WWE Smackdown & Velocity taping results from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn., according to Jack Johnson and PWTorch.com:
VELOCITY TAPING
(1) Paul London beat Shannon Moore.
(2) Charlie Haas & Hardcore Holly won a squash.
SMACKDOWN
Orlando Jordan started the Smackdown night welcoming JBL to a ring trimmed with presidental red, white and blue while baloons and confetti rained from the rafters. JBL ripped on the Titans and would later talk about how he’s not going to Iraq for the WWE show. A half the size of JBL and scrawny looking, 2004 TNA Macho Manesque Kurt Angle hits the ring.
Angle channels Ron Howard from Happy Days, or little Opie Cunningham as Eddie Murphy used to call him, and offends JBL by calling him “Bucco.” I think it’s Angle’s right arm that has caught the Mr. Wonderful/Swamp Thing disease. Teddy Long gets the biggest pop of the night by making the match while Paul London wonders why he heard all those pins drop during his Velocity match. Angle is back to the comedy heel again.
A decent, better than average house show takes place between the opening promos and the main event. I have this theory that a comped crowd pops for everything and they did, save the early Velocity matches. The crowd was into everything on Smackdown and that made for a much better live show than I’m sure it will come off as on TV.
(1) Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam beat Kidman & Akio.
(2) Booker T & Eddie Guerrero beat Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree.
Promo of the night: Angle is backstage saying America needs a hero. The NBA is full of thugs. Baseball players cheat (can’t believe WWE went there). And the NHL doesn’t even show up for work.
Daniel Puder was announced as the winner of Tough Enough.
Turn tease of the night. Luther’s back is hurting and he’s talking to Orlando Jordan about health care. Jordan works for JBL and has great coverage, including dental. Luther’s plan is not so great and he has problems finding a doctor. Too bad Rick Rude isn’t still around and in the insurance business. Luther brings the better health care coverage fact up with Angle later on but then drops it.
(3) Kurt Angle beat JBL (w/Jordan) via DQ. This resthold/headlock main event ends with Jordan running in. Everyone else joins in and the Big Show finishes with a chokeslam party.
DARK BONUS MATCH
It’s not over yet…time for the advertised dark casket match. Taker vs. JBL & Orlando Jordan. I’ve seen much rougher pillow fights and Taker piles Jordan on top of JBL and the lid can’t close all the way. Fans were way into Taker’s long, slow walk intro and eye rolling.
The late Ray Traylor would have been proud of the light between the metal step shots Taker gave JBL and Orlando that didn’t make a sound that they both sold. I don’t blame JBL. I have no idea how a man ever does anything pro wrestling related after a double hernia operation. The same operation ended Dave Justice’s effective baseball career as well as Kevin Johnson’s NBA run as a star in the league.
Overall, a much better Smackdown effort than the last one in Nashville a year-and-a-half ago. The highlight the last tme was the Sable Invitational that featured Torrie Wilson on all fours.
Poor Kurt Angle is about half the man he was in 2000.
