Don’t Trust A Viper.
Two nights before Over The Limit, the 665th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. Before they join Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho in a Fatal 4-Way Match for the World Heavyweight Title at Over The Limit, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus will go one-on-one with “The Viper” Randy Orton. Also, on what may be his final SmackDown as General Manager, what will John Laurinaitis have in store for Friday Nights?
Match Results
- Non-Title: R-Truth & Kofi Kingston def. Darren Young & Titus O’Neil by R-Truth pinning Darren Young following the Little Jimmy.
- Daniel Bryan def. Zack Ryder by submission to the Yes Lock.
- Non-Title: Kane def. CM Punk by DQ after Daniel Bryan attacks Kane with a steel chair.
- Champion vs. Champion: Non-Title: Santino Marella def. Cody Rhodes by pin following the Cobra Strike.
- Non-Title: Sheamus def. Randy Orton by roll-up.
Detailed Results
After finding out on RAW that, if he loses to John Cena at Over The Limit, he will be terminated, there was no smile on the GM’s face as SmackDown kicks off with the RAW & SmackDown General Manager, John Laurinaitis. Laurinaitis states that the WWE Board of Directors has “restricted” his match against John Cena and it is “not fair”. The GM continues that he can still bench-press 250 lbs. and he is still as tough as he used to be, but that does not qualify him to compete against John Cena, so he asked the Board of Directors to reconsider, but the Board refused. Laurinaitis then asks the fans to support him in the “unfair and lopsided” match before asking the fans to “say a prayer” for him.
John Laurinaitis is then greeted by one of his biggest detractors as WWE Champion CM Punk makes his way to the ring. Punk says that everyone around the world has been praying and their prayers have been answered. Punk then reiterates the rules of Laurinaitis’ match against Cena, reminding the GM that anyone who interferes in the match will be terminated, no one will be allowed at ringside, and, the big one, if Laurinaitis loses, he will be terminated. The WWE Champion continues that, when Cena beats Laurinaitis at Over The Limit, then he will be the first to wish Laurinaitis the best of luck on his “future endeavors” before Punk throws a week-long party celebrating Laurinaitis’ job loss. Punk says that Laurinaitis makes people’s lives miserable, reminding the GM of what he did to Big Show on RAW. Punk then asks Laurinaitis how it feels to be at the end of the stick, but the GM says that he is not there yet and he can still do what he wants before making a match between Punk and Kane for later on in the night! Punk then says that, this time next week, he will still be the WWE Champion while Laurinaitis will be hanging out in the unemployment line.
After CM Punk makes his exit, John Laurinaitis says that he is “tough, but fair” and “generous”. The GM continues that the harder he works, the more the fans like to “crap” all over him before he blames the fans for supporting John Cena and CM Punk in their actions against him and he “detests” each and every one of them. The unhinged GM then tells the entire crowd that they can all “go to hell” before Laurinaitis storms out of the ring!
With their title defense against Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger coming up at Over The Limit, WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston squared off against Darren Young & Titus O’Neil in a non-title match. In the end, it was R-Truth hitting the Little Jimmy on Darren Young en route to picking up the win for himself and Kofi Kingston. Will R-Truth & Kofi Kingston make it past Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger with the tag titles at Over The Limit?
The self-proclaimed “Intellectual Savior of the Masses” Damien Sandow was set to make his in-ring debut on SmackDown as Sandow states that it his “passion” to set the fans free from the “chains of ignorance”. Sandow continues that, two weeks ago, he “rejected” his opponent to avoid boring the fans, but he finds himself in front of another “unworthy opponent” in Yoshi Tatsu. Sandow then says that he will not be competing against Tatsu. However, Yoshi Tatsu lures Damien Sandow back into the ring by calling him a “chicken”. The super-intellectual would then blindside Tatsu, ramming Yoshi’s skill into the turnbuckle, delivering several knees to Tatsu, and dropping Yoshi with a straight-jacket neckbreaker!
Before he challenges CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Over The Limit, “The Yes Man” Daniel Bryan went one-on-one with “The Long Island Iced Z” Zack Ryder. In the end, it was a submission victory for the submission specialist as Daniel Bryan forces Zack Ryder to tap out to the Yes Lock to pick up the win.
With the #1 Contender for the WWE Title, Daniel Bryan, a guest on commentary, the WWE Champion was in action as, per the orders of John Laurinaitis, CM Punk went one-on-one with “The Big Red Monster” Kane in a non-title match. During the match, the fight between CM Punk and Kane spills to the outside of the ring where Daniel Bryan grabs a steel chair, threatening to hit Punk with it, but Bryan instead strikes Kane before dropping the chair and retreating. When Kane comes to, he sees CM Punk holding the chair and believes that the WWE Champion attacked him the chair as Kane wears Punk out with several steel chair shots before drilling Punk with not one, but two, chokeslams in the center of the ring, leaving the WWE Champion in a heap in the middle of the ring!
SmackDown also featured a rare Champion vs. Champion match as Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes went one-on-one with United States Champion Santino Marella in a non-title match. In the end, it was Santino Marella coming out of nowhere with the Cobra Strike en route to picking up the upset win over Cody Rhodes.
Then it was time for the main event as, two nights before they join Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho in a Fatal 4-Way for the World Heavyweight Title, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus went one-on-one with “The Viper” Randy Orton in a non-title match. During the match, Randy Orton takes Sheamus to the outside of the ring, where he repeatedly stomps the previously injured arm of Sheamus into the steel steps. At the end of an incredible match, it was Sheamus catching Randy Orton with a roll-up to pick up the win. After the match, the two combatants shake hands, which gives Orton the opportunity to catch Sheamus with the RKO, leaving the champion laying in the middle of the ring!
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