On Friday, April 14, 2006 at 11:00 PM EST WWE SmackDown!
Air Date: April 14, 2006
From: Green Bay, WI
Commentators: Michael Cole and Tazz
Reported by: Charlie Benjamin of WrestleView.com
Smackdown begins with the weekly opening video, we go inside the arena where we are told Chris Benoit will challenge for the United States Championship against JBL and the King Of The Ring tournament will start after a 4 year absence, when Kurt Angle takes on Randy Orton.
We see the ring and they King of the Ring thrown is set up and Booker T and Sharmell makes there way to the ring, they talk about the feeling of not having a Boogeyman around, they talk about the restraining order, keeping Boogeyman off SmackDown because he can't be around Booker T, he says but Teddy Long wants to still play games and cost him a match against some rookie(Gunner Scott), he says that it will never happen again, because he is great and he will prove it in the King of The Ring tournament.
Booker says that this tournament is a tournament that makes men great, Booker talks about this year's participants, Sharmell says that Booker was born to be King, Booker asks for the crowd to rise and then bow down, as he tries on the robe and crown, Lashley hits the ring and spears Booker out of his crown.
Clips shown form last week when Undertaker was attacked by a mystery man lead by Daivari.
And a look at Rey Mysterio's journey to the World Heavyweight title.
****COMMERCIAL****
Johnny Nitro w/ Mercury & Melina vs. Brian Kendrick
Knee to the stomach and a shot to the head, Kendrick off the ropes with a forearm, Nitro off the ropes but he hands on, he slide to the apron and Kendrick and he exchange blows, Kendrick drove into the ropes and a pin fall for two, a headlock applied, Kendrick battle out, Nitro throws him to the floor where, Mercury and Melina double team him, Nitro in control in the ring now, Nitro charges the corner, and delivers a shoulder thrust, Nitro comes storming in again, Kendrick moves to the outside, springboard dropkick,, flyng forearm, backbody drop, swinging face breaker, Kendrick is on fire, heel kick to the face, Kendrick going u top, Merucry pushes him off, roll up, Kendrick out, and London from literally out of no where over the top rope, takes care of Mercury, Melina and Nitro collide, Kendrick victory roll.
WINNER VIA PINFALL: BRIAN KENDRICK
Clips form the Regal and Burchill confrontation where they bet the looser would wear whatever clothes the opponent chose, Burchill then beat Regal and he will have to dress as a wench this evening.
Burchill walking backstage he comes up to the lockeroom door, and asks for Lady Regal, the door opens and he laughs, while we hear Regal complaining, but we don't get to see him.
****COMMERCIAL****
Regal is made to do a Burchill like entrance while dressed in his "wench" dress, he falls a few times but eventually makes it to the ring. They announce that Regal must dress like this every week until Burchill looses a match.
"Pirate" Paul Burchill vs. Rasheed Brown
They tie up and Brown shoves Burchill across the ring, Burchill gets a headlock and is thrown into the ropes, he hits a knee on the comeback, Brown rakes the eyes and pounds away at at Burchill, Regal gets up on the apron, the three men collide and Burchill comes out hitting the back flip urinagi.
WINNER VIA PINFALL: "PIRATE" PAUL BURCHILL
Krystal Marshall interviewing, Kurt Angle, Angle says first of all, he'd like to congratulate Rey Mysterio on winning the title, Angle says he lost because of Randy Orton and tonight he is going to take out all of his frustration on to Orton.
****COMMERCIAL****
They show a video of Bret Hart winning the 1993 King Of The Ring.
Matt Hardy vs. Road Warrior (Animal)
Hardy jumps Animal in the entrance way, Animal rams him into the edge of the ring and then the ring post, Animal clubbing away at Matt on the floor, Animal sends Hardy into the ring and goes and gets a chair, Matt catches Animal on his way in, he mounts and attacks Animal, twist of fate.
WINNER VIA PINFALL: MATT HARDY
A video is played showing Rey Mysterio's journey to the World Heavyweight Championship.
Up next Chris Benoit vs. JBL for the United States Championship.
****COMMERCIAL****
Palmer Cannon, gives a parental advisory for the upcoming video of Michael Mizanin.
We get a "Reality Check" from "The Miz" Mike Mizanin, who recaps his last few videos shot at WWE Headquarters.
JBL and Benoit make their way to the ring, just before the match starts Teddy Long comes out and says the match will be inside a Steel Cage.
WWE United States Championship
Steel Cage Match
JBL (c) vs. Chris Benoit
Benoit on the attack with boots in the corner, a few rights and lefts, Benoit rams JBL into the cage, he blocks, headbutt by Benoit, JBL firing back, JBL off the ropes shoulder block, he's going to escape, Benoit grabs a foot, and pulls JBL back in, battling on the top rope, JBL teeters off, Benoit going to the top, but JBL up in time to stop him, JBL with a back suplex, swinging neck breaker, and JBL trying to escape again, Benoit pulls him back, and lays in a chop, JBL crawling for safety, Benoit with a suplex, JBL blocks a sharpshooter, and takes control, JBL with an elbow drop and another, and a third, make it four, were up to a handful, a cover, but Benoit out at one, JBL with strikes in the corner, JBL climbing over the body of Benoit and up the cage, Benoit reaches up and stops JBL.
