WWE Friday Night SmackDown September 16, 2011 Results

Mark Henry cuts down Randy Orton on The Cutting Edge.

Just two nights before Night of Champions, the 630th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One of Toronto’s proudest sons would return to Friday Nights as the eleven-time World Champion himself, “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge makes a special appearance on SmackDown to host a volatile edition of The Cutting Edge featuring World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton and the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title at Night of Champions, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry!

Match Results

• Daniel Bryan def. Sin Cara by DQ when Sin Cara ignores the referee’s five count.
• Beth Phoenix def. A.J. by pin with the Glam Slam.
• Sheamus & Justin Gabriel def. Christian & Wade Barrett by Justin Gabriel pinning Wade Barrett following the 450 Splash.
• The Great Khali def. Heath Slater (with Jinder Mahal) by DQ after Jinder Mahal interferes.
• R-Truth def. Evan Bourne by pin following the Shut Up.

Detailed Results

SmackDown kicks off in a major way as the eleven-time World Champion and Toronto’s own “Rated-R Superstar” Edge! The former champion states that, since being forced to retire earlier this year, he has taken part in some TV shows, but nothing compares to being on SmackDown. Edge continues that he misses the friendships and the competition in the WWE, but most of all, he misses the fans. Edge then says that he is on SmackDown to host The Cutting Edge with special guests World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton and #1 Contender Mark Henry. Before Edge could continue, he was interrupted by the Intercontinental Champion, Cody Rhodes, who accuses Edge of “sucking up” to the fans. Edge jumps in and tells Cody Rhodes that he needs to “look in the mirror” and stop blaming the fans for his problems. The Intercontinental Champion accuses Edge of being “bitter” over being forced to retire after WrestleMania before saying that he went on to become “triumphant” by becoming the Intercontinental Champion, dropping Ted DiBiase, and defeating the World Heavyweight Champion on RAW, adding that Edge is the “tragedy”. Cody Rhodes then gets a paper bag and tells Edge to take it home as a “reminder” as to what SmackDown has become with him as the “face” of the show. Edge responds that, if Cody Rhodes is the face of SmackDown, then SmackDown needs the paper bag. Edge then states that, if Cody Rhodes is going to keep talking, then he is going to leave as Rhodes will make him fall asleep.

Edge then takes his leave as Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes starts to go around the ringside area, telling various fans that they need to wear paper bags on their heads. However, one fan decks the Intercontinental Champion out of nowhere before the fan reveals himself to be Ted DiBiase! The revenge-driven DiBiase sends Rhodes into the ring, pummeling the Intercontinental Champion before laying Rhodes out with Dream Street. DiBiase then exits the ring and decks one of Rhodes’ bagmen, taking one of their paper bags, but before DiBiase can put the bag over Rhodes’ head, the Intercontinental Champion makes his escape.

After attacking Daniel Bryan again last week and forcing Bryan to tap out to Bryan’s own LeBell Lock, “The Masked Sensation” Sin Cara went one-on-one with “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Daniel Bryan. In the middle of an intense match, Daniel Bryan found himself hanging upside down in the corner at the mercy of Sin Cara, who repeatedly stomped away at the head of “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” to the point of getting himself disqualified. After the match, Sin Cara delivered a baseball slide to the head of Daniel Bryan, but before the assault could continue, a very bizarre situation takes place as a second Sin Cara emerges! With everyone seeing double, the second Sin Cara rushes down to the ring as the two Sin Caras confront each other with the first Sin Cara opting to leave the ring. Does this mean that one of these two Sin Caras is a fraud? If so, then who is the real Sin Cara?

Backstage, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long gives his Assistant, Zack Ryder, the task of informing both World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton and #1 Contender Mark Henry that there will, once again, be a no physicality rule, meaning that, if either Orton or Henry put their hands on the other, then the match at Night of Champions is off. After sending Ryder on his mission, the GM is greeted by Aksana as the Lithuanian seductress offers Theodore Long a massage, which the GM agrees to. However, with Long in a compromising position in front of Aksana, Trish Stratus walks in on the two of them, who both say that it’s not what it looks like.

Two nights before she challenges Kelly Kelly for the Divas Title at Night of Champions, Beth Phoenix was in action as “The Glamazon”, with Natalya in her corner, went one-on-one with “The Geek Goddess” A.J., with Kaitlyn in her corner. In the end, it was Beth Phoenix making quick work of A.J., hitting the Glam Slam en route to picking up the win. After the match, Beth Phoenix tells Kelly Kelly that the clock will “strike midnight” for her fairy tale come Night of Champions. Can Kelly Kelly stop the powerhouse Beth Phoenix to retain the Divas Title or will “The Glamazon” usher in a new era in the Divas division?

