Full Credit: Buck Woodward
Smackdown for 2/17 opened with a recap of how JBL’s limo almost ran over Batista at Raw, and Batista’s promise to come to Smackdown this week.
Rey Mysterio vs. Doug Basham, with Danny Basham. The announcers played up that Doug Basham was responsible for Rob Van Dam’s knee injury. Mysterio got on the mic before the match and said he had a new tag team partner to team with at No Way Out and challenge the Bashams for the belts. Mysterio introduced his new partner, Eddie Guerrero, and Guerrero drove to ringside in a lowrider. Doug shoved Rey around early, but Rey hit a springboard armdrag and kicked Doug’s legs out from under him. Doug chased Rey, but Rey avoided him and Doug fell to the floor. This allowed Danny to run in the ring and clip Rey from behind. When Doug returned to the ring, he whipped Rey into the turnbuckles for a two count, then applied a nervehold, which he turned into a chinlock. Rey elbowed out and went for a bodyscissors, but Doug turned it into a back suplex and hit a series of right hands. Rey booted a charging Doug, then leapfrogged him twice and hit a springboard moonsault for two. Rey grabbed a victory roll for another two, then pulled Danny Basham throat first across the top rope when he got on the apron. Doug was whipped into the ropes, and Eddie Guerrero tripped him (the ref was looking at Danny). Doug argued with Eddie, allowing Rey to hit the 619. Rey then hit a springboard legdrop across the back of the head for the pin at the four minute mark. Winner: Rey Mysterio.
Backstage, John Bradshaw Layfield & Orlando Jordan stormed into General Manager Theodore R. Long’s office, complaining about Batista coming to Smackdown. JBL said he wasn’t stupid enough to try and hit Batista with his own limo. Long said he didn’t believe him. JBL said Long must have set him up by using his limo. Long said Batista was coming to No Way Out, and he was going to sign him to Smackdown. Long told JBL that he was on his own tonight when it came to Batista. JBL said if he got hurt, he would sue.
A video package on the No Way Out press conference was shown. It was announced that Rochelle, Lauren, Joy and Michelle would be competing in a “Rookie Diva” competition.
Torrie Wilson came out as the guest ring announcer.
Sho Funaki, Paul London & Shannon Moore vs. Spike Dudley, Chavo Guerrero & Akio. Before the match, the announcers said that these six cruiserweights would be in a six-way elimination match at No Way Out for Funaki’s Cruiserweight Title. Moore started out with Akio, with Akio slapping him in a corner. Akio worked on his arm, slapping him across the back of the head, but Moore reversed into a headlock. Moore leapfrogged Akio and hit an armdrag and a spinning leg lariat. Moore then returned the slaps from earlier and tagged in London for a double armdrag. Moore flipped London onto Akio for a two count. Akio hit a forearm and tagged in Chavo, who London took down with a headlock. London leapfrogged Chavo, and stopped Akio from hitting him from the apron, but this allowed Guerrero to knock London to the floor. On the outside, Spike gave London a double stomp to the gut. Back in the ring, Chavo gave London a gutbuster. As Chavo put Kidman in a chinlock, music played and the four rookie Divas walked around ringside with signs with their names on it. The announcers said they were sucking up to the crowd for votes for the competition on Sunday. Back in the ring, Chavo worked on London (most of the participants were distracted by the women). Akio tagged in and slammed London, then tagged in Spike for a double stomp. London came back with a double dropkick on Spike and Akip. Funaki got the hot tag, and he hit Spike and Akio with a flying bodypress. Funaki cleaned house, backdropping Akio and hitting him with a flying forearm. Funaki gave Spike an enzugiri, but Chavo broke up the cover. All six men got involved, and London hit Moore with a dropsault. Spike headbutted London from the ring. They did a big sequence of breaking up moves in a corner, then Londond and Moore hit stereo dives on Chavo and Akio. Spike was left along with Funaki, and went for the Dudley Dog, but Funaki shoved it off and hit a superkick for the pin at the six minute mark. Winners: Sho Funaki, Paul London & Shannon Moore.
The latest Wrestlemania movie spoof commercial was shown, featuring Booker T and Eddie Guerrero doing a spoof of Pulp Fiction.
Kurt Angle came out for his Invitational Hometown Challenge. Angle wished Booker T and John Cena luck in their match later tonight, and cut a little rap. Angle talked about how confident he was that he would be going to Wrestlemania and winning the WWE Title. Angle said that since he didn’t have a semifinal match in the contender’s tournament, he would have another installment in his Invitational Challenge. The challenger, Danny Gimando came out, and said he was ready to wrestle Kurt Angle for the Olympic Gold Medal.
