The Smackdown Breakdown 06.09.05

WWE Smackdown — 6/9/05

Kansas City, Missouri

Your hosts are Michael Cole and Tazz.

Teddy Long comes out to say that the draft has changed the foundation of Raw forever. We see WWE Champion John Cena being drafted. That means Smackdown is without a champion. Who should answer that call but John Bradshaw Layfield. He says there is fear and uncertainty in the Smackdown locker room, but help is on the way because he’s offering to be the champ. Long says there will be no decision on the championship until the end of the draft. But that’s not why we’re here. We’re here to draft a Raw superstar…CHRIS FUCKING BENOIT! Back where he belongs really. Benoit says he’s here to fight for a title. Things are going to change…now. JBL, though, is a master of simile. He changes the subject to Benoit’s ECW tenure and says a great wrestler like Benoit being in ECW is like Wolfgang Puck being proud of working at Jack-in-the-Box. Long decides to make a Chris Benoit vs. John Bradshaw Layfield match for tonight. Bradshaw tries to take a cheapshot, but Benoit suplexes him and chases him out of the ring. I like the pick, even if it does make Benoit into a brand whore — drafted to Smackdown, shows up on Raw, traded back to Smackdown, jumps to Raw after the RR, drafted back to Smackdown. All in three years. I can’t wait to see how guys like Eddy Guerrero and Kurt Angle react.

Carlito (w/Matt Morgan) vs. Charlie Haas (w/Hardcore Holly).

Haas works the arm like he owns it, and Carlito just borrowed it up until this point. Carlito shoves him into the turnbuckle and forearms him in the head. That was awkward. Carlito bounces off the ropes but runs right into a standing Hollyish dropkick. Carlito goes to the eyes to quell Haas’ momentum. Haas goes all crazy and topes onto Morgan (and nearly kills himself – I guess in a tribute to ECW). Haas sunset flips back in, but Carlito rolls through with a handful of tights for the win at 3:54. After the match, Morgan and Carlito attack Haas, probably setting up a tag match next week. *1/4

Recap of ECW’s Invasion on Raw.

Heidenreich is happy that Benoit has come to Smackdown. So is Eddy Guerrero who notes that the last time they were in the ring together, it was at Wrestlemania XX when they were both champs. Well, actually there was the Royal Rumble. Eddy says that Chris will always be his close friend. Benoit says, “thanks, but no thanks.”

Kurt Angle talks about how natural his jungle fever is. He says that when he makes Booker tap out tonight, his wife is gonna come home to daddy.

Non-Title: Paul London vs. Akio.

Please get more than five minutes. Please get more than five minutes. Akio gets a running Tiger Wall Flip and then Eddy Guerrero interrupts. I think these two got interrupted the last time they were on Smackdown. London takes exception, so Eddy beats the crap out of him and tosses him. Eddy says he gets no respect from anybody. He gloats about destroying Rey Mysterio multiple times. [No rating]

Kurt Angle comes out to press Tazz about where he stands in the whole ECW/WWE thing. He should be a lone wolf — FUCK THE WORLD!

Kurt Angle vs. Booker T (w/Sharmell).

Standard wrestling to start – headlock, armdrag, armbar etc. I’ve always wondered why blood feuds start like that. Booker hangs him on the top rope and scissor kicks him all the way to the floor. Back in, Booker gets a hook kick, much to Sharmell’s delight. Booker misses a charge, and Angle German Suplexes him to take over. A backdrop suplex gets two, and Angle slows things down with a bodyscissors. Booker fires back but runs into a belly-to-belly. Angle charges right into a backdrop and goes all the way to the floor. We come back from commercial to Booker countering a reverse bearhug with a stunner. Angle counters the scissors kick to an Angleslam, but Booker slips out of that and delivers the Bookend. ONE, TWO, THR-NO! Angle gets rolling Germans, but Booker counters the last one for a two count. Angle gets the Angleslam, but it only gets two. Booker squirms away from an anklelock. SCISSORS KICK! ONE, TWO, THRE-NO!!! Angle grabs the Anklelock, but Sharmell gives her husband the moral strength to make the ropes. Booker kicks Angle away, right into the referee. Angle grabs a chair and DESTROYS Booker’s ankle with a chairshot. He tries for Booker’s head, but Booker ducks out of the way and Angle takes himself out on the rebound. Booker recovers and hits another scissors kick for the win at 17:55. ***1/2

Angle is still in the ring after the loss. He says that he wants an answer from Tazz right now, and he’s staging a sit-in at ringside until Tazz gives him one. When Tazz refuses to answer, Angle cheapshots him and attacks him with a chair.

Heidenreich vs. ????

I didn’t get the opponent’s name. Rory or Cory something. Heidenreich picks out a lovely new friend who looks kind of like VH1’s Rachel Perry. Nice work, my friend. The opponent attacks from the back, but Heidenreich catches him and finishes with the Bossman slam. 1/4*

Paul Heyman replaces Tazz for the next match. The ECW crew accompany him to ringside.

Chris Benoit vs. John Bradshaw Layfield (w/Orlando Jordan).

Heyman talks about Bradshaw begging him for a job back in the mid-1990s. JBL sends Jordan to the back to bring out the Bashams. Oh, that’ll even things out. Bradshaw takes a cheapshot at Benoit, but Benoit comes right back with a series of chops. Bradshaw blocks a charge with a boot and shoulderblocks Benoit across the ring. Benoit doggedly goes for the Sharpshooter, but Bradshaw pushes away each time. Bradshaw gets cocky and goes for a powerbomb. Benoit reverses to a Sharpshooter but drops it when the Bashams jump on the apron. Bradshaw jumps Benoit from behind as Carlito and Matt Morgan saunter down. When we come back from break, JBL is dominating Benoit. He slaps on a sleeper, but Benoit counters to a backdrop suplex. ROLLING GERMANS! Wait, here comes Kurt Angle. The Diving Headbutt gets two, so Benoit goes for the Crippler Crossface. Angle senses the end is near, so he hops in for the DQ at about 14:30 (no bell). Of course, that triggers a huge brawl between ECW and the Crusaders. HERE COMES TAZZ! Angle bails as Tazz chokes out a Basham. ECW stares down the Crusaders as they head back up the aisle. **

Final Thoughts: Well, Benoit is back where he belongs, and so far the draft has gone much better than last years’. Cena just feels like a Raw man, and Benoit just feels like a Smackdown man, so the planets are aligning the way they’re supposed to. As expected, though, it’s difficult to build feuds when you don’t know who will be around at the end of the month — especially for Smackdown, who has no champion. Tazz was incredibly over, though. Good for him.

J.D. Dunn