WWE Smackdown for December 30th, 2004. Taped from New Orleans, LA.
Report by Brad Jennette, EXCLUSIVELY for www.insidepulse.
Welcome to the show!
Teddy introduces us to the biggest Smackdown of the year, the “Night of Champions” where all the champions are putting their titles on the line against challengers of their choosing. Teddy tells us that 2005 will be off the hizzle fo shizzle.
John Cena comes out with his hideous customized US title belt. He gets on the mic and a nice “Cena” chant breaks out. Cena is wearing a throwback Saints Archine Manning jersey. Cena says tonight he is starting a revolution. He says from this point on, there are no more John Cena fans, only the “chain gang” as he points to his chain. Cena pumps up the crowd then he walks into the crowd and gives out hugs and handpounds to the fans. Cena gives his jersey to a little kid as another “Cena” chant breaks out. The “French Phenom” Rene Dupree comes out and says that he is Cena’s challenger and
United States Championship Match: John Cena (c) vs Rene Dupree
Cena attacks Dupree before the bell, not allowing him to disrobe. Cena takes Dupree down and pounds away. Cena hits a suplex then follows it up with a hybrid fisherman’s buster suplex. Cena puts on Dupree’s robe, mocks the OUTRAGEOUS FRENCH TICKLER, and hits the five knuckle shuffle. Cena pumps up the shoes and Dupree bails. Cena runs him down and sends him back in the ring. Dupree attacks Cena as he climbs through the ropes, focusing on the kidney. Dupree sits Cena on the top rope and climbs up looking for a superplex. Cena shoves him down but misses a flying crossbody. Dupree does the OUTRAGEOUS FRENCH TICKLER but that just pisses Cena off. Cena tackles Dupree and sends him to the corner. Cena charges but eats back elbow. Dupree tries a slam, but Cena counters and then hotshots him on the top rope. Cena pumps up the kicks and hits the FU slam on Dupree for the 1-2-3!
Winner and STILL US Champion – John Cena
Backstage, YOUR WWE Champion JBL & Amy Weber are discussing their plans for tonight when they run into Joy Giovanni. Amy gets in Joy’s face and makes fun of her about her weight. They exchange fat insults until JBL gets in Joy’s face. Big Show comes out from behind a door and backs JBL off. Show tells JBL to put the title on the line again him TONIGHT. JBL says he will take it into consideration as he and Amy walk off.
The Kurt Angle invitational is next.
Commercial break.
“Kurt Angle Invitational” – Kurt Angle vs Matt Stryker
Angle comes out with a police escort protecting his Olympic Gold Medal from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Angle gets on the mic and says he would like address the WWE champion JBL. Angle puts JBL over…. says he loves animals and kids. Angle says he thinks JBL should challenge Kurt Angle for the title tonight. Angle says he will prove he should be the #1 contender by continuing the Kurt Angle Invitational. The kid introduces
Angle cheapshots him with the mic busting his head open and then takes him down. Angle roughs him up in the ropes splitting his forehead open even more. They do some matwork with Angle winning easily. Stryker actually grabs a standing waistlock, but Angle counters it almost instantly and puts him in the ankle lock for the instant tapout victory.
Winner – Kurt Angle
Backstage, RVD and Rey are drinking coffee and going over their potential candidates (Bashams, Honor Society, Haas/Holly, Moolah/Mae) when Booker and Eddy walk up. They ask the champions for a title shot and then start celebrating their victory a little early. Rey and RVD walk off leaving Book and Eddy celebrating alone.
Commercial break.
They recap Heidenreich vs Undertaker from last week in Iraq. They show a graphic of Taker vs Heidenreich at Royal Rumber with the sitpulation being the Undertaker’s choice. I’m guessing a casket match.
Backstage, Daniel Puder is walking around introducing himself to people as “Daniel Puder Tough Enough Champion” and shaking hands. Puder sits down and accidentally knocks down someone’s bags. Puder starts unpacking his bags when Hardcore Holly walks up. Holly gets in Puder’s face and tells him he hasn’t proven anything. Holly says he has been around for 11 years whereas Puder just trained for 8 weeks. Puder goes into supercocky dick heel mode and says its too bad its taken Holly so long. Puder asks Holly if he has ever been in the main event of Wrestlemania. Puder says he will win the Rumble and go on to Wrestlemania. Holly tells him he has a lot to learn and walks off disgusted.
