WWE Smackdown! Results (3/25) - Christian/Del Rio, New IC Champ & Taker Responds To HHH

"Yes sir, we promised you a great main event"

To open the show, we're shown the highlights of the cage match from last week's Smackdown.

We're backstage with Edge arguing with General Manager Teddy Long. Edge feels that Teddy is favoring Del Rio and that he should be penalized for the attack last week. Teddy makes it clear that what he is doing is in the best interest of WWE, the SD main event at Wrestlemania, and of him & Del Rio. And he also makes it clear that if either of them touch each other before their Wrestlemania match, they'll both be banned from Wrestlemania. Edge walks off as Green Day's music hits.

Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk (Wrestlemania Rewind Match)

Nine days away from Wrestlemania and Smackdown is kicking off from Columbus Ohio this week. Rey Mysterio's music stars and he comes off to a large pop from the crowd. Matthews & Booker are at ringside, as well as Cole inside his penalty box. CM Punk comes out to a potpourri of reaction from the crowd. They show a replay of Punk's ambush on Orton from Monday night. Mysterio & Punk square off with Punk getting control early on Rey in the corner. A throw to the opposite corner sees Rey leap over a charging Punk. Rey throws Punk into the ropes and tries for the 619, but Punk counters with a kick to the gut. Punk rolls Rey over, and he comes back with a hard kick to Punk and a quick 2 count. Rey bounces off the ropes, tries for a cross body but Punk gets out of the way. Punk starts to focus on Rey's ribs with a few kicks, and a quick 2 count. Punk then locks Rey in an abdominable stretch, rubbing his elbow in Rey's ribs. Rey powers out of it and eventually tosses Punk to the outside. Punk pulls Rey out of the ring, has him on his shoulders and then drops him on the barricade outside. And we go to our first commercial break.

Back from break & Punk is still in control, hammering Rey in the corner and then locking him up in the middle of the ring. Rey powers out of it by going at Punk's knee. He lands another sharp kick to Punk's head, starts to build momentum, but is hammered back down by Punk. More focus on Rey's ribs with some kicks, and a few quick 2 counts. The crowd tries to get Rey back into it with a 619 chant. Punk tries a suplex, but Rey counters, bouncing off the ropes, only to run into a cross body and another 2 count. Punk goes upstairs in the corner,, tries a high flying manuever, but only to run into a standing dropkick from Mysterio. Rey lands a few kicks to Punk's knee, and after a bounce off the rope, he tries another high flying maneuver, only to be caught by Punk, tossing each other to the outside. Then Rhodes comes out and ambushes Mysterio. He throws Rey into the ringpost before putting him back onto the ring apron. Off goes the tie and shirt and he starts planting multiple head butts on Mysterio. Rhodes then pulls up his pant leg to expose a knee brace, and gives him a kick to the head before retreating backstage. Rey is helped backstage, and as he is tended to by medics, his mask is almost half off.

Winner: Rey Mysterio (by DQ due to Rhodes attack)

Backstage, we're shown Edge in the locker room who is approached by Christian. He asks Edge if he's sure he should go through with this or if he should be in the same building as Del Rio. Edge says he appreciates his concern, but he has his match with McIntyre, and he will be his corner for his match with Del Rio later. We're told that Taker will respond to HHH later tonight and we have another commercial break.

World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs Drew McIntyre (non title)

Edge comes out to a very large pop. Drew hits the ring to a lot of heat, and as soon as the bell goes, Edge goes after Drew taking out his pent up frustration from earlier, kicking him in the corner. He charges into the corner but runs into a shoulder block from Drew, who then starts to work on Edge's injured arm. Edge is able to fight out of it with a couple of clotheslines and eventually he locks in his modified sharpshooter, the Edgecator, and Drew has no choice but to tap out.

Winner: Edge via the Edgecator

We're told about Christian & Del Rio for later, and we go to another break.

We come back to a replay of the promo for Taker/HHH at Wrestlemania that was shown on Monday Night. Many wrestlers, compromised of current stars and hall of famers, comment during this promo. Back with the announce team, and they remind us that Taker will respond to HHH later tonight. Kelly's music hits as she and Rosa come out for their match which is next, and we go to another break.

