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 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN
APRIL 21, 2005
TAPED MONDAY IN NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.
BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
Michael Cole and Tazz introduced and previewed the show including a champion vs. champion match with John Cena vs. Orlando Jordan.
1 — BOOKER T vs. BIG SHOW – Title Shot Tournament Match
Kurt Angle and JBL made full ring entrances and did color commentary on the match since they were scheduled to face the winner next week to earn a title shot at Judgment Day. JBL claimed he was in his hometown and he got a bigger pop than Big Show. He wasn’t happy that Angle joined him at ringside. JBL yelled, “Get out of here!” Angle said, “Good to see you, too, Bradshaw.” They were entertaining, bantering back and forth. They hinted that if there were a DDQ, both men would be eliminated from the tourney. At 4:00, after Big Show missed with a big boot and straddled the top rope, Booker gave Big Show a Book End, which impressed JBL and Angle. Booker then hit a top rope dropkick followed by an enzuigiri. Booker then clotheslined Show and they spilled over the top rope to the floor. Angle and JBL said they saw an opportunity. They dropped their headsets and attacked Show and Booker. Show and Booker eventually fended them off. Angle and JBL began retreating with big smiles on their faces. Teddy Long walked out and said as a result of what just happened, he is forced to change next week’s tournament final. He said instead of being a Triple Threat match, it will be JBL vs. Angle. JBL and Angle clapped prematurely. Then Long continued they’d also face Booker and Show in a Fatal Four-Way match. JBL and Angle nearly burst blood vessels in protest. Long then announced that their night isn’t over because later he was booking a tag team match with Angle & JBL vs. Booker & Show. JBL shouted, “I don’t even like him (Angle!).” Long closed with, “Holla holla holla!” Angle and JBL yelled at each other as Booker and Show shook hands in the ring.
WINNERS: No contest at 5:20.
STAR RATING: 3/4* — Good segment. It kept Booker and Big Show from having too long of a face vs. face match, which given the booking of each character right now and their in-ring chemistry, wasn’t going to go anywhere. JBL and Angle thinking they outsmarted the system, and then being outsmarted by the G.M., was a good touch. It’s good that WWE has a G.M. who establishes law and order in a non-hysterical manner but rather matter of factly. If WWE had G.M.s who played it straight for the next two or three years, then a heel G.M. making crooked decisions might mean something again. However, the current writing team can’t keep Raw G.M. Eric Bischoff’s character straight, so there’s probably not much hope.
-Cole and Tazz plugged Carlito’s Cabana next.
[Commercial Break]
-Carlito ripped on uncool New York kids are and how bad he feels they’ll never grow up to be cool. He said he wouldn’t hesitate to spit apple in the faces of any of those fans. He introduced an especially uncool guest, “Latino Heat” Eddie Guerrero. Carlito said last week MNM beat up his partner Rey Mysterio. “My question is, where were you?” asked Carlito. Eddie paused, then said he knows he’s just trying to stir things up between “me and Rey Rey.” Carlito replayed what happened last week between Rey and Guerrero. Carlito said, “Eddie, that was not…” Guerrero interrupted and said, “If you say cool one more time, I’m going to rip that apple out of your hand, spin you around, and shove it up your (bleep).” Guerrero called Rey to the ring so he could explain himself. Guerrero said a year ago he was standing inside the ring holding the WWE Hvt. Title above his head. He said now he needs to not regret what he doesn’t have, but cherish what he does have, which is a great partner and the tag titles. He said his car was broken down and that’s why he wasn’t able to help Rey. Guerrero said if anyone knows where his heart is, he should. MNM then came on the big screen and proposed a tag team title match tonight. Guerrero asked them to challenge then face-to-face like true challengers do. MNM revealed that they were standing right next to his low rider. Melina spawled on top of it, then the men spray painted the hood with “MNM” letters. Guerrero began shaking. He finally ran to the back to stop them.
[Commercial Break]
-Matt Morgan was interviewed backstage about making his Smackdown debut. He stuttered as he said he was going to take years of frustration off of his opponent and destroy anyone in his path.
-Orlando Jordan confronted The Bashams. He told them he is the Chief of Staff and he is their bass. He told the Bashams they have to shape up or they’ll be cut. He told them that JBL wants them soften up Cena. So after he beats Cena later, they are to “do their job for once.” The Bashams didn’t look pleased being talked to that way. Doug said, “I’m getting real sick of this.” They speak!
[Commercial Break]
2 — MATT MORGAN vs. UNNAMED OPPONENT
Morgan got in his opponent’s face and asked if he was laughing at him. The guy shook his head no. Morgan shoved him hard into the corner turnbuckles. He destroyed him with powerful offense and displayed vicious intensity. Tazz said he wouldn’t want to be in that dude’s path. Morgan finished him with a nasty clothesline from behind and then unnamed finisher.
WINNER: Morgan at 1:16.
STAR RATING: 1/4* — Just a squash, but Morgan looked competent. He’ll have to show more before fans take him seriously.
-Angle and JBL argued backstage on their way to the tunnel for their tag match.
-A commercial aired for John Cena’s debut CD which hits stores May 10.
