Smackdown sure did a lot of things right. Like giving us a great opening, a terrific ending and a few really good things in the middle. Smackdown continued where Raw left off with the draft and the ECW invasion and the show really gets nothing but praise from me. Also props to the Kansas City fans last night they were HOT just like the show was.
I admit that I read the spoilers on Tuesday night, and I knew all about Chris Benoit being drafted to Smackdown, but when Theodore Long introduced the new member of Smackdown I am not kidding you, I got a little emotional. I heard the music, saw Benoit then saw the reaction of the fans and it hit me kind of hard. I thought Chris did a super job on mic when he and JBL interacted, and JBL was again outstanding. JBL made some hysterical negative comments about ECW and Balls Mahoney. Both of these men made Smackdown’s opening very special, and setting up a main event with JBL vs. Benoit was a match that I really looked forward too, I mean finally we would be seeing two guys in the ring that I don’t believe have every wrestled against each other. The way things got started definitely set the tone for a really good show, and Long’s announcement about what will happen with the WWE title now that John Cena in on Raw was very interesting. We all have to wait until the end of the month when the draft is over and then you can bet I will be anxiously waiting to see if Batista will be there with the World Title OR if Cena and Batista will remain on Raw holding both major titles
Okay I know many of you know that I am big on Charlie Haas. And my guy Charlie looked absolutely terrific against Carlito last night. AND, Carlito gave what I think was his best performance ever in the ring. I really loved this match because it showcased just what Haas can bring to either show as a solo performer. But you know as I watched this I have to say that Bob Holly and Charlie Haas have really become a tag team that I have grown to respect and look forward to watching. But I really believe that Charlie could be a top guy on his own if given the chance. How many of you saw Haas hit Matt Morgan with a plancha and land on horribly wrong on the floor? Haas getting right back up and right back into things definitely eased my mind a lot. This as I said was a fantastic match and if I have my way Charlie Haas will be drafted or traded to Raw and get a shot just like Shelton Benjamin did when he was traded to Raw and show the fans that he’s worthy of it.
Smackdown was Chris Benoit’s night, and his backstage segment with Eddie Guerrero was a strong one. Eddie I feel was made to play a heel and his cocky attitude toward his “friend” Benoit was perfect. I loved how Eddie brought up the last time they saw each other was in 2004 at Wrestlemania 20, when Eddie came out with the WWE title and Benoit had just won the World Title and they hugged. I will never EVER forget that, in fact that has to be one of my all time favorite moments in wrestling since I started watching seven years ago. Anyway, Eddie started out all sentimental but then got right down to business. Each guy played off of the other very well and you could see that the only thing that these two guys have in common is becoming the new WWE champion. This was just another winning way of showing just how BIG it was to bring Benoit back to Smackdown. I will say as far as Kurt Angle goes, again I wasn’t into this obsession with Sharmell, but Kurt all but made up for that later in the show. So let me tell you something that kind of ticked me off. Let me rephrase this, I was definitely pissed off with the next match.
Akio vs. Paul London was up. And that is usually a match that you know will be filled with a lot of great moves. But like so many Smackdown’s, and so many pay per views, this cruiserweight match was made to look unimportant. While this match was going on a very nasty Eddie Guerrero came out, grabbed a mic and stepped into the ring. Remember Akio and London are wrestling, but because these guys aren’t “BIG MEN” you know the guys that Vince seems to go for, they have Eddie disrupt this match, take Akio out, and after a gallant try by Paul London Eddie destroys him too. And this is all done so that Guerrero could complain about the fans not showing him respect, and continue the heat he has with Rey Mysterio, who again was not on last night due to an ankle injury. Now Eddie was good on the mic, but to have the match stopped for this promo did not sit well with me at all. Especially when later in the show Heidenreich came out and got more TV time. It was another jobber getting squashed by this man and instead of Heidenreich bringing out a kid to be his friend; he brought out a hot babe. At least you guys got something out of this segment. I got NOTHING out of this, I get nothing out of Heidenreich’s gimmick and when I see that he continues to have TV time, but London and Akio are prevented from giving the crowd what they want, that’s what makes me totally angry. And I have a horrible feeling that this man that looks like crap in the ring will be traded to Raw and Vince will continue to shove him down out throats.
