The videos play, the pyro goes off, and the millions of fans wonder just why there is a SmackDown! special to begin with. Could it be that WWE is threatened by all the TNA Primetime specials? Probably not, but I bet all the TNA marks are playing that for all it is worth. The announcers hype up the main event which is Big Show versus Rey Mysterio and say that Rey Mysterio has even dedicated the match to the late, great Eddie Guerrero. Sharmell then comes out and I rush to find something shiny to attach my interest too while she talks. Luckily, I find something and we go right into the match.
WWE United States Championship
Best Of Seven Series: Match Two
Booker T Vs. Chris Benoit
No doubt in my mind that this match was better than the past two matches the two have had and that's a great thing. I was getting very worried that each match these two would have in this series would get triter and more predictable until it finally ended with no one caring. With this match here, they definitely picked up some of my expectations and made me almost completely optimistic about the rest of the series. The beginning didn't start off too well as the exchanges were just bland here and there. The only really noteworthy thing about the beginning was how Benoit kept going for the cover over and over again to emphasize the desire Benoit has to win the match and even out the series. Right before the first commercial break (which reminds me that commercial break times one equals a bland opening with a great commercial lead-in), Benoit sent Booker T out of the ring and went for the Suicide Dive, but Booker T moved out of the way and Benoit missed clearly hurting himself.
Coming back from the break, the match picked up miles with Booker working over Benoit and Benoit making his comeback. From this point, I could tell that Benoit was trying to make the Suplexes the focal point of the whole match. He had already done a few regular ones as well as the Northern Lights pinning version before the break, but as we came back, he went into hyper-mode with the Germans and Belly-to-Bellies. Some may call that a Suplex-fest, but I call it persistence and a great comeback that just showed resilience in the best way imaginable. Each one came out of nowhere, each one got the crowd pumped, and each one led to the next stage of the match. What more could you ask for? From there, Benoit and Booker fought on the apron which is always a good thing. People need to learn that apron fighting really should not be delegated to just Battle Royals; it needs to be used in all imaginable situations like this one. Benoit tried to go for a German Suplex off the apron but on his last tug, he lost his grip and hit the ground on the outside hard on his neck. Booker capitalized and rolled Benoit into the ring as Benoit sold like a used car salesmen. He got a cover which got a very small and surprising kick-out. Truly a great false finish that I haven't seen in WWE since 2002 almost. From there, Benoit got out one final German in desperation before being set-up for the Scissors Kick in another good way. Normally, the move's set-up is so horrid, it makes me wonder how it gets over; but here, it was great which should be the selling point for the match. The move itself is not that bad, but like the Stratusfaction, when your opponent has to sit there for a minute and wait for you to do something, you're only begging for people to turn off the TV. Anyway, Booker then nailed the Scissors Kick and picked up the win.
Winner: Booker T
Star Wrestler: Chris Benoit
Booker T was better than he normally is in this match, but still not one to beat out Benoit. Benoit was just on fire tonight and really brought the match into the fan's heart with the desperate suplexes, frantic covers, and horrible bumps. Did Booker have the great desperation comeback? No. Did Booker convey the image of frenzy by covering every five seconds? No. Did Booker T take the sweet looking bumps (though not as sweet as Benoit's Summerslam 2004 bumps)? No. Then why would he be star wrestler? The answer is he wouldn't. Benoit was fantastic here and I dare you to tell me otherwise. Fantastic match and fantastic work by both, but in the end, Benoit was the star much like I know he will be this whole series.
WWE then shows an Eddie Guerrero highlight video. God, I miss Eddie. It still seems like he's still here and just on the injured shelf. It's so surreal. God, at least I know he's up there looking down on us.
Commercial break times two equals a truly good match and definite tear-jerker.
Back from break, they show Rey Mysterio preparing for the match by praying for Eddie to be his guardian angel. He then says that this match will be for him. Ok, this is getting ridiculous. I'm all for the Eddie love, but right now; WWE is just milking the tragedy for all it's worth. It's not even like Rey Mysterio is that bad of face to need the extra push. This is just tasteless on WWE's part and I'm getting a bad taste in my mouth which my gut tells me will only get worse. A nice little video package is then shown pumping up Rey Mysterio which I think took some clips from the 619 DVD. From there, they play to the David versus Goliath gimmick and start pumping up Big Show as a gigantic monster. They end it with the footage of Big Show slamming Rey Mysterio into the steel post in 2003. God, that is one of my all-time favorite WWE moments right there. Totally classic, totally unpredictable, and totally brought a sense of reality to the match. Big Show's music hits and the monster makes his way out to the ring as we head to another break.
Commercial break times three equals some tasteless heart pulling by WWE and nice video package.
