Date: 05/18	7:00 PM
Views: 1,090

The SmackDown recap begins at 8 PM ET/7 CT. Press F5 or Refresh for the latest updates.

What's going to happen on SmackDown tonight? WWE Over the Limit is two days away! Sheamus is set to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton. On Raw this week, Orton and Jericho had a one-on-one match and Sheamus got involved after Jericho threw Orton into him. Orton was not pleased with Sheamus interfering, and they almost had a fight! The Executive Administrator Eve made a match of Randy Orton vs. Sheamus for tonight's main event. Will Sheamus prevail and gain momentum for Over the Limit? Tune in to find out! As always you can join us in the AngryMarks chat to discuss the show.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown

We start out with a look from Raw this week where John Laurinaitis and John Cena had their final face-to-face confrontation that set up their match at WWE Over the Limit. At the end of it all, after learning all the stipulations for his match, "Big Johnny" SLAPPED Cena!

The General Manager comes out to the ring to start off SmackDown tonight. (Oh goodie.) John Laurinaitis: "With all due respect, I disagree with the decision by the Board of Directors. I mean I feel like I've been put in harm's way. I know I asked for this match with John Cena, but the Board of Directors have restricted the very way I was to compete with John. This Sunday, it's like leading a lamb to slaughter, and that's not fair. I'm approaching 40 years old and I'm not as flexible as I used to be. I mean I can still bench press 250 pounds, I can also run a mile in 6 minutes and I'm still as tough as I used to be, but that does not qualify me to compete against John Cena. So I asked the Board of Directors to reconsider, and they said no. So I'm asking each and every one of you to find it in your heart to support me in the unfair and lopsided match. I don't expect you to cheer me, but I will ask you that tonight as you lay your head down on your pillow to sleep to please say a prayer for me." Johnny lowers his head and the crowd boos him loudly.

Out comes the WWE CHAMPION, CM PUNK! The fans go apeshit at the sound of his music! They chant his name once he gets in the ring. CM Punk: "Don't you get it Johnny? I'm not even a praying guy and I've been praying. Everybody here in this arena has been praying, all the superstars backstage, everybody in the world has been praying. I'm here to let you know our prayers have been answered! This Sunday, the only way you win is by pinfall or submission. If anybody interferes on your behalf, they get terminated. You're all alone, it's just one-on-one. The best part is when John Cena beats you, YOU GET TERMINATED! And then, allow me to be the first one to wish you best of luck on YOUR future endeavors. We're gonna be partying in the streets, we're gonna kick it off on Monday Night Raw and it's gonna continue all the way to next Friday right here on SmackDown! We're gonna throw a party that's bigger than Mardi Gras! Do you have any idea how miserable you make people? Do you have any idea how much you've abused your power? I'll take you back to Monday Night Raw. You had a 7-foot tall giant on his knees in tears grovelling for your forgiveness. You made him beg for his job, because he loves entertaining all of you. You made him beg for his job and you did it with a smile on your face. You constantly insult the intelligence of the great WWE Universe, you're out of touch, you belittle and humiliate Teddy Long - somebody who's made SmackDown the great show that it is. So I gotta ask, how's it feel? How's it feel to be on the other end of the stick for once?" Laurinaitis: "Punk, I'm not there yet. I'm still the General Manager of Raw and SmackDown, and I can do what I want, and I can make any match I want. So tonight you're gonna face one-on-one, KANE." Punk: "Okay, I'm not gonna pretend that I'm not concerned that I'm facing Kane. But I'm also not gonna run to the Board of Directors and ask out of the match because I'm a man. The funny thing about it all is when it comes to Kane, I respect him, which is more than I can say for you. This time next week, I'll still be WWE Champion, and you'll be hanging out in the unemployment line." Punk smiles at Johnny before leaving the ring. Michael Cole says good luck with Kane tonight and says he feels bad for Johnny (and Booker T asks him if he's joking).

