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
FEBRUARY 10, 2005
TAPED MONDAY IN TOKYO, JAPAN
-Michael Cole and Tazz introduced the show, hyping that for the first time it was taking place in Japan. Some clips aired of ongoing storylines.
1 — KENZO SUZUKI vs. EDDIE GUERRERO
Kenzo got booed from the fans. Cole said it was because he proclaims his admiration for the U.S. so much. The crowd chanted “Kenzo Sucks.” It’s not that the fans don’t like him for his gimmick; they chant he sucks because they’re good evaluators of wrestling ability and are blunt. Cole asked Tazz how fans in Japan are different than in the U.S. Tazz said they tend to be more respectful and quiet in Japan than rowdy and boisterous in America. Tazz acknowledged they were loud just as he was saying that. A minute later Cole called the fans “exhilarated.” Kenzo made some of his stupid facial expressions. Guerrero won clean with a Frog Splash that came out of nowhere.
WINNER: Guerrero at 3:30.
STAR RATING:
Kurt Angle gave Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns a pep talk backstage. He said he wants to main event his third straight WrestleMania by making Mysterio tap out. He said he wishes Jindrak had done a better job softening up Rey Mysterio last week. He praised them for costing Undertaker his chance in the tournament last week. Reigns cut a promo on Undertaker. He talked about how he’s had his throat cut and locked in a prison for “five calendars” and was stabbed. “I’ve had so much blood on me, you couldn’t even tell what color my skin was. I’ve stared death in the eyes more times than I remember. So when it comes to the Undertaker, I ain’t scared of no caskets and I damn sure ain’t scared of no dead man.” Nice intense delivery by Reigns. Angle praised him for the determination he just showed. He told Jindrak and Reigns to win the tag titles next. Reigns said that wouldn’t be a problem.
[Commercial Break]
2 — THE BASHAMS vs. LUTHER REIGNS & MARK JINDRAK – WWE Tag Team Title match
Tazz talked about how Reigns talked about going through some heavy stuff in his life. Jindrak did the hip swivel a la Rick Rude. At 2:30 Jindrak and Reigns were about to double team a Basham when the lights went out and Undertaker’s gong sounded. The lights came back on and Taker was standing in the ring. Reigns shoved Jindrak into Taker and bailed out, proving he is a bit more scared of Taker than he let on. Taker gave Jindrak a Snake Eyes and a big boot as Reigns trash-talked him at ringside. Taker then gave Jindrak chokeslam.
WINNERS: No contest at 2:40.
STAR RATING: 1/4* — Not bad for an opening two minutes of a match with these four. I do have a problem with the announcers not at least making some sort of acknowledgment that Reigns & Jindrak just lost a chance at the tag team titles thanks to Taker. That should make things even, but in WWE where the tag titles mean almost nothing, that thought didn’t even cross the writers’ minds. Cole and Tazz didn’t even mention the official ruling on the match. Why not just restart it? Why when Taker interferes does that mean the match is just called off without the challengers putting up any kind of protest? They should have at least made it a non-title match so that Reigns & Jindrak’s nonchalance with not getting a chance to win the match could be better understood.
[Commercial Break]
-They showed John Cena interacting with Japanese fans at a mall.
-As a Smackdown Diva shot t-shirts into the crowd, Cole and Tazz talked about the tournament brackets: The winner of Mysterio vs. Angle gets a bye because Undertaker and Rene Dupree fought to a double countout. The winner of Orlando Jordan vs. John Cena faces Booker T, who beat Eddie Guerrero last week in a first round match.
-Kenzo’s wife Hiroko talked about she has been eager to get her hands on Torrie Wilson. He plans to rip off her clothes until she is standing in the ring in her underwear. She got mad because Kenzo seemed to be enjoying the image. The crowd laughed at Kenzo’s facial expressions.
-JBL complained to Amy Weber about the barbed wire steel cage match. He said he might not make it out of the match with his belt. He said if Long wants to do something that drastic to him, he’s going to do something drastic to Big Show. JBL loaded a tranquilizer gun and said he’s going to shoot him, hurt him, and avoid wrestling him in a “barbaric steel cage match.” Weber played with the gun and accidentally shot JBL. Orlando Jordan rushed to his aid. JBL struggled to stand up. He said he was okay, but couldn’t get his balance.
