the Last SK Smarkdown review

[Guest Trivia247]

(From 411wrestling)

 

*click*

 

The Final SmarKdown Rant – May 20, 2004

 

- Although I actually gave it a month, after browsing the spoilers and finding myself constantly trying to think up excuses not to watch the show every week, I’ve decided it’s time to thrown in the towel. I’ve been recapping Smackdown for 411 since November 2001 and on my own website since April 2000, and it’s never been more obvious that the WWE no longer cares about this show, and neither do I. Whereas RAW is fun and interesting, recapping and even watching Smackdown is a tedious chore that I now find unpleasant, and most of all, it’s no longer fun. And if I’m not having fun while I’m doing the show, it’s not fair to you as a reader, and it’s time to step aside and let someone else who DOES have fun while recapping it give it a try. Who that person might be I don’t know, but it’s no longer my problem. Maybe if Brock Lesnar comes back or Bradshaw goes away, and I hear things are getting a LOT better, then I’ll return, but until then, I’m more than happy to find something else to watch from 7-9 EST on Thursday nights.

 

- Taped from Las Vegas, NV.

 

- Your hosts are Cole & Tazz.

 

- Opening interview: Eddie Guerrero, amazingly walking after his 1.2 Muta bladejob on Sunday. Having stolen Bradshaw’s bloodied hat after the PPV, he wants to pin him to end the feud, TONIGHT. But of course, it won’t be tonight, because they actually want to draw this out for another PPV. Bradshaw comes out to refuse the title match, and instead wants the title belt, which makes him a huge idiot because he won by DQ. Eddie wants a piece of JBL, but Kurt Angle pops up and stops him. Why would Eddie stop charging out just because Angle’s music plays? Anyway, it ends up being a six-man main event tonight instead. How creative.

 

- Charlie Haas & Rico v. The FBI. Stamboli tries a quick press-slam on Haas, but gets rolled up for two. Rico comes in and works the arm, taking Stamboli down with an armbar and getting two. Rico does his antics on Nunzio and gets dumped off a cheapshot, and the FBI works him over. Spinebuster from Stamboli gets two, but Rico gets the hot tag to Haas. Clotheslines abound and he gets a dropkick on the Bull and backdrops Nunzio. Another cheapshot allows Nunzio to dropkick him for two. Jackie trips HIM up and Rico adds a kiss, and Haas finishes him with the german suplex at 4:29. It’s nice to at least see them trying something with Rico, although there’s no tag division to speak of. *1/4

 

- Elsewhere, Los Chavos have some dissention, as Chavo Classic thinks he can still go, but Chavo Jr. thinks he’s the best Guerrero.

 

- Billy Kidman v. Akio is supposed to be next, but Mordecai comes out, doing his full entrance, and destroys them both. Hey, that’s just great. A senior citizen and a woman are fighting for the Cruiserweight title, and these poor guys get sacrificed to Gangrel 2K4.

 

- Elsewhere, JBL threatens a doctor.

 

- US title: John Cena v. Rene Dupree. Kudos to the guy with the “5 Moves of Doom” sign in the front row. They fight over a lockup to start and Cena takes him down, and then gets a rollup for two. Dupree grabs a headlock and overpowers Cena, but gets slammed. Oooo, devastating. That gets two. Cena hits the chinlock, but Dupree knees out of it and they collide while trying bodyblocks. They’re selling like it’s 20:00 in, even though it’s only 3:00, and we take a break while they recover. We return with Cena getting sent into the post, and Dupree goes to work on the shoulder. Single-arm DDT gets two. Dupree takes him down with a Fujiwara armbar and works on the arm, but Cena makes the ropes, so Dupree drags him back out and goes back to it. This stuff would mean more if they established submission wrestling instead of using it to fill time. Dupree holds the armbar, but Cena backdrops out of it, three times. And then it’s the clothesline and elbow and shoulderblock, aka the FIVE MOVES OF DOOM, with five-knuckle shuffle and F-U being the other two. Dupree takes a powder and they brawl on the floor, and Cena sends him back in, but Dupree runs away again. Back on the floor, Dupree tries a powerbomb on the floor, but Cena backdrops out of it. Back in, Dupree heads out again and grabs his flag, so Cena hits him with it. Dupree goes low and beats the count back in at 14:06. There was some interesting stuff in the middle, but the pre-break section and the lengthy footrace that ended it were terrible. *1/2

 

