Saitama Super Arena
Saitama, Japan
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Eddie Guerrero vs. Kenzo Suzuki
Kenzo gets a "Kenzo Sucks" chant in his home country. Kenzo stomps on Eddie in the corner. Guerrero fights back, but eats a crummy clothesline by Suzuki. Three Amigos by Eddie. Suzuki really looks green here so far in this match. Eddie goes up top, but Kenzo crotches him. Kenzo goes for a superplex, but Eddie fends him off and hits the Frog Splash and gets the win.
Match Rating: *1/2
Kurt Angle says he will be main eventing WrestleMania for the third year in a row. Luther Reigns says he is sick of people bowing down to the Undertaker. He then gives some bizarrely intense promo about being in prison or something.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Luther Reigns & Mark Jindrak vs. The Basham Brothers
Interesting that they are running a heel vs. heel match on the SmackDown Tokyo show as well. They were actually having a decent little match and then the Undertaker's music hits and the lights go out. Taker is in the ring and destroys Jindrak, as Reigns gets out of the ring. That's a hard one to give a rating to.
Match Rating: 3/4*
We get a WWE in Tokyo highlight package.
Back in the arena, Joy Giovanni is shooting out t-shirts to the crowd. What a gig.
Hiroko is telling Kenzo Suzuki that he is going to rip off Torrie Wilson's kimono and cause her shame and Kenzo seems to dig it.
JBL is talking with Amy Weber and shows her a tranquilizer gun that is going to take down the Big Show. Amy takes the gun and as she's backing up, Orlando Jordan opens the door and causes her to shoot JBL with the dart.
Akebono is in the crowd again.
Cruiserweight Championship Match
Funaki vs. Chavo Guerrero
We get a little bit of some mat wrestling until Chavo hits the champion with a cheap shot after a high five to some big boos. Chavo gets his heat segment until the eventual comeback segment by Funaki. It's kind of incredible how much of an American style Funaki works. Step up enzaguri by Funaki gets a 2 count. Chavo then hits a superplex for a 2 count. I appreciate that these two pros are taking this match really seriously and putting on a good show. Chavo goes for another superplex, but Funaki reverses it and then hits him with a jumping tornado DDT and gets the win. That was an entertaining 8 minute TV match.
Match Rating: ***
Carlito is backstage with a Japanese officer and he's talking about how Teddy Long won't be in charge soon. JBL comes up to him and acts like an idiot. Orlando Jordan tells JBL to wait right where he is while he goes to take on John Cena. JBL then sees an inflatable Godzilla and starts talking to it.
We get a Basic Instinct WrestleMania commercial featuring Stacy Keibler, Chris Jericho, Christian and Chris Benoit. That was honestly the most expression I think I ever saw Benoit show on his face.
#1 Contender Tournament 1st Round Match
John Cena vs. Orlando Jordan
Cena cuts a promo that uses OJ Simpson jokes in it. It would have been nice if there would have been a little bit more suspense in this tournament, but instead Cena and JBL were already starting their feud. After multiple elbows by Cena, Jordan gets in a big boot and some jabs on Cena. Jordan gets a nearfall and is starting to get frustrated. Cena fights back with some of his signature awkward, but effective offense. Five Knuckle Shuffle is just as big in Japan as here in the US. Cena hits the Pumps and gets him up for the FU and that's it. Not much to that one, but that was to be expected. Cena will take on Booker T next week.
Match Rating: *1/4
Orlando Jordan is walking back to where JBL was supposed to be and of course he isn't there. Amy and the Bashams start yelling at Jordan and go to look for him. Amy says that it's all her fault.
Kimono Match
Torrie Wilson vs. Hiroko
Torrie reaches out to shake Hiroko's hand, but she instead gets salt in the face. Torrie hits her with a clothesline and a baseball slide. Torrie gets in some nice chops after Hiroko exposes her a little bit. Airplane spin by Torrie and Torrie takes off Hiroko's kimono, who then runs to the back. That was about as good as it was going to be. After the match, Torrie takes off her kimono for the heck of it.
