Smackdown!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
May 26, 2005

MAY 26, 2005
WINNER'S CHOICE



According to Kurt Angle, Judgment Day was one of the darkest days in his storied wrestling career.


The Olympic Champion not only lost his match with Booker T, he ended up handcuffed to the ropes as Booker and his wife Sharmell beat him to a pulp. It was especially sweet revenge for Sharmell, who had been insulted and stalked by Angle over the preceding two weeks.

Well, it’s still not over.

Angle won an amazing Winner’s Choice Battle Royal in Milwaukee Thursday, outlasting 20 other SmackDown! Superstars, and eventually winning when he overcame a courageous performance by an injured Rey Mysterio.

Mysterio, who was no doubt still reeling from Eddie Guerrero’s attack at Judgment Day, suffered the same fate Thursday, as Latino Heat got to Mysterio during his ring introduction and clobbered him with a chair again. Mysterio eventually returned and eliminated Guerrero.

Earlier in the night, General Manager Theodore Long said the winner of this Battle Royal could have the match of their choice for next week. With the WWE Draft Lottery beginning one week later on June 6, the June 9 SmackDown! could very well be the last SmackDown! match for the winner.

Moments after the bell, an exhausted Angle grabbed the mic and announced the match he desired. And it wasn’t WWE Champion John Cena he had in mind. Instead, Angle requested a match with Sharmell.

Meanwhile, John Cena and JBL made their first appearances since that brutal and bloody “I Quit” Match at Judgment Day. Cena thanked the fans for their support and admitted JBL gave him all he could handle.

JBL interrupted the speech and actually admitted defeat. However, he told Cena his time as WWE Champion would eventually run out, and that he would fizzle and implode. JBL said he would be there to pick up the pieces when that happened to become WWE Champion again.

Cena laughed off JBL’s antics and was going to leave the ring until JBL forced Cena to play the JBL Video Tribute Cena had prepared. The video turned out to be nothing more than JBL’s now infamous “I Quit” proclamation at Judgment Day. Cena had the video re-worked as the image of JBL quitting was replayed more than a dozen times to the former champ’s disgust.

Meanwhile, Big Show got some measure of revenge on Carlito with a singles victory. But right after the bell, Carlito’s big back-up Matt Morgan stormed the ring and eventually put Show through the announcer’s table with an impressive F-5.

Hardcore Holly & Charlie Haas defeated MNM, but the WWE Tag Team Champions lost by disqualification when Johnny Nitro walloped Holly with a chair. As a result of the DQ, the WWE Tag Team Championship didn't change hands.

Speaking on the special ECW pay-per-view schedule for June 12, Angle dismissed the event, claiming ECW was a low class promotion. Angle went as far as to say he would be part of a invasion of the event and that he was taking SmackDown! volunteers.



MATCH RESULTS

Charlie Haas & Hardcore Holly def. WWE Tag Team Champions MNM by DQ

Big Show def. Carlito

Kurt Angle def. Robert (Angle Invitational)

Kurt Angle wins Winner's Choice Battle Royal (Order of elimination: Paul London, Funaki, Joey Mercury, Akio, Mark Jindrak, Johnny Nitro, Billy Kidman, Heidenreich, Chavo Guerrero, Charlie Haas, Shannon Moore, Carlito, Scotty 2 Hotty, Hardcore Holly, Eddie Guerrero, Danny Basham, Orlando Jordan, Doug Basham, Booker T, Rey Mysterio)