We are nine days away from the next pay per view offering, No Way Out, featuring Kurt Angle versus the Undertaker for the World Title. What else will happen as we continue on the Road to Wrestlemania? What other things will Randy Orton say to Rey Mysterio about Eddie Guerrero? Will we see ‘Pirate’ Paul Burchill? What will be next for the Boogeyman? Will we see any more substitutes for Booker T this week? Who will be the man who will face Booker T for the United States Title at No Way Out?
We begin tonight’s show with footage of Rey Mysterio winning the Royal Rumble and his comments thanking Eddie Guerrero for his ‘help’. Then we see Randy Orton’s comments about Eddie Guerrero and the challenge for the main event spot at Wrestlemania and Rey accepting the challenge.
We are live on tape from Columbus, Georgia and your announcers are Tazz and Michael ‘Carter Country’ Cole.
Before our first match begins, Booker T comes out with Sharmell to watch the match from ringside.
Match Number One: Matt Hardy versus Orlando Jordan versus Chris Benoit versus Bradshaw (with JBLimo and Jillian Hall) in a Number One Contender’s Match for the United States Title and a match at No Way Out against Booker T
The bell rings and Benoit goes after Bradshaw with kicks, chops, and forearms while Matt and Orlando fight in the opposite corner. Matt punches Orlando while Benoit slams Bradshaw’s head into the turnbuckle. Benoit with forearms to Bradshaw in the corner. Hardy with a back elbow to Orlando and he gets a two count. Bradshaw kicks Hardy and then throws Matt out of the ring to the floor. Benoit slams Orlando’s head into the turnbuckle. Bradshaw with a forearm to Benoit’s back and then he holds Benoit for Orlando Jordan. Bradshaw with a big boot to Benoit and then Orlando makes the cover for a near fall. Bradshaw goes outside the ring, but Hardy slams Bradshaw’s head into the ring apron. Benoit chops Orlando in the ring, but Orlando with a knee. Benoit with a back body drop to Orlando and then Bradshaw with a clothesline to Hardy that sends Matt to the floor. Bradshaw and Orlando work on Benoit. Bradshaw with a shoulder tackle, but Benoit with an arm drag and double leg take down. Benoit tries for the Sharpshooter, but Bradshaw is able to power out. Bradshaw tries for a powerbomb, but Benoit counters with a double leg take down and then he tries for the Crippler Crossface. Meanwhile, outside the ring Orlando and Matt continue to fight. Benoit gets Bradshaw in the Crippler Crossface, but Orlando breaks it up. Hardy punches Orlando and then slams Orlando’s head into the turnbuckle. Hardy with a snap mare and kick to Orlando’s back followed by a cover for a two count. Bradshaw goes out of the ring. Benoit with a forearm to Hardy followed by a snap suplex to Orlando. Hardy covers Jordan, but Benoit pulls Hardy off. Hardy slams Benoit and then hits an elbow drop for a two count. Orlando kicks Hardy. Benoit punches Jordan, but Orlando with a knee to Benoit followed by punches. Outside the ring, Bradshaw slams Hardy’s head into the ring steps. Inside the ring, Jordan with a double sledge to Benoit and he gets a two count. Bradshaw tries for a short arm clothesline, but Benoit with a German suplex. Orlando covers Bradshaw. Benoit puts Orlando in the Crippler Crossface, but Bradshaw kicks Benoit off. Hardy with forearms and punches to Bradshaw. Bradshaw with a big boot to Hardy and then he kicks Hardy in the head. Bradshaw with another kick to Hardy’s head and then he focuses on Benoit. Bradshaw and Jordan with a double shoulder to Benoit and then Bradshaw kicks Hardy to the floor. Bradshaw goes outside the ring and he punches Hardy. Benoit with a DDT to Orlando and then Benoit goes outside to help Hardy with Bradshaw. Benoit and Hardy with a double Irish whip that sends Bradshaw into the ring steps. Orlando Jordan comes out as well and he sends Hardy into the ringpost. Orlando punches Benoit and then rolls Benoit back into the ring. Orlando goes up top, but Benoit punches and chops Orlando. Benoit goes up top and head butts Orlando and then he hits the superplex and both men are down as we go to commercial.
