» On Thursday, September 23, 2004 at 11:52 PM EST WWE SmackDown Results - 9/23/04
Taped from: Phoenix, AZ
Announcers: Michael Cole and Tazz
Report By: Erica Johnson of WrestleView.com
The show opens with Vince McMahon welcoming the fans to the 5th Anniversary and season premiere of Smackdown.
Match #1: Billy Kidman vs. Paul London
Paul London comes to the ring ready for a fight. Billy Kidman comes out after, but obvious he is uninterested in fighting. The referee rings the bell, and promptly Kidman gets out of the ring and walks to the back. London is upset. The referee has no choice but to administer the 10-count, and Kidman is counted out.
WINNER: Paul London via countout
After Kidman leaves, Booker T's music hits and he heads to the ring. He challenges Paul London to a match, which London accepts.
Match #2: Paul London vs. Booker T
Booker starts the match by sucker-punching Paul London, and then takes the fight to the young lion. Booker hits an insane-looking elbow on London, which appears to have broken London's nose. It immediately begins to gush blood, but ever the fighter, London keeps going in the match. Booker T is too powerful for London though, and uses his power to maintain the upperhand through a lot of the match. London answers with his speed and is able to mount a bit of offense. London goes for a crossbody on Booker T, which connects, but Booker is able to roll through and pin London for the 3-count.
WINNER: Booker T via pinfall
After the match, Booker is talking trash to Cena. He says that he hope Cena saw what just happened to Paul London, because that's what would be happening to him in Match 5 of their Best-of-Five series. He says that he is the true undisputed champion. His tirade is then interrupted by Paul London, who hits Booker T from behind. Booker is very irate about the blindsiding by London, who talks trash all the way to the back.
**Commercial break**
Returning from break, we are treated to a Smackdown! Throwback from Mick Foley. He shares his 2 favourite Smackdown! moments. The first is during a promo by the Rock where Foley is in the ring. The Rock's sunglasses accidentally come flying off during his "If ya smeeeeeelllll..." spiel. The Rock stands there for a moment, until Foley gets his glasses. The Rock thanks Foley, and continues his tag line. The second moment he recalls is when he changed from Mankind to Cactus Jack and shocked Triple H, who was in the ring at the time. Cactus Jack then proceeded to punk out Triple H.
Backstage, Kidman is shown with his gearbag, apparently leaving the arena.GM Theodore Long stops him and accuses him of trying to duck out. Long says he doesn't know what Kidman's problem is, that he made tonight's match because that's what the people wanted to see it, as well as the Shooting Star Press, and that he doesn't want a quitter on the Smackdown roster. He informs Kidman that he'll either fight Paul London at No Mercy, or he'll be fired.
Dawn Marie is then shown getting ready for her Schoolgirl Match later tonight.
Somewhere /* backstage, Spike Dudley and Rey Mysterio are shown engaged in a staredown. Josh Matthews tries to get a word from the men, but Spike interrupts and takes the mic. He says Matthews will just try to make Mysterio look innocent in getting screwed over by Spike, and that he's the cruiserweight champion and he's proud of how he got there. Mysterio then gets the mic, and tells Spike he'll stop at nothing to get the cruiserweight title back. He calls Spike "loco" and goes off on him in Spanish. Kenzo Suzuki comes up behind Rey Mysterio and admonishes him, saying "This is America, speak English or leave". Rey turns around and clocks Suzuki, as Spike is shown shaking his head in confusion as to what just happened.
**Commercial break**
The second Smackdown! Throwback of the evening comes from the Rock. He is shown being interviewed by the Coach, who the Rock thinks isn't listening to him. He accuses the Coach of thinking about dancing, and makes him dance the Charleston for the camera.
Match #3: Spike Dudley (with Bubba and D-Von) vs. Rey Mysterio - Cruiserweight Title Match
Fast-paced action starts this match, as usual for cruiserweight matches. Shortly into the action, Bubba Ray hits the ring and attempts to interfere, but is caught by referee Charles Robinson. Robinson then kicks Bubba and D-von out of the ringside area, much to the delight of the fans.
