Here are the reviews of the matches that happened on the Blue Brand.
Smackdown's Main Roster for 2006: The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle, Batista, Mark Henry, King Booker, JBL, Chris Benoit, Finlay, William Regal, Mr. Kennedy, Paul London, and Brian Kendrick.
I have to say Finlay is the MVP of the Blue Brand in 2006, helluva comeback from the Irishman.
World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle vs Mark Henry - Royal Rumble 2006
After missing most of 2004 & 2005, Mark Henry was pushed as a main event talent on Smackdown. He was not yet Hall of Pain, Mark Henry, but there were glimmers of it in this performance. His facial expressions at the beginning of the match were spot on. From Angle trying to takedown Mark, what are you doing little man. To cat & mouse, his frustration. Angle punches and the way he catches the fist and breaks him down and lays the badmouth on him. Hall of Pain Mark Henry is inside there. He throws Angle up onto the ropes twice. Splash gets two. This match is built around Mark Henry being able to break out of the Anklelock. Yes seriously! The announcers are acting like they have never seen this before. Are you fucking kidding me? I liked Angle getting the German because it is the underdog babyface getting the slam. But then to do Angleslam just cheapens it. It does not feel like he is respecting Henry's size. Angle then just blatantly cheats. Wicked chair shots that Henry sells like a champ. Then exposes the buckle and holds the rope. Henry fought an almost completely fair fight. This was basically Angle resigning himself to the fact that Henry was the better wrestler and he couldn't beat him without cheating. It was really strange. Mark Henry gave a good performance. The ending sucked out loud.
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Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio - WWE No Way Out 2006
There's nothing novel about this match, but I thought it was an excellent execution based on traditional wrestling fundamentals. I thought Orton gave an excellent performance of a despicable slimeball heel. Definitely one of his best performances of 2003-2007, wrestling was moving away from traditional heels, but Orton really did a great job in this one. He was so cocky in looming Rey over with his size and manhandling him. Those shit-eating grins were perfect. You really wanted to see him eat a boot to the face. That's exactly what you got out of the short Rey shine. Rey ended up crashing and burning on a reverse crossbody. Orton was just great at first with his clobbering assault. Rey got a nice hope spot in with a swift kick to the head. I thought Orton was great at bumping and selling in this match giving enough for Mysterio on offense throughout to make the comeback credible. Who is this Orton and why couldn't we get more of him? Off that hope spot, Orton powders and this leads him to catch Mysterio and smash him into the post. Rey did a great job selling the shoulder and Orton was tenacious and violent working it over. I cant believe Im writing this but this was a superb Orton heat segment and it was not just because of Mysterio's selling and hope spots. Orton was great on offense and great bumping for the hope spots! Honestly, thought the Rey comeback starting with a sunset flip from the top rope was a little tepid and there was a miscommunication on at least one spot. Mysterio did seem to draw some blood hardway. I don't think it built to too much of a fever pitch. Orton's dropkick of Mysterio's coming off the top was fucking awesome! That actually could have been a badass highspot early but this late into the match I thought it was too easily blown off and lost some of its consequence. Mysterio avoids the RKO and Orton avoids the 619. Orton schoolboys Mysterio and wins his spot at WrestleMania. What a fucking punk move!
First 2/3s was awesome perfect Orton heel performance and Rey Rey was consummate babyface. Just didn't feel they kicked into overdrive in the finih. Thought the finish suited Orton's character perfectly. I would say a top 5 Orton match of all time. ****
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World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle vs Undertaker - WWE No Way Out 2006
If you are like me and couldn't remember how Angle ended up back on Smackdown, well it is simple when Batista got injured, he simply entered a Battle Royale and won the World's Heavyweight Championship. Undertaker and Angle are a really good pairing as they had a really good TV match back in 2003. Taker clearly is an MMA mark and loves rolling with guys like Angle and Brock. I think the style benefits Angle a lot. This is one of the last high touted matches of the era that I have yet to watch at least once. I thought Undertaker was awesome in this and looked to really be in high gear. I feel like 2004 and 2005 were down years for the Deadman but coming back to challenge for Angle's title here until the present day he more often than not looks good in his matches.
