Smackdown!

Spokane, Washington
Aptril 3, 2003

The Smackdown! opening hits and they show the Wrestlemania 19 video package again, going through the notable highlights from the PPV.

Stephanie McMahon Interview. She stands at the top of the ramp and talks about the Angle/Lesnar match. She says that due to injuries, neither man is here tonight but Kurt Angle could be out for as long as two months with hamstring and neck injuries. Brock Lesnar has a severe concussion but should be back next week on Smackdown!. She says she hates to sound insensitive but these injuries are the price that a Smackdown superstar pays. Smackdown will feature an eight man tournament whereby the winner will be the new #1 contender for Brock Lesnar's title at Backlash. They flash a quick graphic and we see that Undertaker will wrestle Rey Mysterio, John Cena will take on Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit will take on A-Train and Rhyno battles the Big Show. The first round will start tonight...

Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio (First Round Tournament Match)
The winner of this match will face the winner of a future Cena/Eddie match which will also occur tonight. Undertaker controls the beginning of the match, but Mysterio hits a DDT and the 619 but can't get the three count. He tries for the West Coast Pop but Taker catches him in mid-air and turns it into the Last Ride. Taker covers Mysterio for the 1-2-3 victory. Taker is in the semi-finals! After the match, Taker stands over the fallen Mysterio and tries to make it seem like he's going to punch him but instead helps him to his feet.

Backstage, we see a battered Vince McMahon stop by an arena worker and asks him if Hulk Hogan has arrived. The man says no so Vince asks him to alert him the moment Hogan gets here.

Brian Kendrick vs. Jamie Noble (w/ Nidia)
Matt Hardy and Shannon Moore come out for color commentary before the match. Noble accidentally baseball slides Nidia and this allows Kendrick to pick up the victory. After the match, Matt and Shannon storm into the ring and throw Kendrick out. Matt takes the mic and says that he's the Cruiserweight champion, keyword champion. He issues a challenge to Brock Lesnar, the new WWE champion. He tells Brock that if he can get over this fake concussion business, he wants to wrestle him next week in a champion vs. champion match. Kendrick runs back in and attacks Moore but Hardy nails him with the Twist of Fate.

They show footage of Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania and zoom in to Brock's face to show the look in his eyes after getting the concussion. They also air a few different angles of the botched Shooting Star Press.

They announce that Rowdy Roddy Piper's talkshow "Piper's Pit" will return to WWE TV next week on Smackdown!.

Chris Benoit vs. A-Train (First Round Tournament Match)
A-Train controls most of the match, throwing Benoit around at will. Benoit finally capitalizes on a mistake by A-Train and hits his patented three German suplexes. He heads to the top and hits his head-butt but A-Train gets out of it. A-Train then hits a bicycle kick out of nowhere and tries for the Derailer, but Benoit counters it and locks on the Crippler Crossface. A-Train just gets up and tries to carry Benoit to the ropes, but Benoit brings him back to the middle of the ring and gets the submission victory.

Backstage, Vince McMahon is on the phone with someone talking about his stocks I think when Stephanie knocks and comes in. Steph asks him how he's holding up and Vince says he'll be all right. She asks him what he's doing here tonight and Vince says he will do something with Hogan in the ring tonight - something he should have done a long time ago. Stephanie says she wants to make sure he doesn't do anything he doesn't regret later. Vince says thanks and Stephanie turns around and leaves.

Sean O'Haire promo airs. He tells us that it's okay to break rules and that we should live our lives the way we want to. He ends by saying that he isn't telling us anything we don't already know.

Backstage, we see Torrie Wilson getting ready for what is termed her "Playboy coming out party".

John Cena vs. Eddie Guerrero (First Round Tournament Match)
Cena attacks Guerrero the second he steps into the ring and starts kicking him in one of the corners. Guerrero fights back and hits three rolling suplexes that get a two count. Eddie then hits a missile dropkick from the top rope, but Cena barely gets his shoulder up. Cena then tries to use the steel chain but Eddie drop kicks him. Guerrero picks up the chain instead but the ref catches him and forces him to abandon it. Guerrero heads to the top for the Frog Splash but Cena moved out of the way. Finish saw Guerrero miss a corner charge, allowing Cena to pick him up for the Death Valley Driver, which is his new finisher. Cena wins.

Backstage, a black limo pulls up and Hulk Hogan along with his kid and Jimmy Hart, get out and head towards the arena.

