The Undertaker Returns to Smackdown

The Phenom Chokeslams CM Punk on His Return to Friday Night TV

Sep 5, 2009 Jillian Bost

In a heavily promoted return to Smackdown, The Undertaker came out to chokeslam CM Punk through the announcers' table during Punk's match with Matt Hardy.

Throughout the evening of September 4, 2009, the broadcast team reiterated that The Undertaker would be returning that night to his home base of Smackdown. And the promise was kept as Taker came out during the last minute and a half of the broadcast and interrupted CM Punk’s grudge match with Matt Hardy.

Punk Challenges Undertaker

Earlier in the evening, Punk came out dressed as Jeff Hardy (in a brilliant imitation that fooled fans for several seconds; this was a great moment in heeldom) and continuously insulted Jeff and his fans until Matt Hardy came out to defend his brother’s good name and avenge his losing the previous week’s Loser Leaves WWE match. Thus Smackdown General Manager Teddy Long made a match with Punk and Hardy that night.

During Punk’s diatribe against Jeff Hardy, or the “Charismatic Enabler” as he called him, he also spoke about The Undertaker, acknowledging that he is a legend, but that he uses “smoke and mirrors” to intimidate people and awe the audience, which won’t work against him. He challenged Undertaker to come out and fight him one on one like a man, but nothing happened.

Punk declared Taker did not want to face him. Punk’s drug-free body and lack of using magic tricks, he implied, would prove he was superior to Undertaker and would beat him at Breaking Point on September 13th. Since Undertaker has no known violations of the WWE Wellness Policy like Jeff Hardy, Punk was forced to equate Undertaker’s “smoke and mirrors act” as mind-numbing like the drugs that Hardy and his followers take, according to Punk.

The Undertaker Returns

During Punk’s match with Hardy, when Punk was about to ram Matt into a steel ring post with Matt’s head caught in a chair, the lights went out and a gong sounded. When the lights returned, Taker loomed in front of Punk and grabbed him, chokeslamming him through the announcers’ table. The audience went wild as Undertaker stood triumphant over a broken Punk.

Confusion Over Undertaker’s Last Smackdown Appearance

For reasons unknown, WWE commentators on ECW and Smackdown repeatedly reported The Undertaker’s return to Smackdown on September 4th as Undertaker’s first Smackdown appearance since Wrestlemania 25, which took place on April 4, 2009. However, this is false. Undertaker wrestled against Big Show on April 24, 2009 in London, England before leaving until his appearance at Summerslam. Therefore, he made at least one appearance on Smackdown after Wrestlemania. Why they wish to claim otherwise is unclear.

However, whether WWE reports it as five months or four months since The Undertaker left, his presence has been sorely needed and thus his return is no doubt a relief and a joy to most of the fans, who have recently lost one of their favorite heroes in Jeff Hardy. The Undertaker’s arrival back to the Smackdown scene, and his feud with CM Punk, should prove to be an interesting part of Taker’s career.

Sources:

Burdick, Michael, "Return of the Darkness", WWE website, September 2, 2009

WWE Smackdown Archive

The copyright of the article The Undertaker Returns to Smackdown in Wrestling is owned by Jillian Bost. Permission to republish The Undertaker Returns to Smackdown in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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