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 on UPN
March 3, 2006
Taped February 28, 2006 in Washington, D.C.
Report by James Caldwell, Torch columnist
– We opened with video clips highlighting the Angle-Undertaker title match later tonight. Michael Cole called it the “biggest main event in the history of Friday night Smackdown.” Nothing like taking a page from the TNA book of superlatives.
1 — BOOKER T (w/Sharmell) vs. TATANKA
Sharmell sat on commentary with Michael Cole and Tazz. She said Teddy Long is a terrible general manager, evidenced by putting Booker in a U.S. Title match and putting Rey Mysterio in the WrestleMania title match. Booker and Tatanka traded chops early on. The crowd “whooed.” Booker delivered a thumb to the eye and went on the attack. Cole made a point to say, “the former United States champion.”
Sharmell said Booker is still injured and Teddy Long is out to get Booker. Cole asked Booker if he stretched his groin a lot before the match. Sharmell indignantly asked what that was supposed to mean. Cole said it would be a huge upset for Tatanka to win. Sharmell said Teddy Long should be fired. Her reasoning? He hired the Boogeyman. No, someone else should be fired for that one, but we won’t name names.
Booker slingshot Tatanka across the top rope. Booker hit a strong kick to the head at 4:15. Booker took too long before making a cover and Tatanka kicked out. Booker went for his customary reverse chin lock at 4:50. Tatanka made his comeback at 6:00. He did the war dance around the ring and a vocal group of fans booed. Booker countered a top rope move with a kick to the jaw. Booker hit the scissors kick and the crowd roared. Boogeyman’s music hit. Sharmell screamed. Boogeyman came out from behind the announce table. He was frothing at the mouth. Tatanka rolled up Booker from behind to score the win. Boogeyman walked into the ring and danced. He ate worms as Cole and Tazz discussed their table being on fire.
WINNER: Tatanka at 7:24. John Cena wasn’t the only babyface to receive a strong smattering of boos in D.C. Booker made the match interesting interacting with the crowd, which was behind him. Good commentary between Cole and Sharmell. Acceptable start to the show.
– Cole said Lashley-Finlay will take place later in the show.
[Commercial Break]
– WrestleMania is 30 days away. They aired a “tale of the tape” between Undertaker and Angle.
– Angle was backstage in his locker room taping his knees. Tazz said Angle is thinking about the mistakes he made in the previous match with Undertaker so he doesn’t repeat them. That’s what makes Tazz a great analyst. Good build up so far.
– We saw clips from the Mysterio-Orton feud. Randy Orton came to the ring to new music, which was unmistakably horrendous. Another generic heavy metal song with no kick.
[Commercial Break]
2 — RANDY ORTON vs. SUPER CRAZY
Randy attacked Crazy after the opening bell. He drove successive knees to the gut. Randy applied a reverse chin lock at 0:55 and drove Crazy into the mat. Randy delivered stiff forearms underneath the chin. Tazz said Randy was livid with Rey being added to the Mania title match. Randy threw Crazy to the mat by the hair. He made a cover for a nearfall. Randy applied another reverse chin lock. Crazy fought out and hit a drop kick to the knees. Both men recovered on the mat. Crazy hit a springboard drop kick and Randy flew from the apron to the floor. Crazy hit a somersault plancha from the ring to the outside at 3:25. Crazy rolled Randy into the ring and made a cover for a nearfall.
Crazy went for a top rope Tornado DDT, but Randy threw him over the top rope. However, Crazy slingshot Randy across the top rope in mid-air. Crazy hopped back on the apron. He went for a top rope moonsault, but Randy moved out of the way just in time. Crazy crotched Randy on the top turnbuckle. Randy knocked Crazy off the top then scored with a hard clothesline. Randy stalked Crazy then hit the RKO when Crazy came to his feet. Randy with the cover for the win.
WINNER: Randy Orton at 5:55. I know what they were trying to do in establishing the RKO and – in the spirit of even-Steven booking – Crazy got in plenty of offense to keep heat after losing clean to a heel. However, I didn’t feel it was the best way to use Orton. This is not the way to feature one of the main event wrestlers at WrestleMania. Now is the time to protect main eventers, not put them in the first half-hour of the show in a match with no build up. It did help to have tremendous heat on a very competitive wrestling match. In summary, good wrestling, good heat, good showcase of the RKO, but out of place for a main eventer at Mania.
[Commercial Break]
– We saw a video package on Chris Benoit set to his old WWE theme music. Words do not do the video package justice. Instant “thumbs up” show after 45-60 seconds of Benoit action highlights including tap outs, diving head butts, and blood.
– We saw multiple camera angles of Benoit smashing JBL’s hand last week on Smackdown. That segued into clips from JBL’s hand surgery. Cole said JBL was very upset about Benoit’s actions. Cole said the two will face off at Mania for the U.S. Title. In his WWE.com column, JBL wrote that he would beat Benoit at Mania. If the babyface was injured – and not the heel – this would be a great angle. That notwithstanding, it’s still a good angle.
