Franchise

Barbershop - 8/10

Pretty funny

Yes! Greece won. Being 1/4 Greek i'm tremendously happy. They along with the Czezh's have really surprised me with how much they have improved.

This is great! If I may just echo everyone else's sentiments, longer results would be better. I'm sure that the farther you get into this the longer and longer the results will get. Great job!

Bulls- Gordon, Deng, and Duhon! Great picks by the Bulls, but know that I think about it some of those guys could be getting shipped to Boston! Remember the Bulls and Celtics were supposedly talking in getting Pierece to the Bulls, and Danny Ainge is slowiy killing the legacy of the Celtics. If Pierce comes over, they could send all 3 of these guys and either Chandler or Curry or both of those busts.

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Dear god I pray that's not true. He already traded 'Toine for that useless Lafrentz who got injured right away. Ricky Davis was good to trade for but he has attitude problems. I doubt that Ainge could be that retarded to also give up Pierce.

The ref was from Switzerland

←

Woops. I must've mis-heard the announcers. He's still a fucker.

Jameer got jobbed. He should've been at least a lottery pick. However it is an interesting coincidence(sp?) that the collegiate player of the year and high school player of the year will be teammates. I'm very happy with how my favorites the Boston Celtics have done. They got a couple steals in Al Jefferson and Delonte West because they needed a big rebounder and playmaker and that's what they got. If Dallas doesn't get Shaq after all these moves I would be very surprised.

Even though I like Czech to win it all I have to say that England got screwed today. Campbell's goal shouldn't have been disallowed. There was no foul whatsoever. The linesman had the clear view and made no call. That dumbass ref Meier couldn't see shit. There was also much bad luck with Rooney, their MVP of this tourney, breaking his foot and Beckham missing the PK. If it weren't for that fucking Swede there wouldn't have even been an overtime. So now that's Italy and England who were screwed by the Swedes.

NOT OVER YET

April 8, 2004

WWE.com has found out that General Manager Kurt Angle has extended the “Great American Tournament” with two semi-finals matches taking place on Thursday. Last week we saw Charlie Haas, and John Cena both win their respective qualifying matches. They will face each other in one semi-final match. The other semi-final match will feature John Bradshaw Layfield taking on Bubba Ray Dudley. The winners will advance to the finals next week.

We can also confirm that the WWE Tag Team Titles will be on the line. The Basham Brothers were awarded the title shot after defeating the champions last week in a non-title match. Despite the fact that Doug and Danny used their old switcheroo method. We could be seeing new tag champions after Thursday night.

That’s not all that’s going on. Rene Dupree left SmackDown disappointed that he was prohibited from entering the Great American Tournament due to being French. But Kurt Angle made a promise to the “French Phenom” that he would make it up to him. Will the GM keep his word? If he does, how will he make it up to Dupree? We hope to find out on Thursday.

Also, Booker T said that he and Kurt Angle had a business meeting last week and that they had big plans. He also sent out a warning to an unnamed person. What person was he speaking about? And what big plans does Mr. Angle have for the new addition to SmackDown?

As always there is a possibility that the “Special Attraction” of SmackDown! The Undertaker may appear. Will he show up in Cleveland Ohio on Thursday night? There’s only one way to find out for sure.

Tune in to find out the answer to all these questions and more Thursday night 8/7ct on UPN!

I called it.

The Czech's are going to be the Cinderella Story team.

I'm dissappointed to see Italy go. Especially since it came down to # of goals. However i feel that the Czech's are going to be the surprise of this tourney.

WWE RAW

April 5, 2004

Dayton, Ohio

Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler

The #1 Contender Is…

After the RAW intro General Manager Eric Bischoff’s music hits and he comes out even before the pyro could go off. His “Apprentice” Johnny Nitro is at his side. Nitro gets him a mic and the GM starts to speak.

Bischoff – Alright, tonight I have a very important announcement tonight to make and it’s regarding World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit. That’s right, I’m out here to announce who he’ll be defending his title against in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada at Backlash on April 18th. Now, after evaluating the top contenders and main event at WrestleMania, My choice has become clear. Therefore the #1 Contender to the title is none other than…

“Sexy Boy” hits the speakers as Shawn Michaels makes his way out to the ring dancing along the way. He grabs a mic.

HBK – Woah, woah, woah, Eric…

Before HBK could get out another word Evolution made their way out on the stage much to the chagrin of Michaels.

Triple H – Hold on a second there Eric. You see that piece of garbage in the ring with you is only out there to play politics with you. But I know you’re a very intelligent man, hell you made WCW! Yeah, that’s right. And as an intelligent General Manager I know you won’t ignore the fact that as the last man to hold the title I have a rematch coming my way. So let’s get this over and have you make Chris Benoit vs. Triple H at Backlash for the World Heavyweight Title official because my boys here got a couple of jabronis to beat.

HBK – Hang on just a second. Now that was a very nice speech Hunter but you conveniently left out some very important information. You see at WrestleMania XX you lost the match, not me. You tapped out to Chris Benoit.

At this point a “You tapped out” chant starts up.

HBK – Chris Benoit has never beaten me and that is why I deserve to be named #1 contender. So what’s it gonna be Bisch?

