– Yes, that headline is true, with this one done and in the books, I have completed my whole video/tape library with the NeelDown reviews. This one I’ve had sitting around since No Way Out 2005 which I got too a LONG time ago, and for some reason I kept avoiding this one. After doing it, now I know why. It obviously was only about 1/4 the size it used to be, after in the last few years I have given most of them to the more “needier” per se folks, or sold them. It was actually not very big at all, just a mixture of current to recent WWE DVD’s, TNA, WCW, NJPW, even a WWA event, and the occasional mix in of older WWF events from the 90’s, and even some earlier with WrestleMania III and so fourth. But fear not, this is NOT the last video review I’m ever going to do. I am getting a fresh batch on loan soon from a buddy of mine, a heaping load of tapes at that, a lot of them being WCW tapes, which I didn’t do much of the first time around, and which I have got a lot of mail about. So with round one under our belts, hope to see you back for round two … and don’t hesitate to e-mail me with comments about this little first go. Lucky fan gets an autographed mug.
The NeelDown: Judgement Day 2004
– From Los Angeles, California
– Hosts are Tazz & Michael Cole
Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam v. The Dudley Boyz
The Dudleyz jump RVD to start and D’Von does some ILLEGAL CHOKING. Bubba adds and illegal boot from the apron, God forbid, and continues isolating RVD. More illegal choking by Bubba. The buildup here is that the Dudley have been doing some hit and runs on RVD or something. RVD fights back with spinkicks and the monkey flip out of the corner. D’Von comes in, but he just gets his team dumped, and RVD follows with a somersault plancha and Mysterio with a crossbody. For the record, this is one of those rare occasions when Rey is wearing a shirt during his match, must be a new one available exclusively on ShopZone, which is one of his many random self-marketing device schemes. RVD takes down D’Von and goes for the Rolling Thunder but Bubba cheap shots him. Bubba pulls down the ropes sending RVD tumbling to the floor, where they work him over. They continue isolating RVD for a while until he sweeps Bubba and makes the hot tag to Rey who comes in with a senton and cleans house. Crossbody gets two. Bubba knocks him down with a punch. “Nothing more effective than a punch to the face,” adds Tazz. A headscissors and dropkicks sends Bubba to 619 position but D’Von trips him up. Rey gets caught coming in and dropped over the top rope. D’Von tries a legdrop, but he just drops his ass on Rey’s face, then locks in an OPENING MATCH CHIN LOCK. He follows with a slam and tags in Bubba who pounds away, yadda x3. A suplex and some cocky slaps ensue. D’Von adds some boot choking. Geez, spare Tazz and Cole from having to announce the word “illegal” for once in this match. I’m surprised Cole hasn’t thrown a hissyfit yet. Rey is able to get the CRAZY BULLDOG and hot tag to RVD but the ref doesn’t see it and the Dudleyz add to the assault. Bubba gets a spinebuster for two. Interesting sequence sees Rey hung in the tree of woe but he gets a modified upside down neckbreaker out of it. Now that’s a counter you don’t see ever day, let alone in an opening SmackDown PPV match. He follows with a moonsault and gets the hot tag to RVD who gets all sorts of spin kicks for some close falls. Mule kick for D’Von, leg lariat for Bubba. Rolling Thunder on D’Von gets two. Rey tries attacking but gets backdropped out. They try the Wazzzup headbut on RVD but Rey crotches D’Von and gives Bubba the bronco buster. Catapult super rana on D’Von gets two. They try the 3-D but RVD interupts, and it’s a double 619 on the Dudz, and a Frog Splash finishes for the pin. Match seemed long as hell, especially for an opener, and there weren’t really any interesting spots to keep it entertaining. **3/4
Winners: Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam
– Josh Matthews once some words of wisdom from Booker T, so Bookers tells him to get his ass on outta here.
