4/15/2011 WWE SmackDown Report

4/15/2011 WWE SmackDown Report

By The Reporter ? WrestleSite.com

Tonight, Edge surrenders the World Heavyweight Championship.

No Green Day or pyro this week as we open cold with Josh Matthews welcoming us- sets a more somber tone for the evening.

Alberto Del Rio?s gloating entrance quickly brings things back to normal. Tonight is not about Del Rio; tonight is about someone else. When Edge announced his retirement, the entire locker room and the WWE Universe lost a hero. When Del Rio thinks about Edge, he thinks about respect. He held more championships than anybody. Now, he is giving up on everything in this incredible business. This was his life; his passion; his love. Even though it was Del Rio?s destiny to be World Champion, he didn?t want it like this. However, since Edge is here to surrender the championship- and since Del Rio won the number one contendership last week- it?s only fair that he is presented with the World Heavyweight Championship. We hear a smattering of claps followed by an ?Edge? chant until.

Teddy Long?s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Long is sorry to disappoint Del Rio, but it won?t be going down like that tonight. No one will be presenting Del Rio with anything. Del Rio reminds Long that he is the number one contender. Long agrees, and that gives him the opportunity to compete for said championship at Extreme Rules. His opponent will be the winner of a 20-Man Battle Royal taking place tonight. Del Rio thinks he should be the champion right here, right now- this is a conspiracy. Del Rio never liked Long. Del Rio is glad he hurt Edge. He is glad he is the man who forced him to retire. It was his destiny to end up like a crippled coward. Right now, Del Rio?s destiny is to shut up! Awww shit. Long walks away to end the segment.

Match One: Ezekiel Jackson (0-2) vs. Kofi Kingston (7-8)
Zeke is in the ring as we come back from commercial, and the rest of The Corre is on commentary. Lockup to start and Zeke pushes Kingston away. Kingston comes at him with strikes and slugs away in the corner. He retreats and charges but Zeke knocks him down and clubs on the back. Zeke hits a bodyslam but falls to a tomahawk chop off the middle rope. Kingston continues with a dropkick that sends Zeke to the outside and another dropkick through the ropes. Kingston follows to the outside, only to be press slammed onto The Corre. Back inside, Kingston catches Zeke with a kick and Barrett tries to go after Zeke for throwing Kingston onto him. The distraction allows Zeke to hit with a knee lift and his uranage for the win.
Winner: Ezekiel Jackson in 2:00
Rating: * (Zeke hasn?t had very many singles matches since his return, and it showed here. He seems out of place in a ring and not fully comfortable just yet. This served its purpose, but I don?t know how they expect him to improve without more time between the ropes.)

Post-match, Ezekiel Jackson gets on the mic. After tonight?s battle royal, The Corre and the entire WWE Universe will know why Zeke is the Personification of Domination and new number one contender. Remember when Lex Luger flubbed the letters ?WCW? during an in-ring promo? Zeke did the same exact thing with ?personification.?

Later tonight, Edge surrenders the World Heavyweight Championship.

Earlier this week, Michelle McCool and Layla attended couple?s therapy. McCool doesn?t know why they are there in the first place- they aren?t a couple. Layla says they are a team like Thelma and Louise. McCool?s back hurts because she?s been carrying Layla since day one. The counselor tries to get a word in, but LayCool simultaneously interrupt him. McCool wants Layla to stop stealing her spotlight. All Layla has done since McCool has been injured is lose. If Layla wants to be her equal, she should grow three feet, get blonde hair and improve in the ring. McCool leaves and Layla screams that she?s keeping her shoes.

Cody Rhodes stands alone in the center of a dimly lit ring. His face is concealed by his hoodie. After he defeated Rey Mysterio at Wrestlemania in what he thought would be the biggest night of his life, he expected to feel vindicated. Instead, Rhodes felt nothing. It?s not enough, and tonight, he is competing in the battle royal. Will that be enough? Is there a victory in winning the World Heavyweight Championship? Will it erase the disfigurement? Everybody knows Mysterio is a father. Rhodes is sure he has tucked them into bed, assuring them there is no monster under the bed. Rhodes wants his kids to be horrified at the sight of Mysterio?s face. That would be vindication. Mysterio?s music hits and he runs to the ring. He sets Rhodes up for 619 but Rhodes avoids it. Mysterio manages to connect with it on the midsection, sending Rhodes retreating.

Is that.Bull Nakano? Nahhh.

Match Two: Rey Mysterio (9-4) vs. Drew McIntyre (4-8)
Mysterio is still in the ring after his altercation with Rhodes. McIntyre talks some trash at the start and misses with a clothesline. Mysterio strikes but McIntyre comes back with a right hand. He misses a splash in the corner but takes Mysterio down with a nice powerslam for two. McIntyre mounts with fists and lifts Mysterio off the ground for a backbreaker. Cover gets two and he stomps on the head a couple times. McIntyre hits a snap suplex for two and throws Mysterio into the corner. He tries for another backbreaker but Mysterio avoids it with a headscissors. McIntyre catches him with a boot but Mysterio comes right back with a kick of his own and dropkicks McIntyre to the outside. Mysterio follows up with a low dropkick through the ropes. He tries for a rana but McIntyre catches and throws him into the barricade as we go to commercial.

