The Smackdown! Report (05/05/06): Benoit vs. Finlay (KOTR Round 1)
Submitted by Chad Matthews on Friday, May 5, 2006 at 9:15 PM EST





The Smackdown! Report (05/05/06)

The show opened with a recap of the events surrounding the post-World title match attack on Kurt Angle by Mark Henry.

World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio came down to the ring for a promo (to the POD version of his theme song, which is better in my opinion). He said that being World Champion is a gift, in his opinion, and that he was thoroughly enjoying his title reign. However, he said that his reign nearly came to an end last week when Kurt Angle put him in the ankle lock…he actually said that he was about to tap out when Mark Henry interfered. At that point, United States Champion and #1 Contender to Rey’s title at Judgment Day, John Bradshaw Layfield, came to the ring, promoted himself, and bad mouthed illegal immigrants (Rey’s “people” as JBL said), saying that the only place they had in America was cleaning his toilets, mowing his lawn, and picking up his garbage. JBL, wearing an American flag themed jacket, called Rey undeserving of the World title and claimed that the fans longed for the days of JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero…not Latino Heat’s cheap tribute character, Mysterio. After having beaten Eddie and Chris Benoit for their titles, Bradshaw doesn’t see any reason why he won’t beat Mysterio for his at Judgment Day. Rey came back and said that he would fight anyone at any time. JBL then suggested Rey face Mark Henry tonight…Henry came to the ring and stared at Mysterio. (CMV1 note- solid opening segment, but I think they are walking a fine line by having Rey readily admit that he was about to tap out last week. In all honesty, I think it’s smart to have everyone else harp on Rey because of his size because it builds sympathy for him. However, having Rey admit his inferiority just doesn’t make sense to me).

Match 1: Booker T (w/ Sharmell) vs. Gunner Scott
-(CMV1 note- before the match, Book sat down in the KOTR chair and waved to the people). Book played around with Gunner before locking up and backing him into the corner. Scott escaped and slapped Book’s chest to gain first strike points. Another lock-up followed, which Book turned into a side headlock. Gunner tossed him into the ropes, but Book caught him with shoulder tackle. Gunner quickly got up and took Book down with a drop toe hold. Book grabbed a hammer lock, but Gunner switched to one of his own. The Bookerman gained momentum with chops in the corner, but Gunner came back with chops of his own. Book took control by hotshotting Scott’s neck across the top rope and grabbing a rear chinlock. Gunner got to his feet eventually, slamming his elbow into Book’s mid-section and then catching him in the jaw with a back elbow smash. Right hand shots followed until Book tried to regain control with a jumping leg lariat. However, Gunner ducked it and hit a running forearm. Scott followed with a snap suplex, but Book soon got his offense going again with an arm-wrench and hook kick combo. Book then tried for a suplex, but Gunner countered into a roll-up with a bridge (the way he beat Book a few weeks ago). It didn’t work this time, though. The finish came when Sharmell tripped up Scott, allowing Booker to hit the Axe kick for the win at 5:30. (CMV1 rating- *) (CMV1 note- not bad, but fairly basic stuff). After the match, Booker bad mouthed Kurt Angle, saying that he would’ve beaten him easily in the semi-finals of the KOTR tournament if the Olympic Hero had been cleared to wrestle. He basically claimed that the KOTR tournament was his for the taking now, as he wouldn’t have any problem with Finlay or Benoit, noticeably leaving out Lashley. Thus, the Bookerman and his wife feel that the crowd should get used to bowing down to King Booker.

Highlights aired of the cat fight between Melina and Jillian from last week.

Match 2: WWE Tag Team Champions MNM vs. Paul London and Brian Kendrick
-(CMV1 note- Finally, London and Kendrick get their shot at the tag titles)…Or not…Melina came out by herself. As London and Kendrick looked at her with puzzled looks, Mercury and Nitro snuck up behind and Pearl Harbored them. Each challenger received a Snap Shot for their trouble…but then Kendrick got one more for good measure. MNM vs. London/Kendrick never got started. (CMV1 rating- n/a). (CMV1 note- this was a nice way to postpone the tag title match until PPV. This has been a good feud for the tag titles…it was about time the champs got the upperhand after four weeks of getting upstaged).

