Original Airdate: Thursday, April 21st, 2005
Madison Square Garden
New York City, New York
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JBL is here with the old WWE Championship. He joins Tazz and Michael Cole at the announcer's booth.
#1 Contender Tournament First Round Match
Big Show vs. Booker T
Kurt Angle's music hits and he is on his way down and he joins the announcer's booth as well. JBL compares himself to Lebron James since he went straight to the pros. Big Show misses with a clothesline and Booker goes after his knee. I would say this is not the best shape Big Show has been in during his long career. The 4 man announcer booth is really not enhancing this match. Big Show chops Booker's chest and then tosses him across the ring. Big Show hits a big kick to the face. He goes for a boot and misses and gets hung up on the top rope. Booker hits the Book End, but Show kicks out at 2. Booker heads up top and hits a missile dropkick, but again Show kicks out. Booker clotheslines Show and they both spill over the top rope. Angle and JBL are now out and beating on both men and the bell rings. They announce a double disqualification. JBL and Angle are pleased, but then Booker and Show attack them. JBL and Angle try to head back to the locker room, but Teddy Long is here and announces fatal 4 way with JBL/Angle/Show/Booker. He also announces a tag team match between the four men. This was obviously not a good match, but it delivers a big match for next week.
Match Rating: 3/4* (out of 5)
It's time for Carlito's Cabana. Naturally he insults the New York crowd and then introduces his guest Eddie Guerrero. Carlito brings up how MNM attacked Rey and then how Rey inadvertently cost Eddie his match against Kurt Angle. Eddie asks for Rey to come down to the Cabana. Eddie claims that he was having car troubles while Rey was being attacked. Eddie offers his apology and Rey accepts and they embrace. MNM are on the big screen applauding. They challenge Rey and Eddie to a championship match tonight. Eddie wants them to come to the ring to challenge them, but they prefer to do it where they are, which is on top of Eddie's low rider. They spray paint "MNM" on the hood of the car and Eddie and Rey run to the back. During the commercial break they show footage of Eddie and Rey at the car and they honestly try to wipe off the paint with their hands.
Matt Morgan is in the back and he says he is not nervous about having his first match at MSG. They honestly give him a stuttering gimmick and this is just terrible stuff.
The Bashams are out back and Orlando Jordan comes in upset at them. He says that they have a job to do and that's to soften John Cena up before JBL's eventual match with him. After Jordan leaves, the Bashams say that they're getting sick of this.
Brett Matthews vs. Matt Morgan
Morgan asks Matthews if he is laughing at him and shoves him in the corner. He throws him chest first into the turnbuckle and then clubs him in the back of the head. He hits a sideslam and then his apparent finisher that started out like a vertical suplex and ended with a Rock Bottom-esque ending. Not a bad debut.
Match Rating: 1/4*
JBL and Kurt Angle are arguing backstage on their way to the ring.
JBL & Kurt Angle vs. Booker T & Big Show
Big Show and JBL kick things off. Big Show hits a big chop and a headbutt. Show then hits a nice vertical suplex and then silences the crowd for another big chop. Show catches a boot to the face from JBL, but then Show catches JBL off the top rope and does a fall away slam. Now it's Angles turn to take some chops. Booker gets in on the action and takes out JBL, but then Angle hits a German suplex on him. While going for the second one, Booker blocks it and ducks a boot from JBL and he hits Angle. Angle takes control back and puts Booker in a bodyscissors. Booker tries to fight back, but JBL is able to maintain control. Booker hits a DDT and both men are down. Show is in and is going for the chokeslam, but Angle hits the Angle Slam on Show! JBL goes for the Clothesline From Hell, but Show blocks it. Booker and Show are double teaming JBL as Angle is walking to the back. Scissor kick and a chokeslam picks up the pinfall victory. Not a bad match, even if it just telegraphed who was going to become #1 contender even more than they already have.
Match Rating: **1/2
Business is about to pick up because here comes Heidenreich. He says that he has made some friends here in New York and brings out Brooklyn Brawler. He inspired this week's Disasterpiece. He reads it and asks for Brawler's opinion and Brawler tells him how terrible it was. Brawler then insults the Yankees and New York, then rips off his Yankees shirt and has on a Red Sox shirt and hat. Heidenreich then attacks him.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
MNM vs. Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio
We get the debut of the paparazzi entrance for MNM. Eddie goes right after Nitro and we are underway. Eddie gets off to a hot start, but MNM eventually wear him down. Eddie is finally able to make the tag to Rey and he hits a springboard moonsault for a 2 count. He then hits a seated senton and a dropkick to the face, but Nitro breaks up the count. Nitro tosses Rey gut first onto Mercury's knee. Eddie is in there and hits the Three Amigos on Mercury. Eddie launches Rey into Mercury and is going for the 619, but Melina gets in the way. Melina distracts Eddie and MNM hits the Snapshot and win the titles in their first main roster match. The tag team division was so terrible during this time, which is a shame because MNM was a good team that deserved to have a couple teams worth feuding with.
Match Rating: ***
After the match, Eddie and Rey argue and Eddie pushes Rey down to the mat. Eddie tries to walk away, but Rey comes after him and they get into it again. This time Rey shoves Eddie down to the mat and walks away. This was the right move to get a little fire out of Mysterio.
In the back, MNM is celebrating their victory while the paparazzi takes photos. Melina name drops celebrities while she talks on her cell phone and they drive away in their limo.
John Cena vs. Orlando Jordan
Cena cuts a generic promo and honestly I kind of dozed out there for a minute. They go back and forth until the Bashams distract Cena and Jordan hits a DDT. Jordan hits a big clothesline, but then Jordan takes a sloppy bulldog from Cena. Cena gets dumped out of the ring and Doug Basham attacks. Jordan is putting in one of his better efforts here. Cena hits a couple of clotheslines and then his weird hip toss. Spinning side slam and it's "You can't see me" time, but Doug Basham tries to stop him, but fails. Basham goes off the top rope, but Cena kicks him and hits the FU. Jordan goes up top, but Cena crotches him and goes for a superplex. Danny Basham comes out of nowhere and hits Cena with the WWE Championship belt. Jordan hits an elbow drop off the top rope, but Cena kicks out at the last second. Cena sends Jordan into Danny Basham and hits the FU for the victory. That was a lot more enjoyable than I would have ever expected. It was pretty much the perfect length and both guys put in a good effort.
Match Rating: **3/4
Well, in the battle of the two MSG shows, SmackDown pulled off the surprise upset victory. While this was not a great episode, it was definitely an entertaining one. The stage is set for next week with the fatal four-way match to become #1 contender and we got an impactful debut by MNM. The Eddie and Rey saga also continued, as they slowly build to Judgment Day in about a month.
Overall Rating: 64%
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