Loved his urgency right out of the gate. He was the aggressor at the beginning. Taking the fight to the champion and looking to win the championship. Angle powdered early but Taker did not lose focus. Loved Taker's posture and body language in this. Everything was about moving forward. Grabbed a headlock and did a great job converting from that base hold into working on the arm. Thought the arm work was great, focused and intense. Angle sold well, tried to break, but kept being overwhelmed so good struggle. Couple good Angle hope spots based around Undertaker missing charges. In both cases, they were fleeting with Undertaker not being denied and making quick comebacks against Angle. It really looked like Undertaker was going to run away with this early. He was hitting his spots and turning back everything Angle threw at him. So when he went for the chokeslam that's when the complexion of the match changed. Desperate, Angle kicked at Undertaker's knee, creating enough separation to clip the knee from behind. At the beginning, I thought the knee work was great. Using the post, loved the Bret Hart figure-4 around the post and Undertaker's selling was great. Undertaker looked like he was going to turn the tide again with a legdrop on apron, but caught into the Anglelock was great. Undertaker was able to take an Angle leg lace and counter into a Triangle choke, which was a good hope spot. Taker tried turning this into a brawl, which makes sense and leveraging his striking ability. Angle got a pop-up Angleslam through an announce table. Up until this point, I thought they were wrestling an absolute classic. The transitions were crisp, great urgency on Undertaker's part, lots of struggle and they were telling the story of Undertaker's strong desire to prove he is the better wrestler and how much he wanted to win this match whereas Angle had become desperate.
They lost it after the Angleslam and it became too much of a post-modern Angle match. The first misfire was Undertaker going to the top rope after the Angleslam through the table clearly just to set up Angle's run up the ropes Belly to Belly spot, which is lame. Then Taker hits a big boot anyway. Then comes the 8 million Anglelocks counters and reversals. I wouldn't mind it so much if he did not have the hold on for soooooooooo long before the counter. If it was constantly quick, like people could kinda feel it coming and before he can get set they countered that's one thing, it is this stupid is he going to tap or not and then roll through bullshit that's so lame. Way too easy getting in and out of the Anglelock and triangle. I am really bumming at this point because the first 2/3s was so damn good. Really dug the tombstone reversal spots into the Anglelock though that was neat-o, I will admit. The tenacity of wanting to put on the Anglelock is awesome. It is the sitting in the hold that sucks and kills the move. Loved the finish Angle gets a jackknife pin on a Triangle (again really didn't need the false drama of the arm raise).
The first 2/3rds was awesome. Undertaker killed it and was such an aggressive challenger. I thought Angle kept Undertaker honest made him earn it and worked leg well. They just fell into the trap of way too many Anglelocks and sitting in them. Good finish though keeps everyone strong. Interesting match that Undertaker's shine felt more like a heat segment that was building and building to a finish. Then Angle took over likewise. I thought the highspots were just right in terms of giving the oomph to the story. Just wished they didn't fall into the Kurt Angle match trap, which is hard when the match involves Kurt Angle. Coulda been somebody. ****1/4
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Rey Mysterio vs Finlay - Smackdown 3/24/06
I love these two. Finlay is such a bully and he finally has someone to bully in Rey. Stiff clotheslines, stiff kicks, the way he drove him into the apron all nasty. Things starts off chippy and Finlay just grinds Mysterio down. Mysterio over enough that he doesn't need a shine. In 2006, you know what Rey is about so I like this. Finlay is master of torturing his opponent. I really liked Rey first comeback sequence. Good strikes, nice split-legged moonsault (I usually hate that move). I liked when Finlay got out of the way of the 619, Rey hit a nice baseball slide. Finlay catches Rey in the apron skirt and kicks the hell out of him. Nice use of that Finlay spot. Finlay beats the tar out of Rey in the second heat segment. Awesome, awesome. Rey makes a comeback with a wicked kick to the head. It kinda falls apart here a little bit. Rey's comeback is not that hot. Then once he does hit 619, Orton hits an RKO when Rey is sprinboarding, Ref was busy with Finlay. Fun to see Finlay kick some ass and Rey sell his ass off. Worthwhile TV match. ***1/2
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World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton - Smackdown 4/7/06
These two have crazy awesome chemistry with one another. This is the first Smackdown after Mania XXII where Mysterio won the championship over Angle & Orton. I think Orton & Mysterio could have main evented on their own. I thought this was in the same ballpark as their great No Way Out match but with the feel good finish here putting this one slightly ahead.
They really establish Orton's size advantage early on. Orton was so good execution at this point in his career. You can see why a Bret Hart would look on him so favorably. Should tackle bowls over Mysterio. Love Orton dropping to a knee to hit a massive European Uppercut it really magnified size difference, Great throwdown on a wheelbarrow Bulldog attempt. First Rey hope spot is a Rana, Orton powders on 619, but eats a seated senton on the floor. In the ring, Orton gets a hold of Rey Rey and hits that backbreaker he did early in his career. Great use and application of the chinlock.
