Two nights before SummerSlam, the 573rd edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA. Two nights before they square off for the World Heavyweight Championship and one week after accusing each other of being the assailant behind the attack on The Undertaker, World Heavyweight Champion Kane will have a face-off with his #1 Contender, Rey Mysterio!
>>Match Results<<
- Non-Title: Kane def. Kofi Kingston by pin following the Tombstone Piledriver.
- "Dashing" Cody Rhodes def. Christian by pin following the Cross Rhodes.
- 3-on-1 Handicap Match: Big Show def. Jody Reese, Derek Werley, & Fernando Vega (jobbers) by pinning Derek Werley following the Knockout Punch.
- Drew McIntyre def. Matt Hardy by pin following the Future Shock DDT.
- MVP def. Jack Swagger by roll-up.
- Non-Title: Rey Mysterio def. Dolph Ziggler by roll-up.
>>Detailed Results<<
The show kicks off with SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero, who introduces the new Intercontinental Champion, Dolph Ziggler! Vickie then calls Dolph “more electrifying than The Rock”, “has more heart than Bret”, and is “sexier than Shawn Michaels” and Dolph is all hers! The new champion then states that, without Vickie, he would not be the “total package”! Vickie then states that she can not wait to get out of San Jose and enjoy a vacation in Tahiti! The celebratory love-fest is then crashed by Kofi Kingston who rushes to the ring and attacks Dolph before Kofi is pulled off of the new champion! This brings out the SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who ruins Dolph & Vickie’s vacation plans as Long announces that Dolph Ziggler will make his first defense of the Intercontinental Title against former champion Kofi Kingston in two nights at SummerSlam! The GM then announced that Dolph Ziggler will also be in action on SmackDown as Dolph would go one-on-one with the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, Rey Mysterio! SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero then proclaims that, if Dolph is going to compete, then Kofi will as well as Kofi will go one-on-one with the World Heavyweight Champion, Kane! However, Theodore Long reminds Vickie that she is only the Consultant, while he is the one with the “power” on SmackDown! A determined Kofi Kingston then grabs the microphone from the GM and states that he is not a “coward” like Dolph Ziggler and he has “no problem” going one-on-one with Kane and he will even face Kane in the opening match!
Two nights before he gets his rematch for the Intercontinental Title against new champion Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam, Kofi Kingston would go one-on-one with World Heavyweight Champion Kane just two nights before Kane defends the World Heavyweight Title against Rey Mysterio! In the end, it was Kane delivering a huge chokeslam from the top rope before spiking Kofi Kingston with the Tombstone Piledriver en route to picking up the win! After the match, Kane states that Rey Mysterio attacked his brother, The Undertaker, and that Rey’s “desperation” was the “motivation” for his actions! Kane then proclaims that Rey’s “lies” will not protect him from the wrath of Kane at SummerSlam and also proclaims that “vengeance will be delivered by the devil’s favorite demon”! The #1 Contender Rey Mysterio then comes out and calls himself “one of god’s humble servants” before stating that, if there was one person who had the “motive” to attack The Undertaker, it was Kane! Rey continues that Kane is the one who found The Undertaker, as well as the one who “wrongfully accused” others before stating that Kane was also motivated by living in The Undertaker’s “shadow” since they were born! Rey states that Kane has the “most to gain” and, if The Undertaker was there, then the World Heavyweight Title would be in The Undertaker’s hands! Rey then proclaims that this Sunday, the World Heavyweight Title will be in his hands! Is Rey Mysterio right in accusing Kane of attacking The Undertaker? Has Rey Mysterio got in the head of Kane? Can Rey Mysterio regain the World Heavyweight Title from Kane this Sunday at SummerSlam?
Backstage, Drew McIntyre catches up with “Dashing” Cody Rhodes and tells Rhodes that, if Rhodes can not beat Christian, then he is not “dashing”, he is just “disappointing”! Will Drew McIntyre’s motivation work for “Dashing” Cody Rhodes?
