The Smackdown! Report (01/27/06): Orton vs. Benoit (No Holds Barred)
Submitted by Chad Matthews on Friday, January 27, 2006 at 9:05 PM EST





Good evening, readers…I just wanted to thank all of you that read the SD Report every week. I never used to pay much attention to the number of hits I get, but I’ve gotten 8,000+ each of the last two weeks. When I did this in 2004, I was lucky to get 5,000 or 6,000, but close to 8 or 9,000! So, I know it’s just a recap piece and you’d probably read it no matter who did it, but I appreciate it nonetheless. Take care…


The Smackdown! Report (01/27/06)

The show opened with a recap of the Angle-Henry feud to this point.

Rey Mysterio then came out to the ring for a re-match against Mark Henry. Before the match, though, Cole and Tazz showed footage from the Royal Rumble Press Conference, during which Mysterio had said that he would dedicate his performance in the Rumble to Eddie Guerrero. (CMV1 note- wouldn’t that be great? That’d be ten times more exciting than Triple H or Randy Orton winning. Mysterio winning the Rumble has shown up in more columns this week than I can recall, but would they really do that? Being an “I’ll believe it when I see it” kinda guy, I really don’t think they would…but that would certainly be great. Angle vs. Rey at Mania would tell a great story).


Match 1: Rey Mysterio vs. Mark Henry (w/ Davairi)
-(CMV1 note- Davairi joined Cole and Tazz for guest commentary). Mysterio got first strike points before Henry even got in the ring, as when Mark was climbing up to the apron, Rey quickly kicked him off. Rey kept the momentum going with kicks to Henry’s large legs, but the momentum was killed when Mark caught him with a clothesline. The big man-small man routine was in full-force after that, as after some attempted high risks, Rey got guerrilla-pressed and body splashed. During the guerilla press, Henry nearly tossed Rey out of the ring, but rather than injuring another one of SD’s top guys, he decided against it…which came off awkward. Eventually, Mysterio ventured to the outside and under the ring. When Henry gave chase, Mysterio emerged and attacked him from behind, connecting on a 619 around the ring post. Back in the ring, Rey Dropped the Dime on Henry as the World’s Strongest Man was getting back into the ring. More high risk followed as Rey connected with a gorgeous moonsault off the top rope. Unfortunately for Rey, Henry kicked out fairly easily. Rey didn’t let up, though, and managed to counter another press slam attempt by hanging Henry up on the top rope and then connecting with the 619. He tried to follow with a Seated Senton, but Henry caught Rey’s attempted finish and went for a powerbomb. The finish came when Rey countered the powerbomb attempt, only to fail on his late comeback attempt, as Mark Henry got the win with the World’s Strongest Slam at 8:31. (CMV1 rating- **). (CMV1 note- pretty much on par with what we saw last week. When Henry was on extended offensive series, the match suffered, but Rey made it watchable once again. Rey has done a good job making Henry look carryable, so we’ll see what Angle can do this Sunday. I’m cautiously optimistic that Angle can get at least a 6/10 on the DaveyBoy scale out of Henry).

Backstage, Matt Hardy talked about being an underdog in the Royal Rumble, but that he liked being in that role.

Further backstage, Randy Orton was hanging around with United States Champion Booker T and Sharmell. Book, who was recently cleared to return to the ring and will be in the Rumble, was trying to get Orton ready to face Benoit in their No Holds Barred match later tonight. Orton seemed focused on other things, though, and reminded Booker of the favor he owed him. Book offered to pay him back tonight during his match, but Orton declined, and said if they were the final two left in the Rumble this Sunday, he could repay him then. Neither Sharmell nor the Bookerman looked too thrilled with that idea…sucka…

Highlights aired of the SD tour of Mexico.

Match 2: Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: The Dicks vs. Nunzio and Vito vs. Mexicools
-(CMV1 note- whichever tag team wins gets both their guys in the Rumble). I hate it when matches start during commercials…Sorry, no recap on this one, as I had a phone call I had to take while this was going on. I did catch some nice double-teams from Psicosis and Crazy, though. The Mexicools qualified for the Royal Rumble. (CMV1 rating- n/a). (CMV1 note- I’m glad to see Super Crazy in the Rumble. I think he could be a much bigger asset to SD than he currently is, and I think he’ll show you why on a grand stage, if given anything over 3-minutes, at the Royal Rumble).


