I enjoyed the “Beat the Clock” concept Smackdown used last year, and it looks like it’s making its return tonight. Here’s a non-spoiler preview of tonight’s show courtesy of PW Insder:

“Beat The Clock” matches, where the winner of the match with the fastest time gets a WWE Title match at Armageddon:
- Jeff Hardy vs. Brian Kendrick.
- Matt Hardy vs. Vladimir Kozlov.
- Triple H vs. Shelton Benjamin.

- Jesse & Festus vs. John Morrison & The Miz.

- Nikki Bella, Brie Bella & Michelle McCool vs. Maryse, Natalya & Victoria.

- Edge and Vickie Guerrero will appear on the show.

Based on Jim Ross’ description of this show, I’m pumped:

Speaking of Tuesday night, Friday Night Smackdown was in Albany, N.Y. taping the next two Friday nights of the broadcast. Both shows are wrestling heavy based on today’s TV wrestling world and this Friday night see significant wrestling action featuring multiple, competitive matches involving HHH, Jeff Hardy, and Vladimir Kozlov, among others. There has never been a perfect wrestling show produced at least that I have ever seen but this one is a good,solid program that features mostly in ring content and not backstage bits that often times do not play to the individual’s strengths.

I like the sound of “wrestling heavy based on today’s TV wrestling world…” I guess that means we’ll get some actual wrestling matches tonight, once again proving that Smackdown > Raw.

Personally I found the way the WWE booked Jeff Hardy’s absence from the Survivor Series 3-Way a little off putting but I didn’t know how against it you could be until I read Paul Heyman’s thoughts on it in his latest article for The Sun UK:

The callous view taken by WWE chairman Vince McMahon and those around him, not even taking into account how brazenly insensitive this storyline may be viewed, is yet another in a long line of demonstrations by McMahon that getting people talking is paramount.

He feels that no rules apply because ‘it’s only entertainment’ and people should embrace the soap opera-like enticements to stay tuned.

I think it was just bad business.

WWE made the conscious choice to present a scenario that called for speculation as to why the reportedly twice-suspended Hardy was found unconscious in his hotel.

Not once did WWE report the entire day ‘Hardy was jumped by an unknown assailant’ — that ‘new information’ was revealed only during the PPV broadcast.

To make matters worse, WWE acted like regional promoters in the 1970’s, appearing to be almost giddy at the fact several mainstream news agencies picked up the story as legitimate.

“They’re buying it as a shoot!” Whoopie!

This type of behaviour just leaves such a bad taste in the mouths of people who already look down on pro wrestling/sports entertainment.

God I wish this man was still booking a wrestling show ANY WRESTLING SHOW! Heyman continues to show he has full grasp of what people want to see. What I found most disturbing is that this fake story was reported as real news by several legitimate news organizations including AOL News, CNN.com and ABCnews.com. In an industry where a wrestler being found dead in a hotel room is at least a once a year occurrence the WWE should not be intentionally fueling the stereotype of the drugged out wrestler especially if that want a more “family friendly” image. Read the entire Pual Heyman rant here.

-sideshowRaheem

All hail John Cena. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but he’s making his triumphant return (again) tonight, meaning I’m not ordering this PPV. I’m hoping WWE won’t give him the title upon his return, but I’m sure they will.

Also, we’ve got the extra wrinkle of Jeff Hardy being “found unconcious” in Boston. I’d love to see them book this so that he overcomes all the odds and still wins the title, but I fear some kind of deal where he’s taken out of the match completely. It would be cool to see him limp down to the ring halfway through.

Here’s tonight’s card:

• World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena v. Chris Jericho(c)
• WWE Championship: Jeff Hardy v. Vladamir Kozlov v. Triple H(c)
• Casket Match: Undertaker v. Big Show
• Survivor Series Match: Team Orton (Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin, Cody Rhodes, William Regal and Mark Henry) v. Team Batista (Batista, Kofi Kingston, CM Punk, Matt Hardy and R-Truth)
• Survivor Series Match: Team JBL (JBL, Kane, MVP, Miz and John Morrison) v. Team HBK (HBK, Cryme Tyme, Rey Mysterio and Great Khali)
• Survivor Series Match: Raw Divas v. Smackdown Divas (seriously, I’m not writing those out)

As always, here’s the obligatory “will you order the show?” poll:

Feel free to leave your predictions and discuss Survivor Series here. If there’s any more news throughout the day regarding the show, I’ll update this post.