Elsewhere, JBL and his staff Orlando Jordan and Amy Weber walk into Teddy Long’s office with a fishbowl. They tell Long they are going to randomly pick out and name and challenge whoever it is to the WWE title match. JBL pulls out a name and looks concerned. JBL tries to put the name back but Teddy demands he use that name. JBL walks off concerned.
JBL (w/Orlando Jordan and Amy Weber) gets in the ring with a very upset look on his face. He hands Tony Chimmel the name and it’s Shannon Moore!
WWE Championship Match – JBL (c) vs Shannon Moore
JBL runs right at Shannon on the outside and big boot’s Shannon in the face. JBL tosses Shannon into the barricade then the steel steps. JBL rolls Shannon in the ring and hits a powerbomb. JBL then hits TWO short arm clothelines from hell to finish this slaughter.
Winner and STILL WWE champion – JBL
Teddy Long’s music hits and he bebops to the ring as we take a commercial break. Teddy Long wants to take a look at that fishbowl to make sure JBL isn’t playing the fans. Amy tries to run off with the fishbowl, but Joy comes out of nowhere, takes the bowl and cracks Amy in the face with it! Teddy walks over to the bowl and reads the names which are all Shannon Moore. JBL blames it on Orlando Jordan saying it was an honest mistake. Teddy says JBL might have picked the opponent tonight, but at Royal Rumble, HE is picking the opponent. Teddy announces JBL vs Kurt Angle at Royal Rumble! Angle comes out and he and JBL argue for a bit when Teddy announces he left someone out. For the WWE title match at Royal Rumble it will be JBL vs Kurt Angle vs The Big Show! Big Show comes out and both heels clear the ring scared.
Commercial break.
Backstage, Carlito Caribbean Cool is talking with Josh “Not Cool” Matthews. Carlito says that he is going to announce his New Year’s Resolution. Carlito says Teddy Long is unfair for making him defend his US title against Cena while he was injured. Carlito says his New Year’s resolution is to make sure that Teddy Long gets fired as General Manager. Carlito takes a big bite of apple and fakes spitting it in Josh’s face before walking off. Josh starts to talk when Carlito pops back in the picture and spits the apple in his face!!
Heidenreich comes to the ring and gets on the mic. He says he isn’t afraid of the Undertaker. He says he cost Taker the title two different times. Heidenreich polls the crowd on if he has fear in his heart. Heidenreich says he spared the Undertaker last week in Iraq. Heidenreich says the Royal Rumble will be Taker’s final resting place. The lights go out and the gongs hit. Taker’s voice comes on the PA and he says that at the Royal Rumble, Heidenreich will rest in peace. Four druids then wheel a casket down to the ring and leave it at ringside. Heidenreich freaks out and slowly crawls towards the casket. Heidenreich touches the casket and tells himself that its ok. All of a sudden, the casket pops open and Taker quickly sits up out of the casket and stares down Heidenreich as we go to break.
Commercial break.
Backstage, Luther and Jindrak are backstage with Josh. They want RVD and Rey to pick them. The Basham’s walk up and say the same thing and finally Eddy and Booker walk up and say that THEY are getting the title shot.
Cruiserweight Championship: Funaki (c) vs Spike Dudley
Funaki starts off with a quick armdrag and dropkick. Funaki slams Spike into the turnbuckle a few times. Funaki tries a 10 punch count in the corner but Spike counters with a powerbomb for 2. Spike scoopslams Funaki and looks for the double stop, but Funaki moves. Spike works Funaki all over the ring until Funaki comes back with a desperation enzeguri. Funaki hits a running bulldog for 2. Spike whips Funaki into the ropes and hits a surprise sunset flip for the 1-2-3!
Winner and STILL Cruiserweight Champion – Funaki
They show a recap of last week’s trip to Iraq.
