SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
WWE Smackdown house show
December 13, 2003
Chicago, Ill. at Allstate Arena
Report by Manny Sanchez of Round Lake Beach, Ill., PWTorch.com reader
There had to be close to 7500 people in the building. A really really good house show.
(1) Yoshihiro Tajiri beat Billy Kidman to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. You could tell this would be a hot night right off the bat. Tajiri was very entertaining, and knows how to pace a match. At one point, Tajiri was climbing the ropes but then he slipped. So he told he ref to check the ropes. When the ref checked the ropes, he got a standing ovation. Great moment. Kidman went for the Shooting Star, but Tajiri pushed the referee into him, sprays the mist, and hits the kick of all kicks. 1-2-3, and Tajiri retains the title.
Smackdown GM Paul Heyman came out to a huge ovation. Heyman knows how to work a crowd by doing so little, but getting back so much. He’s a master. He just stood there, looking around, and a monstrous ECW chant started. I noticed a bunch of different people in different sections wearing ECW shirts, but this chant was huge. Heyman picked one section out, and said, “when I realize how much you people here in Chicago supported us, I am happy my company went out of business.” This got more heat than anything on the show. Heyman was on fire here. And then, just as people were ready to climb the barriers, perfectly on cue, John Cena’s music hit, and this had to be the pop of the night. The crowd exploded when Cena confronted Heyman. Cena grabbed Paul’s mic and ripped him up but good. Cena was the most over babyface on the show, and no one came close. Finally, Heyman puts up his hands to fight Cena, Cena gets ready to open a can of whoop ass, Brock attacks Cena, Holly attacks Brock, Big Show and Matt Morgan attack Holly and Cena, and Benoit and Mysterio clear the ring. Heyman then cuts a great promo announcing the matches for later tonight. This was just great.
(2) Chuck Palumbo beat Matt Weiss. Weiss is billed from being from Chicago, I am pretty sure he’s the guy known as Horshu. He looks a little aged, like a younger Charles Bronson. Decent match, believe it or not, and Palumbo wins.
(3) Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi beat Yang & Sakoda. Rikishi pins Yang with the Rikishi-Driver. After the match, Rikishi, Scotty, and a ref dance. Rikishi is fat, slow, and lazy.
(4) World’s Greatest Tag Team beat Spanky & Paul London. Why aren’t these guys in a storyline on TV? This was a fantastic tag team match. Great chemistry with these four, and this was the best match of the night technically speaking. A standing ovation for the babyfaces after the match. Can’t say enough good about this match, very impressive.
(5) Hardcore Holly beat Rhyno, I can’t understand why Rhyno is so buried on TV. He got a great pop coming out, and he bumps so hard, he really made Holly in this match. Rhyno would try things, and Holly would keep decking him like Ronnie Garvin using the right hand. This match had great heat. I really wish Rhyno would get a push again, he worked so hard and really made Holly in this match. Afterwards, Heyman comes out surrounded by security. Again, Heyman gets a monstrous reaction. Cool, calm, and collected, Paul says, “I want to congratulate you on your victory. Now, please understand, your suspension is back on, and I’d like these gentlemen to escort you from the arena!” The crowd goes nuts, Heyman smiles, and leaves. Classic.
(6) The Bashams beat The Guerreros to retain the WWE Tag Titles. A very entertaining match. Eddie is the funniest wrestler in the biz. Chavo is, well, he’s Chavo. Nothing special, and blessed with the right last name. He’s like Stephanie in that regard. Bashams and Shaniqua are a great act, lots of heel mannerisms and great timing. These guys put on a damn good show, and the audience ate it up. Bashams wins, but Eddie cuts a promo and the crowd pops.
(7) Torrie Wilson won a Tiny Teddy Contest over Dawn Marie, Sable, and Nidia. in a Tiny Teddy Contest: Dawn is almost naked. Torrie is sexy, but Dawn has a certain sleaze to her that the audience likes. Nidia is hysterical, falling down while dancing. Sable refuses, and leaves to a lot of heat. Torrie wins, but Dawn was the stripper of the bunch and got the most reaction.
(8) Chris Benoit & Rey Mysterio & John Cena beat Brock Lesnar & Big Show & Matt Morgan. No one was nearly as over as Cena. Lots of Cena merchandise in the crowd, and that deal he did with Heyman earlier in the show was huge for him. People were actually talking about it like it was for real. The person behind me was saying he’d never seen anyone shoot down Heyman that way. Amazing. This was a solid main event. Brock has found himself as a heel, and had a ton of heat. The crowd was on it’s feet anytime Brock was in the ring. And everything Brock does, looks like it hurts like hell. This match goes back and forth, and then the heels start beating on Rey. It breaks into everyone fighting. Mysterio dives on Morgan. Benoit locks in the crossface on Brock for the pop of the night. Cena hoists up Big Show and hits the FU. Cena pins Show and the crowd is in a frenzy. Afterwards, Cena acknowledges all the signs in the crowd and freestyle raps for about 15 minutes, and no one left until he was done. This was just a hell of a house show. I know pay per views have the production and the pyro, but this was worth my money more than anything else I’ve purchased this year.
BIGGEST POPS:
1) John Cena
2) Chris Benoit
3) Eddie Guerrero
4) Dawn Marie
MOST HEAT:
1) Tie between Heyman and Brock, in different ways. Both play their roles to perfection.
3) Big Show
4) Sable
MVPs OF THE NIGHT: Cena, Brock, and Heyman really made this house show work for me. Eddie was great, so was Dawn Marie, as was Tajiri, and a lot of people on this show. Benoit is so cool to watch live. But a year from now, when I look back on this show, I know it will be Cena, Brock, and Heyman who stand out in my mind as superstars, and as the people who really got this show over the top.
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