SmackDown 12-23-05 Review

Original Airdate: Friday, December 23rd, 2005

Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2

This is a best of episode, so yay?

From WrestleMania 21...

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Triple H vs. Batista

Motorhead is here to perform Triple H's entrance music live. This is the match I've wanted to re-watch the most on this show, just for the simple fact that I liked it a little bit less than the majority. This would be a theme for the entire feud. Based on the pace for the start of this match, it's pretty obvious we're getting a 20+ minute Hunter special. Batista gains an early advantage until Batista is distracted by Ric Flair, allowing Triple H to throw him into the steps. Flair continues to play a factor in the match by choking Batista. The crowd is definitely more into this math than the previous match, which to me says more about JBL than it does Cena. I am doing everything I can to not doze off here. Triple H pulls out the steps and goes for a Pedigree but Batista hits a catapult into the steel post. Triple H is now busted open. Batista is clubbing away on Triple H's forehead and then hits a big boot to the face. Batista blocks an attempt from Flair and the referee stops Triple H before he can hit Batista with a chair. The ref is distracted by Flair and Triple H hits Batista with the belt and almost steals the victory. Batista hits a huge spinebuster and sets him up for the Batista Bomb, but Triple H hits the big low blow. Triple H goes for the Pedigree, but Batista blocks it and then slams Triple H behind his back. Batista hits the Batista Bomb and gets the victory. Disappointingly, I did not like that any more than I remembered. Even the ending was pretty anti-climatic.

Match Rating: ** (out of 5)

They show a clip of Kurt Angle hitting the Angle Slam on Big Show through the announce table. They then go into JBL Appreciation Night. 

From the 4-28-05 SmackDown...

Fatal Four Way Match To Become #1 Contender For The WWE Championship
Booker T vs. Big Show vs. Kurt Angle vs. JBL

Big Show is cleaning house and to my complete surprise, both Cole and Tazz are predicting Big Show is going to win this match. Big Show sets up all three men in the corner and squashes them. Show goes for the chokeslam on Angle, but he counters it into the Angle Slam. Booker then hits a scissor kick to the back of the head. JBL then hits him with a Clothesline From Hell. He kicked out of all three attempts. All three men knock Show over the top rope and then start clearing off the announcer table. God forbid they break a TV monitor. Angle Slam through the table and apparently you can get counted out in this match. So of course that is how Big Show is eliminated. Back from commercial break to JBL and Angle double teaming Booker. JBL gets thrown into the steel steps outside the ring. Booker hits the Book End on JBL, but he gets his shoulder up. Angle hits two German suplexes on Booker. Angle hits an Angle Slam and Booker kicks out again. Referee Brian Hebner makes Orlando Jordan leave and JBL brings in a chair to the ring. Angle gets a hold of it and nails Booker with it and gets the pinfall on Booker. JBL instantly attacks Angle and hits him with some really stiff shots to the face as they head into the last commercial break. JBL has a cut on his eyebrow and hits a fall away slam. JBL goes for the clothesline, Angle ducks and he hits the ref instead. Angle puts JBL in the Ankle Lock. The Bashams are down to the ring, but Angle takes them both out. Angle hits three Germans on JBL, but still no ref. The straps are down and we are back into the Ankle Lock. JBL begins to tap, but again, no ref. Booker T then comes in and hits Angle with a chair to the face. The Bashams roll in Hebner and that is all. To no one's surprise, JBL is the #1 contender. This was decent enough, but it never felt like anyone in here was trying to have a great match. It was always obvious that JBL was going to win this match. Other than Angle, no one in this match was really producing great matches at this time.

Match Rating: **3/4

They show the highlight package from the Tribute To The Troops. They then show clips of Eddie and Rey. 

From the 1-6-05 SmackDown...

Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio

My god, the intro song to this show horrible. Maybe the worst intro song that I can remember and that is saying something when it comes to wrestling. Despite being a taped show, it definitely has more of a live feel than I remember it having at the time. Mysterio comes down with a camcorder and they are using it as the 619 Cam. These two will go on to open up WrestleMania 21 in a couple of months. This is apparently a rematch from the previous week. The more I go back and watch retro wrestling, the more I appreciate Mysterio. These two together are magic. After a couple attempts, Eddie is finally able to slow things down and works on Mysterio with a hammerlock. Eddie catches Mysterio's springboard moonsault and puts him in the tree of woe. Guerrero goes for the dropkick to the face, but Mysterio is able to lift up, causing Eddie to crotch himself on the pole. During the commercial, Mysterio hits a nice moonsault that looks like it probably legit hurt Guerrero. Mysterio reverses a sleeper hold into one of his own. Eddie gets out and they appear to have a little big of a misstep, which he turns into a nearfall. Another springboard moonsault from Mysterio hits and hes back to a sleeper hold. Guerrero goes for a powerbomb, Mysterio gets out of it and sets him up for a 619, but Eddie is out of there. Man, I miss Eddie. Guerrero blocks a top rope hurricanrana and Eddie goes for a sunset flip and then Mysterio rolls out and dropkicks him. This match would still bring the house down in 2019. Referee bump and Eddie has a big smile on his face. Eddie grabs the belt and lays it on Mysterio and lays down next to him. Rey then puts the belt back on Eddie and says he was hit with the belt. Eddie is trying to hide it and the ref catches him trying to get rid of it. While Eddie is watching the refs on the ropes, Rey goes for a 619 again and Eddie moves and rolls Mysterio up. They roll all around until Mysterio ends up on top and gets the victory. This was such a fun match between two of the best ever.