Bischoff – Alright, enough already. And that’s ‘Mr. Bischoff’ to you. I was prepared to announce a #1 contender but since you two want to do things the hard, that’s what we’ll do. So tonight in this very ring, it will be Shawn Michaels versus Triple H and the winner goes on to face Chris Benoit at Backlash for the World Title. And another thing, just so there’s no confusion, Johnny here is going to be the special ref for this #1 contender’s match. Good luck gentleman.

The ring and entrance area were cleared as Batista and Ric Flair made their way out for their match.

81%

JR – What a start to RAW! A blockbuster announcement by Eric Bischoff.

King – That’s right. It’s HBK vs. The Game with the winner going on to Backlash to face the Rabid Wolverine.

JR – But right now the tag team titles are on the line.

World Tag Team Titles Match - Flair & Batista © vs. Rosey & The Hurricane

The champions Ric Flair and Batista were already in the ring as Rosey and The Hurricane made their way out to challenge for the title belts. Ric Flair and The Hurricane started things off with Flair getting in a few woos after gaining the upper hand. We saw some of the classic chops from Flair to the chest of the super-hero but they were returned by the Hurricane. Flair would eventually regain control over the fellow North Carolinian and tag in the intimidating Batista. Hurricane was crawling towards his corner to tag in Rosey but Batista put a stop to that by putting the boots to the back of the super-hero. Evolution was in total domination of the tag team encounter. Batista and Flair were having fun with the cruiserweight. Flair was once again working on the Hurricane and beginning to grow frustrated that he couldn’t finish the match. He started to argue with the ref and even get into with a few audience members. The Nature Boy finally returned his focus to the match but was shocked to see that Rosey had been tagged in. The big man grabbed the 16 time world heavyweight champion and slammed him down. As Flair was getting back to his feet he connected with a low blow on the Super-Hero in training. This allowed Batista to come back in and he got in a stare-down with a man a little closer to his size. A slobberknocker ensued and pretty soon all four men were brawling in the ring. The match had erupted into a tornado tag. Flair and Rosey brawled in the ring while Batista and the Hurricane took it outside. Flair was being manhandled and the Hurricane was also in trouble. Batista backed Hurricane into the ring post and ran at him at full speed, but Hurricane ducked it! In the ring Rosey threw out Flair just as a groggy Batista was rolled back in the ring by Hurricane. Rosey tagged in the Hurricane and then, Rocket Launched him off the top rope onto Batista. Hurricane hooked the leg, ONE-TWO-THREE! The two super-heroes celebrated as the crowd went berserk. **

Winners & New Tag Team Champions – Rosey & The Hurricane

Notes - The World Tag Team titles have gained in image.

73%

:::ADVERTS:::

The Legend Killer

RAW returns in the locker room of Evolution where an enraged Ric Flair & Batista are trying to be calmed down by Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton.

Orton – Don’t worry about it guys. Everybody gets lucky. Shelton Benjamin got lucky when he beat Triple H last week and these guys are no different. Those titles will be back around your waists in no time.

Batista throws a lamp against the wall in a rage and walks out while Flair follows trying to calm him down. Triple H appears.

Orton – Hey Hunter, big night tonight huh?

Hunter – Yeah, and it better not go like that match they just had. What about you? Are you gonna kill off Foley once and for all so you can add another legend onto your hit list?

Orton – Oh yeah. I’ve officially excepted Mick’s challenge for Backlash and that will be the last night of his career. I pinned him at WrestleMania and I’m not going to have any problems doing it again.

Hunter – Try and get Batista under control. I want all you guys to have my back tonight.

Orton left following Triple H’s orders as The Game got prepared for his match later.

86%

Talking to the Champ

We went to WWE eXperience host Todd Grisham who was with World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit.

Grisham – Chris Benoit later tonight the man who you will face in your hometown at Backlash will be decided. There is no doubt you will be watching closely.

Benoit – Well you don’t know how right you are. Because later on tonight when Shawn Michaels and Triple H fight for the chance to face me I will be sitting with JR and the King to call the action and give my expertise on the match. I want to get a good look at who my opponent will be and also keep my eye on any outside interference because I know Johnny Nitro can’t handle that by himself.

85%

King – Benoit is going to be out here with us tonight JR!

JR – Well folks if you’re just joining us we’ve already seen new tag team champions here tonight and that huge main event still to come.

King – What else is going to happen tonight?

Non-Title Match - Victoria vs. Molly Holly

Victoria made her way out for a WrestleMania XX rematch against Molly Holly. Molly was wearing a wig to cover up her Sinead O’Connor hairstyle she received at the hands of Victoria. The title was not on the line in this particular match however. Molly started off by giving Victoria and open hand slap right to the face. Victoria lunged at Molly and they were both on the ground in old ECW catfight fashion. The ref attempted to break it up but he got mixed in as well with the divas. Eventually order was restored and the match finally started. Molly was showing ruthless aggression. She obviously wanted revenge on the women who cost her to lose her hair. Even though the title wasn’t on the line Molly realized a future title match could come from this. Victoria ducked a clothesline and connected with a stiff kick to the face of Molly that knocked her wig off. Molly rolled out of the ring and tried to get the wig back on. While that was going on Gail Kim ran down to the ring and attacked the Women’s Champion. The referee called for the disqualification. Molly joined in the attack making it 2 on 1. They were trying to rip Victoria’s hair right out of her skull. Lita ran out to the ring to make it 2 on 2 and with Victoria successfully fought off Gail Kim and Molly Holly. **

Winner – Victoria via DQ

Notes - Molly Holly lost overness from this match.