UPDATE (10:18 a.m. Central): PW Insider’s Dave Scherer is reporting that this is just a storyline and nothing to be concerned about. I’m guessing someone “attacked” him in the stairwell. I don’t really care for the way WWE released this “news” considering Jeff’s past, but maybe I’m just being overly-sensitive. Still, in a post-Benoit world, I don’t really know that releasing this type of “news” on your web site is advisable. They could have accomplished the same thing with him getting mysteriously beaten down at the beginning of the PPV.

Thanks to Kane for bringing this to my attention early this morning. From WWE.com:

BOSTON – Jeff Hardy was found unconscious in a stairwell at his hotel in Boston today, and was rushed to the nearest emergency room.

Due to privacy issues, WWE is not releasing the name of the hospital.

WWE.com will have more information if it becomes available.

Here’s a non-spoiler match listing for tonight’s Smackdown, courtesy of PW Insider:

- WWE Champion Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy.

- WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon vs. Brian Kendrick & Ezekiel Jackson.

- Matt Hardy & R-Truth vs. Shelton Benjamin & Mark Henry.

- Jesse & Festus vs. John Morrison & The Miz.

- MVP vs. James Mason.

- Natalya Neidhart & Victoria vs. The Bella Twins.

This show sounds like it has potential. I didn’t read the spoilers, but I have a bad feeling that MVP may lose to this James Mason fellow, at least, if the current storyline continues. The main event should be great.

Discuss Smackdown here!

Tonight’s Smackdown has some potential, starting with the main event. Here’s a non-spoiler preview:

• Extreme Rules: Jeff Hardy v. The Undertaker
• Champion v. Champion: U.S. Champ Shelton Benjamin v. ECW Champ Matt Hardy
• Michelle McCool v. Maria (ugh)
• Carlito v. Brian Kendrick

In non-wrestling action, there will be an eventful Triple H/Vladimir Kozlov contract signing for Survivor Series.

Discuss Smackdown here!

Tonight is the night that WWE let’s YOU, the FANS decide the matches! Yippee! I bet everyone is pissing their pants with excitement over Cyber Sunday.

Well, not really. I see two matches on the following card I’d like to watch:

• WWE Championship: Triple H(c) v. Vladamir Kozlov; OR Jeff Hardy; OR Vladamir Kozlov and Jeff Hardy
• Undertaker v. Big Show: Last Man Standing match; OR I Quit match; OR Knockout match
• World Heavyweight Championship: Batista v. Chris Jericho(c) with special guest ref Randy Orton; OR Shawn Michaels; OR Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Kane v. Rey Mysterio: Falls Count Anywhere Match; OR No Holds Barred Match; OR Best 2-of-3 Falls Match
• ECW Championship Match: Matt Hardy(c) v. Finlay; OR Mark Henry; OR Evan Bourne
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Santino Marella(c) v. Honky Tonk Man; OR Rowdy Roddy Piper; OR Goldust
• Pick the Tag Team Match: World Tag Team Championship: Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase v. CM Punk and Kofi Kingston; OR John Morrison and The Miz v. Cryme Tyme; OR William Regal and Layla v. Jamie Noble and Mickie James
• Divas Halloween Costume Contest

So yeah, that’s the card. WWE will also stream a match before the show on their web site where you can pick Shelton Benjamin’s opponent: MVP, R Truth or Festus.

Of course, the two matches I’d be interested in are Undertaker v. Big Show and, surprisingly, Kane v. Rey Mysterio. I’d like to see an I Quit match between Taker and Show; I’m not really sure what the difference is between a Last Man Standing match or a Knockout match. I’d like to see Kane and Rey Mysterio simply because I’m hoping for falls count anywhere–Rey Rey is pretty entertaining in those types of matches.

Here’s the requisite “Will you watch the show” poll: