» On Friday, October 15, 2004 at 12:39 AM EST WWE SmackDown
Date: October 14, 2004
Location: Manchester, England
Commentators: Michael Cole and Tazz
Tonight’s Smackdown was the first episode ever to be broadcast from Manchester, England.
Before the show opened tonight, a crowd of superstars backstage was addressed by GM Theodore Long, who announced that would dispel any rumors that were going around about Cena being involved in a melee in Boston last week, and how Cena would not be there tonight nor for some time. Long was also appalled that Cena’s condition was discussed on Raw without Long’s knowledge; Cena had received several injuries, the worst being a puncture to the kidney. Long added that Cena sent word that the show must go on and that there would be an open invitational battle later tonight for the #1 contendership for the US Title.
Match #1: RVD vs. Rene Dupree
Upon entering the ring, accompanied by Kenzo Suzuki, Hiroko and Fifi, Dupree proceeded to address the crowd in French. Hiroko then took the mic and said that Kenzo would like to honor his “favorite country in the world,” with Suzuki proceeding to do another silly dance and singing “Living in America.” Once this was over, the referee ordered Suzuki to leave ringside.
The match began with RVD slugging Dupree, followed by Dupree going over the ropes. Outside the ring, Dupree opened the second rope, which sent RVD through it when he went for a move. Thrown back in the ring, Dupree went for the cover on RVD; RVD kicked out.
RVD put an elbow to the gut of Dupree, with Dupree responding by slamming RVD to the mat and celebrating with the French Tickler. RVD took the opportunity to come back on Dupree with a suplex and then a spinning leg drop, rolling up for the cover; Dupree kicked out again.
RVD then missed a moonsault on Dupree, which led to a suplex from Dupree and covered RVD; RVD kicked out this time. Dupree then went and got a steel chair, but never got to use it, as he was kicked by RVD, followed by a suplex by RVD as well. The chair was then thrown out of the ring by the referee as RVD connected with the Five Star Frog Splash to Dupree and covered for the win.
Winner: RVD
Tazz and Cole discussed the attack that Heidenreich put on the fans on last week’s show; even though they were unable to show the actual clip of what happened, a brief clip was shown of a child that was obviously frightened by what had happened.
Backstage, Theodore Long confronted Paul Heyman and let him know that Long was responsible for all that goes on on Smackdown, and that includes the public safety of the fans. He had gotten a call from the Board of Directors concerning Heidenreich’s actions last week and all their jobs were on the line. Long added that if he was fired, he was taking Heyman and Heidenreich down with him, and that Heyman should be lucky that no criminal charges were filed by any of the fans. However, they could be sued, and Heyman was to find Heidenreich and go out to the ring and make a public apology for what happened last week. Reluctantly, Heyman accepted this, but not before asking Long that what would happen if he and Heidenreich were out in the ring and were confronted by Undertaker.
Match #2: Charlie Haas vs. Billy Kidman
Haas’ knee injury was apparent when he came to the ring; it was bandaged up under the knee pad. Nevertheless, he came to the ring prepared to do battle.
Haas began by a few right hands to Kidman, followed by putting Kidman into the ropes and bouncing Kidman off the first turnbuckle. Kidman then went into action by targeting the injured knee of Haas; Haas got in another right hand to Kidman, followed by Kidman putting a knee breaker to Haas and kicking Haas in the behind.
Kidman continued to work on the injured knee of Haas, putting it into the steel steps. Kidman then went to the top rope and connected with the SSP to Haas’ knee despite protests from Dawn Marie, who rushed ringside in an effort to save Haas.
Winner: Billy Kidman
During the Break:
Haas refused medical attention by the EMT’s; he was helped backstage by both the referee and Dawn Marie.
Backstage, Luther Reigns flirted with the Sun’s “Page Three Girls,” saying how hot they were and how he would have plenty of stamina for them after both his matches tonight. The girls responded that they were already seeing someone, and when Luther asked who, they replied that it was Eddie Guerrerro. Luther told the girls that when he was finished with Eddie tonight, they could visit Eddie in the hospital, and when Luther told them they earlier that they were hot, he lied.
Also backstage, Josh Matthews interviewed JBL about his hardcore championship match against Hardcore Holly. Before Josh could complete one question, JBL ranted on about how Undertaker almost ended his career at No Mercy and then three weeks in a row, JBL had to face Hardcore Holly, and now face him in a hardcore championship match. He was a technical wrestler, not a brawler, and to have to come over to England--a barbaric country--to do this. JBL also got in some cheap jokes in at the expense of the English.
A replay of the US Championship match of John Cena vs. Carlito Caribbean Cool was shown on the heels of the repeated announcement of Cena’s “injury” made at the beginning of the show.
