Following are WWE Smackdown and Velocity taping results from Reno, NV, according to Mike King and WrestlingObserver.com:
Dark (?) Match (Velocity lights were on, cameras were on and an announcement was made, but the announcers didn’t come out until after this match, so I dunno if this was a Dark or Velocity match): Scotty 2 Hotty over Matt Stryker w/ the Worm.
Velocity announcers come out.
Juventud over Paul London w/ the Juvi Driver to keep the WWE [Cruiserweight] Belt. Good match that’ll likely play better on television with both playing face. Nice fast-paced spot that was fun in the middle.
It was funny to see a WWE guy take out Juvi’s lawn mower.
Christian over Brian Kendrick with the Unprettier. Good amount of offense from Kendrick. Christian with a lot of cheers during the match.
William Regal & Paul Burchill went to a “no result announced” against the LoD (Animal & Heidenreich) when several teams ran in. First time I’ve seen Burchill and he looked pretty good. Heidenreich’s skull facepaint looks a bit too cartoonish for my taste and I’m shocked that he hasn’t had his ringwear LoD-ized. MnM, Super Crazy & Psicosis, and the Tolands all ran in.
Sign Of The Night that made it onto the big screen but won’t make it out of editing: “Are you sure this isn’t Thunder?”.
Tazz & Michael Cole come out to start SmackDown!.
SD! opens with a retelling of the Booker T/Sharmell saga that leads us to tonight’s title match.
Booker T over Benoit to win the US Title. During the match Benoit did a dive to the outside and took what looked like a hellacious bump into the announcer’s table with the small of his back when he appeared to overshoot Booker somewhat. Towards the end of the match Sharmell attempted to toss a chair into the ring but Benoit caught her in the act. By the time he turned to Booker, Booker’d been able to recover, delivered a quick flurry, sent Benoit into the ropes, where Sharmell delivered a low blow when Booker wasn’t looking, then, seeing the Benoit was doubled over, hit the Axe Kick for the pin and the win.
Quick vignette with Booker thrilled to win and Sharmell happy for him until Benoit showed up and accused Sharmell of interference. Booker ended things by calling Benoit a sore loser. Someone should TiVo SmackDown! for Booker this Friday if he can’t watch it! Or at least show him the friggin’ tape!
Vignette w/ Cowboy Bob Orton claiming an injured back is taking him out of the tag match. Teddy Long says Randy can find a new partner or take on Batista & Eddie Guerrero in a handicap match.
JBL interview where the incident at last night’s RAW is replayed where The Big Show/Edge match is interrupted by Edge and Edge vowing revenge since it cost him the match. JBL denies having anything to do with the incident.
Matt Hardy over Simon Dean with the Twist of Fate. I’d heard that Matt was supposed to be introed to SD! on Christian’s Peep Show, but that was never part of the taping. In fact, Matt got no time on the microphone at all. Good response from the crowd though. Small “Nova” chant for a short time during the match. Pretty anticlimactic for Matt and his fans I’d say, though his debut was promoed a few times before the match.
Rey Mysterio went up against JBL in another “no result announced” match when Edge’s music and video started playing after Rey’s 619. Edge hit the ring and Gored, er Speared Rey, then stared at JBL who quickly chased after the retreating Edge. While Rey was getting up Chris Masters hit the ring and put him in the Masterlock for a few seconds until Shoichi Funaki led several of the Junior Divison/Cruiserweights/whatever they’re being called in to help Rey out and was himself quick dispatched as were Paul London and Scotty 2 Hotty. I think two others came out but never made it into the ring and weren’t shown on the replay. After Masters dispatched them as well, Hardcore Holly and the LoD came in for the save.
After a pause that I assume was a commercial break where we saw Nunzio w/Vito come out to his music, we saw Rey in the locker room with a lot of the SD! wresters both heel and face. Teddy Long asked if he was okay and Rey said he wanted Long to work his magic because he wanted Edge.
