Smackdown and Velocity Results for 3/8/05

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WWE Smackdown Tapings
Roanoke Civic Center
Roanoke, VA 3/8/05
by John Massey

Here are the results of tonight's Smackdown tapings in Roanoke, Virginia (taped 3/8/05 to air 3/10/05):

The show opened with the Kid Rock video altered with a historical Wrestlemania twist.

No dark matches.

Velocity:

1) Joey Matthews and Johnny Nitro defeated Nunzio and Shannon Moore in about 6 minutes when Nitro pinned Nunzio after a tag team DDT.

2) The Bashman Brothers defeated Hardcore Holly and Charlie Haas. Holly had Danny Bashman up on his head and Doug kicked Holly in the head, which lead to Danny rolling over for the pinfall in about 8 minutes.

3) Spike Dudley defeated Scotty 2 Hotty in seven minutes. After an unsuccessful Worm attempt, Spike rolled up Scotty and held on to the tights for the pin.

Chavo Guerrero Jr. then made his way out for commentary.

4) Paul London defeated Akio in a #1 Contender Cruiserweight match. Very good match that went about thirteen minutes. The finish saw Akio go for a top rope hurrancanrana and London reverse out of it with a roll through for the pin.

The Eugene Hollywood Wrestlemania Video aired. As this aired, production changed the set over to Smackdown.

Michael Cole and Tazz then made their way out.

Smackdown:

There was no opening at the beginning.

1) Booker T. defeated Heidenreich in a no disqualification match in 9 minutes. This could air at any point on the show since it was taped prior to the opening of Smackdown. Booker won after nailing the Green Machine with a harlem hangover, sidekick and then a vicious chairshot.

The HHH/Batista Wrestlemania Promo aired.

The Smackdown opening was then shown. A video package recapped last week's events with JBL, John Cena and Orlando Jordan.

JBL & the Cabinet In-Ring Promo
-This was about a fifteen minute segment. JBL and company made their way to the ring. JBL talked about last week's events and how Orlando Jordan is the greatest athlete in Smackdown history. He then challenged Eddie Guerrero and Rey Misterio Jr. to a tag team title match later on in the night. He said that JBL and Jordan would take two more belts by the end of the night. JBL then talked about Cena's disrespect for the United States title by customizing the belt saying "That's something kids do to their cars when they should be saving their money for their education: pathetic!" JBL then dropped the belt into a trash can and they blew up the spinning belt inside of the trash can in the center of the ring. JBL then presented Orlando with the previous version of the US Title (saying he had it shipped directly from WWE headquarters this week) and JBL and his cabinet left the ring.

The Triple H Hollywood Wrestlemania Video aired.

A video then showed the challenge that Randy Orton issued to the Undertaker on Raw.

Backstage, Teddy Long talked to Carlito and told Carlito that his job tonight would be to find the Undertaker and get his answer to Orton's challenge for Mania.

Elsewhere backstage, Eddy and Rey were talking about the tag team match later in the show when Chavo Jr. came in and told them that he does not want to see them lose the tag team titles because that would make him the only Guerrero with gold. Interesting segment but it didn't go anywhere during the show.

Josh Matthews was shown waiting outside (apparently for John Cena to arrive).

Carlito was then shown searching for Undertaker backstage. He was visibly scared .

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2) Mark Jindrak defeated Luther Reigns in 3 minutes. Reigns came out first and Jindrak attacked him int he aisle. Not the greatest action in this one, and the crowd had a faint "boring" chant for much of the 180 seconds that the match lasted.

John Cena arrived but basically brushed off Matthews backstage.

John Centa In-Ring Promo
-Cena then made his way out to a huge pop. Cena really stepped it up with his mic work in this segment. He was more serious and direct and I think that went far with the crowd. Cena called out JBL and crew saying that they got in his business and how he wants a fight. After a couple of minutes, Teddy Long made his way out. He said that he could not risk the WWE Title match at Wrestlemania but could change the tag team match later in the night and give Cena a rematch against Jordan for the US Title. Cena didn't like the idea and asked Long, "You did see what they did to me last week didn't you?" Cena basically told Long that he's either a part of the solution or part of the problem, and tonight, he was part of the problem. Cena then gave Long the FU and left the ring.

