SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
WWE SMACKDOWN
DECEMBER 2, 2004
TAPED TUESDAY IN RICHMOND, VA.
BY WADE KELLER, TORCH EDITOR
-Teddy Long told JBL, Orlando Jordan, and The Bashams about their matches for the night. They of course were not happy with his choices.
-After the Smackdown opening, Michael Cole and Tazz introduced the show and said that Joy, waving like an idiot, was the guest timekeeper for the evening.
1 — REY MYSTERIO & ROB VAN DAM & TORRIE WILSON vs. RENE DUPREE & KENZO SUZUKI & HIROKU
Clips aired before the march of last week’s scuffle between Torrie and Hiroko. Dupree was still showing signs of the shiner that Hardcore Holly gave him. RVD and Dupree started the match. Later, Rey had Hiroko set up for a 619 when Dupree made the save. He did his French Tickler dance, giving Rey a chance to recover and then RVD hit the Five-Star on Dupree for the win. I still just watch anything involving Dupree and Kenzo and think it will be talked about ten years from now as symbolic of the time WWE Smackdown was at its worst.
WINNERS: Rey & RVD & Torrie at 3:29.
STAR RATING: 1/4*
-They showed the four Tough Enough finalists making facing backstage.
[Commercial Break]
-Mike Mizanin, Ryan Reeves, Daniel Puder, and Justice Smith entered the ring with along with trainer Al Snow. Snow asked Reeves if he wished to quit Tough Enough due to his broken ribs. He said, “Yes, I do,” and looked sad, then said, “Hell, no, I don’t quit,” with a big grin. I think they should have held him to the first clip. They replayed clips of the finalists each picking one of the other contestants who should go. Miz said Puder is a kiss ass with his trainers and exposed that while he claims to be a UFC fighter, he’s not in their rankings.
Reeves said the way Puder has conducted himself as pissed him off. He said Puder doesn’t care about the business, he’s just there for himself. The showed Puder reacting live and he just laughed. Smith picked Puder as the person, also. He said he is a young kid, but “confidence should not be verbalized. He’s a good kid and a great athlete, but every day we hear about how good he is.” Puder said he would pick off Justice because he’s the biggest guy with charisma, but he hasn’t proven himself. He said he was tough on Battledome, but against the Bashams, he was on the ground and squirming.
Snow then revealed that Reeves had been eliminated. The other three hugged Reeves. Snow announced – and the three remaining contestants hadn’t heard this year – that the two finalists, after last week’s vote-off, would be on the Armageddon PPV in a regulation boxing match. No more was said about the rules, but all three seemed happy about it. Puder, especially, seemed happy since a boxing match would heavily favor him given his MMA background. Miz is in the worst spot due to being the smallest and his lack of real fight experience.
-Hiroko yelled at Kenzo for looking admiringly at Torrie’s body. She asked what was so great about Torrie. “She has nice everything,” said Kenzo. Hiroko challenge Torrie to a bra and panties match. Kenzo couldn’t hold back his ridiculously exaggerated smile.
[Commercial Break]
2 — JESUS (w/Carlito Cool) vs. CHARLIE HAAS (w/Miss Jackie)
Cole said that Jesus just got his WWE wrestling license. Before the match, Carlito and Jesus told Haas he wasn’t cool for hogging all the WWE women such as Jackie and “from what I hear, Dawn Marie.” When Haas made a move toward them, they doubled him. Jesus rammed Haas’s ribs into the ringpost. Haas began coughing as Jesus hit him in the head with his chain-wrapped-fist.
WINNER: No match.
[Commercial Break]
-The Raw recap aired.
-Eddie Guerrero and Booker T were doing stretched backstage with Michelle McCool, the stretching lady. Guerrero and Booker couldn’t get along despite some coaching from Michelle.
[Commercial Break]
Check out the latest episode of “PWTorch ’90s Pastcast” with Patrick Moynahan and Alex McDonald, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
3 — THE BASHAMS vs. EDDIE GUERRERO & BOOKER T
JBL joined Cole and Tazz at ringside. He said the Bashams are the best tag team in history, stating that they are specifically better than the Road Warriors, The Dudleys, The New Age Outlaws, and even APA. Interesting choice of a “top four list.” JBL said he is assembling a great cabinet including Amy Webber. There wasn’t much commentary on the match as Cole concentrated on giving JBL a hard time with Tazz playing mediator.