[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 “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
3 — FUNAKI vs. CHAVO GUERRERO JR. – Cruiserweight Title match
The crowd reacted to early exchanges between Chavo and Funaki. Cole then went in his phony patronizing laughter as he talked about Weber shooting JBL with the dark gun. Earlier Tazz said Cole must like that tipping isn’t allowed in Japan. In this match, Cole said what he really likes is that you can buy beer in a vending machine in Japan. Tazz was amazed, like Jerry Lawler was on Monday, that the fans counted out loud in English. Funaki nailed Chavo with a flying forearm at 5:00 and scored the first near fall of the match at 5:15. At 6:30 Chavo hit a top rope suplerplex and scored a two count. He went for another superplex, but Funaki escaped and dropped Chavo to the mat. The crowd popped as Funaki hit the DDT off the second rope for the pin.
WINNER: Funaki at 7:52 to retain the Cruiserweight Title.
STAR RATING: *3/4 — I wonder how many viewers in the U.S. believe that Funaki is probably one of the five biggest and most popular pro wrestling stars in Japan right now, if not the very top? U.S. fans might think that Japanese fans don’t realize how the Cruiserweight Title is hardly respected by WWE in the U.S.
-Carlito was talking to Japanese security guard. JBL bumped into Carlito and began acting a bit drunk, obviously affected by the tranquilizer gun. Carlito said, “Are you feeling okay? You’re not looking so good.” Jordan then caught up to JBL and asked him why he wandered off. Jordan told him to stay put and he would beat Cena and then be back to get him. JBL then noticed a dragon in the lobby and began talking to it.
[Commercial Break]
-The latest Hollywood movie skit aired, this one a takeoff on “Basic Instinct” with Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and Christian interrogating Stacy, reenacting the scene where Sharon Stone proved she wasn’t wearing underwear. Christian told Stacy he loved her after she recrossed her legs. Then Mae Young and Fabulous Moolah walked in. Mae spread her legs (they showed her only from behind) and the men groaned and squealed.
4 — JOHN CENA vs. ORLANDO JORDAN — 1st Round Tournament Match
Jordan dominated the body of the match including a 15 second chinlock. Cena came back at 4:00 with a shoulder tackle and showed some fire. He got a nice pop. He gave Jordan a sideslam and then did the “you can’t see me” bit which the crowd chanted along with. He followed with the Five Knuckle Shuffle, then pumped up his shoes, and gave Jordan the FU for the win.
WINNER: Cena at 4:53.
STAR RATING: * — Basic stuff. Nothing too exciting at all.
[Commercial Break]
-Jordan asked Weber and the Bashams where JBL went. They all panicked and went looking for him. Weber cried and said, “It’s all my fault.”
5 — TORRIE WILSON vs. HIROKO
Hiroko threw something in Torrie’s eyes to start the match. Torrie gave Hiroko an airplane spin at 1:30 and then stripped her to her lingerie. Hiroko came to from his dizzy spell and off to the back screaming. Torrie laughed. Then she decided to dance and strip anyway.
WINNER: Torrie at 1:46.
STAR RATING: n/a
-JBL dragged the big blow-up dragon that he found in the lobby toward the ring. He was staggered like he was drunk.
[Commercial Break]
-JBL stood in the ring with the dragon. He said it looked like “a lizard on steroids, You’re like Barry Bonds. I bet you play baseball.” He began mumbling about how Big Show is like Barney and eats pizza. He asked the dragon if he eats pizza. Cole said that JBL is “under the influence of the tranquilizer gun.” He slapped the dragon in the face and said it didn’t respond because, like Big Show, he’s scared of him. “This is embarrassing for the champion,” said Cole. JBL got a laugh when he whipped the dragon with is belt. JBL then took off his pants and revealed pinkish boxers. Big Show’s music then started playing, a merciful interruption of this segment that was stretching too long. Big Show entered the ring and shook his head. JBL fell backwards and then pulled up his pants. He stumbled around the ring, then gave JBL a cheap shot. JBL gave Big Show a Clothesline from Hell. He seemed to regain his balance. Tazz and Cole said he didn’t seem affected by the tranquilizer gun anymore. The Bashams and Jordan held Show in the corner of the ring. JBL took a swing at his hand, but Show moved it just in time and then cleared the ring of JBL’s cabinet. JBL retreated as Show chokeslammed Jordan and the Bashams. “If this was a set-up, it obviously backfired,” said Cole.
