Report by PowerWrestling.com:
The following program is paid for by the friends of John Bradshaw Layfield. Tonight is JBL’s celebration of excellence as highlights were shown of JBL defending his WWE title once more against the Big Show this past Sunday. Tonight, we will celebrate!
The fireworks go off and Michael Cole and Tazz tell us tonight that we will know the fate of Teddy Long as Linda McMahon will be here. Also tonight is the JBL “Celebration of Excellence.”
The music of Eddie Guerrero hits and he comes out in the low rider with Rey Mysterio who has a 619 cam on Eddie! They are set to defend their tag titles against the Basham Brothers.
Smackdown Tag Titles
Referee: Nick Patrick
Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. Basham Brothers
The start:
Eddie starts it off against Danny as the crowd gets hot already. The two men lock up and Danny goes down to two armdrags quickly off the start. They lock up again and Eddie works the arm before making a quick tag. Rey nails a Hurricanranna and hooks the leg for a two count. Eddie is tagged back in again and the two men double team Danny Basham working on his leg.
Mid Match Notes:
Eddie hits a side suplex on Danny Basham for a two count after it is broken up by Doug Basham. Danny works Eddie into the corner where he places Eddie on the middle rope where Doug holds him in a spinebuster position. Doug then jumps off the middle rope and plants Eddie with a spinebuster as Smackdown goes to its first commercial break.
When we come back from break, Doug Basham comes from the top rope with a legdrop on Eddie but he misses, allowing Eddie to hit a neckbreaker. Eddie goes for the tag but Mysterio is on the floor outside for some reason. We see that he was taken out on the apron by Danny. Back in the ring, Doug hits an inverted reverse DDT. The two Bashams asdsault Eddie in the corner. Doug makes a run at Eddie, who moves sending Doug into the steel post. Eddie goes to tag again but Rey is still down. Eddie gets splashed and is once again double teamed in the corner. Danny gives Eddie a snapmare before placing his knee in Guerrero’s back. Eddie works his way up throwing elbows, but he runs right into a powerslam for a two count. Danny then picks Eddie up and drives him into the corner, Doug is tagged and he hits a vader bomb like elbow drop on Eddie, who needs to make a tag badly. Doug then places Eddie in a single leg Boston crab as Eddie tries to crawl his way to Mysterio, but before he can reach, Doug lets Eddie go and he clocks Mysterio in the face with a forearm. Danny gets tagged in and he works on Eddie in the corner as Doug chokes. Eddie works his way out of the corner and he finally hits a counter dropkick sending both men to the mat!
Mysterio gets tagged and he goes buck wild and before you know it both he and his team-mate are doing double 10 punch counts in the corners. Eddie knocks one Basham out of the ring and Mysterio nails a springboard moonsault on the other. Doug gets a kick to Mysterio’s gut and he plants him with the double underhook drop slam, Eddie breaks the count. Eddie dropkicks one Basham and gives the other two suplexes, but he stops the third. Eddie gets one of the Basham’s against the ropes and he calls for the 619 for Rey Rey but the other Basham pulls the other Basham (confused, me too…) out of the way and Mysterio nails the 619 on EDDIE! Mysterio is then dropped with a back suplex as the other Basham hits a flying headbutt. Mysterio is being pinned but Eddie makes the save again!
The Finish:
Mysterio hits a 619, not missing this time, followed by a frog Splash by Eddie on Doug Basham. Eddie then plows Danny outsaide the ring allowing Mysterio to hit the drop of the dime on Doug to get the 3 count and victory!
Winners and STILL Tag Team Champions: Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero
Orlando Getting some play.. playa?
Orlando heads into the girl’s locker room wearing a black suit and tie. He tells the ladies that they are all invited to JBL’s celebration and it’s a black tie affair so they should dress accordingly. He leaves and the girls seem excited about the idea.
Kurt Angle Invitational
Referee: Charles Robinson
Matt Martell vs. Kurt Angle
Angle grabs a mic and tells the people of Philadelphia to knock it off. He says he wants his opponent to head to the ring right now. He seems all business. He asks his name and he says it’s Matt Marteall and he’s right here from Philly. He tells the guy to get this going but the guy says he has a question for him. He asks how it felt losing the number one contenders match to john Cena.
The Match:
Angle pops the guy across the jaw and then chokes the living crap out of him at the ropes. He nails a high German suplex, and he goes to pin him but he lifts him back up instead of pinning him. Angle works him in the corner with a couple of forearms before whipping him to the other corner and nailing him with an overhead belly to belly suplex. He goes for the pin but lifts the kid up again at two, this time placing him in a bow and arrow. The kid is bleeding from the mouth a bit when Angle lets him go. Angle nails the Angle slam but again does not pin the kid. He plays with him a bit before slapping the ankle lock on him forcing him to tap.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Will Angle accept HBK’s challenge?
