1. World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus kicked off the best show on Friday nights by acknowledging the illustrious career and fighting spirit of Triple H. He declared that The King of Kings was the embodiment of a champion, unlike The Great White’s opponent at Night of Champions, Alberto Del Rio.
Before Sheamus could tear into The Mexican Aristocrat, Damien Sandow interrupted the “ignorance spewing hooligan.” Calling Sheamus a buffoon and a propagation of Irish stereotypes, the self-professed “martyr” deemed the champion unworthy of his time. Before “The Intellectual Savior of the Masses” could depart, however, SmackDown General Manager Booker T came out and, to the delight of the WWE Universe, made a first-time ever showdown for later in the evening: Sheamus vs. Sandow.
2.
Cody Rhodes vs Rey MysterioCody Rhodes’ “obsession” with masked Superstars and why they cover their faces continued as he battled longtime adversary Rey Mysterio. Before taking on his opponent, the former Intercontinental Champion claimed that masks are “a sign of pathetic fear, panic and ugliness,” and it’s been his goal to prove that Superstars like Mysterio and Sin Cara are false idols.
Once the bell rang, a fierce showdown between Rhodes and Mysterio kept the WWE Universe on the edge of their seat. While the determination of the Master of The 619 rang through at every turn, the precisely brutal skill of Rhodes seemed to overwhelm The Ultimate Underdog at he unleashed a series of vicious stomps, slams and pinfall attempts.
But, much like he did when he faced Sin Cara two weeks ago, Rhodes became fixated throughout the match with removing Mysterio’s mask. This backfired and the highflier was able to turn the tables. When Rhodes caught a second 619 attempt and tried to go for the mask again, Mysterio countered for a quick pinfall victory.
After the match, Rhodes attacked Mysterio, desperately trying to remove his mask, but Sin Cara ran out to Mysterio’s aid, setting up The Ultimate Underdog for a crushing 619. Sin Cara added insult to injury by putting a replica of his distinctive mask on Rhodes.
3.
Sheamus vs Damien Sandow Less than three weeks from his Night of Champions clash with Alberto Del Rio, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus battled a different SmackDown Superstar, Damien Sandow, in a match that Booker T created earlier in the show.
In the biggest match of his career thus far, “The Intellectual Savior of the Masses” found himself battling one of WWE’s most aggressive and dominant Superstars. After experiencing some of Sheamus’ fearsome raw power, Sandow gained the advantage outside the ring, throwing The Great White into the steel steps. The Killer Kowalski–trained Sandow, called for Sheamus to quit as he took the fight to the World Champion in a way that few Superstars have.
However, the big man from Dublin, Ireland, would regain the advantage. And when “The Enlightened One” managed to escape the titleholder’s revived onslaught - including avoiding the Brogue Kick - he opted to run up the ramp, disappearing as the referee counted to 10, giving Sheamus a count-out victory.
While Sandow opted to live to fight another day, Sheamus continues his successful run as he barrels toward his showdown with Del Rio at Night of Champions
4.
Prime Time Playas vs Justin Gabriel & Tyson KiddIn a match that might go a long way toward establishing the next contenders in an intense tag team division, The Prime Time Players were able to overcome the fast-paced duo of Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd.
Despite the high-flying Gabriel and Kidd showing many of the exciting moves and teamwork that could make them future contenders, The Prime Time Players managed to survive the electrifying offense. In the end, although Kidd leaped out of the ring to prevent Titus O’Neal from getting in on the action, the distraction he created allowed Darren Young to break up a 450 Splash attempt by Gabriel. He then hit the South African Superstar with a brutal Lateral Press for the key victory.
5.
Alberto Del Rio vs KaneAlberto Del Rio started his interview with Josh Mathews by reliving his huge victory over Randy Orton on last week’s SmackDown, when he made The Viper tap out to a Cross Armbreaker.
When Del Rio said he would do the same to Sheamus, Mathews brought up the fact that The Celtic Warrior had defeated Del Rio in every championship match between the two. Del Rio prepared to attack Mathews for the slight, but the emergence of Kane stopped him in his tracks. Surprisingly, The Big Red Monster, as part of his anger management therapy, apologized to Mathews for attacking him at SummerSlam.
Before Kane could leave, Theodore Long, Senior Advisor to SmackDown GM, emerged and made an impromptu match between Kane and Del Rio.
Although Kane used his the full extent of his power and aggression, the No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship roared back with impressive resilience. Then, when The Devil’s Favorite Demon looked ready to hit the Chokeslam, Ricardo Rodriguez distracted him. Del Rio seized the opportunity, hitting a backbreaker on The Big Red Monster for a surprising victory.
Tricked out of the win, an enraged Kane snapped yet again, going after Mathews at the announce table. The enraged Superstar tossed Mathews in the ring and hit him with a blistering Chokeslam, showing the anger management classes might not be working.
6.
Randy Orton vs Dolph ZigglerAfter Randy Orton’s surprise RKO ruined Dolph Ziggler’s chance at cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on Sheamus last week on SmackDown, The Showoff faced The Viper, looking for retribution.
The showdown that followed was a hard-fought match from start to finish. In the final moments, Ziggler showed incredible determination, kicking out of both a superplex and a hanging DDT. However, when Ziggler missed a Zig Zag, it proved to cost him big. Before The Showoff could regroup, he fell prey to the searing RKO, giving a huge win to WWE’s Apex Predator.
Before Lilian Garcia could declare Orton the winner, though, Vickie Guerrero grabbed a microphone and Ziggler’s Money in the Bank contract, reinforcing that her client was still The Showoff and still had that golden opportunity. But this battle and this night went to The Viper, Randy Orton.
