Hey, there. Just got back from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and have some SD! spoilers:
Velocity Jobber 1 (Tyson something, had `textbook' on his tights) over Jobber 2 Nunzio over Spanky Orlando Jordan over Kanyon Sean O' Haire beat Some Jobber.
SmackDown! opens with recap of Gowen/McMahon vs Big Show from last week. New opening credits that still include The Rock for some reason. Angle interview interrupted by Cena. Hilarious segment where SD! ref does beatbox again, and Angle does a funny rap. Then Angle get serious, just as Show hits the ring. Cena ambushes Angle from behind, and it's a two-on-one beatdown.
Mysterio/Kidman won a four-way over Bashams, FBI and APA. APA and FBI had a backstage brawl before the commercial break, eliminating them I guess.
Angle/Lesnar segment backstage, building tension between them.
After the segment, Kidman took the belt from Rey and Rey snatched it back. Not sure if that was part of the televised segment or not.
Benoit/Rhyno over Matt Hardy/Shannon Moore. Ehhh match. Suprisingly Ehhhh
Zach Gowen (complete with awful new entrance video) signed his contract. Vince McMahon came out (yeah, I was shocked, too) and set up a handicap match for the end of the night: Haas, Benjamin and Show vs Brock. He also set up Gowen vs "Meeeeeeeeeeee!'' for Vengegance. Afterwards, Sable nailed Stephanie with a clipboard.
Stephanie attacked Sable backstage just as she and Vince were making out, so Vince announced Stephanie vs Sable for the PPV.
Guerrero comes out in low-rider to explain his actions last week. Said he lost his temper because Tajiri almost messed with his car, then wished him best of luck on a speedy recovery.
In the US title tourney match (it was the last bracket in the opening round, apparently) Guerrero beat Ultimo Dragon. Crowd was dead for that one.
Torrie/Billy Gunn beat Jamie Noble/Nidia. Afterwards, Noble offered Torrie $10,000 to spend one night with her. She responded by DDT'ing Noble.
Vince's assistant calls Angle to Vince's office. Angle isn't seen again for the night.
Matches for Vengeance are: Triple Threat match, Gowen vs Vince, Rey/Kidman vs Haas/Benjamin, Sable vs Stephanie, Undertaker vs Cena, and U.S. title tournament: Benoit vs Hardy, Guerrero vs Gunn, plus finals
Show and The Greatest Tag Team Ever (new name for Haas & Benjamin) over Brock. Awesome ending as Brock pulls steel stairs up to the table, prepares to drop Show off the stairs.. then Show reverses, and chokeslams Lesnar onto the table. Great-looking spot.
After cameras stopped rolling, Brock made it back to his feet and left. That was it.
Weird putting Ultimo Dragon in a US Title Tourney match in order to job this early on. With the introductory build-up, you'd think they'd be building him up for a match against Rey, instead of setting up potentially Rey/Kidman at SummerSlam. Dean really is going to be upset about Kidman being back. A 60 year old grandfather against a one legged guy on PPV? I'll pass. I guess the pre-ordained Billy Gunn U.S. Title victory is in line. For once, a swerve would be nice to get Benoit/Guerrero in the finals. Vince's daughter vs. Sable? I have less interest in that than i do in the 60 year old vs. Peg Legged Pete. Kanyon jobbing to Orlando Jordan? Even worse, anyone jobbing to Orlando Jordan. A positive: Another week without Nathan Jones.
If Vince would just hire Dick Dastardly and Muttly and tell them to Catch the Pigeon, it would draw at least an 8 rating.
Oh no! Did Sable really hit Stephanie with a CLIPBOARD??? BY GAWD, she could be broken in half!!!
But seriously, this week's Smackdown doesn't look too bad. But the best tag team in the company shouldn't be teaming up with Big Slug to take on one guy. If Brock were to get ANY offense in, it would make them look weak.
An Eddie/Ultimo match looks to be the big reason to tune in this week. But I find it hard to believe they'd be jobbing Ultimo cleanly ALREADY! Here's hoping that Eddie CHEATS TO WIN~!
I find it odd that Undertaker wasn't anywhere to be seen tonight. I'm not complaining. I just find it odd.
We can only hope that Angle being called into Vince's office is the start of Kurt's heel turn. The slow build to Brock/Angle II is about to begin.