– Luther Reigns pushes a large black box platform out which handicapped GM Kurt Angle pops out of on top in his wheelchair and broken leg. He sees no angels here in the city of angels, talks about the overrated basketball team, and pokes fun of Kobe’s Colorado rape case. “That’s true” adds heel Tazz. But worst of all, Kurt sees supporters of Eddie Guerrero. Usual good heel stuff here from Kurt. He eventually calls out the person who ended his wrestling career, Torrie Wilson. Time for one of her annual thrilling PPV matches.
Torrie Wilson v. Dawn Marie
Kurt adds that if Torrie loses, she’s fired, which is a fair enough stipulation for ending someone’s career. Usual women’s match shove fest stuff to start. Torrie gets a dropkick for two. Dawn tries an … Alabama Slam but Torrie rolls her up for two. Okay. Torrie gets dumped on the apron but goes up top and tries a crossbody. It misses. Dawn capitalizes I guess with stomps and stuff, including an elbow from the apron, to Mr. Angle’s delight. I don’t know if it’s the outfit, but Dawn’s ass looks freakishly huge, which isn’t something I remember from ECW. Maybe the WWE is paying off. Torrie eventually makes it back in the ring after a 3 minute break, and Dawn tries a sleeper. Torrie gets out and after some more cat fighting Torrie gets a sunset flip for two. Schoolboy gets two, in which Dawn’s pants get pulled down revealing her ass, which pisses her off so she gives Torrie a X-Factor, which ironically went on to be Torrie’s later finisher. Torrie finishes with a rollup for the pin. I guess if your main focus in a match is to try every modification of a rollup possible, you’ll get lucky and get one eventually. 1/4*
Winner: Torrie Wilson
Scotty II Jobby v. Mordecai
This is Mordecai’s debut, and yes, he is a shorter, chubbier, blonde version of Undertaker in a white outfit. Supposedly he is some type of priest and claims God sent him to Earth to rid the world of sin, or something. How they ever thought this gimmick would go over is far, far, FAR beyond me. He’s Scotty’s mystery opponent here, for whatever reason. Mordecai dominates for a while but Scotty gets a superkick and bulldog. He tries the worm but Mordecai stops it and continues beating on him and finishes with the “Crucifixion” bomb for the pin in short order. The crowd would go on to forgot about this whole crappy character after he would get sent back to OVW for development in the following weeks because, for some reason I sure can’t puzzle out, he didn’t go over well. -*
Winner: Mordecai
Rico & Charlie Haas v. Billy Gunn & Bob Holly – Tag Team Championship
So the tag titles are stuck on Rico (who is emerging one of his last runs in WWE) and Charlie Haas who are doing a gay-straight team gimmick, taking on the random, unlikely duo of two other guys they have nothing to do with: Gunn and Holly. Haas starts with Holly, and takes him down a few times. Feel the frustration! Haas gets an armbar and Rico tags himself in to attempt a german on Holly, but humps him instead. “He’s pretty in pink, by God” says Tazz of Rico. Billy looks like he’s been hitting the fake-a-bake tanning lotion as of late. So Gunn and Holly argue over who to face the gay guy, and eventually Rico just dances around and continues to waste my precious time. Haas comes back in and gets worked over. I’m so bored here that I notice a “DUD” sign is shown, rightfully. Holly lands the DROPKICK OF DOOM on Haas and tells the crowd to shove it, for good measure. That gets two. Holly hangs him over the ropes and adds a kick to the abdomen for two. Holly tries a … Spike Dudley-esque stomp from the top but Haas evades it and makes the tag to Rico who runs into a Dumbasser by Gunn, but somehow Haas is now the legal man. Holly goes to Alabama Slam him, but Rico superkicks him into a pin for the retain. I like my comedy matches — especially gay ones — short, and this was not that. *1/2
Winners: Rico & Charlie Haas
Jacqueline v. Chavo Guerrero – Cruiserweight Championship