[Commercial Break]
3 — BOOKER T & BIG SHOW vs. JBL & KURT ANGLE
Booker T’s wife Charmel cheered Booker on from ringside. JBL and Big Show began the match. Then Angle tagged in. Booker hot-tagged Show at 4:00. Four-way brawling took place at ringside. Angle then worked over Booker for several minutes. When Angle had Booker down, JBL yelled at him to go for the cover. Angle went for more of a beating. Eventually Booker tagged in Big Show. Tazz predicted Show would win next week’s Fatal Four-way, giving away that Show will not be winning. Angle stopped Show from chokeslamming JBL and gave Show an Angle Slam. JBL came in with a big boot. Show lifted JBL for a chokeslam. Angle was going to make the save, but saw Show and decided to walk out of the match instead. Show gave JBL a chokeslam in center-ring for the pin as Angle waved “bye bye” from the stage.
WINNERS: Show & Booker at 13:13.
STAR RATING: **1/2 — Solid tag match.
[Commercial Break]
-Heidenreich stood center ring and introduced a good friend of his, Brooklyn Brawler. There’s probably an inside joke in there somewhere. Heidenreich told the MSG crowd that Brawler inspired him to write a poem, “a disasterpiece.” He said: “I spent a lifetime looking for a friend, I’ve travelled far and wide never knowing where the road might end. Well, now the end is finally near because the Brooklyn Brawler is finally here, standing in the middle of the mecca of Sports Entertainment, Madison Square Garden. And that was a poem by Heidenreich.” He asked Brawler what he thought of the poem. Brawler said, “You sure you want my opinion? It stunk. It was terrible. It was embarrassing, Heidenreich.” He said the only thing more embarrassing was when the Yankees choked last year against the Boston Red Sox. He said also embarrassing is “this whole stinkin’ town.” He then took off his Brooklyn Brawler shirt and revealed a Boston Red Sox t-shirt underneath. He said he no longer wanted to be called the Brooklyn Brawler. “I proudly want to be known as the Boston Brawler.” Okay, let’s step in here and point out that NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU WANT TO BE CALLED FROM NOW ON. Heidenreich beat him up. So apparently, viewers in New York are supposed to like Heidenreich, viewers in Boston are supposed to like the Brawler, and viewers everywhere else switched to see if they could join CSI in progress. That was one of the most inexplicable segments on WWE TV in a while. Who thought that deserved TV time over anything else they could have come up with. When was the last time Brooklyn Brawler was a known wrestler in WWE? Nothing was done to put his career in perspective, but you’d have thought he was a superstar from the time they gave him. Very strange.
[Commercial Break]
4 — REY MYSTERIO & EDDIE GUERRERO vs. MNM (Mercury & Nitro w/Melina) – WWE Tag Team Title match
They brawled at ringside before the match began, then Rey and Eddie took control early, so MNM bailed back out to ringside. Then they cut to a break a full 40 seconds into the match.
[Commercial Break]
They went back and forth for several minutes. Then Melina blocked Rey from hitting his 619 on Mercury. Guerrero then stepped into Melina’s face. She jumped into his arms. As the ref turned his attention to them, Mercury and Nitro double-teamed Rey inside the ring and Mercury scored the pin. Cole and Tazz expressed disbelief. “Shocking turn of events!” said Tazz. Guerrero was irate with Rey for losing. He chewed him out. Rey shouted back, “You left me alone!” Guerrero shoved Rey to the mat. Rey got bug-eyed in response through his mask. Guerrero showed no remorse for the shove and instead looked disgusted with Rey. When Guerrero walked away, Rey leaped to ringside and shoved Guerrero to the mat. Then he turned his back and walked away.
WINNERS: MNM at 10:27 to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles.
STAR RATING: ** — Decent back and forth match.
-Raw Rebound aired.
[Commercial Break]
-They showed MNM being mobbed by photographers as they got into their limo. Nice touch to make it seem as if “Los Angeles media” care about their tag victory.
-John Cena walked to the ring for his TV main event against Cena. He worked the crowd into a frenzy with some smooching of New York’s ass for two minutes. The crowd chanted “Cena, Cena.” He talked about the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and Madison Square Garden. He said a lot of other places have been built on tradition, but New York is special because “you people can adapt and overcome absolutely anything.” He said tonight there would be a fight, champion vs. champion. He told Orlando Jordan to listen to the sound of the New York City Chain Gang. He sneered at the camera and closed with, “If you want some…” The crowd finished, “Come get some.”
[Commercial Break]
5 — JOHN CENA vs. ORLANDO JORDAN (w/Doug Basham)
Tazz and Cole noted that Danny Basham didn’t come to ringside with Jordan and Doug. No titles on the line in this champ vs. champ match that they left all of seven minutes of TV time for. Jordan went to a long bearhug on the mat, giving, Cena a chance to make facial expressions which were less constipated-looking than usual. Cena signalled for the Five-Knuckle fistdrop. Basham interfered. Cena gave him an FU. Cena then knocked Jordan off the top rope, crotching him. Basham then KO’d Cena with his title belt. A groggy Jordan then hit a top rope elbow. Cole said Jordan was going to score an upset, which gave away that Cena would be tapping out. Cena kicked out. They got into a slugfest. Cena’s technique with punches wasn’t something Carlito would deem cool. Cena whipped Jordan into Basham on the ring apron. Cena then hit an FU for the win. As Cena spun his belt plate in celebration, they showed pro-Cena fan signs. Then he went into the crowd to celebrate with them as the show ended.
WINNER: Cena at 7:07.
STAR RATING: *1/4
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