Match Rating: **** (out of 5)

They show the Eddie Guerrero tribute video. We then move onto the Chris Benoit and Booker T story. 

From the 10-21-05 SmackDown...

United States Championship Match
Booker T vs. Chris Benoit

After a back and forth start, Booker misses with a kick and falls to the outside. Benoit then absolutely shoots himself out of a canon on the dive and slams himself right into the table as they go into commercial. I'm not even sure if he was supposed to hit Booker with it or not. That was brutal looking. Booker goes to work on his back and then hits a vertical suplex. Booker then hits a vicious Irish whip for a 2 count. Booker hits a neckbreaker and gets another close call. Sharmell is starting to show her frustration on the outside. Benoit gets his second wind and hits the three German suplexes and then hits the flying headbutt. Booker goes up top, but Benoit gets to him first and he barely hits a superplex. Wow, he was really lucky there as he lost his footing just as he was about to hit it and almost fell mid-suplex. We get some shenanigans and Sharmell hits a low blow. Booker hits the scissors kick and we have a new United States Champion. This was a nice match that continued the good story they are having with Sharmell and Booker. It's nice when everything comes together and this was a good example of where a finish like that can work out nicely.

Match Rating: ***1/4 (out of 5)

Now it's time for the Randy Orton/Undertaker saga, before moving into the Survivor Series. 

From Survivor Series 2005...

Batista, JBL, Rey Mysterio, Lashley & Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels, Carlito, Chris Masters, Big Show & Kane

Michaels and Orton start things off. These two had one of my all time favorite Survivor Series matches just two years after this. Orton slaps Michaels in the face, but then it's Michaels taking Orton to school. We eventually get Masters and Lashley in here and it doesn't get the pop they were probably hoping for from the live audience. Lashley hits a big slam, but misses a splash in the corner and Masters clubs him with a clothesline. Carlito is tagged in and Lashley tosses him in. Lashley hits him with a running powerslam for a 2 count. Carlito catches him with an elbow and tags in Michaels. Lashley tosses him around too. Carlito runs in and eats a Dominator. He attempts to give one to Michaels, but Kane grabs him from the apron and gives him a chokeslam behind the referee's back. Somehow, that's enough to eliminate the undefeated Lashley. Masters hits a military press on Mysterio and tags in Kane. Kane misses with the elbow and Mysterio capitalizes until Kane steamrolls him with a big boot. Unfortunately, we are stuck listening to the announcers argue with one another and not talk about the match. Mysterio makes a tag to Batista, who is still all wrapped up. Batista hits a spear on Kane and takes out everyone. This leads to Kane eating a 619 from Mysterio and then a spinebuster from Kane to eliminate him. Big Show immediately hits a chokeslam and Batista is able to kick out. Even though Kane was eliminated, he and Big Show hit a double chokeslam on Batista and eliminate him. JBL comes in, but Big Show catches a crossbody attempt and slams him to the mat. Show then catches Mysterio and throws him halfway across the ring. Orton snaps Big Show on the top rope and JBL hits a Clothesline From Hell. Mysterio hits the 619 and he tags in Orton, who then hits the RKO. JBL comes in again and hits another Clothesline From Hell. Mysterio flies in with the seated senton and Big Show is finally eliminated. We now have a brawl and on the outside JBL hits a fall away slam on Michaels to the floor. After a headlock rest hold by Carlito, Mysterio fights back, hits a tag to JBL and he eliminates Carlito. Michaels is still knocked out on the floor, but it is down to just him and Masters against Mysterio, JBL and Orton. Masters catches Mysterio, but JBL hits him with a boot to the face. Masters hits his shoulder into the post and Mysterio hits the 619. He follows it up with the springboard leg drop and Masters is eliminated. Michaels is still on the floor, so JBL goes and grabs him. Back in the ring, Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music on a leaping Mysterio and eliminates him. Michaels hits another desperation Sweet Chin Music on JBL and now we are down to just Orton and Michaels. Michaels gets out of the RKO and goes for Sweet Chin Music, but Orton rolls out of the ring. Michaels launches himself over the top rope and on the crowd is now chanting for Taker. Michaels is in control and hits the top rope elbow drop. Michaels is getting ready for Sweet Chin Music, but JBL comes in with a chair. Michaels ducks and hits Sweet Chin Music on him again. This allows Orton to hit the RKO and get the victory. I didn't love that they sort of telegraphed this by hyping up the fact that he was the sole survivor two years in a row and also with the fact that the ads for the show were all about Undertaker returning. As SmackDown is celebrating his victory, the druids come out and Orton is in a panic. Orton's "acting" here is awful here. The druids stand up a casket and then a lightning bolt strikes it and sets it on fire. Out comes Undertaker and he heads to the ring. I remember this being my cue to start heading to the parking lot. Taker starts taking out the entire SmackDown roster. Meanwhile, Orton and his dad escape to the entrance ramp and that's it. The match itself was good, but not quite as good as I hoped it would be. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

They finish off by showing us the latest happenings in the Orton/Undertaker feud. 

With this being a "best of" episode, I am not going to give it an overall rating, but this was a pretty good mix of matches. The Rey Mysterio/Eddie Guerrero match is worth going out of your way to watch and is definitely the highlight of the episode.