75%

:::ADVERTS:::

Paying The Price

The Hurricane and Rosey were in the locker room being congratulated by fellow wrestlers such as Tommy Dreamer, Tajiri, Lance Storm, and Maven. Then Edge walked into the picture to give his congratulations as well. We hear Ric Flair calling and then Batista walked in to see the celebration. He went crazy!

Batista – What the hell is this!

Edge whispers into Tajiri’s ear…

Edge – Look at Donkey Kong over there.

Tajiri laughs and Batista turns his attention to him.

Batista – You think its funny punk!

Edge – Hey, lay off man.

Batista – You’re right, I just need to relax.

Edge turns his back as Batista goes to leave but Batista returns and attacks Edge! A brawl ensues in the locker room. Ric Flair finally appears and the wrestlers are attempting to break up the fight. Edge and Batista are really going at it. The fight pours out of the locker room and road agents appear to aid in separating the two. They’re successful in doing so but Edge and Batista are screaming at each other as they’re being pulled apart.

71%

King – Did you see that JR. Edge should no better than to make jokes about Batista.

JR – Well Batista is obviously disappointed after losing the tag titles earlier tonight and he’s taking it out on Edge. I’ll tell ya what, that Batista is a real hoss.

Chris Jericho vs. Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy made his way out to a decent pop. His two Matt Facts this week were, “Matt should have his own talk show” and “Matt loves Spring Break”. Chris Jericho came out with a bit of a modified theme song and a new entrance video with a look similar to his “Highlight Reel” set. The match began with Hardy getting out to an early advantage. He surprised Jericho with some hard right hands and kicks to the midsection. Matt scored a big dropkick for a near fall early on. Y2J appeared to be not completely focused on the match tonight and it was clear that Trish Stratus and Christian were affecting him. Hardy continued to go to work mainly focusing on the lower back region of Jericho. Y2J was at the mercy of the founder of Mattitude. But the momentum swung the other way when Jericho nailed an enziguri out of desperation. Both men were nearly counted down for 10 but Jericho got back to his feet with a second wind in him. Jericho was no hitting some of his signature moves and taking back the match. He planted Hardy with a bulldog for a near fall. He followed it up with the Lion Sault but Hardy moved out of the way and the referee took the shot to the face! Hardy hit the Side Effect on Jericho and covered but there was no ref. Hardy attempted to bring the ref back to a conscious state but had no success. Y2J took this opportunity to apply the Walls of Jericho! Hardy was tapping out immediately. But still the referee was out cold. At this point a man came in from the crowd and knocked Jericho in the back of the head with a kick. We then saw it was Christian! He picked up Jericho and planted him with the Unprettier. The ref was finally moving at this point. Christian dragged Matt over Y2J and the ref counted 1-2-3! Christian ran away through the crowd as Matt had pulled off the upset. ***

Winner – Matt Hardy

Notes - Chris Jericho lost overness from this match. Matt Hardy gained overness from this match.

88%

:::ADVERTS:::

Kane Warns Bischoff

As RAW returns we see Johnny Nitro leaving Eric Bischoff’s office to go get a referee’s shirt. Then Kane walks in and sends fear into the General Manager with a warning.

Bischoff – Kane, hey. What can I do for you?

Kane – Why the hell didn’t you put me in the #1 contender’s match tonight? You don’t think that I’m good enough? I can beat Chris Benoit for the World title.

Bischoff – I believe you. But the match is already signed.

Kane – If things don't start going my way then the reign of terror on RAW will begin. Ha ha ha ha.

Kane walked out as Bischoff was left holding his chest and breathing heavily.

86%

JR – Well Kane, sending a message that a “reign of terror” is impending on RAW. What the hell does he mean by that King?

King – I have no idea and don’t really want to find out either.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Garrison Cade

Shelton Benjamin who has been on a hot streak as of late with a pinfall victory over Triple H made his way out to face Garrison Cade. Cade on the other hand had been struggling as of late and was looking for the win to end his losing streak. Both men were pretty evenly matched as far as size and age were concerned. Cade started off with a handshake offer but Shelton knew better and attacked with kicks to the gut of Garrison. Benjamin pushed Cade into the ropes and whipped him across. A back body drop by Shelton put down the cowboy. Shelton followed up with a leg drop to the back of Cade’s head. That was a devastating looking move. A near fall followed the move. Garrison was in dire trouble of losing yet another match. In fear of losing Cade went to the outside where he looked for a steel chair. This move lured out Shelton and Cade didn’t take the chair at all. Instead he clobbered Benjamin with a hard right hand and smashed his head into the guardrail. After a short series of events Garrison had wisely taken control of the match and brought it to his pace. Now Benjamin was in danger of having his winning streak terminated. After an Irish whip off the ropes Shelton got nailed with a big time DDT from Cade. That was almost as nicely executed as Arn Anderson. Cade motioned to the crowd that it was over and made a cover for the 1-2-2 count only! He was in shock. He got in the ref’s face and that rookie mistake allowed Shelton to roll him up for ONE-TWO-NO! Close but no cigar that time. Cade went for a clothesline but it was ducked and Shelton connected with the Super Kick. The cover was made for the 1-2-3 and the win streak continues. *¼

Winner – Shelton Benjamin

Notes – Garrison Cade and Shelton Benjamin didn’t ‘click’ in this match-up. Maybe due to their mis-matched skills causing their styles not to gel.

