Smackdown!

Baltimore, Maryland
July 21, 2005

JBL guarantees victory
July 21, 2005


The Great American Bash is on Sunday, but JBL is acting as if it’s already come and gone. JBL will be challenging Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship at The Bash, but on SmackDown! Thursday night, he was casually driven to the ring in a Cadillac convertible, dressed in an Uncle Sam outfit as red, white and blue confetti filled the First Marina Arena for a big announcement – JBL guaranteed that he would walk out of The Great American Bash as the new champion, just as he did one year ago.

Last year JBL defeated Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship, which kicked off the longest championship reign of the last decade. JBL said that Batista would find out that there are legends, Hall of Famers and all-time greats, but that there’s only one wrestling god – JBL.

With that, Batista decided that he also wanted to share some words with the Baltimore fans before The Great American Bash. Batista said that JBL was a liar, a loudmouth, a bully and a phony and that his mission would be to expose him in front of everyone at The Bash. Batista then had a guarantee of his own, telling JBL that he would whip his ass in two minutes. Batista then let his actions speak for themselves as he knocked down JBL and drilled his Chief of Staff Orlando Jordan with a Spinebuster. Will JBL meet that same fate this Sunday in our nation’s capital? Only time will tell.

Rey Mysterio has had a lot on his mind as of late and will be facing Eddie Guerrero Sunday in a very important match. If Guerrero defeats Mysterio, Eddie will let in the whole world on their little secret that also somehow involves Mysterio’s son Dominic. With all of this weighing on Rey’s mind, he had to face Super Crazy of the Mexicools just days before his clash with Eddie. While Mysterio and Super Crazy were going at it, Guerrero decided to come down to ringside to add some commentary.

Eddie claimed that he is holding this secret over Rey because he loves him and because manipulation has become his new addiction. Eddie was very vague in his messages, but he did say that sometimes you have to do the things that hurt the most because you love someone and that he was punishing Rey for a mistake. Meanwhile, Mysterio was gaining the advantage on Super Crazy and looked ready to hit the 619. But then Guerrero jumped into the ring with one of the Mexicools’ rakes and broke it over Mysterio’s back causing a disqualification.
Guerrero then tried to leave SmackDown! for the night, but GM Theodore Long told Eddie that he still had a match and that his opponent, ironically, was a secret. That secret turned out to be Chris Benoit, formerly one of his best friends. Benoit tried to talk some sense into Guerrero before the match started, but Guerrero just cheap-shotted him. The action went back and forth, but Benoit was able to lock in the Crossface. Eddie got to the ropes and after Benoit broke the hold, he just started walking back up the ramp as the referee counted him out. As Guerrero got closer to the end of the ramp, Mysterio came from out of nowhere, trying to get revenge for earlier in the night. Officials swarmed them and separated the two Superstars. With tempers flaring this much on SmackDown! there’s no telling how volatile Sunday’s match might be.

Last week marked a shocking visit from one of the most dominating tag team wrestlers of all-time – Road Warrior Animal. Animal came to the aid of Heidenreich as he was attacked by WWE Tag Team Champions MNM last week. This resulted in a match being made for The Great American Bash, but Animal and Heidenreich had a tune-up match on SmackDown! The match was over almost as soon as it began as Animal executed one of his trademark Powerslams and then Heidenreich did his best impression of the late Road Warrior Hawk and helped execute the Doomsday Device by coming off the tope rope with a monster clothesline.

SmackDown!’s newest Diva, Candice, addressed the crowd, informing them that the men and women of the Armed Forces would be able to see The Great American Bash on the Armed Forces Network. Candice, who will also be refereeing the Bra and Panties Match between Melina and Torrie Wilson, was rudely interrupted by Melina. Melina claimed that she was the most beautiful and dominant woman on SmackDown! and then tried to prove it as she threw down Candice and ripped her shirt off. Torrie ran down to make the save and tossed Melina out of the ring. This is surely just a preview of what will occur this Sunday when these two Divas go at each other.

Booker T was also in action as he defeated Simon Dean. Booker T will try to avenge his loss to Christian from last week in a return match at The Bash.

MatchesChirs Benoit def. Eddie Guerrero (count-out)

Rey Mysterio def. Super Crazy (DQ)

Road Warrior Animal & Heidenreich def. Julio Dinero & Nick Berk

Booker T def. Simon Dean