The WWE intro plays, followed by…
Fireworks of blue, crowds glued to the action… It's time for SmackDown!
"AIN'T NO STOPPING ME NOW!"
In an excellent opener, showcasing the talents of two auspicious young superstars, Shelton Benjamin attempts his dragon whip kick, but Carlito sneaks up behind him and nails the Backstabber for the win.
"I still don't like his attitude, Tazz, but an impressive win for Carlito here tonight." Laden with sweat, Carlito gathers his breath and nods self-assuredly to himself on his way out of the ring.
Cameras move to the backstage area, where Jericho is seen wishing Christian good luck with his title shot tonight. But their amicable conversation is interrupted by the brazen arrival of…
"It's Rob Van Dam, Cole…"
"How's it hanging, blonde dudes?" The two men regard Van Dam, somewhat surprised to see Mr. Thursday Night waltzing into their quarters. But RVD cuts them off, saying, "Give me a second! Hmm… oh, yeah, YOU." He points firmly at Jericho, who in turn points at his own chest, raising his eyebrows. "Me?"
"Yeah, you. I'm looking' at ya, aren't I?" RVD holds his arms out to the side. "Last week, you had a few comments about my match with Batista. I offered to settle it in the ring, but you chickened out."
"Wait, hold on a second, Van Dam. I didn't chicken out…" Jericho seems offended by the accusation. But Van Dam retorts, saying, "Well?" In his gravelly voice, he gestures towards the Highlight of the Night, holding out his arms even wider now. "You gonna chicken out again tonight?"
Jericho chuckles with Christian, who stays where he is, lacing up his other boot. The self-proclaimed rockstar, formerly from RAW, approaches the brazen challenger. "All the cannabis must be impairing your ability to hear things clearly, Van Dam. For the last time, I didn't chicken out. I'll see you in the ring."
"Good," Van Dam says before sizing up Jericho one last time and taking his leave.
"What is with that guy? Is he high?" Christian comments to his tag team partner, who laughs it off. "He must be if he thinks he's going to beat me tonight…"
"I'm telling ya, Cole, I hate this tune! Blegh!"
"I understand, partner. But ladies and gentlemen, last week…"
A video plays, showing the return of the Arab duo, Hassan and Daivari, as they cheated their way to a victory against Hulk Hogan and The Rock. The two enter the ring and make use of a microphone. It's hard to hear them over the boos from the crowd.
"When we made our return last week, we weren't received with warmth, appreciation or concern." Hassan begins with his voice full of embitterment, which Daivari repeats in Arabic. "You people cheered when The Undertaker nearly ended my career!" Hassan shouts, clearly upset, though mawkish in his ways, as the crowd cheers yet again. "You know what else you people cheer? A man that wears a mask…"
"What, like Hassan's masked assailants that beat Kane down in the back?" Cole shouts on his headset, clearly upset with the hypocritical tongue of Hassan, who is deaf to his complaints.
"Rey… Mysterio. That's who I'm talking about. You people love him, don't you?" Again, the crowd cheers, as Daivari's repetitious Arabic speech is drowned out. "Well, my friend Daivari will just have to put a stop to that, won't he?"
"WHAT'CHU GONNA DO WHEN WE COME FOR YOU?"
"Thank god, Cole. That speech was boring me to death!" Tazz passionately blurts out once Mysterio's music hits. In a lopsided match, the 619 speed devil makes easy work of Daivari, but Hassan is there to counter it, interfering while the referee's back is turned, smacking Mysterio with the United States Championship, which Hassan stole from ringside. It gives Daivari the opening he needs as the controversial cruiserweight picks up the victory. "Damn it!" Cole explicitly cries out at the announcing table. "This is getting old, Cole…" Tazz sympathetically shares his own opinion on the shenanigans of the two Arabs. But they aren't finished. Daivari picks Rey back up, yelling at the referee's attempts to stop them, as Hassan aims for Mysterio's head with the title belt. With a thud, Mysterio falls to the mat. Hassan shouts something at the audience.
"Did Hassan just say 'let's take off that mask', Cole?"
Daivari incomprehensibly blabbers something back to Hassan who smirks devilishly and stalks over to Mysterio, reaching for his head...
"It's Eddie Guerrero!"
"Latino Heat racing down to even the odds!"
Scampering out of the ring, Hassan and Daivari escape to live another day as Eddie hears applause for the crowd as they chant his name. Meanwhile, he consoles his battered friend, masked or not. "Damn good deed by Eddie!"
**********************************************
After a commercial break, the crowd rallies behind the Nature Boy, Ric Flair, but it doesn't stop him from being planted into the ring with a Killswitch, a devastating face-buster that rewards Christian with the Cruiserweight Championship. "New champ, Cole. Y'know I love the Nature Boy, but he got rocked by that Killswitch!" Cole's spirits are noticeably low as a result, as Christian and his scattered (yet mostly imaginary) "peeps" celebrate the win.
