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
FEBRUARY 10, 2006
TAPED FEB. 7 IN COLUMBUS, OHIO
BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
Michael Cole and Tazz introduced the show as ring intros took place for the opening match.
1 — MATT HARDY vs. CHRIS BENOIT vs. JBL vs. ORLANDO JORDAN
Booker T and Sharmell came out after all ring intros for the wrestlers and joined Cole and Tazz at ringside. The no. 1 contendership to the U.S. Hvt. Title was at stake in this match where the winner was the first to score a pin or submission. Early in the match, Benoit had JBL in a Crippler Crossface. Jordan broke it up. When Booker said he was a fighting champion, Cole doubted him. Sharmell’s response was classic. JBL and Jordan beat down Benoit and Hardy most of the opening minutes, which felt like the slow part of an average battle royal for the most part. Benoit came back with a diving headbutt.
[Commercial Break]
Back from the break, JBL and Jordan got control again. JBL invited Jordan to cover Hardy, then stomped him as soon as he went for the cover. Benoit came back with two series of suplexes against Jordan and JBL. JBL and Jordan took control again. JBL tried to talk to Jordan, but Jordan yanked him through the ropes to the floor. Hardy returned to the ring to break up Jordan’s pin attempt on Benoit. Benoit then slipped the Crossface on Hardy for the tapout win. What does that say about where Hardy ranks on the totem pole when Jordan is in a match, but Hardy does the job. Booker and Sharmell were displeased with Benoit’s win, meaning he’ll have to defend his U.S. Title against Benoit.
WINNER: Benoit in 17:00.
STAR RATING: ** — Watchable. Some nice spots, but pretty slow at other times.
-Teddy Long told an angry Booker T that he has nine days to get himself ready to defend the U.S. Title against Benoit. “No more replacements, no more substitutes!” said Long. If Booker can’t defend it at No Way Out, he will be stripped of the title.
-Cole plugged Undertaker vs. Mark Henry in their first one-on-on match ever.
-A commercial aired for the Thursday Raw special with Mick Foley as special ref for Edge vs. John Cena.
[Commercial Break]
-Crystal attempted to interview JBL backstage. He threw a fit and said he should be challenging for the title. Bobby Lashley interrupted his rant and stared him down. “You and me, No Way Out,” he said. JBL said, “You challenging me?” She said the match is on because JBL said he could beat anyone, anytime. JBL didn’t seem thrilled she accepted the challenge, though.
-Elsewhere backstage, Melina told Mercury and Nitro she’d catch up with them later. Hardy was clutching his arm. Melina sat next to him and consoled him on losing the match. She said, “It’s too bad you’re not a part of a winning team.” Hardy looked at her and asked what she was getting at. “If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,” she said. She walked away as Hardy seemed to be pondering the proposal. Now it makes sense why Hardy jobbed instead of Jordan earlier. It’s amazing to see Hardy get actual storyline attention. He deserves it, and the fans want it, but it’s been a long time coming.
-Josh Matthews interviewed Mark Henry and Daivari. Daivari took credit for Kurt Angle being champion. He said it’s time for him to do the same for Henry. Henry said Undertaker got his title shot at No Way Out, so he’ll make him pay tonight.
[Commercial Break]
2 — MNM (Mercury & Nitro w/Melina) vs. PAUL LONDON & BRIAN KENDRICK
During ring intros, Cole and Tazz plugged tickets going on sale for Saturday Night’s Main Event. Tazz said he grew up watching them and never thought he’d be fortunate enough to be part of one. Melina issued an open invite. Kendrick and London answered. Cole called them “carefree daredevils” who “will do anything to get noticed.” Yeah, they’ll have good matches and execute state of art offense. That’s how “crazy” and “out there” they are by WWE standards. Afters several nice minutes of un-WWE-like athleticism, Kendrick hot-tagged London. The ref didn’t see the tag and disallowed it. Then MNM hit their finisher for the win.
WINNERS: MNM at 6:22.
STAR RATING: **1/4 — Short, but good TV match. It would have been a nice chance to start a full-fledged feud that could contend as the best tag team feud of the year. But that would have required an upset win by London & Kendrick.
-Cole plugged that Randy Orton would be “setting the record straight” next. He said he was curious to know what that meant.
[Commercial Break]
-Randy Orton stood backstage and addressed the camera alone. He sounded humble and distraught. He said rather than talk about it, let’s replay the footage. They played Orton telling that Rey Mysterio that when he looks up to signal to Eddie, he should be looking down because Guerrero is in hell. They went backstage, but Orton wasn’t there. Then Orton’s music played and he rode out in Guerrero’s low rider.
