SMACKDOWN 8/11/06 REFLECTIONS

Gregory Helms vs. Tatanka

PAS: Man alive was that match a blast. Tatanka is a guy who has been around for a while and I don’t think he has ever had a better match in his whole career. Really violent, as both guys were just laying into each other with big shots. Tatanka’s top rope chop was especially nasty. I am sure Helms must have had a singles match with Mike Youngblood on the NC indies, and may have event had a match with end of the road Wahoo, but I can’t imagine either match being as good

TKG: All you need to be high end Indian is stiff chops and a nice elbow drop. No elbow drop in this but still plenty stiff. Helms also was willing to work real stiff and I really liked the nasty low enziguri that replaced his shining wizard. I can’t think of last time I’ve enjoyed a Helms cruiser match this much. Helms’ arrogant heel stuff may work better vs. heavyweight. Arrogant guy who comes over from other brand and refuses to shake peoples hand backstage may make sense as way to promote a heel to sheet readers. But really not something actual audience cares about, I suppose it could lead to a Booker feud down the road. Arrogant small southerner taking liberties with big Injun guy is something the audience can respond to.

Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs. KC James/Idol Stevens

TKG: Hey a WWE tag match with both a face and a heel in peril section. Stevens didn’t look as bad in this as he did the last time we saw him. Mostly him eating offense. He’s not Eric Young or Johnny Nitro. Nothing really compelling about the way he eats offense but fine. London/Kendrick hit a bunch of fun double teams and then James controls the offense when London takes the headbump.

PAS: James had a really nice elbow drop, but had a crappy finishing kick. London took a big bump, these teams might have a better match in them.

Rey Mysterio vs. Mr. Kennedy

PAS: This whole Rey v. Chavo feud doesn’t really have the actors to pull off what they are trying to do. You get a sense that the promos would be a lot better if Rey had passed and this was an Eddie v. Rey Sr. feud. The match was a lot better then their first match, as Kennedy clearly had worked Mdogg20 so he had some indy highflyer bumps to take. Rey has a really pretty crucifix bomb.

TKG: Rey Sr vs. Eddy wouldn’t be very good in the ring. Maybe they should have gotten Edie’s mom instead of his wife…I remember her being really good in the JBL angle. Rey whips out all his indyer offense but for indy touring Rey vs. Midwest guy this was smoked by Rey vs. Ace Steel.

Vito vs. Sylvan

PAS: I don’t understand what angle they are working having Vito beat all of Patterson’s bottoms. Feels like it sets up a match with Patterson, but he is in the hospital.

TKG: Vito working his way through the flock amuses me. But like Phil says with Patterson hospitalized, unclear who gets to play the Raven role? Next week we get Vito vs. Barry O, followed by Vito vs. Mel Phillips building to Vito vs. Vinny Mac? Mike Bucci just got promoted…I always figured he was the guy who wrote the RF apologist letter to the Observer. Maybe he has enough power to book himself to avenge Patterson’s honor.

Sylvester Terkay vs. Dustin Starr

PAS: Turkey can’t really work the violent MMA gimmick when he is working visibly looser then Shane Helms.

TKG: Yeah at least vs. Hardy he seemed like a fun poor man’s Yasuda. But if you’re going to work MMA guy squashing jobbers you need to have some Goldberg intensity and not work like lazy Yasuda. Yasuda disinterested v. jobber isn’t going to get anyone over. If Burke is going to be Hoshino he needs better suits.

TKG: MVP really feels like a Battledome gimmick.

Bobby Lashley/Batista vs. Finlay/William Regal

PAS: This was a total blast, Finlay and Regal are the best tag team in wrestling, and you can tell that Regal is really inspired working with Finlay. Regal actually looked like the best guy in the match, although Finlay was bumping huge. Batista looked pretty rusty, as Lashley’s offense looked better.

TKG: Regal just looked on fire. All of his stuff working over and selling for Lashley were just amazing. Those two never had a great singles match and never looked like they would but watching this you felt like these two have a match in them. Finlay must have worked 500 matches with Goldberg and he can eat a spear like nobodies business. I really liked Booker and his wife’s real bama couple chemistry and making him do fake Sir Laurence Oliver really fucks him up. Him as kingfish worked, him as prison theatre Hamlet doesn’t.

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SMACKDOWN 8/4 REFLECTIONS

William Regal v. Finlay

PAS: Neither of these two singles matches were classics, but both were Regal v. Finlaytatic. Regal looked awesome here, as he was the stiffer of the two guys. Including some really nasty elbows to the ear and head. This kind of felt like it was working towards a run-in but everything they did was great.