Kurt Angle vs. Danny Gimando. Angle took him to the mat and then put him in a front facelock. Angle tripped him into the ropes and kneed him in the face. Angle grabbed a double leg takedown, but Giamando kicked him off. Angle grabbed an Angle Slam, and applied the ankle lock. Giamando tapped out at the 1:08 mark. Winner: Kurt Angle.
As Angle left the ring, John Cena came out. Angle and Cena went face to face in the aisle. Angle smirked, then walked away. Cena stared at Angle as he left, then headed to the ring as they went to commercial.
WWE Title Contender’s Tournament Semifinal: John Cena vs. Booker T. They locked up and broke clean on the ropes twice. Cena grabbed a side headlock, and the two ran the ropes, with Cena coming out on top with a hiptoss. Booker hit some right hands and chops, but missed a back kick. Cena hit a series of right hands in a corner, then hit a back elbow for a two count. Cena went to an armbar, but Booker went to the ropes to break it and hit some shoulderblocks in the corner. Booker pounded Cena to the mat, and hit a knee to the gut. Booker missed a side kick, and Cena hit a clothesline for a two count. Cena grabbed a front chancery, and used a half-nelson for a two count. Cena applied a side headlock, but Booker broke out with a back suplex. Booker went for an ax kick, but Cena moved and went for an FU, but Booker floated out of it and backed away. The two stared each other down as they went to break.
Back from the break, Cena had Booker in a chinlock. Booker got out with a jawbreaker and hit a superkick for a two count. Booker hit a vertical suplex and applied a chinlock of his own. Cena punched out of it, but Booker hit a jumping kick. Booker delivered a spinkick, them the two traded chops, but Booker hit a knee to the gut. Cena reversed a whip and hit a flapjack. Cena charged Booker, who shoved Cena through the ropes and to the floor. Booker jumped off the apron and hit a shot to the back. Booker rammed Cena headfirst into the ringsteps. Booker tossed Cena back in the ring, then hit a snap suplex. Booker hit a kneedrop, then covered for a two count. Booker kneed Cena in the gut, then the two traded shots, with Cena gaining momentum with right hands. Booker reversed a whip into the corner and hit a powerslam. Booker snapmared Cena and applied a rear chinlock. Cena punched out of it, and came back with a flying shoulderblock. Cena hit some right hands and a headbutt, then delivered two clotheslines and a back elbow for a two count. Booker blocked a whip and planted Cena with a spinebuster. Booker went for the ax kick, but Cena moved and grabbed Booker for the FU. Booker hooked the ropes, so Cena dropped Booker throat first across them. Cena threw a clothesline, but Booker ducked and hit a sidekick for two. Booker went for the Bookend, but Cena elbowed out. Cena charged, but Booker caught him with a back elbow. Booker charged Cena, but Cena grabbed Booker and hit the FU for the pin at the sixteen minute mark. Winner: John Cena. Cena will face Kurt Angle at No Way Out, with the winner getting a WWE Title match at Wrestlemania.
They recapped last week’s visit to Tokyo, Japan.
Backstage, JBL was complaining to the Bashams and Orlando Jordan. He said that he fired Amy Weber as his image consultant for letting this happen. JBL told Jordan that he and the Bashams had a plan for when Batista arrived.
Josh Mathews interviewed Big Show. There was some barbed wire wrapped on a steel cage wall behind them. Show said he had never been in such a brutal match before. Show said he was willing to go into such a match because that was how bad he wanted the WWE Title and a piece of JBL. Big Show said he was tired of hearing about Batista, and that at No Way Out, there was no way for him to get into the cage, and no way for JBL to get out.
Backstage, Heidenreich was sitting on the floor writing poetry. Booker T walked by, and Heidenreich laughed at him. Booker made fun of Heidenreich’s fear of caskets and his whole persona. Booker told Heidenreich he was “sick” and said he didn’t have time for him. Booker walked away, with Heidenreich staring at him.
They replayed the announcement from Raw that Rowdy Roddy Piper would be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame this year.
Luther Reigns, with Mark Jindrak, vs. Nunzio. Reigns threw Nunzio into the corner and the bell and hit a backhand. Reigns whipped Nunzio hard into the opposite corner, then hit a short arm clothesline. Reigns hit a pair of backbreakers, then flung Nunzio to the mat. Luther kneed Nunzio through the ropes and to the floor. Reigns put Nunzio on the apron and kicked him in the side of the head. Nunzio tried to battle back in the ring with punches, but Reigns picked up Nunzio and threw him over the top rope to the floor. Nunzio hit the apron on the way down. Luther dragged Nunzio back into the ring and hit a spinning reverse neckbreaker (Roll of the Dice/Last Rites) for the pin at the three minute mark. Winner: Luther Reigns.
