Smackdown

Card Information:
 Held in: BISMARK CIVIC CENTER
Location: NORTH DAKOTA, UNITED STATES
          on May 2004 at 8:00pm

Interview:
An injured commish...
Click here to see highlights.

William Regal, out of action as a result of the cage match, strikes a deal with
Jeff Jarrett to keep both men happy.


Two-out-of-three-Falls Match With Captain's Rules:
Matt Hardy, Jamie Noble and Dean Malenko beat
Hurricane Helms, Tajiri and Brian Kendrick 2 falls to 0:
         x M. Hardy beat Hurricane via the Michinoku Driver in 0:02:48
Rating: ***
[Nidia interfered against Tajiri.]
[Nidia interfered against Hurricane Helms.]

With Helms as the face team captain, his getting pinned saw the match end
almost straight away.  This gives a major advantage to Matt Hardy going into
Judgment Day.


Four Corners Match:
a.P.a. defeated Los Guerreros, Kaientai and The Basham Brothers:
         x E. Guerrero beat Michinoku via the Frog Splash in 0:35:48
         x Chavo beat Danny via a power bomb in 0:40:02
         x Bradshaw beat Chavo via the Clothesline From Hell in 0:50:24
Rating: ***

Although Los Guerreros dominated, the aPa got the win.  Bradshaw and Simmons
will face Eddie and Chavo in a regular tag match at Judgment Day.


Interview:
Words from the Champion...
Click here to see highlights.

The Ultimate Warrior gives another one of his 'unique' promos regarding the
bout with Hulk Hogan at Judgment Day.


The Big Show pinned Shawn Michaels with the Showstopper in 0:05:49.
Rating: *** 1/2

Show took out Michaels in fairly short order by brutalizing HBK.  Will that be
enough in the ladder match though?


Elimination Match:
Sting, Edge, Mick Foley and Rob Van Dam beat
Degeneration X, Kurt Angle and Lance Storm 4 falls to 1:
         x RVD beat Angle via the Five Star Frog Splash in 0:14:36
         x X-Pac beat RVD via a bodyslam in 0:16:42
         x Sting beat HHH via the Scorpion Death Drop in 0:25:40
         x Edge beat L. Storm via the Edgeacution in 0:32:22
         x Sting beat X-Pac via the Scorpion Death Drop in 0:38:38
Survivors: Sting, Edge, Mick Foley
Rating: ** 3/4
(Scott Hall no-showed.)

A nice chance to see a number of superstars that don't get as much exposure
as they maybe deserve.

Despite being billed as DX, Triple H and X-Pac insisted that there were no
plans for a long-term reunion.  Pac was in fact only filling in for an injured
Scott Hall.


Interview:
The Nature Boy...
Click here to see highlights.

Ric Flair talks trash about The Rock.


Chris Benoit and Jeff Jarrett defeated Brock Lesnar and Rey Mysterio when Benoit
 defeated Rey Rey by disqualification in 0:04:23.
Rating: ** 1/4

Rey Rey got a little too excited, which led to the rather quick DQ.


No-Countout-No-DQ-Match:
Ted DiBiase defeated The Rock when The Rock passed out in the
Million Dollar Dream in 0:04:00.
Rating: ***
[Ric Flair interfered against The Rock.]

The steel chair shot from Ric Flair knocked out Rock, not the Million Dollar
Dream.  Flair and DiBiase stole one from the People's Champ.



Card rating: ** 3/4


Match observations: 

A fairly good night of action, which saw Ted DiBiase defeat the Rock yet again,
thanks to blatant interference from Ric Flair.  The Nature Boy could well be
getting a psychological advantage over Rocky, but that could simply lead to him
receiving a much bigger ass kicking when the time comes for them to fight.

Jeff Jarrett may well get his chance to earn a title shot, when he faces Brock
Lesnar at Judgment Day.  Jarrett had better hope that he gets by Lesnar, as we
all know what happened to the last guy who didn't do what Regal asked him to
do!

Shawn Michaels was demolished by The Big Show tonight.  If Show can do that
again to HBK at Judgment Day, all he'll have to do then is fend off Nash, while
Ted DiBiase goes up and gets the belts.  

The announcement of the huge tag match for the next Smackdown came as somewhat
of a shock.  Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin versus Ultimate Warrior and Bret Hart
should be the biggest main event in the history of the show.  It should be an
absolute classic, and a sign of what's to come at Judgment Day.  But still, we
musn't forget what comes first.

Next Show: Raw