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00:00The word SmackDown has become a show.
00:03It's become an institution.
00:04When a program is named after one of The Rock's catchphrases,
00:07you know it's appointment television.
00:09Oh, SmackDown!
00:12And over the years, SmackDown has been home to it all,
00:15from the outlandish to the outstanding.
00:19History has been made here on SmackDown Live!
00:22The blue brand serves action and excitement each and every week.
00:25What an extraordinary night it's going to be!
00:27Welcome, everyone, to SmackDown Live!
00:31Today, we look back at the second decade of SmackDown.
00:34Buckle up, Teddy.
00:36This is WWE's Greatest Moments.
00:41He's your son of a man!
00:43My God, what the hell are you doing?
00:47Absolutely unbelievable!
00:49Welcome, baby, out of this field.
00:57Welcome, everyone, to WWE's Greatest Moments.
01:00I'm Michael Cole.
01:01And on this edition, we're looking back at the very best of a show
01:04that is near and dear to my heart, SmackDown.
01:07Hey, everybody, at ringside, I'm Michael Cole.
01:09I had the privilege of being the lead announcer of the blue brand
01:12for many, many years.
01:13Oh!
01:14And coming into its second decade in 2009, things were raised to a whole nother level.
01:20Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker were on a collision course to the historic WrestleMania 25.
01:26You have never beaten me, and you never will.
01:32Despite being two of the greatest in-ring performers of all time, the differences of the two were quite apparent.
01:38Michaels, representing the light and goodness in the world, was the yin to The Undertaker's yang.
01:43Dark, ominous, and terrifying.
01:45And in March of 2009, the Heartbreak Kid did what he always did better than anyone else.
01:51Get under the skin of the dead man.
01:57The irreverent, defiant Shawn Michaels, is he flirting with disaster?
02:04That segment was designed to get into the head of The Undertaker,
02:09and no one better than Shawn Michaels to do that.
02:12Very rare that we see someone rent space in the head of The Undertaker.
02:18We leaned into the fact that Taker had never beaten me.
02:21The man you have never beaten.
02:25You add the heaven and hell aspect of it.
02:28It was just phenomenal.
02:29The Undertaker represents the purest form of evil.
02:33He walks amongst the shadows where I thrive in the spotlight.
02:41Well, he's cutting this promo, and no one's gonna out-mind game The Undertaker.
02:48Hey!
02:49Oh, what?
02:50My God, it's The Undertaker!
02:53I pop up through the ring, so I think I got him a dead to rights.
02:58Michael's going for the ride!
03:00Oh, my God!
03:01Look!
03:03Michael's escaping!
03:04And he still gets away.
03:07Honestly, one of the best promos, I think, that he cut.
03:10Not only the visual of the all-white and the meaning behind it,
03:14but the ability to get under The Undertaker's skin was a huge win for him.
03:21Longtime fans know the climb that legendary performer Christian went through.
03:25From his beginnings as a part of the menacing brood,
03:27to one half of the tag team icons with his best friend Edge.
03:31Christian had done it all except win the big one.
03:33But Extreme Rules 2011, his dreams became a reality.
03:36Christian is now the world champion!
03:39I've been waiting 17 long years to do this.
03:45Just five days later on SmackDown,
03:47Christian's first challenger immediately came knocking.
03:50Christian versus Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship!
04:00For Christian, he's been champion all of five days.
04:04He's lived his dream for five days.
04:07And here we go, back and forth they go, champion and challenger!
04:10The match with Christian, one of my favorite opponents ever.
04:15Christian is the heavyweight champion, and he don't wanna lose it, dog.
04:20Orton down, Christian, looking to retain here!
04:23Those two together, it's just a match made in heaven.
04:26Both of those guys really understand what the wrestling business is all about.
04:30Randy Orton is starting to feel it! Orton dialing it up!
04:33Randy Orton was the golden boy. He was the poster boy.
04:36He was the guy that, to this day, they still want to be the world champion.
04:40Oh! RKO! RKO! Randy Orton lateral press!
04:46And we have a new champion!
04:48The Cinderella story is over!
04:50It's shocking to see Christian just have a really short reign, just five days.
04:57Big moments like that will reinforce that you need to watch this show,
05:00because you never know what could happen.
05:03This is what SmackDown is all about. Always expect the unexpected.
