Full Credit: Buck Woodward, PWInsider.com
Smackdown for January 20th, taped in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, opened with a recap of the latest developments in the Big Show vs. JBL vs. Kurt Angle feud. General Manager Theodore R. Long, from the ring, announced that Kurt Angle would have to apologize to Joy Giovanni for kidnapping her last week. Long said that Angle would have to “stand alone” when he apologizes, and if he doesn’t, he will be removed from the WWE Title match at the Royal Rumble, and not be given another title match in 2005. Long said that no one would touch Angle until he gave the apology, but once he had, it would be “open season” on him. Long then brought out a WWE Tag Team Title match to open the show.
WWE Tag Team Champions Doug & Danny Basham vs. Eddie Guerrero & Booker T. Orlando Jordan accompanied the Bashams. As the match began, the announcers said that Rob Van Dam would be out “indefinitely” due to his torn meniscus. Booker and Eddie dominated Danny at the start of the match, tagging in and out. Danny managed to tag out to Doug, but Booker and Guerrero continued to control the match, with Guerrero hitting Doug with a slingshot somersault senton and a dropkick. Booker gave Doug a spinkick for a two count, and Eddie gave him an airplane spin. Eddie pretended he was dizzy from it, but it was a ruse to poke Danny in the eyes. Booker hit Doug with a heel kick, but Danny pulled Doug out of the ring to break up the cover. Booker and Eddie hit stereo pescados on the Bashams on the floor as they went to commercial.
Back from the break, Doug gave Eddie a back suplex to escape a headlock and tagged in Danny, but Guerrero took him down and tagged Booker in for a superkick. Doug broke up the cover. Doug and Danny did a switch while Guerrero argued with the referee, and Doug gave Booker a clothesline when he went to pick him up. The Bashams got their first offense of the match, working over Booker, with Orlando choking Booker from the floor. Danny put Booker in a full nelson, and hit a powerslam for a two count. Doug tagged in for some knee drops, then went to a full nelson of his own. Eddie moved the tag rope down along the top rope, since the referee was telling him he had to stay in the corner, but the referee wouldn’t allow it. Booker hit Danny with a side kick, but Doug kept him from making the tag to Guerrero. Booker gave Doug a spinebuster and made the hot tag to Guerrero, who cleaned house with clotheslines, ranas, and dropkicks. Eddie gave Danny the Three Amigos suplexes, then attacked Orlando Jordan, who had gotten on the apron. Doug went to hit Eddie with the tag title belt, but Eddie got it from him and blasted him with it. The referee caught Guerrero with the belt, and disqualified him for it. Winners via disqualification: Doug & Danny Basham.
Post-match, Booker T and Eddie Guerrero argued, and Eddie walked off. The Bashams and Orlando Jordan attacked Booker, and Eddie ran back to the ring to save Booker. They gave Orlando Jordan an ax kick and frog splash combo, then Guerrero and Booker stared at each other.
John Cena and Miss Jackie plugged the Tsunami relief efforts at UPN.com.
Backstage, Josh Mathews interviewed JBL, with Amy Weber. JBL said that everything he has done in life, good or bad, was just the way he does business. JBL said Kurt Angle crossed the line when he kidnapped Joy last week. JBL said he and his cabinet would get their hands on Angle tonight.
In another part of the arena, Big Show and Joy Giovanni were waiting for Kurt Angle. Show said he wanted to beat an apology out of Kurt Angle as soon as he came into the building. Show asked Joy to leave, then sat down in a chair and stared at the door.
Josh Mathews was shown waiting to interview John Cena backstage.
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Akio. Tazz and Michael Cole discussed a cancer scare Scotty had, saying that is the reason he has been out of action since October. They said Scotty had a benign tumor. Akio attacked Scotty before the bell, but Scotty battled back with armdrags. Akio took it to the floor and gave Scotty a legsweep into the barricade, then rammed him back first into the ring apron. Akio suplexed Scotty for a two count, then put him in a bow and arrow. Akio went to an abdominal stretch next, but Scotty flipped out of a suplex attempt. Akio avoided an armdrag and gave Scotty a back suplex. Akio went to the top rope, but missed Akio Time (corkscrew splash). Scotty hit the Worm and got the pin. Winner: Scotty 2 Hotty.
Josh Mathews interviewed John Cena, who put over the importance of being in the Royal Rumble and getting the chance to main event Wrestlemania.
They hyped the Steve Austin-Vince McMahon press conference, showing still pictures and promising the full story would be revealed Monday on Raw.
Backstage, Theodore R. Long told Big Show not to attack Angle until he had apologized to Joy. Long told Show not to do something he would regret. Show said he wouldn’t regret it.
Carlito Caribbean Cool came out to the ring, stopping along the way to get more signatures on his petition to get rid of Theodore R. Long as General Manager of Smackdown. Carlito got on the mic and said Long should be held responsible for Joy’s kidnapping from last week. Carlito said he would continue to get signatures on his petition, and that he would not stop until Long is gone. Heidenreich interrupted, coming to the ring as Carlito looked scared. Heidnereich picked up the petition, which Carlito had dropped, and signed it. Heidenreich said he wanted Long gone, since he was forcing him into the casket match with the Undertaker at the Royal Rumble. Heidenreich said he wasn’t afraid of the Undertaker, but he hated caskets. The lights went out, and Undertaker appeared on the screens. Undertaker said he would meet his greatest fear at the Royal Rumble. Undertaker opened the casket to reveal a dummy of Heidenreich in it. Undertaker promised to make Heidenreich “rest in peace”, as Heidenreich freaked out in the ring. Heidenreich walked out through the crowd, screaming about the casket while the fans chanted “rest in peace” at him.