68%

JR – King, what about Shelton Benjamin? Undefeated since coming to RAW.

King – He’s on a lucky streak. That’s all. It will come to an end eventually.

Debuting Next Week…

A vignette for a man named “Eugene” airs saying that he will be making his debut on RAW live next week from Minneapolis, Minnesota. We do not see any images of “Eugene” however do here music that sounds like it’s from a Pee-Wee Herman show and the “G” in Eugene was spelled backwards. We also hear from a voice, presumably Eugenes.

Eugene - Hello! My name is Eugene.

70%

:::ADVERTS:::

King – Well this is it JR. It’s time for Triple H vs. HBK

JR – We’re about to find out who will go onto Backlash to fight for the ultimate prize.

#1 Contender’s Match – Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels

HBK came out and was clearly the crowd favorite in the heartland of America, Dayton, Ohio. The Game came out by himself with his trademark water bottle and did his usual entrance routine. The crowd was all over him and a commercial break was taken just before the bout was started. As we returned from the adverts the match was already in progress. We were shown a clip of what happened during the break and saw that Triple H had clipped the knee of the Heart Break Kid. That was what the former champion was focusing on for the match. It was a wise gameplan because if he took away the leg of Michaels then he would also take away the sweet chin music. Triple H was wrenching away at Shawn’s leg every chance he got. We saw him take Shawn into the corner ring post and wrap his legs around. Hunter applied the figure four around it much like Bret “The Hitman” Hart used to do. The ref eventually threatened to disqualify Hunter and broke the hold using force. The Game was in total control. Chris Benoit was noting that even though he hates Triple H he admitted he was using a great gameplan. Triple H then went for a running knee drop but Michaels rolled out of the way. This gave HBK the chance he needed to get back in the match. However he was too slow in getting to his feet and Triple H put him down with a spinebuster. A cover for the 1-2-2 count followed. We were now at least 10 minutes into the match but somehow Michaels was hanging in there. The game locked in his good friend Ric Flair’s figure four in the dead center of the ring. Michaels was in a tremendous amount of pain. But the fans started to chant “HBK, HBK” and Shawn managed to flip the figure four over. It didn’t take long for Hunter to break the hold but the damage was done somewhat. Both men were crawling around and trying to get to their feet. Benoit came down at this point saying that he wanted a closer look. Johnny Nitro spotted him and they got into it in the aisle. Randy Orton came out of the crowd and had a steel chair in his hand he hopped the rail and was trying to give it to Triple H. But then Mick Foley made his way out of the crowd in Cactus Jack gear and attacked Orton. The steel chair was in the ring and Hunter grabbed it. Foley and Orton brawled into the crowd. Hunter turned to nail Shawn but he was met with Sweet Chin Music that sent the chair into his face! Benoit backed off and Nitro ran into the ring. Michaels draped his arm over Hunter and the ref counted ONE-TWO-THREE! Shawn Michaels had won the #1 contendership. RAW came to an end with Chris Benoit applauding Shawn Michaels who made a motion showing he wanted the belt. ***¾

Winner – Shawn Michaels

87%

JR – Shawn Michaels is going to Backlash against Chris Benoit. By gawd, what a night!

Overall – 79%

Nielsen - 5.6

I'm not a fan of the look of this diary but everything else is pretty good. Keep it up!

Street Fighter - 4/10

Horrible adaptation of the game.

NUMBER 1 CONTENDER?

April 5, 2004

WWE.com has learned from Eric Bischoff’s “Apprentice”, Johnny Nitro, that Chris Benoit’s opponent for Backlash on the 25th of this month will be named tonight. Who will be chosen as the man to go for the World Heavyweight Title in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada? The top candidates would obviously have to be Triple H and Shawn Michaels who were a part of that grueling triple threat main event at WrestleMania last month. Which one of them deserves it more? Or does Bischoff have someone else in mind?

Just a few weeks ago Edge returned during the Draft Lottery by spearing the General Manager Eric Bischoff. That wasn't a very wise move because last Monday Bischoff has said Edge will have to pay the price for his actions. How does the GM plan on going about this? What price will Edge have to pay?

The war between Randy Orton and Mick Foley is not over yet. The Intercontinental Champion and self proclaimed, “Legend Killer” won the battle at WrestleMania with a sudden pin on Foley. This is a feud that has been raging on since June of 2003 and there is no end in sight. However just recently Mick requested a one on one match with Orton. We have yet to hear a response to the challenge but maybe we’ll learn more this Monday.

The World Tag Team Titles will be on the line. Ric Flair and Batista representing Evolution will be defending their title belts against the super-hero duo of Rosey and The Hurricane. The speech that The Rock gave to the challengers calling them, “Hamburgler and Grimace” may have lit a fire under them. There big chance comes on RAW when they face the legendary Ric Flair and monster Batista.

Also, the soap-opera like triangle of Chris Jericho, Christian, and Trish Status just gets more confusing every week. Christian and Stratus are apparently “in love” and are destined to end Jericho’s career. We have seen that they will stop at no means to accomplish their goals. However Y2J is not one to back down that easily. Much like the Randy Orton/Mick Foley war, this doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.

Find out the answer to all these questions and more this Monday night at 9/8ct on Spike TV!

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure 7.5

I never get tired of seeing it.

