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ROCKFORD, Ill. – With The Biggest Party of the Summer on the horizon, Rob Van Dam looked to knock "Mr. Money in the Bank" down a notch, No. 1 contender Christian looked to build SummerSlam momentum against World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio and Damien Sandow was simply looking for gold.
Randy Orton def. Rob Van Dam
SmackDown opened with a blockbuster battle as "Mr. Money in the Bank" Randy Orton, locked up against Rob Van Dam.
Photos of the marquee matchup | Update: Randy Orton attacked at Live Event
Van Dam looked for a victory on the blue brand, but found only the business end of an RKO — delivered after Orton ducked out of the way of RVD’s attempted Five-Star Frog Splash.
Orton’s Friday night win further proves that The Viper can, in fact, strike from anywhere and at any time, and WWE Champion John Cena would do well to grow a pair of eyes in the back of his head.
The Miz played host to a truly eccentric pair as Divas Champion AJ Lee and Big E Langston came to “ The Most Must-See Talk Show in WWE history.”
When Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn appeared, however, business would truly pick up — and as talks inevitably broke down, Miz attempted to take back control. As host of SummerSlam, The Awesome One took it upon himself to make a huge pay-per-view match, pitting Ziggler & Kaitlyn against AJ & Big E at The Biggest Party of the Summer!
SummerSlam Match Preview | Photos of "Miz TV" madness
But the bitter rivals would not wait for Aug. 18. As Kaitlyn and AJ tangled, prompting Big E to lay his hands on “The Hybrid Diva,” The Showoff hit his former heavy with a thundering Zig Zag!
Alberto Del Rio confronted Vickie Guerrero
Enraged to find out he would be competing against his No. 1 contender, Christian, on Friday night, World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio confronted SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero. An ambivalent Vickie didn’t kowtow to the champion’s wishes, though, and the match will go on as scheduled.
In a rematch of their bout on Raw, the newly returned Kofi Kingston looked to make it two in a row against the fleet-footed Fandango on SmackDown.
But, at the height of the match, a feigned ankle sprain by Summer Rae distracted Kofi and opened the door for her dancing partner to drive his high-flying opponent into the steel ring post. Fandango then did some high flying of his own, nailing the still-dazed Kofi with a leg drop off the top rope for the win.
A freshly shaved Wade Barrett arrived to SmackDown with clippers in hand and payback on the mind as he faced Daniel Bryan. Just four days removed from Bryan’s disastrous corporate makeover and subsequent shaving of Barrett’s beard, the two grapplers engaged in a bruising battle on the blue brand.
"Beard" vs. "barber" battle | Now YOU can shave Bryan's beard!
But when Barrett attempted to utilize the clippers on the No. 1 contender to the WWE Title, Bryan rallied and, coming off a flying headbutt, the submission specialist snapped in the “Yes!” Lock — forcing The Barrett Barrage to tap out and continuing Bryan’s red-hot winning streak.
After unveiling a “Sandowized” version of the Money in the Bank briefcase, Damien Sandow delivered a pointed message to Alberto Del Rio, promising to become “World Champion of the Unwashed Masses.”
Kane def. 3MB in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match
Kane sent a terrifying message of dominance by destroying 3MB in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match on SmackDown, immediately after which Bray Wyatt appeared on the TitanTron with a targeted — and creepy — message of his own for The Big Red Monster.
Addressing their upcoming Ring of Fire Match at SummerSlam, Wyatt claimed to be “already dead” and professed no fear for The Devil’s Favorite Demon.
Behold the monster | Photos of the destruction ... and the creepy
Taking particular offense to CM Punk calling himself “The Best in the World,” Brock Lesnar proclaimed to be more than just Paul Heyman’s “muscle,” making it clear that things are very personal between him and CM Punk.
What exactly will Heyman have up his sleeve when he battles Punk Monday on Raw?
Just nine days before their SummerSlam World Title clash, Christian battled World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio in a classic Non-Title confrontation.
The action spilled outside the ring numerous times — including a thrilling exchange on the ramp that saw Del Rio get heaved from on high. But, in the end, all the back-and-forth fighting and near-falls eventually came down to Christian simply getting the best of the Mexican titleholder — rolling Del Rio up for the pinfall victory.
All-out action on SmackDown | Del Rio vs. Christian Match Preview
A furious Del Rio argued that he kicked out before the three-count — a dispute that was made moot when Christian leveled his opponent with the Killswitch!
Then, with the champion lying prone, "Mr. Money in the Bank" Damien Sandow suddenly emerged from the back with briefcase in hand. But before the bell could ring on his potential cash-in, Cody Rhodes struck from out of nowhere and floored his former friend!
Will Christian’s victory have lasting effects as SummerSlam approaches? Is Captain Charisma inside the World Champion's head? Find out Aug. 18, only on pay-per-view!
ROCKFORD, Ill. – With The Biggest Party of the Summer on the horizon, Rob Van Dam looked to knock "Mr. Money in the Bank" down a notch, No. 1 contender Christian looked to build SummerSlam momentum against World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio and Damien Sandow was simply looking for gold.
Randy Orton def. Rob Van Dam
SmackDown opened with a...
Photos of the marquee matchup | Update: Randy Orton attacked at Live Event
Van Dam looked for a victory on the blue brand, but found only the business end of an RKO — delivered after Orton ducked out of the way of RVD’s attempted Five-Star Frog Splash.
Orton’s Friday night win further proves that The Viper can, in fact, strike from anywhere and at any time, and WWE Champion John Cena would do well to grow a pair of eyes in the back of his head.
Taking particular offense to CM Punk calling himself “The Best in the World,” Brock Lesnar proclaimed to be more than just Paul Heyman’s “muscle,” making it clear that things are very personal between him and CM Punk.
What exactly will Heyman have up his sleeve when he battles Punk Monday on Raw?
Just nine days before their SummerSlam World Title clash, Christian battled World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio in a classic Non-Title confrontation.
The action spilled outside the ring numerous times — including a thrilling exchange on the ramp that saw Del Rio get heaved from on high. But, in the end, all the back-and-forth fighting and near-falls eventually came down to Christian simply getting the best of the Mexican titleholder — rolling Del Rio up for the pinfall victory.
All-out action on SmackDown | Del Rio vs. Christian Match Preview
A furious Del Rio argued that he kicked out before the three-count — a dispute that was made moot when Christian leveled his opponent with the Killswitch!
Then, with the champion lying prone, "Mr. Money in the Bank" Damien Sandow suddenly emerged from the back with briefcase in hand. But before the bell could ring on his potential cash-in, Cody Rhodes struck from out of nowhere and floored his former friend!
Will Christian’s victory have lasting effects as SummerSlam approaches? Is Captain Charisma inside the World Champion's head? Find out Aug. 18, only on pay-per-view!