Big Show was still waiting by the door. The door opened, and Show almost swung his chair into two of the interchangeable Divas that are now all over WWE programming. Show apologized for almost hitting them.
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: John Cena vs. Rene Dupree. They traded holds and shoulderblocks at the start, with Cena knocking Dupree to the floor, where he then backdropped him. Back in the ring, Dupree dodged a charging Cena, and Cena fell to the floor. Dupree dropkicked Cena on the outside, and tossed him back in. Cena grabbed a small package for two, and sat down on a sunset flip attempt for another two, but Dupree floored him with a clothesline. Dupree put Cena in a chinlock, but Cena came back with a flapjack. Cena hit a clothesline and back elbow, then a shoulderblock for two. Cena hit a side suplex for another two, but missed the Five Knuckle Shuffle fistdrop. Cena came right back with a DDT, then hit the fistdrop for a two count. Cena pumped up his sneakers and went for the FU, but Dupree floated out. Dupree went for a slam, but Cena floated out and hit the FU for the pin. Winner: John Cena
Kenzo Suzuki ran out and attacked Cena, working him over in a corner and hitting the claw/legsweep. Kenzo then left, leaving Cena laying in the ring.
Big Show was shown watching the door.
The Royal Rumble was hyped.
JBL approached Big Show. JBL suggested that after Angle make his apology to Joy, they work together for one night and beat up Angle, thus making their Royal Rumble match a singles bout. Show said the idea made sense, and he would think about it.
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero. Rey took Chavo down with a flying mare early. They exchanged monkey flips out of a test of strength, and Rey grabbed a sunset flip out of a bodyscissors for a two count. Rey hit a kick to the gut and armdragged Chavo after he caught a moonsault attempt. Rey went for a rana, but Chavo blocked it and hit a reverse powerbomb. Rey came back with a Hot Shot, and a frustrated Chavo kicked the ring steps on the floor as they went to commercial.
Back from the break, Chavo was in control hitting a back suplex for a two count. We saw that during the commercial, Chavo dodged a baseball slide and clotheslined Rey on the floor. Rey kicked away a backdrop, but Chavo kicked Rey’s legs out from under him. Chavo missed a kick, and Rey kicked Chavo in the chest and hit a springboard moonsault for a two count. Chavo kicked Rey down, and put Rey in a stretch plum into an armbar. Rey kicked out of it, but ran into a Chavo elbow. Chavo came off the ropes, but Rey got his feet up. Chavo fell into the ropes, teasing a 619, but he got back up to his feet. Rey hit an elbow and went to the ropes. Chavo grabbed him in an electric chair, but Rey turned it into a victory roll for two. Rey rolled through a sunset flip and dropkicked Chavo in the face for a two count. Chavo dropkicked Rey for a two count of his own. Chavo hit the Gory Bomb, but Rey made the ropes to break up the cover. Rey rolled up Chavo from behind for a two count, then went for a 619, but Chavo ducked it. Chavo hit a reverse powerbomb for a near fall. Chavo started to get frustrated. Chavo went for a suplex, but Rey blocked it and grabbed Chavo in a headscissors, setting him up for a 619. This time, Rey hit the move, then delivered a springboard splash for the pin. Winner: Rey Mysterio.
The Raw Rebound was shown.
It was announced that John Cena will defend the U.S. Title against Kenzo Suzuki next week on Smackdown.
Kurt Angle, in streetclothes, entered the ring through the crowd as they went to the final break.
After the commercial, Angle asked Joy Giovanni to come out. Joy walked out to the entranceway, but didn’t come down the aisle. Angle read a prepared apology to her, saying his actions were the result of an “overzealous competitive spirit”. Angle apologized, and Joy mouthed that she didn’t believe him. Angle said he was willing to pay the price for what he had done, and he knew Big Show was waiting behind the curtain. Big Show walked out, and pointed for Joy to leave the arena. Joy left, and Show headed to the ring. Angle jumped out of the ring when Show entered, and Angle said he would settle things with Show at the Royal Rumble. Angle headed down the aisle, when JBL, The Bashams, Orlando Jordan and Amy Weber came out. Angle was trapped between them and Show. JBL actually got a face pop for coming out. Kurt tried to reason with JBL, who said Angle wasn’t going to talk his way out of it. JBL teased that he was going to do something to Angle, then he smiled and shook hands with Angle. Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns joined the group, and all of them surrounded Big Show, who was in the ring.
The Bashams ran into the ring first, and Show swatted them out. Then Jindrak and Reigns tried, with similar results. Finally, everyone ran into the ring, but Show still managed to knock everyone down. Orlando Jordan hit Show with a low blow to stop him, and Angle hit an Angle Slam on Show. JBL then hit Big Show with a chairshot to the head. Big Show was busted open, and the assault continued, ending with Angle and JBL hitting Show with the ringsteps. Show was laid out at ringside, bleeding, as Smackdown ended.