But let me switch gears, because things thank God got better again. Booker T vs. Kurt Angle was my match of the night. Kurt Angle looked like KURT ANGLE if you get what I mean by that, and Booker again just looked alive and sharp in the ring. While I have hated the perverted storyline with Kurt, in the ring Kurt and Booker have made everything just right. I am a little sad that this is over because the chemistry between both men has been off the charts and the fans have really come alive for Booker T. This was an amazing match a match that not only had great moves but it told a great story. See you don’t need to see Kurt act like a creep, in the ring you knew that Kurt still wanted Sharmell and you knew that Booker would do anything in his power to put an end to Kurt the pervert. So to Booker T and Kurt I thank you both for putting on some great matches these past several weeks, watching the two of you is one of the reasons why I love wrestling like I do. Now let me go back to just Kurt, no not Kurt the pervert but Kurt the bully. Before his match with Booker T, Kurt gave Tazz an ultimatum. He gave Tazz until the end of the show to tell Kurt if he was with him in bringing ECW down, or if Tazz was going to side with ECW. So after the match and Kurt’s loss to Booker, Kurt sat in the ring for a few minutes, and then started to leave, but he wasn’t leaving the area. He got a chair and sat right next to Tazz. He changed his mind and told Tazz he wanted an answer immediately. Tazz just stared Kurt down, so Kurt just sat there and looked straight ahead. Tazz continued looking at Kurt, Kurt continued looking ahead, then finally Kurt said that he wasn’t going to play Tazz’s game and started to leave. Ah but that was a ruse. Kurt ran back and clocked Tazz in the forehead with the microphone. Tazz was done and then Angle grabbed the chair and slammed Tazz’s head with it. We at home didn’t see that shot since Tazz fell under the announce table. But it was still effective. While Michael Cole isn’t my favorite, I have to say I found his reaction to all of this okay; he didn’t over do it, which is usually the only way Cole knows how to behave.
So Tazz finally got up, he was busted open and refused help from the trainers and refs. Tazz left and Paul Heyman came out to replace Tazz. And Paul was accompanied by Rhyno, Tommy Dreamer, and The Sandman with a cigarette hanging in his mouth and believe me that made me laugh, and The Dudley’s. So it’s now the main event and a very good main event I might add. It’s Chris Benoit vs. JBL with Orlando Jordan. JBL got a little worried when he saw the ECW guys out there so he had Jordan run in the back and bring out the Bashams. That seemed to make JBL a very happy guy.
As I said this was Chris Benoit’s night and he shined in the ring, although he usually does. And JBL looked like a million bucks out there with Benoit as his opposition. This was the match that got us all totally ready for Sunday’s One Night Stand. As the match was going on Matt Morgan and Carlito came out and then it was only a matter of minutes before Kurt Angle came out to lend support to his crusaders and when Benoit put the crippler cross-face on JBL, it was Angle that broke it up and then the war started. Rhyno, The Dudley’s, Dreamer and Sandman got in there and went at it against the crusaders. Rhyno did his famous GORE on JBL. Tommy Dreamer hit Carlito with the Death Valley Driver, and Sandman gave one of the Bashams a nice shot with the kendo stick. And then it was Tazz to the rescue along with Balls Mahoney and Axel Rotten. At this point the crowd was going crazy and it was Tazz that gave the other Basham the Tazzmission. And it all ended with the Dudley’s 3-D on Orlando Jordan. I’m telling you this ECW pay per view has brought out the best in the WWE product. Raw and Smackdown came through beautifully hyping Sunday’s show.
I’m ready for One Night Stand. I have a bridal shower that I am being forced to go too on Sunday. It’s out of state and at least 2 hours from here. The only way I agreed to go was that my husband gets me home in time for EXTREME HEAT and ONE NIGHT STAND. So since I’ll be gone on Sunday, I will have something on the show tomorrow. I don’t think I will do predictions since it’s not your typical pay per view show, I would rather just give you my thoughts on what I am hoping for. So check things out tomorrow. And if anyone can give me a nice excuse to stay home Sunday I’ll use it. My son said I use the old sore throat one too many times.
Email lindarobin3@hotmail.com