Kelly Kelly & Rosa Mendes vs LayCool

Back from break to a replay from the intergender match from Raw on Monday. LayCool comes out to A LOT of heat from the crowd, and dressed to imitate Snooki from Jersey Shore. They are wearing slippers, but Michelle only has one on due to the cast still on her foot. Kelly is ready to start the match, but LayCol are not done with their antics. Kelly takes Michelle to the outside, but is knocked down for her troubles. That leaves Rosa at the mercy of LayCool in the ring, which we see Layla hit her finisher and gets the pinfall.

Winner: LayCool

Postmatch: LayCool grabs the mics and goes off on a tangent to insult Snooki and talk about their match at Wrestlemania. But I cannot tell you what they said, because I had to mute it. Sorry. Their music hits and they are done.
We're shown a replay from Show's & Kane's tag title match from last week, focusing on the beatdown from The Corre. But there is no replay of Show's & Kane's payback from Monday. Instead, they show Kofi & Barrett coming to the ring for their match which is next, and we got a commercial break.

Wade Barrett vs Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston (Intercontinental Championship Match)

Barrett is out first with The Corre (Slater sporting a shiner) to much heat, and Kofi comes out next with a sizable pop from the crowd. A quick lock up pushing Kofi to the corner, but Kofi kicks his way out and gets the early control of the match. He hits a standing dropkick, gets a quick 1 count. The match goes back & forth for a few moments until Kofi's fast offense is stopped in the corner by a kick from Barrett causing Kofi to land on the back of his head. Barrett locks Kofi against the ropes and then gives him a hard kick to the back, knocking him to the outside and in the trouble zone surrounded by Corre outside. Barrett tosses Kofi back inside, who launches a short comeback, only to be nailed with a sideways slam from Barrett, followed by a quick 2 count. Barrett maintaining his control on Kofi goes for an elbow drop from the second rope, only to miss as Kofi rolls out of the way. Kofi tries to come back, hitting a few slaps and a dropkick only to get a kick to the gut from Barrett. Barrett goes for Wasteland, but Kofi rolls out of it and is tossed to the corner. Barrett charges in and meets a kick to the head from Kofi. He goes upstairs and lands a cross body on Barrett, followed by another 2 count. He lands a leg drop & psyches up for the boom drop. Slater gets on the apron while the ref is distracted by Gabriel in the corner. Kofi knocks him down, but the distraction allowed Barrett to recover. He blocks Kofi's attack and grabs him for Wasteland, he hits it, and gets the pinfall and we have a new IC Champion.

Winner: Wade Barrett with Wasteland (New Intercontinental Champion)

Postmatch: Gabriel hits his 450 splash on Kofi and Corre celebrate in the ring.

Backstage, Teddy Long is with Alberto Del Rio, who says he's not done with Edge yet. But Long reinforces what he told Edge earlier, reminding him that if he or Edge touch eath other, they'll be banned from Wrestlemania. Del Rio says he doesn't have the guts to ban him. Teddy stands his ground, saying there have been 26 Wrestlemanias without him, and if he wants to make it 27, then to try him. He tells him to concentrate on his match with Christian. Del Rio laughs, then walks off and we go to another break, as Taker's response is up next.

Back from break, and the bell tolls, to the largest pop of the night. Pyro, fog and Johnny Cash as Undertaker comes out to the stage. There are so few that can hold the crowd like this, as Taker has the mic in hand. He talks about the saying "The more things change, the more things stay the same." He talks about HHH having the equation to eradicate him at Wrestlemania, breaking the streak. He says that H's confidence is starting to fade into uncertainty, which will turn into dispair. He hypes his match at Wrestlemania, saying H's words "Die trying" will be more prolific and will be his epitath on his tombstone. He says he looks forward to Raw on Monday night when he will tell all of what he said, face to face. He berates H for returning on 2-21, on his night and interrupting him, and that his fate was decided, his number chosen. He tells H that he will put everything on the line to become a number, which is 19. Cash sings again, and Undertaker goes backstage. Chilling. And we got another commercial break.

