The 619th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, AZ. After once again destroying “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show on RAW, this time destroying a Steel Cage in the process, the scary and destructive “World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry collides with World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton in a non-title match.
Match Results
- Non-Title: Christian Banned: Randy Orton (with Big Show) def. Mark Henry by count-out. As a result, Mark Henry will not challenge for the World Heavyweight Title at Money-in-the-Bank.
- Daniel Bryan def. Ted DiBiase by submission to a modified front facelock.
- Christian def. Sin Cara by pin following the Spear.
- Non-Title: Cody Rhodes (with Ted DiBiase) def. Ezekiel Jackson by pin following Cross Rhodes.
- Kane def. Wade Barrett by pin following the chokeslam.
Detailed Results
The show opens backstage as Christian confronts SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long with a contract for a World Heavyweight Title match at Money-in-the-Bank as Christian tells Long to make sure that Randy Orton meets him in the ring to sign it. The GM accuses Christian of having “memory loss”, reminding Christian that, last week, Mark Henry pinned World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton, not Christian. Long then informs Christian that, if Mark Henry wins his non-title match against Randy Orton, then he may make a Triple Threat Match at Money-in-the-Bank between Christian, Mark Henry, and Randy Orton or he may just make it Orton against Henry for the title! The GM then informs Christian that he is banned from ringside for the match and, if he does not comply, there will be “severe consequences”.
The opening match of the night was a major one, to say the least, as, four nights after using and destroying a Steel Cage to demolish Big Show, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry sets his sights on the World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton, as they go one-on-one in a non-title match where, if Henry wins, then he will earn a World Heavyweight Title match at Money-in-the-Bank. In addition, Christian is banned from ringside per the orders of SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long. During the match, both men were on the outside of the ring with Mark Henry in clear control of Randy Orton, but the music of Big Show hits, distracting Mark Henry as Henry expected to see Big Show. The distraction allows Randy Orton much-needed time to recover as Orton strikes, hitting the RKO on Mark Henry on the outside of the ring before the World Heavyweight Champion rolls back into the ring just in time to get a count-out victory over Mark Henry.
After the match, a furious Mark Henry heads out near the staging area and confronts the employee in control of playing the entrance music for the show. In what had to be the scariest moments of the employee’s life, Mark Henry proceeds to smash the expensive electrical equipment on the concrete floor before lifting the employee up and hurling the employee out of sight!
With no entrance music for the Superstars due to Mark Henry’s attack on the audio technician that left the technician in an unconscious state requiring a trip to a local medical facility, the show went on as “The American Dragon” Daniel Bryan faced the associate of Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase. At the end of a hard-fought match, it was the submission master, Daniel Bryan, locking in a modified front facelock, forcing Ted DiBiase to tap out to pick up the win.
Backstage, Christian confronts SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long once again as Christian tells the GM that it looks like they will be having a contract signing after all since Mark Henry lost. Long reveals to Christian that the “word on the street” is that some people saw Christian exiting the production truck backstage after Big Show’s music hit during the match between Randy Orton and Mark Henry, but Christian disputes that he was on the phone with a “good friend” of his. Despite this, the GM tells Christian that they will have a contract signing for a World Heavyweight Title match later in the evening, but Long also informs Christian that he will be going one-on-one with Sin Cara before the contract signing.
Backstage, Ted DiBiase meets up with Cody Rhodes as Rhodes tells DiBiase that DiBiase has not won a match since May 20. Rhodes admits that there have been “flashes of brilliance”, but DiBiase keeps losing to the “common man”, Daniel Bryan. Rhodes continues that he cannot “guide” DiBiase until DiBiase “applies” his “aptitude for consistency to something other than failure” and, if DiBiase can’t do that, then he “might as well” wear a paper bag.