– MNM came to the ring for another open challenge non-title match. Cole asked who Matt Hardy would choose as his partner.
[Commercial Break]
– Matt Hardy came to the ring. Tazz rhetorically asked why Hardy didn’t take Melina’s offer to join MNM. Indeed. Animal came to the ring as Hardy’s partner. MNM bailed when Animal entered the ring.
3 — MNM (MERCURY & NITRO w/Melina) vs. MATT HARDY & ANIMAL — non-title match
Hardy, a six-time tag champion, started things off. Hardy went for a backslide at 0:30 and Mercury kicked out. Hardy avoided a drop kick and rolled up Mercury for another nearfall at 1:05. MNM double teamed Hardy in their corner. Melina screamed. Hardy came back with a clothesline off the ropes. Animal took a tag at 2:05. He dropped Nitro on his stomach with a flip over slam. Animal took Nitro to the outside and landed a straight right hand. Melina jumped on Animal’s back. The distraction allowed Nitro to recover and hit a straight kick to the face. Melina kicked Animal in the gut. Back in the ring, MNM went to work on Animal.
Melina applied a triangle choke hold on Animal from the outside when Mercury distracted the referee. Melina screamed again. Cole said he would rather hear Tony Chimmel’s ring announcing than listen to Melina scream. It is a bit much. Hardy took a hot tag at 5:35. Hardy hit a double DDT for a nearfall. He cleared Nitro out of the ring. Animal re-entered the ring. Hardy told Animal to climb up top for the Doomsday Device. Animal was a bit reluctant, but he went up top. Hardy put Mercury on his shoulders, but Nitro re-entered the ring and clipped Hardy’s knee. Animal crashed into Mercury. Nitro superkicked Hardy in the face. MNM hit the Snapshot on Hardy for the win.
Afterwards, MNM gloated about the victory. Animal told Hardy that he was supposed to climb up top. Hardy and Animal had a brief shoving match that amounted to nothing more than a minor disagreement. However, Animal turned it into a fight when he delivered a swift kick to the knee. Animal dragged Hardy to the corner and wrapped his knee around the ringpost. Hardy didn’t really sell it. Animal turned his back and walked out of the ring. Hardy held his knee as referee Charles Robinson helped him out of the ring.
WINNERS: MNM at 7:35. Strange post-match ending after passable in-ring action. It will be interesting to see why the wrong guy turned heel in this situation.
– The “WrestleMania Big Time” moment was from WrestleMania 13 in 1997. We saw Undertaker beat Sid for the WWE Title. Michael Cole previewed Angle-Undertaker once again.
[Commercial Break]
– We saw clips previewing Mean Gene Okerlund’s Hall of Fame induction. Cole said Okerlund is his idol as a broadcaster.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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4 — FINLAY vs. BOBBY LASHLEY
Cole said the match would not be for the faint of heart. Finlay hit patented European uppercuts. Lashley came back with a smooth overhead slam. He landed straight right hands. Lashley picked up his weapon, but Lashley knocked it out of his hand. Finlay came back with a short-arm clothesline. Lashley knocked him to the outside. Finlay snapped and threw five chairs into the ring. Lashley picked one up. Finlay ran into the ring and picked one up. They smacked chairs. The referee called for the bell.
Afterwards, the two brawled in the ring. Lashley dominated with hard right hands. Referees ran to the ring to break up the fight. They continued to fight. Security ran to the ring. They continued to fight. Finlay repeatedly broke free and charged Lashley with right hands. Lashley finally shook free and speared Finlay hard in the ring. They brawled with everyone in the arena going nuts. They rolled to the outside. Security separated both men. Finlay broke free and attacked Lashley. Security broke them up again. Lashley got the last word when he broke free and tackled Finlay hard on the floor. They brawled before security dragged Lashley up the entrance way. Good facial shots of Lashley and Finlay.
WINNER: No Contest at 2:07. Absolutely great angle. Very smart “No Contest” that made sense. Lashley and Finlay will be on the house show circuit the next few weeks, which will allow Lashley to gain seasoning so they can have a good blow-off match at the end of the feud.
[Commercial Break]
– We saw clips from last week when Kristal Marshall and Jillian Hall had a confrontation in the ring. Cole said Kristal-Jillian has been booked for next week. At least Jillian can work.
– William Regal and Paul Burchill met up backstage. Regal said Burchill is embarrassing him. Regal told him to stop being a pirate and team with him like a normal person. Burchill said he understands the concern. However, he will be dressed like a pirate next week for his first match. He said he hopes to face Regal next week.
– We saw more clips of Angle-Undertaker, including the ending to the World Heavyweight Title match at No Way Out.
– Kurt Angle’s music hit with 40 minutes of television time remaining. Cole said the “biggest main event in Smackdown history” was up next.