RAW Writer’s Meeting

April 05, 2004

12:00 pm

The RAW writing crew of Brian Gewirtz, Michael Hayes, and Ed Koskey were present along with Creative Director Stephanie McMahon to discuss the future for the RAW brand.

Stephanie – Alright gentleman. The first topic on our agenda is the Eugene character. We have to be very careful with the way we portray his character on TV.

Koskey – I think that the vignette that we aired on him on Heat was good. He could debut this Monday night and we’ll introduce him as Eric Bischoff’s “special” nephew as planned.

Gewirtz – In my opinion he should be more of a wrestling rainman than just a “special” person. We can’t let his character overshadow his in ring abilities.

Stephanie – Excellent point, if there’s one thing about him we want to exploit it’s that he can wrestle with the best of them.

Hayes – Stephanie, we have a big problem with our tag team division. There are only two real tag teams, La Resistance and Hurricane/Rosey. Even though Batista/Flair are the champs their better as singles wrestlers. We need to do something about this.

Koskey – I know two guys who would make the perfect team. Their both on our roster and have been a successful team before.

Gerwitz – We could also bring up some talent from OVW to make a new team. There are some guys who are just about ready to be called up.

Hayes – We could team up Tajiri and Kenzo Suzuki. They would be like Kyo Dai but on RAW and that could also lead to a feud between them in the future.

Stephanie – Alright, we’ll work on strengthening the tag team scene. But Backlash and we haven’t announced any matches yet.

Hayes – First of all Chris Benoit needs a match for his world title. Who would make his best opponent?

Gerwitz – Shawn Michaels and Triple H could have a triple threat rematch from WrestleMania with him. We could bill it as “The Final Encounter”.

Koskey – I doubt people would pay to see a triple threat rematch. We should choose HBK. With the show being in Canada his heat would be off the charts.

Stephanie – At least we can narrow it down to one of those two. How about Edge? He just returned and needs a good feud to get him back in the fans minds.

Gerwitz – Edge vs. Christian might work unless the Jericho feud is still going to be continued.

Koskey – I think that Edge makes a great World Title contender.

Hayes – It’s too early to have him main event. Especially after just returning after a year off. Kane is a guy who doesn’t have much going on right now. They could have a match.

Stephanie – I have spoken to Kane about an upcoming feud so he’s out. But let’s move onto Shelton Benjamin.

Koskey – Shelton definitely needs to be on the card after pinning Triple H.

Hayes – A member of Evolution makes the best opponent for him.

Gerwitz – I’m not sure who his opponent should be but no matter who it is Shelton should get the win.

Stephanie – Alright, at least we have a few matches in mind and maybe one will even be announced tonight on RAW. Right now there are some unused talents who I have to speak with Johnny Ace about.

As was seen in the SmackDown! writing meeting Vince McMahon wasn’t present again which is showing that he is slowly letting control of the company go to his kids, or at least one of them.

That draw with Latvia was just humiliating for Germany. There lucky they didn't lose.

The Importance of Bein Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Maybe considered a short story.

Vida's an average looking Latina woman with massive implants and a nice ass. A nice ass isn't enough to get you into the otp 100 looking women on the planet. In some pics Vida looks a bit shemale-ish in the face, your sig being one of them

Eva Mendez or Shakira totally shame her.

←

I'm not even going to dignify that with a response.

This is not a response.

No Particular Order

WWF No Mercy

WCW/nWo Revenge

NBA 2K1

Streets of Rage 2

Mortal Kombat

Street Fighter II

World Series Baseball 95

Donkey Kong Country

Grand Theft Auto III

Star Fox/Halo ***Tie***

Those are 10 games that I remember having played non-stop throughout my life.

EDIT - 100th Post!

No Vida Guerra makes that list void.

Spaceballs - 10/10!

The Hill/Okafor for Shaq trade would never happen for cap reasons and it's too ludicrous to happen anyway. But the thought of T-Mac and Shaq on the Magic is nice.

WWE SmackDown!

April 1, 2004

Tuscon, Arizona

Hosts: Michael Cole & Tazz

Cole – Ladies and gentleman welcome to what is sure to be a memorable night! GM Kurt Angle has announced the “Great American Award”…

The GM’s music blasts over the speakers as he makes his way out to the ring with a microphone in hand.

What Makes a “Great American?”

Kurt Angle stepped in to the ring after a round of “You Suck” chants during his entrance and began to speak.

Angle – Tonight is going to be the night that the first ever “Kurt Angle Great American Award” Winner is decided. Now you’re all probably asking yourselves what is a Great American? It is a person who best exemplifies what a role model should be. It is a person who takes great pride in this land of opportunity. Someone who stands up for this country and would do anything for it. In other words, a person who is a lot like me. Hence the name, “Kurt Angle Great American Award”. The winner will be decided after a series of grueling matches tonight and will be named next week on SmackDown! There will be four matches tonight where I will evaluate the winners and then announce who I have selected as the winner. It is a great honor to win the award and I expect a 110% effort from all the superstars tonight. Let the games begin.

