Jeff Hardy Defeats Chris Jericho via Count Out on Smackdown

WWE Smackdown
June 19, 2009
Roanoke, VA
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com

Start of the Show

Josh Matthews is in the ring. Matthews mentions that on Raw Smackdown’s General Manager Theodore Long announced a championship match. CM Punk will take on former World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy. Jeff Hardy comes out to a tremendous pop. Todd Grisham correctly calls something, mentioning there are loud ovations and then there are Jeff Hardy ovations.

Jeff Hardy gets in the ring and Matthews mentions that two weeks ago he reached the top again, becoming World Heavyweight Champion again despite those who said he’d never make it there again. They now show clips of the Ladder Match, including the big ladder bump on the outside and the mid-air Twist of Fate. I believe that finish to the ladder match was one of the most creative I’ve seen.

Matthews mentions it must have been an amazing moment and can’t imagine how it must’ve felt to become a World Champion. With that said he can’t imagine how he must have felt when this happened. They now show CM Punk making his way out to the ring to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. Hardy kicks out of one GTS but can’t kick out of a second one and CM Punk becomes the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Matthews now mentions to make things even worse just when it looked like he was going to become World Heavyweight Champion again, this happens. They now show the ending of the match on Raw, where Jeff Hardy looked to have it won with the Swanton Bomb only for Punk to pull him out of the ring and steal the win for himself.

Matthews mentions that it seems like he can’t get a break and that the World Heavyweight Championship seems to elude him. Gee, way to rub it in guy. Hardy mentions it’s cool and he doesn’t live in the past – he lives in and for the moment. At the Bash he has CM Punk one on one and he knows, along with each and every fan, that he will beat CM Punk. Matthews says we’ve heard Jeff’s point of view so it’s only fair we hear his opponent’s. Matthews now introduces World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, who comes out to boos.

CM Punk gets in the ring and Matthews mentions that many people feel that he took advantage of a vulnerable Jeff Hardy at Extreme Rules, and at this past Monday night’s Raw he stole another victory from Jeff Hardy. Punk says the only thing he took advantage of at Extreme Rules was an opportunity to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, which he did successfully and well within the rules. Hardy knows this, as does the fans, that no where in the contract does it say, “Under no circumstances are you to cash in on Jeff Hardy.” As far as “stealing” the match on Monday, he takes offense to that. He’s never stolen anything in his life. He didn’t ask the medical staff to come to ringside; they were just doing their job. Hardy was doing his job, and he did his job by successfully defending the World Heavyweight Championship.

Punk says that Hardy knows this as well as he does – when he’s in the ring he doesn’t need to be a guy’s best friend; he’s their competitor. Hardy says Punk is right, in the ring they’re not friends, and they couldn’t be more different. He lives his life they way he does and Punk lives his they way he does. Punk says that’s right – he lives his life the way he does, and Hardy lives his life the way he… does. Punk stretched that out – I like that! Hardy says their differences will collide at the Bash and he will take back what he earned at Extreme Rules – the World Heavyweight Championship.

Josh Matthews thanks them and asks the audience to give it up for Jeff Hardy, and they pop. Matthews asks them to give it up for CM Punk, and they boo. After the break Jeff Hardy will take on Chris Jericho.

-Commercial Break-

Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho

This is a non-title match. The match starts and they circle the ring before locking up. Jericho quickly gets a headlock on and Hardy just as quickly whips him off but Jericho is able to shoulder block him down. Jericho taunts for a moment before going into the ropes, over Hardy, and right into a dropkick. Hardy whips Jericho into the corner and hits a corner clothesline. Hardy whips him to the opposite corner and hits a clothesline there as well. Hardy goes for his slingshot dropkick but Jericho moves and Hardy hits the mat hard.

Jericho hits a nice suplex on Hardy for a near fall. Jericho gets Hardy up and Hardy hits some punches. Hardy has a whip reversed on him and Jericho slaps on an abdominal stretch. Jericho holds it on for a bit but Hardy eventually counters out with a hip toss. Hardy comes back with a spinning lariat and an inverted atomic drop. Hardy connects with a double leg drop to the midsection and a low dropkick to the face for a two count. Jericho is in the corner and Hardy runs into his boot. Jericho comes out for a clothesline but Hardy ducks it and hits Whisper in the Wind out of nowhere for a near fall.

Hardy goes for a flipping mule kick but Jericho throws him off. Jericho goes for the Walls of Jericho but Hardy powers out. Hardy goes for a Twist of Fate but Jericho counters with a back suplex. Jericho goes for a Lionsault but Hardy moves. Hardy hits his sit-out front suplex and goes for the Swanton Bomb but Jericho rolls out of the ring. Hardy is still on the top rope so he flies off to the outside but Jericho side steps him and Hardy smashes his face on the barricade.

Jericho throws Hardy into the barricade a couple of times before throwing him back in the ring. All of a sudden Jericho turns around and Rey Mysterio jumps off the barricade with a hurricanrana and Jericho smashes his face into the ring post! Mysterio goes back and sits with the fans. The ref didn’t see anything as he was tending to Jeff Hardy. The referee begins counting and counts Jericho out!

Winner by Count-Out: Jeff Hardy

read full Smackdown results here