FIT Challenge Slag People
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JANUARY 29, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!
The last WWE show of January kicks off with a rematch from last week as Paul London teams with Ultimo Dragon to take on Kyo Dai's Tajiri and Akio. London takes the fight to Akio early with a spinning kick and a neckbreaker for two. Double clothesline by the faces gets two more. Dragon hits a neckbreaker but misses a legdrop and gets armdragged for two. Tajiri comes in with a seated senton for two, then nails a dropkick. Dragon dropkicks Tajiri's knee, then tags in London, who hits a standing kick to knock Tajiri into his corner. Akio tags in and eats another neckbreaker, and London finishes him off with London Calling for the win. Absolutely tremendous match that definitely puts London on the map. ...which, I guess it already was, since it's a city and stuff.
Up next, we're treated to a celebration ceremony for the United States and Cruiserweight Champion, Eddie Guerrero. He thanks Undertaker and Rhyno for their help, but mostly he's there to put himself over and how incredible his accomplishment is. Note: no one has held both titles simultaneously since Lance Storm in the dying days of WCW.
More tag team action is up next as the FBI's Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli take on the formidable duo of Kurt Angle and Undertaker. The FBI actually manage to isolate Angle early with double-team moves and some brawling, but Palumbo mistimes an avalanche and Angle boots him in the face, following it up with a butterfly suplex and tagging in UT. Taker pummels Palumbo until Palumbo manages to tag in Stamboli, who again manages to get some offense in. Unfortunately, he tries for a piledriver and gets backdropped for his troubles. Taker hits the Last Ride for the win.
Last week, John Layfield announced his presence as someone to be reckoned with, and tonight he's jumping right off the deep end as he takes on the #1 contender for the WWE Title - John Cena. Lots of brawling from both men ends with Cena hitting the FU for the win. After the match, Layfield shoves the referee aside and nails Cena with the Clothesline From Hell! John Layfield has made a statement!
Paul Heyman leads his Dangerous Alliance to the ring and he does not look happy. "My friends, I stand before you a disappointed man. A man whose hubris led him to believe that he ruled the wrestling world, only to find that the army he'd assembled was... insufficient. I thought I had surrounded myself with the best assembly of talent ever. I had the WWE Champion, the Next Big Thing, the most dominant force in the history of professional wrestling - Brock Lesnar! I had the United States Champion, the Largest Athlete in the World, the most feared big man ever - Big Show! I had the Cruiserweight Champion, the perfect blend of technical wrestling and aerial wizardry - Billy Kidman. And then... there's you." At this, he points at A-Train and Matt Morgan.
"I thought that I could create something from nothing. I thought that if I took two of the most physically gifted big men with no real direction and paired them up, I'd have an unstoppable tag team, but look at you! Billy and Show both lost their gold because of Undertaker and Rhyno, but you... there are two of you! And there was one of him! And now I look around this ring, and I only see one belt. And if you can't protect your own gold... How the hell am I supposed to expect you to protect his? Look, Matt, Train, this is nothing personal. This is just... business." And all of a sudden, Lesnar, Show, and Kidman assault Train and Morgan, absolutely pummeling them before walking away with Heyman.
Speaking of Rhyno, he's up next in a match against the #1 contender for the United States Title - Sean O'Haire. Good back and forth match with both men getting their share of near-falls. Rhyno looks like he's about to take control and goes for a clothesline, but O'Haire pulls the referee into the way. The ref calls for the bell and DQs O'Haire. O'Haire slides out of the ring, proud of himself for avoiding getting bulldozed by Rhyno, but out of nowhere Chris Benoit attacks! Benoit has been verbally abused by O'Haire for weeks now, and he's had enough! He rolls O'Haire back into the ring and clamps on the Crippler Crossface! O'Haire taps, but this isn't an official match, so Benoit continues the hold. Sweet Jesus, somebody get a bible! ...ahem.
After the break, O'Haire has been helped backstage, and now Benoit is preparing for a match against Chavo Guerrero. Good back-and-forth match that unfortunately gets cut short when O'Haire returns to the ring to hit the Prophecy on Benoit allowing Chavo to pick up the cheap win. O'Haire returns to the ring to continue the punishment until Kurt Angle hits the ring! He brawls with Chavo until Benoit comes to and they send their rivals from the ring.
Angle grabs a microphone and tells Chavo that he can't wait until No Way Out, because he can't wait to break his freaking ankle. Oh, it's true. It's damn true!
It was announced on WWE.com this week that at No Way Out, there's going to be a triple threat for the WWE Tag Team Titles with the World's Greatest Tag Team defending against two teams to be determined by singles matches over the next two weeks. The winner of each match gets to pick their partner for the title match. Billy Kidman comes to the ring two stablemates later for a match against Rey Mysterio. Rey dominates the start of the match until Kidman turns things around with a series of kicks for two. Rey fights back with some high-flying for a couple more two counts until Kidman lands a dropkick. In the end, though, Rey hits the West Coast Pop to pick up the win.
Backstage, Rey comes through the curtain, his music still playing, and he's approched by Edge. "Are we still on?" And yes they are. Rey's partner in the title match is going to be Edge!
Our main event of the evening pits the WWE Tag Team Champions the World's Greatest Tag Team against the Dangerous Alliance's Big Show and Brock Lesnar. Shelton Benjamin starts off the match against his college teammate Lesnar and actually takes control early. Tag to Haas, and they hit a double suplex. Haas continues the punishment until Lesnar plants him with a brutal piledriver for two. Tag to Show, who clotheslines the hell out of Haas twice. He goes for a slam, but gets suplexed. Tag to Benjamin, who hits a back suplex. Show tags in Lesnar, who runs into a knee lift. In the confusion, Rhyno hits the ring with a chair and blasts Lesnar with it, allowing Shelton to hit the Superkick for the win! After the match, WGTT celebrate the win as SmackDown! goes off the air.
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