411’s WWE Smackdown Recap 11.10.06

I do have to say, recapping this show now as opposed to other times I have filled in is a lot more enjoyable since JBL is doing commentary and lifting Michael Cole’s game in the process. Who knew huh?

Coming to you **cough**LIVE**cough** from The Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio it’s

Friday Night Smackdown!

Straight away we are joined by your “Champion of Champions” Booker T, who tells us that indeed he is the greatest ever after his victory over The Big Show and John Cena and he wants everyone to please rise and hail your conquering king, hero, legend and now Champion of Champions. Teddy Long is out and announces that at Survivor Series, Batista will face the World Heavyweight Champion but wait, that doesn’t mean Dave will be wrestling King Booker because RIGHT NOW IN THIS VERY RING King Booker will face Bobby Lashley in a title match!!!!!

JBL Quote – Teddy Long is racist, he’s never liked Booker

World Heavy Title Match: King Booker vs Bobby Lashley

Holy shit, the pop for Lashley is pretty damn big, much bigger than the pop for Batista’s title shot announcement. Lashley traps Booker in the corner to start with a series of shoulders and hits the big bodyslam, Booker begs but Lashley answers him by pounding him in the corner. Lashley counters a hiptoss into a clothsline and applies the armbar as Cole suddenly breaks out some relevant information saying this match is eerily similar to Lashley beating JBL for the US Title earlier this year. Booker fights out but Lashley clothslines Booker out of the ring as we hit the commercial break….

….we come back as Lashley has Booker in a rear chin lock, over to the corner where Lashley unleashes some more shoulders to the mid-section and gets a suplex for two. Lashley then hits the held vertical suplex but hesitates and misses the spear in the corner and eats post. Booker is out and rams Lashley knee into the post, hits a series of low blows, superkick gets two. They start trading blows as Lashley gets the upper hand but Book takes Lashley down and gets the step over toes hold, small package from Lashley gets two. They trade blows again and Lashley counters a leap frog into a sweet looking powerslam which gets two, he pounds away some more and gets a powerbomb for another near fall. Sharmel stops the momentum and tries to lowblow Lashley and distracts him long enough for Booker to get the roll-up for the pin with a handful of tights. **1/2

(Booker T. def. Lashley by pinfall – Not a bad match but there was little doubt that Booker was walking away with the title even though we didn’t know how, especially after Michael Cole mentions that Lashley already has a match for Survivor Series….D’oh!)

Tonights main event is Batista vs Finlay and we have highlights of their conflict. Cool, cause I had actually forgotten they even had an issue.

MVP is all in Teddy’s face about having to face the terrible twosome of Kane and Undertaker last week. Teddy doesn’t like the fact he was interrupted as he was about to watch the extended DVD version of See No Evil (CHEAP PLUS ALERT!) and makes a match for next week, MVP in a street fight with Kane.

Chris Benoit runs into Chavo and Vicki Guerrero (I wonder when those rumours are going to start?) and asks them whats up. Nothing of note happens after that. Oh, Chavo will see Benoit at Survivor Series in a U.S. Title match. Yay!!!!

Matt Hardy & Jimmy Wang Yang w/Amy vs Gregory Helms & Sylvan

JBL Quote – (about Yang) He looks like a cross between Micheal Hayes and Yoko Ono

Well, I don’t know about that but Amy is certainly hot and if she’s any decent, could be the missing ingredient for our resident redneck. Yang starts with Helms and gets jumped from behind, Yang counters a hiptoss into a reverse kick to the back of Helms head, Sylvan tags in and gets a flying head scissors for his trouble. Yang gets distracted by Helms and works in the Shawn Michaels Clothsline Oversell after getting hit by Sylvan. Tag to Helms as they effectively cut Yang off from Hardy and proceeds to receive an ass kicking (cue Sylvan/Pat Patterson jokes) but gets the upper hand when he catches Sylvan coming off the second rope with a dropkick. Hot tag to Hardy who goes to town on the heels and simultaneously bulldogs Sylvan and clothslines Helms in a neat little spot which gets him an nice ovation from the crowd. He tosses Sylvan over the top rope, Yang follows with a corkscrew psecado and Hardy hits the Twist of Fate off the top rope to score the win. ***