Tazz goes to the ring to ask Kurt Angle about the challenge from Shawn Michaels. We see a clip of HBK on Raw telling Teddy Long he wants to face Angle at WrestleMania. Angle watches the video and the crowd starts to chant HBK. Angle then pics up the mic, looks at it, and then drops it and walks off! The crowd boos the crap out of him as he never gave an answer!
Where the party at?
We take a shot outside where we see the guests of JBL arriving in the Limo’s to the Wachovia Center for his celebration of excellence.
Poem Time..
Josh is shown in the back whilst Heidenreich is finishing up a poem. John asks him several times for his attention but John doesn’t budge. Heidenreich then tells him to “come closer my friend.” John puts the mic up to Heidenreichs mouth and he reads a poem about Booker T and the steel chair he nailed Booker T with in the throat at No Way Out. It wasn’t as good as some of his other ones.
The Celebration of Excellence:
JBL’s guests are getting ready as there is food and champaigne as they await the champion. JBL however is in the back right now where he is stitched up ALL over his body. Orlando tells him he should postpone the whole thing because he is in such pain. He can’t even wear his cowboy hat! He should be in an ICU right now! JBL says he has to go out there though because this is his moment and these people want to see him and they need to see him because he is their champion!
When we come back from commercial, the ring is filled with the cabinet as the ropes are lined with bullhorns and such. Champaigne is being poured for the guesys. Orlando says that tonight, we celebrate excellence and a man that has done the impossible. Apparently, JBL has also broken a record that has lasted over a decade. He then introduces the champion and his music hits. It’s a very nice set actually as the people raise their glasses to JBL. He comes down the ring shaking hands and kissing females on the cheek as they raise their glasses to him. Even Cole admits that it is amazing that he is here right now! JBL can noly walk up the ramp but he finally makes his way to the customized ring. JBL hugs the cabinet before standing in the middle of the ring to a chorus of boos. Orlando introduces him again as JBL takes a sip of the CRISTAL G! Orlando says it is only fitting that they are in Philadelphia, a city that lacks class and champions! He says all these people here are in awe. He then says there will be a musical tribute. Some chick starts singing at the top of the ramp as the crowd boos like crazy. JBL claps for the song but holds his ribs in pain afterwards. The crowd starts to chant “Cena.. Cena..” Orlando says to pay them no mind and that he will go down as the greatest champion of all time. They then reveal a real life portrait of the champion, VERY nicely done. Orlando asks for the crowd to be quiet and they boo like crazy as Orlando says he gives you the longest reigning WWE champion in the past 10 years, John Bradshaw Layfield! He says he loves all these people and says it is great to be in the city of brotherly love as their champion because their city has no champions but today, they can live through him, their WWE champion. He says sometimes he amazes even himself. He talks about No Way Out. He says he is here only for them, his loyal fans in all of his glory because he deserves this quite frankly.
He talks about the match again and how he got chokeslammed through the ring, but it never broke his spirit! JBL then goes on to say that he simply can NOT be beat. He says Batista did not come to Smackdown because he knew that he could not beat JBL. He says he is a champion with class, and dignity, and so on and so forth. He says the people of Philadelphia can tell their neighbors that they are proud that JBL is their champion. He says John Cena has none of these qualities and is nowhere near his league. He then says he is a wrestling GOD! At WrestleMania he says Cena wil find out what it is like to bow at the feet of the greatest WWE champion of all time! He says before his ice sculpture all melt, they need to get this party started. (Yes there is an ice sculpture of his cowboy hat in the ring) At this point, the music of the Big Show hits! The Big Show LITERALLY throws people out of his was, wrecking the entire ramp setup on his way to the ring. He takes out the cabinent outside the ring and he goes for JBL. However, Orlando cracks him with a champaigne bottle over the head and they get the best of the Big Show. They tie him on the ropes, hit him with the title belt and let JBL unload on him. At this point, John Cena’s music hits and he hits the ring throwing ALL members of the cabinent out! He cracks JBL with his own painting across the head and then punches him sending him flying out of the ring!
Teddy Long them comes on the ramp and says this party is not over! He says tonight there will be a tag team match putting JBL and Orlando Jordan against the Big Show and John Cena!
Cruiserweight Title
Referee: Jim Korderas
Funaki vs. Chavo Guerrero (c)
The Start/ Mid Match Notes:
Chavo unloads early with rights, lefts, and kicks to Funaki. Chavo gives him an uppercut followed by another before stomping away on him. He goes for an early cover but Funaki kicks out. Chavo hits a snapmare takeover into a hammerlock. Funaki tries to fight back but he is dropped, Funaki then nails a flying snapmare followed by a back body drop on the new champion. Funaki nails a few headbutts and blows to the ribs of Chavo as Funaki tries to fire up. He throws a blow to Chavo’s face before ducking a blow and hitting a huge bulldog. Funaki covers and gets a two count. Both men are up and giving whips, Funaki nails a forearm but he misses a tornado DDT.