Benoit starting to unload the chops onto JBL now, a thumb to the eye and JBL trying to get out of the cage again, Benoit right behind him, Benoit shoved from the top rope, and JBL topples down too, suplex by JBL, going for a three amigos combination, Benoit blocks and a double leg take down, sharpshooter, JBL blocks, JBL mounting and throwing hard rights and lefts, Benoit with an armbar, fighting for the cross-face, Benoit with headbutts, and he pulls JBL up for a three amigos of his own, Benoit going up top, diving headbutt connects, Benoit climbing the cage, JBL right behind, side Russian leg sweep from the top rope.
****COMMERCIAL****
We come back, and JBL is at the receiving end of vicious headbutts, JBL stopping Benoit from escaping, electric chair drop, cover for 2, JBL applies a sleeper, Benoit counters with a back suplex, triple German suplexes now, no, JBL counters after two, he turns and hits a big boot, JBL going to the top, Benoit barley makes the save, German suplex from the top rope, Benoit crawling for the door, Jillian fighting with the referee to stop the door from being opened, JBL ends up getting whacked in the head with the door, cross-face, Jillian starts scaling the cage, JBL taps but the referee is distracted, JBL rolls up Benoit, for a 2, JBL crawling for the door now, Benoit going for a suplex, JBL with a low blow, and he escapes through the door.
WINNER VIA ESCAPE: JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD
The Great Kahli is next.
****COMMERCIAL****
They show clips of Austin winning the King of The Ring in 1996.
Highlights of the Mark Henry vs. Undertaker match and the debut of who is known as the Great Kahli.
Daivari grabs a mic and says the Undertaker is no more because in the ring is the real Phenom, the Great Khali, he talks about walking through a jungle by himself, Great Khali takes over the mic, and I honestly have no idea what he said yet, Daivari take over again and tells every one to worship the Great Khali.
****COMMERCIAL****
They run the video promoting "See No Evil" starring Kane.
The Mexicools vs. The Gymini w/ Simon Dean
The Gymini have been named they are Jake and Jesse, it starts off with Jesse and Psicosis, Jeese sits Psi on the top rope and sends him to the floor, Crazy down to protect his partner is sent over a lawn tractor, Psi and Jesse back in and Jesse with boots to Psi, the tag to Jake and a double suplex, a cover but Psi kicks out, a body slam and Crazy is attacked by Jake, a double powerbomb on Psi, Crazy break sup the pinfall, Jesse back in and a body slam he goes to the second rope an gets caught with a boot to the jaw, a tag to Crazy, he comes off the top with a dropkick.
Springboard dropkick to Jake and a baseball slide to the outside, Crazy avoids a clothesline and hits a tornado DDT, Jake breaks the count, the Gymini play the old switch, and a belly-to-belly on Crazy.
WINNERS VIA PINFALL: THE GYMINI
****COMMERCIAL****
Kurt Angle comes to the ring.
****COMMERCIAL****
King of the Ring - First Round
Kurt Angle vs. Randy Orton
Orton hides in the ropes trying to avoid locking up with Angle, Angle gets frustrated and hits clotheslines, a belly-to-belly by Angle, and a clothesline send Orton to the floor, Angle goes out after Orton and brings him back in, anklelock, Angle is sent flying into the steel post, Orton starts pulling at the arm and shoulder. kicks to the stomach, and Orton again tearing at the arm, arm wringer, and a jumping arm bar, he hangs on applying more pressure to the shoulder, armdrag by Angle, sunset flip, Angle rolls through and applies the anklelock, and Orton uses the weak shoulder of Angle to escape, dropkick by Orton.
Orton with an armbar, Orton moves up to the headlock, Angle elbowing out of the headlock, and an elbow by Orton sends Angle to the mat, and a pin, for a 2, Orton right to the a again, a top wrist lock, Angle charges at Orton, and he is dumped over the top rope to the floor, Orton goes to suplex, Angle into the ring, and Orton is sent to the floor via suplex.
Angle catching his breathe as Orton does the same on the outside, German suplex by Angle, a second and a third, Angleslam countered into the 3 point O backbreaker, cover and a kickout, RKO blocked into the anklelock, he grapevines the leg, Orton taps.
WINNER VIA SUBMISSION: KURT ANGLE
****COMMERCIAL****
Angle reapplies the anklelock, Angle leaves but comes back and again re-applies the anklelock, and Orton screams that Angle has broken his ankle. Thoughts
Chris Benoit vs. JBL - **
Nitro vs. Kendrick - **
Angle vs. Orton - *1/2
Mexicools vs. The Gymini - *
Hardy vs. Animal - 1/2
Burchill vs. Brown - Squash
Cheers and Jeers
Cheers:
Angle
Benoit
London/Kendrick
Jeers:
Orton
JBL
Booker T
Great Khali
Odds and Sods
Not the best SmackDown but it was decent, a lot of short short matches.
The Great Khali is absolutely impossible to understand, that's bad.
Poor Regal forced to dress as a woman again.
I guess Orton's gone for a while with a "broken ankle" and suspension, who knows what his future is.