Full Credit: Buck Woodward, PWInsider.com
Smackdown for December 16th opened with Orlando Jordan introducing the WWE Champion, John Bradshaw Layfield. JBL came out, riding atop his limo, and accompanied by Amy Weber and the Bashams, as balloons and confetti fell from the sky. JBL addressed the crowd about his win at Armageddon, and said he was the “champion of all champions”. JBL said that, despite having General Manager Theodore R. Long against him, and “ungrateful fans”, he triumphed. JBL then gave Amy Weber a “Christmas gift”, a diamond tiara. JBL then said he would allow the fans to get behind a winner, and chant his name.
Kurt Angle’s music started up, interrupting JBL. Angle came out, flanked by Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak. JBL said Angle was interrupting his party, so he better be there to congratulate him. Angle questioned JBL’s claim of being the greatest champion of all time due to his win at Armageddon over Booker T, Eddie Guerrero and The Undertaker. Angle asked JBL if he was out of his mind. JBL told Angle to shake his hand, and get out of “his” ring. Angle said the truth needed to be told, and that he, not JBL was the greatest champion of all time. Angle mentioned that at Armageddon 2000, he defeated Steve Austin, The Rock, Undertaker, Rikishi and Triple H in a six-man Hell In A Cell match. Angle told JBL that he should not be having an “over the top championship celebration”, because he invented them. Angle called JBL “Bucko”, which seemed to enrage JBL. JBL said he was called that when he was a kid, and would not be called it again. Angle called him Bucko again. JBL said Angle’s win was four years ago, and that at Armageddon, he couldn’t win a 3 on 1 match with Big Show. Angle said he could beat “Bucko” without breaking a sweat, and challenged him for the WWE Title tonight. JBL said it was a good idea, then backed off, saying he had been celebrating all week, and he was tired. JBL said he was taking the rest of the year off.
General Manager Theodore R. Long then strutted out, and told JBL that he doesn’t decide when he gets time off. Long then made the match between JBL and Kurt Angle for tonight, with the title on the line.
WWE Tag Team Champions Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam vs. Billy Kidman & Akio. Mysterio started off with Kidman, with Kidman catching Rey in a backbreaker. Akio stomped Rey, but Mysterio floated over a suplex attempt and hit an armdrag. Rey grabbed a tilt-a-whirl headscissors, and went for the 619, but Akio ducked it. Kidman grabbed Rey from the apron, but Akio missed a kick and hit Kidman. Akio backdropped Rey to the floor, and Kidman dropkicked Rey on the outside. Back in the ring, Akip put Rey in a sleeper. Rey escaped and hit a spinning DDT. Rey tagged in RVD as Kidman tagged in as well. RVD hit some kicks, then a corkscrew legdrop. Akio came off the top rope, but RVD caught him with a spinkick. RVD hit Kidman with Rolling Thunder for a two count. RVD monkey flipped Kidman, and Rey followed with a dropkick. Akio ran in, but Mysterio took him to the floor with a bodyscissors. Kidman hit RVD with a BK Bomb, then went to the top rope, but RVD crotched him with a kick. Rey came in, and RVD tossed him onto Kidman for a top rope rana. Rey then gave Akio a baseball slide, while RVD hit Kidman with the five star frog splash for the pin at the four minute mark. Winners: Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam.
Torrie Wilson came to the ring, dressed in a sexy Uncle Sam outfit, to talk about the Smackdown crew going overseas to entertain the troops. They aired a video on last year’s visit to Baghdad. She plugged the show for next week, which will be called “WWE’s Holiday Tribute To The Troops” from the Middle East.
Michael Cole and Tazz were discussing the trip to the Middle East when Heidenreich showed up behind them. Cole ran off, as Heidenreich picked up a chair and sat down in the middle of the ring. Heidenreich read a poem about the Undertaker, and how he has cost him the WWE Title twice. Heidenreich then left without incident.
Eddie Guerrero and Booker T were in the back, talking about how they are on the same page now, and are teaming together. They both flirted with a pretty lady backstage, and again agreed how they are on the same page. However, they started to argue over who was going to be the biggest star next week when they performed for the troops. They appeared to be getting hot at each other, but Booker admitted he was just pushing Eddie’s buttons, and they walked off together.
The “coming soon to Wrestlecrap” commercial for the Royal Rumble was shown. For those that haven’t seen it, the spot features Raw and Smackdown superstars dressed and singing like they are in “West Side Story”, until Vince McMahon wakes up in his bed and says “That’s not the Rumble I was thinking of.”
Orlando Jordan was trying to get into Theodore R. Long’s office, but Michelle McCool said he was busy mediating. As Jordan went to leave, he ran into Luther Reigns. Reigns and Jordan argued about who had the better boss. Jordan topped Reigns when he said that JBL gives his employees full benefits, including dental. Reigns started to ask if that included chiropractors, acting like his back was bothering him, then instead told Jordan that Angle was beating JBL for the belt tonight.
Rene Dupree & Kenzo Suzuki, with Hiroko, vs. Eddie Guerrero & Booker T. Booker and Dupree traded shot at the start, but soon tagged out. Guerrero stomped down Suzuki in a corner, as we saw that Dupree had a bloody nose on the apron. Booker gave Suzuki a sidekick and tagged in Guerrero. Suzuki came back with a backdrop and tagged Dupree, who hit a flapjack. Guerrero hiptossed Dupree to the floor as they went to break.
