WWE Friday Night SmackDown! Report
By Steve Khan
email: sh2k3@yahoo.com
Air Date: December 30, 2005
Taped from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut
Big News: Mark Henry attacked Batista in the main event, costing Batista and Rey the tag team titles against MNM. Melina also plans on suing the World Heavyweight Champ for sexual harassment. Also, Chris Benoit defeated Booker T’s replacement Randy Orton in match 5 of the best of seven series, making it 3-2 for Booker T.
Best Match: Chris Benoit vs. Randy Orton
Worst Match: Sylvan vs. Bobby Lashley
Line of the Night: None.
Show Details: Smackdown opened with Booker T and Chris Benoit arguing in Teddy Long’s office. Booker is injured and can’t wrestle in Match 5 tonight. Teddy Long was about to award the match to Benoit by default, but Benoit didn’t want to win it that way. Booker T didn’t want to lose it that way either, so he proposed that he find a substitute to wrestle for him. Benoit liked the idea, so Teddy Long approved it. If Booker’s replacement wins the match, Booker wins the US Title.
JBL w/Jillian Hall vs. Matt Hardy
JBL said he didn’t wrestle a match at Armageddon, he made a statement. He said anyone who steps in the ring with JBL will get destroyed. JBL dominated most of the match, taking control using big boots, a vertical suplex and back suplex. Jillian Hall distracted the referee allowing JBL to expose the steel turnbuckle. Hardy was able to counter and bounce JBL’s head off the turnbuckle. Hardy hit a leg drop off the middle rope for a two count. JBL countered the Twist of Fate and placed Hardy on the top rope. At this point, the Boogeyman’s entrance hit and he headed to the ring. JBL hit a fallaway slam off the ropes and followed with a Clothesline from Hell, all the while keeping his eye on the Boogeyman. JBL left the ring and hid behind Jillian Hall who got a face full of worms. Hardy won via count out, but came out of this match looking weaker than ever.
Orlando Jordan approached Booker T and Sharmell backstage and wanted a chance at Benoit. Booker and Sharmell made fun of Jordan, asking him how many times he’s tapped to Benoit. Booker told Jordan to click his boots and tap on out of here. This was pretty funny, assuming Orlando Jordan has no future in this company.
Psicosis & Super Crazy vs. The Dicks
Tazz and Cole made dick jokes for most of the match. Psicosis made the lukewarm tag to Super Crazy who cleaned house. The Dicks tried a double team on Super Crazy but Psicosis made the save. Super Crazy tossed James Dick in the air and Psicosis dropkicked him in midair. Super Crazy followed with a moonsault for the win.
Booker T approached a depressed Randy Orton in the locker room and asked Orton to fight for him tonight. Booker tried flattery to get Orton to fight, saying he picked Orton out of everybody in the locker room. Randy wanted to know why he should do Booker T a favour. Booker told Randy that he’s supposed to be the future of this business, but everyone is talking about how he got beat up by the Undertaker and still hasn’t recovered. Even if Booker wins the title because of Randy, Orton will get all the glory for winning the match. This was enough convincing for Randy. He accepted.
Melina entered with a prepared statement with fake reporters surrounding the ring taking pictures and notes. Melina had trouble getting started and the crowd chanted for Batista. Melina said she was the victim of a sexual predator named Batista. She admitted to flirting with him at first, but when she told him to stop, he didn’t. A good portion of the crowd was booing throughout most of this segment. This went on for a while. Melina said she was doing this to prevent this from happening to any woman again, and stated she is suing David Batista for sexual harassment.
Chris Benoit vs. Randy Orton
Booker T and Sharmell came out for commentary. Once again, Booker did a tremendous job and was much better than Michael Cole. Benoit went for the Crossface early, but Orton left the ring and they went to commercial. After the break, Benoit knocked Orton down with a forearm and chopped him in the corner. Orton poked Benoit in the eye and gave him a snap suplex, which Booker said was made famous by Bret Hart. Benoit applied a hammerlock on the mat, followed by a side headlock. Orton was able to apply a leg scissors over the head and neck of Benoit. Randy bounced Benoit’s head off the announce table and gave him a back suplex on the top of the barricade. Benoit fought back in the ring hitting two forearms and two Germans. Benoit tried to apply the Crossface but Randy slid to the ropes and escaped the ring. Benoit hit a suicide dive giving me flashbacks to Benoit diving into the announce table against Booker T. Benoit hit the dive successfully this time, and they went to commercial break with both guys down.
For some reason, after the break, Randy Orton was in control. He launched Benoit twice into the steel post. Booker applauded the tech guys who got the reply up in a hurry. Michael Cole tried to make a witty comeback by asking Booker if he was a technician. Tazz laughed at Cole’s stupid joke. Benoit hit an enzuguri and both guys were down. Orton hit a backbreaker but missed a cross body off the top rope. Benoit hit a German suplex followed by the triple vertical suplexes, which brought an “Eddie” chant out of the crowd. Benoit missed the headbutt from the top rope. Benoit countered an RKO into the Crossface and Sharmell jumped into the ring to hit Benoit in the head with a crutch. Benoit wins via DQ. Disappointing finish. Benoit taunted Booker and Sharmell after the match and Orton hit Benoit with an RKO from behind.
Funaki conducted an interview with Kid Kash. Kash said people didn’t like him because he beat a nobody for the Cruiserweight Title. He said “Juventud” was a Mexican Salamander. Kash asked if anyone wasn’t foreign on SmackDown and called Funaki a Sushi boy. Kash attacked Funaki and gave him a brainbuster on the podium. Most of the crowd didn’t care about this. You need to do something to get them to care, so for a short interview, this was good. However, this is what you should do for guys before they get the push. It just doesn’t make sense to do the opposite, which I shouldn’t have to mention. However, this problem would be more evident at the end of tonight’s main event.
Sylvan vs. Bobby Lashley
Sylvan said he’d rather be spending New Year’s in a city like Paris or Montreal, but instead he has to be here with the ugly Americans. After some suplexes by Lashley, Sylvan left the ring because he was worried about the condition of his face. Lashley won via count out. Too many indecisive finishes tonight.
Batista & Rey Mysterio vs. MNM
Batista knocked both guys in the corner, and he tagged in Rey who gave them a double bronco buster. Mysterio followed with a springboard splash, but the cover was broken up by Nitro. Batista and Rey continued to dominate after a commercial break. Mysterio tried to springboard off the top but Nitro superkicked him to the outside. MNM took control tagging in and out and working the leg of Mysterio. Rey tried to scamper his way around MNM to tag Batista but they cut the ring in half. Mysterio gave them a double DDT and made the hot tag to Batista, who cleared the ring. In the spot of the night, with Nitro on the ring apron, Rey jumped off the top rope and gave him a hurricanrana to the outside. Batista picked up Mercury for a spinebuster but knocked out the referee by accident. At this point, Mark Henry ran out and attacked Batista from behind. He gave Batista a front slam and Mercury covered the Champ for the pinfall victory. The crowd died. Melina smirked as if this was her plan all along. I wonder if MNM will give Henry a snazzy new outfit next week.