92%

"Great American Match" Billy Gunn vs. Charlie Haas

The very first match of the night featured Charlie Haas against Billy Gunn. Has has just recently started wrestling in singles competition due to his partner going to RAW where he has already experienced huge success. Can Haas also gain success on his own? Billy Gunn started off slowly as Haas took immediate control of the match. He unleashed a barrage of right hands on the man who had been with the WWE for over a decade now. Gunn wasn’t showing any signs of a comeback at all. Haas whipped Gunn into the ropes and then dropped him with a reverse elbow right to the jaw. It looked vicious! Charlie seized the opportunity and applied a Boston Crab to weaken Gunn. Billy was in a tremendous amount of pain and reaching for the ropes with all his strength. However it was just too far away. He didn’t tap out though. He was showing the 110% effort that Angle wanted to see. Haas finally released the hold but the damage appeared to have been done. Gunn got back to his feet and hunched over in the corner of the ring. Haas saw the opportunity and ran at Gunn with an attempted avalanche but Gunn dodged it. Charlie’s head bounced off of the turnbuckle and he stumbled around to the center of the ring. Billy Gunn came of the ropes with a Fameasser but Haas managed to get a low blow in and roll up Gunn with a handful of tights for the 1-2-3. *¼

Winner – Charlie Haas

70%

Cole - Charlie Haas just stole a win right there but the ref didn’t see a damn thing.

Tazz – Well, the ref can’t call what he doesn’t see Cole. Big ups to Charlie Haas as he is the 1st of the 4 finalists who may be named the “Kurt Angle Great American.”

:::ADVERTS:::

Cole – The action is not stopping tonight Tazz.

Tazz – That’s right it’s time for another match in the Great American series.

“Great American Match” Hardcore Holly vs. John Bradshaw Layfield

Hardcore Holly made his way out to a surprisingly large pop from the crowd. Maybe the push against Lesnar wasn’t a mistake. The new and improved John Bradshaw Layfield made his way out with cowboy hat and a new theme song completing his character transformation. He towered over Holly as a stare down ensued after the opening bell. Both men were trading insults and Layfield pointed his finger at Holly which Hardcore took offense to and Holly threw the first few blows of the match. Bradshaw was reeling backwards and got whipped off of the ropes and was nailed with a picture perfect dropkick from Holly. A quick cover was made for a two count and JBL wisely rolled out of the ring to regain his composure. He got into with some fans at ringside and but took his focus back to the match and came back into the ring. Hardcore came at him but received a boot to the gut and elbow to the back of the head. In just one moment Bradshaw had completely changed the momentum of the match. He whipped Holly into a corner of the ring and followed it up with a big clothesline. Holly was still in the corner and received more punishment as JBL drove his knee into the guts of Hardcore. Holly didn’t appear to have much gas left in his tank as Layfield continued pummeling him. Suddenly though, a burst of energy was seen and Hardcore fought back with all he had. He then ran off the ropes but right into the Clothesline From Hell for the 1-2-3. *¾

Winner – John Bradshaw Layfield

70%

Tazz – An impressive win for John Bradshaw Layfield, a man who has been on a mission as of late.

The Dudleyz Make Demands

Cameras go backstage where The Dudley Boyz, and Rene Dupree are yelling at GM Kurt Angle for not being in the Great American Award Series tonight. Angle tells everyone to cool it and begins to speak.

Angle – Alright, now everybody just hold on one damn minute! I’m the General Manager and you don’t question my authority! Now Rene, you want to win the Kurt Angle Great American Award and I respect that. But you’re French, so you are prohibited from entering. However I will make it up to you, I promise.

Dupree leaves the office dissappointed.

Bubba Ray – Kurt, you’re not going to find any two guys who exemplify a Great American more than D-Von and me. You need to put us in the series tonight.

D-Von – Testifyyyy!

Angle – You know something Bubba, I have to agree with you. And I will grant your wish. There happen to be two slots left in the series and they go to you and D-Von. Good luck tonight.

Dudleyz – That’s all we wanted to hear. Thank you!

The Dudleyz go to exit the office but Angle starts to speak.

Angle – Oh, just so you know, your match is against each other. Good luck.

D-Von and Bubba looked at each other with confusion in their eyes as that was not what they had hoped for.

98%

Cole – Kurt Angle giving the Dudley Boyz more than they had bargained for.

Tazz – Haven’t they ever heard the saying, “be careful what you wish for?”

Billy Kidman vs. Sakoda w/Akio

Cruiserweight action was up next as Sakoda of Kyo Dai came out to the ring with his partner Akio accompanying him as he faced off against former Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman. Kidman was apprehensive early on because he knew that Akio was capable of interfering on his partner’s behalf at anytime during the match. So he started off slowly. Sakoda clearly held a greater strength advantage over the smaller Kidman and used his size intelligently. Kidman wasn’t allowed to wrestle his usual style of a cruiserweight match. Sakoda looked more angered than we had seen him. Possibly because he was out to prove that he and Akio didn’t need Tajiri to be successful. The match was plagued with constant interference from Akio on the outside. He would jump on the apron to cause a distraction or pull on Kidman’s leg any chance he could get. On one occasion he actually brought a steel chair into the ring! He was about to blast Kidman with it but the referee blocked it and ordered him to go back to the locker room. Akio took it upon himself to strike down the referee resulting in his partner’s disqualification. However the assault did not stop there. Kyo Dai began double teaming the helpless Kidman and looked as if they were trying to end his career. Paul London ran out from the back and rushed to help his friend fight off the Japanese cruiserweights. Kidman and London stared at Kyo Dai in the aisle as we went to a commercial break. ¾*

Winner – Billy Kidman via DQ

54%

:::ADVERTS:::

Thuggin’ & Buggin’ on SmackDown!

