Two days before WWE Hell in a Cell, the 528th edition of WWE SmackDown was the special "Decade of SmackDown" celebration, which came to you from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
Quick Match Results
- Batista def. Kane by pin following the Batista Bomb.
- Dolph Ziggler & The Miz def. John Morrison & Kofi Kingston by Dolph Ziggler pinning John Morrison following the Zig Zag.
- Women’s Championship: Lumberjack Match: Michelle McCool (c) (with Beth Phoenix) def. Melina by pin following the Styles Clash to retain.
- "The Biggest 8-Man Tag Team Match In SmackDown History": The Undertaker, John Cena, & D-Generation X def. CM Punk, Randy Orton, & Legacy by The Undertaker pinning Randy Orton following the Tombstone Piledriver.
Match Quality
- "The Biggest 8-Man Tag Team Match In SmackDown History"
- Dolph Ziggler & The Miz Vs. John Morrison & Kofi Kingston
- Batista Vs. Kane
- Women’s Championship
Detailed Results
The huge SmackDown celebration kicked off with two of SmackDown’s most memorable Superstars going head-to-head as "The Animal" Batista faced "The Big Red Machine" Kane! Despite Kane’s work on his recovering left arm, "The Animal" was able to come out of nowhere with the Batista Bomb to defeat Kane; the first pinfall defeat Kane has suffered since returning to SmackDown! Batista has proven his dominance on SmackDown by defeating Kane, but can "The Animal" topple Big Show when Batista teams with Rey Mysterio to challenge "The World’s Largest Athlete" and Chris Jericho for the Unified Tag Team Titles this Sunday or will Big Show & Chris Jericho solidify their claim as "the most dominant tag team in WWE history" with a defeat over the recently returning Superstars?
Backstage, the party was popping as everyone was celebrating SmackDown. An intricate part of SmackDown over the last few years, General Manager Theodore Long put on his "party face" for the celebration. After some coaxing from Finlay, the GM decided to have a drink and have a little bit of fun. However, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk stopped Long from drinking and spoiled the festivities by proclaiming that he was placing a "prohibition" on the Decade of SmackDown celebration! After his "interaction" with CM Punk, Theodore Long rejoined the party, but quickly ran into a woman he knows very well; the former General Manager of SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero! The former GM and former wife of Edge questioned the decision by Theodore Long to make The Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate legal. Showing that she is still a "cougar" of sorts, Vickie introduced Theodore Long to her new boyfriend and newest SmackDown Superstar, Eric Escobar! Long looked at the newcomer perplexed until Vickie explained that WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon personally signed Escobar to a SmackDown contract and agreed to let Vickie manage the young upstart! Faced with the news that Vickie Guerrero would be returning to SmackDown, Theodore Long’s face quickly started to look pale and, after Santino Marella scared Long with an Undertaker costume, Long decided he would need that drink. What can the SmackDown Roster and SmackDown fans expect from this newcomer, Eric Escobar? What influence will Vickie Guerrero have on the new Superstar?
In a special interpromotional attraction, the Intercontinental Champion John Morrison teamed with the United States Champion Kofi Kingston to do battle with the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title, Dolph Ziggler, and one of the two challengers for the United States Title, The Miz. With Kofi’s other challenger, Jack Swagger, watching from ringside, the champions did not have a good night as, after the match broke down, it was Dolph Ziggler who hit the Zig Zag to pin the Intercontinental Champion John Morrison. At WWE Hell in a Cell, Dolph Ziggler will get his shot at John Morrison’s Intercontinental Championship. Will Ziggler once again pin the champion or will Morrison retain the gold?
The man who made SmackDown possible, The Rock, had a special message on the tenth anniversary of "his show". After getting back to his "Rock roots", The Rock declared that "finally, The Rock, has come back to SmackDown" and proclaims that he was there when SmackDown began. "The Great One" then gave his take on the current SmackDown Superstars, inquiring as to who Dolph Ziggler is and stating that CM Punk should be called "BM Punk" because people want to make a "BM" whenever they hear him speak. "The Brahma Bull" then stated that he faced The Undertaker before and the two of them sold out arenas all over the world and his experiences with The Undertaker have led him to the prediction that a new World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned at WWE Hell in a Cell! The Rock then proclaims that SmackDown "will always belong to The Rock" and teases an appearance as a Guest Host of RAW in the future! The Rock then gave the fans a "smell of what The Rock was cooking" with a vintage People’s Eyebrow!
