Smackdown – August 4, 2006: Acknowledge Them
Smackdown
Date: August 4, 2006
Location: Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 17,401
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield
We’re still on the way to Summerslam and that means King Booker is going to need an opponent. Last week’s show was pretty much a two hour version of the Great American Bash so things are kind of starting over again this week. Hopefully things get a little better, as it’s time to start setting up the next pay per view. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
US Title: William Regal vs. Finlay
Finlay is defending and Regal is not in a good mood. Regal forearms away to start and the early chinlock goes on. That’s broken up in a hurry and Finlay hits a jumping seated senton to the ribs. Back up and Regal kicks away at the ribs so they can head outside, where the Leprechaun pops out to dive onto Regal. They head inside again with Regal hitting some forearms to the head, followed by an armbar. Regal hits him in the face for two and goes outside for the shillelagh. That’s taken away though and Finlay knocks him silly for the DQ.
Rating: C. They beat each other up fairly well here but it’s the third match in less than two weeks and they didn’t have much time. That being said, these two beating on each other is always worth a look. The ending was lame, but at least they went with something other than the Leprechaun interfering again.
Post match Bobby Lashley comes in to clean house.
Sylvester Terkay vs. Scott Wright
Hold on though as Elijah Burke handles Terkay’s entrance and decides to have the match instead.
Elijah Burke vs. Scott Wright
Burke takes him down without much trouble to start and cranks on the neck. Another takedown sets up another neck crank but Wright comes back with some right hands. Burke hits a Stroke into the Rings of Saturn (the Elijah Experience) for the fast tap.
Rating: C-. This is one of the things I was looking forward to as my first experience with Burke was in OVW, where he had one of the most boring main event feuds I can ever remember against Matt Morgan. That version left a horrible taste in my mouth for him, but this one was crisp and athletic, which shows the potential that he always had. Good debut here, as he and Terkay are an interesting package.
Post match Terkay wrecks Wright again.
We’ll be hearing from all of the Diva Search contestants about why they should win. They’re hit with pies in the process.
Ashley vs. Kristal
Ashley knocks her down to start and drops an elbow but Kristal is back with an enziguri. A dropkick misses though and Ashley hammers away, only to have a monkey flip blocked. Kristal grabs a rollup with trunks for the pin. This was horrible.
Raw Rebound.
Tatanka vs. Sylvan
Before the match, we see Tatanka going through Lakota warrior training. It’s as interesting as a Quebec travelogue. Tatanka jumps him before the bell and the beating takes him outside in a hurry. Back in and some right hands have Sylvan in trouble so he goes outside again. This time a clothesline drops Tatanka and the slow stomping ensues.
We hit the chinlock so Tatanka makes the clothesline comeback. The war dance is on as JBL is in his element with the stereotypes. The Papoose To Go lets Tatanka go up top for the chop to the head. A spinning Rock Bottom finishes Sylvan (JBL: “THE INDIANS FINALLY WON A WAR! THEY BEAT THE FRENCH!”
Rating: D. This might as well have been Stereotype A vs. Stereotype B as there was nothing to be seen between two people in dead end gimmicks. Tatanka was an idea that worked in a simpler time but it wasn’t going to go anywhere in 2006. Sylvan….what else is there to even be said? Bad match and the faster they’re both forgotten about, the better everything will be.
Batista vs. Mr. Kennedy
Kennedy goes with the armbar to start and Batista just isn’t having that. A beal sends Kennedy bailing to the floor so Batista goes after him, only to get beaten down against the barricade. That just earns Kennedy a pull into the post and it’s time to choke in the corner. A dropkick to the knee cuts Batista off though and Kennedy has a target.
The leg is cranked on a bit until Batista fights up for a suplex attempt, only to have Kennedy fall onto him for two. That’s enough for Batista though as he makes the fired up comeback, including the spinebuster. The Batista Bomb finishes Kennedy despite the leg giving out on the landing.
