WWE SmackDown! Rebound: Deadman's Fury

After last week’s fiasco, La Familia, led by Edge, comes out to boast about his “quick” recovery and his victory to start the show. He goes on to proclaim himself as the next World Heavyweight Champion.

As the new family cheered on their leader, Assistant General Manager Teddy Long comes out to break up the party. When asked about his lateness by Vickie Guerrero, Long responds by saying that he was at WWE World Headquarters in Stamford answering questions about the GM’s actions as of late.

The Board of Directors decided that disciplinary action needed to occur against Guerrero, and she had two options on her behalf. Option one was she had to compete in her first match tonight. Option two was she would have to step down as General Manager of SmackDown!

After declining the second option, she fires Teddy after he accepted the invitation and delivered the message from the Board. But then he decides to quit instead. Unfortunately, the party wasn’t over for Vickie. Teddy Long also informed her of her opponent for the Main Event: The Undertaker.

First Bout: CM Punk defeats Chuck Palumbo

Competition opens with CM Punk renewing his rivalry with Chuck Palumbo after a match on ECW three weeks ago. Palumbo shows dominance early and often in the match, but Punk fights back with a series of corner punches. Despite a high-flying stunt outside the ring, Punk loses control once again. And just like that, Punk recovers with some brutal kicks and his patented knee-dog.

Punk has the advantage until a devastating clothesline puts him flat on his back yet again. But as Palumbo goes in for the kill with the Full Throttle, Punk wiggles out and nails him with the Go To Sleep for the victory.

After the Punk-Palumbo match, Vickie, Edge, and Chavo are in the office scheming about tonight’s match. As they are trying to figure it out, MVP interrupts them by asking about last week’s Championship Chase. But he wasn’t the only one asking.

Both Finlay and Big Show both showed up to give their take on the charade. After disrespecting the current GM, she puts them in a tag match, but unfortunately, her problems are going from bad to worse. Chavo begins to wonder if he was a pawn in the game that Vickie was playing with the ten superstars involved in the “Championship Chase.”

Following the Michelle-Layla bout, footage is shown from Backlash of Shawn Michaels’ alleged knee injury during his match with Batista.

The show returned with the entrance of SmackDown’s Animal. Batista grabs a mike and gets right to the point about why he’s there. The Animal watches footage from RAW that shows HBK delivering Sweet Chin Music to an unsuspecting Chris Jericho. Batista vows that he will make an appearance this Sunday at Judgment Day.

Following the commercial break, the tag team match between MVP and Big Show & Finlay is almost set to begin. MVP did find a partner though:—the World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry.

Third Bout: Big Show & Finlay defeat Mark Henry & MVP

Finlay and MVP pick up where they left off last week as the match begins. The two battle back and forth until Finlay tags in the Big Show. After a lousy punch that doesn’t even phase the Giant, Porter tags in Mark Henry. After several tests of strength, Show finally knocks down the World’s Strongest Man, who wasted no time in tagging MVP back in.

A quick tag brings the Irishman back in, and a quick distraction allows MVP to boot him off the top rope to the ground below. Back in the ring, Mark Henry takes over and lays some severe punishment on a battered Finlay.

MVP is brought back in to try to finish the job, but after a missed knee drop, the Irishman finally reaches his partner and tags in the Big Show. The World’s Largest Athlete pummels the Franchise Playa, but gets ambushed from behind by Henry.

Henry gets suckered over to Finlay, who uses the ropes to eliminate Henry from the match. As this is going on, MVP goes for that turnbuckle boot, only to meet up with the massive hands of the Big Show. A chokeslam later, the Irishman and the Show are the victors of a very competitive match.

Following the match, Vickie Guerrero continues to protest the decision rendered by the WWE Board of Directors, and says “I may not be able to stop the match, but I can change the match.” With that, she turns her match with the Undertaker from a one-on-one to a six-on-one handicap match.

Fourth Bout: Vladimir Kozlov defeats Funaki

If Funaki knew who was coming to the ring, he would have stayed as SmackDown’s No. 1 announcer. Kozlov, who has been undefeated since his debut to SmackDown, used a barrage of technical moves to put on quite a clinic against Funaki.

The former member of Kaientai never had a chance as the Russian made quick work of his opponent with a few shots in the corner, followed by his Russian Death Drop for the victory.

Fifth Bout: Cherry vs. Maryse

Cherry comes down for her match with the European bombshell, but what happens next shocks even Mick Foley. Accompanied by Deuce and Domino, Maryse tried to use the boys to her advantage in the match.

After a series of insults and bashing, the young upstart Cherry kept recovering and countering. But it took an elbow and a devastating Cherry Bomb from the turnbuckle to help the Sock Hop Hottie pick up the upset win from her ex-boyfriend and brother’s new squeeze.

Prior to the match between Matt Hardy and Shelton Benjamin, Michael Cole and Mick Foley give the rundown of the card for this Sunday’s Judgment Day and take a look back at the war between Triple H and Randy Orton en route to their Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship.

Also, Kofi Kingston, Eva Torres, and Hardy are shooting the breeze backstage when Benjamin drops in to rain on the parade.

Sixth Bout: Matt Hardy defeats Shelton Benjamin

The show returns with the entrance of the United States Champion, Matt Hardy, who looks more confident than usual since winning the gold from MVP at Backlash. The match opens with Benjamin attempting several armbars, but Hardy counters with his clothesline-bulldog from the corner. After Shelton pulls him from the corner, Hardy attempts to fight back, but Benjamin is one step ahead of the US Champion.

Despite being in a fishhook lock, Hardy fights back, but ECW’s Gold Standard keeps control with yet another armlock to keep him grounded. After a series of kicks, the Standard is brought down with a clothesline. Hardy recovers and nails him with a Side Effect. But Benjamin hits him with the Standing Enzugiri. As Shelton goes for the Golden Neckbreaker, Hardy counters and nails the Twist of Fate for the victory.

Main Event: The Undertaker defeats La Familia

The show opens with the entrance of La Familia, but the surprises just keep coming. As they go down to the ring, Chavo and Bam Neely decide to leave the family hanging after last week’s actions by Vickie Guerrero. After they try to change their gameplan, the Deadman arrives to the arena.

As the bell rings, Hawkins and Ryder are dispatched of quickly, as Undertaker walks towards Vickie. The remaining three members of La Familia try to break the Deadman, but he continues to fight back and approach the GM. As the match continues, the Phenom begins to feel the downside of being in a three on one situation. Every time they deliver the punishment, Taker recovers as he takes all three men out.

The Deadman chokeslams both Hawkins and Ryder and approaches Vickie to prepare to chokeslam Guerrero, but Edge spears him to prevent the finisher. Taker rises up and stares his cold dead eyes on the four people responsible for his match at Judgment Day.

The remaining members of La Familia survived tonight, but will Edge survive this Sunday? Even more, what further actions will occur to Vickie since she didn’t fulfill her end of the bargain tonight? This Sunday at Judgment Day, Hell Hath No Fury like a Deadman Scorned.