Well, there wasn't really anything special about this week's Smackdown, except that nothing on it was really that bad. (This opinion was shared by the always-excellent Kevin Eck over at Ring Posts.) In the world of WWE, that's always decent, especially considering that Over The Limit is Sunday night.
The best aspect of the show was a decent match between Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger. While I don't normally like DQ or contested finishes, it made sense for the Big Show to interfere to cost Swagger the match. This kept both of them strong heading into their respective matches Sunday. The same thing goes for Swagger drawing the DQ in the Drew McIntyre-Big Show match.
And, I'll add that if Layla and Michelle McCool are a pairing, then the WWE really needs to consider doing the same with Tiffany and Kelly Kelly. Few things have gone horrifically wrong in life by pairing together two attractive blonde women, and surprisingly, Tiffany has gotten decent in the ring despite her inexperience. Kelly Kelly is still the stronger of that team, but there is enough talent between the four of them to make things workable.
As far as the PPV goes, here are my picks:
WWE Champion John Cena vs. Batista ("I Quit" Match) - I think Cena definitely wins this, given the widespread Internet rumors that Batista is leaving the company. I think there is a small chance that the WWE pulls a swerve, and that Batista is signed through the end of June or July, as opposed to the end of May. However, I'm hoping that this is the end of Batista on television for a bit, since he's feuded with most of the people on the roster.
World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger vs. Big Show - If Swagger wasn't going to drop the belt to Randy Orton, then I don't think he drops it to a suddenly-face Big Show. I'm not sure who this leaves as his next challenger; Kofi Kingston? An absent-from-this-PPV John Morrison? But I can't view Show as a serious challenge to the belt.
Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Kofi Kingston - I don't think McIntyre was reinstated as champion just so that he could drop the belt nine days later. The ending might feature a ref bump or otherwise be underhanded, but I don't see him losing the belt to Kofi. I also think there is a chance that Matt Hardy interferes in this match and inadvertently causes a DQ-win for Drew.
Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (S.E.S. Pledge vs. Hair Match) - Mysterio via pin. They have been advertising the "Punk loses his hair!" angle for a couple PPVs now, so I think it happens, even if I don't want to see it happen. Even if Mysterio wins, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Straight Edge Society prevent the haircut from happening.
Randy Orton vs. Edge - I think Edge wins this match by pinfall, although I could easily see it going either way. Orton is so over that a loss won't hurt him, and Edge's next step is probably a program with Cena over the title belt. This definitely feels like a thrown-together match, since there isn't a strong storyline reason for these two to be enemies.
Unified Tag Team Champions The Hart Dynasty vs. Chris Jericho & The Miz - The mark in me is hoping that Jericho and The Miz find some way to get the titles here. Doing so would allow them to further their angle with The Big Show. While the Hart Dynasty has been good with the belts, I think they could just win them back on the next PPV or two, giving Jericho and the Miz plenty of time to screw with Show.
R-Truth vs. Ted DiBiase - Truth gets the pin here, because Virgil, who is supposed to be at ringside, will throw the match against DiBiase somehow. The WWE has left out that Virgil eventually turned on Ted Sr., which is why I think he does tonight.
Divas Champion Eve vs. Maryse - This match is pretty "meh" to me, since Laycool has been the only thing worth following in the women's division. I'm going with Maryse reclaiming her championship. Eve has been solid in the ring, but Maryse still gets more of a crowd reaction. Not as much as if they turned her face, but hey...