- Cruiserweight title: Chavo Guerrero Jr. v. Chavo Classic v. Spike Dudley. Spike evades the Chavos to start, but they catch up to him and pound him. Spike dumps Classic and gets a headscissors on Chavo, but Classic trips him up and boot-rakes the face. They get a double-team suplex and Classic rolls up Spike for two. Classic works on the knee and they trade off with forearm shots on Spike, but Spike comes back with a high cross on the both of them. Double headscissors on the Chavos and he puts Classic on the floor, and clotheslines Chavo Jr. for two. Chavo comes back with a Gory Bomb, but Spike counters into a sunset flip for two. Dudley Dog, but he collides with Classic, who falls on top of his son to win the title at 4:21. And the title falls a little further down. Match was going okay near the end. *

 

- Booker T v. Funaki. This is set up by an interview gone HORRIBLY WRONG. They’re really reaching for ways to set up their squashes now. Booker pounds him down to start with chops, but Funaki dropkicks the knee and bulldogs him for two. The crowd is so hot they actually cheer for Funaki, but Booker superkicks him, and gets a sideslam for two. Booker goes to a chinlock, then pounds him down and goes back to it. Axe kick finishes at 4:38. Long, dull squash as Booker has been completely unmotivated since moving over. ¼*

 

- Next week: Cena v. Dupree in a lumberjack match for the US title. I’ll be too busy doing something else.

 

- JBL & The Dudley Boyz v. Eddie Guerrero, RVD & Rey Mysterio. Eddie isn’t here yet because he’s selling an injury. D-Von starts with Rey, but it’s a SWERVE and Bubba starts instead. Wow, they’re so FRESH and INTERESTING now. JBL pounds Rey down and hammers him in the corner, but Rey kicks at the leg and gets a leg lariat to put him down. The heels quickly switch off and D-Von adds some punishment, but Rey gets the bulldog and brings RVD in. High cross gets two, but a cheapshot from Bradshaw allows the heels to take over again, as D-Von gets a suplex for two. They work him over in the corner and Bubba gets a neckbreaker for two. Bradshaw gets his own neckbreakers for two. D-Von chokes away with the wrist tape and on the ropes, and adds the good old bootlace to the face. Bradshaw comes in and pounds away, and knocks him down into an elbowdrop for two. Rob comes back with a springboard kick out of the corner, and brings Rey back in again. Buttdrop and he blocks a charge with a boot, setting up a headscissors and Drop the Dime for two. Nice to see Bradshaw selling this week. It’s BONZO GONZO as RVD comes in and cleans house on the Dudleyz, then follows them out with a pescado, but Bradshaw hammers Rey down again. Powerbomb is reversed by Rey into the 619, and Rob adds the frog splash, but Bubba pulls Rey out at two, and we take a break. Back with D-Von pounding on Rey, with Rob on the floor selling a 3D. Rey comes back with the springboard inverted DDT that AJ Styles has been trying to hit cleanly for the past year, but he has no one to tag. D-Von gets a delayed vertical suplex and chokes him down. Bradshaw comes in with a spinebuster, but Eddie’s music hits and he finally comes down to join the match. Bradshaw, meanwhile, tries the Clothesline from New York, but Rey dropkicks him to counter it. He fights off Bubba and bulldogs him, and makes the hot tag to Eddie. He’s a house of fire! He cleans house on all three heels and gets a backdrop suplex on Bubba and the rolling verticals on D-Von, but he stops to sell the injury again and passes out. Well, major blood loss will do that to you. JBL immediately tags in and pins him at 18:04. I hate these gimmicky finishes where we’re supposed to be all concerned “because it’s real” but no one buys this stuff as real anymore. Good TV main event at any rate. ***

 

The Bottom Line:

 

Too little, too late, as I vote with my remote, the only way any of us really can in the long run.

 

So thank you for reading these past four years, and of course you can still catch me with RAW and the PPVs.

 

And to the WWE, I’ve got one word for ya…

 

*click*

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

DOES ANYONE EVER LEARN?!

 

Edit: OK, to add something to the topic, boo-hoo Scott Keith can watch porn two more hours of the week. There, got the cheap joke in.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I guess Im the crazy one sitting up til 3 am in the morning (thursday morning) watching Smackdown.

 

It sure does beat all of the infomercials.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

MYTH: The WWE truly cares what Scott Kieth thinks.

