WWE SmackDown! Results: 11/20/2003
Submitted by Justin "Locura" Pratt on Friday, November 21, 2003 at 2:23 AM EST



WWE SmackDown!
Date: 11/20/2003
Venue: Toyota Center
Location: Houston, Texas

A couple of things I need to mention before we begin tonight’s recap:
- There is a high chance that I will not be watching the SmackDown! episode on Thanksgiving. The holiday has always been a special occasion to my family, and since the passing of my grandmother last year it has also become an emotional one. It is of best interest that I am there with my family instead of watching a TV show. If you would like to write a full report on WWE SmackDown! for next week’s show, please let me know as soon as possible.
- Because I was forced to work late night, I’m watching the 2nd half of the show on TV and then watch the 1st half on tape. Plus, to make sure I get this report submitted at a decent time, this report won’t be as in-depth as it usually is, so I apologize for that.

And now, welcome to SmackDown! Michael Cole and Tazz at ringside.

Well, we don’t get the usual opening video, ‘cause a banged-up Vince McMahon, accompanied by Sable, hobbles down to the ring on crutches. He says that at Survivor Series, he endured more suffering than he ever has in his life, and he’s lucky to be alive. The crowd is cheering at his pain. He bled so much, he says, that he had to have a transfusion. He said the Undertaker tried to break his legs, pulverize his privates, and he ended up shattering his ankle. He continues discussing his Buried Alive Match from SS, including getting hit in the head with a shovel and Kane interference which ultimately led to Vince’s victory. He says he invited Kane to SmackDown! deliver to deliver Taker’s eulogy. He is overjoyed because Taker’s corpse is rotting and his soul is being tortured by the devil himself. He feels more powerful than ever, he’s unstoppable, invincible, untouchable. Sable tries to help Vince out, but then John Cena comes out to Vince’s shock. Cena plays to the Houston crowd, then busts a funny rap on Vince. He calls Vince a stupid (raises mic), and the chairman is extremely irate.

Backstage, Brock Lesnar is irate at The Big Show, A-Train for their loss at Survivor Series. He blames then for his tapping out to Chris Benoit. He’s the WWE Champion and he deserves some respect. He says he spoke to Paul Heyman about this issue, saying that all four men will be involved in singles matches. He tells Jones that he’ll be facing Benoit, and Jones is excited about it. He gets in Show’s face and tells him he’ll be facing John Cena. He orders all four men out of the locker room, since they disgust him ‘n all.

Match #1: Rey Mysterio vs. Akio (w/ Sakoda & Tajiri)
Tajiri and Sakoda stay on the ramp and send Akio to the ring to face Rey Mysterio. They start by exchanging punches. Akio’s agility is demonstrated by his spinning kicks, handstage, and his body flip. But, all that doesn’t do any good against Rey’s unique head scissors takedown. Akio sends Rey sliding out of the ring face first, then back in to get a 2. Akio and Rey get counter crazy and Akio hits a hard clothesline for 2. Akio goes up top but Rey causes him to fall on his groin. Rey nails a senton, a dropkick, then a tornado DDT for 2. Rollup gets another 2. Akio nails a heel kick for 2. Akio goes up top again and misses a corkscrew moonsault! Man, that looked sweet. Rey sets up for and hits the 619! Rey finishes Akio off with the West Coast Pop for the 1-2-3! Akio looked very impressive in this match, as he and Rey put on one hot opener.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Match Rating: 7/10

Backstage, Paul Heyman is looking for Shannon Moore, but finds The Basham Brothers and Shaniqua in S&M action (guess they’re happy about their win at Survivor Series). Shannon Moore finds Paul, and Paul thanks Moore for not selling out like Matt Hardy did by going to Raw when his contract expired. Paul put Moore in a match for celebration, and that match is with Matt Morgan.

Match #2: Shannon Moore vs. Matt Morgan
Obvious size difference between both men. Moore starts a punching spree, trying a head scissors but Morgan slams him down. Morgan throws Moore across the ring with a body slam. Moore kicks Morgan’s head a couple times and tries to fight back, but gets booted by Morgan. Morgan lifted Moore off the canvas with one arm and proceeded to toss Moore around some more. Morgan sends Moore sailing over the top rope to the outside. Morgan teases the pinfall. He lifts Moore and hits a spinning sitdown powerbomb for the three. Moore didn’t get much offense in as this was merely an extended squash. I’m giving this a 3 instead of a 2 only because we got a chance to see what Morgan can do in the ring.
Winner: Matt Morgan
Match Rating: 3/10