05:11Four long years of being away from the squared circle,
05:14the animal Batista made his much-anticipated return to WWE in 2014.
05:19The return of the six-time world champion!
05:22Despite winning the Royal Rumble in dominant fashion,
05:25Batista's going to WrestleMania!
05:27Batista was gaining less than favorable reactions from the crowd.
05:31Batista went out on SmackDown and let his animalistic instincts take over.
05:38The WWE fans sure have not been kind to Batista since he won the Royal Rumble match last month.
05:45A lot's changed since my last Royal Rumble win.
05:49Let me start by stating that I did not come back to be liked.
05:54I came back to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion!
06:02At the end of the day, they want to be entertained.
06:04They want a bad guy they can boo, and I think I am that guy.
06:08You chant the names of 195-pound wannabes?
06:13I mean, where are all the real men?
06:15What happened to the attitude?
06:17Now to see guys who were half his weight come out there,
06:20and people are wanting to see that,
06:23he's able to show his frustration with that.
06:25I mean, do you honestly think that your heroes are as good as me?
06:32The truth is, no!
06:34They will never be me!
06:37He's not really known for being a promo guy,
06:39but here I feel like he flipped it into another gear.
06:42I will be systematically destroying each and every one of your heroes
06:47on my way to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
06:55Midway through SmackDown's second decade,
06:57the women's revolution was in full force.
07:00And with that came a brand new women's championship.
07:02The first ever WWE Women's Championship.
07:08But as our powerful women always proudly state to their male counterparts,
07:12anything you can do, we can do better.
07:15The first ever women's held in a cell match.
07:17So in June of 2017, SmackDown was host to an historic women's Money in the Bank ladder match.
07:27This is what it is all about.
07:29The first Money in the Bank ladder match ever on SmackDown Live!
07:35The experience of being in Money in the Bank was just awesome.
07:40Nobody had seen women have a ladder match before on SmackDown Live.
07:45Five women will battle for the Money in the Bank contract.
07:48Not wasting any time.
07:50I'm not gonna lie, I was so scared for this ladder match.
07:54Oh, face first!
07:57Oh, and a boot to the ladder!
07:59None of us had any experience with ladders.
08:03Whoa, whoa, whoa!
08:04Oh my God, jeez!
08:05Those ladders hurt.
08:07Oh, good!
08:08When did you ever think that women were gonna be jumping off ladders?
08:13Becky Lynch has her opportunity!
08:15Oh, and a steel chair!
08:23There you have it!
08:24Miss Money in the Bank!
08:26It was so surreal, I still don't believe it.
08:29I'm gonna go down in history because I was the first ever Miss Money in the Bank.
08:34History has been made here on SmackDown Live!
08:39CM Punk is no stranger to memorable moments in WWE history.
08:43As he says, he's the best in the world and makes sure that everyone knows it.
08:47In 2010, Punk was more of a bragger than ever before, claiming that his straight edge lifestyle was the only
08:53way to live and vowed to be the savior of those looking for a change.
08:56The youth of today will come together as one straight edge society.
09:03One particular instance saw a woman named Serena pleading to be cleansed of her sins.
09:13We are straight edge.
09:16CM Punk was always known as being straight edge, which meant that he didn't smoke, drink, or do drugs.
09:22But I know that I can wash away all your problems, and I, and only I, can save each and
09:30every last one of you.
09:33At this point, he started the straight edge society, which took those ideals, but formed them into kind of a
09:39hybrid religious cult.
09:41Who is sick of living?
09:44Whoa, whoa, whoa.
09:46Here was a girl who was the hardest working person at the OVW amateur class.
09:52I need you.
09:53This young lady needs me. I can tell.
09:56She did everything she needed to do to get hired.
09:58What's your name?
09:59Serena.
10:01Are you ready to pledge allegiance to me and my straight edge society?
10:05I'm ready. I've been ready.
10:08I needed to strike a nerve. I need somebody to really go out of their comfort zone.
10:12I'm gonna shave her head.
10:14This is symbolic in the straight edge society of shedding your iniquities.
10:19That was unbelievable.
10:21I mean, the audience, just look at some of their faces while that was going on.
10:26Here's a pretty girl who's a hell of an athlete, great wrestler, and she shaved her head.
10:31It was pretty wild.
10:32I give you Serena, the newest member of my straight edge society.
