WWE Smackdown on The CW
Taped April 1 in Miami, Fla.

[Q1] The opening video aired... Michael Cole and Jonathan Coachman introduced the show and announced that Shawn Michaels would be on the show to discuss his mixed emotions over ending Ric Flair's career...

Edge walked walked to the ring with Vickie Guerrero (in her wheelchair), Teddy Long (pushing wheelchair), Chavo Guerrero, Zach Ryder, and Curt Hawkins. Edge, wearing a Chavo t-shirt (who knew those existed?) took the mic and said he's never been so ticked off in his life. He said he feels naked without the World Hvt. Title.

Edge promised Vickie he would regain the title. Chavo took the mic and vowed to become the ECW Champion again. Vickie took the mic and announced that Edge and Chavo would get their rematches at the WWE Backlash pay-per-view. She also booked their opponents, Undertaker and Kane, in a match against one another... [C]

Powell's POV: Good segment. Edge especially put over his frustration in losing the title, and Vickie announcing their rematches is a logical move. Well, assuming were supposed to believe that she arranged Chavo's rematch via ECW general manager (or whatever the hell his title is) Armando Estrada.

Highlights aired of Matt Hardy attacking MVP at the pay-per-view...

[Q2] 1. Matt Hardy pinned MVP in a non-title match in 11:30. Slow match with very little heat for the first six minutes as MVP dominated Matt. Coach pointed out that MVP was more concerned with punishing Hardy than pinning him after what took place at WrestleMania. The match wasn't much faster when Hardy gained control of the offense. He worked over MVP's left knee for a few minutes.

They picked up the pace around the 10:00 mark when Hardy hit the side effect. He set up for his finisher, but MVP caught him with a clothesline. MVP made a brief comeback, but Hardy hit the Twist of Fate and scored the clean pin... [C]

Powell's POV: It wasn't a fast-paced match, but they told a story in the ring and the announcers explained it well on commentary by saying they were more concerned with hurting each other than anything. The crowd was quiet at times, but they came to life for the finish.

[Q3] 2. Jesse and Festus beat Zach Ryder and Curt Hawkins in 4:00. Before the match, Ryder and Hawkins cut a promo in which they bragged that Edge taught them everything he knows. Typical Festus match. Good power moves and he pinned one of the Edge guys...

Powell's POV: I just watched Ryder and Hawkins cut a promo and work an entire match, yet I still don't know one from the other.

The announcers hyped HBK's appearance for later in the show and said a look back at the Raw tribute to Ric Flair would be coming up after the break... WrestleMania 24 highlights aired... [C]

[Q4] Cole and Coachman announced that Vickie had ruled that if Taker or Kane refused to compete they would be stripped of their respective title belts... Highlights aired of HBK vs. Flair and of Flair's Raw tribute ceremony... A shot aired of HBK walking backstage... [C]

Powell's POV: That's such a great video. It's the same one they played on ECW on Tuesday night. It just doesn't get old.

HBK walked to the ring for a promo. He said he got closure on Monday night during the Flair tribute. Batista's music interrupted him. Batista came out wearing a sleeveless leather jacket that only Rob Halford would wear. Batita said it bothers him that he'll never see his mentor Flair compete again. "You think that was easy for me, Dave?" HBK said. "It's the hardest thing I've ever done."

Batista said he knows Michaels has mixed emotions, yet he accused him of making the wrong decision. Shawn said Flair asked for his A-game and said Batista would have done the same thing.

[Q5] "No, I wouldn't have let my ego get in the way of my friendship with Ric," Batista responded. Michaels said he had a job to do and he did it. "You had a job to do and you didn't do it," Batista said. "Oh, that's right, Shawn Michaels, Mr. Showstopper doesn't do jobs." He said he once thought HBK was a standup guy, but now he considers him the most selfish person in the business.