Match #3: A-Train vs. Bradshaw
Train meets Bradshaw up the ramp and they clobber each other to the ring. Bradshaw starts on offense with a shoulder takedown, a few chops, and a swinging neckbreaker for a 2-count. Train shifts momentum in his direction as he starts beating Bradshaw with a shoulder takedown and a standing splash. Train drops two elbows for 2. Bradshaw fights out of a rear headlock but eats Train’s elbow. Bradshaw counters Train and hits a sloppy DDT, and now both men are down. They get up, trade punches, and Bradshaw comes back with a big boot and a back suplex. Bradshaw hits a top-rope shoulder takedown for 2. Both men head to the outside, where Bradshaw eats a wicked Derailer. Minor “Holy Shit!” chant start. Train placed Bradshaw back in the ring, but he kicked out on several pin attempts. Several near falls between both men ensue. Bradshaw tried the Clothesline From Hell but got nailed with a bicycle kick and that was enough for the 3. The Derailer on the outside was a nice clean spot, and I think this was one of Train’s better matches. The crowd was actually behind this one most of the way.
Winner: A-Train
Match Rating: 6.5/10

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar comes out to the ring as the crowd chants “You tapped out!” Looks like he’s there to observe the following matchup:
Match #4: Chris Benoit vs. Nathan Jones
Both Jones and Chris Benoit rapidly exchange technical and power moves respectively. Jones gets launched outside, and Lesnar is immediately there to motivate him back into the ring. A powerslam by Jones gets 2. Lesnar cheers him on as he takes control of the match with a neck submission hold. Benoit tries to fight back but takes a spinning sidewalk slam for 2. Jones is driving his knee into the back of Benoit’s head. He tries a bodyslam, but Benoit fights out and chops away. Jones fights out of a Sharpshooter, but Benoit is able to nail the German Suplex Trifecta followed by cutthroat action. Jones get up, so Benoit hits a missle dropkick straight to Jones’ head! He tries the headbutt again, but it misses. Benoit counters a press slam into the Crossface. He breaks the hold to knock Lesnar off the apron, and then reapplies the hold to Jones, who taps out! Jones is adding some submission holds and another power move to his repertoire, and Benoit was his usual goodness. An above average match.
Winner: Chris Benoit
Match Rating: 6/10

Lesnar takes out Benoit with the belt after the match, but Hardcore Holly runs in to beat the hell out of Lesnar. On the outside, Holly applies a full nelson submission, but Heyman and security guards run down to break it up. Heyman calls Holly a liability to everything and everybody, and how he’s going straight to jail. And, effective this moment, he’s indefinitely suspended.

SmackDown!’s special guest has arrived… cue the pyro and out walks Kane! A large picture of The Undertaker is set up in the ring as Kane gets ready to deliver his eulogy for his brother. He says he can’t do it, because Taker has been dead for a long time. They used to be monsters together, but Taker betrayed him by coming “one of you.” He says Taker is too weak to be a monster and calls him a fraud. He enjoyed burying his imposter brother alive. He calls the crowd a mass of pathetic insects who he can destroy any time he wants to. He says, thanks to him, they’ll never have to see Taker’s pathetic carcass again. He tells Taker to rest in peace, then bursts into maniacal laughter.

Match #5: Jamie Noble vs. Tajiri (w/ Kyo Dai) for the Cruiserweight Title
The referee tells both Akio and Sakoda to take a hike. The match starts with Jamie Noble going to work on Tajiri with a plethora of kicks and a swinging neckbreaker. Tajiri hangs Noble up on the top rope and takes a stiff kick, knocking him outside. Tajiri isolates Noble’s left arm and attacks it with multiple shots and submissions. Noble fights out of an armlock, picking Tajiri up and hitting him with a samoan drop. As Noble tries to take control of the match, Tajiri continues to kick away at the injured left arm. Both men attempt their signature maneuvers to no avail. Noble’s springboard off the second rope fails as he takes a stiff kick and a near fall. Noble manages to flatten Tajiri with the Tiger Driver, but Tajiri gets his foot on the rope. Suddenly, Nidia comes down in a blindfold and walking stick. This distracts Noble enough for Tajiri to roll him up and get the pinfall. Noble tends to his blinded girlfriend, telling her she should have stayed in the back. Lots of good psychology with Tajiri taking advantage of Noble’s injury and several near falls came out of this match, but this wasn’t one of their better encounters. Good, but not great.
Winner: Tajiri
Match Rating: 6/10

Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas are thanking Paul Heyman for putting them in a match against the Guerreros. Shelton pledges to put Eddie & Chavo on the shelf, and Haas agrees.

Match #6: Los Guerreros vs. The World’s Greatest Tag Team
Eddie & Chavo Guerrero ride out in a flaming yellow & blue truck. TWGTT waste no time attacking Los Guerreros early on. Benjamin is immediately going after Chavo’s left knee (since Chavo took out Shelton’s knee two months ago). Haas comes in to apply a boston crab, but Chavo gets to the ropes. Eddie breaks up the Haas of Pain, and Chavo gets the tag to Eddie… HE’S ON FIRE! Eddie is using some sweet offensive moves on both men before finally taking a powerslam from Benjamin then a german suplex by Haas. Chavo hits a 2nd rope bulldog on Haas, then, out of nowhere, Eddie follows up with a Frog Splash for the 3! This match was far too short for what it could have been, but it was pretty hot while it lasted.
Winners: Los Guerreros
Match Rating: 7/10

Afterwards, Eddie gets taken out of the ring as TWGTT both attack Chavo. Haas keeps Eddie away as Benjamin locks a chair around Chavo’s leg then applies a sick submission move. Eddie chases them away with a chair, but Chavo is screaming at Eddie, asking “Where were you!?”

Another Ernest “The Cat” Miller promo is shown. Apparently, he’s making his debut next week.

Chavo is getting help in the back while continuing arguing with Eddie. Chavo accuses Eddie of not being there when he needed him in their matches with the Bashams and TWGTT, then demands his space. Chavo gets peeved at his doctor, then claims to start relying on his own friends.

Vince is demanding that Big Show takes out John Cena tonight. He says that he doesn’t want to see Cena ever again.

Match #7, The Main Event: The Big Show vs. John Cena
Show starts the match by chasing Cena around the ring, but ends up taking a baseball slide to the gut. Cena bounces off Show doing a shoulderblock and Show clotheslines him down. Show then takes control of the match with several kicks, headbutts, and pain-inducing holds. Show hits his spinning leg drop for 2. Show screws up a power move (to which the crowd boos) and Cena tries to fight back but Show just throws him across the ring. Show hits a very hard, sick-sounding chop right near Cena’s throat and Show continues to control the match. Cena comes right back with several punches and a dropkick, trying to knock the big man down. Cena nails the Throwback on Show for 2. Cena goes out to get himself a steel chair, but the referee takes it from him, which allows him to hit a low blow on Show… yo! Show furiously punches and clubs Cena in the corner, but Cena grabs the chain and decks Show! He lifts Show up for the FU, but Cena can’t get him up and Show collapses on top of him! DAMN! Both men down, Show is up first and throws Cena out of the ring, who is hurting bad. Show dismantles the announce table, then drives Cena’s back into the ring post. Show passes the opportunity to pin Cena and he grabs the steel steps. Show chucks them at Cena’s head, but he moves out of the way just in time. Show accidentally boots the ref, then hits a sidewalk slam on Cena. He takes the steps again and lifts them over his head, but Cena dropkicks Show’s leg and Show falls face first onto the steps! DAMN #2! Drained of energy, Cena takes the stairs and nails Show in the head with them with a loud thud! DAMN #3! That shot was absolutely brutal! Another ref runs down as Cena makes the cover and Cena covers Show! 1-2-3! A completely fatigued Cena celebrates up the ramp as the show comes to a close. This match started off slow, but quickly elevated into an exciting matchup with three defining and thrilling moments (note the three DAMNs). Show’s one botching took the crowd out of it, but the following drama brought them back in. Very impressive match.
Winner: John Cena
Match Rating: 8/10

Final Thought: We had one blah match, three good matches, and three great matches. I didn’t expect a Cena/Show match to be this soon, but from the way it ended this feud isn’t over, and it should set up a title shot for Cena. Speaking of Cena, his face turn in official with his anti-McMahon pro-Houston rap at the start of the show, so it’d be interesting to see how his run as a fan favorite turns out. I really enjoyed the Kane segment as it sets up the Undertaker’s return, possibly as the Deadman, as the rumors have stated. Eddie and Chavo’s beginning feud continues… Holly and Lesnar begin their feud while Lesnar is still peeved at Benoit… there’s feuds aplenty here on SmackDown! I like the direction this show is going. Solid work.

As for my Survivor Series predictions, I got 7 out of 8 right, with the exception of the Lita vs. Molly match. Pretty good, if I do say so myself. I’ll have to get see this on tape, since I understand it was one of the year’s best PPVs.

Also, mad props got out to LOP columnist Wevv Mang, who kindly plugs my name into each of his columns and recognizes my work. I suggest you guys go check out his column by clicking here. It’s a very entertaining read.

As a reminder, if anyone feels up to writing a full SmackDown! report for next week’s show and if you feel like you’re qualified for it, drop me a line. Also be sure to mail me with all of your thoughts and feedback. I probably won’t see you next week, so until next time!

~ Justin Pratt
Stop poking me!
This be my site, dude









*NEW GALLERY* BRAND NEW Pregnancy Photos of a BIG Stephanie McMahon!

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