the ring. Punk stomps away and works over Truth’s legs with a submission hold. The crowd rally behind Truth but Punk drops some elbows and breaks the hold before kicking away at Truth and connecting a chop block for a near fall. Punk pulls Truth to his feet but Truth fights back with a jaw breaker and tries a charging move but Punk reverses it with a drop toe hold and continues to work over Truth’s left leg, locking in an amazing crab like submission hold. Truth fights back and punches Punk in the face knocking him off. Punk heads to the ropes and tries a springboard crossbody but Truth counters with a drop kick in mid air and then connects with some strikes and a clothesline for a near fall. Back suplex from Truth but he is slow making the cover due to the injured leg and only gets two. Truth sets Punk up for the axe kick but Punk dodges the move and nails a brutal side kick to Truth’s knee. Punk calls for the GTS and gets Truth up but takes too long posing and Truth wriggles free and attempts a sunset flip but Punk drops on top of Truth, grabs the rope and gets the three count.

Result: CM Punk defeats R-Truth via pinfall **3/4

Chris Considers: Prior to this match, both men cut great promos. Punk is far more effective feuding with someone like Truth who he can really rip into rather than The Undertaker and Truth himself proved to be no slouch on the mic. I have always wanted Truth to work at a higher level on Smackdown and perhaps this mini feud with Punk is a test run, much as Kofi’s feud with Orton is over on RAW. As for the match itself, it was very enjoyable and both men seemed very evenly matched for the most part. I liked the way Truth sold his injuries and some of Punk’s submission work was outstanding. Punk getting the dirty win furthers issues between the two and builds their match at Survivor Series. Great start to the show.

Mickie and Layla cut another terrible backstage promo whilst Michelle sneaks into Mickie’s locker room. Now that’s entertainment!

Match 2: Mickie James vs Natalya

This should be an awesome match! I rate both these ladies very highly and this is another first time encounter! Natalya quickly takes Mickie down and slaps away on the mat before mocking her and applying a hammerlock but Mickie cartwheels free and connects some elbows before sliding under a clothesline and nailing an overhead takeover followed by a low drop kick which sends Natalya scurrying from the ring. Natalya demands the referee backs Mickie up but she slides out of the ring only for Natalya to shove her into the steel steps. Natalya tosses Mickie back in the ring and covers for a near fall. Natalya hauls Mickie up by her hair and slams her into the mat before applying a very impressive surfboard submission hold but her shoulders end up down in the process and Natalya is forced to break the hold. Natalya forces Mickie into the corner and stomps and strikes away but is called off by the referee and as she tries to pull Mickie out of the corner she grabs the ropes and boots her off and comes back with strikes but Natalya forces her back into the corner only to run straight into an elbow and Mickie connects a quick head scissors take down followed by a series of clotheslines sending Natalya crashing to the mat. Natalya fights back with strikes and hurls Mickie from the ring but Mickie quickly comes back on to the apron and drops a shoulder before heading to the top rope. At this point Michelle and Layla stroll down the ramp with some of Mickie’s things as Mickie horribly botches a seated senton. Mickie stares at Michelle as they chop up her clothes and Natalya drops Mickie with a clothesline and locks in the sharpshooter and Mickie taps.

Result: Natalya defeats Mickie James via submission *3/4

Chris Considers: Although this was short, it was so much better than the majority of diva matches on WWE TV. Two of the top divas facing off was always going to be good and had this been given a little longer it would have gotten a much higher rating. Natalya picking up a win was great to see and hopefully she can start establishing herself as a legitimate female star.

Amazingly WWE plug the upcoming Hulk Hogan DVD which seems perhaps the most stupid they could do with the current Hogan/TNA situation!!!

Backstage Interview: John Morrison

Josh Matthews asks Morrison how he feels about his title match tonight. Morrison asks Josh how he feels about talking to the Friday Night Delight. Josh ignores this and Morrison says he does feel pressure and has butterflies in his stomach but the difference between John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler is that Ziggler cannot handle the pressure and he is panicking right now calling his mum backstage and complaining on the internet and when he gets out there he will make a mistake. Morrison says when he thrives on this pressure and tonight he will hit Ziggler harder than Ricky Hatton, kick him harder than David Beckham and rock the arena harder than the Beatles. At the end of the match Dolph will be laying in the middle of the ring and stare up at Morrison who will still be Intercontinental Champion.

