Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Jacksonville, Florida
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Heidenreich vs. Joey Mercury
This is certainly one way to kick off the show. This is the final episode of SmackDown before it switches over to Friday nights. Heidenreich gets things going early on. Mercury hits a nice standing dropkick and puts Heidenreich into a headlock. Mercury runs into an elbow and then eats a clothesline in the corner. Animal grabs Mercury's leg to distract him and Heidenreich hits a spinebuster for the win. After the match, Animal helps take out MNM. Melina then walks in and Animal puts her on his shoulder. Heidenreich goes for the Doomsday Device, but Nitro knocks him off the top rope and they begin to dismantle the champions. This wasn't good.
Match Rating: 1/4* (out of 5)
Palmer Canon is with Jillian Hall backstage. They talk about the tag match next week and shake hands. He acts as if he is going to talk about her face, but then compliments her earrings. In walk Christy and Stacy. He apologizes for canceling the lingerie match. He has set a standard wrestling match for them later tonight.
Bob Orton is out to introduce his son. Randy asks if anyone has seen Undertaker? He brings up the signed DVD thing again.
Chris Benoit is backstage with Josh Matthews. He is now going to have him time him going to the bathroom to see if he can do it in 25.5 seconds.
United States Championship Match
Orlando Jordan vs. Chris Benoit
Jordan attacks him as he gets into the ring. There's a clock in the bottom of the screen. Benoit quickly gets the Crossface put in and he taps out at 23.4 seconds. This was fun at SummerSlam, but I think we can move on now.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Just as the match is about to start, Sylvan comes out with a new look. Both ladies begin laughing at him. He starts on a rant and out comes Hardcore Holly. He even gets a "Holly" chant. Has that ever happened? He says that he is here for these two really hot girls to get it on. Sylvan puts a hand on Holly's shoulder and so Holly punches him in the face. Holly gets a hug from the ladies and we have no match here.
Teddy Long is now with Palmer Canon. Teddy really likes the card Cannon has come up with. He adds that the World Heavyweight Championship match is now a Bullrope Match after a suggestion from JBL. JBL was also granted the night off to rest for next week. Teddy also says that Eddie Guerrero will take on Rey Mysterio in a Steel Cage Match.
Christian is out for guest commentary.
Booker T vs. Ken Kennedy
Kennedy makes fun of Tony Chimel by doing the Peanuts adult voice and then announces himself. He then mocks Booker, so he gets attacked. Booker hits his superkick for a 2 count. Kennedy misses with his first kick, but hits him on the second time around and is now in control. Booker keeps trying to make his comeback, but Kennedy stays on him. Booker hits another kick and then a crossbody for a 2 count. Kennedy catches Booker and hits a hot shot on the top rope. Booker hits some clotheslines and then a spinning heel kick. He hits a spinebuster and now it's Spinaroonie time. Booker goes up top, while Sharmell confronts Christian. That distracts Booker and Kennedy hits the Green Bay Plunge and gets the victory. Kennedy shows so much more promise to me than Carlito and Chris Masters do over on Raw. That was a solid TV match and it furthered along the story of Christian and Booker T.
Match Rating: **1/4
Simon Dean vs. Batista
Simon comes out and says that Batista uses his Simon System and didn't win the World Heavyweight Championship until he started using his products. Unfortunately for Batista, it didn't improve his intelligence. Out comes Batista. Batista says that he can't remember using his product for the life of him. He tries the drink that Batista has and starts flexing his pecs and saying that he feels bigger and stronger. He then tells Simon that he feels more aggressive and hits him with a clothesline. He hits the spinebuster and starts to pretend to be fatigued, so he grabs another drink from Simon's bag. He hits the Batista Bomb, stands on Simon while holding his drink and gets the victory. Not Simon's best material, but this is a continuation of them trying to let Batista show of some more personality.
Match Rating: 1/4*
William Regal & Paul Burchill vs. Scotty 2 Hotty & Funaki
All four men start brawling to start and Scotty hits a baseball slide to the back of William Regal. Funaki hits a monkey flip on Burchill, but misses him in the corner and Burchill throws him to the mat. Funaki makes a tag to Scotty and he hits a clothesline on Burchill. He brings in Regal and all four men are in there. Scotty tries to throw Burchill through the ropes, but Regal hits Scotty in the head. Burchill hits a shoulder breaker and finishes him with an arm bar submission. That was a little bit longer than I was expecting and considering the length, it was a nice little sprint.
Match Rating: *1/2
They run through the card for the Friday night debut next week. We now get a backstage Eddie promo of him behind a steel cage. He says that at SummerSlam, Rey gained his family and Eddie lost his. Eddie says that it's all his fault that he lost everything.
Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio
Orton tries to throw Rey out of the ring, but Rey hangs on, so Orton hits him with a right hand. Rey hits a tilt-a-whirl head scissors. Orton chases him around the ring and it leads to Orton going through the ropes. Orton gets back in the ring and throws Mysterio under the bottom rope on his stomach. After the commercial break, Orton is firmly in control. Orton goes for a vertical suplex, but Mysterio counters it into a small package. Mysterio hits a bulldog and both men are down. Mysterio hits a springboard crossbody for a 2 count. He then hits the springboard seated senton, but that's not enough either. Mysterior hangs Orton on the middle rope and hits the 619. He goes for the leg drop, but Bob Orton grabs Rey's leg. Orton hits him in midair with a low blow and sets him up on the top rope. Orton hits a RKO from the top rope and gets the victory. The low blow didn't seem to translate well to the live crowd there. The match was a solid main event, but nothing more than that.
Match Rating: ***
I like that SmackDown seems to be getting a lot of newer performers on the show, especially since they are so much better than the crop of guys they had been getting the last few years. There were a lot of squash matches on this show and it sort of felt like they were filling time as they get ready for the stacked show next week. I would call this one a middle of the road episode.
Overall Rating: 50%
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