Original Airdate: Friday, March 3rd, 2006
Verizon Center
Washington, D.C.
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Booker T vs. Tatanka
As far as weird matchups go, this is definitely one of them. Sharmell is at the announce booth, which is pretty impressive that they trusted her there so early on in her career. Tatanka ducks a kick and hits a vertical suplex. Booker catches Tatanka and hangs him up on the top rope. Booker hits a superkick for a 2 count. Tatanka makes a short-lived comeback, as Booker hits a leaping kick to Tatanka coming off the top rope. Booker hits the Scissor Kick, but then Boogeyman's music hits and he's right behind Sharmell with foam in his mouth. Tatanka rolls up Booker and gets the victory. This was better than it had any right to be, as Booker and Sharmell are perfect for Boogeyman's antics.
Match Rating: *3/4
We get a recap of the Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton. That leads to Randy Orton's entrance with CM Punk's original WWE theme. I didn't know Orton ever actually used it. I just thought they were supposed to and then decided not to.
Randy Orton vs. Super Crazy
The matches here tonight are just straight up bizarre. Orton dominates early on until Crazy takes him down with a couple of dropkicks. Crazy then hits a springboard dropkick and Orton hits the barricade. Crazy then hits a hilo. Crazy goes for the moonsault, but Orton is able to barely roll out of the way and they are both down. Orton sends Crazy off the rope, but he hits another springboard dropkick. I love Orton giving Crazy some serious offense here. Orton gets a thumb to the eye and he goes up top. Crazy runs up and hits a kick to the head, but then gets pushed off the top rope. Orton hits a big clothesline and then finishes him off with the RKO. Hearing Orton with this music just doesn't feel right. This match was actually a lot of fun for what it was.
Match Rating: **1/4
They show a Benoit hype video and then show us JBL getting surgery on his hand after Benoit hurt it on SmackDown. They announce JBL/Benoit at WrestleMania.
MNM vs. Matt Hardy & Animal
Animal gets some big pyro here for a random match here. Hardy really was in great shape here in 2006, but WWE still couldn't find anything to do with him. Hardy and Animal toss Nitro around for a little bit, with Nitro bumping around like a pinball. Animal catches Mercury and drives him into the ring. Melina gets on his back and it allows Nitro to hit a superkick. Melina puts Animal in a headscissor for a big pop from the crowd on the floor. Animal catches Nitro into a powerslam and both men are down. Animal makes the hot tag to Hardy and he hits a second rope elbow on Mercury. Hardy then hits a double DDT. He hits a Side Effect on Nitro and a Twist Of Fate on Mercury, but Nitro breaks up the pin attempt. Animal comes in to help and he wants to go for the Doomsday Device. Hardy tells Animal to go up top, which leads to a dangerous looking mistake. Nitro comes in and takes out the leg of Hardy and Animal collides with Mercury on his way down. That looked painful. MNM hits the Snapshot on Hardy and that's enough for the victory. After the match, Animal and Hardy get in a shoving match over Hardy telling Animal to go up top. Animal takes out Hardy's knee and then slams it on the ring post before heading to the back. The Animal heel turn in 2006. The match was pretty good despite the rough looking finish.
Match Rating: **1/4
They show a WrestleMania Big Time Moment and they seriously pick Sid vs. Undertaker? Talk about a terrible main event.
Finlay vs. Bobby Lashley
Finlay tries to take it to Lashley early on, but Lashley catches him with an inverted atomic drop. Lashley hits a clothesline in the corner, but then Lashley hits him with a stiff looking clothesline. Finlay is frustrated and starts throwing chairs into the ring. They start swinging at each other and the ref calls for the bell. Lashley is able to hit Finlay in the gut with and a really fun brawl breaks out with security and officials finally breaking it up. They break free and keep going at it. Finlay leaps off the apron on Lashley. They break them apart again and then Lashley gets another charge in on Finlay to end it. The match was too short to mean anything, but as a segment this was good stuff.
Match Rating: *
We get more backstage shenanigans with Paul Burchill and William Regal, ending with Burchill cutting Regal's tie.
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker
We get an intense opening segment that leads to Angle slowing things down with an arm bar. Taker gets his turn and after crotching him on the top rope, a big boot sends Angle flying into the barricade. After the commercial break, Taker is clearing off the announce table, but Angle grabs him and slams him into the steel steps. Taker fires back with a clothesline and then a boot to the head. He then hits a leg drop on Angle, who was hanging off the ring apron. Taker charges at Angle in the corner, but Angle ducks and Taker's leg gets hung up on the top rope. Taker hits a back elbow on a charging Angle and then goes up top. Angle leaps up, but Taker knocks him off. Angle charges back and hits hit with a series of right hands. Angle hits a top rope superplex for the first false finish and into the second commercial break. Angle clotheslines Taker to the outside, but he lands on his feet, so Angle throws him into the steps knee-first. They start slugging it out and Taker hits Snake Eyes, but then Angle hits a German suplex. Taker hits a boot to the face for a 2 count. Taker goes for a chokeslam, but Angle counters it into an Ankle Lock. Somehow I think Kurt Angle may be the most underrated wrestler of the 2000s. Taker kicks out of the hold and gets him up for the Tombstone. Angle reverses it and then hits an Angle Slam, but Taker kicks out at 2. Angle goes back to the Ankle Lock, but again Taker is out and he hits a chokeslam. Angle again puts on the Ankle Lock, which Taker then counters into the triangle choke. Angle jumps over and gets a 2 count, but Taker reverses it right back to the triangle. Angle makes it to the bottom rope to break the hold. Taker goes for a leg drop, but Angle catches the leg and yet again goes for the Ankle Lock. Taker kicks out and Angle goes for an Angle Slam, but Taker blocks it. Angle hits a DDT and gets another 2. Angle goes for the moonsault and for the millionth time, he misses it. Taker hits the Tombstone and then in comes Mark Henry to attack Taker. Henry runs across the announce table and hits a big splash on Taker through the other announce table. Henry stands tall as the show goes off the air. This was another really good match between theses two, despite the interference finish. Both men put in a really strong effort here and provided one of the better TV matches of the year.
Match Rating: ****
I really loved this episode. With it being taped on the same day as Raw, there was less interview segments and they just focused on in ring action and highlight packages. The Orton/Super Crazy match was sneaky good and the Finlay/Lashley segment was the best thing either man had done up to this point. The main event was a really good match and it all added up to a very memorable episode of SmackDown.
Overall Rating: 79%
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