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
MAY 27, 2005
TAPED TUESDAY IN MILWAUKEE, WISC.
BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
-Michael Cole and Tazz introduced the show. Cole said Judgment Day may have been the best Smackdown PPV ever. Tazz agreed.
-Carlito Cool and Matt Morgan walked ot the ring for Carlito’s Cabana. Carlito introduced himself as his special guest. “That’s right. Tonight’s guest is me,” he said. He bragged about beating Big Show all by himself, then went on to credit Morgan for his help. He offered Morgan a chance to speak, but Morgan just stuttered. Teddy Long then came out, much to Carlito’s dismay. Carlito complained about Long interrupted the Cabana. Long threatened to suspend Morgan if he laid a hand on him. Long said with the draft coming up in two weeks, he was going to have a Winner’s Choice Battle Royal where the winner can face anyone of their choice. He said Carlito, since he bragged about being able to beat Big Show any time, would be facing Big Show later. Carlito wasn’t happy. He hugged Morgan as the segment ended.
-The ECW PPV commercial aired.
[Commercial Break]
-Josh Matthews interviewed Rey Mysterio backstage about wanting a piece of Eddie Guerrero.
1 — MNM (Mercury & Nitro w/Melina) vs. HARDCORE HOLLY & CHARLIE HAAS – WWE Tag Team Title Match
Mercury and Nitro tucked their belts into the front of their trunks, and then Melina rubbed her hands down their abs and stroked their belts. Then she did the splits on her way into the ring as usual. Nitro hit Holly from behind to give Mercury a chance at early offense. Holly, though, quickly come back with a back suplex for a quick two count. Holly then chopped Mercury a few times, then yanked Nitro into the ring and hit him. Haas tagged in and caught Nitro with a dropkick as Nitro was leaping off the ropes at 3:00. Mercury tripped Haas from ringside as they cut to a break.
[Commercial Break]
MNM isolated Haas until he hot-tagged Holly at 11:00 which got a nice pop. He worked over both MNM members including his nice dropkick on Mercury. He knocked Nitro out of the ring with a clothesline He then went to the top rope, but took the ref out at the same time he took down Mercury. He followed with the Alabama Slam. Nitro, though, bashed Haas with a chair at ringside, then hit Holly prompting the DQ.
WINNERS: Holly & Haas at 12:15.
STAR RATING: ** — Solid, basic tag match. The finish kept the feud going for house show rematches.
[Commercial Break]
-Steve Romero interviewed Booker T and Sharmell backstage. They went to a clip from Judgment Day of Booker T and Sharmell getting some revenge on Kurt Angle. Booker said he doesn’t ever forget to take out the trash because he knows what Sharmell is capable of doing now. They laughed together and seemed like a happy couple, content with the revenge they got on Sunday.
-John Cena walked out to a “Cena, Cena” chant. He thanked the fans for believing in him. He said before Sunday there was a lot of talk that he might be a one hit wonder and unable to live up to the hype. “Two words changed all of that,” he said. “Two words that never came out of my mouth. And that is why the Champ is Here!”
He said JBL must now feel like a “cowardly, shell of a man.” He said he has something for him, though. Before he could say what, JBL’s music started and JBL rode out in his white limo. He could barely get out of his limo. He limped to the ring with a bandage on his forehead. He said he is rich and successful because he never makes excuses. He said he has never failed at anything until Sunday. “You were the better man,” said JBL. “I gave you everything I had. I said I was going to beat the hell out of you, and you did. I said I was going to bust you open, and I did. I said I would make you say I Quit, but you wouldn’t.”
He said as he was being stitched up, he said he realized he had beaten everybody, but he couldn’t beat you. “And I’m not sure I can,” he added. But then he warned Cena about imploding from trying to do too much at once. He compared him to Kurt Cobain and Mike Tyson, among others. He said he can do what he’s doing for a year and a half, and when he crashes, he’ll be there to pick up the pieces. He said he may not be able to beat him to become the WWE Champion, but when he run out of steam, he will be there. “That will my legacy,” he said. JBL looked like he hadn’t slept in three days.
Cena told JBL he doesn’t get it, and he doesn’t choose his legacy. “These people decide your legacy,” he said. He said he’s a soldier who lives for today, and if he goes down, it will be in a blaze of glory. He said he isn’t worried about his legacy. Cena said he had something for his legacy, but obviously JBL isn’t interested. He was about to walk out of the ring. JBL stopped him and asked him what he had in mind. Cena said he’s done a lot of bad things, but he’s not a bad guy.
Cena said the moment passed, though. JBL practically begged him to play the tribute video. The video began for ten seconds as a nice tribute to JBL, then switched into a look of JBL saying “I quit” over and over again. Cena said JBL’s legacy is being the biggest quitter ever. JBL retreated to the back as Cena laughed with the crowd inside the ring and at ringside. Good segment.
