Source: Wrestling Observer
The evening begins with a really cool video montage of Wrestlemania 21. Getting everyone in the mood for the week? No, just an ad for the 3-DVD set. Available at your local retailer.
Velocity
Scotty 2 Hotty b Sean O’Haire when O’Haire broke up the worm attempt but S2H reversed into an inside cradle. Not a good match.
Gymini w/Simon Dean b Paul London and Brian Kendrick when the Gyminis picked Kendrick up and threw him straight up into the air and let him drop. Had a nice springboard missile dropkick by Kendrick coming in on a hot tag.
Orlando Jordan b Ace Steel
Vito w/Nunzio b Funaki
SmackDown
Rey Mysterio comes out, begins by calling out Randy Orton for costing him a recent match. Kurt Angle then comes out and says that nobody has a chance of beating him, nobody beats him, and calls out Randy Orton for costing him a recent match. Orton comes out but talks from the aisle, saying that a handicap match with, “the Legend Killer versus the Paper Champion and the Charity Case,” sounds like a fine idea. Orton is getting better on the stick. He ain’t the Rock or Austin by any means, but he is getting better. Mysterio and Angle begin to argue and Orton suggests that they fight each other. Teddy Long then comes out and says that is an intriguing idea, so, naturally, he makes the main event Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship. He then asks security to escort Orton from the building. Teddy also announces Undertaker vs. Mark Henry.
Backstage vignette with Orton being quite upset about having to leave, he drives off.
Chris Benoit b The Road Warrior via submission with the crossface. Animal had a lot of clothing on, leather vest, shirt, cap, etc. Stops in the aisle with a mic and says that he carried the Road Warriors for years and he’s not in Wrestlemania, tells Benoit that he is going to beat him and prove that he indeed deserves to be at Mania. Okay, sure. They both exchange punches and Benoit backs Animal into the corner. As the ref pushes Benoit away, Animal gets Knux out of his pocket. Benoit goes back and Animal throws the brass punch but Benoit grabs his arm and crossface. Tap out.
Backstage vignette with Benoit walking back from his match, where he runs into JBL. JBL’s comments, best as I can remember:
“Well well well. Chris Benoit. You made the Road Warrior tap out. You are one of the finest technical wrestlers in the world. And you know what? I also knew one of the finest technical wrestlers in the world and I beat him and took his championship. Your friend, Eddie Guerrero.”
Sigh.
Benoit answers that it’s a good thing JBL’s hand is better, because he’s going to need it to tap out.
JBL b David Cross with two Clotheslines from Hell. Total squash, 80-90 seconds tops. JBL is visibly flabby, as he looks like a lot of other guys lately that look like they’re missing something.
Video of a Hall of Fame montage, a Divas DVD montage and the Miz is coming to Smackdown.
Paul Burchill b Booker T via countout. Boogeyman’s music and smoke hit about a minute into the match. Sharmell was standing on the side of the ring by the aisle. Booker ran to the other side of the ring and hid under it. Boogeyman then appeared from under the ring on the side Sharmell was standing on and picked her up and took her away. Booker T ran up the aisle, and Burchill wins by countout.
Backstage vignette of Booker frantically looking for Sharmell.
Bobby Lashley & Matt Hardy & Tatanka b MNM and Finlay when Hardy pinned Johnny Nitro after a twist of fate. Good, entertaining match. Lashley is getting better all the time. Nice double suplex spot with MNM. Tatanka looked pretty good, came in and got some offense and then did a ton of selling. Action really picked up with some nice work, including Hardy doing a combination bulldog/clothesline and Lashley giving Finlay a pretty high backdrop on the floor. Looked like Nitro got his nose bloodied hardway. MNM and Finlay argued all the way to the back.
Mark Henry came out to the ring, which had a black carpet, some dead memorial wreaths and a podium. Henry came out in a suit, carrying papers. He stepped to the podium and started speaking, well, actually, reading his promo from the sheet. A few lines in, a ringside tech ran up to the ring and started shaking another mic at Henry wildly. He stopped, grabbed the other mic and started his promo all over again. This was unbelievably funny, as in the entire arena was laughing funny. He then gave the Annual Undertaker Undefeated At Wrestlemania promo, where he read off all the names of the guys Taker has beaten throughout history, but, of course, this year is going to be different.
Super Crazy & Psicosis b Jamie Noble & Kid Kash when Crazy pinned Kash after an awesome exploder suplex off the top rope. Fun match with the expected Luchador influence. Roll-out sunset flips into drop kicks, a few quebradoras, and Psicosis did a nice corkscrew plancha.
Backstage, Booker T is still frantically searching for Sharmell. He finds her amidst a giant pile of worms.
Kurt Angle retained the World Heavyweight Championship over Rey Mysterio via submission to the ankle lock. Started off mostly on the ground, with a wristlock chain, armdrag and side headlocks. Angle in control early and lots of “Eddie”chants. Rey went for the 619, but Angle moved. Mysterio tilt-a-whirl head sciss! ors throws Angle out of the ring, but Angle tosses Mysterio into the side boards while avoiding a baseball slide. More slow mat work, then Angle gives a Northern Lights suplex and after Angle released I thought Mysterio was just going to fly out of the ring. Mysterio starts a comeback with a springboard crossbody and a perfect sunset flip roll out into the dropkick. Mysterio hits the springboard plancha into a back bridge, but Angle breaks free and hits a release German suplex. Angle getting ready for the Angle slam, but Rey reverses down and kicks Angle into the ropes for the 619. Mysterio swings his legs around but Angle grabs an ankle, and Rey tapped. Tapped pretty quick, actually.
Angle starts to walk down the aisle and Randy Orton comes from out under the ring and gives Mysterio a RKO. Orton grabs the mic and tells Angle that he’s gonna kick his ass on Sunday. Angle comes in and they brawl, Angle hits the Angle slam and the applies the ankle lock and Orton taps like mad. Angle poses with the belt.
Dark Match
Undertaker b Mark Henry after a chokeslam. If this was the last warm up to the Mania match, then , well, I know during which match to go to the bathroom and then get another beer on Sunday. The basic story was that Taker couldn’t get Henry off his feet, finally doing so with a DDT. As slow and as plodding ! as you picture, complete with a bearhug spot. Simple finish, Taker wins after a chokeslam. Funny moment when a “Wake up Tazz” chant starts during the match, as Tazz did indeed look like he was taking a snooze.
Linear Mode
