WWE Smackdown Velocity tapings
April 8, 2003
Rosemont, Ill. at the Horizon
Report by Nick Pomazak, PWTorch.com correspondent

Just got back from Smackdown. WWE needs to improve on how they present to Smackdown to a live crowd. Having seen Raw in Chicago in January, and seeing the Smackdown taping tonight, they are 2 totally different experiences. While seeing Raw live was very enjoyable and flowed really well. watching Smackdown live was not as much fun. Everything was very disjointed and the dead periods seem to kill the crowd. It kind of felt like the difference between watching an NFL team practice in training camp, and watching them play in a game..one seems polished and you feel like you are a part of the show, the other seems just kind of like you're a fly on the wall. Bottom line is I felt like I got my 35 bucks worth after seeing RAW live, and I can't say that after seeing Smackdown, and it had nothing to do with the content of the show..just the presentation, and that could and should be improved.

DARK MATCHES

(1) Sean O'Haire over a jobber.  O'Haire came to ring in black leather trenchcoat, used Razor's Edge as finisher.

(2) Kanyon over a jobber.  Great to see Kanyon back and wrestling, got a decent response from the crowd.

VELOCITY

(1) Tajiri beat Shannon Moore

(2) A-Train beat a jobber

(3) FBI over Los Guerreros and Funaki. Eddy was crazy over with the crowd...yet didn't appear at all on Smackdown, way to give the people what they want.

SMACKDOWN

(1) Brock Lesnar pinned Matt Hardy with the F5.  Brock didn't seem to be showing any ill effects from his concussion. Matt got great heat from crowd. Great way to start the show.

(2) Torrie Wilson & Brian Kendrick over Jamie Noble & Nidia.  Sable watched from ringside. Her introduction took about 10 minutes..then she sat there and did...nothing. Looks like they are running with the lesbian angle here as Sable appeared later in a shower vignette with Torrie that was basically the same thing as the Dawn Marie/Torrie stuff a few months ago.

Pipers Pit: Segment begins with Vincent Kennedy McMahon in plaid carpeted ring...brings out Rowdy Roddy Piper. They play who made who... for a while... basically same s**t different over-the-hill wrestler as what VKM did with Hogan. At least Piper didn't make any Viagra jokes or any other really lame-o attempts at humor like he did in WCW.  Piper brings up WBF and XFL. Finally they agree they both hate Hogan, and Vince leaves the ring.

Then things get bizarre...Rikishi comes out, with a coconut, and tells Piper he's going to pay him back for what he did to his family member Jimmy Snuka 20 years ago (smashing a coconut into Snuka's face on a Pipers Pit show)...then Sean O'Haire runs to the ring and kicks the crap out of Rikishi, O'Haire holds Rikishi back while Piper smashes the coconut against Rikishi's head. Didn't see that one coming. Good to see them at least trying to use O'Haire.

(3) #1 Contender Tournament: Chris Benoit over Rhyno with a BACKSLIDE...mutual admiration society meeting afterwards. I realize Christ Benoit is the god of IWC but the crowd was DEAD for this match. There were people next to me actually sleeping during the first five minutes..I swear.

(4) Non Title Match: Rey Mysterio & Tajiri over Team Angle. Two wins for Tajiri in one night, WTF? Tajiri has the most infectious theme music ever written. There were children actually dancing in the aisles.

(5) Nathan Jones over Bill DeMott with a kick to the face. This match was worse than it sounds. Bloody awful. Oi!

"Special Attraction": Hot Chick vs. Drunk Guy goes to no contest when Rosemont Police interfere- Drunken douchebag  behind me keeps yelling WHAT while Cena raps his way to ring...girl sitting next to me tells him to shut up...he starts yelling WHAT in her ear..she gets up and throws her beer at him...nasty words ensue..police arrive..the GIRL is ejected and the drunken hobo fills out a police complaint...what a screwjob..

(7) Main Event: #1 Contender Tournament: John Cena over Undertaker after FBI runs in dressed like housepainters and beat down Taker. This is after a backstage angle is shown where Nathan Jones supposedly steals Nunzio's wallet or something like that. Just imagine the WCW angle where they lined up all the masked luchadors for Eddy Guerrero so he could try and pick out who stole his wallet..only lamer.

Biggest Pops
1.Eddy Guerrero
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Undertaker

Most Heat
1. Matt Hardy
2. Team Angle
3. Bill DeMott (nahhh just kidding)

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