Dot Net reader John Bucher attended the WWE Smackdown taping in Richmond, Va. and filed the following report.

Jeff Hardy started with one of his best promos in recent memory.

,b>1. Jeff Hardy defeated Chris Jericho. Hardy went for a Whisper in the wind that didn't really connect. Jericho hit the Codebreaker. Hardy won via Swanton. Amazing match. Jericho and Hardy are two of the best workers in the industry.

Michelle McCool cut a backstage promo. She will defend the WWE Women's Title vs. Melina at Night of Champions. Melina threw makeup in her face.

2. Great Khali (w/Runjin Singh) defeated Mike Knox. Khali's music rules. I don't know shy they book Knox in these matches. He's obviously better than Khali, I believe that's a 10 year old beard. Kane interfered the match after a frying pan hand from Khali to Knox. Mike Knox is built like Fort Knox. Khali won after a slam. Kane watched from the ramp. He entered after the match and puts one leg over the rope before backing off.

3. Dolph Ziggler (w/Maria) defeated Finlay via countout. Finlay needs a gimmick refresh bad. The shillelagh is old. Finlay can work and needs a decent gimmick...

Kane and Jericho promo backstage. We couldn't hear it. Thanks Richmond coliseum.

C.M. Punk came out and called us slaves for living in the moment. He feels bad for us. "It's hard being straight edge, it's hard to be me," Punk said. Hardy interrupted and said Punk forgot what it's like to be human. Punk said he didn't want to stand in the same ring as Hardy. He said he was gonna say what Hardy should have said a long time ago and walk away. "No". Punk left. Commercial.

4. Eve (w/Cryme Tyme) defeated Natalya (w/The Hart Dynasty). Natalya is the best looking and best working diva in WWE. Eve won with a moonsault. What is WWE thinking!? The best female wrestler is doing jobs for..... Eve?! Jesus. Terrible.

Jericho and khali talking about him possibly being the tag team partner of Jericho on Sunday.

5. R-Truth defeated Charlie Haas. I wish they'd give Haas a real push. The guy can work. Haas worked the leg for a while. R-Truth won with the scissor kick.

6. Rey Mysterio beat C.M. Punk by an apparent DQ. Pretty okay match. Ziggler walked down the ramp in the middle of it. Rey hit the 619 and Ziggler nailed him after a two-count. Rey went for the 619 on Ziggler and Punk caught him. Ziggler hits Rey with his finisher twice and stood over him. Hardy rushed the ring and nailed Ziggler. Punk came down the ramp and hit the GTS on Hardy.

Dark Match

1. C.M. Punk defeated Jeff Hardy in a steel cage match. Hardy was selling the GTS for like 10 minutes while they put the cage up. Jeff missed the Swanton, and Punk pinned him for the win. Punk said on the mic after the match that he could have won if he had never taken a drag off a cigarette and had lungs as pure as Punk's. Hardy said he'll drink to that before hitting the Twist of Fate and Swanton.

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