This is volume 1 in the WWE “best of” series that I got from Silvervision.co.uk and I thought I’d review it because there was some good stuff on here that I hadn’t seen before. Seeing as I stopped doing the Smackdown reviews I felt I could still review some of the best matches from it, I’m allowed to be picky sometimes. I’ve got an absolute shed load of DVD’s to review in the coming weeks so I’ll really pull finger out to get them done. This is only a quickie DVD though as it only lasts 90 minutes. I’ve got some 1PW, ECW and WWE waiting in the wings to get reviewed though I’ll have plenty to watch this spring.
July 4th 2002
World Tag Team Championships
(C) Billy and Chuck w/ Rico Vs Hulk Hogan and Edge
Oh I’ve heard much about this one let’s see if it lives up to the praise it’s received. Hogan gets the monster pop, as you’d imagine. Hogan and Chuck start and Hogan shoves Chuck into the corner, getting a large reaction from the crowd. Chuck slugs Hogan with some big right hands and gets a body slam but gets cocky so Hogan teaches him a lesson by no selling and getting an Ace Bomber. Hogan drops some elbows and rakes Chuck’s face with the sole of his boot. Billy comes but is on the receiving end of a double punch and an Edge-O-Matic. Edge gets the 10 punch but is distracted by Chuck and tastes a clothesline from Billy. Chuck comes in and hammers away on Edge in the corner but Edge fights back only to take an over head suplex for two. Billy comes in for some choking and gets the vertical suplex for two. Chuck comes in with a slam and an elbow for two. Fans want Hogan but Chuck has other ideas and sends Edge outside. Rico goes for the kick on Edge but gets Billy by accident. Before Edge can get back in the match Billy sends him face first into the steps and Chuck gets two from that. Billy goes to the front face lock, which is usually the universal sign for a false tag, but Billy instead gets a sunset flip for two. Chuck goes for a Power Slam but Edge counters to a bulldog and finally gets that hot tag to Hogan. Hogan is a tanned old man en feugo as he batters the champs and gets his contractually mandated double noggin knocker. Billy tastes a Big Boot but Chuck gets a Jungle Kick out of no where and that gets two for Billy. Hogan nails a double clothesline and tags in Edge who comes off the top with one of his own. Get gets the Edgeocution on Chuck but Rico trips him up so Hogan takes care of him on the outside. Billy and Chuck do the switcheroo but it back fires and Edge gets a Spear for two. Hogan and Edge get the double big boot and leg drop to give them the tag belts.
WINNERS – EDGE AND HOGAN
*** – Really fun tag match and a great performance by Edge
July 25th 2002
Chavo Guerrero Vs Rey Mysterio
This would be Rey’s Smackdown debut. Lock up leads to them doing the Mexican test of strength. Rey snaps Chavo down with a reverse rana and gets a roll up for two. Chavo gets the mother of all reverse German suplexes and drops Rey chest first on the top rope. Chavo drives some shoulders into the gut and then gets the abdominal stretch. Rey counters a pump handle slam into a pin fall but gets nothing but dropkick on a top rope cross body. Chavo sends Rey to the outside and brings him back in for a big gut buster for two. Rey dropkicks Chavo to the outside and follows with a corkscrew tope. Back inside Rey goes up top and gets the Seated Senton for two. Rey gets a pinning move for two but gets splatted with the Gory Bomb for two. Rey gets the 619 and follows with the springboard rana for the win.
WINNER – REY MYSTERIO
*** – Could have done with more time but it was still really good for what it was.
August 1st 2002
Edge and The Rock Vs Eddie Guerrero Vs Chris Benoit
Wow where to start. Rock was the Undisputed Champion here and was gearing up for a match with Brock Lesnar at Summer Slam. Eddie and Benoit had just jumped to Smackdown and this was their first match there since the draft. Benoit and Eddie jump Rock and Edge to begin. Eddie hammers away on Rock but Rock fights back with the right hands and a Samoan Drop for two. Benoit comes in to stomp a double mud hole but ends up on the end of an over head belly to belly from The Rock. Eddie cheap shots Rock from the apron and the distraction is enough for Benoit to get the back suplex. Eddie gets the tag and comes in to beat the ever loving crap out of Rock showing awesome intensity. Benoit chops Rock in the corner but stops to argue with the ref and gets peppered with some right hands. Benoit recovers and tags in Eddie. Eddie tastes a face plant and Rock hot tags Edge who is a house en feugo. However, he soon gets caught in the heel corner and takes a royal beating. Eddie comes in with an Indian Deathlock but Edge makes the ropes. Benoit gets a back breaker for two and then tenaciously goes for another, still only getting two. Edge tries to fight back but is promptly Triple German Suplexed and slapped in a single leg Boston Crab courtesy of Benoit. Eddie gets a beauty of a hanging Brain Buster but Edge somehow gets out at two. Edge fights off a double superplex and then, in a great spot, suplexes Eddie down onto Benoit. That was sweet. Edge and Eddie knock each other out with a double clothesline. Edge slowly crawls to the corner but Benoit charges across the ring to knock Rock off the apron as Edge is just fingertips away. Eddie goes for a 10 punch but gets Powerbombed down and Edge finally makes that tag. Rock comes in with right hands on Benoit and sends Eddie over the top to the outside. Rock nails Benoit with a DDT but Eddie saves at two so Edge spears him down, only to be sent into the post by Benoit. Awesome! Spine Buster for Benoit! Rock Bottom for Eddie! Rock preps for it on Benoit too but Brock Lesnar walks out for a distraction allowing Benoit to get the cross face for the tap out.