A historical video explaining more about Tatanka’s heritage aired. It highlighted him being officially inducted, so to speak, into Crazy Horse’s tribe.

Backstage, SD General Manager Teddy Long approached the Great Khali. He told him that the Undertaker had challenged him to a match at Judgment Day and proceeded to shove a contract in his face that the Deadman had already signed. Khali didn’t hesitate and made his mark immediately.


Match 3: King of the Ring (Round 1)- Chris Benoit vs. Finlay
-(CMV1 note- the winner advances to face Bobby Lashley). Benoit backed Finlay into the corner after a lock-up. A second lock-up saw Finlay back Benoit into the opposite corner. They then went into a test of strength, but Benoit kicked out of it and grabbed a top wrist lock. He then switched it into a side headlock. Finlay tried a pin counter, but Benoit kicked out and held on to the headlock. Back on their feet, Benoit tried going into the Crossface, but Finlay fell to the mat to avoid it. Benoit, unable to get his finish locked in, used a cross arm breaker to maintain control. Finlay eventually countered and got in a takedown of his own. Benoit quickly slugged his way back into control and tried for the Crossface again. Again, back to their feet they went. A stare down ensued as tension built. Finlay then gave Benoit a vicious clothesline and tried backing him into the corner. Benoit escaped and tried for knife-edge chops, but Finlay ducked and let us know how smart he is. The Crippler grabbed Finlay’s leg and took him down, and then put on a unique hold designed to overstretch the groin muscles. Back to their feet…Benoit slugged on Finlay in the corner, but Finlay slugged back. The Irishman rammed Benoit shoulder first into the ring post to finally take a lengthier measure of control. He followed by working over the arm and shoulder. Benoit tried to comeback, Finlay took the match to the outside, put the ring skirt over Benoit’s head, and pounded him with forearm shots. Back in the ring, Finlay went back to work on the shoulder. Benoit fought back and went for the Sharpshooter, but Finlay quickly went back on the attack with a barrage of forearm shots. Finlay then resorted to stomps and knee drops to Benoit’s face before hitting a European uppercut and a knee drop. At that point, Benoit was bleeding from the head. Finlay slowed his attack, which allowed Benoit to again try for the Crossface. He was unable to get it locked in, but the struggle took the two back to the mat. Finlay then grabbed the arm and went for a short-armed clothesline, but Benoit countered and hit a German suplex. Benoit proceeded to catch him with multiple knife-edge chops, prompting Finlay to get pissed off, retrieve several chairs from the outside, and throw them into the ring as we got a dreaded mid-match commercial break (to be expected). Back from the break, Benoit chopped Finlay in the corner. He followed with a running elbow drop and a snap suplex for a near fall. Benoit went back to the chops in the corner once they reached their feet. He then went to Irish whip Finlay to the opposite corner, but the Irishman reversed and threw him hard and chest-first into the turnbuckle. Finlay regained momentum with a rear choke. Benoit’s arm dropped once…but only once as he battled back and rammed Finlay into the corner. Finlay recovered quickly, though, and came charging back with a running clothesline. Back to the rear choke (almost a sleep this time) he went…Benoit got to his feet, though, and broke the hold with a jawbreaker. Finlay again recovered quickly, though, and used a drop toehold to ground the former champion before locking in a modified side headlock. Benoit got back to his feet and tossed Finlay shoulder-first into the ring post. As Finlay staggered back, Benoit ran over and gave him three rolling German suplexes. He then went to the top and came flying off for the Diving Headbutt, but Finlay moved out of the way to avoid the impact. Finlay proceeded to get his shillelagh and run right at Benoit looking to strike. Benoit ducked and back body dropped Finlay over the top rope and to the outside. The ref noticed the foreign object had been dropped in the ring, so he grabbed it and turned his back. Meanwhile, Benoit walked over to go back to work on Finlay. Finlay was patiently waiting with a steel chair, though, and he blasted Benoit in the mid-section. The finish came soon after when Finlay defeated Benoit via Emerald Frosion drop at 20:27. (CMV1 rating- ***) (CMV1 note- good, mostly ground-based match. You don’t see a match like this very often. The high spots really didn’t come until the finishing sequence and I rather liked that).


