**SPOILERS** WWE SmackDown! Taping Results

**SPOILERS** WWE SmackDown! Taping Results

Mike King sent these:

Dark (?) Match (Velocity lights were on, cameras were on and an announcement
was made, but the announcers didn't come out until after this match, so I
dunno if this was a Dark or Velocity match): Scotty 2 Hotty over Matt
Stryker w/ the Worm.

Velocity announcers come out.

Juventud over Paul London w/ the Juvi Driver to keep the WWE Light
Heavyweight Belt. Good match that'll likely play better on television with
both playing face. Nice fast-paced spot that was fun in the middle.

It was funny to see a WWE guy take out Juvi's lawn mower.

Christian over Brian Kendrick with the Unprettier. Good amount of offense
from Kendrick. Christian with a lot of cheers during the match.

William Regal & Paul Burchill went to a "no result announced" against the
LoD (Animal & Heidenreich) when several teams ran in. First time I've seen
Burchill and he looked pretty good. Heidenreich's skull facepaint looks a
bit too cartoonish for my taste and I'm shocked that he hasn't had his
ringwear LoD-ized. MnM, Super Crazy & Psicosis, and the Tollands (?) all
ran in.

Sign Of The Night that made it onto the big screen but won't make it out of
editing: "Are you sure this isn't Thunder?".

Tazz & Michael Cole come out to start SmackDown!.

SD! opens with a retelling of the Booker T/Sharmell saga that leads us to
tonight's title match.

Booker T over Benoit to win the US Title. During the match Benoit did a
dive to the outside and took what looked like a hellacious bump into the
announcer's table with the small of his back when he appeared to overshoot
Booker somewhat. Towards the end of the match Sharmell attempted to toss a
chair into the ring but Benoit caught her in the act. By the time he turned
to Booker, Booker'd been able to recover, delivered a quick flurry, sent
Benoit into the ropes, where Sharmell delivered a low blow when Booker
wasn't looking, then, seeing the Benoit was doubled over, hit the Axe Kick
for the pin and the win.

Quick vignette with Booker thrilled to win and Sharmell happy for him until
Benoit showed up and accused Sharmell of interference. Booker ended things
by calling Benoit a sore loser. Someone should TiVo SmackDown! for Booker
this Friday if he can't watch it! Or at least show him the friggin' tape!

Vignette w/ Cowboy Bob Orton claiming an injured back is taking him out of
the tag match. Teddy Long says Randy can find a new partner or take on
Batista & Eddie Guerrero in a handicap match.

JBL interview where the incident at last night's RAW is replayed where The
Big Show/Edge match is interrupted by Edge and Edge vowing revenge since it
cost him the match. JBL denies having anything to do with the incident.

Matt Hardy over Simon Dean with the Twist of Fate. I'd heard that Matt was
supposed to be introed to SD! on Christian's Peep Show, but that was never
part of the taping. In fact, Matt got no time on the microphone at all.
Good response from the crowd though. Small "Nova" chant for a short time
during the match. Pretty anticlimactic for Matt and his fans I'd say,
though his debut was promoed a few times before the match.

Rey Mysterio went up against JBL in another "no result announced" match when
Edge's music and video started playing after Rey's 619. Edge hit the ring
and Gored, er Speared Rey, then stared at JBL who quickly chased after the
retreating Edge. While Rey was getting up Chris Masters hit the ring and
put him in the Masterlock for a few seconds until Shoichi Funaki led
several of the Junior Divison/Cruiserweights/whatever they're being called
in to help Rey out and was himself quick dispatched as were Paul London and
Scotty 2 Hotty. I think two others came out but never made it into the ring
and weren't shown on the replay. After Masters dispatched them as well,
Hardcore Holly and the LoD came in for the save.

After a pause that I assume was a commercial break where we saw Nunzio w/
Vito come out to his music, we saw Rey in the locker room with a lot of the
SD! wresters both heel and face. Teddy Long asked if he was okay and Rey
said he wanted Long to work his magic because he wanted Edge.