The Finish:
Chavo ends up in a Bob Holly-like Spinebuster position on the back of Funaki, but Chavo holds on tight. He tries to shake Chavo off by slamming into the corner a few times, but Chavo hangs on and grabs the ropes allowing himself to reverse it around. He then picks Funaki up and nails the Gory bomb allowing him to get the pin!
Winner and STILL Cruiserweight Champion: Chavo Guerrero
After the Match:
After the match, Paul London hits the ring and takes the champion down with his awesome flipping dropkick, sending him flying outside the ring. London then yells that Chavo stole the title from him!
Double Jeopardy Match
Referee: Charles Robinson
Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak vs. The Undertaker (c)
The Match:
Reigns leaves the ring telling Jindrak he has this himself. The Taker throws right hands and ounches the daylights out of him before delivering an elbow to his jaw. Reigns gets on the apron, the Taker appraoches him, and Reigns leaves again. Jindrak gets a shot in but he can’t make a tag. The Taker hits a big boot and cracks Luther in the jaw sending him to the mat below. Jindrak hits a nice powerslam and looks for anoter tag but Luther is not there. He goes for a cover, but the Taker turns the near pin into an armbar with a triangle choke with the legs UFC style. Jindrak is forced to tap out.
Winner: The Undertaker
Team Angle in dire straights?
Luther comes in the ring and asks Jindrak why he did not tag him (no mics) Jindrak is yelling that he tried to several times. Luther leaves the ring and kicks the steps, he’s obviously pissed off a bit. He comes back in the ring and shoves Jindrak down on his ass saying he should have tagged him. Jindrak, while on his ass, tries explaining himself again. Luther leaves the ring and comes back and this time, Jindrak had enough. He slams Luther in the face and the two men brawl all over the ring for a couple minutes before being separated by officials.
Teddy Long.. to be or not to be.. GM?
Teddy Long came out and said this may be his last night as GM, but he will find out his fate tonight. Carlito then came out and got into the ring with his slinged arm and hurt shoulder. Carlito said he beleive Long meant to say he was proud to have been the GM. Long’s reign of terror is finally over and Carlito has been waiting for this for a long time. Long will get fired and once he does Carlito will have all the fun, and that is cool. Long said we will see about that playa, and then he introduced Linda McMahon to give her decision. Linda said thank you, and said several weeks ago the board recieved a petition for the removal of Long. Long then came and met the board to face the charges. The board has reached the conclusion that yes Long made questionable and bias decisions but they were for the fans. So they have decided to retain Long as GM and this is final. She told Carlito to stop calling and for Long to keep up the good work. The fans were happy about this, but not Carlito. A Teddy chant broke out and Mr. Obvious Cole pointed them out. Carlito took his apple and tossed it to Long. Long took a bite of it and then laughed. Long said looks like he’ll be staying around dawg, and all that hating Carlito has been doing. Carlito told Long to listen, but Long told him to listen. Long is his boss. He tells Carlito what to do. Long said next week Carlito show up for work and show up early. If Carlito thinks his life has been a nightmare, then he has no idea. Long said one other thing, in the words of the great Carlito, that’s cool. Long left the ring and Carlito was furious.
Referee: Brian Hebner
JBL/Orlando Jordan vs. John Cena and The Big Show
The Start:
When we come back from commercial break, The Big Show is chopping the hell out of Jordan in the corner following up with a headbutt. He chops Jordan again before giving him a right hand sending him to the mat hard. He picks Jordan up and whips him to the corner. The Big Show BEGS JBL to tag in but he will not. Jordan tries to fight back but the Big Show tosses him to the ground. The Big Show then literally takes Jordan over to JBL’s corner and tries to make him tag. Cena is tagged in and he works Jordan all over the ring until JBL trips up Cena allowing Jordan to nail a dropkick sending Cena outside the ring. JBL tosses himk into the steps.
mid Match Notes:
Jordan is in control of Cena, kicking his gut before slamming his head off the steps. Jordan sends Cena in the ring where JBL is waiting with right hands for the face of Cena. He takes a few blows at him before bringing Jordan back in, who drops Cena with a clothesline for a two count. Jordan tees off on him before distracting the referee allowing JBL to choke Cena with the tag rope. Cena fights back and throws right hands at both JBL and Jordan, but JBL hits a blow to the back of Cena’s head allowing he and Jordan to go nuts on Cena. Big Show steps in and drops both men! He tosses JBL in the corner and then tosses Jordan on top of him. The Big Show splashes both men and then explodes out of the corner with a shoulder block on Jordan.
The Finish:
Cena waits for Jordan to get up and when he does, he nails Jordan with the FU! He stands over Jordan and says “This is HOW WE DO, YOU CAN’T SEE ME.” He comes off the ropes with the five knuckle shuffle nailing Jordan in the head! He pins Jordan and he gets the victory for his team!
Winners: John Cena and The Big Show