10:42The word SmackDown derived from the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, The Rock.
10:48You two jabronis decided to check both your candy asses in to the SmackDown Hotel.
10:55The Great One had some of the most iconic moments in the history of the blue brand.
10:59And after several years away from the squared circle, The Rock returned home in January 2013 to the delight of
11:07almost everyone.
11:11It's a special night. The Rock is back on his show tonight in front of his hometown SmackDown.
11:20The Rock would make his triumphant return.
11:24It was an incredible reaction.
11:31You wanna make a name for yourself? Interrupt The Rock!
11:33Obviously, somebody has to be there to ruin the party. Otherwise, it wouldn't be wrestling.
11:38Why don't you get out of this ring before you don't have any choice?
11:44I just gotta say something. I mean, sweet tap dancing Jesus, what is on your face?
11:49I don't think anyone's excited if you're gonna find out that The Rock is gonna rip you to shreds,
11:54because he will rip you to shreds. He'll go for it.
11:57And speaking of which, you know, just like your 19th century beard, your big buggy eyes,
12:01it looks like what would happen if Abe Lincoln got busy with a gremlin.
12:05Look at Lillian. She's afraid. Don't worry, Lillian. If he gets near you,
12:09I will slap that caterpillar right into the eighth row.
12:11Silence!
12:12He'd be in the middle of something, and then he'd call me out,
12:15and immediately I'm, like, blushing. And the fans would eat it up.
12:18But to see how he captivated the audience was so much fun.
12:23Coming back like this, the best part about it was the connection with the audience.
12:28And a people's elbow for Cody Rhodes!
12:31And to watch them respond the way they did was very, very special.
12:37If you smell, put The Rock in cover!
12:46They say don't bite off more than you can chew, and in 2017,
12:50the WWE Champion found that out the hard way.
12:53Jinder Mahal shocked the wrestling world when he defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship.
12:58I am the most powerful man in the entire WWE!
13:05But is it better to be arrogant or phenomenal?
13:08SmackDown emanated from Manchester, England.
13:11AJ Styles challenged Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship.
13:15Title that had never changed hands outside North America.
13:19But never say never, right?
13:23Here we go, Manchester! Welcome to SmackDown Live!
13:28That was a very interesting match.
13:31The crowd was very pro AJ Styles.
13:34It is all about the most prestigious prize in sports entertainment.
13:39WWE Universe here in Manchester solidly behind AJ Styles.
13:42I've wrestled in Manchester before.
13:45These fans are always amazing.
13:48Colossus! Colossus!
13:50Atlantic Styles!
13:51The cover!
13:54Oh!
13:54No, no, no, no!
13:55Styles got his foot on the rope!
13:57Jinder is beside himself!
13:59This place is rocking!
14:01The WWE Universe, the more excited they are, the more energy that you have.
14:06And it sounds crazy, but that's how it works.
14:09I feed off your energy.
14:10Eyes on the champion here!
14:12AJ Styles!
14:14Phenomenal forearm!
14:16One, two, three!
14:19Styles has done it again!
14:23For the first time in history, the WWE Championship has changed hands outside of North America!
14:32I was very proud of that match, and the fans were unbelievable.
14:35The reaction was unbelievable.
14:37I loved it.
14:41One of the all-time greatest performers in WWE history is the Rated R Superstar himself, Edge.
14:49His accomplishments are second to none.
14:51Tag Team Champion, Intercontinental Champion, King of the Ring, Royal Rumble winner.
14:57Edge has done it!
14:58Edge has done it!
14:59World Champion.
15:00And Edge retains his championship!
15:03But just days after a successful World Championship defense at WrestleMania 27, Edge made an announcement that none of us
15:10were prepared for.
15:14You think you know me?
15:17Rumors have been swirling.
15:18The 11-time World Champion has an announcement to make that will shock the entire WWE Universe.
15:25It's all on SmackDown.
15:27And I basically just went out and talked.
15:31As Adam.
15:32Eight years ago, I broke my neck.
15:34I've been losing feeling in my arms.
15:37And it's true, I am being forced to retire.
15:42As a personal friend, I know it was very, very tough for him.
15:46A lot of people are sad and disappointed that my career is forced to come to an end.
15:51I watched Edge's retirement.
15:54And I cried.
