Smackdown Spoilers for 8.22.08

[Hawk 34 0]

Dark Match:

* Takeshi Morishima w/Tony Atlas b. Jamie Noble

- Morishima, the former Ring of Honor Champion, got the win via pinfall.

 

SmackDown:

* Vickie comes out and apologizes to the crowd for her thing with Edge to redeem herself. She then announces a WWE Title Scramble for Unforgiven. There will be two qualifying matches for it tonight.

 

* Maria b. Natalya

- Maria got the win via disqualification. Maryse came out and interfered.

 

* 10 Man Battle Royal

Winner earns a spot in the WWE Title Scramble at Unforgiven

- Brian Kendrick won the match which earned him a spot in the scramble. Some of the participants were: Big Show, Super Crazy, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Jimmy Wang Yang, and Vladimir Kozlov. Big Show cleaned house, but Kendrick ended up with the win.

 

* MVP b. Festus

- MVP got the win via countout to earn a spot in the WWE Title Scramble at Unforgiven.

 

* Shelton Benjamin b. Finlay

- Shelton got the win via pinfall to earn a spot in the WWE Title Scramble at Unforgiven. After the match Mike Knox came down and attacked Finlay.

 

* Jeff Hardy b. The Great Khali

- Hardy earns a spot in the WWE Title Scramble at Unforgiven. He gets the win via pinfall!

 

* Triple H comes in the ring and delivers a promo on what he thinks of his opponents for Unforgiven. Kenny Dykstra comes out to interrupt but is quickly pedigreed.

 

* The show ends with La Familia apologizing to Undertaker. He doesn't accept; they jump him and he destroys them.

[foleyfanforever88 0]

So Vickie said there would be two qualifying matches tonight, but there were four? Ok..

 

Anyways, I really like the make-up of the Scramble match. I prefer it to the Raw one because none of the challengers have been champion before, so it makes for what should be a pretty exciting match. Unfortunately I don't see the title changing hands here. On Raw, I would've liked to see Cena and JBL (who both lost their matches the night before) replaced with Jericho and someone lower down on the card..perhaps Kofi?

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Damn... Kendrick, MVP, and Benjamin in the main event! I can't wait!

 

Whats the deal with Morishima?

[Enigma 0]

Who were the other three guys in the battle royal?

 

Whats the deal with Morishima?

 

Harley Race got him tryout matches. Race was at Smackdown as well.

[Hawk 34 0]

Damn... Kendrick, MVP, and Benjamin in the main event! I can't wait!

 

Whats the deal with Morishima?

 

Morishima is working with Race's promotion and since they are in that area, he's getting dark match spots. I do believe WWE were high on Morishima and still are. I liked that two former ROH World Champions battled in a dark match.

[DerangedHermit 0]

Damn... Kendrick, MVP, and Benjamin in the main event! I can't wait!

 

Whats the deal with Morishima?

 

Morishima is working with Race's promotion and since they are in that area, he's getting dark match spots. I do believe WWE were high on Morishima and still are. I liked that two former ROH World Champions battled in a dark match.

 

I would love to see Morishima in WWE. Morishima vs. Umaga, Undertaker, Cena, Jeff Hardy, Finlay or CM Punk would be awesome.

[Epic Reine 0]

As much as I love Kendrick, I'm wondering how much more excited I would be if Paul London was in his role right now. Always been more of a London mark.

[cabbageboy 0]

Gotta love Vickie wanting to make up to the fans by setting up the same ultra TNAish main event for the SD side of Unforgiven. I really hope that neither world title changes hands in a match like this. Yet how absurd would it be for both Punk and HHH to both retain given those odds? I actually think HHH might be more likely to lose since MVP seems like the type to screw someone over to get that first title win. I wouldn't put the belt on Jeff in something like this and of course guys like Kendrick and Shelton are non contenders.

 

Anyone know what's up with this UT storyline at this point? Let's see: UT destroyed Edge and sent him to hell, Vickie and Edge have had a falling out, La Familia hates Edge, but UT still goes after La Familia? What is La Familia going to do in all this, become like the FBI did while feuding with the Taker?

[haws bah gawd 0]

As much as I love Kendrick, I'm wondering how much more excited I would be if Paul London was in his role right now. Always been more of a London mark.

 

Yea, sadly Vince is probably going to hold an eternal grudge over Paul London laughing at him during the limo angle last year. Shame too, since I feel he's the more talented of the two.

[Hawk 34 0]

Damn... Kendrick, MVP, and Benjamin in the main event! I can't wait!

 

Whats the deal with Morishima?

 

Morishima is working with Race's promotion and since they are in that area, he's getting dark match spots. I do believe WWE were high on Morishima and still are. I liked that two former ROH World Champions battled in a dark match.