Match #3: #1 Contendership Elimination Match for the US Title
Once all the contenders were in the ring, a slugfust broke out. Dupree was bounced off the top turnbuckle and Mysterio almost went over the top, but managed to hold on to keep from being eliminated. Orlando Jordan was the first to be eliminated, followed by Funaki, Nunzio, Suzuki, Spike and RVD.
Back in the ring, Jindrak and Reigns worked on Eddie, while the Dudleys worked over Mysterio; Mysterio almost went over the ropes again, but his feet did not reach the ground. Bubba and D-Von Dudley were the next to be eliminated as the match went to a commercial.
Once the match returned from the break, Eddie and Luther were shown in battle, while Scotty 2 Hotty connected successfully with The Worm on Kidman before Scotty was eliminated by Angle. In a different twist, Dupree eliminated himself by going over the ropes to escape the advances of Rico, whom he had been doing battle. Not long after, Kidman was eliminated by Mysterio, followed by the eliminations of Jindrak, Rico and Eddie.
After the elimination of Luther, it was down to Angle and Mysterio. Angle body slammed Mysterio to the center of the ring, then put a boot to the throat of Mysterio. As Angle attempted to eliminate Mysterio, Mysterio managed to hold on to the ropes once again.
Mysterio applied a head scissors to Angle, followed by Angle trying to eliminate Mysterio by an ankle lock while Mysterio was on the top rope. Mysterio then booted Angle, with both ending up on the mat. Angle then kicked Mysterio, followed by a suplex. Once again, Angle attempted to eliminate Mysterio, but Mysterio hung on.
Mysterio went off the top rope with a drop kick; then countering Angle’s DDT. Mysterio went back to the top rope, followed by Angle, where they exchanged head butts and Mysterio applied a clothesline to Angle afterwards and Mysterio went to eliminate Angle; Angle held on.
Mysterio’s first 619 attempt was aborted by Angle, who put another suplex on Mysterio and attempted to put Mysterio out of the ring yet again. Mysterio not only hung on once again, but was in a position to successfully connect the 619 around a pole and eliminate Angle.
Winner and #1 Contender: Rey Mysterio
Backstage, Josh interviewed Mysterio about winning the battle royal and Mysterio was about to comment when he was interrupted by Carlito Caribbean Cool. Carlito said that guys that hid behind masks aren’t cool. Carlito also didn’t want to wait to defend his title, but wanted to defend it tonight…unless Mysterio had a problem wrestling two matches. Mysterio responded that he had no problem wrestling two matches, that little guys with masks like him were cool, and the match was on.
Josh asked Mysterio what he thought his chances of winning the US Title were, but before Mysterio could respond, Carlito blindsided Mysterio and spit apple on him.
Match #4: WWE Championship Hardcore Match: JBL vs. Hardcore Holly
Holly went into the match with gusto, kicking JBL in the midsection. JBL answered with a slug of his own, but missed Holly. Holly drop kicked JBL, then put JBL over the top rope. While going for steel garbage cans, Holly received a chop to the back of the neck by JBL, followed by Holly into the steel steps.
Once recovered, Holly struck JBL with a street sign, then four times with garbage can lids. Holly covered JBL, but JBL kicked out. Holly then bounced JBL off the announce table, with JBL hitting Holly on the skull with a TV monitor taken off the announce table. JBL then tossed the steel steps and some garbage cans into the ring, but was back dropped onto the announce table by Holly for the cover; JBL once again kicked out.
JBL put a boot to the skull of Holly, then both were back in the ring. A JBL piledriver was countered by Holly, who struck JBL and Jordan back and forth with the garbage cans that were in the ring. Holly had picked up the steel steps and was about to use them when he was struck by a steel chair by JBL, who covered Holly for the win.
Winner and Still WWE Champion: JBL
More footage of the effects of the attack on fans by Heidenreich last week was shown; Heindenreich MUST apologize….next.
Footage of English fans discussing attending Smackdown was also shown.
Paul Heyman and Heidenreich made their way into the ring, where Heyman offered a “sincere apology” to the fans for last week’s actions and assured all that it would never happen again. Heidenreich then growled that everyone got on his nerves, in which Heyman then grabbed the mic from him and asked him to read from a sheet of paper instead.
Heidenreich then read from the paper, which was his own “sincere apology.” He then said he apologized for what happened last week, but not for what he did to Undertaker at No Mercy. Heidenreich then challenged Undertaker to a fight “right here, right now,” and if Undertaker didn’t come out, Heidenreich was going to hurt someone.
