The 520th edition of WWE SmackDown came to you from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, NY.
Quick Match Results
- John Morrison def. Tyson Kidd (with Natalya & David Hart Smith) by pin following Starship Pain.
- Slam Master J (formerly Jesse) def. Charlie Haas by pin following the Superfly Splash.
- #1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match: Dolph Ziggler def. Finlay, R-Truth, & Mike Knox by pinning Finlay following the Name Drop to become the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title at SummerSlam.
- JTG (with Shad) def. Chris Jericho (with Big Show) by roll-up.
- The Great Khali def. Ricky Ortiz by pin following the Punjabi Plunge.
- World Heavyweight Championship: Special Enforcer- Matt Hardy: Jeff Hardy (c) (with Matt Hardy) def. CM Punk by roll-up to retain.
Match Quality
- World Heavyweight Championship
- JTG Vs. Chris Jericho
- John Morrison Vs. Tyson Kidd
- #1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match
- Slam Master J Vs. Charlie Haas
- The Great Khali Vs. Ricky Ortiz
Detailed Results
The show was set to kick off with the World Heavyweight Title Match, but before he challenged Jeff Hardy for the title, CM Punk made his way to the ring. "The Straightedge Superstar" stated that he tried to empathize with the fans, but it resulted in the fans liking Jeff Hardy even more. Punk proclaimed that he faces his challenges "head on" and that Jeff Hardy and his fans are not "strong enough" to be straightedge and that Jeff and the fans are all "weak". CM Punk then referred to smokers as "stupid" for ignoring the warnings printed on the cigarette packs. "The Straightedge Superstar" then brought up "funny cigarettes" and stated that it was "sad" that the fans cheer when "funny cigarettes" are mentioned. Punk then reminded the fans that marijuana is an illegal drug and that all of the fans are "criminals" for smoking an illegal substance. The former World Heavyweight Champion then turned his attention to alcohol and proclaimed that, in his mind, taking one drink of alcohol makes you an alcoholic. CM Punk states that the fans need a "strong leader who just says no"; a "straightedge World Heavyweight Champion"; the fans need CM Punk.
Then it was time for the much-anticipated World Heavyweight Championship match, but as the champion, Jeff Hardy, entered the ring, a brawl broke out between the two bitter rivals before the match could officially begin! Several referees and officials came down to separate champion and challenger. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long then came to the ring to try and restore order on his show. With Theodore Long unable to control the situation, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon made an appearance to remedy the situation. The Chairman reminded Long that Long is still on probation and that the GM can not control the situation, so he would find someone who could. McMahon then announced that the World Heavyweight Title match would take place later on in the evening, but that the match would have a Special Enforcer to keep things under control! Following this announcement, the brawl between Jeff Hardy & CM Punk ensued once again, but was quickly broken up by the referees and officials. Who does Mr. McMahon have in mind to be the Special Enforcer? Can even this Mr. McMahon appointed individual keep things under control between the champion and challenger? How will the Enforcer affect the outcome of the World Heavyweight Title match?
In a rematch from last week’s edition of WWE Superstars, "The Guru of Greatness" John Morrison did battle with the self-proclaimed "Crown Prince" of the WWE, Tyson Kidd. Despite some help from his Hart Dynasty teammates, Kidd was on the losing end of John Morrison and Starship Pain, giving "The Friday Night Delight" the victory.
Whether he was wanted or not, Jesse has been hanging out with Cryme Tyme for the past several weeks; getting involved in Cryme Tyme’s "Word Up" segments. The duo has had such an impact on Jesse that the former country boy wants to be Cryme Tyme’s "boy"; Jesse even went as far to change his ring name to "Slam Master J"! With his new style and new haircut, Jesse made a complete transformation into Slam Master J and picked up a big win over Charlie Haas. Has J earned the respect of Cryme Tyme?
With Rey Mysterio providing guest commentary at ringside, four of SmackDown’s premiere athletes squared off in a Fatal 4-Way Match to determine who would challenge "The Ultimate Underdog" for the Intercontinental Title at SummerSlam. When the smoke cleared, it was Dolph Ziggler who outlasted Finlay, R-Truth, & Mike Knox to get another shot at Rey Mysterio and the Intercontinental Championship! After the match, Dolph walked up to Rey and slapped the champion. Mysterio responded by hitting a seated senton on "The Name Dropper". Dolph failed to unseat Rey at the Night of Champions, will the native Floridian be able to defeat the native Californian at SummerSlam to claim the Intercontinental Title?
