The SmackDown Report

Reviews, Shows, TV Shows

Opening the show, Theodore Long is in the ring already. He announces that Armageddon will be even better, and announces MVP vs. Kane in an Inferno Match. Will, yeah, that makes complete sense. Also; a last ride match between Undertaker and Mr. Kennedy. Long introduces the new World Heavy Weight Champion Batista. Apart from JBL we’ve got a pretty much pro Batista crowd. He reminds us of the entire “forced to retire the title” bs, which is really growing old. The royalty make their way out quickly, with Sharmell doing the All Hail rather aggressively. Booker runs down the crowd for a little bit and says that Batista stole the championship off of him with the help of Long. Booker says that Batista went to the lowest of low when he had to cheap to win. Booker says he is getting his rematch tonight, however Finlay makes his way out just as the two are about to go at it. Finlay congratulates Batista and says that even though he has a rematch clause, he doesn’t think Booker deserves it especially because he has never beaten Finlay, so the way he sees it is that Finlay gets the title shot. Long announces a triple threat between the three men for the World Heavy Weight Championship! Finlay is a great tweener between these two.

Commercials.

Opening Contest: MNM!!! vs. Brian Kendrick and Paul London w/ Ashley Massaro
Well, this is a pleasant surprise (I try to take the spoilers with a grain of salt). London and Nitro start off. Nitro attacks London from behind after Mercury provides the distraction; we get the obligatory headlock into ropes segment which ends with London hitting Nitro with hip tosses before he tags out to Kendrick. Kendrick gets a two count on Nitro. Kendrick with an arm bar and hits Nitro with a hip toss and tags out to London. London off the top rope with an elbow to Nitro’s shoulder, Kendrick tagged back in to give Nitro the same treatment. Mercury tagged back in but we soon get both teams fighting, with London and Kendrick dropkicking MNM outside and then following up with a suicide dive. Kendrick misses a cross body on Nitro, and Mercury back in. Banshee moment! How nostalgic. Mercury gets a knee to the gut of Kendrick and tags out to Nitro and they flip Kendrick into the turnbuckles, nice, and gets Nitro a two count. Mercury back in and they nail Kendrick with a double team face plant for a two count, broken by London. Nitro back in with a running knee into the gut of Kendrick. Nitro with a body scissors on Kendrick, but Kendrick escapes but Nitro tags Mercury back in. Kendrick tags out to London who comes in with a double flying clothesline. London gets the dropsault on Mercury for a two count, broken by Nitro. Kendrick takes the fight to Nitro and Mercury sends London outside, and Regal and Taylor attack London at ringside! Nitro sends Kendrick outside, and MNM hit London with the Snapshot! Mercury pins London.
Winners: MNM

A really odd match. The effort was there, at least. Four out of Ten.

Recap of MVP helping Kennedy win at Survivor Series.

Tonight: Undertaker vs. MVP. Oh, gee, yay.

Commercials.

MVP runs into Kennedy backstage and the two argue; MVP takes the credit for Kennedy beating Taker at Survivor Series and the two argue about whose match is more important at Armageddon. I think these results in a divorce or something.

Up next: World Heavy Weight Championship: Batista vs. Finlay vs. Booker

Commercials.

Second Contest: King Booker w/ Queen Sharmell vs. Finlay vs. Batista (Champion)
Batista starts with punches to Booker and Finlay, scoop slams follow. Batista sends Booker into the corner for a clothesline and darts Finlay into the corner afterwards. Batista turns into an attack by Booker, and Booker with chops to Batista but Batista comes off the ropes and blocks a hip toss attempt with a clothesline. Booker takes it to Batista in the corner, Finlay comes in to help and the two send him into the ropes but he ducks the double team clothesline and gets a double clothesline of his own! Batista sends Finlay outside with an elbow and clotheslines Booker outside as well!

Commercials.

