Two days before WWE Bragging Rights, the 531st edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Colonial Life Arena at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC.
Quick Match Results
- Bragging Rights Qualifying Match: 5-on-4 Handicap Match: Matt Hardy, R-Truth, Finlay, & The Hart Dynasty def. Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, JTG, & Eric Escobar by Matt Hardy pinning JTG following the Twist of Fate to join Chris Jericho & Kane as members of Team SmackDown.
- Non-Title: John Morrison def. Mike Knox by pin following Starship Pain.
- Batista & Rey Mysterio def. Chris Jericho & Kane by Batista pinning Kane following a Spear.
- Mickie James (in her SmackDown debut) def. Layla by pin following the Mick Kick.
- World Heavyweight Championship: Submission Match: The Undertaker (c) def. CM Punk (with Theodore Long & Scott Armstrong) by submission to Hell’s Gate to retain.
Match Quality
- World Heavyweight Championship
- Bragging Rights Qualifying Match
- John Morrison Vs. Mike Knox
- Batista & Rey Mysterio Vs. Chris Jericho & Kane
- Mickie James Vs. Layla
Detailed Results
Two days before he co-captains Team SmackDown to face Team RAW in the Bragging Rights Tag Match, Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho kicks off SmackDown. Jericho proclaimed that his "legendary status" will be cemented this Sunday when Team SmackDown has a "crushing" win over Team RAW. The co-captain of Team SmackDown then states that he is going to "tweak" Team SmackDown and that he needs to have a team that is "worthy" of competing by his side. Cryme Tyme member JTG interrupts and reveals that his tag team partner, Shad, has come down with a case of the flu and will not be joining him! Jericho responds by saying that Cryme Tyme makes him "sick". However, Jericho is again interrupted, this time by the "consultant" for Team SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero, who introduces her boyfriend, Eric Escobar. Vickie & Escobar then make their way to the ring and Escobar proclaims that he will "lead" his team to victory at Bragging Rights and that no one will forget his name. Dolph Ziggler then comes out and states that he will be the one "responsible" for the team winning this Sunday before Drew McIntyre comes out and refers to himself as the "ace" up Jericho’s sleeve and that he should have been named the captain of Team SmackDown. The other co-captain, Kane, then comes out and stares down the team before him and states that none of them are "worthy" of fighting alongside him at Bragging Rights! Kane then reveals that he and Jericho are going to put their team to the test by placing them in a 5-on-4 Handicap Match against a five-man mystery team and, if the mystery team wins, they the five-man team will replace Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Cryme Tyme, & Eric Escobar on Team SmackDown! The co-captains then revealed that the match would be next!
One man short on the count of Cryme Tyme’s Shad being unable to compete, the four-man team of Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Eric Escobar, and the other half of Cryme Tyme, JTG, went against the five-man team of Matt Hardy, R-Truth, Finlay, & The Hart Dynasty! The numbers game would eventually catch up to the four-man team and it resulted in Finlay hitting JTG with the shillelagh that led to Matt Hardy hitting the Twist of Fate and pinning JTG! In a complete upheaval of Team SmackDown, co-captains Chris Jericho & Kane will now be leading the team of Matt Hardy, R-Truth, Finlay, & The Hart Dynasty against Team RAW this Sunday at Bragging Rights! How will Team RAW prepare for this last minute change to Team SmackDown? Is this new Team SmackDown more capable of victory over Team RAW?
Backstage, CM Punk is with General Manager Theodore Long and referee Scott Armstrong, who both voice their worry and disapproval of being part of the Breaking Point rematch taking place in the main event. A proud member of the Armstrong family, Scott Armstrong told Punk that having a "good name" is important to him and that it may cost him his job, but he will not do Punk’s "dirty work". However, as Armstrong tries to leave, he is stopped by WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon who tells the veteran referee that they "need to talk".
Two days before he faces his former friend and tag team partner, The Miz, at Bragging Rights, Intercontinental Champion John Morrison was in action on SmackDown, picking up a big non-title win over Mike Knox! How will Morrison fare this Sunday night when he goes one-on-one with The Miz?
Before they lead a new Team SmackDown into the Bragging Rights Tag Match against Team RAW this Sunday, co-captains Chris Jericho & Kane were out to send a message to, not only Team RAW, but their own team as they squared off with two of the three challengers in the Fatal 4-Way for the World Heavyweight Title this Sunday- Batista & Rey Mysterio! The chaotic tag team match came to an end after Rey Mysterio took the "bullet" for his friend Batista by suffering a chokeslam by Kane. Though Rey paid the price, Mysterio distracted Kane long enough for Batista to hit a Spear on "The Big Red Machine" and pick up the win! Batista & Mysterio are still friends, but what will happen this Sunday when it’s every man for himself in the Fatal 4-Way for the World Heavyweight Championship?
Backstage, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon is with Theodore Long, Scott Armstrong, and an ecstatic CM Punk as "The Boss" talks to a troubled Scott Armstrong about Scott’s legendary father, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong being a possible Hall of Fame inductee the night before WrestleMania XXVI! Mr. McMahon then asked everyone if they were excited, which Scott Armstrong replied to by stating that he was "ready".
In her debut match as a SmackDown Diva, former Women’s & Divas Champion Mickie James picked up an impressive victory over Layla. When will Mickie get her shot at Michelle McCool and the Women’s Title? What will Beth Phoenix have to say about it?
Then it was time for the much-anticipated main event as it was a Breaking Point Rematch as The Undertaker defended the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk in a Submission Match with Scott Armstrong as the referee and General Manager Theodore Long at ringside. In the middle of the contest, CM Punk ordered Theodore Long to hand him a steel chair, which Long slowly and relunctantly retrieved. However, Long wanted to keep his hands "clean" and decided to hand the chair to referee Scott Armstrong! Punk then snatched the chair out of the hands of the referee and went after Undertaker with it, but "The Deadman" countered with a big boot that sent the chair into the face of CM Punk! Believing that Scott Armstrong handed the chair to Punk, Undertaker delivered a thunderous chokeslam to the referee! The Undertaker then turned his attention to Theodore Long, as he glared at the GM. However, this allowed CM Punk to recover and blast Undertaker with a series of chair shots! With Undertaker out of it, CM Punk locked in the Anaconda Vice on the World Heavyweight Champion. However, the assigned referee, Scott Armstrong, had been laid out by Undertaker and was unable to ring the bell! Finally, a second referee made it to the ring, but Undertaker was able to counter the Anaconda Vice into the deadly Hell’s Gate, which forced CM Punk to tap out! Despite all the "players" being the same, The Undertaker was able to foil the plot of CM Punk and force Punk to submit to retain the World Heavyweight Title! How will "The Phenom" fare this Sunday at Bragging Rights when he defends the title against three former World Heavyweight Champions; Batista, Rey Mysterio, & CM Punk in a Fatal 4-Way? Will the legendary Undertaker be able to retain the gold or will a new champion be crowned this Sunday?