» On Friday, February 11, 2005 at 9:15 AM EST WWE Smackdown
February 10, 2005
LOCATION: Saitama, Japan
ANNOUNCERS: Michael Cole and Tazz
With No Way Out just ten days away, both predictable and exciting moments were all part of tonight’s episode of Smackdown. Here are this week's results:
Match #1: Eddie Guerrero vs. Kenzo Suzuki
The Japanese fans seemed to dislike Kenzo, as even the “Eddie” chants were audible at the beginning of the match, along with the “Kenzo Sucks” chants!
Kenzo started off with some advantage with the usual kicks and chops, before Eddie managed to get out of the corner and then got clotheslined by Kenzo. After a knee to the sternum of Eddie, he got Eddie in a couple of choke holds and slammed to the mat a few other times.
Eddie then came back strong with a few knockdowns and right hands, followed by a back body drop on Kenzo and connecting with the Three Amigos.
Eddie then picked up the win by finishing off Kenzo with a frog splash.
Winner: Eddie Guerrero
Angle, Jindrak and Reigns were backstage, with Kurt carrying on about his match tonight. He said when he beats Mysterio tonight, he will go straight to the finals and thanks to “his boys,” Undertaker would not be advancing to the next level. Reigns got in his past history and about how he stared death in the eye, and he wasn’t scared of neither caskets nor the Undertaker. Angle then assured them that they would win the tag titles from the Bashams.
Match #2: WWE Tag Team Championship: The Basham Brothers vs. Luther Reigns & Mark Jindrak
These guys were fired up, starting off with a ‘staring contest’ between the four of them.
Doug had a great takedown on Jindrak, working Jindrak over in the early part of the match. Luther came in and dominated for a bit over Doug; the intensity on the part of Luther was apparent.
Jindrak then delivered a suplex to Doug, and then missed an elbow to a downed Doug when Doug moved out of the way. Jindrak then delivered another suplex, and followed with a hold, which Danny broke up.
The match was then interrupted by the entrance music of the Undertaker, who then interfered and attacked Reigns and Jindrak, ending yet another short match in a draw.
Winners: No Contest
Clips of Japanese fans that were at this week’s show were aired.
Joy was shown in the ring shooting T-shirts to the crowd.
Kenzo and Hiroko were backstage. Hiroko talked about how she will work over Torrie in their upcoming match. As Hiroko left, Kenzo had this weird smile on his face.
JBL and Amy were also backstage, JBL complaining about the Steel Cage Match and saying over and over about how his could not make it out of this match, and if they could do something that drastic to him, he could do something drastic to Big Show. He then talked about tranquilizing gun used on Show previously by Angle and how they could do the same to him. Show then wouldn’t make No Way Out, and JBL wouldn’t then have to be in “that barbaric match.” JBL then went to the floor after it appeared he had been shot with the tranquilizer gun by Amy; all wondered what happened, including Jordan, who came into the picture shortly after the "accident". JBL, getting up, insisted he was fine and asked for a glass of water.
Torrie was backstage getting ready for her kimono match.
Japanese legend Akebono was then shown in the audience.
Match #3: Funaki vs. Chavo Guerrero for the Cruiserweight Championship
Chants of “Funaki” were audible as the CW Champ made his way to the ring.
The match started with both mostly circling the ring and working the crowd.
Chavo seemed to have the advantage once the match got underway. Chavo even got in a cheap shot on Funaki at one point. For the first half of the match, things were not looking well for Funaki, especially when Chavo had gotten him into an octopus hold.
Funaki then came back full steam, delivering some right hands and forearms to Chavo, followed by a back body drop. An inverted DDT was aborted, then Funaki and Chavo went off the top rope in a suplex, sending both down on the mat.
Chavo was then dropped on his face by Funaki, who then followed through with a successful tornado DDT and pinned Chavo for the win.
Winner and Still Cruiserweight Champion: Funaki
Carlito was backstage chatting with a Japanese guard, talking about Theordore Long not being present and by this time next week, he wouldn’t be GM. JBL then came up and looking a little off, made fun of Carlito, calling him a raccoon head. Jordan then asked if JBL was OK, and JBL assured him he would beat Cena, then went off in some gibberish mode. JBL then yelled “What are you looking at?” at a giant plastic dinosaur!
A promo for the No Way Out PPV was shown, touting the cage match.
The Wrestlemania 21 commercial with Stacy, Moolah and Mae was shown--totally hilarious at the end!
Match #4: WWE US Champion John Cena vs. Orlando Jordan--WWE Title Tournament Quarter-Final
Cena cut one of his usual promos, this time aimed at Jordan.
Jordan immediately went to work on Cena, getting in a few boxing moves and chops before getting hip tossed and suplexed by Cena. Cena then got the upper hand, going to work on Jordan in the corner of the ring.
Jordan then did a takedown to Cena in the center of the ring, followed by a couple of elbows to the sternum of Cena. It seemed at this point in the match to turn into a slug fest between the two.