Best spots of the match were Orton's pinpoint accuracy of his anti-air dropkicks to Mysterio when Rey Rey tried to fly (once springboard and once off the top). Rey really dove into them and Orton was perfect in execution.
My one complaint was it did get a bit extended squash-y. Rey could have used a shine early or more hope spots that worked. It felt like too many cutoffs and too much Orton offense without Orton really progressing. Minor quibble.
Finishing stretch was good with Rey Rey making his comeback throwing some nice strikes. Wish he sold the eyepoke better, but really the comeback is supposed to be hot so Orton probably should have used it early. Liked Orton's mistake (charging into the post) to set up the 619 and then Orton having the presence of mind to feed for another 619 when Rey was ready to finish. That second 619 got a big pop. Some veteran instincts from Orton there! Drop a dime and the win.
Really awesome, babyface/heel TV match that no one talk about. Big, clean win for Mysterio. Orton was great in his offense and beatdown. Orton could have been a bit more scummy and Mysterio could have gotten a bit more shine. Just some minor stuff. These two had great chemistry and their matches are not talked about enough. ****
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Chris Benoit vs Finlay - Smackdown 5/5/06
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Chris Benoit vs William Regal - WWE Velocity 5/13/06
The Kings of Velocity! I love how these two can make chain wrestling so meaningful, not through just struggle but where it leads also. Benoit almost wrangles the Crossface, but Regal escapes, but in his haste gets nailed with an enziguiri. Benoit gets greedy looking for a German off the apron when he gave chase and takes a nasty DDT on the apron. Um guys it is Velocity, you don't have to go this hard, but if you insist. Creepy Benoit moment when Regal kicks his head up against the post and Benoit does glassy eyed sell. Regal is in control and is great with the nasty stretches. Benoit is great at peppering in hope spots like the chop to the head or the Sharpshooter and Regal is great at cut offs like the palm strikes to the head to avoid the Sharpshooter. Great struggle over suplexes down the line. Benoit counters the Butterfly Suplex and pounces with a Crossface. Just a great, short, heated TV match. ***1/2
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Chris Benoit vs Finlay - WWE Judgement Day 2006
Chris Benoit is wicked over despite his push being down for two years now. The same thing was true in WCW where he was not pushed very often. I think Benoit has to be the most over person ever in relation to how little talking charisma he had. He has a lot of body language charisma. He has the silent, violent asskicker vibe that definitely resonates. Of course, that's what makes him so difficult to watch is how violent he can be in the ring and it turned out he was even more violent in real life.
Intense and gritty. That's going to shock absolutely nobody. I think the deeper story here is Finlay is reacting to Benoit. Benoit is a great babyface because he is like the Russians at Stalingrad. He is always moving forward. He is going to fight through everything. On about a handful of occasions, we see Finlay completely overwhelmed by the fury of the Rabid Wolverine. I thought Finlay's reaction each time was perfect. He was always trying to break Benoit's momentum first by using the ref, then it was an eye poke, and then finally it was going outside trying to use foreign objects twice. Sometimes, he was successful, like that eye poke really gave him his first control segment. Other times, Benoit would blast through these distractions. I really liked that sense of tension they built.
I thought it was very lo-fi not a lot of highspots and when they happened they counted. Transitions mattered. Everything was laid in. Benoit looked ferocious in this match. Finlay had jumped Benoit by using a distraction and got a little cocky so he started to disrespect Benoit with some slaps to the face. BENOIT ROARED BACK WITH THE SLAP TO END ALL SLAPS! Like you need to see this slap. He SMACKED Finlay. Watching Finlay backpedal and Benoit just race after him and still chop him was so awesome. Finlay eyepoke gives us the first Finlay heat segment, which I thought was excellent all centered around the head and neck while maintaining wrist control. The Benoit hope spots were great. He gets the Rolling Germans, the first one is nasty like a deadlift and misses Diving Headbutt, both men are kinda out. Benoit goes for Sharpshooter, Finlay kicks out and heads to floor. Finlay is spooked at this point. He averted disaster twice. Now he wants chair so Benoit baseball slides chair into him. Benoit knows how critical the Diving Headbutt is so he goes back and hits it. He does not cover just once, but twice. Benoit makes the Diving Headbutt such an important spot. He does not just leave it. He goes back, gets it and when it does not get him the win, he tries another cover. Now Benoit is a little lost in kayfabe and needs to regroup and look for Crossface, but Finlay reverses into a Bret Bump in the corner and smashes him in the back of the head.
