Full Credit to Steve Khan of WrestlingObserver.com
WWE SmackDown! Report
By Steve Khan
email: sh2k3@yahoo.com
Air Date: August 18, 2005
Taped from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Big News: Randy Orton defeated Chris Benoit in a return match from last
year’s SummerSlam main event.
Turns/Title Changes: None.
Best Match: Randy Orton vs. Chris Benoit
Worst Match: Mercury & Melina vs. Booker T & Sharmell
Line of the Night: “That’s your wife?” – Melina to Booker T while giving
Sharmell a beat-down.
Show Details: A recap of last week’s Eddie-Rey angle played. Guerrero came
out and there was a ladder in the ring. He said Teddy Long was right for
making this a Ladder Match. Eddie said he would win the match for every
father out there, his father, his brothers, and Dominick. There was a strong
reaction to Guerrero with lots of “Eddie sucks” chants. The funny thing is,
when the “Eddie sucks” chants started, I looked into the crowd and no one
was chanting anything.
Mercury & Melina w/Nitro & Jillian vs. Booker T & Sharmell
Booker was all over Mercury and the crowd was into him. Mercury tagged
Melina so Booker had to tag Sharmell. Melina was having a hard time with
Sharmell, so she tagged Mercury back in. Mercury went after Sharmell even
though he wasn’t allowed to. Sharmell raked his face and tagged in Booker T,
who proceeded to poke Mercury in the eye. Mercury had Booker down with a
side headlock but Booker fought out and hit a flapjack and clothesline.
Booker hit the Scissors Kick and Spinarooni and forced Mercury to tag in
Melina so Sharmell could get her hands on Melina. Melina dominated Sharmell,
using an illegal choke twice. These two were obviously a mess in the ring.
Mercury tried to get involved so Booker took him and Nitro out. Sharmell
bounced off the ropes but was tripped by Jillian, and Melina made the cover
with her feet on the ropes for the win.
Backstage, Sharmell was angry with Booker T for not being there for her and
dropping the ball. Hmm, from what I saw, Booker had the match won before
Sharmell got her ass kicked. Sharmell told Booker to step up, because she’s
sick of this. Did Booker get those wins over Kurt Angle and Christian so he
could be doing more of this? Elsewhere, Animal gave Heidenreich the spikes,
to complete the confusing transformation.
Chris Benoit was backstage warming up. Orlando Jordan approached him and
mentioned Benoit’s rematch from last year’s SummerSlam with Randy Orton
tonight. Jordan said Benoit should be more worried about his match with OJ
at this year’s SummerSlam for the US Title. Man, the cliff Benoit has fallen
off of is just way too apparent. Jordan put himself over as the best athlete
on Smackdown and guaranteed that he would knock Benoit out. I’m dreading
what that could bring. Benoit wasn’t impressed and told OJ he’d tap-out at
SummerSlam. What a GREAT feud this has been.
Animal and Heidenreich beat two jobbers, again. They can stop doing these
jobber matches now, the point has been made. Candace Michelle did guest ring
announcing, and was really bad at it. I’d tell her not to quit her day job,
but she’s awful at that too. Funaki! made his return as Smackdown’s Number
One Announcer and interviewed JBL. JBL said Batista made a mistake by
allowing him to choose the stipulation for SummerSlam, as Batista will have
to enter JBL’s world. Did he forget about losing the I Quit match? He said
Batista’s million dollar body was being driven by a five cent brain. JBL got
to pick his opponent tonight, so he picked Funaki. I guess that’s why they
used Funaki for the interview. This probably also means this is the last
we’ll see of Funaki for months.
Steve Romero interviewed Randy Orton. Randy said it was a year ago that he
defeated Chris Benoit in this very arena to become the World Heavyweight
Champion. He said the Undertaker couldn’t prevent the Legend Killer’s
destiny.
Funaki vs. JBL w/Orlando Jordan – No Holds Barred
JBL had his black trunks on but they had some stars and stripes on them.
“JBL” was in red, white and blue. Why is JBL stealing Angle’s gimmick? Tazz
and Cole mentioned Batista being trained by Triple H and Ric Flair, so he
must have some tricks up his sleeve for SimmerSlam. JBL squashed the former
Cruiserweight Champion. JBL gave Funaki a shot to the head with a steel
chair but before the match actually finished, Batista ran out to a huge
reaction, and gave JBL a spine buster. JBL escaped before anymore damage
could be done. Batista guaranteed that his million dollar body and five cent
brain would kick JBL’s ass at SummerSlam.
Rey Mysterio vs. Simon Dean
Simon Dean offered Rey a family discount on his Simon System. Simon said
he’d have to cut the discount down since the number of family members is
decreasing for Rey. Mysterio attacked him and gave him 12 shots to the head
in the corner. Simon Dean reversed a bulldog attempt and smashed Rey’s face
into the turnbuckle. Simon Dean took over and the crowd started a mini wave.
Rey gave Simon an arm drag onto the middle rope and hit the 619 plus the top
rope leg drop for the win.
After a commercial break, Christian was already in the ring for the Peep
Show. They couldn’t let him get his entrance in Toronto? The crowd was hot
for Christian and popping for everything he said. Christian said he was
going to interview himself after surviving Batista last week. The Mexicools
interrupted and started ripping Christian’s set apart. Christian tried to
fight them off but they got the better hand and left Christian laying in the
ring. This is a dumb waste of Christian. After all the times they’ve jobbed
Christian, they could’ve used tonight to make him look like a much bigger
deal, but they wasted it. The angle also doesn’t make sense moving on past
tonight, since Christian is a heel. Unless he’s turning face, which gives
even more reason for them to put him over tonight. Rey Mysterio cut a promo
on Eddie backstage and called him a son of a bitch.
Randy Orton vs. Chris Benoit
The entrances came before a commercial break, and after the break the match
was already started. Why do they do that? Orton had a side headlock and the
crowd was chanting for Benoit. They went back and forth and worked very well
together. Each exchange set up for a submission. Orton backed Benoit into
the ropes and kicked him in the stomach, allowing him to take Benoit down
and apply a side headlock. Benoit got out and hit a back drop. Benoit
chopped Orton in the corner but Orton gave him a thumb to the eye. Benoit
knocked Orton down with a headbutt and received a two count. Benoit tried
for a sharpshooter for a third time in the match, but Orton managed to get
to the ropes. Orton left the ring and they went to commercial.
After the break, Orton went for a front dropkick but Benoit held on to the
ropes and applied the sharpshooter. Orton got to the ropes and tossed Benoit
shoulder-first into the steel post. Orton propped Benoit on the ropes and
gave him a DDT for a two count. “Let’s go Benoit” chants started. Orton
applied a rear headlock. Benoit eventually got to his feet and chopped his
way out, but Orton kicked Benoit in the gut off the ropes. Orton went for
the backbreaker move he used on Benoit last year, but couldn’t get it. Orton
shrugged his shoulders, smiled, and hit a DDT instead. Orton threw Benoit
into the turnbuckle with all his momentum, but Benoit landed on Orton on his
way down. Both men got to their feet at an 8 count, when Benoit would take
control. Orton went for an RKO but Benoit reversed and hit three Germans and
the diving headbutt. Orlando Jordan ran down but Benoit was able to knock
him off the apron. This slight distraction allowed Orton to hit the RKO for
the win. This match was very good. The time off doesn’t seem to have
affected Randy Orton as he was moving very well with Benoit. After the
match, the lights went out and Taker appeared in the ring and gave Orton a
choke slam. As Taker left, Orton smiled as if he had a plan for the Dead
Man.