We are back and Benoit covers Orlando and gets a two count. Benoit puts Orlando in the Crippler Crossface, but Bradshaw with a kick to Benoit’s head followed by a kick to Hardy’s head. Bradshaw continues the attack with a short arm clothesline to Benoit and a running shoulder tackle to Hardy. Bradshaw with five elbow drops to Benoit and then he pulls Benoit into the ring. Bradshaw goes up to the second turnbuckle for an elbow drop, but Hardy makes the save. Hardy kicks Bradshaw and hits a neckbreaker on Bradshaw, but Benoit makes the save. Hardy with a suplex to Benoit for a two count. Hardy continues to work on Benoit with a neckbreaker. Hardy goes up to the second turnbuckle for an elbow drop, but Bradshaw makes the save. Bradshaw with a kick to Hardy followed by a DDT and Bradshaw covers, but since he had his feet on the ropes the referee refuses to make the count. Bradshaw and Orlando with a double suplex to Benoit followed by a double suplex to Hardy. Orlando holds Hardy up for Bradshaw to hit the Clothesline from Wall Street. Orlando makes the cover and Bradshaw kicks Orlando and throws him out of the ring. Bradshaw covers Hardy, but he only gets a two count when Benoit makes the save. Benoit kicks and chops Bradshaw followed by a running forearm and the Three Amigos vertical suplex combination. Benoit with the Hat Trick German suplex combination to Orlando. Benoit goes up top for the diving headbutt on Orlando, but Bradshaw makes the save. Benoit with an Irish whip to Bradshaw, but Benoit charges into a boot from Bradshaw and then Orlando with a flatline to Benoit. Bradshaw covers Benoit, but Orlando makes the save. Bradshaw yells at Orlando, but then Bradshaw offers his hand to show that they are working together. Orlando shakes his hand, but then throws Bradshaw out of the ring. Orlando covers Benoit, but Hardy makes the save. Hardy with a Side Effect to Orlando and then he tries for the Side Effect on Benoit, but Benoit counters and puts Hardy in the Crippler Crossface and Hardy taps.
Winner: Chris Benoit
Booker T and Sharmell are in the back and they are irate. Teddy Long stops them and says that Benoit earned another chance at the United States Title. Booker says that he will be ready to face Benoit in three months, but Teddy says that Booker will have to be ready in nine days. Booker tells Sharmell to show Teddy the doctor’s note, but Teddy will have none of that and says that if Booker cannot defend the title at No Way Out, he will forfeit the title. We go to commercial.
We are back and Bradshaw and Jillian are walking in the back until they are ambushed by Kristal, but Bradshaw tells her to shut her pie hole and he calls her a stupid bimbo. Bradshaw says that he should be wrestling for the United States Title. He should be the World champion. He did not get beat and he can beat anyone in the dressing room. He can beat anyone on god’s green Earth. He can beat the Undertaker or Chris Benoit, it does not matter. Bobby Lashley walks up to Bradshaw and says that they can meet at No Way Out. Bradshaw asks Bobby if he is challenging him to a match and Jillian accepts since she knows that Bradshaw can beat anybody. Bradshaw hesitates and says that Lashley is on.
Matt Hardy is in the back licking his wounds after tapping out and MNM walk past him and mock Matt. Melina tells Joey and Johnny to go ahead. Melina asks Matt if she can sit down with him. She says that it was a tough break tonight and he was so close to earning a title match and what does he have to show for it. She says that it is a shame that he is not part of a winning team like MNM. Matt wants to know what that means. Melina tells Matt ‘if you scratch my back . . . I’ll scratch yours’. Melina walks away and Matt thinks about it.
Josh Mathews is in the interview area with Mark Henry and Khosrow Daivari. Josh asks Mark about his match with the Undertaker. Daivari interrupts Josh and says that he wants everyone to stop talking about Kurt Angle since Kurt is on Smackdown and is the champion because of him. Daivari says that Mark will be the next World Champion. Mark says that Kurt knows that he cannot beat him, so they are going to give his title match to the Undertaker. Mark says that Taker is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just like Batista, tonight, he is going to take Taker out. We go to commercial.