TKG: I don’t know about working toward a run in. Felt like it was the first part of a match as Regal was just going after Finlay. Really almost felt like concentrated body part work as he was just taking apart the shoulder area. Like a really high end version of a Tom Pritchard match. Last weeks match was full match. This felt like only part of a match. But a spectacular part. Lashley’s run in kind of denies the chance to get the rubber match.

Elijah Burke v. Scott Wright

PAS: I liked Elijah Burke’s bodyshots a bunch, and he had a nice dropkick. He looked a lot better then Turkey did last week.

TKG: Turkey looked pretty shitty as poor man’s Yasuda last week. Burke is really going to disappoint in the Murakami role. As you can’t do that role and do chickenshit heel complaining that jobber is pulling your braids shtick at same time. But yeah I really dug the bodyshots and liked the stroke into submission finisher.

Sylvan v. Tatanka

PAS: This was a really fun Velocity main event. Tatanka has really nice impact on everything he does, and I really loved the stiff top rope chop. Sylvan bumps really well and I kind of hope he doesn’t get fired if Patterson dies.

TKG: Smackdown is the craziest thing in the world as no matter how depleted their roster gets they can still deliver the matches. Disappointed that Tatanka didn’t do his old role up finish. Sylvan moves around a bunch while applying the neck vice into chinlock—like he’d been studying his Randy Orton tapes. Sylvan also hits a really great spinebuster/uranagi.

Mr. Kennedy v. Batista

PAS: This was worked exactly like the Samoa Joe v. American Dragon match from ROH Saturday. Kennedy is the worlds shittiest American Dragon and Batista is a pretty shitty Samoa Joe, but it is a good match structure and this was shockingly good. Kennedy’s execution is crap, but Batista is really good at selling, and his selling makes this match.

TKG: Kennedy was working more like poor man’s Corino than poor man’s Danielson. But yeah this was surprisingly good. Kennedy’s execution is crap and he looked like he might fall on his face rolling from putting the headlock into putting on the hammerlock. But his ability to play the role he was playing was really important to making that match work. This is the best match I’ve ever seen with Ken Kennedy and I used to watch Midwest indy tapes.

Vito v. Brooklyn Brawler

PAS: Feels like an inside joke with legit gay guy against a hetrosexual transvestite, called by a gay guy and a shower molester. Surprisingly progressive for a normally homophobic show.

Scotty 2 Hotty/Funaki v. K.C. James/Idol Stevens

PAS: K.C James is really fun, nice punches and elbows. Idol Stevens is early Heartbreakers level bad. You kind of only need one good wrestler for a tag team so I could be into a James/Stevens v. London/Kendrick.

TKG: Idol Stevens looked really awkward and nowhere near being ready for TV. Not really ready for ECWA summit, either. James is a guy whose career I’ve followed for awhile with some admiration…but had never seen him work. Years ago I remember when James was running an indy and brought in Corino…James ran a wrestling school scam that week where he claimed that Corino would hand deliver all the students audition tapes to Hashimoto. Kind of scam that made me know that this is a guy who understands the business. And then there was his run in Puerto Rico. Anyways I was happy that he didn’t disappoint. Phil mentioned his punches but I was really impressed with his interactions with the crowd and the way he leaned into and ate both Fuanki and Scotty-2-Hotty’s offense. Did an impressive job making Hotty’s offense look good.

Diva Search

PAS: The pie test is actually useful. These girls need to be able to keep their composure when white cream flies unexpectedly into their face. Randy Orton is back from suspension.

Chavo Interview

PAS: This angle hasn’t gotten disgusting yet, although you know it is coming. Chavo can’t really carry a long mike segment like that. Although the turn made sense

Undertaker v. Booker T

PAS: Booker T v. Undertaker was the start of a really great match. I especially loved the top rope armdrag counter to the old school. The constant pimping of Undertaker as Chuck Liddel is hysterical. I would like to see this Khaliless and given more time. It makes me want to watch all of their Booker as Voodoo priest match.

TKG: This without Khali would be Undertaker winning cleanly. Worked similarly to last weeks match as it’s Booker bumping around for face opponent until opponent makes mistake and Booker takes over for a couple minutes. Booker just really solid in this as he eats the stuff well and his strikes are solid. JBL does nice job putting over the different sections of an Undertaker match.

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