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
APRIL 15, 2004
TAPED TUESDAY IN INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
-After clips of last week’s revelation by Kurt Angle that Bradshaw was the winner of the Great American trophy, Michael Cole and Tazz introduced the show and immediately hyped the TV main event of Rob Van Dam vs. Booker T. They put a Tale of the Tape on the screen.
-Eddie Guerrero drove a bouncy car to the ring and then worked his way into the ring for a promo. He sarcastically apologized for ruining the Great American Award. He said Kurt Angle demanded in a phone call that he apologize on Smackdown. He mocked how the conversation went with Angle. He said he has no problem apologizing, but he has a problem with John Bradshaw Layfield. He said he is not a Great American. He said a Great American doesn’t rub in people’s faces when he’s wealthy or look down on people because of his riches. He said when he looks at Bradshaw, he sees a Great American Sellout.
He said money doesn’t make him smarter than him or any of the fans. He said money doesn’t make him better than them. He said money doesn’t make him classier than everyone there. Guerrero was interrupted with a political-style ad declaring Eddie Guerrero a liar, cheater, and stealer. “Is this the man you want representing Smackdown as champion?” Footage aired of Guerrero being dragged away from the ring in handcuffs and smashing things in the ring. The ad portrayed Layfield as a self-man “man of the people” and a “great American.” It asked fans to support his quest to become WWE Champion.
Layfield said he approved of the message at the beginning just as is required of political ads these days. Afterward, it said the ad was paid for by friends and supporters of Layfield. Guerrero admitted that he lies, cheats, and steals. “I’m not denying it,” he said, but then said he worked very hard to get to where he is. He talked about 17 years of hard work to get his first (world) title shot. “I didn’t have it handed to me by some bogus award ceremony,” he said.
When he called out JBL, Kurt Angle came out instead. He said he didn’t appreciate Eddie Guerrero ruining his ceremony last week. He added, “Very simply, I don’t appreciate you.” Angle announced Eddie vs. Bradshaw would take place later in the night. Bradshaw’s limp then entered the scene. He got out of the back and said there is nothing he’d like more than to beat Eddie into “a stinkin’ little Latino pulp,” but he’s been campaigning all week, stumping, telling people that he has been kissing babies and telling everyone what a better representative he’d be for Smackdown than Eddie.
He said he is tired because he hasn’t slept well the last couple of days. Because he is worn out, he suggested they wrestle at the May PPV instead. Angle liked the idea. He said instead Guerrero could face Big Show. Eddie looked taken aback by the decision.
[Commercial Break]
-Big Show asked Angle backstage if he would be getting a title shot against Guerrero. Angle said he couldn’t give him a title shot because Bradshaw was promised it. Show wasn’t happy. He told Angle and Bradshaw that they are coming to him for the dirty work. When Angle and Bradshaw tried to talk, he told them to shut up. Show gave Bradshaw his word that if he doesn’t beat Guerrero, he’ll quit. Cole and Tazz reacted with shock.
-John Cena came out and rhymed “Tropicana” and “Indiana.” He put over Reggie Miller’s jump shots in his “pandering for hometown cheers” moment of the night that does nothing for the 99 percent of viewers watching outside of that city.
1 — CHAVO GUERRERO JR. vs. JOHN CENA
Cole touted it as a champion vs. champion match-up. Chavo slapped Cena early. At 2:00 Chavo Sr. nailed Cena from behind at ringside with his cowboy boot. Cena came back at 4:30. He hit his Throwback and the Five-Knuckle Shuffle at 5:00. Chavo Sr.’s interference didn’t work, and Cena followed with an FU for the win.
WINNER: Cena at 5:40.
STAR RATING: *3/4 — Good five minute match.
-Cole and Tazz hyped the Booker T vs. RVD TV main event.
[Commercial Break]
-A clip aired of Rene Dupree having dinner with Fifi. He complimented Fifi’s new hairstyle and ribbons. Fifi didn’t look like a happy dog at all. Maybe it was the music, or the food, or just that time of month. He complained about American’s taking advantage of French culture, but said he’d help them appreciate the French better with an interview segment next week with Torrie Wilson as his guest.
-Cole and Tazz plugged the Divas 2004 magazine. Then they plugged Show vs. Guerrero, including showing footage of Show throwing Guerrero through the windshield of a pickup and slamming him on the roof.
-Charlie Haas stretched backstage. Jamie Noble walked in and told him his stretching is a waste of time. He said he is wrestling Rico and there is no way his athleticism will offset Rico’s techniques. “This might as well be one of those intergender matches,” Noble said. Haas leaped up and told Noble that there isn’t a move Rico has that he can’t counter. Noble suggested Rico might try to ride him like a pony and grab body parts. Noble concluded by saying, “Don’t let Rico get you from behind.” Nunzio wished Haas luck with a slap on the backside. Cole said, “You don’t wanna miss this.”
[Commercial Break]
2 — RICO vs. CHARLIE HAAS
Cole laughingly told viewers if they hadn’t seen Rico yet, get ready for something special. It was tough to tell whether the announcers were laughing with him and his mind games or at him for being inappropriate with his provocative contact. After Rico rubbed Haas’s butt, Cole said, “I like this guy, Rico.” Tazz said he never faced anyone like Rico in his career, “and that’s a good thing.” Rico yanked down the back of Haas’s tights at 2:22. Cole said he’d love to know the relationship between Rico and Jackie. Rico forced a kiss on Haas’s lips. Haas bailed out to ringside. Jackie then grabbed Haas from behind. Haas bailed out into the crowd and got counted out, then leaned over at ringside and began throwing up at ringside when Rico exposed a bit of a pink thong under his trunks.
WINNER: Rico via countout at 4:29.