Chris Considers: This was not the best promo Morrison has ever cut, the guy is naturally funny and I feel would do much better on the mic if WWE just let him run with it rather than giving him such cheesy scripted lines!

Match 3: Drew McIntyre vs Finlay

As Drew makes his way to the ring we see his annihilation of Finlay a couple of weeks ago. He gets on the mic and stares at the crowd and gets something of a mixed reaction. Drew says he did not let Finlay in the ring because he wasn’t worthy and still isn’t but Drew has had a change of heart and since Finlay loves to fight lets see how much Finlay loves to fight him. Finlay gets a great reaction from the UK crowd and tells Drew to bring it as he gets in the ring. Finlay drops an elbow to the neck and drops Drew with a clothesline before nailing a pair up uppercuts followed by some stiff chops. The two exchange charging kicks, with Drew’s sending Finlay flying from the ring. Drew follows Finlay to the outside and clotheslines him before tossing him back in and begins to stomp and kick away before working over Finlay’s shoulder but the Irishman fights to his feet and nails a very stiff right before punching Drew from the ring. Finlay follows and continues the beatdown and hammers Drew into the security barrier and the brawl heads back into the ring and the two exchange blows and brawl away causing the referee to ring the bell. Finlay immediately goes for the shelaighlee but Drew nails a leaping kick and then grabs the shelaighlee and hammers Finlay in the head with it and goes to leave but storms back to the ring and nails another shelaighlee blow to the stomach. After the match referees help Finlay to the back and he gets a big ovation from the crowd.

Result: Finlay and Drew McIntye fight to a double disqualification *1/2

Chris Considers: The ending to this match was ludicrous, how could both men get disqualified for punching each other??? This could have been booked so much better. However this result furthers this feud along nicely and Drew really is becoming quite the despised heel on Smackdown! I sense a Belfast Brawl next week to settle this issue!

Apparently more people visit WWE.com website than the NBA site, something tells me this is bullshit…

Official Contract Signing: Batista & Rey Mysterio

Matt Striker is in the ring and hypes the match before introducing Rey Mysterio who gets the pop of the night so far. Rey greets his fans on the way to the ring and shakes Striker’s hand before posing on the turnbuckle. Batista gets major heat as he strolls to down the ramp and we get a recap of Batista’s savage beat down of Rey at Bragging Rights. Striker asks that they sign the documents and make this official. Batista asks Rey how he is doing and Rey says he just want to get this signed. They sign the contract and Batista says he has something else for Rey to sign and it is a hold harmless agreement which means Batista cannot legally be held responsible for what he does to Rey and no on can sue him for what he does at Survivor Series. Rey says he is not signing it and Batista flares up and calls Rey a coward hiding behind his goofy mask. Batista tells Rey to sign it otherwise he will embarrass Rey in front of the fans reach across the table and snap Rey’s neck like a twig. Rey says he will sign it and says he knows what Batista is trying to do and Rey is not scared. Rey says at Survivor Series it will be Batista that is embarrassed. Rey flips the table up into Batista’s face and send him crashing to the floor and flees the ring. Batista screams in rage as a huge ‘Who are ya’ chant breaks out as Batista destroys the chair in the ring in rage.

Chris Considers: Short but to the point segment here that was good build for this match at Survivor Series. As much as his ring work may leave plenty to be desired Batista is very good on the mic as a heel and comes across as a real bully which is exactly what he needs to do. The timing for that table flip was perfect and it came across really well!

