By: Robert Tasch, rajah.com reader
Last Night I attended the Smackdown house show at Nassau Coliseum. Pretty
good show especially for Smackdown. The upper deck was completely empty but the
rest of the arena was full and there was a good crowd as Long Island usually
provides. Tony Chimel comes out and the national anthem plays and then Teddy
Long comes out and tells us about the two main events, Taker vs Angle and Cena
and Show vs JBL and Orlando. He also tells us that on April 18th, MSG in NYC
will host WWE supershow where RAW and Smackdown will be taped on the same night,
tickets go on sale March 19th at Noon. This will be the third enstallment of
RAW and Smackdown post Wrestlemania. Now we get under way.
Match #1: Tag Team Title Match: Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio vs. The
Basham Brothers.
A lot of playing to the crowd to start this one, at least 5-7 minuets worth.
Each team tagged in and out like 5 times each. Match finally gets under way
with Danny and Rey. Rey gets worked on for awhile and Eddie's getting impatient.
Funny spot when the ref keeps trying to get Eddie to stay near the tag rope,
the third time Eddie had taken it off and with him away from the buckle, the
ref had to take it back and re-tie it, funny stuff from Eddie. Eddie eventually
gets in, goes after both Bashams, gets Doug in the three amigos, before the
third one, Doug knocks the ref down and then Eddie gets the third one. Eddie
and Rey check on the ref and the Bashams pull a switch. Eddie turns around and
gets rolled up by the fresh Basham and the groggy ref counts to 3. New tag
champs. As the Bashams celebrate Eddie and Rey try to convince the ref that Eddie
had his foot on the rope, it worked, match re-started, Rey then hits a double
619 on the Bashams and then Eddie hits Danny with the frog splash for the win.
Great match and Eddie was way over with the crowd.
Winners: Eddie and Rey
Match #2: Luther Reigns vs. Mark Jindrak
Jindrak doesn't even make it all the way to the ring before Reigns comes out
and attacks him from behind. They finally get into the ring and after about 30
seconds, Jindrak catches Reigns in a small package and gets the win quickly.
Post match sees Reigns toss Jindrak into the stairs and walk out to boos.
Winner: Mark Jindrak
Match #3: Cruiserwieght Championship Match: Chavo Guererro vs. Paul London
London thinks he's the Ultimate Warrior, running down to the ring. Chavo's
out next and we get under way. This match too a decent amount of time, with some
nice moves, mostly by London inculding a flying clothesline off the apron.
Match finishes when Chavo rolls London up and grabs the ropes for the win.
Winner: Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guererro
Match #4: Charlie Haas and Hardcore Holly vs. Joey Matthews and Johnny Nitro
with Molina
1st time I had seen the latter team in action, I knew Matthews from ECW
though and Nitro from when he used to be Bischoff's guy on RAW, they came out to
the old WCW Nitro music. Holly gets on the mic and tells the two guys they suck,
and that Molina swallows, funny stuff. Holly and Haas pretty much control the
whole match, with Holly using the Alabama Slam for the win.
Winners: Hardcore Holly and Charlie Haas
Match #5: Booker T vs. Heidenrich
Sloppy match, not Booker's fault though as Heidenrich is the worst wrestler
alive today. Very back and forth with some fighting on the outside, Heidenrich
was painful to watch though. Match ended with a DQ b/c Heidenrich bumped the
ref. Post match, Heidenrich goes for the chair, gets a drop toe hold on it by
Booker followed by an axe kick. Then Heidenrich took forever to leave which got
boos.
Winner by DQ: Booker T
We now had a 15 min Intermission with a t-shirt guy, I didn't catch anything.
Match #6: John Cena and The Big Show vs. JBL and Orlando Jordan.
Cena comes out to the biggest pop of the night yet. Cuts a promo saying the
chain gang is in town on Strong Island. He says the chain gang has some
problems because the Cabinet cost him the US title. But he has a 7-foot 500 pound
solution, and out comes Big Show to a huge pop. Then out come JBL and Orlando in
the limo, horns and all. They get out each taking turns spinning the US title
in front of Cena. Match starts off with Cena and Jordan. Cena and Show
exchange beatings on Jordan trying to get JBL in but he wouldn't. Cena and Jordan in
now, Cena comes off the ropes and JBL trips him up. They get Cena outside and
toss him into the stairs. They get him back in and Jordan and JBL exchange
beatings on Cena. Lots of double teaming and finally Show gets sick of it and
comes in to clean house. Headbuts and double clotheslines for JBL and Jordan. Ref
gets knocked out. Bashams comes down, Big Show chases them around. Cena has
JBL up for the FU, but Jordan breaks it up. Cena then FU's Jordan. Then does
the 5 knuckle-shuffle to a huge pop and then the ref gets up to count the three.
Cena cuts a promo post match about how at Wrestlemania, Cena's going to take
the title and send JBL out in an ambulance. Cena then goes into the crowd to
celebrate with the people.
Winners: John Cena and The Big Show
Match #7: Diva bikini contest.
These things always bore me. Nice to look at but I paid to see wrestling.
Dawn Marie goes first, then Joy Giovanni, then Miss Jackie, then Michelle McCool,
then Torrie Wilson. Dawn works over Tony Chimel the whole time but the crowd
votes Torrie the winner. Dawn attacks Torrie after but then all the divas
thorw Dawn out of the ring.
Winner: Torrie Wilson
Match #8: Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle
Match of the night by far. I love both these guys. Angle hits the ring first
to loud You Suck chants. Then, the greatest entrance in wrestling, the
Undertaker. He comes out slowly and disrobes and We're underway. Angle kept refusing
to lock up leaving the ring three times before they finally did. Taker gets a
headlock in Angle tosses him into the ropes, shoulder-block by Taker. Angle
rolls out again to boos. He comes back in and they lock up again. This time
Angle gets the headlock and Taker tosses him into the ropes but Taker shoulder
blocks him again. Taker works on Angles arm, goes for old school, but Angle
breaks it up. Taker regains control, goes for old school again and hits it. Taker
in control until he goes for a big boot in the corner and misses. His knee gets
hung up and then Angle goes to work. Lots of rest holds on Takers knee. Taker
then gets Angle outside. Sets him up on the apron, hits an elbow, then goes
up for the Guilletine leg drop, as Michael Cole would say, "vintage
Undertaker". He hits it. He then goes for another one, but then as his leg comes down,
Angle catches it, rolls him over to the floor and into an ankle lock. That was
one of the best spots I had ever seen. Angle eventually lets go and gets back
in the ring. He works on Taker's knee somemore. Taker then gets in a triangle
choke, which is then reversed into an ankle lock. Taker kicks out of it. Then
he starts to come back hitting his vintage moves, flying clothesline, snake
eyes, big boot, leg drop, covers for a near fall. Goes for the chokeslam, but
Angle counters into the Angle slam. Taker kicks out at two. Taker ends up in
another ankle lock. He kicks out again and then finally hits the choke slam.
Covers, but only 2. Angle staggers up and Taker goes for the Last Ride, Angle rolls
through it and gets Taker into the 4th ankle lock of the contest. Taker
counters it into the Triangle choke and gets Angle to tap out which I was shocked
to see. Post match Angle gets a chair and Taker boots it into his face and then
hits the tombstone to send the crowd home happy. He sold the knee injury
major even as he bowed down and then walked out.
Winner: The Undertaker
Biggest Pops:
1. Cena/Taker
2. Eddie
3. Big Show
4. Rey
5. Booker T
Biggest Heat:
1.Angle by far
2.JBL/Jordan
3.Heidenrich
4.Bashams
5.Regins