Match 4: Gymini (w/ Simon Dean) vs. Scotty 2 Hotty and Funaki
-The match began…and then it ended soon after…Gymini destroyed Scotty and Funaki. (CMV1 rating- ¼ *) (CMV1 note- the Gymini getting squash wins on TV suggests to me that they’ll be feuding with what I’m going to assume will be new tag team champions on Velocity in a few weeks)

Backstage, Bobby Lashley walked into the locker room to remind Booker T that he’d forgotten to mention him earlier tonight in his post-match promo. Book said that he hadn’t forgotten, but had just simply remembered that Finlay had beaten Lashley every time they’d face…and that their semi-final match won’t be any different. Bobby ensured Book that he’d beat Finlay…and then go on to beat him in the finals. He asked the 5-time WCW Champion if “he could dig that…sucka?”

Match 5: Nunzio (w/ Vito) vs. Kid Kash vs. Super Crazy
-(CMV1 note- this was a #1 contender match for the CW title). The heels teamed up on Crazy as the match got underway, but the Mexicool battled back quickly with dropkicks galore. As Crazy went to work on Kash, Nunzio came out of nowhere with the Sicilian Slice for a long two count. Nunzio was unable to maintain control, though, as both he and Kash ended up on the outside. As Vito checked on Nunzio, Super Crazy took to their air with a moonsault that took out both them and Kash. The finish came when the Great Khali came down and destroyed all of them. Thus, The #1 Contender match ended in a no-contest (CMV1 rating- ¼ *) (CMV1 note- you know it’d be great if the cruiserweights were made a part of the ECW revival storyline. Imagine if they had Heyman or even one of the Cruisers cut promos on how misused the smaller wrestlers were in the WWE)

Cole and Tazz ran down the current Judgment Day card, which includes JBL vs. Rey, Khali vs. Taker, KOTR Finals, and Melina vs. Jillian Hall (CMV1 note- Melina vs. Jillian!?!)


Match 6: World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio vs. Mark Henry
-(CMV1 note- JBL joined Cole and Tazz on commentary…this was a non-title match). Mysterio and Henry started off with the big man vs. small man routine that has become typical of their matches. Rey continually evaded the big man, prompting JBL to get pissed off and leave the announce booth so that he could yell whatever he wanted from ringside. Mysterio didn’t take too kindly to that and proceeded to catch Bradshaw with a dropkick that sent the US champ crashing into the announce table. The distraction allowed Henry to take control with basic offense. He then got Rey set up in the corner for a big splash, but the champ moved out of the way. Mysterio followed with a springboard Seated Senton that knocked Henry down to the mat. He tried to capitalize with a diving splash off the top and actually did connect. However, Henry sat up with Mysterio on top of him and tried to nail the World’s Strongest Slam. Mysterio countered, though, and connected with a DDT. With Henry reeling, Mysterio set-up and connected with the 619, but when he tried to follow with the West Coast Pop, Henry caught him in mid-air and brought him crashing down with the World’s Strongest Slam. 1…2…3. Henry defeated Mysterio. (CMV1 rating- * ½) (CMV1 note- decent match that saw Mysterio do his best to carry the big load to a good outing and succeed to a certain extent. Still, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. I’m not sure why the WWE feel the need to push Henry over the WHC with a clean win. Essentially, Henry is the most dominant wrestler in or near the main-event scene, and I’m just not understanding why the want to make it that way. Henry served his purpose…now he’s just taking up space. This guy’s contract ends in a few months…he’s one of the biggest busts in the history of pro-wrestling…he’s dangerous…keep him away from TV and let his stupid contract run out)


All in all…My what a difference a month or so can make, huh? Before Wrestlemania, SD was set with a quality main-event scene and the end of the Henry push in sight…but things have definitely changed. Tonight’s episode showed a lot of SD’s flaws, including Mark Henry being pushed ahead of the top main-eventers, the CW division being buried by a guy we’ve yet to be given a reason to care about (that’d be Khali, who attacked the Undertaker. Big deal...), and a general lack of talent thanks to injuries and idiots (i.e. Orton)…There were some bright spots on the show. JBL and Rey have got a nice feud going on…the tag title feud is hot…the Booker-Lashley stuff has been handled really well, as has the KOTR tournament in general. Thus, I’ll give it a safe and fair 6/10 and call it a night…





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