By Doron Barbalat, Torch Team Contributor

WWE Velocity review
July 17th, 2004
Taped July 13th, 2004
Aired on Spike TV

Alright, I apologize, but I’ve been on two vacations recently, and they’ve caused me to miss my last two Velocity reviews. Thankfully, there’s an excellent Velocity reviewer by my side always, to make sure if I fall on my face, PWTorch.com readers can still rest with the results from that weeks Velocity program. Having not seen Smackdown this week, I am looking forward to Velocity tonight to see highlights of the JBL-Eddie match, and whatever else I missed, which actually sounds like a lot this week. Anyhow, it’s a Saturday night, and at least for now, RVD must be sober due to his appearance on tonight’s show. Here goes.

The Velocity intro airs as we head right to our first entrance of the evening.

(1) Rob Van Dam defeated Akio. RVD’s music hits as the show begins, and to a huge ovation. This match does certainly have potential. Josh calls Akio a huge movie star in Japan, while Bill says that RVD’s been in some movies to. Akio swings a kick to the air, and then points to himself and calls out “R-V-D”. Akio attacks RVD and kicks him while the crowd chants “E-C-Dub”. RVD takes Akio down with a spinning leg lariat and then mocks Akio’s mocking of Rob Van Dam. Akio rakes RVD’s eyes, misses an axe handle and gets nailed with a kick. Akio falls to the floor and RVD goes out to. RVD dumps Akio on the guardrail, and off the apron, drops his flipping leg drop. RVD slaps some fans hands and rolls Akio into the ring. RVD goes for a springboard leg drop but Akio moves out. Akio nails a big DDT for a two count. Akio nails some kicks and chokes RVD with his legs while dropping over the ropes, much like a Tarantula. Akio drops RVD and covers him for a two count. Akio applies a neck hold but RVD fights out, only to get nailed with an enziguiri, for another two count. Akio chokes RVD with his leg on the ropes. Akio applies a choke hold, releases, and nails some shots. RVD blocks at attempt to be tossed into the corner, and kicks Akio in the head. RVD nails some punches and gets tossed into the corner, front first. Akio moonsaults off of RVD’s back, but RVD bounces right up with a springboard cross body. RVD nails Rolling Thunder for a two count, nails a side kick, and then climbs up top to hit the 5 Star Frog Splash. Josh calls out, “No one gets higher then Rob Van Dam” as RVD gets the win. **1/4. Very good, solid match, though short.

Still to Come: Billy Gunn vs. Mark Jindrak

Up Next: John Cena vs. Dupree, Kenzo Suzuki, and Booker T.

(Commercial Break)

WWE Rewind: Kurt Angle strips John Cena of the US Title

We go back to Smackdown, as John Cena tries to get at Kurt Angle. He seems angry. Angle tells him that he will not forget this night, as he will wrestle three men.

This leads us to John Cena battling Booker T, Kenzo Suzuki, and Rene Dupree. Cena controls Booker as we begin our coverage. On the outside, Luther tosses Cena into the ring post, giving him some trouble! Cena gets rolled back in the ring and Booker nails him with a scissors kick for the win.

(Commercial Break)

(2) Nunzio (w/ Johnny Stamboli) beat Doug Basham (w/ Danny Basham). Well, Nunzio a full face now. Both men do some chain wrestling as Nunzio hits a takedown. Doug crawls into the corner. Nunzio gets tossed to the outside and Danny assaults him. Danny rolls him in and Doug gets a two count. Doug works on Nunzio who fights back, but soon gets tosses into the corner and clotheslined. Doug gets a two count. Doug continues his attack and hits a snapmare followed by another two count. Nunzio gets back in the fight with a dropkick for a two count. Nunzio nails another dropkick on the ground for another two. The Bashams try to switch, but Johnny Stamboli separates them violently. Doug goes back in the ring and gets caught with Arrimadurci for Nunzio’s victory. *3/4. Good match, but not much going on it besides repetitive spots.

Well, it’s following us everywhere. Here on the Smackdown production Velocity, we see a video for the Raw Diva Search. Well, the song they played was awesome in the background, whatever it was.

(Commercial Break)

(3) Hardcore Holly beat John Walters. Holly applies a headlock and then runs over Walters. Holly beats him down quickly. Holly takes Walters into the corner and chops the heck out of him. Demott says Holly should be wearing gold, not fighting John Walters. Walters gets in control with a sleeper. Josh hypes a Velocity exclusive for after the match. Walters hits a dropkick for a two count and Holly gets up with a clothesline. Demott says Holly isn’t selfish. Holly nails a dropkick for a two count. Walters pokes the eyes of Holly but gets tossed into the ropes. Holly lifts him and kicks his crotch. Holly whips Walters into the corner and Walters goes for a headscissors, but Holly turns him over into an Alabama Slam for the win. ½*. Nothing you haven’t seen before.

Velocity Exclusive!!! JBL is in the ring on Smackdown before his cage match with Eddie. He cuts a quick promo saying that he can be there hero. That’s all. That’s the whole exclusive.

(Commercial Break)

We go back to Smackdown as Eddie Guerrero challenges JBL for the WWE Title. Josh and Bill hype this up as a great match and the end of the rivalry.

We start off, as Eddie is on top of the cage, about to win, but then jumps off with a Frog Splash. After some replays, JBL kicks out of a pin. We fast forward, as both men are climbing the cage and battle on top of it. Uh oh! Here comes El Grande Luchadore. You know, my vacation was in Mexico, and I heard of no Mexican Champion by that name. I did see some La Parka action figures though. The masked man pulls Eddie down as JBL escapes to retain the title. El Grande Luchadore dances around, put can’t unlock the cage door. El Grande then tries to climb the cage but Eddie gets up and pulls him to the point that he slows down, and also loses his mask. As El Grande removes his shirt from his face, we learn that El Grande Luchadore is in fact KURT ANGLE!

This leads us to some clips of Kurt Angle attacking people while faking the injury. Josh screams out “Kurt Angle is a fraud!”

Up Next: Billy Gunn vs. Mark Jindrak

(Commercial Break)

(4) Mark Jindrak beat Billy Gunn You know a wrestler means nothing when each time I’ve had to write Billy Gunn’s name in this review, I first wrote it as Hardcore Holly before correcting myself. Jindrak enters first, without Teddy Long. Outrage! Jindrak kisses the mirror and poses, but it just isn’t the same without Long. Both men stare eachother down before locking up. Gunn hits some arm drags, and looks good in the process. The crowd pops big as Jindrak rolls to the outside. Gunn comes outside but Jindrak goes in, and kicks Gunn. Gunn ducks a clothesline but Jindrak nails him with a hard punch. Jindrak nails Gunn with some shots and then hits a vertical suplex. Jindrak nails a huge dropkick for another two count. Jindrak runs at Gunn in the corner and gets caught with a boot. Josh wonders out loud that this whole time, Angle and Big Show have been in cahoots. Gunn nails some punches and takes him down with some clothesline. Gunn misses a splash into the corner, but as Jindrak misses a clothesline, Gunn nails the One and Only for a two count. Gunn goes for the Fame-Asser but Jindrak moves and hits the Mark of Excellence. **. Fine match, nothing special though. Jindrak looked good, as usual.

Doron’s Digest: An alright Velocity tonight, though I would have preferred if one match, likely Holly-Walters was cut out in favour of showing more of Eddie-JBL.

Doron Barbalat would now like to be known as the “Velocity Veteran”, outlasting all other Velocity reviewers. He is also the author of the weekly Curtain Jerker, which can be found here every Monday.

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