Laurinaitis: "You like that, don't you?! I can't hear you. You like that, right?? You like it when somebody makes fun of their boss! Since I'm the General Manager of Raw and SmackDown, I've been tough but fair. I've sometimes been generous, I've been benevolent, but you don't get it, do you? I work hard for you, the WWE Universe, and it seems like the harder I work the more you like to crap all over me! Now I'm not gonna blame John Cena and CM Punk for their actions. I'm gonna blame each and every one of you. You support what they do, you support what they say; it's YOUR FAULT! I detest each and every one of you - you, you, you, you, you, you, YOU~! And if this is my last night on SmackDown, I want all you ingrates to remember the last thing I say. You can all go to HELL~!" Cole says he admires Johnny Laryngitis and calls him a leader and a hero. Booker and Josh Mathews just stare at him as he goes on a tirade. They mention tonight's main event of Randy Orton vs. Sheamus before our first commercial break.

* Kofi Kingston & R-Truth (Tag Team Champions} vs. Titus O'Neil & Darren Young
  [non-title match]

Truth starts the match with Young and they lock up. Young beats him up in a corner, but Truth fights back. Kofi tags in and hits a HIGH springbaord crossbody for 2! He hits a pendulum kick on Young, kicks an incoming O'Neil off the apron, then Young uses that slight distraction to grab Kofi and drop him with a belly-to-back suplex ONTO THE RING APRON! Young throws him back into the ring and hits an elbow drop for 2. O'Neil tags in to body slam him then avalanches him in a neutral corner. Kofi puts the boots into O'Neil's face and makes the tag. Young is tagged in too as Truth wails at him with punches, connects with the corkscrew elbow and DDTs him. O'Neil breaks up the count, the tag champs dropkick him out the ring, Kofi lands on him with a plancha, and Truth hits Young with the Lil Jimmy for 3! WINNERS: R-Truth and Kofi Kingston.

We get a commercial of Stephanie McMahon, Eve Torres, Sheamus, Mark Henry and Alberto Del Rio speaking to kids at "Be A Star" campaigns in the Bronx.

We come back backstage to see Zack Ryder holding up his iPhone filming the next episode of "Z! True Long Island Story" but stops when he sees Damien Sandow staring at him. Zack asks him "What's the deal bro?" and Sandow just walks away in disgust. He heads to the ring before a commercial break.

After the break, Damien Sandow comes out and holds his microphone like a wine goblet. Lilian Garcia introduces him and his opponent Yoshi Tatsu. Before the match starts, however, Sandow wishes to grant us with a promo. Sandow: "Allow me to beg your indulgence for one moment. My name is Damien Sandow and I am here to help all of you. As the WWE's intellectual savior to the masses, it is my duty - nay, it is my passion to set all of you free from the chains of ignorance. One fortnight ago, I stood on the precipice of ushering in a new era of enlightenment that you the ignorant masses so desperately yearn for. However, much to my dismay, upon my arrival at ringside, I saw that I was pitted against an unworthy opponent, an opponent that I rejected so as to not subject any of you to witness such an abhorrent contest. Sadly, I find myself in that same vexxing scenario this evening. This alleged superstar is an unworthy opponent. Therefore, I can not and will not demean myself by engaging this ignoramous this evening. And as always, I do this for the benefit and the well-being of all of you. You're welcome!" Tatsu glares at Sandow as he walks away. Suddenly, Tatsu takes the microphone! Tatsu: "Hey Sandow, you are chicken." Sandow turns around in disbelief and Yoshi squawks like a chicken!

Sandow runs into the ring and pearl harbors Yoshi! He puts him in a full nelson and slams his face on the turnbuckle repeatedly. He deliver knees to the side of the hrad and drops him with a cross-armed neckbreaker. (By the way, Sandow's ring attire is pink trunks, purple kneepads, black elbow pads, and white boots and wristbands. Talk about colorful.) Sandow calms himself down after the attack. Breaktime.

We go back to Raw two weeks ago when Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio defeated Randy Orton and Sheamus in a tag match. That match set up the fatal 4-way match at Over the Limit this Sunday. The battle continued on SmackDown last week where all four men brawled throughout the night in a series of matches. On Raw this past Monday, Sheamus and Orton almost got into a brawl in the ring with Orton after he pulled Jericho out the ring.

Matt Striker interviews both Orton and Sheamus next about their match tonight. Sheamus: "Matt, believe it or not I'm actually looking forward to the fatal 4-way match, because it gives me another chance to show what type of champion I really am. Like one of my three opponents this Sunday I have the reputation of being a hot-head, but I was able to harness that aggression in the ring. That's why I'm World Heavyweight Champion, unlike some people." Orton: "Matt, like one of three opponents this Sunday I used to be so over-confident that I came across as looking like an idiot. But I know better now. I also know this Sunday I could win the World Championship without even beating the current World Champion, but at the same time I couldn't think of anyone else in that match whom I would rather beat more." Sheamus: "Well Matt, I'm just happy that ONE of my opponent had the guts to say this to my face, because if I wanted to I could Brogue Kick him in the face right now. But I won't, cause I'm such a nice guy." Orton: "Unlike me, you are a nice guy, and we both know where nice guys finish."

