The 546th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the FedExForum in Memphis, TN. Five nights after his shocking return and victory in the 2010 Royal Rumble Match, Edge returns to SmackDown and also returning is his talk show, “The Cutting Edge”, and his guest will be none other than the World Heavyweight Champion, The Undertaker. On RAW, the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match for WWE Elimination Chamber was set and, on SmackDown, the Superstars would battle in a series of qualifying matches with the five winners joining World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match. Also on SmackDown, exclusive post-RAW footage featuring Batista & John Cena would be shown.
Match Results
- Triple Threat Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: John Morrison def. Kane & Drew McIntyre by pinning Kane following Starship Pain to qualify.
- Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: R-Truth def. Mike Knox by pin following the Lie Detector to qualify.
- Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: CM Punk def. Batista by intentional Count-Out to qualify.
- Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Chris Jericho def. Matt Hardy by pin following the Codebreaker to qualify.
- Mickie James & Beth Phoenix def. Team Lay-Cool by Mickie James rolling up Layla.
During the match, Beth Phoenix hits partner Mickie James, as well as Michelle McCool, before walking out on the match.
- Final Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Rey Mysterio def. Dolph Ziggler by roll-up to qualify.
Match Quality
- Chris Jericho Vs. Matt Hardy
- John Morrison Vs. Kane Vs. Drew McIntyre
- Rey Mysterio Vs. Dolph Ziggler
- R-Truth Vs. Mike Knox
- CM Punk Vs. Batista
- Mickie James & Beth Phoenix Vs. Team Lay-Cool
Detailed Results
Five nights after the Royal Rumble Match, the man who was the first to feel the wrath of the returning Edge, Chris Jericho, opened the show. Jericho states that SmackDown was supposed to be “his night” and says that he should be standing there as the 2010 Royal Rumble Winner, but he is not because that was “taken away” from him. Jericho says that he is “carefully constructing” his way back to the main event, but his plans were derailed at the Royal Rumble and it was because of Edge. Jericho claims that Edge entered the Royal Rumble match “under false pretenses” and that he “did not deserve” to win the Rumble and he did “deserve” it. Jericho then states that, during Edge’s absence, he “carried” the WWE and, now, everyone is talking about Edge. Jericho then calls Edge a “con artist” and says that Edge has “no heart and no passion”. Jericho then accuses Edge of “walking out” and “abandoning” him last year and now Edge is going to the main event of WrestleMania and Jericho has “nothing”! An enraged Jericho then proclaims that he “does not settle for nothing” and that he “qualifies for nothing”. Jericho then orders General Manager Theodore Long to come out and “make it right”! When Long does not come out, Jericho exits the ring and makes his way backstage to find the General Manager! Backstage, Jericho demands to know where Long’s office is located and, after bullying a staff member, Jericho is directed to the GM’s office, where Jericho finds Edge! Edge explains that Jericho is the one who “lit the fire” under him that prompted him to return and that Jericho is the one who “created the monster”! Edge tells Jericho that Jericho will “regret” his return and informs Jericho of his plans to bring back The Cutting Edge with his “old acquaintance”, the World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker! Jericho responds by telling Edge that he will “be watching”! Does Chris Jericho have a plan to interrupt The Cutting Edge? What will go down when Edge & The Undertaker come face-to-face?
The opening match of the night was a Triple Threat Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match and it saw Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre, John Morrison, & “The Big Red Machine” Kane face off for a spot inside the dangerous structure. Under the umbrella of a match with no disqualifications and no count-outs, Drew McIntyre blasted Kane in the mid-section with the Intercontinental Title belt, followed by the Future Shock DDT. McIntyre pinned Kane, but Morrison hit a vicious kick on McIntyre, followed by Starship Pain on Kane to win the match and earn his spot in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match! Who will join World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker & John Morrison in the demonic Elimination Chamber?
In the next Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match, R-Truth went one-on-one with “The Mountain Man Monster” Mike Knox! With his patented Lie Detector maneuver, R-Truth defeated Mike Knox to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match!
SmackDown also presented some never-before-seen footage that took place after this week’s RAW! The footage depicted John Cena coming to the aid of Bret Hart following the attack by Batista, but “The Animal” blind-sides Cena and runs Cena shoulder-first into the ring post, then into the ring steps, and over the announce table! Batista then pummels Cena on the outside before blasting Cena in the face with the steel steps! Finally, the diabolical Batista places the steel ring steps in the center of the ring and delivers a vicious Batista Bomb to Cena on the cold, unforgiving steel steps! What is the status of John Cena? What will be the response to this heinous attack?
