Smackdown

Card Information:
 Held in: FREEDOM HALL
Location: TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES
          on May 2005 at 8:00pm

Interview:
The Hitman apologises...
Click here to see highlights.

Bret Hart says sorry for his actions on Raw, and is challenged by Triple H.


Christopher Daniels pinned Tajiri after a Frankensteiner in 0:08:33.
Rating: **** 1/4

Fantastic opener, which saw Daniels pick up the win.  Could he be in line for
a shot at the Cruiserweight Gold in the near future?


Evolution (Batista and Ric Flair) and Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho
 battled to a draw in 0:30:00.
Rating: ** 3/4

The thirty minute time limit prevented us from seeing a winner in this match,
but didn't stop the four competitors from brawling in the ring, and then out
through the crowd.


Interview:
A surprise match...
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Hollywood Hogan and Shane McMahon run into one another, leading to Hogan being
signed in a match with Kane.


Kane pinned Hollywood Hogan with the Choke Slam in 0:09:36.
Rating: ** 3/4
[Kurt Angle interfered against Kane.]

Kane picked up the victory over an unprepared Hogan.  Was Kurt Angle paid off
by DiBiase to interfere?


Triple H pinned Bret Hart after hitting him with a foreign object in 0:13:29.
Rating: **** 1/4

The Game picked up the victory over Bret Hart after using the sledgehammer on
him.  After the match, Triple H called Batista and Ric Flair to the ring, and
the three members of Evolution proceed to attack the Hitman, until Chris Benoit
and Chris Jericho ran down to make the save.


Interview:
Orton's target...
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Randy Orton lays down a challenge for Sting.


Booker T pinned Randy Orton with the Scissor Kick in 0:11:22.
Rating: ****
(Booker T retained the WWE Intercontinental Championship.)

The Booker Man retains the title against the Legend Killer.  After the match,
Sting appeared on the ring ramp, baseball bat in hand, apparently accepting
Orton's challenge for Judgment Day.


Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and Cactus Jack defeated
La Resistance (Rene Dupree and Sylvan Grenier) and Vader when Cactus Jack
 defeated S. Grenier when S. Grenier passed out in an abdominal stretch in
           0:07:28.
Rating: *** 3/4
Click here to see highlights.

La Resistance failed to take advantage of their chance to weaken the tag champs
here tonight.  After the match, Stone Cold and Vader were involved in a rather
intense staredown.



Card rating: *** 3/4


Match observations: 

An interesting night of action, with some rather good matches taking place.  We
got a chance to preview a couple of big Judgment Day matches in the main event,
as Cactus Jack showed us just how tough the abdominal stretch can be when it's
locked in correctly.  The fire between Stone Cold and Vader was also fuelled
substantially by this match.

Triple H was up to his old tricks here tonight, as he stole a victory against
Bret Hart.  The Hitman was nailed with a Sledgehammer right between the eyes,
and may well have got a few more shots from Evolution, had Benoit and Jericho
not rushed down to make the save.

Hollywood Hogan's comeback match ended in defeat tonight at the hands of Kane,
but there was a spot of help from Kurt Angle in determining the response.  It's
unclear as to whether Angle was sent down to attack Hogan by Ted DiBiase or
not, but one things for sure, Angle won't be as smug on Raw this Monday night,
when he gets to go one-on-one with Hollywood Hogan.

Booker T made another successful defence of the Intercontinental Title tonight,
and it's only a matter of time before we find out who he'll defend that gold
against at Judgment Day.  His opponent tonight, Randy Orton, is apparently on
a collision course with Sting, as the Legend Killer looks to avenge a defeat
by the Stinger in a tag match just a few weeks ago.

Next Show: Raw