Full Credit to Buck Woodward and PWInsider.com
Smackdown for November 18th opened with John Cena coming out to the ring and cutting a rap on Carlito Caribbean Cool, saying Carlito tried to have him eliminated with the nightclub stabbing and promising to win back the U.S. Title tonight.
They went backstage, where Al Snow had the six remaining Tough Enough contestants assembled. Chris Nawrocki was given the chance to quit again, due to his broken rib. Chris said he would not quit. Al Snow then checked the envelope, and revealed that Nawrocki had been eliminated via the fan voting. That leaves Daniel Puder, Ryan Reeves, Justice Smith, Daniel Rodimer, and Mike Mizanin.After the break, Al Snow brought the contestants to the ring for their next challenge.
Tough Enough Challenge: A flag was hung in one corner of the ring, and each contestant was to start from the opposite corner of the ring and attempt to get the flag within 30 seconds. However, in order to get to the flag, you had to get past Doug & Danny Basham, who were to stay in the corner with the flag (although after the initial contact, they never stayed in the corner). There was no striking allowed by either the contestants or the Bashams.
Mike Mizanin went first, and tried to fake out the Bashams and run around them. The Bashams took him down and laid on top of him. He made the ropes, and the referee called for the break. He only had a few seconds left, and didn’t have much of a second attempt.
Ryan Reeves powered his way along with ropes with the Bashams on his legs, but couldn’t make it in time. Reeves was given an ovation for his effort.
Daniel Rodimer was next, but the Bashams grabbed him in waistlocks to stop him. After a rope break, he then tried a three point stance charge, but the Bashams grabbed him in a triangle choke and waistlock. He still lifted them off the mat, and got close to the flag before time ran out.
Justice Smith was taken to the mat, and the Bashams kept him down with a front facelock and a waistlock.
Daniel Puder charged and got closer than anyone, but the Bashams pulled him back. One of the Bashams was in the ropes, but there was no break. Puder still got close again before time ran out.
Al Snow said the Basham’s were the winners.
Rey Mysterio was backstage, and found Rob Van Dam working out with former Raw Diva contestant Michelle McCool, who apparently is RVD’s new personal trainer. They all did stretches together, while RVD and Rey talked about their non-title match with Kenzo Suzuki and Rene Dupree tonight.
The first of several clips throughout the show going over the history between Carlito and Cena was shown.
Carlito Caribbean Cool, his arm in a sling, went to Smackdown General Manager Theodore R. Long, asking for a postponement of his match with John Cena. Carlito had a doctor’s note and X-Rays, and while Long agreed that Carlito was hurt, he said he couldn’t be any worse off than Cena, who was competing six weeks after being stabbed in a kidney. Long told Carlito if he didn’t wrestle, he would be stripped of the U.S. Title. Carlito teased spitting apple at Long, but Theodore backed him down.
Paul Heyman tried to convince Heidenreich that he scored a moral victory at the Survivor Series, even though he lost the match. Heidenreich just stared off into space. Paul said he needed Heidenreich to focus on his opponent for tonight, Charlie Haas. Heidenreich calmly asked if he was strapped into his jacket, and said he wanted to “get this over with”.
A video on the Armageddon press conference in Atlanta was shown.
Charlie Haas, with Miss Jackie, vs. Heidenreich, with Paul Heyman. Haas didn’t was Miss Jackie getting into the ring. Heidenreich folded up his straitjacket, and asked Heyman to hold onto it, and seemed very distraught. Haas charged Heidenreich with a shoulderblock and hit some punches, but Heidenreich booted him to the mat and gave him a shoulderbreaker. Heidenreich seemed to be having a breakdown, and slid out of the ring, while Heyman yelled for him to cover Haas. Heidenreich stood on the floor, saying “I didn’t fail” over and over, while the referee counted him out. Haas was declared the winner less than a minute in. Winner via countout: Charlie Haas.
Heidenreich climbed over the security wall, and laid down on the floor. Heidenreich screamed to himself about his “one chance” and how he “didn’t fail” and just curled up in a ball on the floor, mumbling to himself. Following the break, the announcers speculated that Heidenreich had a nervous breakdown.
WWE Tag Team Champions Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree, with Hiroko, vs. Rob Van Dam & Rey Mysterio, non-title match. Kenzo hit some kicks and chops early, but RVD took him down with spinkicks and tagged in Rey for a double legdrop, with Rey scoring a two count. Rey springboarded into a backflip over Kenzo, and had his knee buckle under him. However, he came back and set up for a 619, but Dupree tripped him and dragged him to the floor. RVD grabbed Dupree and catapulted him into the ringpost. Back in the ring, Rey hit a springboard dropkick, sending Kenzo to the floor. Suzuki was bleeding from the nose (later shown to be from the double legdrop) as they went to break.
