WWE SmackDown! Results - April 25, 2008

Source: Bryan Randles

-The show this week starts with a video package on the Edge and Taker feud. It features footage of a post 'Mania Edge promo saying he let Vickie down by losing the belt. Then it goes into Taker being forced to wrestle Kane, Festus, and Batista in consecutive weeks while Edge has been able to take it easy. They then show the build from last week that brings us to tonight. Taker vs. Batista in a World title match.

-Now they roll the opening credits, which are followed up by pyro and Cole welcoming us to the show as usual.

-Edge is in the ring with all of La Familia to kick things off. Edge asks if you can smell it? Can you feel it? Something special is in the air on a night of a World Heavyweight title match. We all have Vickie Guerrero to thank for it. Vickie says thank you and the fans chant "you suck." She's excited to say that now the world heavyweight title match for tonight is no DQ. Edge says she's not only beautiful, she's a genius. That means Batista can beat Taker with whatever he wants. That won't be as exciting though as this Sunday when he's crowned World Heavyweight Champ and Chavo is crowned ECW champ. It'll be a great night for La Familia.

-CM Punk heads out on the ramp with his case and a mic. Edge takes a dig at Punk about losing to Regal in the KOTR tournament. He calls Punk "queen of the ring." Punk says he has a briefcase, which means you call him Money in the Bank. Punk says that he thought winning the case was a better way to get to the top then sleeping with the boss. Edge doesn't want to dignify that with a response and says people don't understand how much love he has for Vickie. Punk calls that gross. He teases that he could cash in the case tonight or Backlash on Sunday. Edge says after he wins the title on Sunday he better think twice about cashing it in on him. Punk says he wasn't thinking about Edge. He was thinking about Batista or Undertaker, but now that he's thinking about it, he could beat Edge too. Edge takes offense and suggests a match between the two, Punk is down for it. Vickie Guerrero makes it official. Edge says after tonight Punk will be bankrupt. End of segment.

-Cole recaps and confirms that later tonight it'll be Punk vs. Edge.

-Miz makes his way out for a match accompanied by John Morrison. They show the footage from ECW of Yang getting a win over Morrison. Morrison heads to the announce table and joins in on commentary.

-Shannon Moore will be Miz's opponent and he makes his way out. Yang comes out with him, as you'd expect.

SHANNON MOORE VS. THE MIZ

-They open with a lock up, then Miz gets in a side headlock and the takedown. They get back to their feet and Miz comes off the ropes with a shoulder block. He works on Moore in the corner, then Moore comes back with a series of arm drags out of some chain wrestling and then an atomic drop. Miz gets back control in the corner, running at Moore, but he gets a boot up. Moore heads up top, but Miz throws him off. Now he settles in with a reverse chinlock on the mat, but Moore gets to his feet and starts throwing back elbows with little success. Then suddenly Moore catches him with a small package for 2, and Miz goes right back to work.

-Miz hits the side Russian leg sweep for 2 before going back to the reverse chinlock. Again Moore tries to elbow out and this time it works and he hits a back body drop. Miz goes for a running kick and ends up tangled in the ropes. Moore takes advantage with kicks to the knees and Miz comes back with a powerslam. He then goes for the reality check, but Moore dodges it and catches him for a backslide that gets 3.

***Moore gets the victory in 4:32. (*1/4).

-Cole suggests this puts Moore and Yang in line for a tag title match then hypes Taker vs. Batista for the title later tonight.

-Back from a break Cole takes us back to Monday and again they show clips of the presidential candidate's speeches. Coach called it tremendous then thanked all 3 hopefuls.

-Cherry comes out for a match. They need to get her new music. Coach and Cole hype the Diva tag match at Backlash for a moment.

-Natalya makes her way out with Vickie. They mention she is the daughter of the Anvil.

NATALYA VS. CHERRY

-Natalya slams down Cherry out the gate then a snap suplex and she drops an elbow. She puts Cherry in a headlock and soon after hits a bodyslam. She goes for the pin, but Cherry kicks out. Now Cherry gets her head smashed into the turnbuckle. Natalya slaps her a few times and calls her pathetic. Cherry gets pissed and starts slapping Natalya. Now she goes for a kick, but Natalya catches her leg and throws her down. She goes to work on the leg now, placing it on the rope and coming down on it. Natalya puts in an inverted figure four and keeps it in for a while, but Cherry gets to the ropes. Natayla now runs at her in the corner, but Cherry moves and rolls her up for 2. Now a bulldog for 2. Cherry apparently goes for a monkey flip, but gets thrown aside. Natalya now puts in the sharpshooter and it's over.