Rating: C. This was a little bit of a weird one as Batista loses twice and then just beats Kennedy with no drama. It makes sense though, as Batista needs to be on track to get back into the main event sooner rather than later. Part of the problem with Batista is that having anyone else in the main event is going to pale in comparison to Batista, meaning he almost has to be the next challenger.
Post match Michael Cole goes to interview Batista, who says save your congratulations until he gets the title back.
Earlier today, Vito worked out in a dress.
Vito vs. Brooklyn Brawler
The dress straps come down to start and JBL goes on a rant about how stupid Vito looks. The chinlock goes on in a hurry and Vito slaps him around a bit. With the dress over Brawler’s head, Vito armbars him for the tap in a hurry. Same as every week.
A rather energetic man named Montel Vontavious Porter comes in to meet Teddy Long and suggests he get signed. Porter’s agent calls to talk to Long, who is aghast at the amount of money Porter wants.
KC James/Idol Stevens vs. Funaki/Scotty 2 Hotty
James and Stevens (later known as Damian Sandow) have Michelle McCool with them. Stevens and Scotty start things off with James hitting an early knee from the apron. That lets James add a middle rope elbow to the back but Scotty comes back with right hands. Not that it matters as Stevens slams Scotty onto James’ knee and the alternating beatdown continues.
Stevens gets two off an elbow and we hit the chinlock. Scotty is back up to escape a suplex though and the hot tag brings in Funaki to pick up the pace. The referee has to get rid of Scotty though and it’s a catapult into a missile dropkick (cool idea, though James only mostly hit him) to finish Funaki.
Rating: C. I’ve been curious about this time as the Pitbulls and James/Stevens always ran together for me. The team looked good together here and that finisher was a great concept. Sometimes that’s all you need and when you throw in Michelle as the manager, they might be onto something here.
King Booker is worried about facing Undertaker tonight so Queen Sharmell gives him a pep talk.
Here’s Chavo Guerrero to explain himself. People have been wanting to know why he betrayed Rey Mysterio, but he wants to know what betrayal means. If it means stealing from someone and taking their name, that is what Rey did to the Guerrero family. Mysterio stole Eddie Guerrero’s legacy by dedicating every match to Eddie’s memory.
Then it got even worse when Mysterio became World Champion, because he needed Chavo to retain the title over and over. Chavo couldn’t take it any more at the Great American Bash because Mysterio is a leech. Cue Rey for the brawl, with Chavo being sent into the steps. Vickie Guerrero comes down to break it up as the EDDIE chants break out.
King Booker vs. Undertaker
Non-title. Booker bails to the floor at the bell but gets chased back inside for a headlock on Undertaker. That just earns him some right hands to the face and a clothesline to the floor as we take a break (with Cole saying what sounded like “we’ll be back to the slums of New Jersey.”). Back with Undertaker striking away and lifting Booker up by one arm. Undertaker stays on the arm but Old School is broken up with an armdrag.
The second attempt works though and a Downward Spiral gives Undertaker two. Undertaker misses a running knee in the corner though, allowing Booker to wrap it around the post. Back in and Booker kicks him in the face, setting up the legdrop between the legs. Undertaker’s knee is fine enough to hit Snake Eyes into the big boot….and here’s Great Khali to jump Undertaker for the DQ.
Rating: C+. This was going well enough and the ending was the right call given who was in there. You can have Undertaker beat up Booker without getting a pin over him and the ending sets up another Summerslam match with Khali. Much like Batista, you kind of have to acknowledge Undertaker in the title picture because he’s so much bigger than almost anyone else so they checked off the box.
Post match the fight is on with Undertaker knocking Khali outside. Undertaker throws out a quick challenge to a Last Man Standing match at Summerslam.
Overall Rating: C. Good enough show here as there are some new people showing up and the road to Summerslam is becoming more clear. Smackdown has been throwing a lot of new things at the wall as of late and some of them are getting a little interesting, so hopefully we are on the verge of something better. There wasn’t much to see here, but you can figure out the Smackdown half of Summerslam from here and that’s a some good timing.
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