Back from break to another video for Sin Cara

Jack Swagger vs R-Truth

Swagger comes out, Cole on his feet in his box. He shows the replay of King's beating on Monday Night Raw. Truth comes out to a pop, but its mainly for Cole to go off on a rant as he taunts Cole from his penalty box. Swagger gets control early. The crowd is letting off a very loud "Cole sucks" chant, giving him a lot of heat. Truth mounts a brief comeback, but he goes over the top rope to Swagger on the outside. Swagger barely catches him, and Truth looks like he hit his shoulder on the move. Truth does try to go upstairs, but Swagger knocks him down, with his ankle getting locked up on the turnbuckle. Swagger then goes after his ankle, putting on the ankle lock and Truth taps out.

Winner: Jack Swagger, with the ankle lock.

Postmatch: Cole exits his box to taunt Truth as Swagger still has the ankle lock on him. Swagger releases him and he & Cole celebrate as we go to another break.

Back from break and they show a replay of "Miz-Story", as well as Cena's comments & attack on Miz from Monday Night Raw.

Christian w/Edge vs Alberto Del Rio w/Brodus Clay

Ricardo calls out Del Rio, who comes out in a nice silver Mercedes convertible. Del Rio gets a lot of heat from the crowd here. Brodus comes out with Del Rio, who poses in the ring. Due to the Cena playback and a quick promo for Wrestlemnia, we have a commercial break.

Back from break, and out comes Christian, with Edge at his side, to a large pop. A lock up from one corner to another, which sees Del Rio giving Christian a knee and then locking him up in a headlock. Christian powers out of it, thwos Del Rio to the ropes, gives Del Rio a shoulder block, gets a 2 count, and locks Del Rio in a headlock of his own. Del Rio gets Christian to the corner where he gets control, landing a kick and hammers Christian in the corner. Del Rio throws Christian to the opposite corner, charges in, but is tossed up and over to the outside by Christian, who then goes upstairs and nails a cross body on Del Rio. Both are down at ringside as we go to break.

Back from break, Del Rio charges at Christian who is in the corner to get a kick from Christian, followed by a sunset flip and a 2 count. Del Rio kicks Christian, but tossed outside over the top rope by Christian by a clothesline. Edge tries a baseball slide but misses, and Del Rio throws him into the barricade. Alberto then picks up Christian by the arm, slamming his arm into the ring steps. He tosses him back into the ring and takes over, locking Christian in a arm stretch in the middle of the ring. Christian tries to power out of it but is knocked back down. Del Rio lands an arm drop from the second rope, followed by some punches to Christian, who mounts a come back as Del Rio goes back to the second rope. Christian goes up with him, taking Del Rio down, but only lands a 2 count on him. Both get back to their feet and trade blows. Del Rio crawls to the ropes, as Christian goes outside and gives Del Rio an uppercut. Christian goes upstairs for a cross body, but misses as Del Rio dodges, who goes for an insiguri but misses that. Christian nails a DDT from the second rope. Christian goes for the cover as Ricardo puts Del Rio's foot on the bottom rope to break the pinfall. Edge comes around and nails Ricardo, as Clay comes from behind to nail Edge. This distracts Del Rio long enough as he tries to lock the cross arm breaker on Christian, who tries to reverse it into the Killswitch. But Del Rio tosses Christian over, but he lands on his feet, only to get a kick from Del Rio and a quick 2 count. Del Rio gets the cross arm breaker on Christian who grabs the bottom rope and has to break the hold. The two land a double clothesline on each other, as Edge spears Clay outside the ring. Edge grabs a chair and smacks Clay with it twice. This distracts Del Rio long enough for Christian to hit him with the Killswitch successfully this time, and this one is over.

Winner: Christian with the Killswitch

Postmatch: Edge slithers into the ring with that look on his face. He has the chair in hand as he approaches Del Rio, who is still lying in the ring. He goes to hit him with the chair, but is stopped by Christian. He reminds Edge about Wrestlemania, and hits Del Rio with the chair himself. Del Rio falls outside, and Edge taunts him. Christian pulls him away, heading backstage as this one closes out.