Match 3: No Holds Barred Match- Randy Orton vs. Chris Benoit
-(CMV1 note- Prior to the match, footage aired of Benoit’s Rumble win in 2004). A long lock-up started it off before Orton switched to a rear waist lock. Benoit countered into a top wristlock, but Orton countered back to the waist lock before switching to a side headlock. Then, in a nice sequence, Benoit tried for an armdrag only to have Randy counter and try for a clothesline. However, Benoit ducked the clothesline attempt and went for a German suplex. Orton countered, though, and found himself on the outside gloating over his escape. We then got a dreaded commercial break, but that was to be expected. Back from the break, the two were still testing each other out, but Orton quickly gained the upper hand with takedown and a side headlock. Benoit countered out, though, and looked for a fujiwara armbar. Another lock-up followed after Orton’s escape, and this time Benoit struck first with another armbar. Benoit followed with several knife-edge chops before settling back on the armbar. Randy proceeded to hit several punches and an uppercut that sent Benoit to the outside. Orton slammed Benoit’s face into the announce table, rammed him back-first into the apron, and then went for a cover on the outside (so this is falls count anywhere). Back in the ring, Orton locked in the rear necked choke. The Crippler countered out, but Randy quickly connected with a standing dropkick to maintain momentum. The two then headed to the outside, where Orton clobbered Benoit with a trash can lid before bringing out a trash can. When he tried to use it, though, Benoit got him with a drop toehold that sent the Legend Killer’s head crashing to the steel. Chris then smashed Orton’s face into the announce table. Randy eventually gained the upper hand with a rake to the eyes, a move that allowed him to drop Benoit head/shoulders-first onto the announce table. Back in the ring, Randy connected with multiple knee drops and then settled back into the rear choke. Orton released the hold to retrieve a steel chair from the outside, but when he was again unable to use his weapon, as Benoit countered and tried for the Sharpshooter. Orton countered, too, though, and hit a jumping knee drop for a near fall. He then reapplied the rear necked choke before switching it into a front face lock. Benoit was able to escape the hold using a Northern Lights suplex. The two went back to the outside soon after, and they traded blows up toward the entrance ramp. Benoit chopped Orton back toward ringside. Back in the ring, Benoit connected with several running forearm blows, followed by a running elbow drop for a near fall. He then pulled an Eddie with the Three Amigo vertical suplexes, and placed Orton on the top turnbuckle. Orton tried to battle his way off, but Benoit persisted and eventually hit a sky high superplex. Neither of them landed pretty, but Benoit was able to shake the cobwebs and lock in the Crossface. Orton was able to escape when he reached his feet and ran both of them out of the ring. He then drilled Benoit with a trash can shot before we got yet another dreaded mid-match commercial break. Back from the break, Orton had a rear choke locked in yet again. Orton has begun to use these chokes in more logical ways, rather than just using them because he didn’t have anything else to do. Benoit battled back with a barrage of chops, but Orton caught him with that unique backbreaker of his before heading to the outside. Randy proceeded to rip off the padding around the left side of the ring and attempt a powerbomb (Cole and Tazz thought it was a piledriver). However, Benoit countered and back dropped him onto the exposed concrete. He then grabbed a chair and swung at Orton’s face, but missed and hit all concrete. Back in the ring, Orton tried to gain some momentum, but Benoit hit three consecutive German suplexes to set up a Diving Headbutt attempt. The Crippler leaped off the top rope, but Orton grabbed a trash can lid and placed it on his shoulder so that when Benoit came down, his head struck the steel. Orton poised himself for the RKO, but when he attempted it, Benoit countered, grabbed the trash can lid, and blasted Randy when he came back off the ropes. Benoit then locked in the Crossface. The finish came when Randy struggled, but couldn’t escape from the Crossface and had to tap out. Benoit defeated Orton at 26:10. (CMV1 rating- *** ¾) (CMV1 note- Excellent match that featured good story telling, logical weapons spots, and several strong sequences capped off with a very good finish. It was a great win for Benoit, who really hadn’t had a meaningful win in several months. In fact, I can’t remember the last big win that Benoit has had. This was a good move for the WWE, as Benoit will be crucial to Randy’s success as a champion down the road. A Champion at times is only as strong as his challengers, and Benoit needs to be one of Orton’s eventual challengers).

Backstage, Road Warrior Animal said that he would win the Royal Rumble. “What a rush” that would be…


Match 4: Finlay vs. Funaki
-Finlay basically whooped Funaki’s butt for a few minutes before Funaki came back with some basic offense. SD’s #1 Announcer tried to get some real momentum going with a tornado DDT out of the corner, but Finlay countered and eventually hit a sweet finishing move known as Emerald Fusion for the win. However, the finish came when the ref reversed his decision b/c Finlay wouldn’t stop destroying Funaki. Thus, Funaki defeated Finlay. (CMV1 rating- *) (CMV1 note- Well done in continuing to establish Finlay’s character as a real tough guy with no real regards to the rules. I’m still not sure why Finlay was brought back, but he’s been entertaining thus far. I’d like to see him feud with Lashley for some odd reason)

Backstage, Bobby Lashley said he’d win the Rumble (CMV1 note- please give this guy a feud!)