Match Rating: 1/4*
As Torrie is walking to backstage, JBL comes walking down with the inflatable Godzilla. He then does a promo with Godzilla, calling him a giant lizard. He then makes fun of Big Show for good measure. Apparently the tranquilizer dart causes you to have a stronger southern accent as the main side effect. JBL strips down to his pink boxers attempting to fight the inflatable. Out comes the Big Show. JBL was playing the whole time and attacks Big Show and hits the Clothesline From Hell. Out comes the Cabinet and they hold down Big Show while JBL tries to hit him with a chair, but Show moves out of the way and destroys the Cabinet as JBL retreats to the back.
After that, Big Show calls Akebono to the ring and they have a stare down and they shake hands.
They run down some of the No Way Out matches and the graphics for the matches are really strange.
Backstage, Angle tells Mysterio not to get his hopes up. Mysterio says he is sick of people underestimating the little guy.
We get more highlights of the Tokyo trip.
#1 Contender Tournament 1st Round Match
Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio
These two have off the charts chemistry, but I guess it's not all that surprising since they are 2 of the 10 best to ever wrestle in WWE (in my opinion). After some back and forth, Mysterio hits Angle with 10 punches in the corner, but Angle nails him with a belly to belly suplex into the commercial break. Angle has him in a chinlock with a body scissors. Mysterio ducks, causing Angle to send himself over the top rope and Rey hits him with a splash from the top rope. Back in the ring and Angle hits a German suplex and Angles lip is busted open. Angle catches Mysterio off the ropes and sends him spine first into the turnbuckle and then hangs him in the tree of woe. He goes shoulder first towards Mysterio, but Rey pulls himself up and out of the ring goes Angle. Mysterio does the baseball slide into the headscissors on the outside. Spinning DDT by Mysterio, but Angle is able to kick out. Dropkick to the back by Mysterio, but Angle catches the 619 attempt and has him in the Ankle Lock. Mysterio counters and rolls up for a 2 count. Big clothesline by Angle and both men are down. Angle hits a German suplex, but Mysterio counters the second one and hits the 619. The springboard is caught by Angle into an Angle Slam, but that is countered. Angle Slam after a series of counters and down come the straps. Ankle Lock is in again as Mysterio tries to escape, but Angle takes it to the mat and Mysterio submits. They got a good amount of time and delivered a good TV match. Not their best, but their worst would be better than half of this rosters best.
Match Rating: ***1/2
SmackDown continues to be a mixed bag. We got two matches that delivered and the rest might as well not even have happened. The JBL stuff was lame to put it nicely and I'm not sure there is anyone who is buying that Luther Reigns has a chance against Undertaker. It has to be noted that the Japanese crowd was once again very good and I have to wonder why they don't go over there more often.
Overall Rating: 54%
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Luther Reigns & Mark Jindrak vs. The Basham Brothers
Interesting that they are running a heel vs. heel match on the SmackDown Tokyo show as well. They were actually having a decent little match and then the Undertaker's music hits and the lights go out. Taker is in the ring and destroys Jindrak, as Reigns gets out of the ring. That's a hard one to give a rating to.
Match Rating: 3/4*
We get a WWE in Tokyo highlight package.
Back in the arena, Joy Giovanni is shooting out t-shirts to the crowd. What a gig.
Hiroko is telling Kenzo Suzuki that he is going to rip off Torrie Wilson's kimono and cause her shame and Kenzo seems to dig it.
JBL is talking with Amy Weber and shows her a tranquilizer gun that is going to take down the Big Show. Amy takes the gun and as she's backing up, Orlando Jordan opens the door and causes her to shoot JBL with the dart.
Akebono is in the crowd again.
Cruiserweight Championship Match
Funaki vs. Chavo Guerrero
We get a little bit of some mat wrestling until Chavo hits the champion with a cheap shot after a high five to some big boos. Chavo gets his heat segment until the eventual comeback segment by Funaki. It's kind of incredible how much of an American style Funaki works. Step up enzaguri by Funaki gets a 2 count. Chavo then hits a superplex for a 2 count. I appreciate that these two pros are taking this match really seriously and putting on a good show. Chavo goes for another superplex, but Funaki reverses it and then hits him with a jumping tornado DDT and gets the win. That was an entertaining 8 minute TV match.
Match Rating: ***
Carlito is backstage with a Japanese officer and he's talking about how Teddy Long won't be in charge soon. JBL comes up to him and acts like an idiot. Orlando Jordan tells JBL to wait right where he is while he goes to take on John Cena. JBL then sees an inflatable Godzilla and starts talking to it.
