Original Airdate: Friday, March 31st, 2006
Kemper Arena
Kansas City, Missouri
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Rey Mysterio is out to kick off the show and he calls out Randy Orton. Out comes Kurt Angle instead. Angle emphasizes that it's every man for himself and that he's going to walk away World Heavyweight Champion. Now Orton comes out to join the party. Orton then proposes Mysterio and Angle against himself in a handicap match tonight. He then backs out of it saying that he won't jeopardize his health ahead of WrestleMania. Teddy Long is out and he thinks the handicap match sounds like a pretty good idea. This turns into Angle and Mysterio getting into it. This leads to a match between Mysterio and Angle being made for tonight, which Orton loves. Long then calls out security and has him escorted out of the arena so that he doesn't interfere later on.
They show Orton leaving the arena during the commercial break.
Chris Benoit vs. Animal
Animal comes down and isn't happy that he doesn't have a match at WrestleMania. He says he is going to beat Benoit and show that he's Big Time all while wearing the WrestleMania 22 t-shirt. Benoit pretty much dominates from the get go and then hits three German suplexes. Animal hits a boot to the face of Benoit and then pulls out his brass knuckles. Benoit gets on the Crippler Crossface instead and Animal taps. This was just a tune up for Benoit.
Match Rating: 1/2*
It's a good thing they knew to show Benoit walking backstage because JBL and Jillian Hall are there to applaud him. JBL now brings up when he beat Eddie Guerrero because of course he does. Benoit tells him that he's glad his hand is heeled because he will need it when he taps out.
JBL vs. Daniel Cross
JBL clubs away on Cross and then hits two Clotheslines From Hell for the victory. Sure.
Match Rating: 1/4*
They hype up the Hall of Fame again and follow it up with a Miz Reality Check.
Booker T vs. Paul Burchill
Burchill is able to hit a standing moonsault, but Booker recovers quickly. Burchill fights back with a reverse crossbody off the second rope. Boogeyman's music hits and Booker goes out of the ring to protect Sharmell. Booker looks under the ring, but Boogeyman comes out from under the ring on the other side where Sharmell is. Boogey carries off Sharmell and Booker is counted out. Booker hesitantly chases after him and Burchill is declared the winner. What a match.
Match Rating: 1/4*
They show clips of Booker looking for her during the commercial break.
Bobby Lashley, Matt Hardy & Tatanka vs. MNM & Finlay
Lashley dumps out both of MNM and he wants Finlay. This distraction allows MNM to attack him from behind, but Lashley hits a double suplex on them. Tatanka comes in and continues the momentum until Mercury distracts the ref and Finlay kicks Tatanka when he's running the ropes. Hardy finally gets a hot tag and hits the clothesline/bulldog combo and a Side Effect. Lashley saves Hardy from the Snapshot and Hardy hits a Twist Of Fate for the victory. That was exactly what it needed to be and it was full of overachievers, so it was better than it needed to be as well.
Match Rating: **3/4
Mark Henry comes out to the ring in a suit and talks at a podium in front of a black wreath like it's a eulogy. He gives a list of wrestlers that Undertaker has defeated at WrestleMania. That was weird that there was no Daivari here and extremely short.
Mexicools vs. Kid Kash & Jamie Noble
Noble distracts the Mexicools by messing with their tractors and Kash attacks from behind to start things off. Noble's vertical suplex is really nice. Noble goes off the top rope, but Psicosis catches him with a dropkick and makes the tag to Super Crazy. Crazy hits a series of dropkicks, but Noble comes in illegally and hits a reverse neckbreaker. Psicosis comes in to make the save and hits a corkscrew dive to the floor. Super Crazy hits a top rope Spanish Fly and that is all. Super Crazy continues to be used in the Tajiri spot as an underused talent.
Match Rating: **
Booker T is still looking for Sharmell and sees a bunch of worms outside a door backstage. He gets to a stairwell and he can hear her screaming. Booker walks over the worms and opens the door. He finds Sharmell standing on a crate with hundreds of worms around her. The cameraman seems to have no problem with the worms as he walks over the worms and finds him lurking in the background.
Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle
I love watching these two wrestle. Rey almost gets in an early 619, but Angle sees it coming and gets out of the way. Mysterio goes for a baseball slide, but Angle sidesteps it and shoves Mysterio into the barricade with authority into the commercial break. Mysterio starts to fight back and hits a seated dropkick after a roll through on a sunset flip. Springboard seated senton by Mysterio and he gets a 2.99999 count. Angle hits a German suplex with a release and the straps are down. Mysterio counters the Ankle Lock and goes for another 619. Angle catches it and puts him into the Ankle Lock and Mysterio taps. I'm not sure I love the idea of these two fighting two nights before WrestleMania, but A) I'm never going to complain about these two wrestling and B) this was the correct way to book it with Angle winning. After Angle is headed down the ramp, Orton comes in and hits a RKO on Mysterio. Orton tells Angle that he's going to give him one at WrestleMania, so Angle comes in and destroys Orton and puts him in the Ankle Lock and Orton taps. This was all well done.
Match Rating: ***
This was a good way to lead us to WrestleMania, especially once we got past the United States Championship stuff. That and the Raw tag match are the only two weak links in terms of build. Even the Playboy Pillow Fight was built up to better than those two. Thumbs up here.
Overall Rating: 61%
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