King Booker and Queen Sharmell are backstage, he talks about how he’s getting challenged by a peasant on Sunday. Booker announces that tonight Lashley’s poison will be Batista.
Bobby Lashley says it will be an honor to take on Batista, and announces Booker vs Finlay tonight! Lashley says that he will beat Booker for his title on Sunday.
Opening Contest: Rey Mysterio and Matt Hardy vs Gregory Helms and Chavo Guerrero w/ Vickie Guerrero
Helms starts off, even though Guerrero teases starting with Mysterio. Helms attacks Mysterio from behind early on and sends Mysterio into the ropes, Mysterio ducks and nails a hurricanrana before tagging in Hardy. Hardy with punches to Helms. Hardy with an elbow drop and mounted punches, before tagging out to Mysterio. Mysterio with a double axe handle to Helms; gets sent into the ropes but Mysterio gets a boot up, but quickly gets nailed with a sky high spinebuster (whatever happened to D’lo Brown, anyways?), and Helms tags out to Guerrero. Guerrero uppercuts Mysterio down and kicks away at Mysterio before posing for the fans; Guerrero tags out to Helms. Helms slams Mysterio face first into the turnbuckle pad and irish whips him into the opposite corner, but Mysterio drop toe holds Helms into the second turnbuckle and tags out to Hardy. Hardy in with clotheslines to both Helms and Guerrero; clothesline bulldog combo to Helms gets Hardy a two, broken by Guerrero. Mysterio attacks Guerrero and gets flipped onto the apron, Mysterio goes for an attack over the top rope but gets knocked to the outside by Guerrero. Hardy sends Guerrero outside afterwards. Helms gets mounted punches on Hardy before he chokes him with his foot. Helms gets a headscissors on the neck of Hardy, Hardy escaues and gets an elbow drop but Helms quickly kicks him back down. Tag out to Guerrero. Guerrero takes it to Hardy and a “Chavo Sucks” chant starts up. Tag out to Helms. Helms in with a kick to Hardy’s gut before he chokes him using the second rope, Guerrero keeps Hardy in place and Helms comes off the ropes but gets clotheslined down by Hardy! Side Effect to Guerrero! Tag out to Mysterio, with a seated senton to Helms. Mysterio kicks away at Helms and Guerrero and gets a springboard crossbody to Guerrero and headscissors takedown to Helms. Guerrero with a sunset flip but Mysterio rolls through and kicks Guerrero down and gets clotheslined down by Helms. Hardy punches Helms down before he and Mysterio whip Guerrero into the corner, and Hardy positions himself for Mysterio to use him as a step (old school Hardy Boys); Mysterio jumps off Hardy with a hurricanrana attempt on Guerrero, which sets Guerrero up on the second rope – Hardy drop toe holds Helms next to Guerrero! Double 619 to Guerrero and Helms, which sends Guerrero outside to Vickie and Helms into a Twist of Fate – top rope leg drop by Mysterio for the three count.
Winners: Rey Mysterio And Matt Hardy
Wonder if I’ve still got any old tapes of Velocity? Fun opening match which didn’t drag at all. Seven out of Ten.
Commercials.
Maryse is backstage, and she welcomes us back to SmackDown. She has some nice fashion sense, at least.
Second Contest: Elijah Burke w/ Sylvester Turkay vs Tatanka
Turkay shoves Tatanka back to start, and Burke then takes the fight to Tatanka. Tatanka off the ropes, ducks a clothesline and Burke turns around into chops from Tatanka. Tatanka takes Burke into the corner and Burke comes back into a right hand, direct to the jaw. Tatanka with a suplex for a two count. Burke with a kitchen sink knee to Tatanka’s gut. Burke with an elbow to Tatanka’s face and whips him back into the corner; Burke with a great dropkick to Tatanka, but Tatanka quickly comes back with chops. Burke takes Tatanka back into the corner and begins with boxing blows; Tatanka falls to his knees and Burke kicks him right in the gut. Burke with a very nice elbow drop, drags Tatanka into the centre of the ring for almost a two. Burke tries to hook Tatanka, but Tatanka is quickly to his feet. The two exchange punches, Tatanka with a chop and sends Burke into the ropes, back into a flapjack. Tatanka clotheslines Burke down, Trail’s End! Tatanka up top with the Tomahawk Chop (or Bingo Drop, according to JBL) for almost a three. Tatanka takes it to the corner; Burke comes back into a punch to the gut, russian leg drop and Tatanka goes for the pinfall but breaks it and punches Turkay off the apron, and Burke attacks him from behind and punches away at Tatanka’s gut. The referee backs Burke off, but Tatanka gets a right to the gut of Tatanka! Stroke by Burke for the three count.