We’re back and Booker has the upper hand over Batista. Booker with a hook kick for a two count, broken by Finlay. Finlay takes Booker outside before he goes back inside to attack Batista with kicks and stomps. Finlay sets Batista up face first on the apron and sends him chest first and then elbows him onto the mat below. Finlay slams Booker face first into the steel steps. Finlay with a swinging baseball slide to Batista. Finlay spears Batista into the apron and sends him shoulder first into the steel post. Batista sends Finlay into the ring but Finlay nails him with a nice DDT for a two count. Finlay drops a senton on Batista for a two count. Batista escapes a sleeper hold and sends Finlay into the corner for spears, and positions him on the top rope for more shots and a fisherman’s suplex. Booker scissors kicks Batista throat first on the top rope for a close two count! Booker drives Batista throat first into the bottom rope for a two count, almost a three but Batista gets the rope.

Finlay in. Finlay starts the fight with a headbutt but Booker gets the upper hand, and Sharmell rakes the eyes of Batista. Booker sends Finlay into the steel steps. Booker rolls Batista back into the ring and sends him into the ropes and back into a high kick for a two count. On the outside, Finlay spears Batista into the security rail before he rolls Batista back into the ring. Finlay and Booker double team Batista, with Booker getting a pinfall attempt but Finlay breaks it. Batista begins to fight back but Finlay gets a drop toe hold and hooks the face in an odd headlock, but Batista grabs his leg and nails a Samoan drop for a two count. Finlay grabs the shillelagh but puts it down shortly after and positions Batista in the corner, he and Booker send Batista into the corner but Batista comes back with a boot to Finlay and exchanges rights with Booker! The Little Bastard hands Finlay a shillelagh and distracts Batista, and Finlay nails Booker and Batista with the shillelagh! Finlay gets a two count on Batista, almost a three! Finlay gets a half Boston crab on Batista, but Booker super kicks Finlay! Scissors Kick misses Batista! Spinebuster to Booker! Batista goes for a Batista Bomb on Finlay but Finlay kicks the sore leg, spear by Batista to Finlay, and Batista Bomb on Finlay for the three count!
Winner and Still Champion: Batista

Hey, a pretty good match. These three work really well together, much better than they do against each other in singles matches actually. Eight out of Ten. If it had been without the commercial break I think that it would have made a more than sufficient PPV match between these two.

Still to come: The Undertaker vs. MVP

Commercials.

Backstage, Booker, Finlay, and Long are arguing. Long says he gave them both an opportunity at the title and they both failed, but Booker and Finlay blame each other for their loss. Long says that Booker and Finlay will get their chance against Batista at Armageddon in a tag team match: Booker and Finlay against Batista and a partner of his choosing.

Recap of Benoit / Guerrero from Survivor Series.

Backstage the Guerreros say that Benoit likes hitting women and such, and that even after the year she’s had this is how Benoit treats Vickie. Chavo says that Benoit was a part of their family and this is how he treats her, while Vickie says she feels like she has been in a car accident. Vickie is perfectly melodramatic here.

Commercials.

Third Contest: Chris Benoit vs. Chavo Guerrero w/ Vickie Guerrero
Guerrero attacks Benoit right away. Benoit gets Guerrero with an double axe handle and takes him to the corner for knees to the gut and chops. Shoulder body toss by Benoit followed by a back drop for a two count. Guerrero gets the upper hand in the corner with a series of shots but Benoit comes back with rights, Guerrero gets a knee to the gut but runs into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Benoit for a two count. Guerrero misses a clothesline and Benoit nails the Triple Germans, Guerrero rolls outside and Benoit misses the baseball slide and Guerrero hides behind Vickie.

Commercials.

And we’re back with Benoit getting a knee to the gut of Guerrero. Nice side suplex on Guerrero by Benoit, elbow drop for a two count. Benoit with a scoop slam to Guerrero, but Guerrero drags him shoulder first into the steel pole. Guerrero with a front suplex, dropping Benoit gut first on the top rope. Guerrero chokes Benoit at the bottom rope. Guerrero with some nice back drops for a two count. Guerrero applies the abdominal stretch on Benoit, but Benoit gets an arm drag on Guerrero only to get a dropkick to his knee by Guerrero. Guerrero gets a scoop slam on Benoit and comes off the ropes into a flapjack by Benoit! Benoit whips Guerrero into the ropes and hits a shoulder body toss. Benoit with the chops to Guerrero and a snap suplex for a two count. Guerrero goes to the top rope but Benoit punches him off, but the two return to the top rope and Benoit nails Guerrero with a superplex! Benoit trips Guerrero and goes for the Sharpshooter but gets kicked off, only for Benoit to go for the Crossface but Guerrero gets to the bottom rope! Benoit goes for the Germans but Guerrero with an uppercut and looks to go for a suplex but Benoit goes for the Three Amigos, but Guerrero pushes him off just before the third and into Vickie Guerrero! Benoit stops right before he hits Vickie and Guerrero gets a school boy on Benoit, pulling the tights, for the three count!
Winner: Chavo Guerrero