Batista took offense to HBK using the term "Old Yeller" during the Raw promo. "Is that the way you see Ric Flair, like some type of sick, pathetic, dying dog?" Batista asked. Batista dropped the mic and left the ring. The announcers didn't say a word because that's en vogue in WWE right now. Rather, they showed a graphic for the Taker vs. Kane match and we got to listen to one guy chant "HBK" repeatedly... [C]

Powell's POV: Great segment. Batista was a little whiney, which is fine if he's turning or even playing a tweener role. HBK is really playing up the conflicted role well.

A shot aired of Kane standing backstage by himself. Undertaker walked into the picture, looked Kane in the eye, and then walked away...

3. Vladimir Kozlov squashed Matt Bentley in 1:15. Squash match. Bentley wore a singlet to the ring and looked like a jobber compared to his TNA days. Kozlov was all kicks and power moves... [C]

Powell's POV: Wow, a Russian heel in 2008. They even flashed the old Soviet flag and the people booed before he even walked through the curtain.

[Q6] 4. John Morrison and The Miz defeated Jimmy Wang Yang and Shannon Moore at 1:32. Morrison hit the neckbreaker on Moore and scored the quick pin. After the match, Great Khali walked to the ring and beat up all four wrestlers. Khali cut a brief promo in his native tongue, but his promo was cut off by Big Show's music.

Show walked to the ring and got in Khali's face. "Monday night you got in my face, tonight I'm in yours," Show said. Just as he did on Monday, Khali left the ring before anything physical took place...

A commercial aired for WrestleMania 25 in Houston... [C]

Powell's POV: It just wouldn't be a week without someone squashing the tag division. They avoided burying any tag teams on Raw this week, so they had Khali take care of two teams on Smackdown. And here I was looking forward to watching what looked like a good tag match on paper. Silly me.

WWE just revealed that Tony Soprano died in the finale. I wasn't sure until three of his former henchmen showed up on tonight's show and revealed that they had to pick up jobs designing choppers. Anyone who saw the show will know what I'm talking about. Teddy Long was with the chopper designers and he announced that Michelle McCool won the Diva contest and the custom made chopper. Shocking.

[Q7] Victoria walked out to rain on Michelle's parade. They fought briefly at ringside and then a mystery woman ran out and attacked Michelle and Cherry (Diva contest runnerup). Cole and Coach provided no insight during the segment because WWE suddenly likes to pay their announcers not to speak during pivotal points in the broadcast. Yeah, I don't get the announcer thing either... [C]

Powell's POV: They mystery woman is Nattie Neidhart, who is the daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. She has been training in Florida Championship Wrestling for a while now...

More highlights aired from WrestleMania 24... Kane made his ring entrance... [C]

[Q8] 5. Undertaker fought Kane to a no-contest at 9:08. Early in the match, Coach said he believes the strategy of both men is to win the match without seriously hurting the other. "That's why you're the best color man in the business," Cole responded. Um, I don't even know what to say about that awkward exchange.

The first five minutes of the match were slow, but things changed when Kane shoved Taker in the corner. Taker fired back with a punch that phased Kane. They traded punches and Taker got the better of the exchange. At 8:00, Taker grabbed Kane by the throat. Kane responded by grabbing Taker by the throat. They pushed off and exchanged simultaneous boots to the head.

With both men struggling to get to their feet, Edge, Chavo, Ryder, and Hawkins ran out and attacked the Brothers of Destruction. Just when the heels thought it was safe to celebrate the attacks, Taker and Kane sat up got the better of the heels. They cleared Ryder and Hawkins from the ring and then hit simultaneous chokeslams and tombstone piledrivers on Edge and Chavo.

Taker and Kane stood over their Backlash opponents and raised their respective title belts into the air. Cole and coach narrated highlights of Taker and Kane beating up Edge and Chavo. Back "live," Taker and Kane stood at the top of the stage with their backs to the crowd and raised their titles in the air to close the show...

Powell's POV: I was bothered by the cheap finish for a minute, but they sent the crowd and viewers away happy by having Taker and Kane plow through the heels and hit their finishing moves simultaneously. Good finish to the show. By the way, it sounds like they are calling Vickie and Edge's group La Familia now. I'll have more to say about tonight's broadcast in Saturday's Smackdown Hitlist.

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