15:55I cried because I felt for Adam Copeland, the human being.
16:00And as a fan, I cried that I'm not gonna get Edge in.
16:04But you know what?
16:04I think everybody's actually happy and very positive that WWE and our team of doctors caught this before I was
16:11in a ladder match and I landed and couldn't get up.
16:15It doesn't matter how much you want this.
16:17Being able to get up and walk around is more important.
16:20But now it's time for me to come out here and do what I have to do.
16:25Having to relinquish the title and have to walk away from it.
16:29I mean, how devastating.
16:30It's been one hell of a ride.
16:33Thank you.
16:34Thank you very much.
16:40One of the most intense and personal rivalries in SmackDown's history is unquestionably between CM Punk and Jeff Hardy.
16:47You're all slaves to Jeff Hardy.
16:49You couldn't find more polar opposites in these two.
16:52Jeff Hardy battled many demons in his life and CM Punk was not one to hold back on judgment.
16:57It's typical of Jeff to screw everything up in his life like he always has.
17:02It was clear that WWE wasn't big enough for both of them.
17:05And an unforgiving steel cage match was made where the loser would be forced to leave WWE.
17:14World titles are big enough, but careers perhaps are even bigger.
17:18The loser of this match tonight leaves WWE.
17:21Being in a cage, man, with a match like this, naturally we wanted to raise the bar like we always
17:26did back then.
17:27It's hard from behind.
17:29This is par for the course for CM Punk.
17:33I'm trying to kill Jeff Hardy.
17:35He's like a cockroach though.
17:36Hard to kill.
17:37A whisper in the wind by Jeff Hardy.
17:39Hardy.
17:40You've gone asleep.
17:41He counters.
17:43It's a twist of fate.
17:44Hardy known for his passion, his desire, his recklessness.
17:48It's a daunting task.
17:49To know I have to beat this guy and it's probably going to take years off of my career and
17:54that's the only way to accomplish the goal.
17:56It's a big ask.
17:57No!
17:58No!
18:00A superplex!
18:02Punk is the winner!
18:05It was too late for Jeff Hardy as CM Punk escapes the cage, retains the world title.
18:12The idea that I may never go back to WWE, that was just overwhelming.
18:17It's pro wrestling, man.
18:18Anything's possible and anything can happen.
18:20This is not goodbye forever.
18:22This is only goodbye for now.
18:26As we've seen, SmackDown has been the home to so many memorable moments in WWE history.
18:32One of the most shocking, however, came in May of 2007.
18:35The Undertaker held tightly to the coveted World Heavyweight Championship.
18:39You will rest in peace.
18:43After a brutal steel cage match, The Undertaker was assaulted by the world's strongest man, Mark Henry.
18:49The world's strongest man assaulting the champion.
18:52With the world champion out for the count, nobody could have predicted what would come next.
18:59The Undertaker had nothing left.
19:02You think you know me?
19:07What a perfect time to cash in.
19:10I've already had a cage match. I've run into Mark Henry.
19:13Please tell me this is not happening.
19:15As the dastardly, conniving, manipulative edge, why wouldn't he wait until after the champion has been through an absolute war
19:24to cash it in?
19:25The referee is disgusted, undisgusted.
19:29Here's the cover.
19:30Hook of the leg.
19:31And Undertaker's head down.
19:32Come on, Taker.
19:33And Undertaker.
19:35You're kidding me.
19:35The beaten Undertaker.
19:37Undertaker tried to sit up.
19:39He couldn't quite do it.
19:41Incredible moment for Edge and his bad guy persona to come in and pick the bones.
19:47It was perfect for his character.
19:49Fear!
19:51The cover!
19:52Not this way!
19:53Not this way!
19:55Damn it!
19:56To see him cash in against The Undertaker on free television, it was very shocking.
20:02You know, regardless of who you're supporting, to see the world title change hands on SmackDown, it's always special when
20:08that happens.
20:09This is Friday night SmackDown, Michael. Anything can happen.
20:13Edge steals the title.
20:17The blue brand was and continues to be the destination of some of the greatest stars in professional wrestling,
20:22with countless matches and memories that fans remember for a lifetime.
20:26Well, that'll do it for this edition of WWE's Greatest Moments.
20:30I hope you've enjoyed this look back at the jaw-dropping memories that came with the second decade of SmackDown.
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