Cameras segue to the backstage area, where we see a bruised Rey Mysterio recovering after the attack from Muhammad Hassan, with Eddie Guerrero at his side. The crowd roars as none other than The Rock shows up to commend the Latin superstar's noble efforts to save his friend from a terrible humiliation. Eddie appreciates the remark and shakes hands with the People's Champ. "Well, I'll see ya out there later tonight." The Rock says before leaving. He means the singles match that is scheduled between himself and Eddie Guerrero. "Cool move by the Brahma Bull, Cole. I dig that."
"ONE OF A KIND!" The energetic rock theme for Rob Van Dam plays as his match with Chris Jericho, pompous as ever, gets underway. In a close contest, each combatant's wrestling style is contrasted against the other, with Jericho's technically sound and submission-savvy prowess mixing well against Van Dam's high-flying, acrobatic and unorthodox in-your-face martial arts. Jericho misses the Lionsault, holding his abdomen in pain, but then RVD misses his Five Star Frog Splash. Jericho rolls him up after evading the would-be match-ending maneuver and puts his feet on the ropes, knowing full well that it contradicts his entire claim of how Van Dam beat Batista last week.
"What the hell, Cole? First, Jericho jumps all over RVD for getting a controversial victory over Batista, who had his leg on the rope, and then Jericho does the same damn thing? Don't make no sense to me." Tazz comments in puzzled tones, which Cole shares to a lesser extent. He isn't as surprised, stating that Jericho has always been one to bend the rules, but that his argument against Mr. Thursday Night has definitely been blown out of the water now by his cheating ways.
Meanwhile, Rob Van Dam nods his head, mouthing words to Jericho who brashly retreats up the ramp, holding his neck in pain while holding up his other arm in victory to further irritate his duped opponent. Next, Batista is seen backstage in General Manager, Teddy Long's office, fiercely asking the sharp-dressed man who he'll be facing tonight, seeing as he's laid waste to just about everyone on SmackDown! over the past month and should be champion. "It's a surprise, playa. You're just gonna have to wait. Now, if you don't mind, I'd ilke to watch the next match. It's going to be a good one." Long looks away from the Animal and turns to the mounted big screen on the wall of his office.
"Wow!" Cole exclaims. "I've never seen anyone counter the Rock Bottom that way before, Tazz!"
"Me, neither, Cole! That was nuts! What a match! And it ain't over yet! Someone's feeling froggy!"
Eddie aims his frog splash, but misses. Upon standing up, The Rock swoops in for a second try at his trademark finishing move, but Guerrero beats him off, elbow after elbow, aiming a clothesline once the Great One spins around. But the People's Champion ducks and nails a thunderous Rock Bottom for the victory after a stellar show-stealing match. "What a spectacle, Cole. I've still got goosebumps! Whew!" Cole agrees as The Rock celebrates in the corner. Half of the crowd is still chanting "Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!" and The Rock knows it. He walks over to the recuperating Latino hoot and the two men shake hands again in the center of the ring. "A humble show of respect by the Brahma Bull."
Eddie's theme plays for a moment, as Latino Heat exits the ring in his own show of respect for the better man tonight. The Rock smiles and sees him off, but the crowd suddenly falls into a panic. Someone is standing behind The Rock.
"RANDY ORTON!"
"DON'T TURN AROUND, ROCK!"
"RKO! RKO! RKO!"
"THE ROCK JUST GOT LAID OUT, COLE!"
"WHAT IS RANDY ORTON DOING HERE?"
But the 3rd generation superstar stays mum on the subject and breezily exits the ring as SmackDown! takes its final commercial break.
***********************************************
A video plays showing Randy Orton's attack on The Rock before the commercial break. Cole is speechless as is Tazz. But someone puts an end to it.
"I'm sick of all these people talking out their heads…"
Batista commands a microphone. "So, Teddy, who's it going to be, huh? The Hurricane?" The animal asks with a chuckle. The SmackDown! GM comes onto the titantron. "No, big man, it's someone else. A real American." Batista raises an eyebrow, unimpressed and voices his suspicions. "Hogan? Seriously? Didn't I cost that old geezer enough in hospital bills already?" Teddy Long shakes his head and offers more than one answer to everyone in the arena and at home. "The Hulkster wanted a fresh start and I gave it to him. He's been traded to RAW. I can't excuse Randy Orton's actions, but he IS on SmackDown! now, playa." Batista's face flushes over with disbelief. "So, who is it?"
But the screen goes black. The whole arena, including Batista, falls into anxious suspense.
"YEAH! It's Kurt Angle, Cole! The only Olympic Gold Medalist in WWE history! What an acquisition by Teddy Long!"
"I agree 100%, partner. The Olympic Hero is looking in tremendous shape here tonight!"
Meanwhile, in the ring, Batista makes a "come on" gesture to the new SD! arrival, who is more than happy to oblige him. Angle wins the match after outsmarting the Animal and trapping his humongous legs with his own, as Batista is forced to tap out to the unforgivable ankle lock submission hold. Kurt Angle celebrates in the ring, the fans love it, Batista is clutching his ankle and glaring at the American Hero, as SmackDown! fades to black..
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