[Commercial Break]
2 — CARLITO COOL (w/Matt Morgan) vs. BIG SHOW
The ref booted Morgan to the back after his attempt to interfere. As Carlito complained to the ref at ringside, Show grabbed him by his hair from behind and yanked him into the ring. Show told Carlito he lost his stuttering friend. Carlito used a crotch shot and some forearms to get control, then followed with a missile dropkick. He followed with a boot to the side of Show’s head. Show fired right back with a chokeslam for a pin. Morgan returned and knocked Show out of the ring with a boot to the face. He whipped him into the ringpost and then gave him an F5 through the ringside table.
WINNER: Show at 3:01.
STAR RATING: 1/2* — There’s no shame in losing clean to Show since he’s been portrayed as a top guy, but perhaps Carlito should be protected a little at this stage. Then again, Carlito is going to spend his career doing jobs because of the belief that he’s good enough on the mic to get his heat back the following week.
[Commercial Break]
-Cole and Tazz sat at their announcers’ position with the crushed table in front of them. They recounted what they saw first-hand before the break. That was a nice touch to show the aftermath of Show being driven through their table rather than just moving on without making a big deal of it.
-A recap aired of the segment with Eric Bischoff, Vince McMahon, and Paul Heyman on Raw this week.
-They showed Kurt Angle reacting with disgust to the highlight video.
[Commercial Break]
-Angle reiterated that Sharmell is a gutter slut, but they bleeped “slut.” Angle said what also bothers him is that Vince McMahon has decided to flush a bunch of money down the toilet by bringing back ECW. “ECW can kiss my ass,” he said. Angle said he eats, sleeps, and breaths wrestling, and ECW isn’t wrestling, it’s garbage. He said he was at an ECW event after he won an Olympic gold medal in 1996. He said it was so horrible and disgusting he left half way through the event and vowed he’d never return again. (That’s all true. He was disgusted with a crucifixion angle they did.) “But it looks like I’m going to return one last time,” he said. Angle looked at Tazz at ringside and said he was going to bounce around his ECW buddies “just like Paul Heyman bounces checks.” Tazz took off his headset and sunglasses and glared at Angle.
3 — KURT ANGLE vs. ROBERT
Angle asked his opponent his name. As he said Robert, Angle attacked him and stomped away at him. He said the way he was feeling, he was going make Robert hurt.
WINNER: Angle at 1:30.
-Angle said now that he’s warmed up, he wanted the battle royal to begin. And so it did.
4 — WINNER’S CHOICE BATTLE ROYAL
Heidenreich walked out doing his bizarre walk that almost makes Vince McMahon’s strut seem normal. Carlito and Morgan walked out next as they cut to a break.
[Commercial Break]
As Rey Mysterio came to the ring, Eddie Guerrero attacked him from behind, then bashed him twice with a chair. WWE officials ran out including Fit Finlay and Steve Keirn to stop Guerrero. Guerrero was allowed to still enter the match, even though it appeared Rey was too injured to compete. Paul London wsa the first eliminated. Funaki and Mercury were next out. Then Akio. Then Mark Jindrak courtesy of Heidenreich.
[Commercial Break]
Eddie stood at ringside with blood trickling down his nose. They went to a replay of Nitro being eliminated during the break. Out next was Kidman followed by Heidenreich. Morgan then began yanking people over the top rope from ringside. Eddie finally entered the ring and quickly eliminated Scotty. That’s loophole of being able to hang out at ringside and not even enter until late in the match helped Bobby Heenan many times during the ’80s. Rey Mysterio then ran to the ring and attacked Eddie. They brawled. Rey eliminated Eddie, then dove off the ring apron onto Eddie at ringside. WWE officials pulled them apart.
[Commercial Break]
It came down to the Bashams, Jordan, Mysterio, Angle, and Booker. Booker eliminated Danny, Jordan, and Doug. Angle then eliminated Booker. Tazz called it the hottest ten seconds he’s ever seen in a battle royal. That left just Rey and Angle at 18:30. Rey almost had Angle eliminated, but then he missed with a 619. Angle then applied an Ankle Lock. Rey ended up standing and yanking Angle with his leg over the top rope. Both held on and stood on the ring apron. Angle tried to supled Rey off the apron to the floor. Rey escaped the move. They both ended up back inside the ring. Angle hit Rey with a clothesline. Rey hit a 619 at 25:30. Angle, though, caught Rey with a low blow as he springboarded toward him. Angle then easily tossed Rey over to the top rope to the floor.
WINNER: Angle at 26:06.
STAR RATING: ***1/4 – The first 18 minutes wasn’t particularly good, but Angle and Rey had a great eight minutes of action.
-After the match Angle said there was something he had once that he doesn’t have anymore, and it’s something he’s obsessed with. He hinted at John Cena, but then said it’s Cena’s lucky day because he has the night off. Instead, he was choosing Booker T’s wife Sharmell. Cole said, “Sharmell! He can’t!”
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