In an interview with The Great Khali’s brother, Ranjin Singh, as Singh reveals that, before the Mahal family acquired their wealth, the Singh and Mahal families were “pretty close”. Singh continues that Jinder Mahal will always be “jealous” of The Great Khali over Khali’s mass success and Mahal “wishes” he was Khali, but he “never will be”. Singh then reveals that Jinder Mahal became his brother-in-law as Mahal married the sister of Khali and Singh! Singh reveals that, when Jinder Mahal shouts at The Great Khali, Jinder is threatening to shame the Singh family by divorcing Singh and Khali’s sister! Ranjin Singh then concludes that everyone should “fear” Jinder Mahal.
The eight participants for the SmackDown Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match were revealed during SmackDown as “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus, Wade Barrett, “The International Sensation” Sin Cara, Cody Rhodes, “The American Dragon” Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, & “The Big Red Machine” Kane will all compete in the Ladder Match with the winner earning the SmackDown Money-in-the-Bank contract, which guarantees its holder a World Heavyweight Title match at any time for the next year. Which Superstar will ascend to greatness and become the holder of the SmackDown Money-in-the-Bank contract?
Before coming face-to-face with World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton in their contract signing for a title match at Money-in-the-Bank, Christian went one-on-one with “The International Sensation” Sin Cara. Despite an impressive effort, Sin Cara was the victim of the Spear by Christian as Christian picks up the win.
The Intercontinental Champion was in action on SmackDown as Ezekiel Jackson went one-on-one with Cody Rhodes, with Ted DiBiase in his corner, in a non-title match. In the end, it was a timely distraction by Ted DiBiase that allowed Cody Rhodes to hit Cross Rhodes on Ezekiel Jackson en route to pinning the Intercontinental Champion.
Two of the eight participants in the SmackDown Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match squared off on SmackDown as “The Big Red Machine” Kane went one-on-one with former Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett. At the end of a hard-hitting match, it was Kane planting Wade Barrett with the chokeslam en route to picking up the win. After winning the Money-in-the-Bank contract and cashing it on the same night to win the World Heavyweight Title last year, can Kane make it two in a row this year?
Then it was time for the official contract signing for the World Heavyweight Title match between champion, Randy Orton, and challenger, Christian, at Money-in-the-Bank. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long first introduces the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, Christian, who comes out with his lawyer in tow, followed by World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton. Christian states that his “legal counsel” has reviewed the contract and there is a clause in it that states if the referee makes another “bad call” or he is “screwed over” again, then he receives an “immediate rematch”. Christian then states that he will not be “screwed over” again as he “deserves” to be the World Heavyweight Champion. Randy Orton then begins to speak, but Christian tells him to “shut” his mouth before proclaiming that he has put Orton on his back on “more than one occasion”. Christian continues that Theodore Long cannot “save” Randy Orton anymore before saying that Orton can’t “beat” him and he will “prove it” at Money-in-the-Bank!
Randy Orton tells Christian that, there was a time, when he “enjoyed” facing Christian and when he “respected” Christian. Orton continues that he has beaten Christian twice in title matches, but all of Christian’s antics have made him “angry”. Orton then states that a lawyer is not going to get Christian the World Heavyweight Title before saying that Christian will “never, ever” defeat him for the World Heavyweight Title! With this statement, Randy Orton signs the contract before passing it to Christian, who has his lawyer peruse the contract. The lawyer conveys to Christian that the details of the contract are in order and Christian tries to sign the contract, but has trouble with the pen.
As Theodore Long begins to look for his pen to lend to Christian, Sheamus comes out of nowhere, crashing the contract signing and attacking Randy Orton! After not getting a chance to sign the contract yet, Christian makes the mistake of confronting Sheamus, but “The Celtic Warrior” attacks Christian, laying him out with the Brogue Kick! Sheamus then turns his attention back to the World Heavyweight Champion as Randy Orton tries for the RKO, but Sheamus blocks it before blasting Orton with the Brogue Kick as well, leaving the champion laid out before ripping the contract to shreds! What does this mean for the proposed World Heavyweight Title match at Money-in-the-Bank?
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