 

TRUTH: Scott Kieth thinks that this move will really make everyone in the offices care enough to completely change their shows around and make the dozen fans he has consider himself edgy and cool by saying he's better than a tv show. Watch Vince McMahon cry. Watch Dammit!

 

SECOND TRUTH: Scott Kieth has about as much pull in the world of sports entertainment as a scottish terrier has tied to an 18 wheeler.

[Guest MikeSC]

Was a thread for more Keith bitching even remotely needed?

 

Don't recap the show. I, somehow, will survive it.

-=Mike

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

But, you know that there are still a lot of people that care what he says. Not as many as there were, but there are still a few.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Was a thread for more Keith bitching even remotely needed?

 

Don't recap the show. I, somehow, will survive it.

-=Mike

IIRC, Loss banned someone for constantly starting threads about Scott Keith, considering he has nothing to do with wrestling and isn't even a writer for TSM.com.

[The Metal Maniac 0]

TRUTH: Scott Kieth thinks that this move will really make everyone in the offices care enough to completely change their shows around and make the dozen fans he has consider himself edgy and cool by saying he's better than a tv show. Watch Vince McMahon cry. Watch Dammit!

 

Because he sure as hell implied that when he said he wasn't gonna watch the show anymore because he doesn't like it anymore. Yup.

[Guest MikeSC]

Was a thread for more Keith bitching even remotely needed?

 

Don't recap the show. I, somehow, will survive it.

          -=Mike

IIRC, Loss banned someone for constantly starting threads about Scott Keith, considering he has nothing to do with wrestling and isn't even a writer for TSM.com.

I remember that --- and I hope this gets removed from existence in short order.

-=Mike

...Who realizes he should've ignored this post in hindsight

[SuperJerk 0]

Maybe now the "if you don't like it, don't watch" crowd can finally claim some sort of symbolic victory.

 

Of course, Keith's not the only one who's quit watching in the last couple of months. Look at the fucking ratings.

 

Then again, even THAT's not enough for Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard to pull his head out of his ass and realize the show is horrible.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Last I heard, Vince and co. don't even care, and they accepted it as a B-Show.

[Guest Trivia247]

This is the one and only time I mention SK on here. I just found it interesting that his bitterness finally got him to quit the Smackdown.

 

Maybe he'll recap Survivor for now on

[Guest MikeSC]

Last I heard, Vince and co. don't even care, and they accepted it as a B-Show.

I, honestly, have a hard time buying that --- if for no other reason than pissing off Viacom would definitely NOT be in their best interests.

 

I would LIKE to believe that this is the lull before the "Next batch" of superstars carries the show again.

 

Of course, I would also like a billion dollars...

-=Mike

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The only thing that would help Smackdown out is if they got off of UPN. Just imagine how better the ratings would be if they were on FOX or some other cable network.

[Guest MikeSC]

The only thing that would help Smackdown out is if they got off of UPN. Just imagine how better the ratings would be if they were on FOX or some other cable network.

They'd probably drop.

 

Change of scenery won't clean up SD's problems.

-=Mike

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

SD needs anything it can get right now.

 

If they are hell bent on pushing new people, why must it be the least liked and least talented wrestlers like BRADSHAW AND RENE DUPREE?! I can understand Dupree has potential, but Bradshaw has been around since 1996 and hasn't done shit to deserve a World Title Feud. At least Holly lost clean on PPV and vanished to Velocity. Bradshaw gets another PPV headline pay-check and SD continues to get worse.

[Guest MikeSC]

SD needs anything it can get right now.

 

If they are hell bent on pushing new people, why must it be the least liked and least talented wrestlers like BRADSHAW AND RENE DUPREE?! I can understand Dupree has potential, but Bradshaw has been around since 1996 and hasn't done shit to deserve a World Title Feud. At least Holly lost clean on PPV and vanished to Velocity. Bradshaw gets another PPV headline pay-check and SD continues to get worse.

I have not seen the Eddy v JBL match --- so I won't comment. However, I still say that Rob Conway would have been a MUCH better draftee than Dupree.

 

I will say, though, that JBL's gimmick is actually working pretty well. He's definitely got heel charisma. Why he doesn't shelve the fall-away slam and replace it with a Catatonic I'll never get...but he's improving.

-=Mike

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Bradshaw having a fresh gimmick isn't going to erase the last 7+ years of pure shit he's produced. The racist gimmick is offensive to me, and I'm not even spanish/mexican. He still is shit for a wrestler, and his promos are long winded.