Torrie Wilson's Playboy Coming Out Party. Torrie comes out in a two-piece green outfit. She thanks all the fans and asks them if they'd like to see a special "coming out" - a sneak preview of what's in the pages of Playboy magazine. At this time, Rena "Sable" Mero's music hits and she comes out in a black outfit and takes a mic! Jeez, didn't see that one coming. She announces that she's back in WWE and says things are still the same - all her men are still here to see her and all the women want to be like her. Sable says that she was the first WWE diva to pose in Playboy. But today is Torrie's night and she's happy for her, and maybe Torrie's Playboy will be as successful as hers. Sable says that there are a lot of people who don't feel there is enough room for both her and Torrie but she wants to tell Torrie that she thinks that they will be the best of friends. Sable then leaned over and gives the surprised Torrie a little kiss on the lips.

Team Angle vs. Funaki & Tajiri (Non-Title Match)
Standard match with Haas getting the win on Funaki by putting on his "Haas of Pain" for the submission win.

Backstage, it shows the FBI walking down the hallway.

Backstage, Josh Mathews catches up to John Cena who tells him that next week his opponent will be Undertaker. Cena admits that he's an underdog and that he will shock the world by winning.

The Big Show vs. Rhyno (First Round Tournament Match
At one point, Show exposes the turnbuckle (it takes him several seconds to do it) but can't ram Rhyno it. Show ends up running into it himself, chest first and then Rhyno hits the Gore pushing Show back into that same corner. A-Train tries to interfere at this point, but Rhyno brushes him off and hits a second Gore. Before he can cover Show, A-Train once again interferes and starts kicking Rhyno, before hitting him with a bicycle kick. The ref finally disqualifies Big Show, which means Rhyno advances. After the match, A-Train tells Big Show to "snap his neck" and while holding his legs, Big Show drops a legdrop on Rhyno's throat area.

They show the updated tourny brackets with matches to take place next week: Undertaker vs. John Cena and Chris Benoit vs. Rhyno.

Backstage, Vince McMahon is shown heading towards the ring.

Vince McMahon Interview. McMahon says that he has a big surprise, but those who know him won't be surprised at all. The whole world knows the result of the Hogan/Vince match at Wrestlemania 19. Vince says that he's here tonight to say that he misjudged Hulk Hogan. He underestimated the power of Hulkamania. So tonight, he will try and set the record state. With that, he calls Hulk Hogan out to the ring. Vince says he's not calling Hogan out to fight him, he's here to call him out so he can publically apologize. Hogan doesn't come out so Vince asks him again and that's when Hulk's music hits. A hesitant and suspicious Hogan slowly gets into the ring and says "okay McMahon, I'm listening". Vince says it's very difficult for him to accept defeat, he has no idea how a man like him has to deal with the humility of defeat. But he's a realist and he'll admit it - Hogan beat the hell out of him. He doesn't like it, but he'll accept it. As a realist, he'll put it behind him; he wants to let bygones be bygones. Vince says he wants to turn back the clock 20 years if he can. He doesn't blame Hogan for doubting him but he asks Hogan to somehow forgive him so maybe one day they can be friends again. What do you say, Hogan? Hogan doesn't respond so Vince says that if he was in Hulk's shoes, he probably wouldn't blame him for feeling that way. Hogan stops him and says that if you're serious...and then steps up and shakes Vince's hand. Hogan's music hits and he asks them to cut it off . Hulk says to Vince: "thank you". Hogan's music hits again so Vince asks for it to be turned off. Vince says "no, no, no Hogan. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you and thank you to the Hulkamaniacs for the memories." Frankly, that's all you people have. This is the last time Hulk Hogan will be in a WWE ring. He said he would kill Hulkamania and he has and Hogan doesn't even know it. Hulk beat him 1-2-3, but Mr. McMahon doesn't lose. He's going to pay Hogan his contract in full to stay at home. As a billionaire, he doesn't care what it costs him, but with Hogan sitting at home for the duration of his contract, Hulkamania is going to rot day-by-day-by-day. And your Hulkamaniacs are gonna forget all about you because they're not going to see you. But when your contract is finally up, Hulkamania will not only be dead, it will die a slow death of leprosy. If Hogan doesn't like it, Vince says he will wait for him in the parking lot. Hogan follows Vince to the parking lot and cameras follow him there. Vince stands there and goads Hogan to come towards him. Vince says it isn't over and as Hogan approaches Vince, a bunch of cops stand in front and don't allow him to get to Vince. Jimmy Hart and Hogan's kid plead for him to leave and get in the car. Vince tells him to get into the car as well to get in there and get out of here forever. Hulk Hogan finally succumbs and gets in and drives away. Vince yells at him: "stay out of my life, Hogan!".