We are back and before the next match, Melina says that they are here to make an open challenge to any two superstars for their fifteen minutes of fame with MNM.
Match Number Two: Johnny ‘Plain’ Nitro and Joey ‘Peanut’ Mercury (with ‘Almonds’ Melina, red carpet and photographers) versus Paul London and Brian Kendrick
Mercury and London start things off and Mercury with an arm bar into a hammer lock. London rolls through and reverses. Mercury reverses, but London with an arm drag and leg drop on Mercury’s arm. London with an arm bar, but Mercury with a knee followed by a shoulder tackle. Mercury blocks an arm drag and hits a forearm. London holds on to the ropes when Mercury tries for an arm drag and then London with a rollup for a two count. London with an arm drag into an arm bar. London counters a hip toss attempt, but Mercury blocks London’s attempt. Mercury gets London up, but London counters with a rana for a two count. Kendrick tags in and he goes up top and hits a double stomp to Mercury’s shoulder. Kendrick with an arm bar. Nitro tags in and he kicks Kendrick followed by a European uppercut. Nitro with an Irish whip, but when he charges, Kendrick floats over and hits a head scissors on Nitro. Nitro kicks Kendrick and Melina shrieks. Kendrick counters a hip toss with a monkey flip, but Nitro lands on his feet. Nitro gets cocky and that allows Kendrick to hit a head scissors and drop kick on Nitro for a two count. London tags in and Kendrick with a drop toe hold to Nitro followed by a drop kick from London. London with a kick to Nitro and then he tries for an enzuigiri but Nitro ducks and then Nitro with a clothesline to the back of London’s neck. Mercury tags in and he punches London and slams Paul’s head into the corner. Mercury with an Irish whip and then he charges into the corner and blocks a kick from London, but when he charges again, London with an elbow. London goes up to the second turnbuckle and hits the double stomp to the back followed by a dropsault for a two count. Kendrick tags in and they hit a double Japanese arm drag on Mercury followed by a double kip up. Nitro comes in without tagging and London tosses Kendrick into the air and Kendrick with a double drop kick. Mercury goes out of the ring and Kendrick tries for a baseball slide, but Mercury ducks down. Kendrick charges at Mercury outside the ring and Kendrick with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors. London with a somersault plancha onto Mercury and Nitro on the floor. Kendrick throws Mercury back into the ring and Kendrick with a cross body for a two count. Kendrick with a forearm to Mercury. Meanwhile, Melina gets on the apron and distracts the referee, allowing Nitro to back body drop Kendrick over the top rope to the floor. Nitro runs Kendrick’s back into the ring apron and then rolls Kendrick back into the ring. Nitro and Mercury with a hard double Irish whip into the corner and Melina shrieks one more time. Mercury and Nitro then flip Kendrick into the turnbuckles. Mercury with a back breaker and then he stretches Kendrick’s back. Kendrick is able to get up and he connects with forearms to Mercury and Nitro. Kendrick tries to make the tag, but since the referee was not in position, he did not see the tag. That allows Mercury and Nitro to hit the Snapshot for the three count. We go to commercial.
Winners: Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury
We are back with a video package about the Smackdown brand’s tour of Asia.
Randy Orton is in the interview area and he wants to comment on the things that he said last week on Smackdown about Eddie Guerrero. Randy says that it appeared to have caused quite a stir, but he wanted to set the record straight. Last week on Smackdown he said . . . Randy stops and says ‘screw it’. If everyone wants to see what Randy said, let’s see the footage. We go to the promo at the start of last week’s Smackdown. We return to live on tape action and Orton is gone.
Tazz and Cole wonder where Orton went.
