WWE SmackDown Grades: Joe’s Mind Games Get Even More Personal

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2. Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin

A SmackDown superstar that has dealt with a lot of adversity on-screen as of late has been Jeff Hardy.  The Charismatic Enigma basically got cheated out of the United States Championship at Extreme Rules via Shinsuke Nakamura, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg for Hardy’s problems.

As well as losing the U.S. Championship, Hardy felt the brunt of Randy Orton’s return as well.  The Viper has given Hardy two separate beatings since Extreme Rules and significant beatings at that.  Hardy will get a rematch with Nakamura at SummerSlam for the U.S. Championship, but last night was all about another opponent.

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In his first match in a few weeks, Hardy took on Shelton Benjamin last night in a battle between two former U.S. Champions in their own right.  And despite the match being a bit short all things considered, it still packed a pretty good punch.  The action was stellar throughout and Benjamin impressed in a relatively marquee match.  But in the end, The Charismatic Enigma took care of business.

Hardy hit Benjamin with a swanton bomb to get the win, but after the match, Nakamura came out and tried to attack Hardy.  But this time, Hardy countered and would end up hitting Nakamura with a swanton bomb.  This was a big momentum booster for Hardy heading into SummerSlam, but as fans saw last night, Orton is always lurking somewhere in the shadows.

In a battle between two WWE veterans, The Charismatic Enigma got the better of The Gold Standard.

Final Grade: B