Turns out Vito was wrestling, even though his name never showed in Nunzio’s video, Bobby Lashley. My first time seeing Lashley and he’s got some impressive power, pulling out several tough-looking suplexes at the end before finishing Vito off with his version of the Dominator.
Palmer Cannon was telling Teddy Long about his “NTI” (New Talent Initiative), which he credited as the reason Matt Hardy was now on SD! (boy did HIS stock drop fast or what?!) and introduced Long to the new division on SmackDown!: The Juniors! Out comes Mascarita Sagrada, two others (not sure, but another masked mini who looked like Pierroth in red, white, and blue, and possibly the Heart Throbs’ “Pocket Rocket”), as well as one more slightly larger luchadore: BRAZO DE PLATA! Super Porky himself! And he was called just that by Palmer! Sagrada and I think the other two minis were also named. Porky was of course eating what looked like a ham. FUNNY segment for those who know a little about Mexican wrestling!
I was PRAYING that Brazo de Plata would get to do the same entrance that he does in CMLL, but that was the Juniors’ only appearance.
A WWE 24/7 ad ran with Madusa’s trash-canning the WWF’s Women’s Title on Nitro clip included.
Sylvain vs. Hardcore Holly started during a backstage interview and went on through the blackout of a commercial break before coming into the ring where Holly won with an Alabama Slam on Sylvain through a table. Those who miss it might think Sylvain juiced, but it was likely the ketchup Holly spritzed on him at a concession stand.
Nice vignette where Eddie is acting heartfelt towards the trust that Batista has shown him after watching Rey getting attacked made him start to think about what happened to him since he wand Benoit held their belts up together at WrestleMania. He finished up by saying that Batista shaking his hand after their PPV match where batista was the better man brought tears to his eyes but was called on that little detail by Batista. Eddie replied “Okay, I lied!” and they did a good job of selling that Eddie can’t seem to BS Batista (something they sort of did at one point during Batista vs. 3H).
Randy Orton came out alone in what appeared to be a handicap match. After Eddie and Batista came out (and Batista’s pyro is LOUD in person!) Randy leaned over and the announcer said that Randy’s partner was Mr. Kennedy. Nothing special of a match with Cowboy Bob Orton coming out to distract the referee while Batista pinned Randy. Kennedy was about to come off the top rope with a chair but Eddie got on top of Batista. Kennedy hesitated then blasted Eddie with the chair. Batista got up and, after a cheap shot from the Senior Orton, was beaten down by the three men with Eddie pretty much out of it. The threesome walked off and right into Teddy Long, who then said that next week all three of them would face Eddie, Batista, and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in a six-man tag match next week.
There was a pregnant pause here, but the cameras were still going and Tazz and Michael Cole were still out, so I don’t know if this was a Dark Match or not, but Batista recovered enough to say that he wanted Randy Orton now and was willing to put the title on the line. Long agreed, sent Cowboy Bob Orton and Mr. Kennedy to the back and Eddie was assisted to the back, as Batista went over Orton with the Demon Bomb. Batista sold being pretty banged up before getting up and saluting the crowd.
Now I’ve never been to a television taping before and this was one weird expreience. I didn’t know that the SD! stage screens pretty much show what looks like the show minus Tazz and Cole’s commentary, including replays during matches. I also didn’t know that they really do pause for commercial breaks, which, since it’s a TAPING, still seems odd to me. At least they started playing some filler material after several commercial breaks to give us something to look at.
As I said, Lawlor was nowhere near full, but from what I could see on the screen it didn’t look like it showed. The only part that might be telling was that the entrance area/stage was pretty close to the ring.
I haven’t watched SD! in a LONG time, so several people were completely new to me. That said, if SD!’s having problems attracting fans, I don’t think it’s a problem with the talent as there’s some that is pretty underexposed and underutilized, based on this single exposure to them I’ve had. Paul Burchill and Bobby Lashley come quickly to mind.
Credit: Michael King and WrestlingObserver.com
