Smackdown!
Providence, Rhode Island
July 15, 2004
ANGLE'S A FRAUD
WWE Champion JBL retained his title in a Steel Cage Match Thursday night, but
the bigger story was who gave him a crucial assist: SmackDown! General Manager
Kurt Angle.
Angle, who earlier in the evening said he’d likely be wheelchair-bound for life,
made a shocking and all-too-physical appearance during the match between former
champion Eddie Guerrero and JBL. As the masked El Gran Luchadore, Angle scaled
the 15-foot-high cage, grabbing Guerrero and holding him long enough for JBL to
escape for the victory. Eddie succeeded in unmasking Angle before he could make
his getaway, revealing Angle to be a fraud and trickster with an unnecessary leg
cast and wheelchair.
Angle promised that this would be “a night no one will ever forget.” But at the
time he seemed to be referring to his plans for John Cena — not the night’s main
event in which the WWE Championship was decided in a Steel Cage Match for the
first-ever time on SmackDown!
Before donning the garb and mask of a Mexican champion, Angle made a big-time
match for next week: John Cena vs. an infuriated Luther Reigns. Angle also
placed Cena in another unfair situation — an Elimination Handicap Match against
Rene Dupree, Booker T and Kenzo Suzuki. Cena managed to eliminate two of his
opponents, but Booker T finished him off after getting a little help from Luther
Reigns. With the big win, is Booker T first in line for the vacant United States
Championship?
Earlier, Spike Dudley got some unsolicited help from the Dudleys during a
tag-team match. The Dudleys seemed quite pleased until D-Von lost to Paul London
one-on-one. With the rollup victory, London stated his case that winning the WWE
Tag Team Championship with Billy Kidman wasn’t a fluke, after all.
Lastly, John Heidenreich revealed that he’s now aligned with the dastardly Paul
Heyman. Only time will tell what influence Heyman will have on the young WWE
Superstar.
Match Results:
Spike Dudley and Rey Mysterio defeat Chavo Guerrero and Jamie Noble
Booker T (eliminated Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree) def. John Cena (Three-on-one Handicap Elimination Match)
Paul London (with Billy Kidman) def. D-Von Dudley (with Bubba Ray Dudley)
WWE Champion JBL def. Eddie Guerrero (Steel Cage Match