The ring crew then hung Kurt Angle's gold medals above the ring and placed a ladder in the ring.

Kurt Angle then made his way out. He talked about Shawn Michaels' accomplishments and then showed footage of the 1994 Wrestlemania Ladder Match between Michaels and Razor Ramon. Angle then said that he would show Michaels how a real ladder match is executed.

3) Kurt Angle defeated Hometown Hero Mike Haywood in 3 minutes. Angle destroyed Haywood and dominated for the short while it lasted, and did so while the ladder was erected in the ring. The ladder didn't move, nor was it used. Angle then put Haywood in the Ankle Lock for a few moments as Haywood tapped out repeatedly. Angle then non-chalantly climbed the ladder and retreived his medals. At the top of the ladder, Angle sat. The crowd chanted "You Suck" (Angle and JBL were equally over as the biggest heels of the night). Angle said that the ladder match wasn't so bad, and if he would have faced Michaels in 94, it would have had the same result. Angle then showed footage of the 1989 Wrestlemania with the debut of the Rockers. He said that Marty Jannetty taught Michaels everything he knows but Shawn always got the spotlight. He said that he's challenged Jannetty next week for Smackdown and Jannetty will face him and that he will make him tap out.

The Undertaker Hollywood Wrestlemania video aired.

Wrestlemania Recall aired from a couple years ago with the backstage segment involving Okerlund, Heenan, Moolah and Mae Young leaving the room backstage.

Backstage, The Big Show was interviewed regarding Akebono. Footage was shown of the staredown in Japan between the two. Josh Matthews told the Big Show that Akebono has challenged the Big Show to a sumo match at Wrestlemania. Big Show accepted the challenge.

There was then a rundown of the Wrestlemania lineup.

The Christy Playboy Video aired.

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Carlito In-Ring Segment
-Carlito then made his way out. He said that he needed to get an answer from the Undertaker regarding Orton and that he was tired of looking for him backstage (even though we only saw him search one place all night). Undertaker made his way out. He entered the ring, grabbed Carlito by the throat, said a few words and accepted the challenge, then tombstoned Carlito and left. The actual words spoke by Taker and the tombstone lasted less than 45 seconds.

Backstage, JBL and Orlando began walking towards the ring entrance area and talking about the upcoming match-up.

4) Eddie Guerrero and Rey Misterio Jr. defeated JBL and Orlando Jordan in 15 minutes via disqualification. Eddie and Rey made their way out first in a customized car. JBL and company then made their way out in the limo. This was a solid matchup, but not enough to save the lack of quality (or any for that matter) in-ring work on the show. A lack in logic here. Cena was angry in his in-ring segment earlier in the show. He wanted JBL and company. He demanded they come to the ring. He held a pipe doing all of this. Teddy Long never once threated to suspend him, fire him, fine him, or any type of punishment if he attacked JBL and company. So one would think that Cena would come down immediately after the match began and attack the people that he had been after all night. This didn't happen of course. Instead, the match went fifteen minutes and when Rey Jr. went for the 619, JBL nailed him over the head with a chair, prompting a DQ. The Bashams then ran out (they were originally at ringside but sent to the back by the referee midway through). The Bashams, JBL, and Jordan laid out Eddie and Rey. Cena then ran in (through the crowd) and cleaned house and cleared the ring of JBL and company. JBL then hit the floor and jumped over the barricade, standing by the fans. JBL and Cena had a staredown and that's where the show will end on Thursday night.

After the cameras stopped rolling, Cena called JBL back into the ring. He challenged him to a match and JBL said not tonight. JBL and Jordan then tried to head backstage but Cena had another idea in mind instead, a tag team match. The Big Show then came out. So the advertised dark match of JBL/Cena/Big Show 3-way for the title has now become JBL/Jordan v. Big Show/Cena.

In the dark match main event, Big Show and John Cena defeated JBL and Orlando Jordan in 13 minutes. Cena pinned Jordan to end the match. After the match, Cena talked some more on the mic and left through the crowd.

Final Notes:

I would estimate about 5500-6000 in attendance. For the parts of the arena not blocked off, it was surpisingly full. JBL was great in his role. As mentioned earlier, JBL and Angle were about equally over as the biggest heels of the night and both were excellent in their mic work. Cena, Taker, Big Show and Booker T were the most over faces during the night.