tpww7 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 Smackdown spoilers from San Jose by Dave Meltzer [email protected] We're looking for results of any dark matches on the show that didn't air on Raw before Smackdown started. This is not the complete show because in trying to get the live show over early, they didn't air any of the backstage segments. Teddy Long announced a tournament for the Wrestlemania title shot at JBL, or perhaps Big Show. He brought up Batista saying that if Batista jumps, then Wrestlemania would be a three-way with the tournament winner, the champ and Batista. John Cena had already done a promo. Two tournament matches were announced for Saturday night in Saitama, with Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio and Orlando Jordan vs. John Cena. JBL came out and did a promo with Long. Between JBL, Cena and Long, the promo work in this segment blew away anything else on the show. Matches were not good at all. Kurt Angle b Nunzio with an ankle lock in the local challenge. Fans booed this bad. They weren't booing Angle or Nunzio, and loud boring chants. Expect sound sweetener on this one. Rey Mysterio b Mark Jindrak with a schoolboy after a 619. Jindrak is terrible live, but Mysterio was good enough that it was probably the best match on the show. Big Show b Bashams with a choke slam on Doug. I think they are determined to prove to all doubters that grew up in the South that tag team titles can't draw. Undertaker DCOR Rene Dupree. Undertaker had it won when Jindrak and Reigns got involved. As they were fighting outside the ring, Jindrak held Undertaker from getting back in the ring and he was also counted out. He tombstoned Dupree after the match. I'm guessing Taker vs. Jindrak & Reigns coming up. Undertaker has lost weight and is in very good shape. Booker T b Eddie Guerrero in a tournament match. Guerrero was super over, far more than anyone else on the show. Fans were chanting for him during every down period on the show. This was more like a house show midcard match than a TV main event. There were two ref bumps. Guerrero kept trying to fake a knee injury and fool Booker, but it never worked, and Booker won using the tights. Even though Guerrero was popular, people really only booed Booker when he did the spinaroonie, and when he won, and not that heavy. Post-match saw a Booker heel turn, as he attacked Guerrero, but Guerrero came back and frog splashed him. I think that part was just for the live crowd when they sensed how over Guerrero was. Big Show b Jordan & JBL in the dark match with a choke slam in 3:00. Really horrible. People were filing out like crazy even though JBL did some nice mic work saying he was hung over from last night and putting him in the ring was festering an unsafe working environment. He also called Teddy Long a peanut head (early 90s WCW reference) George Jefferson. Unfortunately the match started and nobody had any intention of doing much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
genius33 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 hmmm, sounds like the super show was a bad idea... i wonder what it was like making the set transition Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UseTheSledgehammerUh 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 I wish they'd have done a Smackdown! Rumble again...sigh. They could have had it at No Way Out, and have people wrestle twice. Cena, Angle (just lost a title match), Booker (just lost TWO of them), and a fourth guy... Wonder who wins. And is Velocity LIVE Saturday? If not, stop promoting important tournament matches at house shows. This isn't fucking 1991 and Smackdown! isn't WCW trying to get people to The Omni. But at least my crazy JBL Vs. Mysterio at WM 21 prediction could still come true. THE DREAM LIVES! Also, IIRC, isn't Nunzio from Brooklyn, New York? WTF? Nice to see The Bashams get destroyed, sigh. They actually looked kinda cool at the Rumble. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
genius33 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 I would assume that velocity and heat this week will be studio recap shows. They will NOT pull out the expensive live production equipment for the weekend shows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lil' Bitch 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 Booker T turned heel again?!! Good grief no wonder his heat keeps getting killed off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cbacon 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 That was just for the live crowd I assume. Hopefully we actually get brackets this time around for the tournament Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mecha Mummy 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 Kurt Angle b Nunzio with an ankle lock in the local challenge. Fans booed this bad. They weren't booing Angle or Nunzio, and loud boring chants. Expect sound sweetener on this one. Wow. So Nunzio is randomly from San Jose now? Despite being from Booklyn for like the past two years, plus having a ripoff of "No Sleep 'Til Booklyn" as his theme? Wow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Shadow Behind You Report post Posted February 1, 2005 I doubt it was a Hometown challenge. Most likely was based off the fact angle stole Nunzio's #. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mecha Mummy 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 I doubt it was a Hometown challenge. Most likely was based off the fact angle stole Nunzio's #. This makes sense. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest combat_rock Report post Posted February 1, 2005 Kind of reminds me, why was Long so insistent on bringing Eddie to justice after stealing Flair's number, but then he just let Angle in the Rumble? It makes no sense. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UseTheSledgehammerUh 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 And why wouldn't Long want HIS brand to have an apparently good number (turned out to be DAMN good), especially Eddie? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dandy 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 Only thing I can think of would be Long wanted to smoot things over with the Raw brand, and not have Evolution kill one of his stars. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iggymcfly 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 So why again do they have to start this stupid tournament before they even decide if Batista's jumping? They're really putting no effort into this at all are they. They could have at least done some kind of skit with Long out recruiting Batista for now, and then announced their stupid tournament next week. Oh, and Cena's promo better be about how he actually won the Rumble, and he deserves the shot over Batista anyway. God, Smackdown just sucks cock right now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slickster 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 So why again do they have to start this stupid tournament before they even decide if Batista's jumping? They're really putting no effort into this at all are they. 1) Whether Batista will jump or not is RAW's new main storyline until 2/21. 2) They have only 3 weeks to book a full PPV card. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Open the Muggy Gate 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 So why again do they have to start this stupid tournament before they even decide if Batista's jumping? They're really putting no effort into this at all are they. 1) Whether Batista will jump or not is RAW's new main storyline until 2/21. 2) They have only 3 weeks to book a full PPV card. Only 3 weeks... well that explains why Long made the barbed wire cage match at the PPV and not on Smackdown. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperJerk 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 I'd much rather have a tournament to decide the #1 contender than yet another Battle Royal. Battle Royals have been done into the ground lately. Since WE ALL KNOW Batista's not really jumping, it makes sense to go ahead and have the tournament in place. I just wish all the matches of the tournament were televised. I assume the final match will be at No Way Out. The show sounds good. Looks like I might start watching every week again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dandy 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 So why again do they have to start this stupid tournament before they even decide if Batista's jumping? They're really putting no effort into this at all are they. 1) Whether Batista will jump or not is RAW's new main storyline until 2/21. 2) They have only 3 weeks to book a full PPV card. Only 3 weeks... well that explains why Long made the barbed wire cage match at the PPV and not on Smackdown. One possibility for the announcement on the Rumble PPV instead of Smackdown, they know that whoever saw the announcement definitely watches PPV's, and probably paid for it. Also, it was a co-brand show, unlike Smackdown. So, you have the potential to bring over strictly Raw viewers, make sure your Smackdown viewers tune in for the next couple of shows, and promote the next PPV all at once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ArchoanJB Report post Posted February 1, 2005 uhh guys, isn't Smackdown being taped in Saitama like Raw is?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Loss Report post Posted February 1, 2005 And is Velocity LIVE Saturday? If not, stop promoting important tournament matches at house shows. This isn't fucking 1991 and Smackdown! isn't WCW trying to get people to The Omni. On the contrary, making house shows a big deal is a good thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dandy 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 And is Velocity LIVE Saturday? If not, stop promoting important tournament matches at house shows. This isn't fucking 1991 and Smackdown! isn't WCW trying to get people to The Omni. On the contrary, making house shows a big deal is a good thing. I agree with that wholeheartedly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fökai 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 And is Velocity LIVE Saturday? If not, stop promoting important tournament matches at house shows. This isn't fucking 1991 and Smackdown! isn't WCW trying to get people to The Omni. The Saitama "house show" is a television taping for next week's Smackdown. Velocity will be a studio show, most likely. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 --Without giving away spoilers, last night's Smackdown part of the taping was bad from a wrestling standpoint. With both brands in the house together, it was really clear that Guerrero was by far the star of the promotion. The in-ring wasn't good on either show. From tonight's WO.com update Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperJerk 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 --Without giving away spoilers, last night's Smackdown part of the taping was bad from a wrestling standpoint. With both brands in the house together, it was really clear that Guerrero was by far the star of the promotion. Only in certain parts of the country. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2005 --Without giving away spoilers, last night's Smackdown part of the taping was bad from a wrestling standpoint. With both brands in the house together, it was really clear that Guerrero was by far the star of the promotion. Only in certain parts of the country. Yeah, the parts that typically draw the most for SD house shows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chazz 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2005 Smackdown! has been hit or miss with me recently. Looks like a miss this week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites