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TNA
The Royal Treatment: Smackdown (3.10.05)
Posted by Peter Kostka on Mar 10, 2005, 22:58
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Not a hell of a lot to talk about this week, so let�s put this one in the can and go out for ice cream, okay?
- Opening video recaps Orlando Jordan winning the US title last week, with an assist from JBL.
Previously recorded in Roanoke, Virginia
- JBL and the Cabinet head out for our opening promo. A graphic shows that JBL and Orlando will face Eddie Guerrero andRey Mysterio for the tag titles tonight. JBL: �Every week we go and do something so freakin� awesome, that we have to come out and tell everyone about it.� This week, they�re honoring Orlando Jordan who last week, all by himself, one on one, beat John Cena and took the US title from him. Orlando didn�t want to be like the fans, so he turned his back on his family and on the inner-city to achieve greatness. Tonight, they will win the tag titles and get all the gold because �I am a wrestling god, and gods deserve to be adorned in gold.� He is disgusted at how the US title has been turned into a �freakshow� and how it represents everything he hates about Cena, so it must be destroyed. �Cena talks about �street cred�? Well, I own the damn street.� The Bashams bring in the steps and a garbage can, which JBL drops the belt into and then blows it up saying that, like the belt, Cena�s dreams of the title will go �up in smoke�. He gives Orlando the original US belt and they pose on the steps.
Thoughts: Good promo from JBL which continues to drive home the differences between he and Cena.
Booker T vs. Heidenreich (no-DQ match)
This was set up after the events of the past few weeks, where both guys got themselves disqualified using a chair. They take turns slugging each other to start, and Heidenreich gets a sideslam for 2. More slugging, as both guys are moving at a tortoise�s pace right now. Booker gets a low blow to control and drags him out. Heidenreich blocks a ram into the table and sends Booker into it before grabbing a chair. Booker kicks him to block it, but gets sent into the post and clotheslined into the crowd. Heidenreich clubs him in the face and gets a two count back in. Booker starts the rally, but runs into a boot off a whip and is clotheslined again for another 2. Heidenreich gets another chair and slides it in, but he stays bent over, so Booker scissor kicks him into it and hits a thrust kick before cracking him with the chair for the pin.
Rating: DUD
Thoughts: Nothing but punching from Heidenreich, the only thing he can do well and Booker trying to make something out of this crap, but it didn�t work. Hopefully this means the merciful end of Heidenreich and perhaps something decent for Booker to do at Wrestlemania.
- Josh Matthews waits in the parking lot for Cena.
- We recap Randy Orton�s challenge to Undertaker on RAW this week, and head to The General Playah�s office, where Carlito enters. Long gives him the task of finding Taker and getting his response to Orton�s challenge. If he doesn�t, he�ll be looking for a new job.
- Rey and Eddie prepare for their match, and Chavo enters. He wishes them luck, because if they lose, he�d be the only Guerrero with any gold around his waist.
- Carlito searches in a darkened hallway for Taker, and is frightened when the lights go out�.but it was just a janitor who didn�t know Carlito was in there. *Cue laugh track*
Luther Reigns vs. Mark Jindrak
Jindrak dropped Reigns with one punch last week, which set up this match. Jindrak attacks Reigns during his intro to start, but Reigns controls and pounds away in the corner before getting a backdrop. The pace of this match is about on par with the Booker/Heidenreich match: slow, lumbering, and boring. Jindrak hits a crossbody off the top for 2, but runs into an elbow. Reigns charges, but Jindrak pops him again and gets the pin.
Rating: DUD
Thoughts: A straight punch? That�s his finisher? Even Kerry Von Erich spun around a few times before delivering his. And who the hell is the face in this anyway? Reigns at least has a character that is fleshed out a little bit (guy who had to survive on the streets); what�s Jindrak�s deal? Why should I care about him?
- Cena arrives, carrying a pipe with him.
- Cena hits the ring. He and JBL have something in common; they both like to break things. JBL likes to break titles; Cena likes to break faces. He wants JBL and the Cabinet right now. It�s not about titles; it�s just about an ass whoopin�. Long comes out to try to calm Cena down, proposing that Cena gets a return match against Orlando tonight for the US title, but Cena wants none of that. Long has seen what they have done to him the last few weeks, and his philosophy is �an eye for an eye.� Long doesn�t want Cena wrecking Long�s Wrestlemania main event, so he refuses to bring JBL down, telling Cena that he has to wait until April 3rd. Cena tells him �well, if you aren�t part of the solution, then you�re part of the problem� and gives him an FU.
Thoughts: Interesting switch in Cena�s character, which is going away from the pandering to the fans �Chain Gang�, gay joke warehouse Cena, and is turning into more of a �Stone Cold v.160.0�, which is probably what they should do at this point, to sell the hatred Cena has of JBL more. The mic work in this feud, so far, has been a bit better than the work for HHH-Batista.