Match 5: JBL (w/ Jillian) vs. Scotty 2 Hotty
-The finish came when Boogey’s music played, which freaked out JBL to the point where the match just kind of ended. Thus, JBL and Scotty fought to a no-contest. (CMV1 rating- ¼ *). After the match, a big thing of worms was dumped from above the ring and all over Bradshaw. Naturally, he was freaked out, but it wasn’t until the Boogeyman finally showed up and smashed a clock over his own head that JBL actually fell backwards into the worms. After his worm bath, Layfield high-tailed it yet again, with Jillian not far behind. (CMV1 note- I’ll debut the CMV1 poll with this…Which gimmick is worse: Boogeyman or Spirit Squad? Anyhow, this JBL match, as is becoming regular with JBL matches, featured very little wrestling and a whole lot of Boogeyman antics…sigh…)

Backstage, Mark Henry and Davairi were interviewed about the World’s Most Incorrectly Labeled Strongest Man’s title match at the Rumble. Henry said that Batista couldn’t beat him w/ power, Mysterio couldn’t beat him with speed, and that Angle won’t be able to beat him either.

Further backstage, Melina caught up with SD GM Teddy Long about what Kurt Angle had done to her ankle the previous week. She said that Teddy had two strikes against him for allowing her to not only be placed in the ankle lock, but also to be sexually harassed by Batista. She told TRL in no uncertain terms that he better not make it three.


Match 6: World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle vs. WWE Tag Team Champions MNM
-The early going saw both Mercury and Nitro attempt to go hold-for-hold with the Olympic Hero, with each failing to do so. With frustration setting in, Nitro caught him with an un-Olympic-like elbow, but in doing so pissed off the champ to the point where he took control for a couple of minutes. Melina then inserted herself into the equation with some mild interference, but it was just enough to allow Mercury and Nitro to get something going. After dominating for several sequences, MNM looked for the finish with an attempt at the Snap Shot, but Angle countered, hit a German suplex on Mercury, and a back body drop on Nitro. Again, Melina got involved and started messing with the ref. Meanwhile, Angle caught Nitro with an overhead belly-to-belly before turning his attention to Melina. At that point, Mercury pulled Nitro out of the ring and went at Angle with a roll of coins in his hand. As Angle turned around, Mercury clocked him with the coins for a 1…2…No! Angle kicked out. Kurt then made his comeback, highlighted by a nice belly-to-belly suplex on Nitro that sent the tag champ over the top rope and to the floor. The finish came when Mercury ended up in the ankle lock and eventually tapped out. Angle defeated MNM. (CMV1 rating- **). After the match, Mark Henry came to the ring and tried to fight Angle. Kurt went toe-to-toe with him before giving him an Angle Slam and applying the ankle lock. To Angle’s surprise, Henry powered out of the submission with one leg and sent Kurt flying to the outside. The show faded to black with Henry looking confident and Angle looking surprised. (CMV1 note- Well, I’ve made it known that I don’t agree with tag teams losing to one guy, much less when they are the tag champions at that time. The WWE has just lost their minds when it comes to tag wrestling. It’ll never make them money if all they are is fodder for main-eventers. Anyhow, the match was sufficient for a TV main-event and featured some fairly good action from all involved. I thought it lulled in the middle, but the opening and closing sequences were very well-performed. In regards to the post-match stuff, the WWE has done everything in their power to make Henry look like a credible main-eventer, and they’ve done a damn good job of it. At the end of the day, though, he’s still Mark Henry and he still sucks. For 10 years he’s been a thorn in the main-event scene whenever he comes back from injury. We just have to hope he doesn’t injure Angle. I think Chris Jericho said it best in his recent wwe.com interview as he sums up the Angle vs. Henry match as follows: “I think Mark Henry is about as much of a threat to Kurt Angle as Funaki.” I miss Jericho…)





All in all …a much better show than last week in regards to hyping the Rumble PPV. I liked the focus that was finally placed on the Rumble match itself, as that’s been missing in the last few weeks. Meanwhile, Mark Henry’s main-event push continued to be booked fairly well, although I’m not thrilled that Rey had to job to his fat ass for the second straight week. Speaking of Rey, he certainly emerged as a sentimental favorite to win the Rumble, didn’t he? I’m still going with Randy Orton, though…Finlay continues to impress, and Boogeyman continues not to…Hats off to Benoit and Orton for their great match, as it carried the show and upped the overall rating a notch or two. The main-event was pretty solid, as well.



This week in Smackdown history… Eddie Guerrero won a 15-man Smackdown Royal Rumble to become the #1 Contender to the WWE Championship on the January 29th edition of SD in 2004. That week on Raw, Chris Benoit had changed brands and moved to Raw after winning the Royal Rumble so that he could face Triple H. Obviously, that left SD in a bind, so they had a Rumble of their own just 5 nights after the Royal Rumble itself. Guerrero lasted eliminated Kurt Angle, who he’d go on to face at Wrestlemania XX as the champion (after beating Brock Lesnar at No Way Out).



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