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WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE SMACKDOWN TAPING THIS WEEK AND WHY

By Mike Johnson on 2011-06-04 09:44:47
Over the last few days, a number of readers have written and asked just what exactly went down at the end of the Smackdown taping in Des Moines, Iowa.

To review, here is what Matt Holcomb wrote:

"Mark Henry comes out and he and Referee Scott Armstrong stand in the ring for 15-20 minutes. Mark Henry tries to talk in to a mic but it is turned off. Scott joins in flexing his guns. Tony Chimel comes over the mic and thanks us for coming as we wait for Mark Henry's opponent. Finally about 10:30, Mark Henry leaves the ring and goes backstage and Tony thanks us again from coming. Before Mark Henry goes backstage, Hornswoggle's music followed by The Great Khali's and then finally Vince's music plays. Weird."

I am told the entire scenario was a complete rib on Mark Henry to see how long Henry would stay in the ring before getting angry and storming off. Henry was actually told that the company would be closing the taping with a dark match between he and Sin Cara. Henry and Cara actually called spots for the match earlier in the evening.

Henry was sent to the ring and went to pick up the ring mic to cut a promo to set up Cara's entrance. Only the mic was ordered cut. Then, Henry began to stall, not realizing what was going on. It went on and on until different music cues were played. Henry finally stormed to the back, demanding to know what was going on.

According to numerous sources, it was appropriate that Vince McMahon's music played last, as the entire thing was his personal brainchild. I am told that McMahon, who had actually already left the taping, was directing the entire thing via cell phone. One source in WWE production also noted that Kevin Dunn was "howling" as it was going on, completely in on the rib.

A number of the wrestlers I spoke to thought the rib was funny, but misplaced. As it was explained to me, it's one thing to pull a joke on one of the boys, but when the actual company is doing it, it sends a bad message to everyone, especially when it's a long tenured veteran like Mark Henry.

It was also pointed out to me that the rib wasn't just at Henry's expense, but at the expense of the fans who paid to come to the show and ended up sitting around for an extra 30 minutes before they exited, on a work and school night. As one wrestler said to me, "It was funny to do it to Mark, but not where and when they did it. It just goes to show the bubble the company exists in. No one thought they might piss off the crowd or hurt the return date. Who wants to spend money and have their time wasted, especially when at the end, there was no advertised main event?"

Christian vs. Randy Orton had been locally advertised to close the Des Moines taping.

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