Randy Orton’s music plays and he comes out to the ring in a low rider. Randy has a mic and he says that the bottom line is did he really mean what he said about Eddie Guerrero being in hell? Randy says maybe he is in hell . . . maybe he is not, but he does not care. Randy says that he said what he said to get what he wants. He used Eddie’s name to get under Rey’s skin. He used Eddie’s name to make Rey so angry that he would put his Wrestlemania main event on the line. Randy says that it worked perfectly. Randy got what he wants and he will win at No Way Out and then it will be ‘destiny time’ when he will walk out of Wrestlemania as the World Champion regardless of who the champion is. Randy explains why he came out in a low rider. He says that he has a point to make. He has heard about how nasty a person he is for what he said last week about Eddie Guerrero. Randy says that Eddie is no saint, and he has the proof, and it is Eddie’s biography and he gets ready to read from the book, but from out of nowhere, Rey Mysterio comes out and he attacks Orton. The officials come out to stop Rey, but they are unable to stop Rey who continues to attack Orton with kicks and a drop kick that sends Orton’s head into the ring post. We go to commercial while the medical staff checks on Randy Orton.
We are back with a Moments Ago Moment of Randy Orton’s comments and Rey attacking Randy.
Match Number Three: Gregory Helms versus Nunzio for the Cruiserweight Title
Helms with a waist lock take down into a front face lock, but Nunzio reverses and has Helms in a hammer lock. Kid Kash comes out to watch the action in the ring. Helms with a head scissors followed by a kick to Nunzio and then Helms throws Nunzio out of the ring. Helms notices that Kash came out to watch and they have some words before Nunzio gets a two count with a rollup. Nunzio with a hip toss and arm drag followed by a rana and Helms goes outside the ring. Nunzio punches Helms, but Helms with an Irish whip. Nunzio tries to float over, but Helms grabs Nunzio and hot shots Nunzio. Helms with a hammer lock and then slams the shoulder into the turnbuckle. Helms with a single arm DDT and then he punches Nunzio followed by a suplex and then he goes up top. Helms with a cross body and then he makes a ‘Chris Jericho’ cover, but Nunzio kicks out. Helms with a cobra clutch to Nunzio, but Nunzio fights out of it and gets to his feet. Nunzio with punches to Helms followed by a neck breaker and both men are down. Nunzio with a running forearm and clothesline followed by a tilt-a-whirl head scissors. Nunzio with a swinging neck breaker to Helms for a two count. Nunzio with a belly-to-back suplex on Helms and then he goes up to the second turnbuckle, but Helms moves out of the way. Helms with an F5 jawbreaker into a Shining Wizard for the three count.
Winner: Gregory Helms
Kristal is in the interview area with Palmer Canon. She asks Palmer about the recent merger. He hesitates and then says that it is exciting, but he is more excited about the return of the juniors. From out of nowhere, Ken Kennedy . . . Kennedy arrives. While the juniors play on the backdrop for the interview area, something cuts through the curtain and it is Paul ‘The Pirate’ Burchill. Paul says hello to Ken and then Palmer and he walks away. We go to commercial.
Match Number Four: Pequeno Violencia and Octagoncito versus Mascarita Sagrada and Tzuki
Sagrada and Violencia start things off and Violencia tosses Sagrada down. Sagrada with an arm drag and leg sweep. Violencia with a kip up and kick to Sagrada’s face. Sagrada with a waist lock and Violencia tries to escape, but he gets a butt bump from Sagrada. Violencia with a fireman’s carry, but Sagrada holds on for an arm drag. Sagrada with a wheelbarrow into an arm drag. Sagrada kicks Violencia and then he covers Violencia. Violencia charges into the corner, but Sagrada moves out of the way and Violencia goes into the turnbuckles. Sagrada with a dropkick to Violencia and Tzuki tags in. Violencia with an Irish whip and he charges after Tzuki, but Tzuki moves and Violencia goes into the turnbuckles again. Tzuki with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors to Violencia, but Violencia with a kick to Tzuki before he tags in Octagoncito. Tzuki with a tilt-a-whirl arm drag to Violencia and then Tzuki kicks Octagoncito into Violencia that sends him out of the ring. Tzuki with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors followed by a wheelbarrow into an arm drag on Octagoncito. Octagoncito with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker.