Backstage, Michelle McCool and two other sluts are talking backstage about some guy. They all talk about how they are scared to approach this particular person. They walk up and its John Cena. He acts all nervous as they make several sexual innuendos towards him. He thinks they are talking about his dick, but its actually his US title belt. Cena laughs as the girls spin his titles.
Raw Rebound: Batista is the last man out of the chambers and HBK is the special referee.
Backstage, RVD and Rey are backstage with Josh. He asks them who they picked to face tonight. RVD says Dawn Marie and Torrie Wilson. Rey tells him to get serious and they announce they will face Eddy and Booker T tonight for the titles. Rey says after they win, THEN they will face Dawn Marie and Torrie Wilson.
Commercial break.
WWE Tag Team Championship – Flying High (c) vs Booker T and Eddy Guerrero
Eddy and Booker get their own entrance which is sort of surprising I guess. Eddy and Book grab the titles and hold them up before the match. Eddy and Rey start us off. Eddy grabs a quick headlock into an armbar. Rey comes back with a quick armdrag. Eddy takes Rey down with a snapmare and puts it into a hammerlock. Rey hits a flying snapmare and then a monkeyflip on Eddy who tags out to Booker. Booker backs Rey into the corner and punches him down. Booker whips Rey into the ropes but gets dropkicked. RVD tags in to a nice RVD chant. Booker hits a right hand but walks into a back elbow. RVD hits a flying crossbody and goes into a chinlock. Booker hits a back suplex but RVD holds the chinlock. Booker elbows his way out but misses a side kick. RVD hits a spinkick for 2. RVD tags in Rey and they hit the 4:20 double team legdrop for 2. Things break down as all four men enter the ring and brawl. RVD gets dumped to the floor by Booker as Eddy sends Rey to the floor. The champs take a quick breather as we take a commercial.
Commercial break.
We come back with Booker sending Rey shoulder first into the ringpost. Booker hits a sidekick and follows it up with a suplex. Eddy follows THAT with his slingshot senton for 2. Eddy goes to a very nasty unorthodox lifting shoulder submission. Booker comes in and hits a spinkick for 2. Booker tries two more covers and gets 2’s both times. Booker hits some chops and tags in Eddy who hits a high and tight back suplex for 2. Eddy locks in a back armlock but Rey fights out. Rey hits a flying tornado DDT but hurts his arm more. Rey hits a hot tag to RVD who takes Eddy out with a lariat and then a northern lights suplex for 2. RVD hits a kick and then hits the ***** star frog splash on Eddy for 2, broken up by Booker! Eddy desperately sends RVD into the post as Booker tags back in the ring. Booker works over RVD in the corner with chops. Booker T hits a bicycle kick for 2, as Rey saves. Eddy tags back in and he hits the three amigos… 1…2… Rey saves! Booker tags back in and he kicks RVD in the ribs once, twice, three times. Booker goes to a rear naked choke on RVD. RVD fights to his feet and elbows his way out, but Booker throws him down to the mat. Booker T hits the Bookend clean in the middle of the ring for the 1…2… Rey saves again! RVD counters a slam into the turnbuckle with a kick to the face of Booker T. Rey hot tags Rey as Eddy tags in. Rey hits a seated senton on Eddy, a flying armdrag on Eddy, then a spinkick on Booker. Rey sends Eddy up top and hits an old school rana from the top rope 1….2…. Booker saves! Things break down as Rey hits the 6-1-9 on Booker, but Eddy takes Rey down and out. Booker comes back and accidentally bumps the ref with a sidekick and then scissors kicks Rey down, but RVD takes him out with a rana over the top. Eddy finds himself in the ring as the last man standing. Eddy seems to be fighting his own conscience about if he should cheat or not. He eventually decides to cheat and he grabs the title belt and tosses it in Rey lap. This actually doesn’t make sense because Rey would get DQ’ed and they would retain the titles. Tazz picks up on this as well. Anyway, Nick Patrick finds Rey with the belt in his arms and Eddy “knocked out” on the mat. Patrick questions Rey as Eddy sits up and waves! Nick Patrick turns around and sees Eddy waving! Eddy argues with Patrick as Rey rolls him up with a victory roll for the 1-2-3! Very entertaining match!
Winners and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions – Flying High
End of Show.