***Natalya wins in 4:22. (1/4*).

-They run a video package recapping the Khali and Big Show feud.

-Now a package on Batista and HBK hyping their backlash match.

-Back from the break Cole is in the ring and welcomes Matt Hardy.

-Hardy comes out and gets a mic. Cole mentions his return at 'Mania after being out for 4 ? months with an injury. They go back in time to when MVP turned on Matt, if you want to call it that, and attacked his knee. Funny to me is the graphic on the screen said "5 months ago." Cole mentions that at Backlash Hardy finally gets a chance at the US title, and wonders if Hardy's knee is ready to go. Hardy says he's 100% and feels better than he ever has. He's the biggest threat MVP has ever had and did everything he could to avoid facing him. Now he's back and this Sunday MVP will find out how big of a threat he really is.

-MVP makes his way out. Wow, now Coach said MVP is the man that kept Hardy out for "over" 5 months. MVP tells Cole to get out of the ring. MVP says Hardy is telling people half-truths. He tried hard to be his partner. He mistook his kindness for weakness and helped him become an 8-time tag champ. Hardy called it all a smoke screen and the tag titles were about keeping MVP from giving him a US title shot. That he's the reason he was kept on the sideline for 5 months and not been able to get that shot. MVP says Hardy is jealous of his fame, fortune, and US title. That he's accomplished more in a year then Hardy has in his entire 9-year career. He sees jealously in Hardy's eyes. Hardy says you may see something in my eye, but it's not jealously, it's confidence. He sees something in MVP's eye too though, and it's uncertainty. At Backlash he's going to prove he's better. MVP was hoping they could move past this and still be friends, but Hardy says that's not happening. MVP holds the belt up and says fine, this Sunday you get an opportunity to be United States Champion. He then kicks Matt in the knee and clocks Matt with the belt and knocks him out. MVP exits to boo's. Good stuff. A nice job of making it about the title, and not just revenge.

-They show CM Punk walking the halls getting ready for his match with Edge, next!

-Time for WWE to do some self-promotion as they run the package on how they help kids read.

-Edge is ring bound and coming out solo. Coach gives Edge credit for agreeing to this match with so much on the line going into Sunday.

-Punk walks the ramp while Cole puts over the importance of the MITB case.

***2nd HOUR

CM PUNK VS. EDGE

-They tease a lock up, then move into it and roll off the ropes and into the corner. The ref breaks it up and they get back to the middle of the ring. Punk shoves Edge to the mat and stares down at him. Punk lets him back to his feet and they lock up again. Edge rings the arm and Punk reverses it into a hammerlock and then Edge comes back over and takes Punk down to the mat. Now Punk takes control on the mat and rolls Edge over onto his shoulders for a 1 count. Punk keeps in the hammerlock and drives his knee into Edge's back. Edge gets back to his feet and hits some back elbows breaking the hold. Punk comes back quickly with control working on the arm some more.

-Edge works on Punk in the corner hitting him with forearms to the back. Punk comes off the ropes with a roll up for 2, and then an arm drag and he holds onto it. Punk gets back on his feet and delivers some kicks to the spin and puts in a key lock. Edge works himself up to his feet and goes for a body slam, but Punk rolls right though it holding onto the arm. They get back to their feet and Punk rings the arm and shoulder blocks Edge down and heads up top. Edge gets to his feet and crotches him on the ropes. He gets up to the 2nd buckle and they slug it out until Punk and Edge both go flying off. Edge to the mat and Punk all the way to the floor. They head to break there 6 minutes into the match.

-Back from the break Edge is control pounding on Punk on the mat. He puts on a bodyscissors and settles in with it. They show that during the break Edge hit a baseball slide on Punk that sent him flying into the barricade. Punk wiggles out of the bodyscissors and grabs onto Edges legs and catapults him into the turnbuckles.

-Edge whips Punk into the ropes and goes for a clothesline, but Punk ducks and comes back with cross body as Edge attempts one as well and they collide. Punk gets to his feet and starts hitting a series of kicks to Edge and caps it off with a spin wheel kick for 2. Punk now hits an enzuigiri, and goes for the GTS, but Edge reverses it with a roll up for 2. Punk comes back with another kick then the running knee into the corner and bulldog for 2. Edge comes back and hits a reverse bulldog for 2. Punk comes back with a drop toe hold and the springboard clothesline for 2. Punk goes for the GTS again, but Edge reverses it into an impaler DDT for 2. Edge goes for the spear and Punk dodges it and hits the GTS, which knocks Edge out of the ring through the ropes.

