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
NOVEMBER 12, 2004
TAPED TUESDAY IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TEX.
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, EDITOR
-The Tough Enough students stood in center-ring, most trying a little harder to separate themselves with costumes. It did look like a Chipendales billboard in Las Vegas. Tazz and Michael Cole talked about each of the contestants and various personality traits. Snow asked Chris Nawrocki if he wanted to quit since Kurt Angle broke one of his ribs last week. He said no. Al Snow then announced that Nick Mitchell had been cut. He didn’t seem all that affected by it, as he shook hands with a few fellow students, then left the ring and gyrated in front of the ringpost. He was dressed as a cowboy and had his ass cheeks hanging out of two big cut-outs in the back of his jeans. Snow introduced two women from the Tonight Show and then Torrie Wilson. Torrie said each of them would have a chance to make out with a WWE Diva for 15 seconds, then the Diva would choose which of them would be most likely to be a great lover. She said the winner would get a “very, very, very special surprise.” She asked Nawrocki if he could handle a diva with a broken rib. He grabbed the mic and sang a song about how Dawn Marie is hotter than her. She tried the whole time to get the mic back. Dawn Marie then came out. Dawn gave Daneil Rodimer her wad of chewed gum. Torrie then revealed that the Diva the students would actually make out with would be Mae Young, who was then accompanied to the ring by Fabulous Moolah. Mae said they can’t handle her. Puder went after Mae aggressively, but only pretended to kiss her. After each literally rolled around on the mat with Mae, Mae picked Puder as the winner, so he got a lap dance.
[Commercial Break]
1 — REY MYSTERIO & CHAVO GUERRERO vs. KIDMAN & SPIKE DUDLEY
Chavo was overheard backstage before the match saying no matter what, he won’t change his mind. Rey asked him what that was all about and he said it was just an old friend. Cole and Tazz plugged the four-way Cruiserweight Title match at Survivor Series, then they talked about how Nick Mitchell must feel about being voted out by the fans. This contest is such a sham since viewers are voting on completely superficial reasons. After a Kidman chinlock on Chavo, Chavo suplexed Spike onto Kidman and hot-tagged Rey. Chavo dove onto Kidman at ringside, then Rey hit the 619 and a springboard splash on Spike for the win.
WINNERS: Chavo & Rey at 4:44.
STAR RATING: *
-Orlando Jordan approached Josh Matthews backstage. He told him even though he was a Tough Enough finalist, he never took him seriously as a man until last week. He shook his hand. Then he slapped him for not shaking his hand the right way.
[Commercial Break]
-A bloodied Josh along with Booker T told Teddy Long that he wanted Orlando Jordan one-on-one. Long okay’d it.
-Big Show talked to RVD backstage about their tag match. Eddie Guerrero joined in and said they need to add a partner to their match. RVD told Guerrero that he called someone and that someone would call back, and when he did, Angle wouldn’t be happy.
-Raw Rebound aired.
2 — ORLANDO JORDAN (w/JBL) vs. JOSH MATHEWS (w/Booker T)
Mathews dove onto Jordan to start the match, but Jordan overpowered him. When mathews made a comeback, JBl tripped him off the ropes. Cole made a much bigger out of it than was called for. Mathews gave Jordan a low-blow after a ref bump, then Booker gave him a scissors kick. Mathews scored the pin.
WINNER: Mathews at 3:55.
STAR RATING: 1/2*
[Commercial Break]
-A commercial aired for the “Rise and Fall of ECW” DVD featuring a clip of Bam Bam Bigelow throwing Spike Dudley into the crowd. The DVD is released next Tuesday.
-Cole and Tazz plugged the Armageddon press conference next Monday in Atlanta. That’s going to be a busy few days for everyone going there with the Survivor Series the night before and Raw and Smackdown the next two days.
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3 — ROB VAN DAM & EDDIE GUERRERO vs. MARK JINDRAK & LUTHER REIGNS
Carlito Cool and Jesus came to ringside, drawing suspicious looks from RVD and Eddie. They joined Cole and Tazz att ringside. They abruptly cut to a break without any transition.