* Zack Ryder vs. Daniel Bryan

They lock up and end up in a corner. Bryan hits a hard European uppercut, then drops a knee to the back of Ryder's head for a 2-count. Ryder fights back but Bryan does another Euorpean uppercut. Ryder does a facecrusher but Bryan drives a knee in his midsection. He shouts YES before connecting with a running dropkick in a corner for 2. Bryan puts him in a hammerlock and bends back the other arm, then switches to a regular hammerlock. Ryder battles out, avoids a head kick, hits a back elbow and connects with a missile dropkick from the second rope. Bryan counters the Broski Boot with a drop toehold, kicks him in the back of the head, applies the YES Lock and Ryder taps! WINNER: Daniel Bryan.

Bryan was all business tonight! After the replays he shouts "YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!" We get a shot of Kane before a commercial break. When we come back Bryan is sitting ringside on commentary for the next match. Punk comes out first and holds up the WWE Title staring at Bryan the whole time. Bryan compares the moves of himself and Punk in their arsenal and says Punk will have to prove he is the best in the world on Sunday.

* CM Punk {WWE Champion} vs. Kane
  [non-title match]

The bell dings and Punk gets a side headlock, Kane pushes him off and hits a shoulder block. Punk gets in a couple of kicks to the leg but Kane corners him. Punk fights out with forearms and chops then clotheslines him out the ring. Kane lands on his feet and they have a staredown (with Punk looking over his shoulder at Bryan) before a commercial break.

We come back and Punk is in control with kicks and a DDT for a 1-count. He attacks Kane's left leg then applies a figure-4 leglock. Kane punches him to release the hold and kicks him off and out the ring. Punk pulls him on the ropes but then Kane uppercuts Punk in mid-air off the springboard. He baseball slides into Punk as he's against the ringpost! He furthers the injury by stretching him around the post, then does shoulder thrusts into Punk's midsection for a 2-count. Kane puts him in a bearhug, Punk elbows his way out, but Kane counters with a backbreaker for 2 then puts him in a body scissors. Punk elbows his way out again, kicks him in the leg, blocks the Choke Slam and hits the swinging neckbreaker for 1. Punk hits the high knee in a corner, Kane pushes off the bulldog, Punk gets a boot up and connects with a jumping bulldog from the second rope for 2!

Punk hits the springboard clothesline for 2. He tries for the GTS but his midsection bothers him, so Kane boots him in the face getting a 2-count. Kane sits him atop the turnbuckle for a superplex, Punk fights him off knocking him down then hits the elbow drop from the top rope for a near-fall! Kane blocks the Anaconda Vice and plants him with a sidewalk slam for 2. He climbs the turnbuckle and connects with the flying clothesline. Kane calls for the Choke Slam, but Punk kicks him in the head and Kane falls to the floor. Punk runs at him and connects with the suicide dive! Bryan gets off commentary and stalks Punk with a steel chair but gets caught. Bryan hits KANE with the chair and runs away! WINNER by DQ: Kane.

Kane sees Punk with the chair and uppercuts him, then hits him in the ribs and back with it! Kane goes ballistic hitting Punk in the back repeatedly with the chair! He slams him on the announce table and throws him into the barricade. Bryan looks on from the stage with a smile on his face. Kane throws him in the ring for a massive CHOKE SLAM! He grabs a prone Punk from the mat and gives him ANOTHER CHOKE SLAM and Daniel Bryan applauds Punk's performance. We get replays of Kane's beating and we come back to see the ref check on Punk. Our main event of Sheamus vs. Orton is still to come tonight. Coming up next, it's Champion vs. Champion! The WWE Rewind is the tag match of CM Punk and Santino vs. Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan from Raw this past Monday.

