On Friday, August 24, 2007 at 10:26 PM EST Hell's spawn
By Lennie DiFino
August 24, 2007
Results courtesy of WWE.com
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Just 48 hours before he challenges The Great Khali for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, Batista stepped into the ring to face Finlay on SmackDown Friday night. The Animal and the fighting Irishman – who will also be at SummerSlam, as Kane demanded of Mr. McMahon a one-on-one encounter with Finlay at the Biggest Party of the Summer – physically decimated each other throughout the match until the World Heavyweight Champion made his way to ringside. When Batista seemingly had the match in his favor, Khali interfered and the two behemoths collided. As Khali attempted to apply his vicious Khali Vise Grip, Batista blocked the clutches and then unleashed an assault on the champion, sending a strong message before SummerSlam.
The United States Champion, Montel Vontavious Porter, had hoped the fists of Evander Holyfield would send a clear message to Matt Hardy at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Instead, it was MVP who was left in a heap after he got in “The Real Deal’s” face. Dissatisfied with that outcome, Porter issued a new challenge to back up his claims that he is better than Hardy – a One-on-One Basketball Challenge. The contest, however, came on the heels of General Manager Theodore Long’s announcement that next week on SmackDown, MVP must team with Matt and compete against Deuce & Domino for the WWE Tag Team Titles. As a result, the champions took full advantage of the basketball challenge, and left both Hardy and the Ballin’ Superstar laid out.
While the investigation into his paternity suit continues, Mr. McMahon was on SmackDown Friday night with the hopes of finding any clues to the identity of his illegitimate son. Instead, the Chairman encountered a slew of Superstars claiming to be his offspring, including Kane. At first, he insisted that there was no way “this monster” could be his offspring, but after granting a match with Finlay for SummerSlam, it looked as if Mr. McMahon was warming to the idea. That is, until Chris Masters made his way to the ring and declared he had proof that he was the true son of the Chairman: A photo of the two from The Masterpiece’s childhood. Masters’ may have been overreaching, though, especially when he challenged Kane to take the Master Lock Challenge. Instead, he was Chokeslammed by the Big Red Monster, much to the disappointment of Mr. McMahon.
As if Masters’ night hadn’t been bad enough, then Chuck Palumbo made his way to the ring and dismantled the Masterpiece. Palumbo’s return to SmackDown has been successful as the high-octane Superstar continued his winning ways.
No stranger to victory, the impressive Mark Henry demolished Brad Allen, only to again encounter the same presence that has haunted him throughout his path of destruction over the past several weeks – Undertaker. The World’s Strongest Man keeps insisting that he’s the ruler of the SmackDown jungle… but has he stepped into the domain that has for years been known as the yard of The Phenom?
Another SmackDown Superstar laying out his own share of devastation of late is Chavo Guerrero. In further preparing himself for his SummerSlam encounter against the man he injured 10 months ago, Rey Mysterio, Chavo annihilated Funaki. But instead of simply settling for the win, Guerrero instead opted to make an example out of his prone opponent, slamming a steel chair onto Funaki’s knee. Will Chavo’s aggressive ways help him defeat the returning Rey Mysterio this Sunday at SummerSlam?
Anger and aggression also seemed to follow Jamie Noble around as he continued his pursuit of Hornswoggle and the Cruiserweight Championship of the World. And he may have found it Friday night after defeating Jimmy Wang Yang in a No. 1 Contender’s Match. Having capitalized on this great opportunity, Noble has earned himself another match with Hornswoggle for the title. Can he capitalize this time, or will he fall short once more against SmackDown’s leprechaun?
It wouldn’t be summer without the Sexiest Women on Television. Thankfully, the Divas of SmackDown know this, so they treated our fans to a Biggest Party of the Summer Bikini Contest, only 48 hours before they all take part in SummerSlam’s Divas Battle Royal, the winner of which will become the No. 1 contender against Women’s Champion Candice. Torrie, Victoria, Kristal and Michelle McCool thought they were the only Divas competing in the contest, until SmackDown announcer Michael Cole revealed a surprise for our fans at the University of South Carolina. With that, he called out South Carolina’s own Mae Young, who at 84 years young thrilled our fans in her home state and actually won the contest.
Matches:
* Chuck Palumbo def. Chris Masters
* Chavo Guerrero def. Funaki
* Jamie Noble def. Jimmy Wang Yang (No. 1 Cruiserweight Contender's Match)
* WWE Tag Team Champions Deuce & Domino def. Shannon Moore & Eugene (Non-title)
* Matt Hardy vs. United States Champion MVP - One-on-One Basketball Challenge (No Contest)
* Mark Henry def. Brad Allen
* Mae Young wins Biggest Party of the Summer Bikini Contest
* Batista vs. Finlay (No Contest)