The Feb. 18, 2011 episode of SmackDown was the show’s 600th installment, and the producers pulled out all the stops to make it as dramatic as possible. It began with a 12-man tag team match and ended with a battle for the World Heavyweight Championship, bringing a conclusion to the Theodore Long attack storyline in the process.
12-Man Tag Team Match
After a brief promo for Dolph Ziggler’s coronation as the World Heavyweight Champion, the wrestlers made their entrances for the 12-man tag team match. The first team consisted of Edge, Randy Orton, John Morrison, R-Truth, Rey Mysterio, and John Cena.
The second team was made up of CM Punk, Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Drew McIntyre, Kane, and Ziggler. Edge and Ziggler glared at each other ferociously as the latter made his way to the ring.
Dolph Ziggler Faced Tough Opposition
The match kicked off with Edge facing McIntyre. The early advantage went to McIntyre, but Edge quickly turned the tables. He tagged R-Truth in, and he continued to give McIntyre a tough time. Ziggler replaced McIntyre, but fared little better as R-Truth slammed him to the mat and tagged Orton in.
Ziggler attempted to reverse his fortunes, but Orton got the upper hand. Still, Ziggler kicked out of the pin attempt, and fared slightly better for a moment when Cena tagged in. But it didn’t last, as Cena knocked Ziggler down and tagged in Morrison.
Continuing his recent, more aggressive approach, Morrison soon gained the advantage over Ziggler and brought him down with a sliding kick. His good fortune didn’t last, as Ziggler knocked him off the top rope as the show went to commercial.
CM Punk and Kane Took On Rey Mysterio
Sheamus replaced Ziggler and continued to punish Morrison. He gave way to Punk, who grabbed Morrison by the hair and kneed him in the face while mocking the injury he’d inflicted on Morrison’s eyes two weeks before.
The tide turned again as Morrison escaped Punk’s leg hold and tagged Mysterio in. Mysterio an advantage over Punk through sheer speed. That ended when Punk intercepted Mysterio’s attempt at a 619.
Kane tagged in and Mysterio was able to again use speed to his advantage, fighting out of a bear hug and a choke slam attempt. Then Kane knocked him into Punk, and after another break Barrett took over. He was in turn replaced by Sheamus, who punched Mysterio viciously.
The Superstars Finished Each Other in Turn
But Mysterio was again able to reverse the situation, escaping Sheamus’ hold. He managed to knock Barrett down, and after a couple more tags, Edge and Ziggler faced off once again. Edge took control immediately and was about to use the Spear when he was interrupted by Sheamus.
This led to the superstars taking each other down in turn. Mysterio came last, knocking both Barrett and Ziggler down and getting a double 619 on them. This set the stage for Edge to Spear Ziggler and pin him for the win.
Vicki Guerrero Fired Edge
His victory was interrupted by Vicki Guerrero. She demanded that Edge hand over his World Championship belt. After showing footage from the previous week’s match against Ziggler and reminding him that the Spear was banned, she reiterated her claim that he assaulted Teddy Long, and informed him that he was fired.
Divas Tag Team Match: Beth Phoenix and Eve vs. Maryse and Layla
After a brief Cody Rhodes interview, there was a Divas tag team match, with Beth Phoenix and Eve facing Maryse and Layla while Michelle McCool sat in on commentary. But in true LayCool fashion, she tried to interfere when it became apparent Layla couldn’t win on her own. Phoenix pulled her by her injured leg, but the distraction gave Layla and Maryse a chance to double-team Eve, and Layla pinned her for the win.
Recap of The Rock’s WrestleMania Host Announcement
Next came a recap of The Rock’s announcement from the Feb 14th episode of Raw that he was the host of WrestleMania XXVII. It was edited down from its full length, but still hit many of the high points of his speech, including his cracks at Michael Cole and John Cena.
Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz
The next match was another Raw vs. SmackDown contest, as Kofi Kingston faced WWE Champion The Miz. Neither man had a clear advantage in the early grappling, though Kingston’s speed and agility soon came into play as he dodged The Miz’s blows and bounced off the ropes to launch repeated attacks.
But The Miz’s fortunes changed when he dodged a flying leap from Kingston, and after a commercial break the momentum had turned in his favor. He gave Kingston a tough time with a submission hold, but then Kingston fought back and used a flying leap to take The Miz to the canvas.
The Miz then reversed Kingston’s offensive rally and took him down with a backbreaker. Just as Kingston took charge again and used his Boom Drop on The Miz, he was distracted by the entrance of Alberto del Rio. The two fought on, but del Rio smacked Kingston’s legs with a towel and The Miz took advantage, pinning Kingston for the win.
Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov vs. Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater
After a break, tag team champions Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov once again faced Corre members Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater. The latter two came out without the rest of their group, but after Kozlov tossed Gabriel out of the ring, Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson came to his aid.
Despite gaining a brief advantage from the distraction, Gabriel and Slater were outmatched. But after Santino used the Cobra to take out Gabriel and pin him, Barrett and Jackson interfered, and the match ended in a disqualification.
The action wasn’t over yet: The Big Show rushed to the ring to take on The Corre. He tossed Gabriel, Barrett, and Slater out of the ring and challenged Jackson to confront him one-on-one. Jackson appeared ready to take him up on the offer, but the rest of the group pulled him back.
World Championship Coronation of Dolph Ziggler
When the show returned from commercial, Guerrero introduced Ziggler as the new World Heavyweight Champion. He triumphantly climbed the ropes and hoisted the belt over his head.
But then, something unexpected happened: general manager Teddy Long emerged from backstage. Guerrero and Ziggler both looked shocked. Long derided their “so-called investigation” and said she had the most to gain from attacking him. When she protested, he told her to shut up.
Guerrero tried to pin the blame on Ziggler, saying it was all his idea. Long said they would have to clear the ring, because there was going to be a World Championship match right now. He rehired Edge, who immediately came out to face Ziggler.
World Championship Match: Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler
The match didn’t last long. While Ziggler dodged Edge’s first attempt at a Spear and tried to get him in the Sleeper, Edge reversed all his attacks. After a failed Zig-Zag, Edge got off a quick Spear and pinned Ziggler for the win.
Long again came out to the arena and made one more announcement: Ziggler was fired. Edge rubbed it in Vicki’s face, leading the audience in a rousing chorus of “Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye” as the episode concluded.