Chavo is doing this with one arm tied behind his back. Chavo takes her into the corner to start then lifts her up for three backbreakers. Jacqueline managers a headscissors sending Chavo to the post then she tries a sleeper, but gets charged into the corner. Spin kick by Jackie gets two. Chavo goes out to regroup where Chavito Sr. unties his arm. So he just holds the rope and pretends it’s tied, and eventually he finishes with the Gory Bomb for the pin and the title. These guys in the first row continue to entertain me, as I have been pointing out there signs this whole time, as now a “Chavo Senior is God” one is flashed. Match was obviously nothing. -*
Winner: Chavo Guerrero
John Cena v. René Dupree – United States Championship
After the stupid rapping and all the match finally gets started, with Cena slugging away so Dupree has to go regroup. Cena chases him back in and tackles him, then sends him to the corner where he gets booted. Dupree stops to dance so Cena gets a backdrop and tries clotheslining Dupree out but botches it so Dupree just rolls out instead. Back in Dupree goes in control with some stomping and choking. Dupree takes an ugly turnbuckle bump, as Shawn Michaels he is not, then pulls down the ropes for Cena to miss a crossbody. Back in Dupree adds a backbreaker for two, then locks in a FRENCH BEARHUG OF DOOM. Cena fights out, but it gets locked in again. Cena gets out of it with a jawbreaker and slugs away then follows with the five moves of doom, but the crowd doesn’t really care. The People’s Elbow rip-off misses and Cena walks into a spinebuster. Time for the French dance shuffle elbow, but it misses. Cena tries coming off the second rope which is a bad idea, and gets met with a boot and planted with a DDT. Cena tries the FU, but Dupree counters it to a neckbreaker for two. The sad part is that Dupree is actually the better wrestler here, but look where both of their careers went and who was more successful. Dupree tries a piledriver but gets rolled up for two. Dupree tries springing out of the corner but Cena catches him in the FU for the pin and US retain. Not a bad match, which wasn’t what I expected coming in. **1/2
Winner: John Cena
– Kenzo Suzuki is COMING. Beware.
Booker T v. Undertaker
The story here is that Booker came to SmackDown saying he was the best or something, and UT didn’t like that, so Booker ended up getting scared and going to a crystal ball lady and stuff. Taker overpowers him to start so Booker has to regroup, then hammer away. A kick to the face only pisses UT off, so he clotheslines Booker and works the arm, but Booker sidekicks out of it, however then runs straight into a spinebuster. Taker follows with a leg drop for two. Booker comes back with the missile dropkick for two, then it’s time for more punches and kicks and stuff. Taker’s hair length is pretty odd right now, which doesn’t suit his gimmick well. Booker goes to get good luck from the baggy the physic gave him, then falls victim to the big flying clothesline. Old School follows, and UT tries a half clap submission out of nowhere, but the ropes prevent it. Booker jumps off of his shoulders to get out of the Last Ride, and knocks out the ref in the process, then throws the powder in Taker’s eyes. Taker no-sells that though, because you CAN’T BLIND THE DEAD MAN. Taker misses a big boot and Booker goes to work on the leg. I’m kind of surprised it took this long in the match for someone to start working on a body part, but I guess that’s what you can expect from an Undertaker match. Booker continues to work on the knee and feeds Taker to the steps in effort to get a count-out victory, but that doesn’t work. Oh yeah, Paul Bearer is back and at ringside for this classic as well. Back inside Booker adds the jumping side kick for two. Surprisingly, Cole is praising Booker for his heel efforts tonight. That might be a first. Booker gets the Scissor Kick out of nowhere for two, and then Taker just no-sells it with the zombie sit up and Booker runs into a big boot. Sloppy chokeslam follows and then the Tombstone ends it giving Taker the pin. **, the ending sequence really came out of nowhere, as Booker was in control for a while, working the knee and then getting his finisher, but then Taker just no-sells all of it, gets up, and hits a pair of his finishers for the pin. Of course, the match itself didn’t do much to aid it either.