After Christian interfered in a match between Sheamus and Wade Barrett last week, “The Great White” Sheamus teamed with Justin Gabriel to face former World Heavyweight Champion Christian and Wade Barrett. In the end, it was Sheamus hitting the Brogue Kick on Wade Barrett, allowing Justin Gabriel to hit the 450 Splash en route to picking up the win for his team. After the match, Sheamus invites Christian to get back into the ring and fight him, but Christian backs away from the challenge.

After becoming fed up with Jinder Mahal’s treatment of him last week, delivering a chop to the skull of Mahal, “The Punjabi Nightmare” The Great Khali faced Heath Slater on SmackDown. During the match, Jinder Mahal came out, shouting in Punjabi at The Great Khali, but as soon as Khali turned away, Jinder Mahal attacks The Great Khali. Despite Heath Slater assisting Jinder Mahal in the attack, the size of Khali won out in the end as “The Punjabi Nightmare” sends Jinder Mahal packing before planting Slater with the Punjabi Plunge.

Two nights before Air Boom defend the WWE Tag Team Titles against The Miz & R-Truth, one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, Evan Bourne, with fellow WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston a guest on commentary, faced R-Truth, with The Miz a guest on commentary, as well. In the end, it was R-Truth hitting the Shut Up on Evan Bourne en route to picking up the win. After The Miz defeated Kofi Kingston on RAW and R-Truth defeated Evan Bourne on SmackDown, will The Miz & R-Truth become the new WWE Tag Team Champions this Sunday at Night of Champions?

Then it was time for a special edition of The Cutting Edge as “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge returned to SmackDown to host his controversial talk show with his guests, the World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton and the #1 Contender, Mark Henry with a no physicality rule put in place by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long applying to The Cutting Edge. Edge first introduces the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry, who enters the ring before Edge introduces the World Heavyweight Champion himself, Randy Orton, who comes face-to-face with his Night of Champions opponent. Edge states that he is going to “shoot straight” on The Cutting Edge before saying that, given Mark Henry’s size and path of destruction, does Randy Orton think that he can really defeat Mark Henry. The World Heavyweight Champion tells Mark Henry that the reason that Mark Henry has never been the World Heavyweight Champion is because, at Henry’s best, Henry was just not good enough before saying that he “knows” that he can beat Mark Henry at Night of Champions.

Edge then turns his attention to Mark Henry, telling Henry that his career has been “disappointing”, citing that when he started in the WWE in 1998, Mark Henry was already a “veteran”. Edge continues that Mark Henry should be a “decorated champion”, adding that Mark Henry does not have the “desire” and, maybe, Mark Henry is not “good enough” to get to that level. Mark Henry responds by telling Edge that the only reason that he will allow Edge to leave the ring is because Edge is right. Mark Henry continues that he has seen men smaller and weaker than him become champion, but they tell him to go out and “smile” and “show that personality” before saying that he is done smiling and showing personality and, this Sunday at Night of Champions, he will become the World Heavyweight Champion. Randy Orton responds by saying that, after Night of Champions, Mark Henry will be “the world’s strongest failure”!

With tensions rising between Randy Orton and Mark Henry, Edge reminds both of them about the no physicality rule for The Cutting Edge and, as Edge leaves the ring, “The Rated-R Superstar” declares the show over. With the no physicality rule no longer valid, Randy Orton and Mark Henry would brawl, but Theodore Long sends out several SmackDown Superstars to break it up with all the Superstars working to hold Mark Henry back. However, Randy Orton would leap over the Superstars to get to Mark Henry, but the two were separated again. Orton once again fought off several Superstars, only to get planted with the World’s Strongest Slam by Mark Henry. Henry then knocked down all of the Superstars trying to stop him before delivering a big splash to Orton. Mark Henry then proceeds to toss Johnny Curtis and Zack Ryder out of the ring before delivering a second splash to Orton and tossing Trent Barreta and Derrick Bateman from the ring. Mark Henry then plants Orton with a second World’s Strongest Slam before standing over the fallen champion holding the World Heavyweight Title above his head. Will this be the scene come Night of Champions? Will Mark Henry finally become the World Heavyweight Champion?

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