 

I would love to see Morishima in WWE. Morishima vs. Umaga, Undertaker, Cena, Jeff Hardy, Finlay or CM Punk would be awesome.

 

[fazzle 0]

That's a....different title match for Smackdown. (the participants, obviously.)

 

So what does Taker do at the PPV? Destroy the rest of La Familia in a 4 on 1 handicap match?

 

 

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Anyone know what's up with this UT storyline at this point? Let's see: UT destroyed Edge and sent him to hell, Vickie and Edge have had a falling out, La Familia hates Edge, but UT still goes after La Familia? What is La Familia going to do in all this, become like the FBI did while feuding with the Taker?

 

So just because they atoned for their share of the grief they caused him, Taker should forgive them? He's not the type that does that. They are probably progressing through the entire family. Edge did say they would go to hell with him. Taker's merely obliging.

[strummer 0]

HHH v Kendrick v MVP v Shelton v Hardy is the most improbable Main Event in WWE PPV history.

 

I'm not saying this as a bitter smark but there is no way Hunter is doing jobs for any of those guys. Six months ago I may have said Hardy but not now.

 

There will be pinfalls in the match but Hunter won't be taking any of them. There is no way any of those other four guys are walking away with the title.

 

If someone like Big Show is a replacement, maybe, but as currently configured? No way.

[Enigma 0]

Please keep in mind, for the 50th time, any wins in these scramble matches DO NOT COUNT AS OFFICIAL TITLE CHANGES. Only the person who is the champion at the end of the 20 minutes is the official champion. Thanks.

[LuckyLopez 0]

I realize you're quite confident in that but since WWE.com's writeups mention "the title changing hands" with each pinfall and refers to anyone who gets a pinfall as "the champion" I think there remains quite a bit of confusion on this issue. I have no seen ANY writeup that said only the final guy is the champ. I've seen the "official" wording. It does seem odd. Largely because how is one a "champion" if he's not "official"? Exactly what is an "unofficial champion"?

 

Once the clock starts, it’s every man for himself. If any of the Superstars scores a pinfall or submission on any of their competitors, they become the current champion. But that’s not nearly the end of it.

 

The championship can change hands several times throughout the 20 minute time frame. Whoever the champion is when the clock stops will officially be recognized as the World Heavyweight Champion.

 

I see that "officially" part at the end. What I don't see is anything that says "only the man to hold the title will have been recognized as Champion." When you say that the title will change hands and call any winner of a pinfall/submission the "champion" that says to me that there are title changes.

 

If there's a clearer description I'd love to see it.

[Enigma 0]

Mike Adamle said last night on Raw, "The man who is the champion when the 20 minutes has expired will be officially recognized as the World Heavyweight Champion."

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Mike Adamle is a goof though. However, I'd like to think they're smart enough to not treat BOTH of their world titles (sorry ECW) like the hardcore title joke, so I'll stick with the "officially recognized champion" line as meaning it's the only title change.

[LuckyLopez 0]

And more importantly why does that statement preclude the man who scores a pinfall during the match who is apparently "champion" and for which "the title changed hands" from also being recognized officially as World Champion?

 

I have no idea whether Enigma is right or wrong. But if he is then it makes the inclusion of the phrase "the championship can change hands several times" kind of... confusing and apparently inaccurate. It seems like you either need to presume that's a poor and confusing writeup and that truth is something else... or take it at face value and accept that the titles can change hands several times.

 

WWE.com routinely references the ECW title as "gold" so I'm more than willing to believe its just a careless and confusing writeup. But I just don't see what proves that to be the case.

[Scroby 0]

You're right, once the match is over, the person who gets the last pinfall/submission is going to be the WWE/World Champion, however there's nothing stopping the WWE from saying "Cena is the new WWE champion" until someone scores the next pinfall or submission. All it means that once the time expires whoever gains the last pinfall/submission after the time ends will be the champion.

 

Also when you think about it, is the WWE going to really say "The title is vacant until the match is over." or are they going to say that "so and so is the current champion."?

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Someone will get a quick cheap pin on Mitch Hedberg Brian Kendrick and it will be HHH fighting to get the belt back all the way til like 19:51 when he Pedigrees Shelton (since Shelton owns a couple of victories over HHH) and gets the pinfall..

[LuckyLopez 0]

Right. That's how I read it. Nowhere in Adamle's speech or the WWE writing did they say that someone couldn't be the "official" Champ during the match and then lose it. They merely said that the final guy to have it will be the Official Champion. Which he will in either scenario. Some people just seem to be hearing/reading "only" in these explanations that isn't actually there.

