I know I didn’t get my Smackdown column out on time Friday. So why not write about it today?
I was very pleased with many things that went on Thursday night. I’m going to talk about three things that I really liked. Let’s see, one fabulous main event, a very funny skit with Jamie Noble and Nidia and Zach Gowan finally coming off better than he has since his debut on Smackdown. Smackdown definitely had some highlights. Then of course there was Vince McMahon taking up a lot of on air-time but I’ll get into that a little further down in my column.
Yeah it was short but definitely sweet. Nidia and her lover boy Jamie Noble are walking the streets of New York City. Don’t ask me how but a lawyer comes up to them, asks Jamie if he’s Jamie Noble and tells him he’s inherited $800,000.00 from a dead Aunt. Well things just get funnier; Nidia and Jamie are so excited that he tells her to kiss the man. Nidia being the skank she is starts to kiss him below the belt, but Noble stops her. And then Jamie tells her he’s taking her to the finest restaurant for dinner, Applebee’s. Now for those who aren’t familiar with Applebee’s trust me it’s not exactly a fine dining experience. This was just done so well. Nidia time and time again out of the ring has come through and just flows with most of the vignettes she’s been in. Jamie and Nidia make a great pair.
I can’t tell you how happy I was to see Zach Gowan show some life in him Thursday night. No way am I blaming him for being a bore since he’s showed up on Smackdown. The writing team takes the blame for that. But this past week I found his mic work to be better than it has been. I still want to see him wrestle, but at least he didn’t come off as bad as he did last week when Sable was seducing him. That was a total embarrassment. Zach gave me hope, and I’m praying that the more Vince gets under his skin the more Zach will show he can hold his own against his boss. Now as far as Vince goes, Vince has made Zach his pet project. He’s made Zach so important that Stephanie has been added on to this storyline to make it THE main focus of Smackdown. I had no problem with the whole Vince/Stephanie tiff during the show. In fact I found Stephanie to come off very well during the evening. What I didn’t like was Vince doing two things. First, apologizing to his daughter for basically pimping her out at the age of 17, wasn’t a problem with me, no it was when Vince said he felt like he “de-flowered” her that I got very uncomfortable. Now a friend of mine said I’m taking it wrong, he used that meaning he took her innocence away by making her do favors for his “friend,” she didn’t feel he meant it literally. So she could be right, but it just bothered me. Also Vince pulling his pants down with Steph in the ring for his famous Kiss My Ass Club, again digusted me. Come on doesn’t he have any morals? No wait it’s Vince I’m talking about. Anyway had those two items been omitted then I would have had no complaints about the in ring segment with Vince, Steph and Zach.
Okay without a doubt Smackdown’s main event was just awesome. The MSG crowd for Raw was great but the crowd for Smackdown was even better. And when Kurt Angle came out for that main event and then Brock Lesnar next I got goose-bumps. I was looking at two of the hottest talents in the WWE and to see them teamed up together was a great site. And then to add Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin as their opponents just made it all that better. Yeah I’m leaving out Mr. America and Big Show because they don’t do it for me like the four guys I just mentioned. I thought this was a hell of a match. Angle and Brock looked super out there and Haas and Shelton just get better and better every-week. This by far was the highlight of Smackdown. But I don’t want to forget Ultimo Dragon’s debut; I enjoyed it and I look forward to more matches with him. I found John Cena’s match with Orlando Jones a great opening match, and Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri looked very good against Sean O’Haire and Roddy Piper. And speaking for Rowdy Roddy Piper that appearance on Smackdown was his last. After the show WWE.com posted that Piper was released, due to statements made on Real Sports with Bryant Gumble. I have yet to watch it, but from all I’ve read Piper said some frightening things about drugs and alcohol in the wrestling business and I guess that sealed his fate with the company.
Back to Smackdown, it definitely delivered, and again Raw and Smackdown came off very well this week. So now it’s on to Raw. WWE.com’s preview is based around Kane; I can’t wait to see how they will deal with Kane, from what I have been reading from the house show results this weekend Kane now has a shaven head, no mask and no scars. It’s going to be very interesting to see what he looks like tomorrow night. And on Smackdown, Stephanie and Zach will take on The Big Show. I have a feeling this will bring out Mr. America to the rescue setting up a match with Hogan and Show for Vengeance. It should be a really good week for WWE fans.
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