**Commercial break**
Returning from commercial, Spike is in control of the match-up. He goes to the top rope, but Rey knocks him off and crotches him on the top. Rey joins Spike on the top and delivers a huge hurricanrana onto the canvas. Mysterio tries to follow up with a crossbody, but Spike ducks it and instead referee Charles Robinson takes the full brunt of the maneuver. Spike tries to take advantage of the situation, going up to the top to deliver his two-footed stomp onto Mysterio, but as he jumps Rey gets his feet up and they meet squarely with Spike's chin. Mysterio shakes it off and tries to capitalize, but Kenzo Suzuki and Rene DuPree come from the back and pull Mysterio outside of the ring. DuPree whips Mysterio into Suzuki, who delivers his claw sweep to Mysterio. They roll Rey back into the ring and Spike is able to get the pin and the 3 count.
WINNER: Spike Dudley
Suzuki and DuPree continue their assault on Mysterio after the match, double-teaming Rey until RVD makes the save from the back.
A highlight package from the Wrestlemania XXI press conference is shown.
**Commercial break**
The next Smackdown! Throwback comes from Stephanie McMahon. Her favourite moments include slapping her mother, Linda McMahon, and an angle where she was involved in a love triangle with HHH and Kurt Angle. During a mixed tag match, Kurt Angle and Stephanie were facing Lita and the Rock, and Lita was knocked off the apron onto the ring steps. HHH came out to take her to the back. Later, she is shown nursing her head on a couch, and Kurt Angle visits to pay his concerns. At the end of his heartfelt speech to Stephanie, he kisses her. She shares that Kurt is the worst kisser in the world.
**Commercial break**
During the break, Theodore Long confronts Suzuki and DuPree. He informs them that they'll be facing Mysterio and RVD at No Mercy in a Tag Team Title defense.
A recap of the Heidenreich/Michael Cole incident from last week is shown.
Heidenreich is then shown backstage, walking. Michael Cole is terrified that he's coming out to ringside, and he tries to leave. Heidenreich stops at Vince McMahon's office though, and disappears into it.
**Commercial break**
Another Smackdown! Throwback is shown. This one highlights the episode of Smackdown where Brock Lesnar suplexed the Big Show from the top and the ring collapsed.
Match #4: Undertaker vs. Viscera and Gangrel - Handicapped Match
In payback from last week, the Undertaker takes on his former Ministry members, Viscera and Gangrel. JBL and Orlando Jordan come out in their limo before the match to watch from the stage.
The Undertaker takes the early advantage, destroying the Ministry from the get-go. JBL is obviously worried. Orlando Jordan comes down to the ring to distract the Undertaker to allow the Ministry to get the upper hand on the Dead Man. This doesn't last long though, as the Undertaker regains control and takes on both Ministry members at once. He knocks out Viscera and gets Gangrel up for the Tombstone, and subsequently, the pinfall.
WINNER: Undertaker
On the stage, JBL is irate. Undertaker beckons JBL to join him in the ring, but instead gets Viscera hitting him from behind. This doesn't phase the Dead Man though, he answers back with a chokeslam on the big man. He then gets Viscera on the outside and delivers the devastating chair to the throat maneuver on the steps, the whole time staring JBL down.
Backstage, Heidenreich is in Vince McMahon's office. He informs Vince that they're very much alike. Both of them don't give the world what they want, and the world calls them crazy for that. He says that people make him crazy, and he is going to share his anger through a poem. Vince doesn't know what to say, other than thank you.
Torrie Wilson is then shown in her schoolgirl outfit, preparing for her match.
**Commercial break**
Match #5: Torrie Wilson vs. Dawn Marie - Schoolgirl Match
Before the match can begin, GM Theodore Long comes to the ring to announce a change in the match. He declares the match now a tag team match-up, with Torrie and Dawn Marie teaming up against the original schoolgirls, Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young. He wants to dance with the elderly ladies before the match, to which they both oblige. As the match begins, Mae Young is up to her usual shenanigans. She grabs the referee's bum and Dawn Marie follows suit. Eventually Torrie is tagged in, and she goes for a sunset flip over Mae Young. Mae Young drops down onto Torrie and smooshes Torrie's face into her "nether regions". She then whips Torrie into the corner and follows up with a Bronco Buster on poor Torrie. Both ladies make the tag and Moolah's move is to tear off Dawn Marie's shirt. As Dawn Marie confronts Moolah, Mae Young sneaks behind her on her hands and knees and Moolah pushes Dawn back over Mae Young, allowing the elderly women to get the pinfall on the divas.
WINNERS: Moolah and Mae Young
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin offers up the next Smackdown! Throwback for the night. He shares some of his favourite SD moments, which include visiting the troops in Iraq over Christmas, and the segment where he and Kurt Angle serenaded Vince McMahon with their guitar and terrible singing.