The Women’s Championship was up for grabs on this special edition of SmackDown and the title would be put on the line in a Lumberjack Match, featuring the Divas of RAW, SmackDown, & ECW! Bitter rivals Melina and Women’s Champion Michelle McCool did battle over the gold, but it was an old rival from RAW, Beth Phoenix, that cost Melina the match and allowed Michelle McCool to retain the Women’s Title! How will Melina react to Beth Phoenix’s actions? Will Melina get another shot at Michelle McCool and the Women’s Championship?
The #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, The Undertaker, made an appearance on SmackDown to send a message to CM Punk for this Sunday’s Hell in a Cell war. "The Demon of Death Valley" vowed to win the World Heavyweight Championship this Sunday and declared that CM Punk would need the drugs and the alcohol that "The Straightedge Champion" despises after Punk exits Hell in a Cell. The Undertaker then welcomes CM Punk to his "playground"- Hell in a Cell!
Backstage, Drew McIntyre silenced the party in order to deliver a toast to himself as a "future World Heavyweight Champion". McIntyre then proclaimed that "the party has just begun". McIntyre was then attacked by R-Truth, followed by the two rivals brawling all throughout the party until several Superstars were able to separate the two of them! When will these two finally get their hands on each other in the sanctioned realm of a wrestling match?
Then it was time for the epic main event as "The Biggest 8-Man Tag Team Match In SmackDown History" took place between the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, The Undertaker, WWE Champion John Cena, & D-Generation X as they squared off with their rivals, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, the #1 Contender for the WWE Title, Randy Orton, & Legacy! The conclusion of the match came when The Undertaker was able to lock in Hell’s Gate on Randy Orton! Cody Rhodes quickly broke up the hold to assist his mentor, but Rhodes was met by Triple H, who tossed him out of the ring. Seizing the opportunity inadvertently created by his tag team partner, Ted DiBiase was prepared to hit Dream Street on "The Game", but Shawn Michaels came to the aid of Triple H with a rendition of Sweet Chin Music to Ted DiBiase! After the superkick, Triple H laid DiBiase out with the Pedigree! CM Punk then came out of nowhere with a vicious kick to Shawn Michaels, which led to John Cena getting his hands on CM Punk as the WWE Champion hoisted the World Heavyweight Champion up and delivered an Attitude Adjustment to the outside right on top of Legacy! Not realizing that all three of his partners were out of the equation, Randy Orton stood up to realize that he had been surrounded by, not only all four members of the opposing team, but four men he "knows" very well. Orton quickly discovered that there was no way out and was soon looking up a the lights as The Undertaker delivered a Tombstone to "The Viper" to win the match for his team! After a match filled with new and old confrontations, including a face off between WrestleMania 25 opponents Shawn Michaels & The Undertaker, it was the team of The Undertaker, John Cena, & DX standing tall. Will these four Superstars have the same result this Sunday when they face off in their different Hell in a Cell Matches? Will D-Generation X finally end their feud with Legacy inside Hell in a Cell with a win over the confident duo or will Legacy put an end to the DX era? Will "The Viper" Randy Orton find some way to overcome the sheer grit and determination of John Cena this Sunday and regain the WWE Championship inside Hell in a Cell or will Cena’s promise to "destroy" Orton become a reality? After sabotage, controversy, and questionable decisions, it will all come to a head inside Hell in a Cell as CM Punk faces the toughest match of his WWE career as he defends the World Heavyweight Championship against the Superstar with the most Hell in a Cell experience, The Undertaker? Will "The Straightedge Champion" do the unthinkable and defeat Undertaker in his own domain or will "The Phenom" cast CM Punk into the shadows of hell and reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship inside his demonic home- Hell in a Cell?