Winner: Undertaker
Eddie Guerrero v. John Bradshaw Layfield – WWE Championship
This was just shortly after the debut of the JBL character, and is his PPV debut, as we do not yet have the limousine entrance. The story is that, after unveiling the New York City cowboy businessman gimmick, JBL bumped into Eddie’s mother at a house show forcing her to have a heart attack. Eddie hammers away to start and it spills to the outside where Eddie takes him to the steps and some more brawling. Eddie sends him to the post and tosses him across Hector’s table then chokes him with a monitor cable. Haven’t seen that trick in a while. All that abuse makes JBL try to walk, but Eddie attacks from behind. Eddie hauls him back in but then just tosses him back out. He tries feed JBL to the steps again but JBL reverses it and Eddie eats them. Back to the brawling over at the table of Hector and Carlos, which I guess is actually fitting for the story of this match. Back in JBL lands a nice big boot and drops an elbow for two. JBL goes to the grounded headlock approach, which is a very smart one, says Tazz. Eddie fights out, but JBL snapmares him back into it. Eddie fights out and gets a pair of armdrags forcing JBL to bail, where Eddie tries following with a crossbody but JBL catches him and gets a fallaway slam on the floor. Eddie takes a nice hard landing bump as he gets backdropped onto the Spanish table, which is being used for the third time in this match already. Back in JBL gets a swinging neckbreaker for two. Eddie punches back but gets backdropped for two. Now it’s time for the BEARHUG OF BOREDOM, applied by JBL. Hey, haven’t we seen this used before on this card? Even dating back to the opening contest? Eddie reluctantly fights out of it quickly and sends JBL to the corner a couple of times. Eddie gets a dropkick and the rolling verticals, only two though, as Bradshaw blocks the third with a knee. He tries the Clothesline From Hell but Eddie ducks it. JBL tries a powerbomb instead but Eddie punches out of it then sprints to the ropes with a burst of energy, and stupidly just runs straight into the ref. One of the weirdest ref bumps I’ve ever seen. Eddie backdrops JBL out then checks on the ref, but he doesn’t wake up so he goes out and continues to work on JBL, and throws him onto the announce table. Eddie follows after him, but the tired JBL grabs a desperation chair and WACKS Eddie with it, he then does a HUGE blade job. Good lord is that a blade job, complete with his whole chest and stomach covered in no time. JBL goes to work then and charges at him with the steps. Back in Eddie continues dripping blood like a pig, as JBL pounds on the wound then gets the Clothesline From Hell, but the ref is still out. Lil Naitch runs out to count the pin, but bloodied and battered Eddie kicks out. He tries a second one, third of the match, but Eddie ducks and it takes out the second ref. JBL follows with the powerbomb and the first ref is awake, but it only gets two. Even for a brawl, these kickouts seem a bit ridiculous considering a mind-altering chair shot that is making him quite possibly bleed worse than anyone before, followed by a finisher. JBL tries a random sleeper now, which Eddie backdrop suplexes out of. The whole mat canvas is basically burgundy now. Eddie gets the Latino heat juke n’ jive adrenaline rush and pounds away. He tries a crossbody but gets caught, however then gets a tornado DDT to counter it. Frog Splash misses resulting in a double-KO spot which must be well needed at this point. JBL rolls out during the count and gets a chair and the title belt. He throws the chair to the ref and tries nailing Eddie with the belt, but Eddie takes it from him and clocks him with it instead, drawing a DQ. The match was a long, slow brawl with Eddie doing a gigantic bloodbath, which got REALLY slow and sloppy at the end resulting in the shitty ending. When they’re on point with the brawling there is some good chemistry, but the slowness seemed to drown it out a lot. Eddie adds some title and chair shots and the 5* afterwards, as expected. Granted, there were some nice spots involved and insane bleeding by Eddie, but the slow brawl and crappy ending did nothing to suffice it a good rating or anything. **3/4
Winner: JBL
End of show.
