WWE Smackdown

Your hosts are Josh Mathews, Booker T, & Michael Cole.

World Champion Mark Henry starts the show, walking to the ring with the aid of a crutch(The Big Show destoryed his leg with a chair after the Survivor Series match). Henry wonders what kind of sick individual deliberately injures an opponent...heh. He insinuates that he kicked Show in the KNEE and not the groin at the end of that match...Show simply pretended otherwise to escape a beating. Henry says he wanted to compete tonight but General Manager Theodore Long did not medically clear him to do so...that brings out Show. Show says that he just did to Henry what Henry did to him...Henry says it won't happen again and calls him the world's largest loser. Henry won't stop the trash-talking, so Show PUNCHes him out. BUT WAIT~! Daniel Bryan runs out with a referee and the Money-In-The-Bank briefcase to cash in!

Mark Henry vs. Daniel Bryan for the World Title: It takes the entire MITB ring announcement for Bryan to just roll Henry over onto his back and cover him for the three-count...we have a new World Champion! Cole whines and complains as usual...and Bryan climbs on the broadcast table to shove it in his face. However, Long comes out...Henry was not medically cleared to compete so the title change is overruled. Aww...Bryan reluctantly hands the belt back to Long who returns it to Henry. Long returns the briefcase to Bryan...since the match was overturned, the contract is still valid. In consolation, Long books Bryan in tonight's four-corner main event...the winner gets a World Title shot at Henry on next week's Smackdown(live on Tuesday).

Justin Gabriel vs. Hunico: We're told next week's World Title match will be a cage match, AND the winner will face Show at Tables Ladders & Chairs. Cole won't shut up about Bryan, saying he's proven himself to be a hypocrite and blew his shot tonight. Lots of flippies in this one...ever focused, Cole moves from mocking Bryan to mocking Booker. Hunico fights out of a superplex attempt with a well-placed eyerake and nails the Falling Star swanton bomb for the victory.

Kaitlyn Bonin & A.J. Lee vs. Women's Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart: Alicia Fox joins the broadcast team for this rematch from last week...Kaitlyn seemed frustrated after last week's loss. The match is surprisingly quick as A.J. gets a flurry of offense against Natalya only to be cut off and locked in the Sharpshooter for the tapout. Kaitlyn just watches her partner takes abuse and walks away as Beth & Nattie demand tears. Alicia has to enter the ring to defend A.J., causing Beth & Nattie to back off.

Replay of a vignette that first aired on Monday featuring fire...and a familiar-looking red mask. :-D

Back to Long's office...Mick Foley will be the special guest host on next Tuesday's special. Aksana Raudoniene pays another visit, but Henry quickly barges in to complain about defending his title while injured. Long wants a big main event for next week, see...Henry vows that bad things will happen to Long as a result.

Sheamus O'Shaunessy & Zack Ryder vs. U.S. Champion Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger(w/ Vickie Guerrero): The heels gloat about Dolph's "double victory" at Survivor Series(okay, technically his team did win even though Dolph was eliminated early in the matchup). The superior teamwork of Ziggler and Swagger comes into play as Sheamus takes a beating, then Ryder ends up on the wrong side of the ring. Sheamus has to break up Ziggler's pin cover after the wheelbarrow/Fameasser double-team. Zack finally returns fire by planting Swagger with a tornado DDT...hot tag to Sheamus. Swagger breaks up a Celtic Edge and Ryder tags himself into the match, leading to Swagger eating a Brogue Kick. Sheamus blocks a Zigzag attempt, then Ryder enters in grand fashion by hitting the Rough Ryder to pin the U.S. Champion again!

Backstage, Daniel Bryan and A.J. Lee have a heart-to-heart...though Wade Barrett rains on their parade.

Ted DiBiase Jr. vs. Heath Slater: Before the match, Jinder Mahal insults DiBiase from the TitanTron, saying he turned his back on his wealth and family to associate with "commoners". Slater takes the opportunity to attack from behind, posting DiBiase's shoulder and delivering a single-arm DDT or two. Ted Jr. makes the comeback to win with Dream Street and only Josh seems to notice as Cole and Booker are too busy sniping at each other...yay wrestling.

Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett, non-title: Winner challenges Mark Henry for the World Title in a cage match on next Tuesday's Smackdown special. Matt Striker does a brief backstage interview with Rhodes before the match regarding Rhodes throwing water in Booker's face on Monday's Raw. Orton and Wade pair off immediately, leaving Bryan to tangle with Rhodes. The faces clear the ring, leading to a big tease of Orton-Bryan...but they cut to commercial before it can go anywhere. Cody and Wade work as a team for the middle portion of the matchup, though Booker notes that only one of them can win. Bryan tries to set up a superplex on Rhodes, but Wade catches Bryan on his shoulders and Cody completes the Doomsday Device! Wade covers...but Cody breaks it up.

Barrett takes control and BOOTs Orton to the floor, then catches Bryan in the Bossman Slam only for Rhodes to break up another pin attempt. Rhodes dumps Wade out and nails the Beautiful Disaster kick on Bryan...for two. Bryan backdrops Cody out of the ring, then escapes an attack by Wade to level Cody with a suicide dive! Orton gets back in the ring to really against Wade, hitting the 3.0 backbreaker...but BRYAN breaks up a pin attempt and nails Orton with a huge buzzsaw kick. Cody Stunguns Bryan and tries to steal the pin on Randy...only getting two. Booker almost HOPES that Cody wins the match so he'll be stuck in a cage with an angry Mark Henry next week. Rhodes goes to the top but gets caught in the trademark Orton superplex, leaving both men down. However, Wade kicks Orton out of the ring and tries to steal the pin on Cody...but Bryan breaks it up with a swandive headbutt! Randy re-enters and has his pick of victims, tossing Barrett and Rhodes to the floor before planting Bryan with the hanging DDT. RKO? No, Wade pulls Randy out of the ring and DDTs him on the floor! Cody gets back in the ring and covers Bryan...for two! Out of nowhere, Bryan turns that around into the LeBell Lock and Cody taps out!

Cody snaps and attacks Bryan from behind after the match, only to eat an RKO from Orton. Orton gives Bryan a nod before exiting the ring...

Next week: Mark Henry vs. Daniel Bryan in a cage match for the World Title.