The 9^th March 2012 episode of Friday Night SmackDown! starts with a video recapping that Teddy Long was in charge of this week’s Monday Night Raw (click here for our Raw report) and hyping that John Laurinaitis is going to be hosting this episode of SmackDown!.

A steel cage is lowered to the ring as David Otunga and John Laurinaitis stand in the ring, with Otunga introducing Laurinaitis. John Laurinaitis thanks the Board Of Directors for allowing him the opportunity and says that he will prove that he should be the General Manager of both shows, which he says will be proved right now as Teddy Long never started off SmackDown! with a steel cage match.

Santino Marella takes on Jack Swagger (accompanied by Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero) in a steel cage match for the United States Championship, which sees Marella escape the cage to retain his title, when Vickie mistakenly slams the cage door on Swagger’s head, allowing Marella to then crawl out of it.

After an interaction backstage between John Laurinaitis, David Otunga, and Teddy Long, in which Laurinaitis makes a match between the two that has a stipulation that if Long wins, then Aksana faces Kane, and a video recapping the events on Raw involving Shawn Michaels and Triple H, the announcers hype that Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker will be in the same ring as each other on next week’s Raw.

After recapping Drew McIntyre’s match last week which saw him get fired by Teddy Long, Drew McIntyre makes his way to the ring and says that John Laurinaitis has given him an opportunity to regain his job, if he defeats a mystery opponent of Laurinaitis’ choice.

The opponent appears to be revealed as The Great Khali, but David Otunga interrupts and tells Khali to have a seat at ringside as he is not McIntyre’s opponent. He introduces who McIntyre’s opponent will be, with the person being revealed as Hornswoggle.

The match sees McIntyre get the victory, when the referee calls for the bell and says that Hornswoggle is unable to continue. Afterwards, Khali enters the ring and gives McIntyre a chop to the head, before he then goes to check on Hornswoggle.

After an interaction backstage between Teddy Long and Aksana, an interaction between John Laurinaitis and David Otunga, and images recapping Mark Henry’s induction into the International Sports Hall Of Fame earlier in the week, Ezekiel Jackson is pitted against Mark Henry in a match which sees Henry get the victory, when he hits Jackson with the World’s Strongest Slam for the 3-count.

Next, Teddy Long goes against John Laurinaitis in a match which has the stipulation of Kane facing Aksana if Long wins the match. After the bell has been rung, Laurinaitis asks if Long is really going to do this, saying that Kane is waiting and ready to come out to do something to Aksana.

He says to do the right thing and lie down, and show the WWE Universe who the better man is. Long refuses, so Laurinaitis gestures to the entrance, causing Kane’s pyro to go off and entrance hit, and him then start making his way to the ring.

Aksana enters the ring, but as Kane gets to the ring and is about to enter it, he is jumped by Randy Orton and hit with an RKO on the floor. Laurinaitis isn’t happy with this, but Long takes advantage of the distraction and rolls Laurinaitis up for the 3-count, before leaving quickly with Aksana.

Next up, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth go against Epico and Primo (accompanied by Rosa Mendes) in a tag team match which sees R-Truth get the victory for his team, when he hits Primo with a jumping reverse STO for the 3-count.

After a video recapping the events on Raw involving The Rock and John Cena and the announcers hyping the John Cena Rap and The Rock’s Concert to take place on next week’s episode of Raw, Michael Cole interviews Sheamus and Daniel Bryan (accompanied by AJ) about their match at WrestleMania XXVIII (28).

Daniel Bryan says that he hasn’t been lucky at all, as when you are good you don’t need luck. He says that it wasn’t luck when he cashed in his Money In The Bank contract and defeated The Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship.

He says that it wasn’t luck when he defeated Mark Henry in a Lumberjack match, or when he defeated Mark Henry and The Big Show in a steel cage at the Royal Rumble, and that it wasn’t luck when he defeated five SmackDown! Superstars in the Elimination Chamber to retain his World Heavyweight Championship.

Bryan says that it has been the pure knowledge and application of scientific wrestling, and living a clean vegan lifestyle that keeps him mentally and physically fit, plus he says that it is his charisma and undeniable sex appeal that contributes to all of his success.

Sheamus says that everybody needs a bit of luck, and that he has been lucky all of his life. He says that he is proud of being from where he comes from, but that he is lucky to be in the US and in the WWE, standing in front of everyone on this episode of SmackDown!.

He says that he is also a believer that you make your own luck, and says that he has fought his way back to the top, and at least he hasn’t hidden behind a 99lb girl who looks like she should be wearing a Catholic schoolgirl’s uniform.

AJ starts to say something, but Bryan tells her to shut up. Bryan says that AJ has had nothing to do with his success, and that if anything, she has gotten in the way – which he means literally.

Sheamus says that it is not AJ who should be wearing the skirt, but that Bryan should. He says that he gets the impression that Bryan is an arrogant, annoying, self-delusional, whiny little wimp. He says that at WrestleMania, Bryan’s luck is going to run out, as Sheamus is going to beat him for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The appearance of Cody Rhodes marks the match to take place right now, which is a Six-Man Tag Team match between the team of The Big Show, Sheamus, and Randy Orton, and the team of Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, and The Miz.

The match sees Randy Orton get the victory for his team, when he counters The Miz’s Skull Crushing Finale attempt into an RKO for the 3-count. Afterwards, Kane appears and a fight erupts between him and Randy Orton, with the fight being taken through the crowd as SmackDown! goes off the air.