**Commercial break**
John Cena is atop a WWE semi-truck. His rap pays hommage to some of the classic Austin and Rock tag lines, which passing along the message to Booker T that he's got "no chance in hell" of winning the 5th match in their Best-of-Five series.
Backstage, Angle is claiming that he's been the top star on Smackdown since it started, and that he's very upset that he wasn't asked to share his favourite Smackdown moments. He says that the way he's being treated is a disgrace, but an even bigger disgrace is the Big Show. He says the Big Show has no idea what he's gotten himself into with Kurt, and that tonight, Kurt will be making his own Smackdown moment to remember.
**Commercial break**
The final Smackdown! Throwback comes from Hulk Hogan. He shares his favourite Smackdown moment, which occurred on July 4th, Independence Day. He celebrated being American, saying it was cool to be proud of being an American again, and that night he and Edge won the tag team titles.
Match #6: Eddie Guerrero and Big Show vs. Kurt Angle and Luther Reigns
Kurt and Eddie start the match, circling for a bit. Eddie immediately tags in the Big Show, which Angle does not appreciate. He answers by tagging in Luther Reigns. Luther Reigns goes right after the Big Show, trying several times unsuccessfully to knock the giant off his feet. Eddie gets tagged in and hits Luther with the 3 Amigos into the pinfall attempt, but Angle breaks it up. Angle and Luther use various devious tactics to control Eddie Guerrero through the match, until Eddie is able to counter with an armdrag as Kurt attempts the Angle Slam and a dropkick gives him a moment to make the tag to the Big Show. Big Show comes in and cleans house on both Angle and Luther. He chokeslams Luther Reigns and moves to the corner, where Guerrero climbs the ropes and tries to get on Show's shoulders. Kurt sees what's coming and stops this quickly, pushing Guerrero from the top rope off onto the barricade at ringside. Big Show starts to chase Angle around the ringside area.
**Commercial break**
Coming back from the last commercial break of the evening, Angle and Luther are taking turns working Eddie's leg with a variety of holds. Their fast tags enable them to maintain control until Eddie slips away for just a moment and makes the tag to the Big Show. Again he comes in and cleans house, moves to the corner and tags Eddie in. Eddie climbs the ropes and gets up onto Big Show's shoulders, leaping off into the frogsplash and squishing Angle mid-ring. It looks like this will be the end of Angle, but from nowhere, Mark Jindrak hits the ring and breaks up the pinfall. The referee calls for the bell because of Jindrak's interference. The Big Show gets into the ring to take care of Jindrak. Meanwhile at ringside, Luther Reigns hits Eddie with his devastating reverse neckbreaker. This gives Angle his opening. He finds a rifle case at ringside containing a dart gun, which he loads up and gets back into the ring. He shoots Big Show square in the back with the dart, which apparently is a tranquilizer dart. The big man gets groggy and attempts to fight it off, but to no avail. He passes out in the ring. Mark Jindrak runs to the back and comes back with scissors and a shaver. Kurt Angle then proceeds to cut the Big Show's hair with the scissors, then shaving his head bald with the shaver. This was apparently the Smackdown memory he had mentioned earlier. The show ends with Angle holding Show's bald head up for the cameras victoriously.
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My thoughts:
-London was just crazy bloody after that nose shot, I hope it's ok! That looked damn painful.
-I loved the Throwbacks. It brought back a lot of good memories of the past SD years. I wish they would have done more of these though, there have been so many good moments in Smackdown's history. It was cool seeing Foley again though! Austin looked rather "inebriated" though, but hey, what's new.
-Suzuki and DuPree as tag team champs is just priceless. Talk about an odd couple. Suzuki gets a lot of crap from the Internet fans, but I for one appreciate the old-school gimmick and find his commentary absolutely priceless.
-Can't wait to see Match #5 for Booker and Cena. Cena's raps have been getting very lame lately though, I hope he fixes that if he's going to keep this gimmick as a US champion. Right now I'd rather see the title on Booker though, to be honest.
-I'm soooo glad Kurt Angle is back in action, he's such an incredible performer and his intensity both in the ring and in his promos is a breath of fresh air on Smackdown.
-The tranquilizer dart thing was kinda lame. I thought it was going to result in something much cooler than a head shaving. The dart sticking out of Show's back looked painful though, yeow! And I think Show will look wicked with a bald head.
-The No Mercy card is shaping up nicely! This looks like the first SD PPV in a while that seems like it's worth the $$... I just hope it doesn't let me down like they've been known to do.