Winner: Elijah Burke
Post match, Turkay attacks Tatanka. Yet another enjoyable match from Burke, and another from Tatanka. Five out of Ten.
Pick Your Poison: King Booker against Finlay, and Batista vs Bobby Lashley later tonight!
Commercials.
Stuff for The Marine. Go, Mister Robert Patrick!
Booker is backstage with the Royal Hierarchy. Booker requests that Finlay be a good knight and lay down for his King, and Finlay asks if Regal would lay down for the King. Regal says of course he would .. but he’s got a pressing engagement. Finlay says he didn’t make this match, he isn’t going to lay down, and reminds him that his name is Finlay … and he loves to fight. He leaves with King Booker yelling for him to not do this. We’ve got King Booker and Finlay, next!
Commercials.
Third Contest: King Booker w/ Queen Sharmell vs Finlay
Lock up and Booker forces Finlay to the corner, then another while shouting for Finlay to lay down, before the two return to the middle of the ring and let go of the lock up and Finlay rolls out of the ring near Sharmell. Ohhh .. nice touch, but Finlay gets a baseball slide from Booker. Booker sends Finlay into the steel steps and takes it back into the ring. Booker with the mounted punches. Finlay up but gets chops from Booker, Finlay off the ropes with a kick to the chest of Booker, clothesline and knee drop gets Finlay a one count. Short-arm clothesline gets Finlay a one count, with Booker keeping a shoulder up. Finlay gets a sleeper hold on Booker, Booker gets to his feet and gets upper cuts from Finlay, the third knocking him down. Finlay sets Booker up on the apron and slams Booker neck first on it, nails him with an elbow and takes it back into the ring only to send Booker shoulder first into the steel pole, and kicks Booker’s head into the steel pole three times. Finlay with a school boy for two. Finlay gets a shoulder claw on Booker, but Booker turns it into a jawbreaker. Booker gets sent into the corner, flips over Finlay and nails him with a spinebuster for a two count. Booker gets a suplex on Finlay for a two count. Booker with elbows to Finlay, Finlay comes back with some elbows of his own but Booker gets in the final elbow. Finlay misses a clothesline and Booker goes for a Book End but Finlay elbows him off and ducks a crescent kick, only to get tripped by Sharmell at the ropes! Finlay turns into a superkick by Booker .. and The Little Bastard chases Sharmell around with a rat! The referee is distracted by them two and Finlay gets Booker with a shillelagh to the back of Booker’s knee! One, Two, Three!
Winner: Finlay
I liked this one; not too fast, not too short, just right. Of course I’d love to see a ten minute match between these two sometime. Six out of Ten.
Up next: Lashley .. Batista .. Yeah!
Commercials.
Fourth Contest: Bobby Lashley vs Batista
The two shake hands to start (“There’s no sports man ship in Wrestling, quit it!”: JBL). Takes them a while to start up, and they start with a lock up and neither getting the advantage. Another lock up and Batista looks to have the slight advantage. We get a test of strength this time with Batista kicking the arm of Lashley, and Lashley hooks the leg of Batista and Batista gets him in a headlock but they take it to the ropes. Lashley with a headlock on Batista, gets sent into the ropes and back with a shoulder to Batista. Batista with a kick to the gut of Lashley, rights and Lashley gets sent into the ropes and backs into a shoulder. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb early on and Lashley escapes it. Lashley with elbows, goes for the scoop slam but Batista blocks it. Lashley runs into a high elbow for two. Batista gets a weak bodyscissors on Lashley and gets a sleeper hold to boot, but Lashley gets to his feet and elbows Batista off but Batista gets a knee to Lashley’s gut and sends him into the corner for a clothesline and spears to the gut. Batista gets sent into the corner and Lashley gets a clothesline, a spear, and Bastista comes back into the middle of the ring only to get kicked in the gut again. Lashley off the ropes right into a big boot by Batista. Lashley gets sent into the ropes, back with a kick to the gut of Batista. Lashley ducks a clothesline and goes for the running powerslam and sends Lashley into the ropes but both clothesline each other down! Finlay comes out and attacks Batista!
Winner: No Contest
King Booker comes down and attacks Finlay, Lashley and Batista continue their brawl before we break up with Lashley and Booker fighting, and Finlay and Batista fighting. Theodore Long comes out and tells them to break it up, and announces that this Sunday (as everyone knows by now) .. the World Heavy Weight Championship Match will now be a Fatal Four Way! Booker defends against Lashley, Finlay, and Batista! Match wise it wasn’t as bad as the spoilers sad it was, and I really can’t think of any other way these two would have wrestled against each other. Interesting to see these two try and add a bit of technical aspects to the match too, since neither of these two are known for bodyscissors or lock ups and such. Three out of Ten.