Fit Finlay’s music plays and he has his shillelagh. Finlay comes into the ring and he kicks Octagoncito in the head and then he hits him with the shillelagh. Violencia leaves the ring and then Tzuki tries to get over the ringside barrier, but it is too high. Finlay throws Tzuki into the ringpost and then brings him into the ring and hits the Vertebreaker on Tzuki. Finlay asks for the mic and he gets it. He wants to explain something to everyone. What happens in the ring, he takes serious. It does not matter how big or small you are because his name is Finlay and he came to fight.
Winner: No Contest
We go to the Raw Rebound and then we go to commercial.
We are back and it is time to go through the card for No Way Out:
Kurt Angle versus Undertaker for the World Title
Rey Mysterio versus Randy Orton for the main event spot at Wrestlemania
Bobby Lashley versus Bradshaw
Chris Benoit versus Booker T for the United States Title
We see footage from Lashley’s victory followed by Bradshaw’s Clothesline from Wall Street.
Booker and Sharmell leave the arena and Booker is still not happy. He says that if anything happens to him next week, he will sue Teddy Long. They open the trunk and it is full of worms. Sharmell and Booker freak out.
Match Number Five: Mark Henry (with Khosrow Daivari) versus the Undertaker
Taker with a side head lock followed by a shoulder tackle, but Mark Henry does not go down. Henry with a side head lock followed by a shoulder tackle. Taker tries for a hip toss, but Henry blocks it and hits a hip toss of his own. Henry punches Taker followed by a head butt. Henry with an Irish whip, but he charges into a boot from Taker. Taker comes off the ropes, but Henry with a shoulder tackle. Henry tries for a splash in the ropes, but Taker moves out of the way and Henry goes through the ropes to the floor. Henry attacks the ring steps and ringside barrier as we go to commercial.
We are back and Mark Henry punches Taker outside the ring. Taker reverses an Irish whip on the floor and sends Henry into the ring steps. Taker punches Henry followed by a head butt and more punches. Taker with a boot to Henry’s head and then Taker with a walking briskly elbow with Henry’s head across the apron. Taker with another kick to the back of Henry’s head followed by the leg drop on the apron. Taker with a two count when they return to the ring. Taker with an arm bar and then he goes up for old school and the forearm to the back of the head. Henry backs into the corner and Taker with a running knee into the corner. Taker with a splash into the corner, but Henry catches Taker and has him in a bear hug before running Taker into the corner. Henry with forearms and head butts to the back. Henry with a slam for a two count. Taker punches Henry, but Henry responds with a punch of his own and then he stands on Taker’s chest. While Mark Henry distracts the referee, Daivari chokes Taker. Taker goes outside the ring and Henry chases after him. Henry with a forearm to Taker’s back and then he runs Taker into the ringside barrier. Henry runs Taker’s back into the apron and then he slams Taker’s head into the ring steps. Henry rolls Taker back into the ring and covers Taker, but only gets a two count. Henry with a head butt to Taker, but Taker with a series of punches to Henry followed by an uppercut. Taker with a kick to Henry followed by a punch. Taker with two running clotheslines into the corner and then he sets up for the choke slam, but Henry with a knee to Taker. Taker with a flying clothesline to Henry and then he choke slams Henry. Daivari motions to the back and Mercury and Nitro come out, but Taker fights them off. The ref calls for the bell.
Winner: Undertaker (by disqualification)
Daivari comes into the ring and he gets choke slammed by Taker. Nitro and Mercury kick and punch Taker, but Taker sends Mercury and Nitro into each other. Taker has Mercury and Nitro by the throat, but Henry attacks from behind. From out of nowhere, Kurt Angle comes out and he gives Mark Henry a German Suplex followed by one to Mercury and one to Nitro. The straps are down and then Angle punches Henry and then he comes off the ropes, but he runs right into Henry. Taker with a running knee to Henry that knocks him out of the ring. Taker picks up the belt and drops it at Angle’s side. Angle gets up.
Teddy Long comes out and he says that based upon what he just saw, next week on Smackdown, MNM and Mark Henry will be in a handicap match against Kurt Angle and the Undertaker. We go to credits.
