FIT Challenge Slag People
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DECEMBER 11, 2003 - SmackDown!
Just two and a half weeks until Armageddon, five matches from SmackDown! have already been announced. Tonight, we will see or hear from all of the participants. Plus, in our main event tonight, Big Show defends the United States Title against Eddie Guerrero and match four in the best-of-seven series between Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero!
The show kicks off with tag team action pitting the team of Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty against the lowly Basham Brothers. The Bashams have been on a downward spiral, having lost every match they've competed in since the beginning of September. Danny starts off with Scotty 2 Hotty, and the master of the Worm takes an early lead. Danny manages to tag in Doug, but Scotty quickly takes the advantage on him, as well. The gigantic Samoan comes in and works over Doug, then brings Scotty back in, who levels the Machine with a springboard dropkick. Doug manages to somehow tag in Danny, who hits a big spinning neckbreaker on Scotty to set up a Double DDT, and the Bashams win! Danny and Doug jump around the ring as though they just won the main event at WrestleMania.
Up next is another qualifying match for the Royal Rumble, just one month from tonight! This match showcases two of the top stars of the cruiserweight division, Shannon Moore against the controversial champion Billy Kidman. Kidman dominates early, using his feet, but Shannon takes control with high-flying moves. In the end, though, Kidman picks up another big win with the Shooting Star Press to become the seventh man to officially qualify for the Royal Rumble!
Backstage, John Cena is surrounded by weapons. He knows that he can't go into Armageddon unarmed, because he knows his opponent won't. Sean O'Haire is going to do everything to get where Cena is - the main event. And to get there, he's going to have to make Cena bleed. But the problem with that is, the only blood O'Haire's going to see at Armageddon is his own. Word life.
Last week, Stephanie McMahon took Paul Heyman to task for booking Rhyno into a handicap match against the WWE Tag Team Champions the Dangerous Alliance. Tonight, she shows Heyman who the boss is by booking the champs in another handicap match, this time against the World's Greatest Tag Team... and Kurt Angle! Haas and Morgan start off, with Haas outwrestling MOrgan until Morgan hits a discus punch. Angle comes in, but Morgan presses the advantage. Shelton Benjamin tags in, and he and Angle hit a double back elbow. Now it's Shelton on the advantage with high-impact moves before tagging Angle back in for more double-teaming. Morgan manages to pull of a bulldog out of nowhere and tags in A-Train. They double-team Angle until Haas comes in, but Train pounds him. Haas tags Shelton back in, and WGTT now double-team Train. Angle tags back in and works A-Train over with superior wrestling until hitting a modified powerbomb to set up the Angle Lock!
Sean O'Haire has to be thinking about what John Cena said about their First Blood match earlier, but he also needs to focus on his Royal Rumble qualifying match against Jamie Noble! Noble manages to land a couple of moves, but the match was about 85% O'Haire, ending with the Prophecy.
Last week, Hardcore Holly was screwed out of a shot at the United States Title due to botched interference from Chavo Guerrero, who was trying to take out his uncle Eddie. Tonight, Holly looks for revenge. He doesn't get it, though, as Chavo surprisingly manages to squash the Backstage Bully, finishing him off with a swinging DDT to build momentum toward his big match with Eddie at Armageddon.
Backstage, Undertaker is preparing Big Show's punishment. Armageddon is the battleground where the just and the unjust meet their final sentence. In the old days, Undertaker would have made some vague biblical references, but the American Bad Ass just sees it as an excuse to kick Big Show's ass and end this thing for good. But he may not be able to wait until Armageddon.
Chris Benoit enters tonight's match with Rey Mysterio ahead 2-1 in their best-of-seven series after picking up the win last week with the Crippler Crossface. Once again, the two go back and forth with Rey flying around the ring and Benoit out-wrestling him. Benoit continually overpowers Rey as well until he misses a clothesline, allowing Rey to nail the 619 to tie things up again! Once again, they shake hands in a display of sportsmanship.
Brock Lesnar saw the #1 contender for his WWE Title, Kurt Angle, victorious in a handicap match against his Dangerous Alliance stablemates earlier, and you know the Next Big Thing is going to try to take it out on Edge. Lesnar starts with a stiff chop, then punches, a big clothesline, and a back elbow. Edge fights back with a slam and a bulldog, but Lesnar answers with a bulldog of his own and a huge spinebuster. Edge manages to land a headbutt, but misses a splash, and Lesnar capitalizes with the F5 for the win!
Eddie Guerrero won a fatal fourway last week to earn a shot at Big Show's United States Title, and tonight he cashes it in! Surprisingly good match out of Show, who's been sort of phoning it in lately. Undertaker shows up at ringside as the match winds down with a chair. Just like last week, Eddie gets help from someone else wielding a chair, and Undertaker cracks Show with it while Eddie has him distracted. Eddie mounts the turnbuckles and hits the Frog Splash. New champion, Tazz! Show staggers to his feet, but Undertaker blasts him again with the chair. UT sets the chair up near the ropes, then drop toeholds Show face-first onto the chair! Show is a mess!
Eddie walks up the aisle, celebrating his title victory, but he's blindsided by Chavo! Chavo attacks his uncle and grabs the belt, escaping through the crowd. Eddie is pissed as SmackDown! goes off the air.
So Armageddon has taken shape. We know that Kurt Angle will challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title and John Cena faces Sean O'Haire in a First Blood Match. But Eddie Guerrero's victory throws a lot into doubt. Now his match with Chavo Guerrero is for the United States Title, while Undertaker and Big Show are only battling for pride. Expect more developments in both of those feuds in the remaining weeks until Armageddon.
Plus, next week, either Chris Benoit or Rey Mysterio will go one win away from a WWE Title shot at Royal Rumble when they have their fifth match in their best-of-seven series. Speaking of the Rumble, tonight Sean O'Haire and Billy Kidman joined Big Show, John Cena, Undertaker, the World's Greatest Tag Team, and the loser of the Angle/Lesnar match in the Rumble match. Next week, two more SmackDown! superstars will qualify. Plus, what does Eddie Guerrero think about Chavo Guerrero stealing his belt? And what does Paul Heyman think about the fact that someone outside of his Dangerous Alliance is now a champion? Plus, where the heck was Rhyno tonight? You don't want to miss next week's SmackDown!
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