(Matt Hardy & Jimmy Yang Def. Sylvan and Gregory Helms by pinfall. This was a tidy little match which showed a few things. Hardy is fucking over and gets pops on the Batista scale. The WWE is shooting itself in the foot not pushing him harder. Yang is fucking gold and is starting to get over with the crowd and they need to put the cruiser title on him now and feud him with Jamie Noble. Helms is solid as always but unless they show confidence in him they should just fire his ass. Sylvan is showing sings of improving. I’m not saying he’s going to be great or anything but he threw a picture perfect dropkick and several other moves that give me hope he has the ability to be more.)

Mr. Kennedy is on his way to the ring.

More Batista/Finlay highlights.

Kennedy is in the ring and he let’s us know he’s the future of sports entertainment. He also let’s us know that the Undertaker’s time is coming to an end and that he, Mr. Kennedy has become bigger than Smackdown itself. He goads UT into answering his challenge for Survivor Series who of course comes out but Kennedy beats him down with the microphone leaving him a bloody mess. While UT never actually accepted the challenge I assume the match is on.

U.S. Title Match: Chris Benoit vs K.C. James w/Michelle McCool

JBL Quote – (about McCool to Michael Cole) I know you don’t like woman but I do and she’s smoking!

Lock up to start as Benoit unleashes with knees to the mid-section as James fights his way out but gets a knee to the mid section coming off the ropes. James gets the upper hand and gets the big whip to the corner, a two count and lays in the rear shin lock. Benoit fights up and gets a release german suplex, clothline of the rope, snap suplex which gets two. Rolling germans, diving headbut, crossface and James tapes. *1/2

(Chris Benoit Def. K.C. James by submission – While I’m all for putting young talent in the ring and in the spotlight what purpose did it serve jobbing out James here in what was a glorified squash? James looked good with the offense he was given and sold like a champ but having him get on top of Benoit and getting DQed for doing something stupid would have been much better or have Chavo cost him the match when he looks like winning so Chavo doesn’t miss his title shot at Survivor Series. Some creative booking that gets James elevated into the company of Chavo and Benoit is much better than him getting squashed don’t you think?)

The Boogeyman is back and he’s up next.

The Boogeyman vs T.J. Dalton

This is still one of the coolest entrances in the business today. If this guy could actually wrestle and cut down on some of the other crap the WWE would really have something good on there hands. For those that can remember he needs to be booked like The Missing Link. Anyway, typical Boogey match as our jobber tries to run but Boogey gets him and hits the powerbomb for the win.

(The Boogeyman Def T.J Dalton by pinfall – I feel torn here. I actually really like the gimmick and think there is always a place for gimmicks like this in wrestling because it’s so way out. He’s booked so strong however that fans will turn on him soon enough because he’ll get stale but he is in no way talented enough to actually hold down his end of a wrestling match.)

Up next….OUR MAIN EVENT!!!!!!

Miz challenges Boogeyman to a match next week in Manchester, England.

Batista vs Finlay

Confession time, I was taping a repeat SD! to recap later after watching it earlier and while I was out I had a power blackout which meant this match got cut off….*grumble*. I was going to find another recap but I am lazy by nature. When I did catch it earlier and it was your typical Batista/Finlay match with a hot crowd and fun Little Bastard interference. The end came when Booker comes to the ring to distract Dave but instead runs Finlay into him and hits the Batistabomb for the win. Call it ***1/4.

(Batista Def. Finlay by pinfall – despite my lake of play by play it was an entertaining match but you just knew that Dave was going to win since all the highlights shown during the course of the show had Finlay continually getting it over Batista in beatdowns)

Final Thoughts: Pretty decent show this week although some smarter booking would have been nice. Three solid matches and angle advancement aplenty, you really can’t ask for much more but the one thing this show lacks in genuine danger. Say what you will about DX they create excitement when they are on and ditto for John Cena. If I were Vince I would spend every cent I could spare luring Samoa Joe over and have him go through the SD! roster Goldberg-style and give
the brand the superstar it needs.

Peace.