SmackDown 5/7/10

SmackDown opens with Matt Hardy coming out to the ring. Hardy addresses Drew McIntyre. He tells Drew that if Drew doesn’t want to see him anymore, Drew will have to make him go away. Drew comes out and says that Vince McMahon declared him the future of the company. Drew says that makes him untouchable. Drew and Hardy brawl. The referees separate them, but Drew attacks Hardy from behind. Drew attacks Hardy’s head. Hardy rolls out of the ring, but Drew follows. Drew continues the attack to Hardy’s head and slams it into the barrier. Teddy Long comes out and tells Drew to stop. Drew continues the attack and Long suspends him. He still keeps attacking Hardy and Long strips him of the Intercontinental Title. Drew attacks Hardy again and Long fires him from SmackDown. Some of the referees and security check on Hardy while the rest of them escort Drew out of the building.

Josh asks Long about Hardy and Long says Hardy is with the doctors. Josh asks him about Drew and he says he’s never seen anything like it in his life. Josh asks him about the status of the Intercontinental Championship and he says he doesn’t know what he’s going to do.

MVP is out to take on Luke Gallows. Gallows starts with a punch, but MVP answers with a series of punches. MVP floats over Gallows in the corner and hits him with a jumping forearm shot. MVP continues the attack on Gallows. MVP goes for the Player’s Boot, but Gallows moves and MVP ends up on the apron. Gallows knocks MVP off the apron and goes after him on the outside. Gallows gets MVP in a double underhook. He hits a series of knees and a double underhook suplex. Gallows gets MVP in a reverse bearhug. MVP fights out, but gets caught with a big kick to the mid section. Gallows hits a clothesline in the corner and a big uppercut. Gallows follows up with a running splash and covers for a 2 count. Gallows goes back to the reverse bearhug. MVP fights out again. He fights out of the corner and hits a series of strikes. MVP hits a knee facebuster and goes for the Ballin’ Elbow. MVP hits it and goes for the playmaker, but Serena distracts him and Gallows hits a big clothesline for a 2 count. Mysterio suddenly comes out and DDTs Punk at ringside. Gallows is distracted and he turns around right into the 305 (which Striker says MVP also calls the Play of the Day).

Move of the Match: A number of interesting moves, but this has to go to the 305/Play of the Day.

After the match, Punk calls Mysterio a coward. He calls Mysterio out and Mysterio comes out and addresses the masked SES member who’s been attacking Mysterio. Punk says that Mysterio must be using drugs because Punk hasn’t seen any masked man attack Mysterio. Mysterio says the only person hallucinating is Punk. Mysterio challenges Punk to a rubber match at Over the Limit. Mysterio loses, he joins the SES, but if Punk loses, his head is shaved. Punk accepts the match. Mysterio says that if Punk shaves his head right now, Mysterio will join the SES tonight. Mysterio says the problem with the SES is not the message, but the messenger. Punk refuses to shave his head and Mysterio questions why Luke and Serena have to have their heads shaved but Punk does not when Luke and Serena do most of the work. Mysterio tells Punk there’s nothing he can do to be saved from the 619.

Kelly Kelly and Tiffany vs. Team LayCool. Tiffany and McCool start out. Tiffany backs McCool into the corner, but McCool nails her with a poke to the eyes. McCool goes after Tiffany, but gets caught with a drop toe hold. Tiffany continues to fight back and hits a monkey flip out of the corner, but McCool lands on her feet. McCool brags that she’s flawless, but turns around into a standing monkey flip from Tiffany. McCool rolls out of the ring. Vickie and Layla prevent Tiffany from going after McCool. Meanwhile, McCool gets back into the ring and catches Tiffany with a dropkick as she tries to reenter the ring. McCool drops a series of knees on Tiffany and covers for a 2 count. McCool tags in Layla. Layla goes for a running splash, but Tiffany gets her knees up. Tiffany tags in Kelly. Kelly hits a clothesline and a pair of dropkicks to Layla. Layla avoids the handspring attack in the corner, but gets caught with a neckbreaker. Kelly tags Tiffany back in. Tiffany hits a crossbody on Layla, but McCool breaks up the hold. The referee back Kelly out of the ring, but McCool comes back in and nails Tiffany with a kick. McCool takes Kelly off the apron and Layla hits the Lay Out and covers for the 3 count.

Move of the Match: Another match with its share of good moves, but this has to go to the Lay Out.

