Live WWE SmackDown! Results (12/21) - Cena, More

Credit: Nick Bazar of 411 Mania

Tuesday Night Smackdown begins with the usual Green Day and pyro. We are LIVE from San Antonio, Texas. Later tonight, John Cena meets Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero in an Handicap match. The NEW World Heavyweight Champ Edge will make an appearance.

I hear voices! Randy Orton makes his entrance for our first match of the evening.

Match One: The Miz (1-2) vs. Randy Orton (1-0)
Good to hear Tony Chimel hasn't changed his way of announcing Miz. Lockup to start and Orton powers Miz into the corner. The ref backs him away and Miz gets in a quick right. He bails and Orton follows. Back in, Orton catches Miz with a Thesz Press and some punches. Miz outside again and Orton follows. Orton throws him into the barricade and knocks him down with a clothesline. European uppercut by Orton and they're back inside. Orton beats on Miz's chest through the ropes and stomps away. He follows up with a catapult right into the bottom rope. Cover gets Orton two. In the corner, Orton gets in a few more uppercuts, sending Miz to the apron. Miz regroups and snaps his neck across the top rope then delivers a boot to the face. Cover gets two. Miz stomps and knees the back. Orton comes back with some rights but goes down to a Miz knee lift. Miz drops some elbows on Orton's neck and connects with a suplex for two. In the corner, Orton kicks Miz away but Miz comes right back with rights. Orton delivers a backbreaker and drops Miz with some clotheslines then a powerslam. Miz rolls to the ropes to avoid the pin and counters the DDT through the ropes. Alex Riley gets involved, sending Orton to the outside. Miz follows and sends Orton right into the steel steps as we go to commercial.

Back from break, Miz has Orton in a chinlock Orton fights his way out and applies a sleeper. Miz counters into one of his own but Orton back suplex's his way out. Miz drops Orton with a big boot for two. Miz mounts and punches away but the ref backs him up. He climbs to the top but Orton crotches him. Orton gets in a measured right and an uppercut. He climbs up and comes down with a superplex. Cover gets two. Back up, they trade blows with Orton getting the advantage. He slugs away in the corner and hits an Angle Slam for two. Miz telegraphs a back body drop and hits with a combination knee to the back/neckbreaker for two. Orton ducks a low boot and connects with a dropkick for two. Orton is about to try for a powerbomb but Riley distracts allowing Miz to counter it. He connects with his running corner clothesline and hits a nice DDT for two. Miz tries for a Skill Crushing Finale but Orton blocks it. Miz gets him with a backslide for two. Orton uppercuts and sends Miz to the apron. He hits the DDT and calls for an RKO. Riley distracts again but Orton is still able to hit the RKO. Orton covers but Riley interrupts to end it.
Winner: Randy Orton in 14:00
Rating: ***1/4 (Really good stuff here. Back and forth the whole time and both guys looked good. We had to expect the non-clean finish, so no problems here.)

Post-match, Randy Orton wants a punt to the head on Miz but RKO's Alex Riley instead. Riley should work for the Secret Service taking a bullet like that.

In the back, Santa Show gives out gifts with Rosa Mendes and Hornswoggle.

The ring is decorated with a red mat, Christmas tree and gifts as Santa Big Show, Rosa Mendes and Little Worker Hornswoggle make their way to the ring. Show sits on a chair but it collapses. Horny and Mendes try to help him up. I don't think that was supposed to happen. Nope it wasn't, they get him a new chair. Show reads us a WWE Christmas poem about TLC. Hilariously ironic that it begins with a bit about him losing some weight. Cena hit Barrett with a chair, Edge climbed a ladder to win the championship, Cody Rhodes had on girly underwear?and get Knucklehead on DVD! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. As they are leaving, Rhodes enters the ring and attacks Horny. Show scares him away.

Later tonight, Edge speaks!

Tomorrow night, the full version of Tribute to the Troops airs, main-evented by Mysterio/Cena/Orton vs Miz/Barrett/Del Rio.

We get a recap of Super Happy Cena from Raw last night. He got into it with Vickie Guerrero and beat Dolph Ziggler. Later tonight, John Cena takes on Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero in a Handicap match.

In the back, Todd Grisham is with Beth Phoenix. She took a nasty fall at the PPV, but isn't hurt too bad. Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov get in the picture. Marella knows they had a difficult breakup, but wanted to see if she was okay. She is. Marella is very happy for her. For old time sake, they should have a kiss. Kozlov holds up the mistletoe. Phoenix kisses Kozlov instead and leaves. Marella notices the lipstick on Kozlov. That's Marella's territory! Vladimir ends the segment with a blow kiss.

