Original Airdate: Thursday, June 9th, 2005
Kemper Arena
Kansas City, Missouri
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Theodore Long is in the ring as we start and says that SmackDown does not have a champion, which prompts JBL to come down to the ring. He rambles on about carrying this show and wants to be named champion of SmackDown. Teddy says that there will be no champion named until the Draft Lottery is over. He then announces SmackDown's first pick and it's Chris Benoit. He says that now that he is on SmackDown, things are going to start changing. JBL then starts running down ECW. Benoit challenges JBL to a match tonight. This has to be one of the longer Benoit interview segments of his career. Long agrees and makes the match for tonight. JBL tries to take attack Benoit, but Benoit hits a German suplex.
Carlito vs. Charlie Haas
Did you know Matt Morgan stutters? Carlito really kind of was awkward in the ring. Haas gets quite a bit of offense up until Carlito pokes him in the eye. Morgan tries to distract Haas, but he dives over the top and almost dies. That was scary. He gets back in the ring, but Carlito rolls him up and uses the tights to win the match. Holly tries to get involved, but Haas ends up eating a F5 from Morgan.
Match Rating: 3/4*
Heidenreich is talking to Benoit about being his best friend, while Benoit makes fun of him. He turns around and there's Eddie Guerrero. They go back and forth and Benoit tells him he will see him Sunday.
Kurt Angle is now backstage and is wondering how people could be offended by his actions last week. Angle talks about how crazy he is about Sharmell. Make it stop.
Paul London vs. Akio
This is a non-title match. They are just getting started and all of a sudden Eddie Guerrero's music hits and he's on his way down to the ring. Akio is able to take advantage of the distraction. The camera is following Eddie around while the match is still going on. Eddie grabs a microphone and starts talking in the middle of the ring. Paul London dropkicks Akio into Eddie and Eddie takes him out. He then throws London out for good measure. London comes back in and fights back, but Eddie just tosses him out again. London comes in again and the same result. Eddie talks about the lack of respect because none of us believe that he can beat Rey Mysterio. So we have no contest in this match, but Eddie comes away looking good.
Match Rating: No Rating
Kurt Angle is out now and asks Tazz on which side he is going to stand. He says he is going to give him until the end of the night to make his decision.
Kurt Angle vs. Booker T
Cole and Tazz are applauding Booker here for not losing his temper. Booker sets Angle up on the top rope and hits a scissor kick and sends Angle to the floor. It's nice that it almost seems as if there is no awful storyline reason that this match is happening, but I know something is coming sooner than later. Booker tries to counter the belly-to-belly suplex, but Angle hits it anyways. Angle is then sent over the top rope as we head to commercial. Booker gets a nearfall by countering a German suplex. Angle Slam, but it's not enough. Booker hits a spinebuster followed by a scissor kick. Angle is able to get him in the Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring. After a long time, Booker finally makes it to the ropes. We now get a ref bump, because of course we do. Angle has a chair, but he accidentally hits himself with the chair. Booker hits a scissor kick and gets the pinfall victory. That wasn't a bad match, but I'm sure they are capable of more. Booker was kind of just a slightly above in ring worker at this point.
Match Rating: **3/4
After the commercial break, Angle is still in the ring.He goes out and grabs a chair and a microphone and confronts Tazz. He tells Tazz that he changed his mind and he wants an answer now. Angle then says he is going to sit down next to him until he gives him the answer he wants. Angle says he's out of here and begins to head back, but then blindsides Tazz with the microphone and then hits him with a chair. He then yells in his face that he's going to help take out ECW. Tazz is left bloody and is attended to by the medical staff. This was kind of a weird segment that almost felt like something that would take place during a commercial break.
Heidenreich vs. Rory Fox
How do you follow that angle? With Heidenreich of course. Heidenreich selects a woman who is likely from a gentleman's club to be his friend. As he walks her up to the ring, Fox attacks him from behind. It doesn't matter, because about 30 seconds later Heidenreich is your winner. If you've seen one of these, you've seen them all. He reads his poem after and that's that.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Paul Heyman is introduced as the guest commentator and he comes out with the Dudleyz, Rhyno, Sandman and Tommy Dreamer.
Chris Benoit vs. JBL
JBL sends Orlando Jordan to the back to go and grab the Bashams. Within a minute of the bell, the crowd is chanting for tables. Lots of fists and chops in this one. Benoit locks in the Sharpshooter, but the Cabinet distracts Benoit on the apron. JBL attacks from behind and out comes Matt Morgan and Carlito. Benoit regains control and is going up for the headbutt and nails it. Angle is on his way down now. Out of nowhere, a huge brawl erupts in the ring and then Tazz's music hits to a big pop. Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney are with him. ECW celebrates and I guess we get a no contest here for the result. The match was not a great one, but it ended with a crowd pleasing brawl.
Match Rating: **
This show was all about the final sell for One Night Stand and I think it did a decent job at that. It would be nice to know what some of the matches are going to be, but they were obviously banking on nostalgia being the deciding factor. Other than that, this dark version of Kurt Angle has turned out to be such a bummer and I can't wait for him to move away from this persona. There wasn't much else going on here in the way of enjoyable stuff.
Overall Rating: 49%
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