 

I'd much rather see RVD or maybe John Cena turn heel and feud with Eddie, mainly because they are both over, and need something to freshen their acts up.

[Guest MikeSC]

Bradshaw having a fresh gimmick isn't going to erase the last 7+ years of pure shit he's produced. The racist gimmick is offensive to me, and I'm not even spanish/mexican. He still is shit for a wrestler, and his promos are long winded.

 

I'd much rather see RVD or maybe John Cena turn heel and feud with Eddie, mainly because they are both over, and need something to freshen their acts up.

RVD can't do heel. At all. He sucks at being a heel and turning him is a waste of time. Plus, he brings a whole different type of suck than Bradshaw. You'd just be exchanging one variety of suck for an equal, but different, variety of suck. Ditto for Cena.

 

And I'm not commenting on Bradshaw's work because, honestly, I've not seen a single match he's been involved in since his SD ME push began. I am not going to hold his past against him as, well, Undertaker definitely hits grooves after bouts of suckitude. Is his gimmick racist? Absolutely. Can you think of a better way to get an evil, business tycoon over than having him be a total racist and prick?

 

But, people can overcome piss-poor work. Undertaker, as mentioned earlier.

 

Heck, HHH has fared nicely after his dismal last 2 years.

 

Brock overcame some darned lackluster work early on to become a solid worker.

 

Heck, Angle was dull as dishwater for a WHILE in Memphis.

-=ike

[Use Your Illusion 0]

No one has ever cared about Bradshaw.

 

And they never will.

 

SD! has reached the point where I feel my ability to even conjure up possible solutions to their problems is above them. I no longer watch.

 

I do, however, get someone to tape it so I can watch the Undertaker segments, and nothing else.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

I don't mind the racist gimmick...but I do mind who's doing it. Bradshaw sounds racist legit in my opinion.

 

I didn't mind HHH's racism agaisnt Booker T angle, because it wasn't outright racism. But Bradshaw just sounds like he means it because of the way he chooses to. Plus the fact I don't like him as a wrestler or a human being (insulting the fans, yeah, how professional) makes me despise him even more.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

I don't give a shit if racism works, all I want is someone with, you know, the ability to do that thing that guys are supposed to do on wrestling shows.

 

Oh yeah, wrestle.

 

UYI

[Guest Anglesault]

It sure does beat all of the infomercials.

Does it really?

Edited May 21, 2004 by Anglesault

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

I don't mind the racist gimmick...but I do mind who's doing it. Bradshaw sounds racist legit in my opinion.

more.

So you're fine with someone pretending to be racist but not with someone being racist? okay then...

 

Good for SK. Unlike a number of people on the IWC and in this folder he's stopped bitching about things and finally just changed the channel.

 

It's one of the few things he's done that I've actually agreed with.

 

Bitching about SK is so old. Most of you weren't even on the internet when most of the stupid shit he did happened.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

I don't give a shit if racism works, all I want is someone with, you know, the ability to do that thing that guys are supposed to do on wrestling shows.

 

Oh yeah, wrestle.

 

UYI

That's what I wanted to get across, but I couldn't word it right...for shame.

[KingPK 0]

Well, at least SOME people still will suffer. You won't see either JHawk and I quitting a show just because it's a major chore to sit through.

 

Us>SK

[Guest Super Pissed Smark]

It sure does beat all of the infomercials.

Does it really?

I'll watch some of the Pilates one with Daisy Fuentes if it's on. Can't say the same about Smackdown.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

It sure does beat all of the infomercials.

Does it really?

Amazingly it does. 9/10 of my channel guide at 2 or 3 am is "PAID PROGRAMMING" and most of it is for either GGW crap or earn money selling crap.

 

Speaking of writing reviews, I could write reviews for Smackdown and have them up before other people even get up on Thursday, but Im not motivated enough to do it. I'll save that for the pros at that sort of thing.

[Guest wrestlingbs]

Am I the only one who likes the fact that SK quit recapping SD because it was so crappy? I stopped watching a month ago because of the same reasons.

[iggymcfly 0]

BTW, to whoever said Smackdown just needs to get off UPN, and get a network like FOX, it is on FOX where I live, and in a decent amount of other networks across the country, and it doesn't matter. There's no real stars on the show except for Taker, and no fresh storylines. The fact is it's boring. Especially when Raw's going so well, there's just no reason for someone to subject themselves to Smackdown on a regular basis.