[Commercial Break]
Carlito distracted the ref as Jindrak dropkicked RVD from behind, sending him to ringside. Jesus helped fix Carlito’s hair after he adjusted his headsets. At 9:30 Jindrak went to a chinlock, so obviously he’s been working really hard lately at learning new ways to keep the crowd into his matches. RVD hot-tagged Eddie at 11:15. Then the obligatory four-way action ensued with RVD hitting Rolling Thunder on Jindrak as Guerrero hit his three vertical suplex series. Carlito had enough and jumped onto the ring apron. RVD knocked Carlito the floor, but then Carlito side-stepped a dive by RVD. Jesus then yanked Guerrero to the floor. Guerrero grabbed a chair and threw it to Jesus. The ref saw Jesus with the chair as Guerrero played possum, so the ref ordered Carlito and Jesus to the back. Guerrero then rolled up Reigns from behind for a near fall. Cole pulled out the old Gorilla favorite, saying “pandemonium breaking out inside the ring.” RVD and Eddie hit stereo frog splashes and Guerrero pinned Reigns. Carlito was all right on commentary. He could have come across as less cool when unscripted, but he held his own.
WINNERS: RVD & Guerrero at 14:00.
STAR RATING: *3/4 — Reigns and Jindrak weren’t impressive, but RVD and Guerrero carried them to a solid tag match.
-Afterward, Guerrero told Carlito that he’s glad he’s leaving because he doesn’t smell so good. He told them to give Angle a message because he got the return call he was waiting for, and the fourth member of their team is John Cena. Carlito got the bug-eyed look in response.
[Commercial Break]
-Carlito told Long that he was at the club the night Cena got stabbed, but he left before the incident because Cena was looking for trouble. Long said the authorities have told him about Jesus’s shady past and that Jesus was also at the club the night even after Carlito left. Long said Cena was on the opposite team as his at Survivor Series.
-They aired a recap of the Torrie Wilson Tough Enough Sex Test from earlier. Al Snow stepped out with the Tough Enough contestants and announced the start of voting. Prediction: Chris Nawrocki or Ryan Reeves will be voted off by fans.
-JBL gave a backstage promo about how he left Texas to create a better life for himself, whereas Booker T didn’t. JBL said the only reason he wasn’t WCW Champion was because he was never in WCW. He said he doesn’t need money or fame, he just needs the WWE Championship. He said it gets him tables anywhere in New York because of that belt. JBL said if he loses the belt, he’ll return to the financial analyst, radio hosting, and book authoring jobs of his past and leave WWE forever. JBL “guaranteed” he’d beat Booker T or he’d never return to Smackdown. Doesn’t that just guarantee most Booker T fans that he won’t be winning the title? I suppose there are some fans who may think JBL would really leave, but for the most part, those somewhat in the know see through such stips and realize it’s a give-away of no title change.
[Commercial Break]
-Paul Heyman ran to ringside to protest the replaying of Heidenreich’s actions last week. Cole told Heyman the man is crazy. Heyman shoved Cole. Tazz then stood up. Heyman backed away and ran into the ring. Tazz dropped his headset. Heidenreich then jumped into the ring to protect Heyman. Tazz then sat down, but then stood up again and took off his jacket and sunglasses and rolled up his sleeves. As he entered the ring, the lights in the arena went out and when they came on, Undertaker was standing face-to-face with Heidenreich. Heidenreich yelled, “I can beat you!” Taker just gave him a cold stare. Heyman talked Heidenreich out of the ring. Good segment to promote the match. Heidenreich and Taker played their roles well, as did Tazz and Heyman.
[Commercial Break]
-Cole and Tazz previewed the Smackdown PPV matches. Then they went to a tape of Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler, who apparently have been sitting at the announcers’ desk in Austin, Tex. since Monday in the empty arena and they previewed the Raw PPV matches.
-Big Show walked to the ring. Kurt Angle stepped out with his Survivor Series teammates. Angle said there is no way Cena will be 100 percent at Survivor Series. He promised that neither would Show. The Angle team surrounded the ring. RVD and Guerrero walked out to help even the odds.
[Commercial Break]
4 — KURT ANGLE vs. BIG SHOW
Angle kicked Show in the knee from behind in the opening seconds. Show shook it off, and then fended off interference rom Reigns. Angle attempted a back suplex, but Show powered out of it. Show clobbered Angle, then the heels at ringside. Angle took over with a rear choke in center-ring at 2:30. A big brawl broke out at ringside as Angle put Show in an anklelock inside the ring. Show powered out and then legdropped Angle. When he signalled for the chokeslam, Jindrak and Reigns attacked Angle from behind. They triple-teamed Show by stretching out his arms and legs.
WINNER: Show via DQ at 5:40.
STAR RATING: *
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Austin Theory shares stories about working with The Rock and Steve Austin in WWE, looks back on his failed Money in the Bank cash-in
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