SmackDown! Came back with a shot of Theodore Long walking backstage. This was his first appearance since being sent to SmackDown! In the draft lottery. He walked into a locker room full of wrestlers where he made a speech.

Long – Let me preach a li’l sumthin’ sumthin’ to ya'll fellas. I know you all saw how I brought a couple nobodies to success back on RAW with Thuggin’ and Buggin’ Enterprises, believe dat playas. But I have been sent here to SmackDown! and I don’t see nuthin’ but white boys. Don’t get me wrong though, cuz I love a challenge, believe dat. So let me holla at ya. I’m letting the message out right now that while the GM Kurt Angle may be doing his search for the next “Great American” I’m doing a li’l search of my own for another great. That’s right, I’m talkin’ bout the “Great White Hope”. So spread the word out to all the crackers here that the search for “Theodore Long’s Great White Hope” has officially begun. Now believe dat!

Notes - Theodore Long gained overness from this segment.

75%

Tazz – Teddy Long, is here on SmackDown! and he’s looking for the “Great White Hope”.

Cole – Well right now the Bashams are set to take on the champs in a non-title match but if they win it could lead to a match for the belts.

“Non-Title Match” Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty vs. The Basham Brothers

The Bashams came out with smiles on their faces as they knew that a win tonight could lead to an opportunity to regain their titles. Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty made their way out with the title belts in hand and did their usual dancing on the way out. Rikishi started things off for the champs and Doug and Danny didn’t want any part of the 400-pound Samoan. The referee threatened that they would have to forfeit the match and that got the action underway between the two teams. Rikishi dominated Danny Basham who couldn’t get in any offense and forced a tag into Doug Basham. The scenario was the same as Rikishi continued to demolish the Bashams single-handedly. Doug and Danny asked for a time-out on the outside as they huddled together and seemed to come up with a plan. Rikishi went after them to break it up and he threw the wrong brother back into the ring. No one seemed to notice and the match went on. Rikishi dragged Danny into the corner and repeatedly squashed him. Scotty 2 Hotty was tagged in and that was when the champions made their mistake. Danny Basham was able to actually mount a comeback against the undersized Scotty and momentum was swinging the way of the Basham Brothers. Quick tags were being made and Scotty was constantly being double-teamed. A sign of hope came when Scotty nailed Doug with a dropkick that sent him to the outside. He stopped the ref’s count and that allowed the Bashams to pull the switch. Now Scotty made his way out and unknowingly rolled the wrong Basham, Danny, back in. As Scotty got back in the ring he went to pick up Danny and the fresh man rolled him up in a small package for the three count! *¼

Winners – The Basham Brothers

Notes – The Bashams debuted their new gimmicks (cheaters), they got a positive response.

67%

:::ADVERTS:::

The Minor Leagues?

Booker T was in the back with Josh Matthews for an interview and he had a big smile on his face.

Matthews – Booker T, last week you were very dissappointed to be here but, we just saw you leaving General Manager Kurt Angle’s office and you’re all smiles. Can you tell us what went on in there.

Booker – Mr. Angle and myself had a little business meeting and we have big plans. Haha big plans. If you know what I’m talkin’ bout.

Matthews – Exactly what kind of plans do you mean?

Booker – These plans are so big that I cannot reveal them tonight. But, next week on SmackDown! you’re going to have to watch and find out. I will say this though, a certain someone better watch their back because the 5 time, 5 time, 5 time, 5 time, 5 time! WCW Champion is coming for ya. Now can you dig that, sucka!

89%

Cole – Booker T saying that Kurt Angle and him have big plans. What is he talking about and who was he talking about?

Tazz – We’ll have to wait until next Thursday but right now it’s time for Dudley vs. Dudley.

“Great American Match” Bubba Ray Dudley vs. D-Von Dudley

The Dudley Boyz came out separately for their one on one encounter. It would mark the first time they would face each other in the WWE. We had seen the brothers go at it before in ECW many times of course. Surely there had to be some heat between the two after all the little things that happened in the last 5 years but nonetheless they shaked hands before the match began which showed a lot of class between them. After a couple of minutes gone by in the match not a single punch had been thrown. The Dudleyz were keeping it to a good clean wrestling match that we rarely see these days. No clear advantage was shown at all. These two brothers new each other so well and were so evenly matched up that it was a complete stalemate between the two of them. It seemed as if the match would go on forever but D-Von nailed a DDT that almost knocked Bubba out cold! He covered and hooked the leg for the 1-2-NO! A very near fall. D-Von followed it up and was now putting more of an effort into the match. It was clear that he wanted to win more than we originally thought. Bubba got knocked down with a clothesline and D-Von went up to the top for the diving headbutt but Bubba Ray managed to roll out of the way in the nick of time. D-Von was groggy as he got back up to his feet and Bubba spun him around hooked the full nelson up and planted D-Von with the Bubba Bomb for the One-Two-Three. After the match Bubba helped his brother up to his feet and both men embraced each other. They left together like a team showing no hard feelings. **

Winner – Bubba Ray Dudley

Notes – The Dudley Boyz lost overness from this match.

65%

Cole – The Dudley Boyz not holding back against each other and showing a lot of class.

Tazz – No doubt Cole, I’ve seen those two go at it before and I was a bit surprised that things didn’t get out of hand but a good clean match.

:::ADVERTS:::

Latino Heat Won’t Back Down

Eddie Guerrero appeared on the Titantron and he was appearing from his home in El Paso, Texas via satellite as it was time for an interview with the WWE Heavyweight Champion.