STAR RATING: DUD — The whole match was built around the Rico-Haas interaction. Something strange is going on with WWE because, while the storylines are still simple-minded, the homophobes and rich, arrogant, simple-minded conservatives are being portrayed as heels instead of babyfaces.
-Backstage Show told Bradshaw he is going to destroy Guerrero. Bradshaw thanked him, but Show said he is doing it for himself, not for Bradshaw.
[Commercial Break]
-A vignette aired with Mordecai, a new heel character who talks about the time of reckoning being upon us. Cole asked, “What on Earth is that?”
3 — BIG SHOW vs. EDDIE GUERRERO
Cole confirmed the Judgment Day main event would be Eddie Guerrero vs. Bradshaw. Show dominated early. Guerrero came back by raking Show’s chest hair at 4:30. Then he dove onto Show at ringside and shoved him into the ringpost.
[Commercial Break]
More kicking and stomping by Show for several minutes of action. Guerrero grabbed a wrench from under the ring and tossed it to Show. Show caught it and the ref reprimanded him for it. Guerrero then attacked Show and scored a two count at 14:15 after a tornado DDT. When Show kicked out, he flung Guerrero onto the ref. Show went for a chokeslam, but Guerrero escaped it with a kick between Show’s legs, then hit a DDT and a frog splash for the win. Guerrero led the crowd in a “Na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye” chant. Just what WWE needs – send fans another message that another top star is gone from the roster. Show did a great job crying at the lack of shared sadness from the fans. His facial expressions are among the best in pro wrestling. “Why are you laughing,” a despondent Show cried out.
WINNER: Guerrero at 15:45 (estimated time due to commercial break).
STAR RATING: *1/2 — It dragged in spots (okay, a lot of spots), but what there was was done well and in the right places.
-More Booker T vs. RVD hype
[Commercial Break]
-Big Show came upon Torrie Wilson laughing backstage. Show took offense at her joy. Torrie, who’s acting skills resemble Tori Spelling, overacted her way terribly through the whole skit. She and Jeremy Borash graduated from the same acting class.
-Teddy Long introduced Mark Jindrak who is doing the same gimmick that flopped terribly when Lex Luger did it over ten years ago in the WWF. He came out and stared in a full length mirror at himself. It is a good match-up, though, having Long do the talking for him. It’s also nice to see Long get to go beyond doing a race-oriented angle. Jindrak doesn’t seem as familiar with admiring himself in a mirror quite like Lex Luger did.
4 — MARK JINDRAK vs. SPIKE DUDLEY
Spike’s the perfect opponent for Jindrak because he can bump like crazy for him. Jindrak’s facial expressions aren’t there yet, but he showed nice athleticism with an impressive standing dropkick.
WINNER: Jindrak at 1:48.
STAR RATING: 1/4* — Not much time for Jindrak to really show much in the ring.
-More RVD-Booker hype.
[Commercial Break]
-The Raw recap aired.
-In the arena parking garage, Torrie Wilson packed up her things. Show stopped her and asked her how she could be so cruel and cold to laugh at him for losing. She denied that was the source of her laughter. Show began punching at her car window, then kicked in two of the side windows. Show then broke down and began crying. Torrie moved in to console him. He took offense at that, telling her he doesn’t need her pity. He smashed in her rear windshield. Torrie begged him to calm down. Show said he is done because he either has to be a man of his word or return with his tail tucked between his legs. Then he smashed in her front windshield. Show then lifted and tipped over her car completely onto it’s roof. Torrie ran screaming, falling on her high heels as she made her way up the ramp. Show worked his way back into the arena as they cut to a break.
[Commercial Break]
-Cole and Tazz discussed Big Show’s actions. They replayed the footage of him tipping the car over.
5 — BOOKER T vs. ROB VAN DAM
They went after each other at the start. RVD hit an early reverse wheel kick. RVD stayed on offense for the first three minutes, then they cut to a break.
[Commercial Break]
Booker T took over offense after the break. At 9:00 RVD made a comeback. RVD hit a split-legged springboard moonsault for a two count at 10:15. Tazz said that’s a move old school RVD used to do back in the day. RVD followed with Rolling Thunder at 10:45 for another two count. RVD missed with the Five-Star Frogsplash at 11:15. Booker fired back with a sidekick to RVD’s jaw. RVD got caught in the ropes. Booker punched away at him and the ref admonished him. After three warnings and two shoves, the ref DQ’d Booker.
WINNER: RVD via DQ at 11:58.
STAR RATING: *** — Good action, but not a breakout match for the wrestlers. They both went through their routine moves and did a decent job of expressing intensity, but there was something missing to take it to the next level. The finish was also a bit empty, although it is necessary in the long run to establish that referee admonishments actually can have consequences, so I’m okay with it.
-Angle was warned by a backstage worker that Big Show was threatening to toss Torrie off of a scaffold some 40 feet above the floor. Show had Torrie by the hair and told her that he doesn’t take him seriously. Angle tried to talk Show out of doing anything horrible. Show continued to brow-beat her verbally about laughing at him earlier. Angle said he’d lose his job if he did anything to her. Show said he didn’t care about Angle’s job. Angle said he’d give Show big problems. Show then dropped Torrie and grabbed Angle. He threw him off the scaffolding with a chokeslam. They didn’t show the impact. Torrie screamed. The camera panned back to Angle whose left leg was awkwardly out of place and there was a puddle of blood on the floor behind his head.
RECOMMENDED NEXT: 20 YRS AGO – WWE Live Event Results (4/10/2004): Jericho vs. Christian, plus Batista, Lita, Eugene, Rhyno, Kane, Orton, Benjamin, chant of “Rest holds suck!”
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: McGuire’s Mondays: Sure, AEW is good for pro wrestling… but how good?
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