Powell Editorials WWE Smackdown Hitlist: Triple H vs. Shelton Benjamin, Jeff Hardy vs. MVP, The Brian Kendrick, Vickie Guerrero, R-Truth, Natalya, Maryse, Michelle McCool, Maria By Jason Powell Aug 30, 2008 - 12:01 PM CLICK FOR BIO Email This Article | Printer Friendly Page Send Us News & Results | Back to Main Listing Dot Net Members received the first look at this article last night within 30 minutes of the show going off the air. To become a Dot Net Member for only $5 per month, visit the Dot Net Members' Signup Page. WWE Smackdown Hits Triple H vs. Shelton Benjamin: Good action. Jim Ross and Tazz did a nice job of telling the story that Shelton hung in there with the WWE Champion. There was a fun spot when Hunter went for the Pedigree early and Shelton slipped out. Hunter flashed a look that made it seem like there was nothing he wanted more in the world than to hit his finisher, as Shelton sold it perfectly by flashing a simultaneous look of concern and relief. Hunter got the win, but Shelton got plenty of offense and looked good in defeat. Plus, he got the better of Hunter by striking him with the U.S. Title belt. Jeff Hardy vs. MVP: I've been looking forward to this match since Tuesday night and they didn't disappoint. Hardy and MVP got more match time on free television than they did on pay-per-view. Shelton's interference at the end is probably setting up a three-way for after the pay-per-view, but it doubles as hype for the Championship Scramble match. It was a big night for Shelton, as he left three top performers lying. The Brian Kendrick: Strong promo. He flashed the crazy eyes and delivered the a that great line about walking the fine line between genius and insanity. Good delivery and nice, subtle facial expressions. He's quickly become a highlight of Friday nights. Here's hoping the gimmick catches on with the casual fans. Brie Bella vs. Victoria: Cute gimmick. Viewers who haven't figured it out must be wondering if she took an illegal stimulant when she ducked under the ring. Big Show: I'm really happy he didn't turn into the old Big Show that yelled and slobbered. The laid back Big Show is great. His nonchalant approach when it came to beating up three other wrestlers was fun. R-Truth: Kudos to the production crew for editing this match and making it look like a solid squash. The actual match that was taped on Tuesday night went roughly five minutes and was lousy, according to Dot Net reader Ben Hough. The version of match that aired on television was roughly two minutes long and made Ron Killings look good. WWE Smackdown Misses Natalya and Maryse vs. Michelle McCool and Maria: I have some petty gripes about the Smackdown Divas and this seems like a good place to get them out of my system. Natalya's husky laugh is a buzzkill. I don't care if her father had a good laugh, she doesn't. McCool is a lousy actor. Maryse is even worse and her pre-match antics looked really forced this week. As for Maria, I really miss the ditzy version of her character. Vickie Guerrero: She's playing the unlikable victim in the pro wrestling version of a horror movie. I'm sure the crowd will pop once Taker finally gets his hands on her, but I can't get past the fact that she doesn't just suspend him again. After all, she banished him from WWE once before and it's not like he showed up at her house. Yes, I'm being finicky and refusing to suspend my disbelief. By the way, my guess is that it will be revealed that Edge was in the locker room when the lights went out. I wouldn't be surprised if Vickie disappeared for a couple of weeks and returned whenever Edge does. That's just a guess, though. Live Crowd: The Pittsburgh crowd was painfully quiet. DId Ben Roethlisberger try to headbutt a moving Chrysler New Yorker again? Did Sidney Crosby suffer a knee injury that I'm not aware of? Did the Pirates lose again? No, that's not it. The Steel City fans are used to that. No matter the cause, that was one flat crowd. BOOKMARK DOT NET AND ADD US TO YOUR RSS • HELP DOT NET: TAKE OUR ADVERTISER DEMO SURVEY CLICK TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING OR SELECT A LINK BELOW FROM THIS CATEGORY Powell Editorials Latest Twelve Articles TNA Impact Hitlist: TNA announces the most ridiculous title match in company history, bringing back the briefcase fiasco match and the Turkey Bowl, four on-air authority figures WWE Raw Hitlist: John Morrison and The Miz pull off a big upset over Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio, Stephanie McMahon takes wrestler questions, C.M. Punk, Randy Orton, Manu, Cryme Tyme TNA Impact Hitlist: Main Event Mafia attacks Christian Cage, Mick Foley's speech, Motor City Machine Guns, Samoa Joe and A.J. 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