And if the show's opening segment is any indication, John Cena looks to be headed back to the top of the card, as he should be. A Smackdown match with Angle next week would be a big treat.
(edited by It's False on 8.7.03 2054)
Through hellfire and makeup, it's...uh...THIS GUY!
damn.... doesn't sound like Vengeance is gonna be that great.
I was there....When Chris Jericho beat Austin and Rock in the same night to become the first ever Undisputed Champion! (And for the incredible Eddie/ Edge "no DQ"!!!)
So you bring Ultimo in, and hype the hell out of him. He beats a JTTS in his first match to establish his moveset, and then? Week 2, nowhere to be found on TV. Week 3? Jobbing to a heavyweight in a heavyweight title tourney. Now, I have nothing against Eddy Guerrero, but what was the point of all that buildup if he's just going to be used as another midcarder?
This week's been bizarre, and nothing's been a good sign for WWE's future quality.
"Is this just your 40 favorites or is there some other criteria involved here? I feel like I'm looking at a list of the 40 best Uruguayan light-heavyweights compiled by the DVDVR boys." - JayJayDean to Feely
Originally posted by redsoxnationA 60 year old grandfather against a one legged guy on PPV? I'll pass.
Did I miss something here? When did Shane have a kid? Or were you not being literal?
Strange that the PPV card for the good show looks to suck compared to the card for the "bad" show's last one. I mean, they had two months to build, and Steph/Sable and McMahon/Gowen is the best they could come up with? Jeez. At least it's no Mae Young BroncoBuster.
At least it sounds like they're trying to keep John Cena around the main-event picture for awhile longer.
Originally posted by It's FalseOh no! Did Sable really hit Stephanie with a CLIPBOARD??? BY GAWD, she could be broken in half!!!
Not only that, on the second or third replay they showed of it (no, I'm not kidding), it looked as though Sable didn't even connect. It looked like the papers kind of hit Steph in the face. Ooh, great, a paper cut.
Couple of other notes now that I remember them from the show:
Zach was heavily booed by the Toronto crowd. It will have to be heavily edited..... Guerrero and Vince McMahon actually got decent face pops. Cena had the most face reactions when he did his anti-Angle rap (something to the effect of `During the triple threat match, no one will be left in the arena, 'cause the main event of Vengeance is gonna be Undertaker-Cena.' But once Angle started his dorky rap, the crowd was his. Also, Kurt had a line that cracked me up: "Cena, you're the only person I know who's whiter than me.''
US Title Tournament Finals we want: Benoit vs Guerrero US Title Tournament Finals we'll get: Hardy vs Gunn US Champion we'd like: Benoit, Guerrero, or Hardy US Champion we'll get: Billy Gunn
I do look forward to that Haas/Benjamin-Rey/Kidman tag title match, though. Rey and Kidman always came up with good stuff as a team in WCW.
Sable vs Stephanie? Eeesh. I'm sure they'll mega pre-plan and practice that shit like Stephanie's other singles match but Sable's not even Stratus circa early 2001 and Steph looks like she gets winded walking to the ring.
They should've killed two bad birds with one stone and done Zach & Stephanie vs Vince & Sable at the PPV instead.
I had such high hopes for the first Smackdown only PPV but this looks like a DVD buy at best (if Benoit/Eddy make the Finals and the tag match is good).
The 411 spoilers said that Eddie was mad over in Toronto, despite being a heel. Good lord, does WWE know what an opportunity they blew? If you spend three months building up a guy as a cheating-but-lovable face, turning him heel doesn't really work, now does it?
Over 1650 posts and still never a Wiener of the Day! But I'm not bitter!
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Michael Vick: Oh man, invisibility. If I was in a bad situation or something or I said something or you know, caught with two girls I could just disappear. I could be gone just like that -- no trouble.
"I don't understand the creative process. Actually, I make a concerted effort not to understand it. I don't know what it is or how it works but I am terrified that one green morning it will decide not to work anymore, so I have always given it as wide a bypass as possible."-- William Goldman
So, Vince/Zach *and* Steph/Sable at Vengeance? WTF? Unlike Raw, there's a ton of talent on the SD side sitting around doing nothing, so why this crap makes the PPV is beyond me.
