Monday on Raw, Vicki Guerrero revealed this Friday’s Smackdown main event to the WWE Universe. World Champion Edge will team with Kelly Kelly to take on Dolph Ziggler and Lay Cool in a handicap match. Furthermore, Edge’s title will be on the line, and it will change hands should he OR Kelly Kelly be pinned. It hasn’t been stipulated what the result would be if one of Lay Cool achieved the three count (if it would be the pinning member or Dolph Ziggler awarded the Championship), although I doubt anyone is considering that as a legitimate possibility.
Honestly, this match annoys me on a few levels. Kelly Kelly’s interference at the Royal Rumble and subsequent inclusion in this match makes little sense. Dolph Ziggler and Edge put a respectable match together last Sunday, and now they’re being asked to carry these divas through a main event for no discernible reason. World Title matches with stipulations like this are generally predictable, and in turn, boring. Unless somebody is in hot water backstage or forced out of action with injury, the belt rarely changes hands on a pre-taped show, so even having it defended seems pointless. And the combining of Michelle McCool and Layla into one name, Lay Cool, is really, really dumb. But I digress. What else to expect on this week’s Smackdown, including who will have the opportunity to qualify for the Elimination Chamber, after the jump.
The rest of the card is pretty solid. We’re set to get some non-title action between Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel of the Corre and reigning Tag Team Champions Vladamir Koslov and Santino Marella. Also scheduled for the show is another Alberto Del Rio celebration, and four Elimination Chamber qualifying bouts, making this a six-match night.
In the first and probably most appealing of the qualifying matches, Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston will try to Boom Clap his way past Vince McMahon’s “Chosen One” Drew McIntyre. The former IC Champ, “The All American American” Jack Swagger will also compete in a qualifyer, taking on Rey Mysterio Jr. In a rematch from WrestleMania 24, Kane will square off with Chavo Guerrero Jr, although this time no ECW Title will be on the line. Lastly, in a battle of the big men, the Corre’s would-be leader Wade Barrett will go nose to neck with The Big Show. The remaining two spots in the Chamber match belong to Edge (naturally), and Dolph Ziggler. All in all, there is a lot to look forward to on tonight’s Smackdown. The main event just isn’t part of it.
