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