Jobbing Ultimo? WTF?
Knoble getting DDT'd by Torrie? WTF?
So far, Orlando Jordan has beat Knoble, Moore, and Kanyon (all WCW-buyout guys), and lost to Crash, Cena, A-Train (all WWE guys). Coincidence?
SD looks to have some good matches, but the booking decisions definitely leave something to be desired.
Well...the PPV is on the 27th, right? They still have time to change some matches. So that might not be the final card.
As far as Eddy, I figure he is going to get cheered regardless if WWE wants people to boo him. Just like Cena is going to start getting more face reactions. Nothing wrong with that. I like Cena as a heel and I always thought Eddy was better as a heel. Doesn't mean I won't cheer them both. Not sure what is up with Ultimo though. I have to see the match, if Eddy had the cheat to win or if it was just a great match that someone had to lose in, it is no big deal. Atleast he got on TV. But if it was just a match where Ultimo looked outclassed, then there is a problem. I guess we will see Thursday.
January 4th 1999 - The day WCW injected itself with 10 gallons of Liquid Anthrax...AKA...The day Hogan "Defeated" Nash to win the WCW title in front of 40,000.
Originally posted by Spaceman SpiffSo, Vince/Zach *and* Steph/Sable at Vengeance? WTF? Unlike Raw, there's a ton of talent on the SD side sitting around doing nothing, so why this crap makes the PPV is beyond me.
I think I'm a psychic... Click Here (wienerboard.com) That was only over a month ago and my 'prayers' are answered already? Wow. That prayer was pure sarcasm, but leave it to them to take it literally. From the spoilers, the show sounds pretty okay to me, because NOBLE AND NIDIA ARE ON SMACKDOWN! YAY! AND THEY LOSE TO MR AND MRS. ASS! BOOO! Huh? No more Mattitude?! No more Matt Facts?! How could they do this to me! NOOOOOOO! Angle and Cena, okay I'll tape that.. Wow, the show sounds pretty lame now actually. So does the PPV. Okay, considering the talents on Smackdown, Lame is not appropriate, but then again it is, when you got two McMahon matches at the front. Yet another week of Velocity awaits...
Originally posted by KevintripodI was reading a Smackdown review on the Torch, and it said Hardy has a new entrance video and sadly no more Matt facts.
That sucks.
Well, they never show the Matt facts live (which the Observer reporter may not have known), but if they got rid of the loading screen there will be hell to pay!
Why does everybody assume they are turning Eddie heel? If he can be a cheater and still be a face why can't he turn on his partner and still be a face? I mean it's not like faces these days are stand up citizens or anything. Stone Cold was mad over when he stuff like that. Oh well, either way Eddie puts on one of the best parts of the show every week so i'm not complaining whether he's a face or a heel.
The booking of Ultimo doesn't really surprise me. They were half-assing his debut from the start. When they were promoting Rey's debut they would air the spots on every show at every chance to make sure people saw it. The Dragon packages seemed scattered here and there and you had to literally try to find them on Smackdown or the weekend shows (if you bothered to watch them). Then, suddenly the week before the MSG show it's all "Ultimo Dragon's coming!!! Don't miss it!" like it's always been a top priority. It's amazing Dragon got the pop he did at MSG with the lack of promotion.
Originally posted by YossinoICThe booking of Ultimo doesn't really surprise me. They were half-assing his debut from the start. When they were promoting Rey's debut they would air the spots on every show at every chance to make sure people saw it. The Dragon packages seemed scattered here and there and you had to literally try to find them on Smackdown or the weekend shows (if you bothered to watch them). Then, suddenly the week before the MSG show it's all "Ultimo Dragon's coming!!! Don't miss it!" like it's always been a top priority. It's amazing Dragon got the pop he did at MSG with the lack of promotion.
I'm not too concerned with Dragon yet. He debuted well, had a match on Velocity and now a match on SmackDown against Latino Cheat. He's been on TV for a month and has yet to establish a feud. But it's only been a month.
Rey fights with Kidman, leaving Dragon to angle with Nunzio, Noble, Spanky, Tajiri, Shannon, or Matt. It doesn't *have* to be a cruiserweight division match-up, though.
He's got time still. Hey, I'm appreciative that I get to see the guy wrestle some more on a regular basis.
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