[loopydate]

APRIL 15, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

Last week's World Tag Team Title match between the Dudley Boyz and the Metro Connection ended with the champions retaining their gold via DQ. But, unsatisfied with the result, we kick off tonight with D-Von Dudley taking on Chris Kanyon! Lots of brawling in this one, and it's pretty much beneath both men, which is a disappointment. Kanyon picks up the win with I'm Betta Than You.

Right on the heels of that match, Kanyon's partner Billy Gunn takes on Bubba Ray Dudley. Bubba uses his strength early, but Billy fights back with quickness and superior technical acumen. Bubba fights back with big power moves (piledriver, powerbomb, fallaway slam, etc.), but Gunn picks up the win with the One and Only.

Backstage, new Intercontinental Champion Batista is warming up for his rematch against Hurricane when his manager, Ric Flair enters. Batista wants to know where Flair's been all day, and Flair confesses that he's been in meetings with the McMahon family. Batista likes where this is going. Does this mean title shots? Main event matches? Flair tells him he wishes it was that kind of good news. But he's been giving it a lot of thought, and he's decided that he's done with wrestling. In two weeks, when SmackDown! goes to Charlotte, he's officially retiring. He's been hanging on until he could find someone that he really believed in to carry on the Nature Boy's legacy, and he found it in Dave Batista. So good luck tonight, champ, because you've got big shoes to fill.

A shaken Batista heads to the ring for the match, and it looks like Flair's announcement has gotten to him until the bell rings and he goes right after Hurricane. But Hurricane uses his emotions against him and goes to work with some moves of his own until he eats a massive kick from the champion. Batista hits his spinebuster for a long two, then more power moves to set up the Batista Bomb for the win and the successful title defense.

Just ten days away from his big match with Brock Lesnar, The Rock faces a very tough challenge in the form of John Layfield. Layfield gets in a fair amount of offense, definitely making himself look like a credible threat, but Rock is just too much as he hits the Rock Bottom. But before he can go for the cover, Lesnar hits the ring and nails Rock with an F5! The official calls for the bell, but Lesnar continues the punishment, leaving Rock laying and needing assistance to return to the locker room.

Lesnar's match is up next as he takes on Rico. Rico gets some early offense in until Lesnar capitalizes on his power advantage with some high-impact moves. Lesnar actually lands a pretty sweet dropkick at one point, but trading kicks with Rico was a mistake. Eventually, though, Lesnar is just too strong for Rico and puts him away with the F5. After the match, The Rock returns to the ring for some revenge, hitting Lesnar with the Rock Bottom!

The Cruiserweight Title Series is up next as Rey Mysterio takes on Tajiri. These two put on an awesome match filled with back and forth action. Kicks, shining wizards, flying elbows, superkicks, and top-rope DDTs are flying everywhere as these two put on a clinic that ends with Mysterio catching Tajiri with the West Coast Pop for the win! Rey Mysterio now controls his own destiny. Win next week against Christian, and he's in the title match at Backlash!

Or, possibly, the next match could determine Mysterio's opponent. Chavo Guerrero and Tajiri have been eliminated from contention due to their 0-3 records, but the 2-1 Eddie Guerrero and 2-0 Christian are both still in the running. If Christian wins, he and Mysterio are guaranteed spots in the title match. If Eddie wins, he climbs to 3-1, which puts him in the title match if Rey also can beat Christian next week. Or possibly, if Eddie beats Christian tonight and Christian beats Rey next week, all three men will be 3-1, each with a win and a loss against one of the others, negating the tie-breaker and resulting in Stephanie McMahon needing to make a decision about the finals. Sound complicated? Well, it is.

So, anyway, Eddie Guerrero and Christian are up next, with all that nonsense hovering in the backs of their minds. Eddie starts off hot with a rolling kick and a flying cross body, but Christian fights back, and we've got a match on our hands! Christian uses suplexes to his advantage while Eddie uses his aerial offense. In the end, Christian whips Eddie off the ropes, but Tajiri has snuck down to ringside with a chair, and he slams it into Eddie's back, allowing Christian to capitalize with the Unprettier! After the match, Tajiri nails Eddie with the Kick of Death! As Eddie tries to drag himself up to his feet, Tajiri hits another! Referees and officials pour into the ring to try and separate them, but they keep their distance as Tajiri has them all scared. He lands a third Kick of Death on Eddie, then walks off as medics attend to Eddie, who isn't moving.

Stephanie McMahon appears on the TitanTron and makes it official. Next week's Rey Mysterio/Christian match doesn't need to happen, as the two will instead meet at Backlash for the vacant Cruiserweight Title!

Chavo Guerrero was warming up backstage and missed the entire segment, so it isn't until he hits the ring for his match with Matt Hardy Version 2.0 that he realizes what's happened. Hardy takes the brunt of his anger, as Chavo starts off with a big DDT and a legdrop. From there, the #1 contender to the WWE Title mounts some offense, and this turns into a four-star-rated match! They trade Tiger suplexes and high-flying tackles and axehandles until Matt finally catches Chavo with the Twist of Fate for the win. After the match, he turns around... right into a chair shot from John Cena! The champ has sent a message to Hardy! A bloodied Hardy is helped to the back.

Cena remains in the ring for tonight's main event against Billy Kidman. Kidman looks good in the match, but it's mostly all Cena, with the champ putting him away with the FU. After the match, Matt Hardy, forehead taped, comes to the ring, and lays out the champ with the Twist of Fate as SmackDown! goes off the air!