The 543rd edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. After two weeks of trying to determine a #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title to no success, Batista would go one-on-one with Rey Mysterio inside the confines of a solid Steel Cage with the winner being named the undisputed #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble.
Match Results
- Chris Jericho (with Drew McIntyre) def. John Morrison by pin following the Codebreaker.
Drew McIntyre momentarily distracted John Morrison, which assisted Chris Jericho in the victory. Before the match, Chris Jericho announced that he would be a participant in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match.
- #1 Contenders Fatal-4 Way Tag Match: CM Punk & Luke Gallows def. Matt Hardy & The Great Khali, Cryme Tyme, & The Hart Dynasty by Luke Gallows pinning JTG following Gallows’ Pole to become the #1 Contenders for the Unified WWE Tag Team Tites.
During his "Straightedge Salvation" that preceded the match, CM Punk revealed that he would be in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match.
- Mickie James def. Beth Phoenix by DQ after Beth Phoenix ignores the referee’s five-count.
- Kane def. Dolph Ziggler by pin following the Big Red Chokeslam.
- #1 Contender’s Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Title: Rey Mysterio def. Batista by escaping the cage to become the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Tite.
Match Quality
- #1 Contender’s Steel Cage Match
- Chris Jericho Vs. John Morrison
- #1 Contenders Fatal 4-Way Tag Match
- Kane Vs. Dolph Ziggler
- Mickie James Vs. Beth Phoenix
Detailed Results
Sporting the injuries dealt to him by Guest Host Mike Tyson on RAW, Chris Jericho opens the show and states that he is “not a broken man” and says that getting knocked out by a “mentally unstable” former boxer does not change the fact that he is the “face of SmackDown”! Jericho then announces his participation in the 30-Man Royal Rumble and states he will win the Rumble and head to WrestleMania XXVI, where he will win with the World Heavyweight Title! Jericho then concludes by saying that, after he regains the title, then all of the fans will be the “broken” ones.
Chris Jericho was also in action on SmackDown as he went one-on-one with the former Intercontinental Champion John Morrison. Early on in the match, John Morrison is prepared to dive to the outside onto Chris Jericho, but “The Friday Night Delight” was distracted by the arrival of the Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre, who proceeded to take a seat at ringside for the match! During the match, Jericho was able to lock in the Walls of Jericho on Morrison and, with the Walls of Jericho locked in, Drew McIntyre held the Intercontinental Title belt in front of Morrison to taunt the former champion, but the act actually helped Morrison to the ropes! What did not help Morrison was Morrison becoming momentarily distracted by the Intercontinental Champion as Jericho took advantage of the distraction to hit the Codebreaker and pick up the win! After the match, McIntyre pressed his foot into the jaw of Morrison as the Intercontinental Champion used Morrison’s face as a stepping stone! How will Morrison react to the show of disrespect by McIntyre?
Accompanied by his “Straightedge Follower” Luke Gallows, “The Straightedge Superstar” CM Punk made an appearance on SmackDown to present another “Straightedge Salvation”. Punk states that, last week, he proved that it was “possible” to come to the side of straightedge and vows to keep “saving” people until everyone is a part of the “Straightedge Society”. Luke Gallows then states that he knows what it is like to be addicted and that all people need to “change” is CM Punk and the straightedge lifestyle! Punk then vows to become the first ever “Straightedge Royal Rumble Winner” and that it will be a major step in building the “Straightedge Society”! Punk says that he has to “save” every one individually before sending Luke Gallows to retrieve a volunteer from the audience! CM Punk then has the audience member sit in the middle of the ring and states that the fan is among “friends” in himself & Luke Gallows. Punk tells the fan that he is about to be “reborn” and asks the fan if he is ready to make a “lifetime commitment”, to which the fan responds by declaring that he is “ready”! Punk then initiates the newest member of the “Straightedge Society” by shaving the head of the volunteer! Punk then tells the fan that it is the first “good decision” that he has ever made before declaring that the fan is the newest member of the “Straightedge Society”!
CM Punk & Luke Gallows were also in action on SmackDown as they took part in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match with the winning team being named the #1 Contenders for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship as the clean-living duo faced Cryme Tyme, The Hart Dynasty, and the team of Matt Hardy & The Great Khali! At the end of the chaotic Fatal 4-Way Tag Match, it was Luke Gallows hitting the Gallow’s Pole on and pinning JTG that led to CM Punk & Luke Gallows becoming the new #1 Contenders for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship! Can the leaders of “The Straightedge Society” dethrone the legendary D-Generation X to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles?
Following his mysterious attacks on both Batista & Rey Mysterio last week, World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker made an appearance on SmackDown and stated that the new year and new decade brings “new hopes and dreams” to the Superstars of the WWE, but that he will continue to “dominate and collect souls” just like he has for the last two decades! “The Deadman” explained that his attacks on Batista & Rey Mysterio last week were one-time “warnings” and that it does not really “matter” who wins inside the Steel Cage because he is “hell-bent on destruction” and whoever “survives” the Steel Cage Match will not “survive” him at the Royal Rumble! The Undertaker turns his attention to WrestleMania and states that all but one of his past WrestleMania opponents have taken defeat and have not asked for more and that “one” is Shawn Michaels. Undertaker states that HBK came “close”, but “failed” and that Michaels had the “audacity” to challenge him to a WrestleMania rematch and tells HBK that he will be on RAW to deliver his answer to Shawn Michaels “personally”! The Undertaker then decrees that, regardless of his answer, Michaels will “rest in peace”! The Undertaker has never backed down from a challenge, but will “The Phenom” accept Shawn Michaels’ challenge to a rematch at WrestleMania XXVI?
Mickie James was in action on SmackDown as the former Women’s & Divas Champion squared off with an angry Beth Phoenix, stemming from Mickie James Mick Kick to “The Glamazon” last week. Beth Phoenix’s temper got the best of her as “The Glamazon” refused to let up the assault on Mickie James, which led to the referee disqualifying the powerhouse Diva! After the match, Beth Phoenix allowed a vicious dissection of Mickie James by Women’s Champion Michelle McCool & Layla and, despite Mickie’s repeated spurts of fighting back, the Women’s Champion left Mickie laying in the center of the ring! How will Mickie James respond to this attack by Team Lay-Cool?
After two weeks of being felled by Dolph Ziggler, Kane picked up the win over “The Platinum Superstar” with a flattening chokeslam.
Then it was time for the main event as the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title would finally be determined, once and for all, inside a Steel Cage as Batista went one-on-one with Rey Mysterio with the opportunity to challenge The Undertaker for the title at the Royal Rumble on the line. At the end of a punishing Steel Cage Match, it was Rey Mysterio who would out-quick and outsmart Batista as “The Ultimate Underdog” escaped the cage and kicked the door of the steel cage into the skull of Batista before landing with both feet on the outside of the cage to finally become, without question, the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble! Can Rey capitalize on his opportunity at the Royal Rumble and defeat The Undertaker to become the World Heavyweight Champion or will “The Phenom” ensure that the title aspirations of Mysterio “rest in peace”?