Second Finlay heat segment not as good as first. There were some wicked short arm clotheslines! It kinda meandered. It was intense. It felt like Finlay was torturing Benoit but it was NOT progressing. This is my criticism. Finlay was not escalating towards a win, he kinda stalled out. Benoit's selling was so good in all of this. Benoit gets an enziguiri and again Finlay freaks out and heads to outside and goes for Shillelagh, but Benoit gets a German on outside and does the Three Amigos inside as a tribute to Eddie. I also thought this was weird as Finlay bumps him off apron and actually starts to work over the arm. All of sudden Benoit gets an armbar takedown, great struggle over Crossface and Finlay taps.
Angle take note, the struggle should be to put on the hold not in the hold!!!!
Great character work by both men. Benoit was a machine in this looked awesome. Finlay was great as the sort of mirror heel Benoit and made good choices reacting to Benoit. Benoit's great understanding of psychology and selling was on display. Thought Finlay needed to escalate in his second heat segment and go for the win, thought build to finish was strange. The finish itself was great and how you ought to do a submission finish. Excellent intense encounter with strong storytelling and psychology from both men. I still think Akiyama/Taue is match of the year. ****1/2
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Kurt Angle vs Mark Henry - Judgment Day 2006
Much better stuff out of these two. Henry lays a little badmouth on Angle before the match. This is during the period where Angle both acted like a psychopath in the ring and was even more of a psychopath outside the ring. He really comes off an unhinged here at the beginning. I love it. Gives it a blood feud feel. Angle is out for revenge after Henry busted up his ribs real good (wearing tape). Loving the urgency from Angle just hurling his body at Henry. When Henry misses a seat drop he is right on him with a kick. Eventually all this running around leads to SPLAT when Henry RUNS over him with a shouldertackle. Damn. Henry beats the shit out of those ribs. With big slams. Angle gets some good hope spots like a DDT, a German and Angleslam. Anklelock countered, duh. Henry wants to splash him through announce table. But Angle gets up and is splashed up against post for the countout Henry victory. I would say that was the biggest victory in Mark Henry's career at this point. It looks like Mark Henry's gets injured right before the summer of 2006. They probably would have had Batista beat him like a drum around the horn in a revenge angle. Some real good stuff and not just Mark Henry's big man stuff, dug Angle's intensity. ***
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WWE US Champion Finlay vs William Regal - GAB 2006
"Give me some skin, Teddy!" - Finlay
Finlay was in the midst of a feud with Bobby Lashley, but Lashley was suffering from elevated liver enzymes and so he is out and instead we get this gem. Even when their matches are unheralded you got to go out of your way to see a Finlay vs Regal bout. Not as good as their WCW wars, but this is still a hard hitting, badass affair. Now the fans do get restless and they end up chanting boring. I don't think it was due to bad workmanship per se, but the lack of a narrative. It is hard to call this a spotfest as there were almost no highspots. But there was no web between the spots. Regal was sort of playing de facto babyface, but they did not do a shine or a heat segment. They didn't get the fans invested in Regal. They went out and did a Regal vs Finlay match where they stiffed the hell out of each other. Yes, that appeals to me, but I don't think that would appeal to the broader audience. I actually thought they had a couple missed opportunities. This was during the time period where Finlay had the Little Bastard (aka Hornswoggle) under the ring. The first two times Regal got momentum, the Little Bastard was there to stunt it. The first time he was hitting Regal with a shillelagh and second time he bit his fingers. This could have led to great hand psychology from Finlay. Or they could have kept up with the narrative that Regal cant get anything going with that Little Bastard under the ring. JBL tells Michael Cole not to call him that because he may have parents. Turns out he was a bastard, the bastard son of Vince McMahon. :)
The finish was a typically creative, good one from these two. Finlay does his classic catch his opponent in the apron skirt. Regal comes out without one of his boots. Cole surmises that the Little Bastard must have taken it. Finaly stomps the foot and goes for the throat. Regal fires up and grabs the shillelagh. Little Bastard gives Finlay the boot and he waylays him for the win. This is a match that I clearly enjoy, but understand that it is tone deaf and lacked a narrative. ***1/2
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Chris Benoit vs William Regal - WWE No Mercy 2006
If it was anyone else, I would say this was a borderline disturbing match, but given what Benoit due in less than a year it crossed the line for me. This was very violent and JBL was having a damn orgasm over it. I love stiffness, but just seemed excessive at times.