Match 4: Intercontinental Title Match: John Morrison © vs Dolph Ziggler

Dolph gets some heat from the fans as he struts to the ring whilst Morrison gets a nice pop. Both of these guy’s pushes have slowed somewhat recently and hopefully their great ring work of late will get them going again. The two circle and Morrison grabs Dolph’s leg but Dolph punches him off and takes a time out from the ring, Morrison tries to follow but the referee hauls him back allowing Dolph to pounce and drop Morrison with a right before stomping away. Dolph talks smack and Morrison rolls him up but doesn’t even get a one and ducks under Dolph’s punches whilst nailing some of his own. Hilarious comment from Striker saying Morrison is punching like Hatton but Hatton does not have abs like Morrison! Nice flapjack from Morrison followed by his handstand kick which gets a near fall but as Morrison heads to the top rope Dolph crotches him hanging him up before nailing a nice drop kick for a near fall. Dolph nails a boot to the gut before nailing a gut buster for a near fall as we head to commercial. Back from the break and Dolph is working over Morrison’s abdomen in the middle of the ring. Morrison punches free and the two exchange blows with Morrison coming out on top. Morrison whips Ziggler across the ring but misses a flying leg lariat and Dolph is straight in with a cover for two as Morrison crashes and burns. Overhead takedown from Dolph followed by a blockbuster for another near fall. Dolph stomps away before he drops some elbows before his high impact elbow for another near fall. Dolph applies a body scissors hold on the mat but Morrison elbows free only for Dolph to connect a scoop slam for another two. Dolph talks smack which enrages the champion and they get a boo/cheer strike exchange going which Morrison wins but Dolph tries for a back suplex which Morrison flips out from and drops Dolph with a pair of clotheslines followed by a flying leg lariat for a near fall. Morrison calls for the Moonlight Drive but Dolph counters it into a facebuster which gets Dolph another near fall. Dolph is frustrated and hammers away at Morrison on the mat before pulling him to his feet but out of nowhere Morrison connects a pele kick for a near fall. Morrison hauls Dolph into position for Starship Pain and the crowd erupt. But Dolph ducks and pins Dolph with his feet on the ropes which the referee sees which leads to a huge argument between Dolph and the referee allowing Morrison to connect the Flying Chuck for a near fall. Dolph rolls on to the apron and as Morrison tries to haul him back in the ring Dolph connects some right hands and slams Morrison’s head into the ring post. Dolph heads to the top rope but Morrison springs up as well the two slug it out leading to Dolph taking a tumble but he pulls Morrison with him and both men crash to the outside leading to a double count out from the referee.

Result: John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler ends in a double count out. ***

Chris Considers: I don’t think these two could have a bad match if they tried! This was very, very good from both Dolph and Morrison and a double count out extends the feud despite the fact that the English crowd really hated it. I loved the boo/cheer exchange and it shows how over both these guys are getting. So many close matches and battles means the time Dolph does win the belt will make it that much more significant.

Match 5: Beth Phoenix vs Lisa Taylor

Beth gets a mixed reaction as she makes her way to the ring as Striker informs us Taylor is the Commonwealth Champion (presumably for wrestling) Taylor immediately tries for a roll up but Beth is too strong and drops some clubbing blows before nailing a back breaker followed by a running charge into the ring post. Beth hangs Lisa up in the tree of woe and hits and impressive neck breaker using the ropes for leverage. Glam Slam from Beth and it is all over.

Beth Phoenix defeats Lisa Taylor via pinfall ½*

Chris Considers: I am really enjoying how Beth is being built up as such a big deal and am eagerly awaiting her turning face and feuding with Michelle. As an apparent champion Taylor perhaps should have gotten in a bit more offence but there you go.

Backstage Interview: Chris Jericho

Jericho is warming up and Josh interrupts and asks him if he is concerned about facing the Deadman. Jericho laughs and says the Undertaker is no Deadman just a man like Jericho. Jericho says for ten years the plebeians in this audience have waited to see Chris Jericho vs The Undertaker and for twenty years they have believed The Undertaker has some sort of mystical power but he can be beaten and tonight he will be beaten by Jericho. Jericho says he is not just a man, he is the best in the world at what he does and not a Deadman will stop him tonight and at Survivor Series neither a Deadman or giant will stop him and he will leave as World Heavyweight Champion.

Chris Considers: Short but to the point from Jericho. Hyped the match tonight and The Survivor Series title match. Very few people can nail it on the mic quite like Jericho and he proved it once again even in the two minutes he has here!