Match Two: Santino Marella (3-0) vs. Chavo Guerrero (1-8)
Guerrero was already in the ring during Marella's entrance. He pats Marella on the cheek at the start but goes down to a hiptoss. Back up, Guerrero kicks the midsection. Marella avoids a clothesline and sends Guerrero over the top. Back inside, Guerrero catches Marella with a kick and uppercut. Guerrero hits a back suplex for two and knocks Marella back down with a right. He rams Marella's head into the turnbuckle. Marella blocks a second attempt and bashes Guerrero's head on said turnbuckle in return. He hits the hiptoss but misses the saluting headbutt. Guerrero follows up with Los Three Amigos, but Marella blocks the last one and drops him with a Santino Stunner. The Cobra ends it.
Winner: Santino Marella in 3:00
Rating: * (It was what it was and the crowd was all over it.)

Up next, Edge speaks!

I like how they have hyped up Edge's victory all show long. He is here and its promo time. For the last four weeks, people have been asking him whether all the insanity with Kane and Paul Bearer would pay off. He does a great Bearer impersonation. Was it worth it? Yes, because he is the new World Heavyweight Champion! That TLC match shortened his career. Even getting to the ring was a pain, but it was worth it. 19 years ago, he got in this industry and told himself he would make it to the WWE. He won the tag team championship with his "best friend" Christian, won the Intercontinental championship and the World Heavyweight Championship?

Kane's fire goes off to interrupt Edge. That's enough! No one wants to hear Edge's sentimental story. His story is finished. He doesn't get to write the ending, Kane does. This story will not have a happy ending. Edge knows that nothing is more painful than having to listen to Kane's ramblings. Since Smackdown is LIVE, let's cut to the chase. Let's do this, right here and now. Kane vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane walks down to ramp, but stops at ringside. He smiles. Does Edge think he can manipulate Kane this easily? For six weeks, they have been playing this little game according to Edge's rules. Kane will get the title back, but it will be on Kane's terms.

Later tonight, Rey Mysterio/Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio/Jack Swagger. Also, John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler/Vickie Guerrero in a Handicap Match.

We get a video package on Ezekiel Jackson. He is "coming soon." I thought he was supposed to return tonight.

Match Three: Drew McIntyre (20-22-1) vs. Kaval (3-8)
McIntyre gets his full entrance, and the song's opening notes get a good pop from the crowd. McIntyre attacks before the bell. Merry Christmas! Good heat. Ref asks Kaval if he is okay, Kaval says yes. The bell rings and Kaval runs right into a big boot. Future Shock DDT ends it.
Winner: Drew McIntyre in 00:30
Rating: N/A (I am happy for McIntyre as he got some great reactions to go along with the decisive win. That seems to be it for Kaval though.)

At ringside, Matt Striker, Josh Matthews and Michael Cole plug the Tribute to the Troops.

In the ring, Tony Chimel hands the mic over to Ricardo Rodriguez for Alberto Del Rio's entrance.

Match Four: Rey Mysterio (28-14)/Kofi Kingston (25-12) vs. Alberto Del Rio (9-7)/Jack Swagger (14-23-1)
Before the match, they show a great still of Del Rio's table bump from the PPV. Such a sick spot. Matthews compares Kingston to Cam Newton. So the WWE going to erase his IC championship reign in a few years? Mysterio starts with Del Rio, but Swagger attacks Kingston on the apron. Del Rio attacks Mysterio in the confusion and tries to unmask him. We see some cheek. Swagger tags in and drops Mysterio with a right. Del Rio back in and he throws Mysterio into the corner. Mysterio floats over and kicks Del Rio into the ropes. Kingston tags in and attacks with a forearm for two. Mysterio tags back in and hits a seated senton off the ropes for two. Kingston back in with a missile dropkick for two when Swagger interrupts. Del Rio tries to comeback but ends up sliding to the outside. Mysterio sends Swagger out there with him. Mysterio and Kingston hit dual crossbodys off the top to the outside as we go to commercial.