- During the break, Long had Cena ejected from the building.
- Kurt Angle heads out, with his medal hanging above the ring underneath a ladder. He talks about that in 1994, he was training hard to win an Olympic gold medal while Shawn Michaels revolutionized the industry at Wrestlemania X with his ladder match against Razor Ramon. People call it the greatest match they have ever seen, but he�s not among them. In fact, he can top Michaels� performance in that match right now in his first ever ladder match. If his opponent this week can climb the ladder and get Angle�s medal, then he keeps it. His opponent heads out and identifies himself as Mike Heywood before Angle slaps him and attacks.
Kurt Angle vs. Mike Heywood (Ladder match)
Angle hits Mike with a belly to belly and bullies him around before hitting an Angle Slam and starting his climb, but he decides that the kid hasn�t had enough and locks in the Anglelock. Mike sells it pretty well. Angle releases the hold and boots him out of the ring before climbing the ladder and grabbing his medal.
No Rating
Sitting atop the ladder, Angle remarks how easy winning a ladder match is. He didn�t even use the ladder as a weapon because HE�S a weapon and would have beaten Michaels in 1994 just as easily. He takes us back to 1989 and Shawn�s Wrestlemania debut as a member of The Rockers with Marty Jannetty, a man who taught Michaels all that he knows. Next week, Angle has arranged for himself to face Jannetty and Marty, Angle says, will teach Shawn one more thing: �How to tap out to Kurt Angle.�
Thoughts: Intriguing (and original, for once) idea how to build up this feud. Very strong outing from Angle, both showing intensity in the ring and on the mic. This might be one of the few times that Shawn is outdone in the promo department. When given the chance, Angle can really deliver.
- Josh Matthews is with Big Show and tells him that Akebono challenged him to a sumo match at Wrestlemania. Show accepts. Yay. Speaking of Mania, Michael Cole and Tazz run down the card so far.
- In the back, Carlito is still looking and is startled by Torrie Wilson. Fed up, he decides to go to the ring and have Taker come to him.
Um�..could we have a real MATCH sometime tonight, please?
- Carlito heads out and asks Taker if he can come out and give him an answer. If not, �that�d be cool�. Out comes Taker, who takes FOREVER walking to the ring and even takes time to remove his coat and hat. He slaps the goozle on Carlito, and says that many men try to make a name for themselves at the expense of the Undertaker but they all, like Randy Orton will, �rest�in�.peace.� He Tombstones Carlito to emphasize his point.
- The contract signing for Taker/Orton will take place next week.
Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero � vs. JBL and Orlando Jordan (w/The Bashams) (WWE Tag team title match)
Eddie and JBL start, and they go back and forth a bit to start. Eddie gets the advantage with some armdrags, causing JBL to bail and then tag Orlando. Eddie pokes him in the eye and tags Rey, who hits a hurricanrana for 2. Eddie tags back in, and he works on the leg for a bit, tagging in Rey so he can dropkick it, but Orlando rakes his eyes to take control and tags JBL. They shoulder Rey down and JBL tries a boot, but Rey ducks it and counters a powerbomb with a senton before tagging Eddie, who comes in with a hilo for 2. The ref gets distracted, so Eddie chokes JBL with the tag rope and hits the chinlock for a bit before tagging Rey, who goes for the knee, but JBL pokes his eye and tags Orlando. Rey tries a headscissors, but Orlando shoves him off onto the apron, so Rey comes back in with a springboard senton. The Bashams distract the ref, allowing JBL to clothesline Rey, but the ref figures out what�s going on and sends the Bashams to the back as we go to a break. Formulaic stuff so far, nothing really special.
Coming back, JBL hits a suplex on Rey for 2 followed by a fall away slam, with Rey rolling all the way to the floor. Orlando rams his back into apron and that becomes JBL�s focus, whipping Rey hard into the corner a few times and locking in a bearhug. Rey bites him to break, but JBL cuts off a tag and tags Orlando, who also focuses on the back and gets a bearhug. Rey fights free and gets Orlando in position for the 619, but he can�t follow up. JBL tags and puts Rey on top, but Rey fights back and spikes JBL with a tornado DDT before tagging Eddie. He cleans house, tripping Orlando into position, but JBL beans Rey with a chair, drawing the DQ. The beatdown commences until Cena comes in through the crowd with his pipe and beats down the Cabinet while JBL retreats into the crowd. He picks Orlando up and points to JBL before drilling him with a FU. Cena jaws at JBL as we fade to black.
Rating: 3/10
Thoughts: Not bad formula tag action. Rey being the face in peril is the most logical way to go, since he�s the smallest guy and can rally the fans around him easier.
Final Thoughts: Much, much, MUCH too promo/backstage skit heavy, and this show demonstrates how weak Smackdown is when it comes to bringing the goods in the ring. Still, the WWE title match buildup is coming along nicely, and Angle�s stuff brings some more intrigue.
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