Back from break, McIntyre has Mysterio in an armbar. He throws him into the ropes and clubs the back. Mysterio gets a go-behind and throws McIntyre to the outside. McIntyre tries to get back in but Mysterio kicks him through the ropes and hits a springboard legdrop for two. He bounces off the ropes and tries for a rana but McIntyre catches him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. He stomps on the chest and delivers hard clubs before pressing Mysterio?s head against the mat. McIntyre goes back to the armbar and hits a shoulderblock in the corner. He charges a second time but goes shoulder-first into the post. Mysterio climbs to the top and hits with a seated senton. He continues with a rana and a springboard crossbody for two. McIntyre comes back with a sunset flip but Mysterio rolls through and runs into a big boot for two. McIntyre stands over Mysterio and wants a Future Shock DDT but Mysterio avoids it. Instead, McIntyre lifts him for a powerbomb and drops him onto the middle rope. Mysterio comes off with a DDT for two as McIntyre gets his foot on the rope. Mysterio kicks at the shoulder before being thrown into the corner and getting hit with a clothesline on the rebound. Nice. McIntyre is too exhausted to make the cover but he throws Mysterio into the corner and this with a clothesline. He tries for a second clothesline but gets dropped into position for the 619. It connects and so does the splash off the top. Match over.
Winner: Rey Mysterio in 12:00
Rating: *** (Very nice, hard-hitting TV match with great flow. McIntyre carries himself incredibly well in the ring, and has a unique moveset that he manages to work in nicely with his wear down holds. He isn?t in a program at the moment though, so the Mysterio win makes sense.)

At ringside, Josh Matthews and Booker T reminisce about Edge. We get a video highlighting Edge?s career.
In the back, Edge (in a suit) is applauded as he makes his way down a corridor. Sightings: Dean Malenko, Matt Striker, Chavo Guerrero and Kane.

Edge Surrenders the World Heavyweight Championship
Edge makes his entrance without pyro. Crowd applauds and chants ?Edge? before he can begin. For those of us who may have missed it, ?last night? on Raw, Edge announced his retirement. It has made him open his eyes to everything once again. It?s almost as if he?s seeing everything for the first time. Edge has been involved in some of the most insane moments in WWE history. TLC, 20-foot super Spears, diving onto flaming tables with thumbtacks on his back, Elimination Chamber matches, and Hell in a Cell matches with Undertaker. No matter what, even if he had been up for two nights or taken Red Eye flights, as soon as he came down the ramp to the coolest music in the WWE and heard the crowd, it gave him energy. ?Thank you Edge!? chants the crowd. The crowd gave him goose bumps every time, and he has to do it one last time. He runs up the ramp and behind the curtain. The music hits and he does the full entrance, pyro and slide included. He jokes that he?s out of shape already- that tired him out. The outpouring from everyone has been awesome. Many are sad that his career is forced to come to an end, but he feels most are happy this was caught before he had a potentially debilitating ladder match. He?s happy about that, and the crowd cheers. He?s happy about looking at the rest of his life; happy about taking his girl and dogs to Nicaragua for some surfing. He?s happy about the fact he gets to wear one of his two suits- he bought this particular one for $100 at JC Penny. He?s happy he got to come to Albany. It holds a special place for him as it?s the place he won his very first WWE Championship. It?s the place where he was sitting in a rental car and came up with the name Edge. What makes him most happy is that his mom could be here tonight. We get a shot of her sitting in the front row. She is the strongest woman he has ever met. ?Thank you mom? chants bring a smile to her face. She instilled the strength in him to come back from all the injuries- if it wasn?t for her, he wouldn?t be here tonight. Finally, he?s happy to be here in front of the WWE Universe. He doesn?t want this to get sappy and corny- and it probably already has- but his World Heavyweight Championship means everything to him. He worked his entire career to achieve it. But it doesn?t only belong to him- each and every one of us deserves a piece. Now, it?s time to relinquish it. In closing, he wants to thank us all- it has been one hell of a career. He gets a standing ovation and one last ?Thank you Edge? chant before setting the strap down in the middle of the ring. He embraces his mom and leaves.
(It gave me chills to see Edge do the full entrance one last time. The speech on the whole was a little more polished than his initial announcement from Raw, with less ?uhhs? and ?ahhs.? Each speech had its own vibe, but both were equally fantastic and heartfelt. Edge was one of the most versatile characters in the WWE, always managing to adapt and stand out, both through his work in the ring and his natural ability on the mic. I admire his decision to walk away in a business where so few do.)

We get a preview of What I Am starring Randy Orton. He doesn?t appear to have a major role in it.

