Thanks to Trace Armstrong for sending along a report from the Smackdown taping in Richmond, Virginia.
Bill ????? over Scott Matthews with a reverse roll-up. Terrible match, just terrible.
Billy Kidman over Chavo by pinfall with his feet on the ropes. Great match with a lot of back and forth action. Kidman worked the left arm of Chavo the whole match.
Luther Reigns and Jindrak over Funaki and Nunzio when Jindrak pinned Funaki after his finisher. Basically a squash with little offense from Funaki and Nunzio.
Paul London pinned Akio following a top rope DDT. Match of the night by far. Highlights saw London do a flip over the ropes to the outside and the incredible finisher. WWE is missing the ball by not pushing London, he was over by the end of the match.
Now for Smackdown…..
Opening skit with Theodore Long telling JBL and his entire crew that The Bashams would take on Eddie Guerrero and Booker T in a tag match and that JBL and Orlando would face Undertaker in a handicap match.
Opening pyro followed by…
(1) RVD, Rey Mysterio, and Torrie Wilson vs. Kenzo, Hiroko, and Renee Dupree. Short match that ended when RVD hit the Five Star on Kenzo and Mysterio pinned him. After the match Hiroko and Torrie got into it and Theodore Long made a Bra and Panties Match for next week.
Tough Enough Segment: They all come out and Al asks one of them (Ryan Reeves) if he wanted to quit because he had broken ribs. He feigned quitting then said no. Interviews backstage by all 4 about who should go. All of them said Puder and Puder said either Justice or broken rib guy. He was then eliminated leaving Justice, Miz, and Puder. Al Snow announces that they will have a beauty contest where the 3 remaining contestants would have to dress up like a woman (the crowd could have cared less).
(2) Charlie Haas vs. Jesus is a no contest before the bell. Jesus and Carlito beat down Charlie Haas.
Backstage segment where one of the Diva contestants (another one got hired…I can’t believe this crap…fire Gail Kim and Nidia who can wrestle and hire T&A to do nothing but try to keep Eddie and Booker from fighting…great Vince) tried to keep Eddie and Booker from fighting in the locker room. Eddie tells Booker he’ll see him out there.
(3) Bashams vs. Booker T and Eddie. Good match with decent action. Eddie was way over in Richmond. JBL does commentary while Orlando Jordan sits there and looks dumb. Late in the match, Eddie accidentally pulls down the top rope and and Booker tumbles to the outside with a Basham. Eddie hits Three Amigos and Booker comes back in and argues with Eddie. Eddie gets knocked into Booker and Eddie is rolled up for the pin.
(4) Kurt Angle Invitational. Crowd loves to chant “You Suck!” Same story as last week. A local jobber who gets no reaction until Chimel says he’s from Richmond then he gets the pop of the night. Simply ridiculous. Angle gets on the Mic and insults the crowd. Angle slaps the Sebastian the Jobber from Richmond then whips him in the ropes, hits the Angle Slam, down come the straps, and a tap to the ankle lock. Match lasted maybe 30 seconds.
(5) Dawn Marie comes down wearing a Santa outfit similar to Jackie’s earlier. They get in a catfight and Long comes out and makes a match at Armageddon with Dawn Marie vs. Jackie with Charlie Haas as special referee. I smell heel turn for Charlie.
Tough Enough Segment:
Expectations were really low for this but it wound up being the best one of the competition so far but that’s not saying much. Puder comes out first and he just looks like a dude dressed as a woman. Justice AHEM…Justine as he was announced and came out looking like a Male Transvestite. It was sick. Miz comes out last and looks awesome. He’s wearing a Metallica shirt with cutoff jeans, a wig, and carrying a Six pick of Miller Lite. To put a mental image in your head. He looked like Chyna dressed up in Nidia trailer park trash clothes. Al Snow announces the catch saying you have to seduce a superstar….CUE Bob Holly still getting punished. Bob Holly’s music hits and the Tough Enough contestants have to seduce Bob Holly. I know but it gets worse. An exchange takes place and Holly tries to leave but Al punks him into staying. Miz tries to just come on like an actress in a 30’s movie by going…”Hardcore….Hardcore….hehehhehhehe.” The Miz has acting skills. Holly tried to keep from laughing but he broke character the whole time. Justin comes up next and he acts like a inner city ho and presents him with a bottle of, I kid you not, Colt 45 Malt Liquor. Vince is in the back getting off on this I’m sure. Puder just gives Holly a teddy bear. Holly keeps breaking character and laughing then he beats up Al Snow.
(6) Jordan and JBL vs. Undertaker. Undertaker dominates the whole match until the end. Undertaker hits all his signature spots until he goes for a double choke slam. JBL hits a low blow and the ref calls for the bell. JBL’s whole posse comes out and beat down on the Undertaker. Undertaker uses his “powers” to recover and fend them off after JBL sends them all out of the ring. All four take a choke slam and then JBL gets tombstoned. Taker walks out and looks back and sneers then raises his arm and leaves.
This won’t be on Smackdown but JBL is laying in the ring with a mic and has the Bashams try to help him up. Lot of comedic mic work followed with Redskins insults and everything else under the sun. Bashams support him, then he tells them to open the ropes, they let go and he fell like a tree trunk and calls for a doctor. He finally leaves to end the show.
After the show I waited by the ramp outside to meet wrestlers. Chavo and Eddie left together and Eddie signed autographs while their car was at the red light then he pulled away. Nunzio signed a shirt I threw down to him and he threw back up. Then, Ricky Steamboat walks up the ramp and into the crowd. There’s about 50 people and he graciously signs autographs and takes pictures until everyone that wanted one had one. It was awesome to meet one of my idols. It started to rain and most people left but me and two other guys waited. Undertaker drove up and waved at us. Paul Heyman leaves and we tried to get his attention but he was in the passenger seat on the phone. His driver kept waving at us. I was wearing an ECW hat so I was trying to get Paul’s attention to get an autograph. They drive away and 3 minutes later he circles back and rolls down his window and screamed ECW then drove away. It was pretty funny.
All in all, a decent show. Middle of the road. Paul London’s match was the best on the night but then again I’m a mark for AJ Styles, Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero so I’m a workrate lover and London showed it.