Didn’t really heat up until the second part of the match, but that second part was good. Seven out of Ten.

Commercials.

Backstage, Batista is on his phone saying stuff.

Fourth Contest: Layla El vs. Kristal Marshall
I think Marshall has the chance to be one of the next big divas, but it’ll take her a while. Circling to start, the two lock up and El works the arm of Marshall, Marshall counters is and El gets a hammerlock on Marshall. Marshall gets to the ropes to break the hold. Another lock up and El gets Marshall in a headlock and goes back to the hammerlock and Marshall returns to the ropes. Lock up and Marshall forces El into the corner for shots to the gut, but gets sent into the opposing corner. Marshall back into clotheslines by El and Marshall rolls outside. Marshall back in the ring with a botched scoop slam, before she steps on the hair and pulls on her arms. Marshall with a snapmare. Marshall trips El and gets a nice flipping neckbreaker. Marshall slams El down for a three count.
Winner: Kristal Marshall

Surprisingly good match between these two, considering what was expected. Let’s see a rematch this time next year. One out of Ten. Diva standards. But, hey, they gave it their all out there and showed promise that puts some wrestlers to shame.

Batista tells Long that he’s picked John Cena as his partner at Armageddon. JBL is annoyed because he didn’t pick Simon Dean or the Brooklyn Brawler, two SmackDown superstars.

Up next: Undertaker vs. MVP

Commercials.

RAW Rebound: the Flair and DX stuff, including Rated RKO destroying Flair and Rated RKO defeating the Hardy Boyz.

Main Event: MVP vs. The Undertaker
MVP starts off with punches to Taker, which are no sold and Taker throws MVP into the corner and goes at him full force. Running clothesline in the corner by Taker. Taker with mounted punches to MVP, Taker works the arm before he nails the Old School. MVP gets a kick to the chest of Taker and ducks a clothesline, but Taker comes off the ropes with his trademark flying lariat. Taker removes the padding on the top turnbuckle and goes to send MVP face first into it but MVP fights Taker off and whips him into the corner but Taker comes back with a clothesline. Taker sends MVP into the corner and nails the snake eyes, big boot follows of course. Taker exits the ring and gets a steel chair from ringside. MVP ducks the chair shot just in time and rolls outside, he begins making his way backstage but Kennedy goes to throw him back into the ring but MVP sends Kennedy into the ring! Big boot to Kennedy and Kane’s pyros explode! Taker throws MVP back into the ring, the brothers fight with their rival and stereo big boots follow. The two thumb slash their throats and Kennedy and MVP run away from a clothesline attempt!
Winner: No Contest

A hot finish to a bland match, but it was at least a quick match. Post match, Taker poses and Kane remains in the ring with him. Three out of Ten. It should be noted that half of that mark is because of the hot finish together with the commentary, where JBL admits he only likes MVP because he bought him an expensive meal.

MNM vs. London and Kendrick: 4/10
Batista vs. King Booker vs. Finlay: 8/10
Guerrero vs. Benoit: 7/10
Kristal Marshall vs. Layla El: 1/10
MVP vs. Undertaker: 3/10
SmackDown 01/12/06: 23/50

The Inside Pulse
A better show than recent weeks. The Guerreros continue to bring the goodness, and in a surprising turn it looks like Booker might actually continue to be just as strong (if not stronger) without the championship as he was with it. The entire show this week can be summed up with the phrase; the effort was there. Some places worked rather well, some just worked well for the B grade show status. I can’t really think of any complaints for this show. Until next week!