Commercials.
Backstage, Long is arguing with Booker and Sharmell. Lashley, Finlay, and Batista all come in .. Batista shakes Long’s hand and asks if they can’t all just get along? Long books a Tag Team Match between the four, with Booker and Finlay against Batista and Lashley .. it’s like three weeks worth of matches shoved into one night.
Fifth Contest: Jimmy Wang Yang vs Sylvan
Lock up and Sylvan begins to work Yang’s arm, Yang flips over using the ropes and works Sylvan arm in turn but Sylvan elbows him off. Yang gets sent into the ropes, blocks the hiptoss and kicks Sylvan down. Yang with a chop to Sylvan and sends him into the corner with a NICE high leg to Sylvan, Yang gets a one count. Sylvan comes off the ropes and Yang does some acrobatic stuff but gets clotheslined down by Sylvan. Yang gets sent into the corner and comes back into a bearhug by Sylvan; Yang escapes by sending Sylvan into the top turnbuckle face first. Yang with a spinning headscissors, clotheslines, and a shoulder body toss. Yang gets a DDT to Sylvan for a two. Sylvan gets in a nice back drop into spinebuster for a two. Sylvan comes off the second turnbuckle into a nice spinning heel kick to the jaw, getting Yang a two count – almost a three. Yang with an enziguri to Sylvan before he goes for a roll up, but Sylvan falls on top of Yang and uses the ropes for the three count!
Winner: Sylvan
Four out of Ten. It was too short for me to rate it higher, but I did enjoy the match.
Up next: MVP will make his first public appearance as a SmackDown Wrestler .. joy.
Commercials.
Clips of the No Mercy Press Conference. The Hardy and Helms feud is put over pretty well here.
Montel Vontavious Porter comes out to some horrid music. He delays speaking on the microphone for a while; but says it’s now official, he’s a SmackDown Superstar. MVP says that he’s the strongest, fasted, more agile man .. but decides to change himself from simply a man to an athlete; the greatest in history. Well, it was acceptable at least, but he still looks a bit nervous out there.
Mr Kennedy is backstage and puts over the Undertaker and says he’s done everything he can in this industry .. by mind games; done it all for nothing more than intimidation. Last week Kennedy came face to face with the garbage that Taker does, he wasn’t impressed – it didn’t scare him, and it still doesn’t. The people might be in awe of the tactics, and he may have convinced them that Kennedy will be another one of his victims, but nothing will compare to the shock and awe when Kennedy pins Taker at No Mercy. A decade and a half of destruction is over, and the future has arrived – the future is Mr Kennedy. Cool promo.
Commercials.
Backstage, Michelle McCool puts over the Teacher’s Pets .. we get some school puns and all that jazz, but the only thing I get is that K.C. James thinks that London and Kendrick are a cute little tag team. Hrm .. Well .. Right.
Sixth Contest: Ashley Massaro w/ Paul London and Brian Kendrick vs Michelle McCool w/ K.C. James and Idol Stevens
Mc gets a kick to Massaro’s gut, uppercut before she slams Massaro’s back onto the mat. In the corner Mc kicks away on the gut of Massaro and gets a footchoke, following up with a hairtoss. Mc taunts Massaro before she clotheslines her down, and Mc gets a series of failed pinfall attempts. Massaro falls behind a scoop slam attempt and sends Mc into the ropes, forearm to the back of Mc twice, before she locks in an abdominal stretch and turns it into a pinfall for a two. Massaro gets a boston crab on Mc but James drags Mc to the ropes. Massaro kicks Mc in the gut and sends her into the corner for a monkey flip. Massaro with elbows to the face of Mc, but gets sent into the corner, Massaro elbows her off and comes off the second turnbuckle with a crossbody but Mc rolls through for the three count.
Winner: Michelle McCool
Ashley continues to impress with how far she’s come. If we’re going by SmackDown Diva standards, then that was pretty damned good. Four out of Ten.
Up next: Batista and Bobby Lashley vs King Booker and Finlay!
Commercials.
Footage of the World Premiere of The Marine.