-Punk goes outside after him trying to get Edge back in the ring. As he gets Edge in the ring, Ryder runs down and distracts Punk. Punk runs him off and as he's getting back in the ring Edge hits him with a spear.

***Edge wins with help from Ryder in 16:21. (***). This was a real good match. It's nice to see Punk booked in a match with Edge where he doesn't get beat clean in 5:00.

-Time for the Raw Rebound and a look back at Regal winning the KOTR tournament.

-Vladimir Kozlov makes his silent entrance.

-His opponent is in the ring.

MARTY "CHAM PAIN" GARDNER VS. VLADIMIR KOZLOV

-Garner gets suplexed out of a trade of standing waistlocks to start. Now a head-butt to the chest and a side headlock takedown. Garner works himself to his feet, but is pushed up against the ropes. Garner throws some right hands, but gets hit with a running head-butt that sends him flying. Kozlov then hits an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and a running kick to the back. Now the reverse DDT and it's over.

***Kozlov's build continues with a win in 1:42.

-They run a video package hyping Taker's gogoplata submission hold.

-Coach and Cole run down the card for Backlash. Yes, in only a matter of hours I'll be posting my usual Preview & Predictions column here on Gerweck.net! Hope you decide to check it out. I've kept down the size of it a little bit this time around for anyone whose been put off by the length of it in the past.

-They send it backstage where Batista has words for Vickie. He thanks her for the title shot and making it no DQ. He says though he knows what she's doing though, trying to soften up the Undertaker, but he's going to win the title tonight and beat Edge on Sunday.

-We're now treated to a video package of Obama vs. Clinton & Clinton from Monday.

-Batista heads out for the world title match. Fake Uzi spraying and all. Cole hypes Taker vs. Tista as the greatest feud in Smackdown history. Coach calls this 'Tista's biggest match of his career.

-Gong! This match isn't going to be as long as I thought it'd be. Cole calls Taker a thorn in Batista's side. For anyone interested I timed Taker's entrance at 2:48. It seems longer. Batista looks scared to death.

UNDERTAKER VS. BATISTA- WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH

-They lock up and Taker quickly gets a side headlock. Batista throws him off, but Taker is the one who hits the shoulder block. They lock up again and Batista gets the side headlock and shoulder block this time. Batista goes for the leg with no success. They lock up again and Taker catches the arm and rings it. He makes his way to the corner with Batista pushing back and now opens up with some punches. He whips Taker to the other corner and runs at him with a clothesline. Taker comes back ringing the arm again and Batista goes to his knees. He pops up and throws a right hand, but Taker never lets go of the arm and takes him to the mat.

-In the corner again Taker delivers with some right hands and a whip to the far left corner. Taker runs at him, but Batista bounces back with a spear. Taker goes for the gogoplata with both on the mat, but Batista fights out of it and they head to break 2:30 in.

-Back from the break Taker whips Batista into the steel steps outside. He puts him up on the apron with his head hanging off. You know the spot, and hits the big leg drop across the throat. Taker gets Batista to the center of the ring for a pin that gets 2. Taker goes for old school and Batista crotches him. Batista climbs to the 2nd buckle for a superplex attempt, but Taker throws him off. Batista gets up and runs at Taker who puts the boot up. Taker now walks the ropes and hits old school. Out of nowhere Batista hits a spinebuster, and goes for the Batista Bomb, but Taker hits a back body drop. Taker calls for a chokeslam and gets his hands around the throat, but Batista pushes Taker off of him. Batista comes back and hits a gut-wrench suplex, powerslam variation of sorts. Taker comes right back and hits the chokeslam for 2.

-Taker does the throat slash gesture and Batista springs up and hits the spear for 2. Taker staggers to the corner and Batista follows him over and hits the 10-count punches in the corner. Taker grabs the tights and hoists him up and hits the last ride out of the corner for 2. Undertaker goes outside and brings in a set of steel steps. He picks up Batista and gets him in the tombstone position. Batista reverses it and hits a spinebuster on the steps. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb on the steps now, but HBK runs in out of nowhere and nails Batista with sweet chin music. He leaves the ring and exits out the crowd. Taker gets to his feet, looks around and picks Batista up for the tombstone piledriver. It's over.

***Undertaker wins with help from HBK in 13:33. (**3/4).