Cryme Tyme continues to roll towards SummerSlam as last week, they defeated The Hart Dynasty to become the #1 Contenders for the Unified Tag Team Titles at SummerSlam. This week, JTG picked up a huge win over one-half of the Unified Tag Team Champions, Chris Jericho! If JTG can upset Jericho in a one-on-one contest, can Cryme Tyme do it when it counts at SummerSlam and dethrone Big Show & Chris Jericho as the Unified Tag Team Champions?
The Great Khali was also in action as "The Punjabi Nightmare" picked up a very decisive victory over Ricky Ortiz. After the match concluded, "The Big Red Machine" struck Khali, knocking the big man over the top rope. With nothing but evil intentions, "The Big Red Monster" cornered Khali’s interpreter and friend, Ranjin Singh. Khali’s right hand man tried to escape Kane, but Kane was a "monster" on a mission as Kane attacked the helpless Singh and then proceeded to drag the unconscious Singh all the way out of the arena! How will Khali respond to Kane’s attack on his friend? What has Kane done or plan to do to Ranjin Singh?
Then it was the moment that everyone had been waiting for- the World Heavyweight Championship would be decided as Jeff Hardy defended the gold against CM Punk. Earlier in the night, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon deemed that there would be a Special Enforcer on the outside of the ring during the match to keep things in order during the bout. However, no one could have anticipated who the Chairman would choose to serve as the peacekeeper- none other than Jeff’s brother, Matt Hardy! With his estranged brother at ringside with Jeff’s future as World Heavyweight Champion at stake, could Jeff leave as champion?
With Matt Hardy at ringside as the Special Enforcer, the World Heavyweight Title match got underway. Through the course of the match, Matt Hardy showed no emotional reaction to anything happening in the ring. However, things got interesting after both Jeff Hardy & CM Punk found themselves on the outside of the ring at the feet of the Special Enforcer, Matt Hardy. CM Punk recovered first and got back into the ring, but Jeff stared down his brother, trying to get Matt to look him in the eyes. Attempting to take advantage of the momentary distraction, CM Punk went for a baseball slide on Jeff Hardy. However, the champion was able to get out of the way, but Matt was not as lucky as CM Punk careened into Matt Hardy, knocking the Special Enforcer to the floor! Champion and challenger then found themselves back in the ring as the match continued. "The Charismatic Champion" went for the Swanton Bomb, but the resourceful Punk was able to get his knees up to counter the match-ending maneuver. CM Punk then covered the downed champion, but Matt Hardy pulled the referee out of the ring, actually saving the title for his brother! CM Punk was livid at this development and got in the face of the Enforcer and demanded to know what Matt was doing costing him the title. While this argument took place, Jeff Hardy was able to recover and roll CM Punk up into a pinning predicament! Even more surprising was the fact that Matt Hardy counted the fall; ensuring that Jeff Hardy would keep the World Heavyweight Championship! Matt Hardy then headed to the backstage area as CM Punk sat in the ring in disbelief of what just transpired. Punk then tried to catch Matt Hardy, but Matt was long gone. CM Punk then blew a gasket and marched back into the ring and attacked Jeff Hardy with several vicious kicks that knocked the champion to the outside where Punk once again assaulted Jeff. An enraged CM Punk then blasted Jeff in the back with a steel chair before wrapping the steel chair around the neck of the champion and running Jeff and the steel chair throat-first into the steel ring post! As the World Heavyweight Champion lay in a broken heap, CM Punk appeared to be proud of his actions, even taking time to delay the paramedics from tending to Jeff Hardy. CM Punk was stopped on the stage by General Manager Theodore Long. "The Straightedge Superstar" demanded that he get another rematch against Jeff Hardy. Disgusted with Punk’s actions, Long informed Punk that he would get his rematch against Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Title at SummerSlam, but it would be a match that favors the World Heavyweight Champion- a TLC Match! Will Jeff Hardy be able to compete in time for SummerSlam? Even if he makes it to "The Biggest Event of the Summer", what kind of condition will Jeff be in to defend his title; not to mention defend it in a TLC Match? If Jeff does compete, can he use the familiar surroundings to his advantage and walk out of Los Angeles still the World Heavyweight Champion or will the evil desire of CM Punk be enough for "The Straightedge Superstar" to regain the gold and beat Jeff Hardy at his own game?