Jordan then got Cena into a choke hold, followed by a neck breaker for the cover; Cena kicked out of that one. More forearms, chops and high elbows to Cena. Cena then responded with a head butt and a shoulder knockdown to Jordan, followed by a side slam, five-knuckle shuffle connecting.
At the end of the match, Cena connected with the FU on Jordan.
Winner and Advance to Semi-Finals: John Cena
Jordan came back to apologize to JBL for losing the match, only to find him missing. He and Amy went back and forth about where JBL had gone, then split up to look for him. Amy then whined about how this “was all her fault.”
Match #5: Torrie Wilson vs. Hiroko--Kimono Bra and Panty Match
Just another typical, boring diva match; if you went to the bathroom or kitchen during this, you didn’t miss anything special; Barbie…uh, Torrie, won as usual. No surprise there.
From what I could see, the Japanese crowd appeared as bored with this as I was, if not more so.
Winner: Torrie Wilson
As Torrie made her way back up the ramp, a very tranquilized JBL dragged out the giant plastic dinosaur and made his way into the ring as the show broke to a commercial.
Upon return from the break, JBL was talking to the dinosaur, saying he wasn’t afraid of him, and calling Big Show a dinosaur, his name was Barney, and he liked pizza. JBL would beat the dinosaur the way he would beat Big Show, because he wasn’t scared of him, and the stripped down to his underwear and egged the dinosaur to ‘fight’ him. Funny stuff.
Big Show then came out to the ring and stared down JBL before JBL fell on his behind and said that he’d leave ‘you two dinosaurs to talk to each other and I’ll get out of here.‘ Then all the sudden, he came out of his haze (it was a work!) and assaulted Show with the Clothesline from Hell, followed by more attacks from both JBL’s cabinet and his cabinet. A steel chair then missed Show and he began cleaning house with both JBL and Company.
During the break, Show then talked about himself and JBL in the Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match at No Way Out, and what he could do to JBL without even breaking a sweat. He also said that there was only one giant in Japan that could relate to being a giant---Akebono.
Big Show then called Akebono into the ring, wanting to know what a grand champion was made of, both staring each other down in which looked like a confrontation from where I was sitting at first, but then shook hands and Show raised Akebono’s hand in the air.
The matches currently confirmed for No Way Out were announced.
Kurt was telling Rey backstage not to get his hopes up about their match, calling Rey a jumping bean. Rey told Kurt not to underestimate the little guy, and when he wins, the joke will be on Kurt.
More scenes from Japan were shown.
Match #6: Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio --WWE Title Tournament Quarter-Final
Tonight’s winner of this match automatically advanced to the #1 Contender Finals at No Way Out.
This was quite an impressive match, both giving their all. No doubt should no one underestimate Rey!
Both were on top of their game, going move for move against each other. At one in the match, Rey put an impressive head scissors on Kurt, but missed the 619 when Kurt got out of the way. Equally impressive were the takedowns and side head locks by Kurt on Rey.
Outstanding belly to belly suplex was done by Angle when the match went to a commercial break.
During the break, another commercial for No Way Out was aired in the Pittsburgh viewing area.
Upon returning to the match, Kurt had control over Rey, but Rey somehow got loose from the headlock and knocked Kurt outside the ring. Kurt had gotten up, but Rey had done a cross body off the top rope to the outside of the ring, sending both down outside of the ring.
Back in the ring, Kurt delivered one of his outstanding German suplexes, followed by a backbreaker for three covers in a row, but Rey kicked out of all three of them. Kurt then got Rey in the corner, head butting him in the back before delivering another suplex to Rey.
It appeared during this part that Kurt was dominating the match over Rey, in an attempt to wear Rey down. But Rey wasn’t going down easily, with Kurt eventually going outside the ring again. Rey got in a baseball slide and both were outside the ring, but got back in before they were counted out.
Rey got in a DDT and went for the cover, but Kurt just got up the shoulder to break the count. Kurt was then set up for the 619, but Kurt reversed it to an ankle lock that Rey got out of. Kurt got in a suplex, but got set up for a 619 when he went for a second one; Rey connected with it this time. Rey’s springboard was caught by Kurt that went into an Angle Slam and arm drag.
Both continued going move for move, until after counter after counter, Kurt got in another Angle Slam on Rey, followed by another ankle lock, and Rey had no other alternative but to tap out.
Winner and Advancing to the Finals: Kurt AnglePOST-SHOW NOTES:
At this particular show, 17,778 fans total were in attendance.
Six matches in the whole two hours (well, technically, five real matches and one “fluff” match)….I was LIKING IT! The only two that really seemed to be of any decent length were the Angle/Mysterio match and the Cruiserweight match….not that I am complaining!
The set for this show looked great; much better than the cheesy fist set they had for years. It would be nice to see it as a permanent change, though I am not counting on it for some reason.
Is it me or did every Japanese superstar save Funaki lose tonight?
A press conference for No Way Out will be held Tuesday, February 15 at the Igloo Club at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, beginning at noon. Angle is scheduled to be present at the conference.
“Enemy” will be the theme song for this year’s No Way Out.
Next week: The final Smackdown before No Way Out comes from Cleveland, OH.
Until then, enjoy wrestling!