Staples Center
Los Angeles, California
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Since we are in Hollywood, MNM get a big entrance into the building. Teddy Long interrupts it by saying that they will take on Eddie Guerrero and Batista for their newly won championships.
Rey Mysterio & Matt Hardy vs. JBL & Christian
Hardcore Holly is the special referee for the match. With Taboo Tuesday obviously being on a Tuesday, this was actually taped on Sunday. This is also Christian's last WWE match before heading out to TNA. Mysterio and Hardy tore it up at Taboo Tuesday as a team. Hardy takes down Christian with a clothesline and then sends him over the top rope. Hardy is caught from his dive, but Mysterio comes flying and knocks all three men down. JBL and Holly get into it a little bit and it almost costs JBL the match. Christian takes control after some heel tactics and it leads to Hardy accidentally hitting Holly. They start arguing as we head into the commercial break. Mysterio hits a couple of low dropkicks and a hurricanrana on JBL. Mysterio sets him up for the 619, but Christian moves him out of the way and then JBL pulls Mysterio out to the floor. Mysterio hits a hurricanrana on Christian out of the electric chair position, but he can't make the tag. JBL goes for the superplex, but Hardy distracts JBL and Rey knocks him off. JBL is back up before Mysterio can capitalize and he hits a fall away slam off the second rope. Mysterio counters another fall away slam into a DDT and this time he makes the tag to Hardy. Hardy hits the Side Effect for a close call. Hardy hits the second rope leg drop, but JBL breaks up the pin attempt. Rey hits Poetry In Motion on both men, but JBL retaliates with a big boot to the face of Hardy. Mysterio hits a drop toe hold on JBL into the steps. Holly pulls away a chair from Christian, which leads to Christian attacking Holly from behind. He misses with the chair on Hardy and Holly then hits him with the Alabama Slam. Mysterio hits 619 and Hardy hits the Twist of Fate for the victory as JBL runs to the back. That was a really, really entertaining match. I'm not surprised since it features three of my favorite wrestlers of all time and it got the time it deserved. This was one of the my favorite TV matches of 2005.
Match Rating: ***3/4 (out of 5)
Teddy Long says he is waiting for Eric Bischoff, leaving Josh Matthews confused.
Sharmell is out to the ring and introduces the United States Champion, Booker T. He insults the crowd for falling for his act and shows clips of them cheating. Teddy Long comes out and announces that he will face Chris Benoit next.
United States Championship Match
Booker T vs. Chris Benoit
They start off chopping each other back and forth, but Benoit ends up chopping Booker out of the ring. Booker snaps Benoit's neck over the top rope. Sharmell gets involved again and grabs Benoit's leg. Benoit fights it off and still hits Booker with a knee to the midsection. Booker then hits a stun gun on the top rope to slow Benoit down. Booker goes for a vertical suplex, but Benoit counters and hits the three German suplexes. Benoit goes up top, but Sharmell distracts Benoit just long enough for Booker to move out of the way. Benoit bounces back and hits two more German suplexes, but Booker grabs the ropes on the third attempt. Benoit gets the Crippler Crossface on, but Booker immediately grabs the bottom rope. Booker then books it out of there and we have ourselves a countout. The match itself was decent enough, but it's obvious this story is not ending anytime soon.
Match Rating: **
Bob Orton vs. Roddy Piper
I hate that Orton wrestles in clothes. He attacks Piper and gains the early advantage. Orton actually gets some vicious offense in and fights off everything Piper gives him. Orton has a cut on his face and is bleeding. Orton goes for the suplex, but Piper gets him in the sleeper. Piper has him down, but out comes Randy and he attacks Piper. Piper took a beating here tonight. Randy then tells him that if it weren't for his dad, he would have been nothing. The crowd kind of doesn't really know what to think of this segment.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Handicap Match
Bobby Lashley vs. Nunzio & Vito
All three men are allowed to be in the ring at the same time in this match. Vito hits a kick to the face and Nunzio follows it up with a dropkick. Vito throws Nunzio at Lashley, but he catches him and then uses him to squash Vito in the corner. Lashley throws Vito out of the ring and then hits the Dominator on Nunzio and gets the easy victory. The crowd was not as into Lashley as they have been here.
Match Rating: 1/2*
Eric Bischoff has arrived and runs into the Boogeyman.
Teddy Long is in the ring and introduces Bischoff. Bischoff challenges SmackDown to a 5-on-5 match at Survivor Series and then starts insulting the blue brand. Teddy accepts, but then also wants a match himself with Bischoff. Thrilling television here.
Mr. Kennedy vs. Scotty 2 Hotty
Kennedy comes out stomping away on Scotty and sends him out of the ring. Scotty gets a kick in and a flying forearm. Kennedy crotches Scotty on the top rope and then hits the Green Bay Plunge for the easy victory.
Match Rating: 1/2*
MNM is shown headed towards the ring and boy, do they look worried.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
MNM vs. Eddie Guerrero & Batista
MNM tries to double team Batista, but he clotheslines them both out of the ring into the commercial break. Eddie gets some offense in, but then heads out and grabs both a chair and the hammer for the ring bell. The ref takes away the chair, but then Melina takes away the hammer. Melina distracts the challengers and it allows Nitro to jump off the apron onto Eddie. MNM use some quick tags and isolate Eddie in their corner. Eddie makes a comeback and nails Mercury with a stiff looking backbreaker. Batista is in and we get power moves galore. He tags Eddie back in and he hits the Three Amigos. Melina grabs a pair of brass knuckles and goes in the ring. Eddie hits a Frog Splash on Melina, but then gets knocked out by Mercury with the brass knuckles and the champions retain. That was an entertaining enough match that probably could have easily gone another 10 minutes.
Match Rating: **1/4
This show started out fantastic, but the rest felt very rushed. Outside of the quick Bischoff/Long segment, everything was entertaining and the current stories being told on Friday nights continue to be well done. The SmackDown momentum continues.
Overall Rating: 60%
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