In the back, Long announces 4 individuals will compete in a tournament to crown the new Intercontinental Champion. The first two matches will be tonight with Christian taking on Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler taking on Kofi Kingston.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston. Ziggler starts out with a side headlock. Kofi shoots of Ziggler, but runs into a shoulder block. Kingston leapfrogs over Ziggler multiple times, and then nails him with a spinning forearm shot. Kofi hits Ziggler with a dropkick and clotheslines him out of the ring. Kofi flies out of the ring into Ziggler. He rolls Ziggler back into the ring, but Ziggler catches him with a big kick as Kofi climbs back into the ring. Back from break and Ziggler once again has Kofi in a headlock. Kofi fights out and goes for a forearm in the corner, but Ziggler moves and hits his inverted powerslam move and covers for 2. Ziggler continues the attack on Kofi. Ziggler chokes Kofi on the ropes. Ziggler hits a series of shots and covers for a 2 count after a dropkick. Ziggler gets Kofi in a camel clutch. Kofi tries to fight back, but Ziggler slams him down to the mat. Ziggler hits the big elbow drop and covers for 2. Kofi starts to fight back, but Ziggler takes him down again. Ziggler gets Kofi in another potential submission hold. Kofi begins to fight back and hits the SOS on Ziggler for a 2 count. Ziggler fights back and gets a 2 count with his feet on the ropes. Ziggler hits a sit out facebuster and covers for 2. Ziggler continues the attack, but Kofi keeps trying to fight back. Ziggler misses and attack in the corner and Kofi starts to fight back. Kofi hits Ziggler with a series of strikes and nails him with the Boom Drop. Kofi goes for Trouble in Paradise, but Ziggler moves. Kofi hits a springboard crossbody, but Ziggler rolls through for a 2 count. Ziggler gets Kofi in the sleeper hold. Kofi tries to fight out and falls against the ropes catching Ziggler on the top rope. Kofi hits Trouble in Paradise and covers for the 3 count.

Move of the Match: This has to go to Trouble in Paradise.

Up next is the other semifinal match in the Intercontinental tournament. Christian vs. Cody Rhodes. Rhodes goes after Christian to start the match. Rhodes hits a shoulder block and goes for a quick cover, but only gets a 1 count. Christian fights back and hits Rhodes with a forearm shot. He rides on Rhodes’ back, but Rhodes avoids the blow from the outside. Christian sends Rhodes out of the ring and catches him with the jumping dropkick to the outside. Christian goes for the springboard attack to the outside but Rhodes moves. Rhodes catches Christian on the outside and slams him into the ring steps. Rhodes brings him back into the ring and attacks him. Christian fights back and hits the slingshot sunset flip for a 2 count. Rhodes fights back and nails Christian with a dropkick to the back that sends him into the bottom rope. Back from break and Rhodes drops Christian with a front suplex. Rhodes gets a 2 count on Christian and goes to a surfboard stretch. Christian keeps trying to fight back, but Rhodes keeps dropping him. Rhodes gets Christian set up on the top rope and hits a superplex on Christian. Rhodes goes after Christian, but gets rolled up for a 2 count. Rhodes fights back, but Christian clotheslines him out of the ring with a cactus clothesline. Rhodes hits the kick off the ring steps. He brings Christian back into the ring and covers for a 2 count. Rhodes sets up for a dive, but Christian catches him with a punch to the midsection. Christian hits a series of shots and his slingshot kick in the corner. He hits a missile dropkick and covers for a 2 count. Christian goes for the Killswitch, but Rhodes avoids it. Christian rides on Rhodes again, and this time hits the blow on the outside. Christian goes for a crossbody, but Rhodes moves and gets a 2 count with a roll up. Rhodes counters the Killswitch and goes for a back suplex, but Christian lands on his feet and hits Rhodes with an inverted DDT and covers for 2. Rhodes sends Christian into the corner and Christian tries to fight back, but Rhodes drops him to the mat. Rhodes hits the moonsault onto a standing Christian, but only gets a 2 count. Rhodes tries to send Christian into the ring post, but gets sent into it himself. Christian hits the Killswitch and covers for the win.

Move of the Match: The Killswitch is a great move, but this has to go to the impressive moonsault from Rhodes.

Jack Swagger comes out. Swagger again starts to run down his list of accomplishment. Back from break and Swagger is still talking. Kane finally comes out. Swagger goes after Kane and gets him in a rear hold, but Kane fights out with a back elbow. Swagger takes Kane down, but Kane shows a little bit of skill in mat wrestling. Big Show comes out and makes his way down to ringside. Swagger takes the fight to Kane. Swagger is backed out of the corner and Kane catches him with a big uppercut. Kane attack Kane in the corner and backs off on his own. Kane hits the snapmare and the big low dropkick. Swagger hits Kane with a chop block and gets Kane in a front facelock. Kane picks up Swagger and drops him on the top rope. Kane hits a blow to Swagger, but Swagger fights back. Swagger comes off the ropes, but Kane catches him with an uppercut. Kane catches Swagger with a pair of clotheslines and follows a clothesline in the corner with a sidewalk slam. Kane goes up top and hits the flying clothesline. Kane gets Swagger set up for the chokeslam, but Swagger fights back and sends Kane repeatedly into the exposed turnbuckle. The referee calls for the bell. Kane wins by DQ.

Move of the Match: This has to go to the snapmare followed by the low dropkick.

After the match, Swagger clotheslines Kane in the corner and nails Kane with a big boot. Swagger comes out of the ring and gets his title belt. Swagger stares down Big Show and walks into a big boot from Kane. Kane tears up the announce table, but Swagger fights back. Swagger sends Kane into the ring post, but when he turns around, Show catches him and chokeslams him through the announce table. Show stands in the ring with the World Heavyweight Championship to end SmackDown.