He asked the crowd if he really meant it when he said Eddie’s in hell. “Did I mean it? Not really. Maybe he’s in hell, maybe he’s not. I don’t really care. I said what I said to get what I want. I used Eddie Guerrero’s name to get under Rey Mysterio’s skin. It used it to get him so upset that he’d put his WrestleMania title shot on the line. And guess what? It worked perfectly.” He added, “It’s destiny time.” The crowd chanted “We want Rey!” for a few seconds. Orton said he has proof that Eddie wasn’t a saint. He pulled out his autobiography. As Orton was about to read from it, Mysterio attacked him from behind and threw a barrage of punches at him. Nothing like exploiting Eddie death, which was directly caused by the rigors of the WWE schedule and lifestyle which WWE knows can cost vulnerable people their lives and does nothing about, and then belaboring it to try to sell a few extra copies of his book posthumous. So admirable. A groggy Orton was tended to by medics.
[Commercial Break]
-They replayed Rey’s attack on Orton.
3 — GREGORY HELMS vs. NUNZIO
At the start of the match, Kid Kash walked out to watch. He faces the winner next week. Cole bragged that Smackdown was the no. 1 show among adults 18-34 and men 18-34 and teens. That is for Friday night only, which he didn’t specify. Helms seemed preoccupied by Kash at ringside, staring at him during a chinlock on Nunzio.
WINNER: Helms at 4:12 after a Shining Wizard.
STAR RATING: * — Cruiserweights won’t ever get over if they wrestle like heavyweights but in smaller bodies. It also won’t get Kash over if all he does is stand and stare. The TV time is nice but they need angles, storyline development, and character development better than this.
-Network Guy came out and said he was happy to have the juniors back. Super Porky was among them, munching on a ham. Mr. Kennedy walked in and grabbed as Porky’s gut, which makes Dick Murdoch look like Jack Lalanne (and that comment made Wade Keller seem like Bobby Heenan.) Paul Birchill walked into the room dressed as a pirate doing a Johnny Depp routine. Kennedy and Network Guy didn’t know how to react. If that segment didn’t confirm every stereotype about pro wrestling for those who don’t watch, I don’t know what would. If someone had decided to “give wrestling a chance” after hearing about it for years, and they flipped it on and saw that, I can’t imagine their response. A guy in a suit, midgets climbing walls, the biggest belly in the world, “Misssster Kennnneddyyy,” and a pirate.
[Commercial Break]
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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4 — MASCARITA SAGRADA & PEQUIENO VIOLENCIA vs. OCTAGONCITO & TZUIKI
The Juniors Division graphic features color and graphics you’d see on a box for a three year old child’s toy. They had bouncing each balls in place of the “i”s. Cole and Tazz made a big deal out of the size difference between Sagrada and Tzuki. It was like Rey vs. Big Show. Cole said Tzuki “could be a cruiserweight.” Some typical comedy spots that are funny if you see them once every two years. At 2:30 Finlay came out after a few minutes, beat them up, and said he wants to fight.
WINNER: No contest at 2:30.
-The Raw Rebound aired.
[Commercial Break]
-A video feature aired on Undertaker.
-The announcers hyped the No Way Out line-up including some clips of angles leading up to the JBL-Lashley match.
-Outside the arena, Booker said if he gets hurt wrestling too soon, he’d sue them. Sharmell was right there agreeing with him as only she can. Booker opened the trunk to their car and it was filled with green and yellow worms. Sharmell freaked out.
-Mark Henry’s ring intro took place.
[Commercial Break]
5 — MARK HENRY (w/Daivari) vs. UNDERTAKER
Cole said it was the first time in four months that Undertaker is in action on Smackdown. Taker found it difficult to execute basic moves against the powerhouse Henry. Henry took control and went for a dive at Taker against the ropes, but Taker moved and Henry flew to the floor at 3:00.
[Commercial Break]
Back from the break, Taker reversed Henry into the ringside steps. Taker walked the top rope and came off with a forearm off the top rope. He followed with a flying knee in the corner. Henry, though, made another comeback at 7:00 in a much-too-long match for these two. Henry worked over Taker’s back with methodical offense in the most boring sense of that term. Taker went for a chokeslam at 10:15, but Henry blocked it. Taker tried again and hit it. Daivari called for support from the back. Out ran MNM. Taker punched them as they entered the ring. The ref called for the DQ. As Taker was about to double-chokeslam Mercury and Nitro, Henry attacked Taker from behind. Angle ran out for the save, suplexing Henry, Mercury, and Nitro. Taker was struggling to get up as Henry began a comeback against Angle. Taker then gave Henry a big boot to knock him out of the ring. That left Taker and Angle in the ring together. Taker held the World Title belt in his hands. He admired it, then tossed it to Angle. That was supposed to feel monumental, but it didn’t. Tazz said, “It’s on!” Long walked out and said next week Taker & Angle would face MNM & Henry. Will Hardy interfere on behalf of MNM & Henry?
WINNER: Taker via DQ at 10:55.
STAR RATING: 1/2* — Very little redeeming about it. Too long, non-clean finish (which made booking sense since they’re trying to protect the vulnerable Henry, but it didn’t exactly help the match in the end), and lumbering action. The angle at the end served the purpose of setting up next week’s tag, but the Angle-Taker interaction was pretty ordinary.
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