Luther got on the mic and cut a promo on the Undertaker, saying he wasn’t afraid of him, and that it was “his yard now”. He dared the Undertaker to “take it back” and the lights went out. Undertaker’s music began as they went to break.
Undertaker vs. Mark Jindrak. Undertaker booted Luther Reigns off the apron to start the match. Undertaker worked over Jindrak with right hands, and hit a clothesline after Jindrak reversed a whip. Undertaker flipped over the ropes to the floor and whipped Reigns into the security wall, then hit a clothesline. Taker gave Jindrak Snake Eyes and went for a bit boot, but Jindrak ducked it and hit a left hand that decked Taker. Jindrak kicked Taker to the floor and hit another left hand. Jindrak choked him on the outside, then put him in the ring and hit a standing dropkick for two. Jindrak hit some punches, kicks and elbows, but Taker battled back with rights. Jindrak powered Taker over with a powerslam for a two count, then applied a chinlock. Taker punched out, and Jindrak went for a backdrop, but Taker DDT’d him for a two count. Undertaker went for a chokeslam, but Jindrak kneed out of it. Undertaker ducked a clothesline and hit a flying clothesline. Taker hit a chokeslam, and delivered the tombstone. Undertaker got the three count at the four minute mark while Luther Reigns got in the ring with a television camera. Winner: The Undertaker.
Reigns hit Taker in the back of the head with the TV camera, knocking him out. Reigns headed up the aisle, but Undertaker sat up in the ring, and glared at Reigns as they went to commercial.
After the break, they replayed Reigns hitting Taker with the camera over and over.
Carlito Caribbean Cool entered Theodore R. Long’s office. Cool said he was there to help clean out Long’s office. Long said the WWE board would not be making any decisions until next week. Cool said he could be a better General Manager than him. Long said he was focusing on signing Batista and making No Way Out a great show. Cool accused Long of setting up JBL to get Batista on the show. Long said he was going to Raw next week to sign Batista. Cool said Long would no longer be the General Manager after next week, and then he would have to “watch his back”.
The No Way Out card was reviewed.
Josh Mathews interviewed John Cena, but Kurt Angle walked in on them. Angle told Cena he didn’t belong in the main event at Wrestlemania. Angle said Cena’s first match on Smackdown was against him, and he defeated him. Angle said things have changed for Cena since then, but one thing that wouldn’t change was him losing. Cena talked about Angle looking down at him, and said that Angle had a “wakeup call” coming at No Way Out. Cena said he was hungrier than Angle back then, and he’s still hungry now. Cena promised to go through Angle on his way to Wrestlemania.
JBL got a phone call that Batista had arrived. He headed to the ring with Orlando Jordan and the Bashams.
After a commercial, JBL came to the ring with his entourage, bragging about his ability and saying he would make an example of Batista and Big Show. JBL called out Batista. A car pulled up at the building, and Batista, clad in a suit, walked past JBL’s limo in the parking lot. Batista stopped, went back to his car, took off his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves. Batista pulled a baseball bat out of his car, then walked to the limo. Batista used the window of the limo to straighten his tie, then proceeded to bash in all the windows of the limo with the bat. JBL watched on the big screen from the ring, horrified. Batista pulled the horns off the front of the limo and broke them. Batista then looked in the sideview mirror of the car, and straightened his tie. Batista got in his car, and drove off, as the Bashams and Orlando Jordan ran into the parking lot.
JBL was left alone in the ring, and Big Show came out. Show stomped JBL down in a corner, as Jordan and the Bashams came back to the ring. JBL hit a low blow to down Show, and they started to gang up on him. Batista hit the ring, clotheslined one Basham, then gave the other Basham and Jordan spinebusters. JBL watched from the aisle as Batista ripped off his shirt and powerbombed Jordan. Big Show got up behind Batista, and the two stared at each other. They both slowly turned and stared at JBL in the aisle as the show ended.
No Way Out lineup:
– WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Big Show in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match.
– WWE Tag Team Champions Doug & Danny Basham vs. Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio.
– WWE Cruiserweight Champion Sho Funaki vs. Paul London vs. Shannon Moore vs. Spike Dudley vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Akio in an elimination match.
– Kurt Angle vs. John Cena, winner to receive WWE Title match at Wrestlemania.
– The Undertaker vs. Luther Reigns.
– Rookie Diva 2005 competition (swimsuit, evening gown, talent) with Rochelle, Lauren, Joy and Michelle. Hosted by Torrie Wilson & Dawn Marie.
– An appearance by Batista.
Source: PWInsider.com