Turns out Vito was wrestling, even though his name never showed in Nunzio's
video, Bobby Lashley. My first time seeing Lashley and he's got some
impressive power, pulling out several tough-looking suplexes at the end
before finishing Vito off with his version of the Dominator.

Palmer Cannon was telling Teddy Long about his "NTI" (New Talent
Initiative), which he credited as the reason Matt Hardy was now on SD! (boy
did HIS stock drop fast or what?!) and introduced Long to the new division
on SmackDown!: The Juniors! Out comes Mascarita Sagrada, two others (not
sure, but another masked mini who looked like Pierroth in red, white, and
blue, and possibly the Heart Throbs' "Pocket Rocket"), as well as one more
slightly larger luchadore: BRAZO DE PLATA! Super Porky himself! And he
was called just that by Palmer! Sagrada and I think the other two minis
were also named. Porky was of course eating what looked like a ham. FUNNY
segment for those who know a little about Mexican wrestling!

I was PRAYING that Brazo de Plata would get to do the same entrance that he
does in CMLL, but that was the Juniors' only appearance.

A WWE 24/7 ad ran with Madusa's trash-canning the WWF's Women's Title on
Nitro clip included.

Sylvain vs. Hardcore Holly started during a backstage interview and went on
through the blackout of a commercial break before coming into the ring where
Holly won with an Alabama Slam on Sylvain through a table. Those who miss
it might think Sylvain juiced, but it was likely the ketchup Holly spritzed
on him at a concession stand.

Nice vignette where Eddie is acting heartfelt towards the trust that Batista
has shown him after watching Rey getting attacked made him start to think
about what happened to him since he wand Benoit held their belts up together
at WrestleMania. He finished up by saying that Batista shaking his hand
after their PPV match where batista was the better man brought tears to his
eyes but was called on that little detail by Batista. Eddie replied "Okay,
I lied!" and they did a good job of selling that Eddie can't seem to BS
Batista (something they sort of did at one point during Batista vs. 3H).

Randy Orton came out alone in what appeared to be a handicap match. After
Eddie and Batista came out (and Batista's pyro is LOUD in person!) Randy
leaned over and the announcer said that Randy's partner was Mr. Kennedy.
Nothing special of a match with Cowboy Bob Orton coming out to distract the
referee while Batista pinned Randy. Kennedy was about to come off the top
rope with a chair but Eddie got on top of Batista. Kennedy hesitated then
blasted Eddie with the chair. Batista got up and, after a cheap shot from
the Senior Orton, was beaten down by the three men with Eddie pretty much
out of it. The threesome walked off and right into Teddy Long, who then
said that next week all three of them would face Eddie, Batista, and "Rowdy"
Roddy Piper in a six-man tag match next week.

There was a pregnant pause here, but the cameras were still going and Tazz
and michael Cole were still out, so I don't know if this was a Dark Match or
not, but Batista recovered enough to say that he wanted Randy Orton now and
was willing to put the title on the line. Long agreed, sent Cowboy Bob
Orton and Mr. Kennedy to the back and Eddie was assisted to the back, as
Batista went over Orton with the Demon Bomb. Batista sold being pretty
banged up before getting up and saluting the crowd.

Now I've never been to a television taping before and this was one weird
expreience. I didn't know that the SD! stage screens pretty much show what
looks like the show minus Tazz and Cole's commentary, including replays
during matches. I also didn't know that they really do pause for commercial
breaks, which, since it's a TAPING, still seems odd to me. At least they
started playing some filler material after several commercial breaks to give
us something to look at.

As I said, Lawlor was nowhere near full, but from what I could see on the
screen it didn't look like it showed. The only part that might be telling
was that the entrance area/stage was pretty close to the ring.

I haven't watched SD! in a LONG time, so several people were completely new
to me. That said, if SD!'s having problems attracting fans, I don't think
it's a problem with the talent as there's some that is pretty underexposed
and underutilized, based on this single exposure to them I've had. Paul
Burchill and Bobby Lashley come quickly to mind.

That's about it. Apologies for any mistakes.

Michael King