 

Adamle's speech taken literally does not eliminate the possibility of several title changes. And WWE.com clearly says that it is possible. Enigma's interpretation seems to only exist if you presume things that we have not been told and ignore certain things WWE has said as mistakes despite no evidence to the contrary.

 

Again, unless there's something clearer I haven't seen.

 

EDIT: Presuming the title does change hands several times I would guess that Shelton or MVP winning it momentarily (pinning someone not HHH) and HHH winning it back at the end is a strong outcome. That would allow MVP or Shelton to call themselves former champions while everyone understands the context in which that statement is made (pinning someone other than the champion in a chaotic "scramble" and holding it for only minutes). I would think they could also give Hardy a little token win so they can call him a former champion even if they don't want to actually give him the title and risk a problem. Given his past with HHH it could play in and MVP/Benjamin could cost him the title at the end of the match to fuel that feud. But I don't know.

 

The idea of the title changing hands several times doesn't really bother me in the RAW match because all challengers are former champions. So it would just be padding their reigns and that doesn't seem much worse than HHH's 2 hour reign (and I kinda don't care about the number of reigns). But the SD one is kinda weird in that all 4 challengers have never been champion. So if the title does change hands several times it means one of Hardy, MVP, Shelton, or Kendrick will walk in never having been champ and walk out 20 minutes later as a "former World Champion." Which seems very odd to me in a way that calling Kane a "2 time World Champion" wouldn't.

[Scroby 0]

Ok, I can't be the only one who finds it odd that Brian Kendrick is wrestling for the WWE title in a main event at a PPV. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy and all but it's just really odd that he's getting a title shot at a pay per view. I mean I never thought I say "Brian Kendrick is going for the WWE title."

[LuckyLopez 0]

It is very odd that he went from tag jobber to world title contender in 1 month without really beating anyone of note or winning anything terribly impressive (unless that's what the BR ends up being but Show seems to be the only contender in it and I suspect the win comes in a screwy heel way with help from Zeke). But I suspect most will forgive this odd hotshotting and simply be pleased that Kendrick has the spot no matter how he got it.

 

It irks me a little, but I'll probably forgive it too.

[death_by_burrito 0]

I first saw Brian Kendrick in his Spanky days in HBK's TWA days, so the fact that he is getting a title shot at a PPV is awesome to me .

[King Cucaracha 0]

Hopefully one of the three unnamed battle royal guys is Col... uh, Scotty Goldman.

 

As far as this Scramble concept, the title 'changing hands' doesn't neccessarily mean a new championship reign. The title has to change possession if there's a fall, because that's the concept of the match. Whether it'll be recognised or not is another issue. The fact they use the phrase 'officially recognised as World Champion' for whoever wins the match, not whoever wins the fall, would indicate otherwise.

 

In reality we'll be debating this back and forth for 2 weeks, when nobody knows for certain. And even after the match, half the people will be BUTT-hurt about the actual resolution and just decide to recognise or not recognise title-reigns anyway.

[Enigma 0]

There's no way WWE will make their world titles look like the Hardcore title. Anyone who gets a fall won't have a title reign added.

[Black Lushus 0]

The mighty HHH laughs at all these little men gunning for his precious title!

[Celtic Guardian 0]

HHH v Kendrick v MVP v Shelton v Hardy is the most improbable Main Event in WWE PPV history.

 

I'm not saying this as a bitter smark but there is no way Hunter is doing jobs for any of those guys. Six months ago I may have said Hardy but not now.

 

There will be pinfalls in the match but Hunter won't be taking any of them. There is no way any of those other four guys are walking away with the title.

 

Hunter doesn't have to take a pinfall to lose the title, if I'm reading this right. HHH can pin all four opponents over the course of the match but if Wrestler X pins Wrestler Y at 19:59 elapsed, Wrestler X walks out as champ.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

Maybe the whole title changing during the match will turn into an angle. For example, if MVP scores a pin during the match but HHH emerges victorious at the end, MVP can tout himself as a former WWE Champion and thus deserving of a shot to get "his" belt back. The announcers will note that MVP is not officially recognized as a former WWE Champion since he didn't win the scramble.

[AlaskanHero 0]

Ok, I can't be the only one who finds it odd that Brian Kendrick is wrestling for the WWE title in a main event at a PPV. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy and all but it's just really odd that he's getting a title shot at a pay per view. I mean I never thought I say "Brian Kendrick is going for the WWE title."

It's not that odd or even unprecedented. JBL pretty much went from half of APA to World Title contender in like a week.

 

But yeah, I forsee the Smackdown match being fun, but not very exciting since there's not a way in hell anyone but HHH is walking out without the title. I'm liking the look of the Raw match since it's truly a tossup on who's gonna walk out with the title.