Cole - Eddie, I have just been informed that Kurt Angle has said he will be announcing a #1 contender to your title in two weeks. How do you feel about that?

Guerrero – Hola le vato! You know, Kurt Angle our General Manager is a guy who has it out for me. Ever since I beat him at WrestleMania XX and embarrassed him in front of all those New Yorkers. So I know that he’s going to really be trying hard to get the championship off of me. But it doesn’t matter who he picks holmes, cuz I’m on top of the world right now essa. I have achieved my dream of becoming WWE Champion by beating a guy twice my size. Nobody gave me a chance but I proved them wrong. I’ve overcome my demons to be together with my family and for once in my life, I’m happy holmes. I truly feel pleased with myself. Nothing can bring me down from the high I have as the champ. And Kurt Angle you better be plotting and scheming. You better pick your best contender because when I defend my title, I will lie, cheat, and steal like only Latino heat can do. Hola le!

Notes – Eddie Guerrero gained overness from this segment.

92%

:::ADVERTS:::

“Great American Match” John Cena vs. The Big Show

The main event of the evening was the fourth and final match in the Great American Series. It was also a rematch from WrestleMania XX where the Dr. of Thuganomics, John Cena, defeated the massive Big Show to capture the United States Championship and his first ever WWE title. The Big Show had a terrifying look on his face that struck fear into the announcers. He obviously wanted to get some revenge for his loss he suffered. Cena did his usual freestyle rap on the way out talking about the Big Show in a way which only angered the monster even more. As soon as Cena entered the ring wearing his Emmit Smith Arizona Cardinals jersey he was assaulted. Even before he could take off his belt the Big Show began pouncing on him. The huge hands of Show were clobbering the U.S. Champ. Cena finally got a thumb to the eyes of Show which allowed him a break to take off his jersey. Cena ran back at the monster but got dropped with a huge clothesline. Show then proceeded to drop an elbow onto the chest of Cena. He covered a got a near fall just like that. The champion was surely not looking good out there and things were going the Big Show’s way. This was really a one sided affair and completely opposite to the encounter between the Dudley Boyz earlier on. Show lifted up Cena with a gorilla press and just tossed him over the tope rope to the floor putting him at the feet of the announcers. Cena was nearly counted out but Show stopped the count by going to the outside and applying a bear hug. With Cena in his grasp the giant rushed into the ring post and could’ve broken the back of our United States Champion. Instead of accepting a count out victory the Big Show rolled his opponent back into the ring and went for the pin but Cena got his foot on the ropes. Show didn’t see it and he acted as if he had won. When the ref explained what happened Show turned around and was met with a series of right hands from the reenergized John Cena. Show was rocking and reeling but nailed a big boot out of nowhere. He went for Cena’s chain in the corner of the ring and was hiding it from the ref. Big Show went to nail the U.S Champ but missed! Cena hoisted the behemoth on his shoulders and planted him with the F-U! 1-2-3. And Cena picked up the win. After the match Cena went to get his U.S Title when he was attacked from behind. The Big Show rammed his head into the announcers table. The he removed the TV’s and other equipment leaving the table empty. Tazz and Michael Cole were backing up in fear. Show choked out Cena with his own chain! Then he grabbed Cena by the neck and hoisted him high in the air for a chokeslam right through the table! A shot of John Cena’s limp body was shown as SmackDown! went off the air. *¼

Winner – John Cena

76%

Overall – 75%

Nielsen – 6.2

THE GREAT AMERICAN AWARD

April 1, 2004

General Manager Kurt Angle has already made some blockbuster moves since coming to SmackDown to improve the show. He has informed us that we will see his next move come into play this Thursday night when he plans to award one SmackDown superstar as the "Great American". We are unsure of the details but we know it will consist of a series of matches where the winners advance in a tournament-like fashion. The Great American Award shows that Angle truly does want to make his brand all that it can be.

The Dead Man is back and with Paul Bearer at his side he is greater than ever. However he is a "Special Attraction" of SmackDown! therefore it is not always known if he will be present. General Manager Kurt Angle has said he will not be afraid to exercise his authority into forcing The Undertaker to appear. Will Taker be in the house come Thursday night? Tune in and find out.

John Bradshaw Layfield is a man who has certainly had a change in his persona as of late. Ever since his former APA partner Ron Simmons was fired he has been bragging about how he's rich and better than everyone. There is no doubt that he is successful, as he is a regular correspondent for Fox News and also released his book, "Have More Money Now", which tells about his success and how you can achieve it. We hope to learn more about his change in demeanor.

Also, just last week Booker T made his debut on SmackDown! after being traded along with The Dudley Boyz for Triple H. However he was clearly very dissappointed about the news and proclaimed that, "Smackdown is the minor leagues." WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero took offense to that and got into a brawl with Booker. How will the other superstars respond to Bookers declaration? What will Rob Van Dam think of his former partner?

Speaking of Eddie Guerrero, the champ has been riding on the top of the mountain since No Way Out! He will definitely be in the house and is surely looking out for possible contenders to his title. He knows as the champion that he has a bulls-eye on his chest and with his nemesis Kurt Angle as GM the odds have to be stacked against him. What's next for the WWE Heavyweight Champion?

Find out the answer to all these questions and more this Thursday night at 8/7ct on UPN!

- smackdown.wwe.com