Coming back, Rey Mysterio comes out to Eddie's music as well as a low-rider. Come on, WWE. You're going way overboard and being completely tasteless. I'm confident Eddie Guerrero wouldn't have a problem with it, but it doesn't mean it's not tasteless. Jeez, this is heading towards trouble.
Big Show Vs. Rey Mysterio
Taking all the Eddie incidents out of the match, the match really did rock. Before I forget, commercial break times four and five equal a great match muddied up by a tasteless use of a tragedy. The match itself was great as I basically said, but the repeated use of the memory of Eddie Guerrero to boost the ratings and crowd interest was completely unnecessary and shameful. Why do it? These two were having a great match full of stiff Show attacks, a turbulent punching offense by Mysterio, great spots, and a hot finish (ruined again but by Kane this time). Why muck it up with Eddie Guerrero? Let the man rest in peace and let the last memory of the man be that so many wrestlers came together in a time of such pain and grief to pay homage to one of the greatest ever. God, it was such a good match, but I just can't get over the repeated shameful Eddie spots of the match. What could have been one of the best TV shows of the year in terms of wrestling was just ruined, and in a matter of mere seconds no less with just the utterance of the name Guerrero. God, I hate this. Ultimately, Rey hit the Frog Splash after laying him out with some sweet chair shots and the 619 and almost got the win, but Kane came out and he and Show gave Mysterio a double Chokeslam for the win.
Winner: No Contest
Star Wrestler: Rey Mysterio
Shoving all the Eddie comments and the Kane interference at the end aside, the match was truly great and most of it was because of Rey Mysterio. Big Show was great in the match as well with his churlish nature carried over from the night before, but tonight was Rey's night. Rey put his body on the line remarkably tonight with some really fantastic bumps (nowhere near Backlash 2003 though) and also gave us a great punching spot where Rey just threw his whole weight behind them and it looked like he was basically convulsing into the punches. Definitely great work. The chair shots that followed were even better and showed that Rey wanted to do whatever it took to win and coupled with the look of amazement and shock in his face, it just all boiled down into a flawless formula for a star wrestler. Rey Mysterio was fabulous tonight and had they just ended the match with the Frog Splash, we all could have slept a little better.
After they do that, I'm assuming the match ends and Undertaker's music hits. The lights go off and when they come back on, Taker is standing right behind them looking to impart some of the wisdom from his fists to their jaws. Big Show tries to convince Kane that Taker's not coming out and they turn around to find him standing right there. Kane, which surprised me, just gave a look that said, "f*** it, I'm not dealing with this shit today." Priceless. From there, Taker and Big Show went at it until Taker took out Show. Kane then hopped in to save Show and was given a Chokeslam for good measure. Show then ran at Taker, but Taker ducked out of the way and kicked Show right out of the ring. As Taker stood confident for almost a second, Randy Orton came out of nowhere and hit the RKO onto Taker to lay him out.
Next, perhaps the most tasteless thing WWE has done in recent memory happened. I'm sure you've heard about it so I'm just going to paraphrase. Orton went for a tire iron, Taker came at him, and they fought it out. Eventually, Orton got the upper hand and laid Taker out with the tire iron. He then got into the low-rider and backed it up, with Taker on the trunk, right into the show backset. Orton scrambled out of the car and a couple explosions went off as the car was set ablaze. This was just extremely tasteless. First, WWE used Eddie Guerrero's memory to add some extra oomph to a match that really didn't need it. Next, they used his trademarks and music to get the crowd visibly pumped. Big Show desecrating the memory of Eddie came next, but not before Orton set the car on fire. Just the thought of WWE using Eddie in a storyline alone is distasteful, but with the explosions and repeated plugs of the Rey-Eddie bond, it was just completely revolting and that's the first time I think I have ever said that about a wrestling angle. As the image of fire rages on, the show goes off the air with a nation of fans visibly shocked.
The special tonight had two great matches. Both matches were booked fantastically (minus Eddie in the second) and were a great blend of talent and crowd participation. While that may give the show a rating of great, the repeated use of Eddie Guerrero's death to further their agenda and the subsequent disrespect that followed made this one of the worst shows I have watched in recent history. You might be asking yourself, "Doug, it was just one angle in the midst of two shows. Can't you let it go?" Quite frankly, no I can't. I won't. I refuse to let WWE denigrate the good name of Eddie Guerrero in such a way. Tribute shows for Latino Heat are one thing, but to pump up your own storylines and feuds with it? Hell, no. What really bothers me is that neither the match nor the storyline needed this. Taker versus Orton is an established feud at this point and one that has the crowd at their feet. Mysterio versus Show was doing the exact same thing. You didn't need to drag such an honorable man into the mix. Screw you, WWE. I'm going to go watch an Eddie match. Now, I'm going to end this before I get more heated so ‘till next time, this is "Squared Circle Reviews" signing off and hoping you enjoy your non-offensive wrestling. Rest in peace, Eddie.
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