He then proceeded to go out of the ring as if to look for someone to attack, despite Heyman protesting behind him. Back in the ring, Heidenreich appeared to about to attack Heyman but went into some kind of fit before lying down in the ring.
The segment was briefly broken by showing the highlights from the Reigns/Eddie match; but was brought back with Heidenreich still lying in the ring.
The promo that Chavo Guerrero will return next week aired.
Match #5: US Championship Match: Rey Mysterio vs. US Champion Carlito Caribbean Cool
The match began with a lockup, with Mysterio put into a corner of the ring. Carlito missed a slug to Mysterio, with Mysterio applying a choke hold to Carlito, that Carlito broke out of and whipped Mysterio across the ring, putting Mysterio onto the mat for the cover that Mysterio kicked out of.
Carlito put Mysterio into a corner once again, then placed Mysterio onto the top rope. Mysterio applied an elbow to the spine of Carlito and a kick to the ribs that knocked Carlito out of the ring. Mysterio then executed a flying cross body while Carlito was still outside of the ring; Mysterio returned inside the ring as the match went to a commercial break.
Upon returning from the break, Carlito had control of Mysterio; Mysterio fought back, then Carlito slammed Mysterio to the mat with both men going down. Once both were back up, Carlito slid Mysterio face first out of the ring, followed by Mysterio into the steel post shoulder first. Once both were back into the ring, Carlito went for the cover; Mysterio kicked out.
Carlito applied an armbar to Mysterio, with Mysterio breaking out and putting chops and Carlito a knee to the midsection of Mysterio. Mysterio then was put sternum first into the top turnbuckle before putting a kick to the face of Carlito, followed by a cross block and a cross body by Mysterio and a cover that Carlito kicked out of.
Carlito whipped Mysterio into a corner, with Mysterio applying a DDT to Carlito for another cover; kick out by Carlito. Mysterio was then put knee first onto the mat, with a key lock to the shoulder of Mysterio by Carlito, then a cover that Mysterio kicked out of.
Carlito slammed Mysterio to the mat, then went to the top rope, with a boot to the jaw of Carlito by Mysterio, followed by a springboard for the cover of Carlito; Carlito kicked out.
Mysterio kicked the midsection of Carlito; followed by the setup and connecting of the 619. Mysterio then went off the top rope, but was caught by Carlito, who applied an armbar to Mysterio. Mysterio slowly crawled toward the rope but was yanked to the center of the ring by Carlito. Mysterio attempted to go to the rope again, but this time was able to grab onto the rope and break the hold.
Carlito kicked Mysterio in frustration, followed by an elbow to the jaw of Carlito by Mysterio. Mysterio countered a rollup by Carlito, but Carlito managed to steal the win and hold onto the title.
Winner and Still US Champion: Carlito Caribbean Cool
Clips were shown of Tough Enough contestants.
Match #6: Eddie Guerrero vs. Luther Reigns
Right hand to Reigns by Eddie, followed by Eddie being whipped across the ring by Reigns. Eddie drop kicked Reigns, and Reigns put Eddie on the top rope, followed by some kicks to Eddie. Reigns stretched the back of Eddie, with Eddie breaking the hold by a knee to the face of Reigns. Luther suplexed Eddie and went for the cover that Eddie kicked out of.
Luther stretched the back of Eddie again; with Eddie put a knee to the jaw of Reigns, followed by some right hands to Reigns. After successfully completing two suplexes, the third to complete The Three Amigos was blocked by Reigns, but Eddie countered a neck breaker by Reigns. Eddie went to the top rope, but Jindrak came to the ring to interfere and was taken out by Eddie.
Reigns and Jindrak then put a two on one attack on Eddie, slamming him into the steel steps as the referee called for the bell to end the match. After the bell was rung, Reigns finished Eddie with a neck breaker.
Angle then came to the ring with scissors and clippers then threw the referee out of the ring. Reigns then had the clippers, but Big Show came out and attacked Jindrak and Reigns as Angle escaped from the ring and the two exchanged glares and words as the show ended.
POST-SHOW NOTES:
Tickets for Survivor Series go on sale Saturday, October 16. A press conference will be held at noon in Cleveland on Monday, October 18.
A special look will be given to the final eight contestants for the $1,000,000 Tough Enough on next week’s Smackdown.
Why wasn’t the US Championship match the main event tonight?
Did anyone notice the new titantron? No fist! I’m not sure if this is going to be a permanent fixture or if this is a one-time thing.
Miss Jackie was apparently part of the tour, but was not present at tonight’s Smackdown. It was announced that she was receiving therapy for a neck injury from the attack by Kidman on last week’s Smackdown.
Until next time…enjoy wrestling.