[Commercial Break]
At 8:00 Guerrero beat on both Bashams as Booker recovered from a sustained beating in the corner. Guerrero inadvertently caused Booker to tumble over the top rope when trying to avoid a dive from a Basham. With Danny Basham and Booker at ringside, Guerrero went after Doug Basham with a series of suplexes, then went to the top rope for the frog splash. Booker re-entered the ring and shook the top rope, knocking Guerrero to the mat. As they argued, Danny knocked Guerrero into Booker and rolled him up with his feet on the ropes for the pin. JBL clotheslined Guerrero after the match from behind. Orlando Jordan joined by beating on Booker. JBL gave Booker a Clothesline from Hell.
WINNERS: The Bashams at 9:58.
STAR RATING: *1/2
[Commercial Break]
-The promo aired for “Blade: Trinity” featuring Hunter’s co-stars and Hunter himself talking about how great he was at acting.
4 — KURT ANGLE vs. SEBASTIAN
Angle told his opponent that the cheers he got from his hometown crowd should be savored because it will be the last positive thing that ever happens in his wrestling career. Angle then quickly won with an anklelock.
WINNER: Angle in 0:20.
STAR RATING: n/a
-Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns joined Angle in the ring. Angle invited Joy into the ring, promising her on his Gold Medal Honor that she wouldn’t get hurt. Reigns then asked Joy out to dinner. She said she already had plans with Big Show. Angle said he just insulted Reigns and no was not an acceptable answer. Reigns sternly asked her to reconsider her answer. Big Show, who’s married status has been talked about officially by WWE before, came out to defend the women he’s dating on the side. Big Show clotheslined both Jindrak and Reigns at once. The three heels backed down. Cole said even in a three-on-one situation they’re cowards.
[Commercial Break]
-A video aired highlighting WWE’s recent trip to Iraq.
-Cole seemed very entertained when the three remaining Tough Enough finalists walked out. Tazz asked him why he was having such a good time. Cole said because it was funny (forcing that phony laughter of his). Tazz, to his enormous credit, said a good time to him is watching a wrestling match or a football game. Snow then told the three crossdressers that Hardcore Holly was on his way out. Cole then said because Hardcore Holly is as homophobic as anyone, he is surprised that Holly was part of this.
Snow told each contestant they had 15 seconds to tell Holly why he is the object of his affection. Holly got upset. He said he walked out there to judge a contest. “I am not the object of desire of any man,” he said. “At least I hope I’m not. I’m not doing this. Bye.” Snow asked Holly if he’s not tough enough. Snow told Holly the contestants were man enough to dress up as women on national TV, so he should be man enough to listen to them talk. That convinced Holly. Holly seemed to enjoy it, especially when Puder complimented his butt. Each flirted with him. Snow then plugged the voting as the men disrobed from the women’s clothing. When Snow held up a dress to Holly’s chest, Holly punched Snow. Holly slapped at Miz’s face before leaving when Miz stood up to Snow.
-Cole and Tazz ran down the Armageddon PPV line-up.
-Dawn Marie asked who looked better, her or Jackie. As she began to take off her robe, Jackie attacked her. They had another spirited cat fight. Teddy Long walked out two referees had the unfortunate task of separating the women. He said he is tired of having to separate those two, he is booking them against each other at the PPV with Charlie Haas special guest referee.
-Cole plugged that up next was a match that Undertaker wanted against both JBL and Orlando Jordan.
[Commercial Break]
5 — UNDERTAKER vs. ORLANDO JORDAN & JBL
Taker began against Jordan, but soon ended up battling both at ringside, coming out on top, of course. Back in the ring, Taker dominated Jordan, including doing the rope walk into a forearm. JBL attacked Taker. Taker fended off both JBL and Jordan easily, knocking both to ringside as they cut to a break at 3:30.
[Commercial Break]
When Taker set up a Last Ride on Jordan, JBL interfered with a kick to the gut. JBL took control. Taker rolled JBL into a legbar in a cool looking move. When Taker had both Jordan and JBL by the throats, JBL gave Taker a low-blow prompting the DQ. Cole stuck with the theme of it being “a desperate move by a desperate champion.” The Bashams ran out and distracted Taker long enough for JBL to beat Taker from behind. Taker, though, sat up. JBL looked shocked and backed off as Taker rose. JBL, though, KO’d Taker with the title belt, then the Bashams and Jordan triple-teamed Taker by stomping away at him in the corner. “This isn’t a match, this is a massacre,” said Cole. He should have added: “This isn’t genuine commentary, this is a non-fan reciting key words from a script and trying to sound genuine.”
WINNER: Undertaker via DQ at 12:48.
STAR RATING: *3/4
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Boxer Ricky Hatton looks back on being a guest GM on WWE Raw, says he punched a wrestler harder than he should have
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