We get a Basic Instinct WrestleMania commercial featuring Stacy Keibler, Chris Jericho, Christian and Chris Benoit. That was honestly the most expression I think I ever saw Benoit show on his face.
#1 Contender Tournament 1st Round Match
John Cena vs. Orlando Jordan
Cena cuts a promo that uses OJ Simpson jokes in it. It would have been nice if there would have been a little bit more suspense in this tournament, but instead Cena and JBL were already starting their feud. After multiple elbows by Cena, Jordan gets in a big boot and some jabs on Cena. Jordan gets a nearfall and is starting to get frustrated. Cena fights back with some of his signature awkward, but effective offense. Five Knuckle Shuffle is just as big in Japan as here in the US. Cena hits the Pumps and gets him up for the FU and that's it. Not much to that one, but that was to be expected. Cena will take on Booker T next week.
Match Rating: *1/4
Orlando Jordan is walking back to where JBL was supposed to be and of course he isn't there. Amy and the Bashams start yelling at Jordan and go to look for him. Amy says that it's all her fault.
Kimono Match
Torrie Wilson vs. Hiroko
Torrie reaches out to shake Hiroko's hand, but she instead gets salt in the face. Torrie hits her with a clothesline and a baseball slide. Torrie gets in some nice chops after Hiroko exposes her a little bit. Airplane spin by Torrie and Torrie takes off Hiroko's kimono, who then runs to the back. That was about as good as it was going to be. After the match, Torrie takes off her kimono for the heck of it.
Match Rating: 1/4*
As Torrie is walking to backstage, JBL comes walking down with the inflatable Godzilla. He then does a promo with Godzilla, calling him a giant lizard. He then makes fun of Big Show for good measure. Apparently the tranquilizer dart causes you to have a stronger southern accent as the main side effect. JBL strips down to his pink boxers attempting to fight the inflatable. Out comes the Big Show. JBL was playing the whole time and attacks Big Show and hits the Clothesline From Hell. Out comes the Cabinet and they hold down Big Show while JBL tries to hit him with a chair, but Show moves out of the way and destroys the Cabinet as JBL retreats to the back.
After that, Big Show calls Akebono to the ring and they have a stare down and they shake hands.
They run down some of the No Way Out matches and the graphics for the matches are really strange.
Backstage, Angle tells Mysterio not to get his hopes up. Mysterio says he is sick of people underestimating the little guy.
We get more highlights of the Tokyo trip.
#1 Contender Tournament 1st Round Match
Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio
These two have off the charts chemistry, but I guess it's not all that surprising since they are 2 of the 10 best to ever wrestle in WWE (in my opinion). After some back and forth, Mysterio hits Angle with 10 punches in the corner, but Angle nails him with a belly to belly suplex into the commercial break. Angle has him in a chinlock with a body scissors. Mysterio ducks, causing Angle to send himself over the top rope and Rey hits him with a splash from the top rope. Back in the ring and Angle hits a German suplex and Angles lip is busted open. Angle catches Mysterio off the ropes and sends him spine first into the turnbuckle and then hangs him in the tree of woe. He goes shoulder first towards Mysterio, but Rey pulls himself up and out of the ring goes Angle. Mysterio does the baseball slide into the headscissors on the outside. Spinning DDT by Mysterio, but Angle is able to kick out. Dropkick to the back by Mysterio, but Angle catches the 619 attempt and has him in the Ankle Lock. Mysterio counters and rolls up for a 2 count. Big clothesline by Angle and both men are down. Angle hits a German suplex, but Mysterio counters the second one and hits the 619. The springboard is caught by Angle into an Angle Slam, but that is countered. Angle Slam after a series of counters and down come the straps. Ankle Lock is in again as Mysterio tries to escape, but Angle takes it to the mat and Mysterio submits. They got a good amount of time and delivered a good TV match. Not their best, but their worst would be better than half of this rosters best.
Match Rating: ***1/2
SmackDown continues to be a mixed bag. We got two matches that delivered and the rest might as well not even have happened. The JBL stuff was lame to put it nicely and I'm not sure there is anyone who is buying that Luther Reigns has a chance against Undertaker. It has to be noted that the Japanese crowd was once again very good and I have to wonder why they don't go over there more often.
Overall Rating: 54%
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