[Commercial Break]
– Undertaker’s music hit with 34 minutes of television time remaining. Angle readied himself in the ring as Undertaker slowly walked in the ring. His entrance clocked in at three minutes. Undertaker readied himself in a striking pose and the bell rang.
5 — KURT ANGLE vs. THE UNDERTAKER — WWE Title Match
They danced around the ring briefly before Undertaker landed right hands. Angle came back with back elbow smashes. Angle dropped Undertaker to the mat with an armbar at 1:00. Undertaker countered with an armbar at 1:50. He drove a forearm into Angle’s elbow. Undertaker lifted Angle up in the air by one arm. He threw him down in the corner. Undertaker placed Angle’s arm underneath the top turnbuckle and bent it backwards. Undertaker teased walking the top ropes, but Angle cut him off with an elbow to the gut.
The fans were split in their support. Undertaker countered a whip to the ropes and flipped Angle onto his back. Undertaker applied another armbar. Cole acknowledged the dueling chants in the crowd. Angle mounted Taker in the corner and landed straight right hands. Taker teased the Last Ride powerbomb out of the corner, but he opted to crotch Angle on the top rope. Taker landed a big boot at 5:15 and Angle fell off the apron to the outside, clutching his arm. Good, intense start.
[Commercial Break]
Taker and Angle were brawling near the announce table when he returned. Taker cleared the TV monitors. Angle landed right hands. Taker answered with a hard clothesline on the floor. Taker worked over Angle’s neck. Taker turned Angle onto his stomach and draped Angle across the apron. He dropped a leg on the back of the neck. Not a good move on Angle. Back in the ring, Taker made a cover for a nearfall. Taker stretched Angle’s back in between the ropes. Cole reminded us what’s on the line for the match.
Angle reversed a whip to the ropes and hit a powerslam at 12:00. Angle applied a body scissors in the center of the ring. Taker broke free and pounded Angle with right hands. Taker drove a knee to the gut. He missed with a charging boot in the corner. Angle landed hard right hands to the face. Taker blocked a charging clothesline with an elbow to the face. They fought on the top turnbuckle. Angle landed right hands to wear down Taker. He connected with a snap suplex from the top rope and made the cover for a nearfall. We went to a well-placed final break of the show.
[Commercial Break]
Angle worked over Taker’s neck with a submission hold when we returned. They spilled to the outside and Angle whipped Taker knee-first into the ring steps. Angle rolled Taker into the ring. He made a cover for a nearfall. Angle rocked Taker with right hands, but Taker didn’t go down. He came back with right hands then landed a clothesline in the corner. Taker dropped Angle in the corner with snake eyes. He went for a big boot, but Angle ducked the move and hit a German Suplex. Goodness. Taker slipped out of the Angle Slam and hit that big boot. He made a cover for a nearfall. Taker called for the end. Taker slipped out of a clothesline, rolled through, and went for the Anklelock.
Angle dragged Taker to the center of the ring, but Taker powered out. Taker went for a Tombstone, but Angle reversed it. Taker reversed it. Angle slipped out and hit an Angle Slam. Angle scored a nearfall. Cole and Tazz said the match was a carbon copy of No Way Out. Angle applied the ankle lock once again. Taker rolled through and broke the hold. Taker hit a chokeslam. He couldn’t capitalize because his knees were shot. Angle came right back with the Anklelock.
Taker countered with the triangle choke hold. Angle went for the bridge pin finish just like No Way Out, but Taker slipped out this time. Angle’s arm dropped two and a half times. He reached the ropes to break the hold at 25:50. The fans were standing chanting, “Taker, Taker.” Angle rolled to the corner and Taker followed him. Angle caught Taker’s ankle once again and applied the Anklelock.
Taker fought the hold before powering out. Taker countered an Angle Slam and locked in a standing Dragon Sleeper. Angle slipped out and hit a DDT. Angle made a cover for another nearfall. Angle climbed up top. He went for that majestic, slow-motion moonsault, but Taker moved out of the way. Taker limped over to Taker and picked him up for the Tombstone. He connected in full. Cole said, “We’re going to crown a new champion,” which means we won’t have a new champion. Taker made the pin on Angle and…Mark Henry broke up the pin. The referee called for the bell.
Henry threw Taker to the outside. He placed Taker on the announce table then climbed on top of the Spanish announce table. He flew off one table with a splash on Taker, sending both men crashing through the table to the floor. Henry’s knees made contact with the table before Taker to protect both men. Taker held his stomach as Henry celebrated with Daivari.
WINNER: No Contest at 28:20. 28 minutes of the best televised wrestling so far this year. The match was right up there with the No Way Out main event. Of course, the non-finish sucks after 28 minutes of great wrestling. However, it made sense because they can pick up the Angle-Taker feud down the line. Taker “still has Angle’s number,” especially when he had Angle pinned before Henry interfered. If Angle retains the belt at Mania, I wouldn’t mind another series of matches through the spring and summer between Angle and Taker. The last two matches between them have just been phenomenal.
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