Back from break, Del Rio has Mysterio in a chinlock. Mysterio tries to fight out, but Del Rio slams him down for two. Swagger tags in and focuses on the ribs. He hits a bodyslam to set up the Running, Leaping Swagger Bomb. It connects for two and he slows things back down with a bearhug. Mysterio punches his way out and kicks him in the chest. He tries to tag in Kingston but Swagger blocks it. Swagger charges in the corner but Mysterio drops him on the turnbuckle and tags in Kingston who comes in with a springboard. He hits his dropkicks but Swagger pouts a stop to the comeback. He hits a big boot for two. Del Rio tags in and drops Kingston with a back suplex for two. Del Rio mocks Kingston "Boom Boom" and chokes him on the bottom rope. Swagger tags in and applies a front facelock. The crowd is pretty dead. Kingston tries to tag Mysterio while in the hold, but Swagger stops it. In the corner, Kingston hits a mid rope crossbody. The crowd comes alive as Mysterio makes the hot tag talking out Del Rio with a seated senton and a wheel barrel DDT for two. Mysterio connects with a kick to the head for two more. Del Rio shoves Mysterio into the corner but runs into a boot. That doesn't stop Del Rio from catching Mysterio with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. Mysterio counters a bodyslam with a kick to the back and puts Del Rio in the 619 position. Swagger wisely makes the blind tag and takes out Mysterio with a clothesline for two. He tries for a gutwrench but Mysterio stops it and armdrags Swagger into the 619 position. Del Rio falls into it too but Mysterio only connects with Swagger. Kingston takes Del Rio out of the ring and hits Trouble in Paradise on Swagger. Mysterio ends it with a West Coast Pop.
Winner: Rey Mysterio/Kofi Kingston in 14:00
Rating: *** (Fun tag team match. The heels played their roles well and the crowd was into the babyface comeback. Good type of match to show a new audience what Smackdown is about.)

Up next, Cena vs Ziggler/Vickie.

In the back, Drew McIntyre catches up with Kelly Kelly. He wants to apologize for acting weird last week. Kelly thinks he was actually normal. There is one thing McIntyre wants Kelly to know: he would never hurt her. Kelly smiles and goes back to texting.

Somewhere else in the back, Dolph Ziggler is with Vickie Guerrero. Ziggler wants to know if she really wants to go through with this. She does. She also wants him to defend her honor and beat John Cena. Ziggler helps her stretch to end the segment. Damn, he should go back to wearing that b—h collar.

Next Friday, Edge teams up with Rey Mysterio to take on Kane and Alberto Del Rio.

Match Five: Handicap Match- Dolph Ziggler (21-22-1)/Vickie Guerrero (3-0) vs. John Cena (0-0)
Michael Cole seems very happy to have the old John Cena back. Vickie covers her ears to block out Cena's cheers. Vickie wants to get in there right away but Ziggler sends her to the apron. Cena ducks a clothesline and gets in a side headlock. Ziggler turns it into a cover for one. Back up, Cena drops Ziggler with a shoulderblock and goes for a chinlock. He powers Ziggler into the corner but goes down to a right. Ziggler stomps away then comes down with punches. He kicks Cena in the head drops him with another right. In the corner, Ziggler slugs away and Vickie tags herself in. She laughs and steps on Cena's head. Cena lifts her up by the feet but Ziggler tags in and beats down on him. He covers for two. Ziggler gets a fireman's carry takeover and drops a few elbows. He ends the series with a high elbow drop for two. In the corner, Ziggler punches but Cena escapes and connects with a bulldog. He covers for two. Cena tries for an AA but Ziggler counters into a DDT. Cover gets two. Ziggler chokes Cena on the middle rope and Vickie knocks him away. Ziggler continues with a neckbreaker for two. Cena goes to the apron but Ziggler knocks him off to the outside with a right. The ref puts in the count but Ziggler follows outside. He slams Cena's head on the announce table then tries to ram him into the steel steps but Cena blocks it and slams his head onto them. Back inside, Ziggler connects with a dropkick. Cover gets two. Ziggler tries for a vertical suplex but Cena counters into one of his own. Back up, they trade blows and Cena gets the advantage but misses a shoulderblock that send s him flying through the ropes and to the outside. ref puts in the count again. Vickie gets in a kick to the leg and laughs. Cena makes it back inside and drops Ziggler with a gutwrench suplex. Cena charges in the corner, but Ziggler moves out of the way. In the middle of the ring, Ziggler applies a reverse chinlock. Cena breaks the lock but Ziggler doesn't let up, hitting a jawbreaker for two. Ziggler stalks Cena but Vickie tags herself in. she does the "You can't see me" routine but Cena moves out of the way. Ziggler tags back in but Cena makes his comeback with shoulderblocks and a suplex. Five Knuckle Shuffle connects but Ziggler escapes the AA and hits a Fame-asser. Cover gets two! Ziggler calls for a Zig Zag but Cena avoids it and locks in an STF. Vickie interrupts it and Cena plants a big kiss on her. He finally hits the AA on Ziggler to end it.
Winner: John Cena in 13:00
Rating: *** (Quality stuff. Ziggler got in A LOT of offense and looked great in there with Cena. He actually looked more dominant than Wade Barrett has ever looked in a one-on-one match with Cena. They really made it seem as if Ziggler would have won had it not been for Vickie's blind tags.)
Post-match, Cena is about to hit Vickie Guerrero with the AA but CM Punk comes in and attacks Cena with a steel chair.