The 551st edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Key Arena in Seattle, WA. Just over two weeks before Chris Jericho defends the World Heavyweight Title against Edge at WrestleMania, Jericho brings back The Highlight Reel and the World Heavyweight Champion’s guest will be none other than his WrestleMania challenger, Edge.
Match Results
- Non-Title: R-Truth (with Daniel Bryan) def. The Miz by pin following the Lie Detector.
During the match, The Miz rolls up R-Truth and puts his feet on the ropes to try and gain the unfair advantage, and the win, but Miz’s NXT Rookie, Daniel Bryan, shoves Miz’s feet off of the ropes which leads to R-Truth hitting the Lie Detector on The Miz en route to picking up the win.
- Winner-Take-All Money-in-the-Bank Qualifying Match & Intercontinental Title Match: Drew McIntyre (c) def. Aaron Bolo (jobber) by pin following the Future Shock DDT to retain and to qualify for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania.
- Big Show def. John Morrison by pin following the Knockout Punch.
- Cryme Tyme & The Hart Dynasty fight to a No Contest after The Undertaker appears.
- Non-Title: Tiffany (in her in-ring SmackDown debut) def. Michelle McCool by DQ after Vickie Guerrero interferes.
- Kane def. Luke Gallows by DQ after CM Punk interferes.
Detailed Results
The show kicks off on Friday night with “The Ultimate Underdog” Rey Mysterio, who, along with his wife, son, and daughter, makes his way to the ring! Mysterio says that he wants to return the favor of the fans and let them into his “home” by bringing his family in the ring with him! Rey then introduces his son, Dominik, his wife, Angie, and his daughter, Aalyah, who is celebrating her ninth birthday! Rey tells the fans that he wants them to give Aalyah a night she will “always remember” before he leads the fans in singing “Happy Birthday” to his daughter! The touching and fun family moment with the Mysterio family was interrupted by CM Punk and his Straightedge Society of Luke Gallows & Serena! CM Punk tells them not to stop on account of him before singing “Happy Birthday” to a frightened Aalyah. “The Straightedge Savior” then states that he is not there to “hurt” Rey or Rey’s family before laying down a challenge to Rey Mysterio to face Rey at WrestleMania! Punk then states that he wants to face Rey right then and there, which Rey responds to by saying that it isn’t the “time” to be having a match. Punk then tells Rey’s young daughter that as a “birthday present” by allowing her to close her eyes while he “reduces Rey to tears”! Punk then turns his attention to Dominik and tells Rey’s son that he will make Rey “squeal like a pig”, before Punk addresses Rey’s wife, Angie, and tells Rey’s wife that Rey & Angie have had the “best of times”, but that after he does what he does to Rey, it will be the “worst of times” and advises Angie to “cover her mouth to muffle the screams”. Punk then asks Rey if he is “afraid” of his family seeing him get “hurt”, before calling Rey a “coward” and claiming that Rey’s own family knows it! Punk continues to chip away at Rey and tells the proud Superstar that Rey has “never had courage” and asks Rey what it’s going to take before slapping Rey in front of his family! Rey then leads his distraught family out of the ring and to the backstage area as Punk says Rey is taking his “walk of shame” before continuing to sing “Happy Birthday” to Aalyah. There is no question that CM Punk has stepped way over the line by insulting Rey Mysterio’s family and slapping Rey across the face in front of his family, but the question remains; what has prompted CM Punk to treat Rey and, more importantly, Rey’s family in such a manner? How and when will Rey Mysterio respond to the words and actions of Punk?
Sixteen nights before he and Big Show defends the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles against R-Truth & John Morrison, United States Champion The Miz, along with his NXT Rookie, Daniel Bryan, made an appearance on SmackDown as The Miz would go one-on-one with one of the men he will be facing at WrestleMania, R-Truth, who was accompanied by his NXT Rookie, David Otunga! At one point during the match, The Miz rolls up R-Truth and tries to get some additional, illegal leverage by putting his feet on the ropes, but Miz’s NXT Rookie, Daniel Bryan, takes Miz’s feet off of the ropes! After Bryan foiled his plan to steal a win over R-Truth, The Miz was hit with the Lie Detector by R-Truth en route to Truth picking up the win over one-half of the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions! How will The Miz respond to Daniel Bryan’s actions? Is R-Truth & John Morrison on the fast track to winning the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles from The Miz & Big Show at WrestleMania?
Backstage, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long confronts Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre and reveals that, in addition to his loss to Kane, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon has “expunged” McIntyre’s loss to Matt Hardy last week, as well! Long then reveals that McIntyre will get his third opportunity to qualify for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match against an opponent “hand-picked” by Mr. McMahon himself! Long then announces that, he can not change McIntyre’s match, but he can make it a “Winner-Take-All Money-in-the-Bank Qualifying Match” where the winner of the match will not only qualify for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania, but will also leave with the Intercontinental Championship! Who has Mr. McMahon selected as Drew McIntyre’s opponent? Can McIntyre qualify for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match in his third qualifying match and retain his Intercontinental Title?
