| Friday Night SmackDown | |
| |
| Promotion | WWE |
|---|---|
| Date | May 23, 2008 |
| Venue | Wells Fargo Arena |
| City | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Previous episode | May 16, 2008 |
| Next episode | May 30, 2008 |
The May 23, 2008 Edition of SmackDown is a Professional wrestling television show of the WWE's Smackdown brand, it was taped on May 20, 2008 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
Episode Summary[]
Cherry, Jesse, & Festus vs Maryse, Deuce, & Domino[]
As color commentator Mick Foley pointed out on SmackDown, it had been some time since Deuce & Domino felt the thrills of victory in WWE. The duo from the Other Side of the Tracks was intent on putting an end to their downward spiral when they teamed with Maryse to take on Jesse, Festus & Cherry in a Mixed Tag Team Match. When the action between Deuce & Domino and Jesse & Festus spilled to the outside, Maryse took advantage, kicking Cherry in the face to get the win.
Vickie puts MVP in a match against Batista[]
MVP immediately stormed into GM Guerrero's office, where he was told he would face Batista one-on-one, a match MVP won't soon forget. But it was the dominating fashion of Batista's win that should have Raw's Shawn Michaels paying attention, because The Animal is focused and ready to do whatever it takes to claim victory in the Stretcher Match. The question now is—how far will HBK go?
Chavo Guerrero vs Undertaker[]
After General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced that Edge would face Undertaker in a TLC Match at One Night Stand, she placed her nephew Chavo Guerrero in a one-on-one match on SmackDown. Edge assured Chavo that he, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder & Bam Neely would all watch the former ECW Champion's back, but Edge, Hawkins & Ryder found themselves ejected from ringside. With the distractions gone, The Phenom sent a message to Edge when he Tombstoned Chavo to get the win.
As one of WWE's most widely popular Superstars, Undertaker has come to a major crossroads in his career—and the one who put him in this position is none other than SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero.
Defeat Edge at One Night Stand and The Phenom becomes the new World Heavyweight Champion—reclaiming the title Guerrero stripped from him on May 2. Lose, and The Deadman will be banished from the entire WWE.
In an attempt to weaken Undertaker before the fateful pay-per-view match, Guerrero ordered a reluctant Chavo Guerrero to face The Phenom on SmackDown. But the plan backfired—even with Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Bam Neely and Edge lurking at ringside—as Chavo fell victim to a devastating Tombstone from The Deadman.
If Undertaker can do to Edge what he did to Chavo, he will become the new champion and preserve his career. But, Undertaker's fate will not be decided in any ordinary match. Instead, his future will ride on the outcome of an Extreme Rules Tables, Ladders & Chairs (TLC) Match at One Night Stand.
Although Undertaker has faced all kinds of adversity in his career—including brutal Boiler Room Brawl, Hell in a Cell and Buried Alive encounters—he has never been in a TLC Match.
With the extreme rules TLC Match, Guerrero has once again cleverly tried to stack the deck in favor of her fiancé, Edge. The Rated-R Superstar is no stranger to TLC Matches. The Ultimate Opportunist has used the Extreme Rules encounter to work to his advantage for years. In fact, Edge has been in every single TLC Match in WWE history.
At Judgment Day, WWE Referee Charles Robinson "made a mistake," according to Guerrero, by counting Edge out and attempting to give Undertaker the title. The GM reminded everyone that a championship can only be won by pinfall or submission.
Now, at One Night Stand, the vacant World Heavyweight Championship will finally be decided when one Superstar climbs the ladder and grabs the gold. Will Undertaker reclaim the title and preserver his career? Or, will The Ultimate Opportunist's relationship with the GM finally bring the coveted gold back to "the family"?