Back from commercial, Booker and Guerrero were in control of Suzuki. He tagged in Dupree, but Booker gave him a spinebuster. Booker went for the ax kick, but Suzuki pulled down the top rope so Booker would fall to the floor. This allowed Suzuki and Dupree to take over on Booker for a while, until Booker gave Dupree a flapjack and tagged in Guerrero. Eddie cleaned house, until Kenzo cut him off while he was suplexing Dupree. Booker came in and gave Suzuki a Bookend, while Guerrero backdropped Dupree over the top rope. Booker did the Spinarooni. Hiroko tried to run in, but Booker scared her off. Booker gave Suzuki an ax kick, and Guerrero followed up with the frog splash for the win at the ten minute mark. Winners: Booker T & Eddie Guerrero.
Backstage, Orlando Jordan told JBL that his match tonight was still on. Bradshaw said it was fine, and he was confident that he could beat Kurt Angle. Amy Weber told JBL that he will then go to the Middle East as WWE Champion. JBL acted stunned by the news, and started to explain that he didn’t want to go into a war zone, when Carlito Caribbean Cool came in. Carlito said that he and JBL had the same problem (Theodore R. Long) and they should talk about it after JBL’s match tonight. JBL agreed to meet with Carlito later. Carlito bit into his apple, but didn’t spit it at anyone, and just walked away.
A clip of Sho Funaki’s cruiserweight Title win over Spike Dudley was shown. Michael Cole and Tazz then discussed the new U.S. Title belt.
The John Cena vs. Jesus match from Armageddon was then shown, it it’s entirety. To read my report of that match from the PPV, click here. The only difference between the PPV and Smackdown versions is that the screen went to black and white when Jesus was busted open. I guess blood being shown in black and white is somehow less graphic to censors, even though it is still obvious he is bleeding.
The final Tough Enough segment was next. Al Snow brought out the finalists, Mike Mizanin and Daniel Puder. All three men shook hands. Al Snow then announced that Daniel Puder had won the million-dollar WWE contract. Puder jumped with excitement. Mizanin hugged Puder, and congratulated him, but seemed bummed that he lost. Snow interviewed Puder, who said he trained as hard as he could, and that he was just starting now. Al Snow then asked Puder if he would like to headline Wrestlemania 21. Puder said he would love it. Snow then revealed that Puder would be one of the entrants in the Royal Rumble, where the winner gets the main event title shot (WWE or World) at Wrestlemania. Tough Enough Winner: Daniel Puder.
Kurt Angle was in the locker room, saying America needed a champion they could be proud of, taking shots at basketball, baseball and hockey players. Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak said they had Angle’s back tonight, but Luther dropped some hints about wanting health benefits. Angle asked what he was talking about, but Luther decided not to press the issue, since Angle had a big match coming up. Angle said he would win the title tonight.
Several members of the 101st Airborne were shown in the audience.
Theodore R. Long joined the announcers, and announced that Heidenreich vs. Undertaker would take place next week in the Middle East.
Joy Giovanni came out in a sexy Santa outfit, throwing candy canes to the crowd.
WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield, with Orlando Jordan, Amy Webser, Doug & Danny Basham, vs. Kurt Angle, with Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak. Joy offered JBL a candy cane, and JBL took it, ticking off Weber. Weber and Joy had a catfight, which was broken up, then Weber charged at Joy again, ripping off her top. Joy then charged Weber and ripped off her top. Joy ran off to the back when she realized Luther was next to her. Theodore R. Long then ordered everyone to the back, except JBL and Angle, as the show went to commercial.
Back from break, the match was underway, with Angle working on JBL’s left arm. JBL responded with punches, putting Angle down in a corner. Angle reversed a whip and hit a belly to belly suplex. Angle threw some punches, but JBL hit a knee to the gut and a back elbow. JBL dropped a series of elbowdrops for a two count, and hit a vertical suplex before applying a sleeper. Angle broke out and teased a belly to belly suplex, but instead dropped down and grabbed an ankle lock. JBL made the ropes and crawled to the floor. Outside, JBL poked Angle in the eyes and whipped him into the ringsteps as they went to break.
Back from commercial, JBL had Angle in a top wristlock on the left arm, which is what hit the steps earlier. Angle broke free, but JBL hit a shoulderblock and applied a jujigatame armbar. Angle made the ropes to break it. JBL hit some short-arm shoulderblocks, and scooped Angle for a slam, but Angle floated over into a reverse DDT. Both men were down on the mat, and when they got up, JBL hit a fallaway slam. JBL went for the Clothesline From Hell, but angle backdropped him. Angle hit three consecutive German suplexes, then pulled his strap down. Angle went for the Angle Slam, but JBL floated out. JBL went for a kick, but Angle ducked it and grabbed an ankle lock. JBL kicked it off, then hot some forearms and chops. JBL went for a boot to the face, but Angle caught it and hit the Angle Slam for a two count. Angle pulled JBL off the mat, but JBL hit a cross armbreaker to Angle’s left arm, which he had worked on earlier. JBL went for a powerbomb, but Angle floated over into a sunset flip, and rolled into an ankle lock. JBL reached for the ropes, but was too far away. Orlando Jordan ran down, and Angle backdropped Jordan over the top rope, while maintaining the ankle lock. The Bashams ran down, but Reigns and Jindrak came down and started brawling with them. The referee was distracted by this, and didn’t see Orlando Jordan run in and hit Angle with the WWE title belt. JBL crawled onto Angle, but Angle kicked out at two. Angle grabbed an ankle lock again, and added a leglace this time. Jordan ran in and hit Angle for the DQ at the fourteen minute mark. Winner via disqualification: Kurt Angle.
A brawl broke out after the match when the Big Show ran in, chokeslamming Luther Reigns, Mark Jindrak, and the Bashams. Big Show then gave Orlando Jordan an F5. JBL was crawling up the aisle, while Big Show motioned that he wanted the WWE Title.
Next Week, from the Middle East:
– The Undertaker vs. Heidenreich.
Source: PWInsider.com