This match is a combination of the two previous Velocity matches. Benoit is back after a six month sabbatical and this is his return match. They are amazing at chain wrestling. Regal into the body scissors was a fun spot. Benoit lights up Regal with some wicked chops and those cracks wake up the crowd. That first fucking headbutt. Oh my fucking God! Benoit really rammed his head. Regal is busted wide open. Benoit's mouth is bleeding. Holy shit! Diving headbutt on the cut. Goddamnit! They move way too quickly into false German spot to set up apron DDT. It is weird that spot comes from the second Velocity match and the headbutts come from the first Velocity match. I think DDT on apron is a great transition, but they moved too quickly. This match also lacked that great Benoit selling of the first Velocity match. Regal was not nearly as good as in the this heat segment as the first Velocity match. Benoit's chop to the head as a hope spot is great. Regal's verbal selling is awesome. JBL is having a helluva time. Benoit's struggle to get the Dragon Suplex was great and quick finish with the Crossface leads to the sick visual of Regal bleeding from the head and Benoit bleeding from the mouth.
Intense yes, but I thought the violence was gratuitous at times. Unlike the first Velocity match which felt like it was building to something and paid off well with Benoit overcoming the Regal onslaught to win. Here they pieced together their two Velocity matches ramped up the violence and Benoit's selling was not as good. I cant say part of me didn't enjoy this because there was great pro wrestling in here. Anything this intense is going to be gripping to watch, but I think the first Velocity match from 2005 is the classic from these two not this one. ***1/4
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WWE US Champion Chris Benoit vs Finlay - WWE Smackdown 11/24/06
As expected another tremendous match from these two. Not as good as their WWE MOTYC from this year, but another great TV bout. Loved Finlay's selling of Benoit's chops. The way he backpedaled and his facial expressions while Benoit just kept coming. Perfect use of eyepoke to stymie Benoit. Finlay just suffocated Benoit which is exactly what you need to do to the Rabid Wolverine. The German suplex, dive outside the ring were a pair of good hope spots to send us into the break. I thought the transition to real heat was great. Benoit gives chase and Finlay shoves Benoit into the steps drawing blood from kidney. Very desperate, very real. Finlay targets the leg and tortures it. Really good half crab. Liked Benoit's hope spot of Sharpshooter attempt but Finlay picks the leg and drags it out to the post for more punishment. My quibble is Benoit's use of six suplexes in his comeback when all that great leg work had happened. Chavo & Vickie distract allowing the Little Bastard (when Hornswoggle was cool) to give Finlay the shillelagh who whacks Benoit and hits Celtic Cross for win. Strong hard hitting match wished Benoit was a bit more creative on finish stretch and the finish was good did not really inspire me one way or another. ***3/4
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WWE Tag Champs London & Kendrick vs Hardyz vs MNM vs Regal & Taylor -
Armageddon 2006 Ladder Match
Armageddon 2006 Ladder Match
Fun fact: This was supposed to be London & Kendrick vs Regal & Taylor, but Teddy changed it right before the match. I hazard to guess a straight tag would be much better than this cluster fuck.
This got plenty of hype at the time and then faded into obscurity, which makes sense. It was a car wreck, but does not age well. Besides Mercury's face exploding, there is no real super Holy Shit spot. The energy level was not there. Regal & Taylor were the only ones attempting to add a story element with their being afraid of heights so they try incapacitate their opponents using a ground game to give them ample time to climb the ladders. MNM was just there, nothing noteworthy. London & Kendrick were great at eating offense and taking bumps onto ladders. I like their double stomp on Matt on the ladder. London & Kendrick could have been so much more. They felt like the Rock & Rolls meet the Hardyz. Two outstanding bumpers and sellers that can do the high-flying stuff and are wicked good looking. However, this is the match where pretty boys need to show their mettle. Like the Rockers in those bloodbaths against Rose&Somers, London & Kendrick needed to do more asskicking. The Hardyz were the best at offense. They were the blueprint for London & Kendrick. I felt like they overshadowed London & Kendrick because they were getting the offense that London& Kendrick should be getting. Plus Matt's right hand is sick. Finish was pretty lame. Sliced Bread No. 2 did not come off well and Kendrick looked like he almost died. Then there was no grand finale. It was just London and Matt fighting on ladder with Matt losing.
Meh. Which I feel bad about because there was a lot of pain felt here and Mercury's face became raw hamburger meat, but this did not do much for me.
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