Smackdown!

Kansas City, Missouri
June 9, 2005

JUNE 9, 2005
WILD NIGHT


SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long didn’t try to hide his disappointment with what happened Monday night on RAW. Losing WWE Champion and SmackDown! Superstar John Cena in the WWE Draft Lottery definitely hurt.

Still, Long promised SmackDown! fans that the program would persevere. And what a first step on the road to recovery.

Long proudly introduced SmackDown!’s No. 1 pick as none other than former World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit. The Rabid Wolverine came out to a raucous ovation in Kansas City Thursday night. 

Former WWE Champion JBL wasn’t so accommodating, though. First, JBL demanded Long make him the champion of SmackDown! with Cena gone.

Benoit, claiming he was sick and tired of hearing JBL beg for a championship he couldn’t earn, challenged JBL on the spot. Long agreed and made JBL vs. Benoit the main event.

Still, nobody could have envisioned how that match would end. Paul Heyman, who is preparing for ECW’s One Night Stand pay-per-view this Sunday and his contingent of ECW stars marched to ringside to watch former ECW great Benoit compete.

Heyman, who was invited by Long, filled in on commentary for Tazz, who earlier in the show had his head busted open by anti-ECW Superstar Kurt Angle.

Heyman was surrounded by Rhyno, Tommy Dreamer, The Dudleys and Sandman. JBL made sure his Cabinet of Orlando Jordan and the Basham Brothers were also ringside. Later, Carlito, Matt Morgan and Angle came down the ramp to cheer JBL on.

But when Benoit locked in the Crippler Crossface, Angle rushed the ring and broke the hold. Angle’s actions triggered a wild brawl between the ECW invaders and WWE crusaders. Soon, Tazz, with his head wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, returned with Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten and helped the ECW boys clean house, punctuated by The Dudleys hitting a 3-D on Orlando Jordan.

It’s anybody’s guess what will happen at One Night Stand with emotions within WWE running so high heading into the pay-per-view.

Meanwhile, Booker T got a measure of revenge on Angle earlier in the night. Booker T and Angle had an exhausting and painful match with a bizarre ending. With the ref down, Angle decided to grab a steel chair, and he did connect, slamming it into Booker T’s already weak ankle.

But Booker would duck out of the way of another shot, and the chair bounced off the top rope, sprung back and knocked down Angle. One scissors kick later, Booker T got the pin.

An aggravated Angle then took his frustration out on Tazz. After Tazz failed to tell Angle which side (WWE or ECW) he came down on for this Sunday, Angle clocked him with a mic and devastating chair shot to the head.

Eddie Guerrero interrupted a cruiserweight match between champion Paul London and Akio. After throwing London clear out of the ring three times, Guerrero told the fans he was tired of being disrespected. It’s clear that Guerrero has become obsessed with Rey Mysterio, a Superstar he just can’t seem to beat.

Meanwhile, Carlito used a fistful of tights to pin Charlie Haas and Heidenreich made yet another friend, this one of the attractive female variety.



MATCH RESULTS

Carlito def. Charlie Haas

Heidenreich def. Local wrestler

Booker T def. Kurt Angle

Paul London vs. Akio (No Contest)

Chris Benoit vs. JBL (No Contest)