Smackdown!

Kansas City, Missouri
February 26, 2004

 

LATINO HEAT IN HOT WATER

When the bell rings, the fire and passion known as Latino Heat has produced one of the greatest Superstars to ever set foot in the ring. He is the WWE Champion. He is one of the most popular men in the world of sports entertainment. But, when Latino Heat flares up between matches, sometimes the fire burns the very man who produces it, and on SmackDown! Eddie Guerrero’s hot blood got the best of him.

One week after suffering an assault from Kurt Angle that was as painful as it was shocking, Guerrero arrived to SmackDown! a man on a mission. He wanted answers and he wanted revenge, and it did not matter what he had to do to get them. Ultimately, all Guerrero’s temper got him was a night in jail, courtesy of SmackDown! General Manager Paul Heyman.

After interrupting a Heyman meeting with Tajiri and company, Guerrero hit the ring and demanded Angle’s presence. When Angle did not appear, Guerrero stalked his former friend to the back of the arena. When Angle was finally spotted, Heyman did his best to keep the two separate, and an untimely shove from Guerrero sent Dawn Marie to the floor, screaming in pain. For his actions, Guerrero was banished from the arena for the night … but his night was not over.

Later, Angle hit the ring to give his side of the story and his version was one in which his actions helped preserve the integrity of American values. Angle said that a former drug addict who endorses lying, cheating and stealing should not be WWE Champion because such a spokesman could ultimately destroy the moral cornerstone of America. Angle admitted that his actions were unpopular but added that history will remember him as a role model and American Hero.

Angle’s words brought Guerrero out of nowhere, and the WWE Champion had his opportunity to attack Angle, albeit a brief attack. Soon, Guerrero was surrounded by security guards and arrested for a night in jail. Angle taunted Guerrero all the way to the police car and guaranteed that he will become the WWE Champion at WrestleMania. With two SmackDown! appearances before their WrestleMania XX match, will Guerrero and Angle be able to keep their hands off of each other until March 14? Stay tuned to find out.

Speaking of WrestleMania, three days after Mr. McMahon dropped several WrestleMania bombshells on RAW, Heyman used SmackDown! to drop one of his own. While it seemed as if Rey Mysterio was headed to victory in a Fatal Fourway No. 1 Contender’s Match to earn the right to challenge Chavo Guerrero at WrestleMania for the Cruiserweight Championship, Heyman stunned the SmackDown! audience with an interruption. Thanks to a protest by Tajiri about Japanese representation in the SmackDown! match, the match was cancelled. In lieu of a one on one Cruiserweight Championship Match at WrestleMania, there will be an Open Cruiserweight Elimination Match where Chavo Guerrero will defend the Championship against any Cruiserweight who seeks entry. The winner of the Elimination Match will walk out as Cruiserweight Champion. Click here for WrestleMania

And Mysterio spent little time proving his desire to win. Although he already competed in a match on SmackDown!, Mysterio went to the ring for a second time when John Cena was down a tag team partner with Eddie Guerrero’s banishment from the arena. Guerrero and Cena defeated the Big Show and Chavo Guerrero in a thrilling match that featured Cena giving a post-match FU to the elder Chavo Guerrero.

Also on SmackDown!, Brock Lesnar was interviewed for the first time since RAW when it was announced that Lesnar will face Goldberg at WrestleMania and that Stone Cold Steve Austin would be the special guest referee. After giving an F-5 to Austin at the end of RAW, Lesnar explained on SmackDown! that Austin earned the F-5 for giving Goldberg the front row ticket to No Way Out that led to Lesnar losing the WWE Championship. Lesnar said that at WrestleMania, Goldberg will feel the pain that Lesnar felt at No Way Out, and if Austin seeks any form of revenge, he will learn the meaning of, “Off the Hook Pain.”

As WrestleMania XX approaches, SmackDown! comes to you from Savannah, Georgia – the final stop for SmackDown! before returning to the New York area for the week preceding WrestleMania. With his anger not satisfied, will Eddie Guerrero try to get to Kurt Angle again? How will Brock Lesnar continue to prepare for perhaps the challenge of his life at WrestleMania? What other WrestleMania developments will take place? Only one way to find out … watch SmackDown! next week at 8/7 CT on UPN!

Match Results:

The Fatal Fourway No. 1 Contender's Match for the Cruiserweight Championship was cancelled by SmackDown! General Manager Paul Heyman

APA defeated Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty in a non-title match

Brock Lesnar defeated Billy Gunn

Rey Mysterio & John Cena defeated Big Show & Chavo Guerrero