WINNERS – BENOIT AND EDDIE
**** – The word “Awesome†was invented for action like this.
June 12th 2003
WWE Championship
(C) Brock Lesnar Vs Big Show
This match is a semi-famous one that I miss first time round, even though I was watching Smackdown on a regular basis at the time. Brock wastes no time taking it to Show but he gets caught with a clothesline for two. Show crushes Brock in the corner with his knee and gets some big open hand slaps. Brock fights back with a clothesline but runs into an elbow. Show charges at Lesnar but misses and tumbles over the top to the outside. Brock follows outside but gets sent into the steps to stop his rally. Back inside Show nails a Side Slam for two and then goes for a Single Leg Boston Crab but Brock is able to make the ropes. Show misses a splash in the corner and Brock gets an unbelievable release German Suplex but his ribs go out on an F-5 attempt and he eats a clothesline from Show. Show goes for the Choke Slam but Brock counters, only to run into a big boot and leg drop for two. Show nails the Choke Slam but Brock kicks out at two. Show goes for another one off the top but Brock crotches him and nails him with a superplex causing the ring to collapse. Both guys are out and that’s a no contest. Deserved “Holy Shit†chant for that.
WINNER – No Contest
*** – Gimmicky ending but the match was fun and it was a hell of a visual at the end. Probably the best one on one Brock Vs Show match.
January 6th 2005
Eddie Guerrero Vs Rey Mysterio
Rey was one half of the tag team champions at this point with Rob Van Dam. Both guys were faces here. Lock up and Eddie goes to a hammerlock and then an arm wringer. Rey gets a springboard arm drag to break that and they go to a test of strength which leads to a Rey sunset flip for two. Eddie gets a side headlock and that leads to a leapfrog segment that ends with Rey getting fall back Powerbomb to take control. Eddie stays on the arm and gets the flip over arm bar, which always looked cool, and then turns that to a half nelson for two. Eddie keeps the hold locked on but Rey makes the ropes to break. Rey gets put in the tree of woe and Eddie wails away on him but he misses a baseball slide and crotches himself on the ring post as we go to a commercial
Back from the break Rey seems to be in control, working on Eddie’s shoulder, and nails one hell of a DDT for two. Eddie fights back with a sleeper but Rey counters to one of his own. Eddie fights out of the sleeper and gets a pinning move for two. Rey tees off on Eddie with some kicks and follows that with a Lionsault for two. Rey goes to the rear naked sleeper, hooking the legs around Eddie’s abdomen, but Eddie fights up and gets a face plant. Rey gets back in it and tries a 619 but Eddie rolls out of the way at the last minute. Rey goes for a Bronco Buster but Eddie puts his boot up to crotch him before the impact. Rey fights back with a monkey flip and sets Rey up for a frankensteiner but Eddie blocks it and tries a top rope sunset flip but Rey counters THAT with a double foot dropkick for two. Man this match is great! Eddie ducks a Standing Senton and the ref gets clobbered from the impact. Eddie rolls outside to get a tag belt and do some cheating but Rey counters that with HIS cheating skills. The ref admonishes both men and during the ensuing chaos Rey gets an inside cradle for the win.
WINNER – REY MYSTERIO
**** – Some of that stuff was absolutely excellent. God I miss Eddie. Both guys make nice at the end with a handshake.
October 21st 2005
I’ll just re-use my review from back in the day as my opinions on the match haven’t changed extremely.
WWE US Championship
(C) Chris Fucking Benoit Vs Booker T w/ The Annoying Frog Woman
Very decent pop for Benoit. Handshake before the bell as Cole recaps the whole history between them. Lock up leads to the corner and a clean break from Benoit. Booker gets a take down and tries to ride Benoit to the mat but Benoit counters to a hammer lock. Booker turns hat into the headlock and they go to the leapfrog sequence which ends with a Benoit hip toss and a stand off. Lock up again leads to a Benoit hammer lock but Booker elbows out and gets some chops. Of course Benoit chops back as he majored in chopping at “Tough Bastard University” Benoit gets some stingers in too that causes Booker to crumple to the mat. Booker attempts to fire back but that goes no where and Benoit stomps away. Booker misses the Axe Kick and gets crotched on the top rope. Benoit gets a suicide dive and it literally looks like one as he misses and torpedoes the ringside table. Fucking hell Booker where were you there?
Commercial
We’re back with Booker having Benoit in a chin lock. They show the table bump in slow mow just to rub in how f*cking terrifyingly cool it looked. Benoit sells the chin lock like it’s a garrotte wire around the throat which just makes me have hope for wrestling. Booker gets a suplex for two as Benoit continues the awesome selling. Booker chops away and sends Benoit into the corner hard style and gets two from it. Rude Awakening gets two for Booker but it was a close one. Back to the chin lock and Benoit gets a flurry going. Snap Suplex gets two and it’s Germans Time! After three of them Benoit calls for the head butt (getting a good reaction) He gets it but is too hurt to cover right away and only gets two from it. High kick by Booker as he heads up but Benoit stops him and they fight on the top. Benoit gets an ugly looking superplex as Sharmell predictably grabs a chair, but Benoit sees her getting it. The distraction is enough for Booker, oblivious to the Sharmell stuff, to unload with a flurry. Sharmell gets a low blow, again unseen by Booker, and Booker follows that with the Scissors Kick for the win
WINNER – AND NEW CHAMPION BOOKER T
**1/2