In the back, Rosa Mendes speaks broken Spanish to Edge. Edge has no idea what she said, but she had him at ?quero.? She continues her incredibly forced words in English until Alberto Del Rio shows up. He offers his hand, then winks with a grin on his face. Edge walks away.

Match Three: Kelly Kelly (3-4) vs. Layla (6-7)
McCool, as she has for the past month or so, is on commentary. Layla attacks at the bell with a choke on the mat. She slams her down but Kelly gets back into it with a Thesz Press. Layla kicks but runs into a kick in the corner. Kelly applies the modified Tarantula in the ropes and takes her to the floor. Kelly rams Layla?s head into the floor but gets tossed into the apron. Kelly throws Layla into the ColeMine and hits the K-Factor. Kelly re-enters and McCool tosses Layla back in to beat the count. Kelly rolls her up for the win.
Winner: Kelly Kelly in 2:00
Rating: * (Pretty good intensity and it served its purpose well in following up on the tension between LayCool. That K-Factor on the outside was pretty cool too.)

Post-match, Michelle McCool knocks Layla on her ass.

At ringside, Booker T asks Michael Cole why he would slap his trainer, Jack Swagger. Cole apologizes and promises to make it right.

We get the video package from Raw on the HHH/Undertaker match from Wrestlemania 27.

Match Four: 20-Man Battle Royal-Winner Faces Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules
Big Show is introduced first and we go to commercial. Back from break, the ring is filled with superstars and Kane comes out as the 20th man. Alberto Del Rio is at ringside. Melee to start. Show goes after Zeke but ends up eliminating JTG. Barreta tries to eliminate Show, but gets tossed with ease. Slater is the next to go with a Knockout Punch off the apron. The road ends for Show as he eliminates himself and Zeke with a huge clothesline. Swagger and McIntyre team up to try and eliminate Kingston but are unsuccessful as we go to commercial.

Back from break, the ring is still full. Rhodes and Mysterio go at it in the corner as Kane and Kingston try to eliminate Barrett. Booker T feels Del Rio should have become the interim champion. Mysterio eliminates Rhodes with a springboard dropkick. He takes out Hawkins right after with a headscissors. McIntyre avoids a Masterlock on the apron only to be knocked out of the ring by Clay. Guerrero climbs on Clay?s back and is gone soon after. Kane and Clay have a stand off in the middle of the ring. Kane hits with uppercuts and tries for a chokeslam but goes down to a big headbutt. Clay lifts him on his shoulder but Kane gets on his feet and throws him over the top as we go to commercial.

Back from break, Kingston skins the cat and headscissors Barrett on the way up. Barrett avoids being thrown over and kicks Kingston in the gut to eliminate him. Mysterio is hanging out in the corner. Christian eliminates Reks and Tatsu within a minute of each other. Gabriel and Barrett get goozled by Kane but they break it up and double clothesline him out of the ring. Masters is thrown onto the apron by Barrett but manages to put in the Masterlock. Barrett escapes and knocks him out. Gabriel quickly comes up from behind and eliminates Barrett. He?s not happy. Final Four: Christian, Swagger, Gabriel and Mysterio. Gabriel goes after Mysterio as Christian tries to take out Swagger. Swagger hangs on and hits with knee lifts while Mysterio sets Gabriel up for a 619. He avoids it but gets headscissored out of the ring by Mysterio. Christian falls to a springboard crossbody by Mysterio. Swagger steps in and tosses Mysterio to the apron. Mysterio climbs to the top and puts Swagger in position for the 619. Michael Cole covers Swagger and takes the brunt on the blow. Swagger eliminates Mysterio. It?s down to Swagger and Christian. Swagger stomps and tries for a Running, Leaping Swagger Bomb. Christian stops him at the ropes and tries to eliminate him. Swagger hangs on and beats on Christian some more. Both men end up on the apron. Christian gives Swagger a few elbows and tries for the pendulum kick but Swagger grabs on to the ankle. Back in the middle of the ring, the Anklelock is applied. Christian rolls out of it but takes a boot to the midsection. Swagger lifts Swagger onto his shoulders but Christian avoids elimination. Swagger tries to toss Christian over again but Christian hangs on. Del Rio grabs Christian?s ankle on the apron but Christian shoves him off. Swagger charges and Christian pulls down the top rope to send him over the top.
Winner: Christian in 22:00
Rating: *** (Better-than-average Battle Royal. We had some storylines going on with Mysterio/Rhodes, The Corre, and Christian/Del Rio that helped keep it together. Christian gets the sentimental win; good for him, he deserves it.)

Post-match, Edge comes down to the ring and embraces Christian. Alberto Del Rio stands on the announce table and points to the World Heavyweight Championship. Edge raises Christian?s hand in victory to end the show.

However.

Here is footage of what happened after Smackdown went off the air. Definitely worth a watch as it includes the return of the five-second pose, an appearance by Triple H and another speech by Edge.

For the latest news including news on Edge, check out WrestleSite.com

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