No Mercy
The Undertaker vs Mr Kennedy
Falls Count Anywhere Rey Mysterio vs Chavo Guerrero w/ Vickie Guerrero
Tag Team Championship Paul London and Brian Kendrick (Champions) w/ Ashley Massaro vs K.C. James and Idol Stevens w/ Michelle McCool
Montel Vontavious Porter Debuts
Matt Hardy vs Gregory Helms
World Heavy Weight Championship King Booker (Champion) vs Bobby Lashley vs Finlay vs Batista
Finlay makes his entrance, which of course means …
Commercials.
Main Event: Finlay and King Booker w/ Queen Sharmell vs Bobby Lashley and Batista
Finlay attacks Batista to start, but Batista sends Finlay into the corner for elbows and spears. Batista with a suplex to Finlay, who rolls outside. Batista follows outside and clotheslines Finlay down; back in the ring Batista gets a quick pinfall attempt. Tag out to Lashley, who comes in with a spear to Finlay in the corner. Finlay tags out to Booker. Lock up and Lashley forces Booker into the corner, but Booker turns it around and takes it to Lashley with knees and punches. Lashley goes for the running powerslam but Booker falls behind and Lashley nails a spinebuster. Lashley goes for the pinfall but it is quickly broken by Finlay. Booker rolls outside and gets a low kick to Lashley and sends him right into the steel steps, before he takes it back into the ring. Booker gets a hooked heel kick for a two count. Tag out to Finlay, but it’s a tension filled one! Finlay with a short arm clothesline to Lashley for a one count. Finlay gets a sleeper hold on Lashley, but Lashley escapes it with elbows, only to come off the ropes into an elbow.
Finlay with a thump drop for a two count, before he tags out to Booker. Booker with a snapmare to Lashley, low dropkick follows for a two count. Booker gets a headlock on Lashley as a “Booker Sucks” chant goes through the crowd, and Booker goes for a suplex but Lashley reverses it with one of his own! Finlay tagged in, and attacks Batista to start! The referee is distracted by Batista, allowing Booker to hit Lashley with the shillelagh! Finlay with an elbow to the shoulder area of Lashley, before he sends him outside for chops by Booker. Booker rolls Lashley back into the ring. Finlay stomps on the hand of Lashley. Finlay with uppercuts, but Lashley comes back with elbows, only to get nails with a drop toe hold! Finlay with a headlock on Lashley; Lashley tags out to Batista, but the referee is distracted by Booker, allowing Finlay and Booker to club away at Lashley. Booker tagged in. Booker with a chop to Lashley, Lashley ducks a side kick attempt and comes back with a spear! Lashley tags in Batista! Batista in, knocking Finlay and Booker down – Regal in and gets knocked down too! The bell rings and it looks like we have a no contest!
Winner: No Contest
Batista sends Finlay into the corner for a clothesline! Spinebusters to Booker, Regal .. and Lashley! The Little Bastard comes into the ring and low blows Batista, Batista grabs his jacket! Finlay goes to hit him with the shillelagh but gets hit with a spinebuster! We end the show with Batista posing in the ring, Lashley looking angry, and Finlay and Booker healing themselves at ringside. Five out of Ten. I wasn’t really all that interested in this match, to be honest. If they had spread the three matches between these four out over two or three weeks and given them all good time, then maybe it would have worked out better .. but, as we all very well know, doing something sensibile wouldn’t make much sense.
Hardy / Mysterio vs Helms / Guerrero: 7/10
Tatanka vs Elijah Burke: 5/10
King Booker vs Finlay: 6/10
Batista vs Bobby Lashley: 3/10
Jimmy Wang Yang vs Sylvan: 4/10
Michelle McCool vs Ashley Massaro: 4/10
Finlay / Booker vs Lashley / Batista: 5/10
SmackDown 6/10/06: 34/70
The Inside Pulse
If you’re looking for a hard strong sell for No Mercy then, well, look elsewhere. The fact that they take two perfectly acceptable matches and turn them into one match which is only just better, and in turn have to take the last show before a big event and screw it over? Kennedy vs Taker was booked before any other match on the card, simple thought process would make me think that their feud would get more than three minutes. At least a solid ten minutes, right? Of course not. One simple little change to the card means that one match at No Mercy needs more than thirty minutes hype? Bull.
.. You’d think that, if they wanted to make the title match seem bigger they would’ve just put on a No Disqualification stipulation or something; that would’ve taken about three minutes to make. Batista and Finlay? Stick them in a Steel Cage so we could see how hard it was for The Little Bastard to come into play .. Oh well. I don’t have a problem with a Fatal Four Way, just with how annoying the booking was. Oh well, no need for me to whinge, we had a good show all around tonight with my ranting and complaining aside. Until next Friday!