[Commercial Break]
-They showed a clip of Big Show cutting a promo “during the break.” Show talked about how he is a giant who can crush people’s skulls with his bare hands and tip over cars. He said the only person who can understand what his life is like as a giant is Akebono. He asked him to stand up. He said if he’s a Grand Champion, enter the ring and let him see what a Grand Champion is made of. Cole said he was the 1993 Sumo Grand Champion. He entered the ring and stood face to face with Show. He was a couple inches shorter, but probably heavier overall. Show then offered a handshake. Akebono shook his hand and they raised each other’s arms.
-Cole and Tazz plugged the developing line-up for No Way Out including Undertaker vs. Luther Reigns and Big Show challenging Big Show in a barbed wire cage match. Cole said next week on Smackdown, Teddy Long’s status would be updated since he was meeting with the board of directors this week plus Cena would face Booker T in a semifinal match.
-Angle told Mysterio not to get his hopes to high. He called him a “jumping bean.” Mysterio said after he beats him, the joke’s gonna be on him.
-Another video aired of Japanese fans endorsing with enthusiasm the WWE product, and some wrestlers complimenting Japanese fans.
[Commercial Break]
6 — KURT ANGLE vs. REY MYSTERIO – Tournament Match
Good opening few minutes of even exchanges and countermoves. At 3:00 Rey went for a 619, but Angle ducked out of the way. Angle gave Rey a belly-to-belly at 5:00 and then they cut to a break. Shockingly, they cut to a break without one of the wrestlers falling to ringside first.
[Commercial Break]
Rey dove off the top rope onto Angle at ringside at 10:00. Angle made a comeback a minute later and suffered a cut on his lip. Cole at one point said Angle “literally turned Mysterio inside out.” Angle dominated for several minutes, including stomping on him in a Tree of Woe. Rey moved out of the path of a charging Angle, then slidekicked him at ringside. Mysterio DDT’d Angle for a near fall at 16:15. He went for another 619, but Angle caught his legs and applied an Anklelock. Rey countered and schoolboyed Angle for a near fall. Angle fired back with a clothesline. At 17:30 Rey finally successfully hit the 619. Cole declared that Rey was going to upset Angle, which guaranteed Angle was winning. Angle caught Rey and went for the Angle Slam. Rey countered with an armdrag and a huracanrana for a near fall. The crowd was popping for the nearfalls. At 19:30 Angle hit the Angle Slam. Angle let out a barbaric yelp and pulled down his straps. He then applied the Anklelock. Rey attempted to counter, but Angle took it to the mat and Rey tapped out.
WINNER: Angle at 20:02.
STAR RATING: **** — Excellent TV match. It was really good from the opening minute without any drawbacks throughout. Great counters near the end and a really good finish.
KELLER’S STAR RATING QUALIFICATION KEY:
DUD: Not just below-average, but without redeeming qualities either due to incompetence, inexperience, lack of effort, or mistakes. A bad finish to a below-average match can also rate a DUD.
ONE STAR: Below average match, but passable.
TWO STARS: Average everyday match, usually between five and ten minutes, with nothing memorable about it, but nothing wrong with it. A shorter match can also earn two stars if it was better than average for five minutes, but didn’t last long enough to justify a three star rating.
THREE STARS: Very good match, but lacking something to take it to the next level. It might be a match between two average wrestlers that overachieved or a match between two excellent wrestlers that underperformed. Contains some element that makes it stand out from a typical average match and it effectively fulfilled it purpose in the context of the rest of the show.
FOUR STARS: Excellent match, entering match of the year territory. Everything fell into place. Several elements of the match were dramatic or emotional enough to get the crowd into the action. In almost every case, a match needs to have a satisfying finish to rate four stars or higher. A poor finish can take what is otherwise a four-star match and drop below. It’s tough to reach four stars unless a match goes past 15 minutes.
FIVE STARS: A rare masterpiece where the match transcends what is usually considered a great match. To rate five stars, there can’t be one fault to the match – not a poor finish, or a poor start, or some missed moves, or inconsistent selling, or corny ref bumps, or tired cliched spots, or a dead crowd, or lack of emotions expressed by the wrestlers. Each segment of the match has to fit into the larger story of the match. It’s tough for a match to reach five stars unless it lasts at least 20 minutes.
NOTE: Sometimes being the “first of a kind” can elevate a match rating, such as being the first ladder match or first Hell in a Cell or first TLC match or first War Games, making an excellent match better in it that incorporates a new match stipulation effectively. The same match two years later, after a gimmick is repeated over and over again, may have lost the novelty factor and thus not score five stars.
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Seth Rollins says Hulk Hogan got what he deserved when he was booed at the WWE Raw on Netflix premiere
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.