For the first time since having his left shoulder assaulted by Drew McIntyre two weeks, “Captain Charisma” Christian would go one-on-one with “Dashing” Cody Rhodes! In the end, it was Cody Rhodes taking advantage of the injured left shoulder by throwing Christian shoulder-first into the steel ring post before hitting the Cross Rhodes to pick up the big win!
Two nights before he faces The Straightedge Society’s CM Punk, Luke Gallows, & Joey Mercury in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match at SummerSlam, “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show was in action on SmackDown as he would face local competitors Jody Reese, Derek Werley, & Fernando Vega in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match with The Straightedge Society watching from the stage! Big Show made quick work of the three preliminary competitors as he flattened Jody Reese and Fernando Vega with chokeslams before laying Derek Werley out with the Knockout Punch en route to picking up the dominant win! After the match, CM Punk tells Big Show that Show’s “pea brain” can not tell the difference between the three “ham and eggers” Big Show just defeated and his “sin-free machine of self-discipline” that is going to “crush” Big Show before proclaiming that The Straightedge Society will present an “orchestra” this Sunday called “the destruction of Big Show”! Can even the three-on-one advantage that The Straightedge Society will have over Big Show be enough to stop the angry giant?
Intense rivals would square off on SmackDown as Matt Hardy would go one-on-one with “The Chosen One” Drew McIntyre! The match looked to take a turn for the worst on the outside for Matt Hardy as Drew McIntyre placed the foot and ankle of Matt between the steel steps and crushing the ankle of Matt in the process, which led to Drew McIntyre hitting the Future Shock DDT in the ring en route to picking up the win! What is the status of Matt Hardy after Drew McIntyre’s attack on Matt’s ankle?
Two weeks after being thrown into the Gulf of Mexico by Rey Mysterio, “The All-American American” Jack Swagger made an appearance on SmackDown! Swagger states that, when he looks at the fans, he sees people who look for an “excuse” to “feel sorry” for themselves, but he is not like them because he has a “legitimate excuse”! Swagger continues that he has been through “everything” over the last two months from being “cheated” out of his World Heavyweight Title to being thrown into the Gulf of Mexico to having to witness his father being attacked by Kane! Swagger then states that “SummerSlam has lost its Swagger” before Swagger is interrupted by “The Ballin’ Superstar” MVP, who states that “nobody cares” about Swagger’s problems! Jack Swagger responds by saying everyone should care about his problems before reminding MVP that they had a similar discussion last year! MVP then recalls that they did have a similar conversation last year and that it led to him defeating Swagger at last year’s SummerSlam! Swagger then blasts MVP in the head with a microphone before hurling MVP into the ringside barricade! How will MVP respond to this attack?
Following their confrontation moments earlier, an impromptu match took place on SmackDown as “The Ballin’ Superstar” MVP would go one-on-one with “The All-American American” Jack Swagger! In the end, it was MVP coming out of nowhere to roll up Jack Swagger to pick up the big win! How will Jack Swagger respond to this loss?
The very confident Alberto Del Rio will make his debut as the self-proclaimed “honest man” and “the bravest of the brave” will make his first appearance in a WWE ring on next week’s SmackDown! What will this new, very confident SmackDown Superstar bring to Friday Nights? Who will Alberto Del Rio butt heads with first on SmackDown?
Then it was time for the main event as, two nights before he challenges Kane for the World Heavyweight Title at SummerSlam, Rey Mysterio would go one-on-one with new Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler just two nights before Dolph defends his gold against Kofi Kingston at “The Biggest Event of the Summer”! During the match, Rey Mysterio looked to be lining up for the 619 when the World Heavyweight Champion, Kane, comes out and wheels a casket to ringside before standing at ringside with the casket opened as the match continues! At the end of a hard-fought match, it was Rey Mysterio catching Dolph Ziggler with a roll-up to pick up the win! After the match, Kane tried to get the better of Rey Mysterio, but Rey got the better of Kane and ultimately knocked Kane into the casket! What will happen when these two go to war over the World Heavyweight Title this Sunday at SummerSlam?