After witnessing Batista’s assault on John Cena, “The Straightedge Savior” CM Punk would have to face Batista in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match! The match begins and Batista simply stands in the corner and smiles at CM Punk, but the shocking moment came when Batista intentionally exits the ring and allow himself to be counted out; ensuring CM Punk’s spot in the Elimination Chamber Match! Batista has expressed that the World Heavyweight Title is all that matters to him, so why did “The Animal” forfeit such an opportunity?
The next Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match saw Matt Hardy go one-on-one with Chris Jericho. In the end, Jericho was able to block an attempt at the Twist of Fate by Matt Hardy and hit the Codebreaker en route to defeating Matt Hardy and earning his spot in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match! Who will be the final Superstar to qualify for the Elimination Chamber Match?
Five nights after extracting her revenge on Michelle McCool & Layla by taking the Women’s Title from and embarrassing McCool, new Women’s Champion Mickie James appeared on SmackDown. Mickie states that Team Lay-Cool has made it their mission to embarrass her and, at the Royal Rumble, she proved that being “real” is what a “true champion” is about! Mickie then states that “what goes around, comes around” before being interrupted by Beth Phoenix! Phoenix states that, while Mickie celebrated her title win, she competed in the Royal Rumble Match and took her game to a whole new level! Phoenix tells Mickie that she could take the title “anytime, any place” that she wants! Mickie & Phoenix are interrupted by the screeching voice of the SmackDown Consultant, Vickie Guerrero, who states that the match will not happen unless she says so! Vickie then announces that Mickie & Phoenix will team up to face “the true number one contender” Michelle McCool and her partner, Layla!
During the match, Phoenix entered the ring and clocked Mickie with a right hand, as well as McCool before walking out on the match! The match continued as Layla entered the ring and was caught with a roll-up by Mickie en route to Mickie & Phoenix winning the match! What will go down next between these four Divas?
Then it was time for the final Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match as Rey Mysterio would go one-on-one with “The Platinum Superstar” Dolph Ziggler for the final spot in the Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title. In the end, the quickness of Rey Mysterio ensured Rey the final spot in the Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title! After the match, Dolph Ziggler tried to blind-side Mysterio, but the veteran Mysterio was able to avoid the attack and hit the 619 on Ziggler! All six competitors have been confirmed for the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match. Who will emerge from the Elimination Chamber as the World Heavyweight Champion?
Then it was time for the return of The Cutting Edge as the 2010 Royal Rumble Winner, Edge, would present his guest, World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker, on the show. Edge states that it feels “really, really good” to be back on SmackDown and to be “home”. Edge then says that all he went through was “worth it” for the moment he returned and that he is now on the Road to WrestleMania. Edge states that he could be challenging his guest, The Undertaker, at WrestleMania or he could face the WWE Champion Sheamus at WrestleMania, who noted that spearing Sheamus on RAW was “fun”! Chris Jericho interrupted The Cutting Edge and tells Edge that “The Rated-R Superstar” took his opportunity away and Edge “did not deserve” to win the Royal Rumble Match! Edge explains that Jericho “did not deserve” to win because he eliminated Jericho in the Royal Rumble Match! Jericho calls his elimination a “sneak attack” and proclaims he is the “face of SmackDown”. Edge states that Jericho wanted to make his serious injury a “punch line” before telling Jericho that he wants to make Jericho “eat” his words! Edge states that he is “sick and tired” of hearing Jericho’s suits and his speeches, as well as the look on his face and his face altogether! The confrontation is then interrupted by CM Punk and his Straightedge Society! Punk states that Edge & Jericho look like “junkies” and says it is not about them, it is about the Elimination Chamber and about The Undertaker! Punk then vows to win the Elimination Chamber Match and become a four-time World Heavyweight Champion before the champion himself, The Undertaker, arrives on the scene and, together with Edge, clear the ring! Undertaker plants Punk with a chokeslam then quickly turns around to see Edge ready to spear him! The champion and potential challenger then stand across the ring from each other; not taking their eyes off the Superstar in front of them. Has Edge decided to challenge The Undertaker at WrestleMania? Will The Undertaker even be the World Heavyweight Champion after the Elimination Chamber Match?