In his third opportunity to qualify for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania, Drew McIntyre’s Intercontinental Title would also be on the line in a “Winner-Take-All” Match against an opponent “hand-picked” by Mr. McMahon. The Chairman-chosen opponent was a local preliminary wrestler by the name of Aaron Bolo! “The Chosen One” was able to make quick work of the local athlete by hitting the Future Shock DDT and pinning Bolo to retain his Intercontinental Title and, finally, punch his ticket to WrestleMania as McIntyre joins Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Jack Swagger, MVP, Matt Hardy, & Evan Bourne in the annual Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match! Can Drew McIntyre emerge from WrestleMania as “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” or will one of his very capable opponents synch the Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity?
After his tag team partner, The Miz, was defeated by R-Truth earlier in the night, the other half of the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions, Big Show, would go one-on-one with the other half of the #1 Contenders for the titles at WrestleMania, John Morrison! In the end, the speed and creativity of John Morrison was no match for the sheer size and power of Big Show as “The World’s Largest Athlete” was able to pick up the win over Morrison following the vicious Knockout Punch of Big Show! Will Big Show achieve the same result at WrestleMania en route to him and The Miz retaining the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles or will R-Truth & John Morrison be able to dethrone The Miz & Big Show by winning the gold?
The Hart Dynasty was in tag team action on SmackDown as they would face off with Cryme Tyme, but the match was quickly interrupted by the familiar sound of a gong and the dimming of the lights that signifies the arrival of The Undertaker! When the lights come back on, “The Phenom” is standing before the two teams before The Undertaker lays waste to all four Superstars as he delivers a chokeslam to Shad, the Last Ride to Tyson Kidd, the Tombstone to David Hart Smith, and forces JTG to submit to Hell’s Gate! The Undertaker has sent a clear cut message to Shawn Michaels as their WrestleMania showdown draws near, but can The Undertaker deliver the same destruction to Shawn Michaels that he has brought upon Cryme Tyme & The Hart Dynasty or, with his career on the line, will Shawn Michaels be the one to end the undefeated WrestleMania streak of The Undertaker?
In a match ordered by SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero, the newest SmackDown Diva, Tiffany, would go one-on-one with the confident Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, with Layla & Vickie Guerrero herself supporting McCool on the outside of the ring! The former ECW General Manager had things well in hand against the Women’s Champion until, on the outside, Vickie rammed into Tiffany for the disqualification! After the match, McCool delivered a vicious knee to the head of Tiffany! McCool threw Tiffany back into the ring and was joined by Layla & Vickie Guerrero as the trio was set to deliver more punishment to Tiffany, but Tiffany was saved by Beth Phoenix as “The Glamazon” entered the ring and cleaned house of both McCool & Layla! Phoenix then turned her attention to SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero as Phoenix delivered a clothesline to the crooked authority figure! Phoenix then set Vickie up for the Glam Slam, but the Consultant was saved by McCool as McCool pre-occupied Phoenix long enough for Vickie to escape! How will Vickie respond to Phoenix’s actions?
After berating Rey Mysterio and Mysterio’s family earlier in the night, CM Punk’s “Straightedge Disciple” Luke Gallows would go one-on-one with the largest participant in the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania, “The Big Red Machine” Kane. Kane had the match in hand after delivering a thunderous chokeslam to Luke Gallows, but CM Punk interferes and attacks Kane before managing to hoist Kane up and deliver the GTS! Then, with his family safely backstage, Rey Mysterio comes out to avenge the words and actions of CM Punk earlier in the night as the two of them engage in a brawl outside of the ring and in the crowd before referees are finally able to separate the two Superstars; which gives CM Punk the opportunity to flee the scene to the backstage area! Is CM Punk realizing that he has made a mistake by making his rivalry with Rey personal or will CM Punk continue to chip away at the psyche of Rey Mysterio?
After a two-year absence, it was then time for the return of The Highlight Reel as World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho brings back his show to house his guest, the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania, Edge! Once both champion and challenger are in the ring, Jericho tells Edge that he “deals in reality” and is an “honest man”. Jericho then brings up Edge’s history of injuries and says that he has remained “injury-free” in his career, which Edge responds to by saying he takes “risks” in his career and he will take any “risks” he sees fit in order to take the World Heavyweight Title from Chris Jericho at WrestleMania! Jericho then tells Edge that Edge’s biggest “risk” is challenging Jericho at WrestleMania and calls Edge a “fraud” before alleging that Edge has never succeeded on his own and saying that his biggest successes stemmed from his relationship with Vickie Guerrero! Edge responds by admitting that everyone has had girlfriends that they have regretted having; for him, it was Vickie Guerrero and, for Jericho, it was Big Show! Jericho tells Edge that Edge came back too early from his injury and that he is still injured! Jericho then guarantees to defeat Edge at WrestleMania and injure Edge for another six months! Edge responds by saying that he is going to make Jericho an ex-champion come WrestleMania after hitting him with the Spear! Jericho then pops Edge in the head with a microphone before attacking him with one of the stools set up in the ring for The Highlight Reel! Edge bounces back from the attack and hits Jericho with his patented Edgecution DDT before setting Jericho up for the Spear! However, Jericho had the move well-scouted as he was able to catch Edge in the skull with the World Heavyweight Title belt; leveling the #1 Contender with a sickening thud! Jericho then stood tall over Edge holding the World Heavyweight Title. Will this be the same result come WrestleMania or will Edge hit Jericho with the Spear and win the World Heavyweight Title in sixteen nights at WrestleMania?