Main Event: Chris Jericho vs The Undertaker

Jericho gets a mixed, but mostly heel reaction during his entrance whilst the arena erupts for The Undertaker who is once again clad in his WM 24 outfit. Jericho gets out of the ring as The Undertaker makes his entrance and stares from the outside as Undertaker stalks the ring. As the match gets underway Jericho ducks a punch and nails a flurry of blows in the corner but the referee hauls him off and Undertaker hurls Jericho into the corner and connects strikes of his own. Jericho screams at the referee to call Taker off but gets sent into the opposite corner. Jericho telegraphs Taker and connects a boot to no effect and Taker clotheslines him from the ring and connects his leg drop on the apron to a huge pop. Jericho rolls back into the ring and Taker stomps away before applying a hammerlock and dropping Jericho with a shoulder charge. Leg drop from Taker gets a one and he immediately applies another hammerlock and continues to haul Jericho around the ring and connect boots. Undertaker goes for Old School to a huge pop but Jericho springs to the top rope and nails a superplex out of nowhere leaving both men down as we go to commercial. Back from the break and Jericho is pummelling Taker on the mat which leads to the referee hauling him off. Jericho forces Taker into the ropes and stomps away before choking him with a boot which leads to him being hauled off again. Jericho walks into a kick and gets whipped across the ring but Jericho gets a boot up and flies off the top rope with a drop kick for a near fall. Jericho applies a headlock but Taker powers out only for Jericho to boot Taker from the ring. Jericho poses before flying off the apron with an axe handle sending Taker crashing into the security barrier. Jericho whips Taker into the barrier before tossing him back in and choking him on the ropes before standing on his back till the count of four. Taker connects an elbow but Jericho is immediately back with strikes and blows dropping Taker to his knees Taker lulls on the ropes and Jericho chokes him once again but Taker goes for a chokeslam but Jericho punches free and we get a boo/cheer striking exchange which Undertaker wins before whipping Jericho into the turnbuckle and connecting a charging clothesline. Taker hits Snake Eyes but Jericho counters the big boot with a huge drop kick for a near fall. Jericho tries to hit a version of a KO punch and Taker grabs him by the throat only for Jericho to kick free again but he ends up charging straight into a big boot. Both men are down and Undertaker misses a leaping kick in the corner. Jericho nails some mounted punches but Undertaker tries the Last Ride but Jericho leaps free and nails a Codebreaker out of nowhere but is slow making the cover and only gets a near fall. Jericho taunts Taker by using his throat slit pose and attempts a Tombstone which Taker counters into a Tombstone of his own which Jericho flips out from before connecting a chop block followed by a Lionsault, Jericho is slow making the cover and in classic moment Taker sits up and goes for a Chokeslam but Jericho somehow counters, rolls through and locks on the Walls of Jericho! Taker rolls the move round and applies Hell’s Gate leading to Jericho swiftly tapping out giving Undertaker the win. The Big Show’s music hits and he stomps to the ring as Taker tries to struggle to his feet. As Undertaker is distracted by Show, Jericho strikes from behind and they double team Taker with Show nailing a chokeslam and they lock in a double submission hold with Jericho applying the Walls and Show applying the Colossal Clutch. Suddenly Kane’s music hits and he stomps to the ring to a huge pop. Show flees and Jericho is nailed with a big boot sending him rolling from the ring. Kane checks on Taker and we see Vince backstage. He calls Long and suggests next week’s main event be: The Brothers of Destruction vs Jeri-Show. Awesome!

Result: The Undertaker defeats Chris Jericho via submission ****

Chris Considers: Had this match been given half an hour it would have been a five star encounter. Some of the ring work displayed here was simply off the charts with some amazing counters and evasions! Sometimes smaller guys don’t work well with Taker but that was not the case here, Jericho matched him move for move, counter for counter and this was one the best WWE TV match since Morrison vs Mysterio! Also a lesson to be learned here is if there is going to be overbooking and interference let the match finish first and have the interference afterwards! Kane helping Undertaker sets up a mega main event for next week and a match I have wanted to see since Jeri-Show formed several months ago. I really hope that one pay per view soon Jericho and Undertaker face off one on one and get even more time to deliver greatness as this match has just wetted my appetite for more! As much as I am glad I gave RAW a miss, I wish I had attended this show!