* Santino Marella {United States Champion} vs. Cody Rhodes {Intercontinental Champion}
  [non-title match]

In pre-match comments Santino says he loves his U.S. Championship. As Cody comes out, Michael Cole asks Booker T which title is more prestigious (since he has held both titles before). Cody gets a headlock, hammerlock and front facelock. Booker says the IC title is a little more prestigious. Rhodes goes on offense with knees to the gut and taunts. He keeps him down with punches and stomps. He hits a back elbow but misses a huge moonsault! Santino takes the Cobra out and Cody dropkicks him for 2. Santino ducks a clothesline and strikes with the COBRA~! Santino gets the 3-count and Rhodes is shocked! WINNER: Santino Marella.

We recap Johnny Ace asking the WWE Universe for a prayer then telling them they can all go to hell. After a commercial break, we go back to Raw to see the segment where John Laurinaitis humiliated the Big Show and made him beg for his job just to ultimately fire him. We see some tweets from people asking WWE to rehire Big Show, and also tweets from WWE superstars commenting on the situation. Randy Orton comes out to the ring before a commercial break.

* Randy Orton vs. Sheamus {World Heavyweight Champion}
  [non-title match]

The bell dings and they circle around the ring before locking up moving around the ring, ending up in a stalemate. They lock up again and Sheamus gets a side headlock. Orton pushes him off but Sheamus hits a shoulder block. Orton dropkicks him and only gets a 1-count. He puts him in an armbar, Sheamus brings him to a corner and the ref makes them break. They shove each other and then trade punches. Orton blocks a hiptoss and clotheslines Sheamus. He stomps on Sheamus' limbs but misses a kneedrop; Sheamus gets up and knocks him down with a shoulder block. He pummels him in a corner, Orton returns the favor, then Sheamus gets a turn, then Orton again. Sheamus whips Orton into a corner, but Orton comes out with a clothesline then he clotheslines him out the ring. Sheamus pulls him out and they duke it out outside the ring and Orton gets whipped into the steel steps. Sheamus goes for a Brogue Kick but ends up hitting the ringpost and Orton whacks the champ's (non-bandaged) arm on the steps! Orton stomps on his arm on the steps before a commercial break.

When we come back Orton continues to work on the arm by wrapping it around the ropes. He continues the assault by bending it on the ring apron then gets back in the ring. Sheamus fights back, Orton ducks a double axe handle and hits an armbreaker for 2. Orton puts him in a chinlock while using his leg to hold back the arm. Sheamus gets to his feet, but Orton brings him to his knees after yanking on the arm. He kneedrops the arm, Sheamus fights back, then Orton whips him hard into a corner shoulder-first and covers for 2. Orton stays on offense until Sheamus sends him out the ring. As Orton climbs in the ring Sheamus hits a kneelift, then traps Orton in the ropes to club him on the chest ten times. Sheamus knocks Orton off the apron and into the barricade before our final commercial break.

Back to the show! Sheamus hits several kneedrops before getting a 2-count. He puts him in a quarter nelson, Orton gets to his feet and elbows his way out, but then Sheamus knees him in the gut for a 2-count. Sheamus hits the steam roller and calls for the High Cross powerbomb but Orton counters with his vintage backbreaker. Orton clotheslines him twice, ducks one and hits the snap powerslam! He does a belly-to-belly suplex, but Sheamus counters the hangman DDT by pulling Orton's neck on the ropes. Sheamus hits the slingshot shoulder tackle and knocks him down twice with the double axe handle. He connects with a running kneelift then powerslams him for a near-fall! Orton blocks the Irish Curse backbreaker with elbows, but Sheamus hits it on the second attempt for 2.9!

Sheamus contemplates his next move, climbs to the top turnbuckle, Orton trips him, punches him in the head, climbs up and hits the top rope superplex for another near-fall! Both men trade punches back and forth and Sheamus pushes him into a corner. He goes for the Brogue Kick but ends up in the ropes when Orton ducked. Orton takes this opportunity and plants him with the hangman DDT! Orton wants the RKO, Sheamus pushes him off, Orton ducks the Brogue Kick and Sheamus counters the RKO with a schoolboy rollup for 3!! WINNER: Sheamus!

PHENOMINAL MATCH! Orton looks up at Sheamus smiling and mouths the words "You got me." These two went the distance! He gets to his feet and tells Sheamus "Sunday is a different story." Sheamus points to his title, and they shake hands. RKO!! Randy Orton looks at the title, stands over the fallen champ, and SmackDown rolls off the air.