LONDON, ONTARIO, Canada In a highly tumultuous week for sports-entertainment, the Superstars of SmackDown headed toward Saturday Nights Main Event and then One Night Stand with the imminent tri-branded draft circling their thoughts. Championships and rivalries may all have to take a back seat after the blockbuster announcement of the draft and no Superstar, Diva or leprechaun is safe when the draft takes place in less than two weeks on Raw.
One man who remains focused heading into One Night Stand is the No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, Batista. World Heavyweight Champion Edge attempted to play some mind games with Batista on the SmackDown debut of The Cutting Edge, but The Animal would not allow the ultimate opportunist to get into his head, instead delivering a verbal and physical message of his own. The Rated-R Superstar and Batista go one-on-one in a 15-foot high steel cage this Sunday on pay-per-view.
Looking to deliver his own message to Kane (one of the participants in Saturday Nights Main Event as one of the strangest), the Worlds Strongest Man Mark Henry viciously assaulted the Big Red Monster in singles competition. These two mammoths will now face off at One Night Stand in a Lumberjack Match, and if their SmackDown match was any indication, Henry and Kane may need more than the lumberjacks to contain them.
Making her mark felt on SmackDown is the new Assistant General Manager Vickie Guerrero. On her first day on the job, Vickie was instrumental in making the Lumberjack Match between Kane and Mark Henry. General Manager Theodore Long praised Vickie for her efforts, and then addressed the worries of his girlfriend, Kristal. Long eased Kristals concerns of being drafted away from her boyfriend by telling her that he would give up everything to be with her.
In other SmackDown action, Deuce & Domino successfully defended their WWE Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat Tag Match, defeating Paul London & Brian Kendrick and William Regal & Dave Taylor. Triple threat rules were in effect, as only two competitors were allowed in the ring at one time, although they could tag anyone they chose. The win for the men from the Other Side of the Tracks did not come without controversy, as Deuces girlfriend and Dominos sister Cherry got involved just when it seemed it was London & Kendricks night, helping secure the win for her boys.
When it comes to securing victories, nobody has been hotter than Matt Hardy. He teamed with Chris Benoit to take on the team of the United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter and The Miz. Benoits issues with MVP have not ended, and the Wolverine took his hostility out on The Miz, forcing the recently aggressive youngster to tap to the Crossface. The U. S. Champ MVP and Benoit will stare across the ring at each other again tomorrow night at Saturday Nights Main Event in more tag action, when Benoit teams with Batista to take on Porter & World Heavyweight Champion Edge.
One Diva who is feeling the thrill of success is Michelle McCool, who arrived at SmackDown after winning the Memorial Day Bikini Beach Blast Battle Royal on Raw. The rivalry between McCool and Jillian has been brewing since the tone-deaf Diva attacked Ashley, and McCool was able to pick up another victory over the wannabe pop princess when Ashley distracted Jillian.
Finally, two Superstars who wont give each other an inch of breathing room are Hornswoggle and Little Boogeyman. The two will participate at Saturday Nights Main Event as part of the smallest attraction when Hornswoggle teams with Finlay, and Little Boogeyman teams with Boogeyman. As a warm-up, the two squared off in singles action, with Finlays leprechaun using the Tadpole Splash after a shillelagh shot from the Irishman to win the match with Boogeymans mini-sized minion.
But looking beyond Saturday night, given Shane McMahons claims that no one is safe from the draft; could Finlay & Hornswoggle be headed separate ways?