Back from commercial, Suzuki was working over Mysterio and made the tag to Dupree. Dupree floored Rey with a back elbow, but Rey came back with a top rope rana for a two count. Kenzo clipped Rey with a kick from the apron and Dupree hit a flapjack. Kenzo chopped Rey in a corner, then put him in a chinlock. Kenzo and Dupree tagged in and out, working over Rey and keeping him away from his corner. Rey finally bulldogged Kenzo out of a bodyscissors and made the hot tag to RVD. Van Dam took Kenzo down with a series of kicks, then knocked Dupree off the apron. RVD hit a corkscrew legdrop, then went to the top rope and kicked Dupree off the apron. RVD took Kenzo down with a sunset flip with a senton assist from Rey. Van Dam dropped Rey onto Kenzo, then hit Rolling Thunder. Dupree broke up the pin. RVD threw Dupree out of the ring (with Rey pulling down the top rope). Rey gave Kenzo a 619, and Van Dam followed with the five star frog splash for the pin at the twelve minute mark. Winners: Rob Van Dam & Rey Mysterio.
Another Cena-Carlito clip was shown.
A video on Smackdown’s visit to Iraq last year was shown.
Kurt Angle came to the ring, and said that he was a “giving” superstar, so he came up with the “Kurt Angle Invitational”, a chance for a hometown talent to step in the ring with him. Angle said if anyone could beat him, he would give the person his Olympic gold medal. A muscular wrestler named Dean Visk came to the ring, and said he was from Dayton, Ohio.
Kurt Angle vs. Dean Visk. Angle took Visk down with a waistlock and paintbrushed him across the back of the head. Angle then applied a hammerlock, but Visk reversed into a waistlock and took Angle to the mat. Angle smiled on the break, and went for a handshake. Visk fell for it, and Angle punched him in the face. Angle stomped him down in the corner, then hit an overhead belly to belly suplex. Angle hit an Angle Slam, then applied the ankle lock for the tap out win at the two minute mark. Winner: Kurt Angle.
Backstage, John Bradshaw Layfield introduced former Raw Diva Search contestant Amy Weber to Orlando Jordan. She’s the newest member of JBL’s cabinet, his “image consultant”. JBL and Jordan headed for the ring.
Another Carlito-Cena clip was shown.
John Bradshaw Layfield, with Orlando Jordan, came to the ring for JBL’s “victory speech” due to his win at Survivor Series. JBL bragged and boasted, comparing himself to Michael Jordan in basketball, saying he will overshadow all other champions from his era. JBL said that there hasn’t been any terrorist attacks on American soil since he became champion. Finally, Booker T came out, taking JBL to task and saying he wanted a rematch for the title right now. Then Eddie Guerrero showed up, in a lowrider. Guerrero said he was sick of JBL, and brought up their past issues. Guerrero said it was time for him to take the WWE Title back. Booker and Guerrero were about to argue, which JBL encouraged, but Booker told him to shut up. Booker started to explain to Guerrero that he wanted his rematch first, when the lights went out, and the Undertaker entered. Undertaker gestured at the belt, and JBL left the ring. From the aisle, JBL said none of them would ever get a rematch for the belt. Theodore R. Long came out, and announced that JBL would have to defend against all three men at Armageddon in a Fatal Four Way match. JBL and Orlando both started complaining and whining, while Undertaker, Booker and Guerrero stared at each other in the ring.
The Tough Enough contestants were brought back out, and each were given thirty seconds to sell themselves to the fans on the mic. Mike and Ryan did the “honesty” bit, saying they really wanted to be wrestlers. Rodimer said he was “confident” not cocky, and that he was a fan just like everyone else. Justice said he watched wrestling as a kid with his grandmother. Puder (with a few awkward pauses) pointed out that he challenged Kurt Angle, won the Torrie Wilson sex test, and had a good performance tonight. He said he would earn, not win, the contract. Puder easily got the loudest ovation when his name was mentioned.
Backstage, former Raw Diva Search contestant, now WWE message therapist, Joy Giovanni was trying to work on Carlito’s injured shoulder, but he ordered her out of the room. Carlito seemed despondent over his chances with John Cena tonight.
The final Carlito-Cena video, from this past Sunday’s Survivor Series, was shown.
They confirmed the main event for Armageddon: WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Booker T vs. The Undertaker vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Fatal Four Way match.
U.S. Champion Carlito Caribbean Cool, with Jesus, vs. John Cena. Carlito has his shoulder heavily taped, but was no longer wearing the sling. Cena charged the ring and immediately tossed Jesus into the ringpost and onto the floor. Cena went after Carlito on the outside, throwing him into the security wall. Cena rammed Carlito shoulder first into the ringpost, then cut off Jesus, who was coming at him with a chair. Cena took the chair and slammed it into Carlito’s shoulder. Cena rolled Carlito into the ring, and after two minutes, the bell ran to officially start the match. Cena gave Carlito the FU and got the pin. Winner and new U.S. Champion: John Cena.
Cena was starting to celebrate when Jesus jumped him from behind and started punching Cena in the kidneys (where he had been stabbed six weeks ago). Jesus picked up Cena’s chain and punched Cena right in the kidneys. Jesus then left with Carlito, taking the chain with them, as officials and Taz checked on Cena, who was lying on the mat in the ring moaning in pain. Cena was stretchered out of the ring to end the program.
(Note: Chavo Guerrero’s win over Billy Kidman, which did take place during the Smackdown taping in Dayton, Ohio, was edited off the broadcast.)
Source: PWInsider.com