Overall this was a superb edition of Friday Night Smackdown, the best in a long time. Everything worked and everything was good, aside from Morrison’s promo. Punk vs Truth, Mickie vs Natalya and Finlay vs McIntyre were all solid whilst Dolph and Morrison had another excellent clash. Batista and Rey further intensified their feud with the contract signing and Beth continued to build herself as THE diva to be reckoned with on Smackdown. The main event was simply off the charts and fully delivered on its high expectations. I was gripped from bell to bell and literally had to watch this about four times to call it as for the first couple of times I just watched in awe. True excellence from Jericho and Taker and as I said I really hope they main event a pay per view sometime soon!

This week’s match of the night was Undertaker vs Chris Jericho and the show scores a perfect 10/10

That’s all for this week’s edition of Chris Reviews Smackdown, I shall be back during the week with my Turning Point thoughts as well as my Roadrunner blog. Thank you so much for your continued support and I hope you keep coming back for more! I hope you all have a great week! As always you can email me on a_agreement_called_forever@hotmail.com , add me on facebook: www.facebook.com\wnws.chris.jacks  or follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/WNWsChrisJacks  I would love to hear from you!

Here are ten points to consider coming out of this week’s show!
• Punk’s opening promo was a timely reminder how good he is on the mic and Truth was no slacker either!
• I have always rated R-Truth and am pleased he is getting to work with someone higher up the card and hopefully creative will finally take notice of how good his actually is!
• What a joy to see two talented women wrestle in WWE! Pity the match could not have been longer, give Natalya and Mickie ten-fifteen minutes and they could dazzle us!
• That was not a good promo from Morrison, creative should let him come up with his own stuff like he did on the dirt sheet rather than this scripted cheese!
• Having Finlay and Drew double disqualified for punching each other was one of the lamest finishers ever, however Drew’s aggression was impressive and his post match beat down intense. Bring on the Belfast Brawl!
• Batista continued to impress on the mic! I loved his line where he said he would snap Rey’s little neck like a twig. I hope these two have a great match to deliver on this great build!
• Another great match from Dolph and Morrison! Two out of three falls next week should be great! The crowd hated the double count out but it was really the only way to extend the feud and keep Dolph’s credibility!
• Beth Phoenix vs Michelle is a match waiting to happen! Only a matter of weeks before she turns face I reckon!
• What a main event! That is a match I will come back to and watch over and over, I really did enjoy it that much! When Jericho countered the chokeslam, rolled down Taker’s back and locked in the Walls I was on my feet!
• What a great main event we have set next week! This match was the perfect example of how an overbooked ending is necessary and works in the right situation!

My top ten matches of the year so far in WWE

1: The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania – April 5th 2009
2: Legacy vs DeGeneration X – Breaking Point – September 13th 2009
3: CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy – Smackdown – August 28th 2009
4: Rey Mysterio vs Chris Jericho – The Bash – June 28th 2009
5: Rey Mysterio vs John Morrison – Smackdown – August 4th 2009
6: CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy – Summerslam – August 23rd 2009
7: Rey Mysterio vs Chris Jericho – Smackdown – July 10th 2009
8: Chris Jericho vs The Undertaker – Smackdown – November 13th 2009
9: Jeff Hardy vs John Morrison – Smackdown – July 31st 2009
10: John Cena vs Randy Orton – Bragging Rights – October 25th 2009

Smackdown Power 10

1: The Undertaker
2: Chris Jericho
3: Batista
4: Rey Mysterio
5: CM Punk
6: Dolph Ziggler
7: John Morrison
8: Drew McIntyre
9: Matt Hardy
10: Kane

Watch any WWE programming you miss at www.Dailymotion.com  , your online source for TV shows!

Tags: Batista, Beth Phoenix, Big Show, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, drew mcintyre, Finlay, John Morrison, Kane, Mickie James, Natalya, R-Truth, Rey Mysterio, SmackDown, Smackdown Power 10, Survivor Series, The Undertaker