By Christian Harris

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Our first match is the Royal Rumble from January 29:

We start with Rey at #1 and Triple H at #2. Rey hits some kicks and a springboard cross body block, followed by a headscissors. He mounts HHH for 10 punches in the corner, hits a springboard dropkick, and misses the 619. Simon Dean is #3 on the DeanMachine~! He works over Rey as HHH stands by. Dean throws Rey over the top, but he’s not eliminated. HHH turns down Dean’s offer of a high 5, and Rey and he eliminate the fitness instructor together. Rey hits a Bronco Buster, as Psicosis is #4. He too immediately attacks Rey, before dropping Rey onto HHH in a legdrop. Psicosis hits a spinning sideslam on Rey, tries to throw him over the top, but is headscissored over himself.

- - -

We return with around 6 or 7 men in the ring… Trevor Murdoch is #17. HHH once again unsuccessfully attempts to eliminate Rey. “Maybe someone is looking out for Rey Mysterio tonight, King” says Cole… We cut to the end of the match, with a very full ring, and Randy Orton is #30. Orton eliminates Benoit. He then RKO’s Viscera. Masters and Carlito work together to eliminate Viscera, before Carlito turns on Masters and dumps him over the top. Another cut, and we’re down to 5 participants left… RVD spin kicks Carlito over the top rope, and the final 4 is: RVD, Orton, HHH and Rey. Rey/HHH and RVD/Orton pair off, before RVD and Ret hit a couple of double team moves on the former Evolution members. RVD goes up to the top, where HHH crotches him. HHH then throws Rey into RVD to send him over the top rope. Orton and HHH double team Rey, but a double suplex attempt is reversed into a double DDT. A headscissors on HHH sets up a double 619. Another cut, and we’ve now been going 1 hour according to Michael Cole. HHH tries to almost spinebuster Rey over the top, but it’s reversed into a headscissors and HHH is eliminated, leaving Orton and Rey as the final two. HHH drags Rey out of the ring and throws him into the steel steps, before throwing him back in. Orton picks him up and tries to eliminate him, but yet another headscissors leaves Rey as the winner.

A decent Rumble, which was really hurt by its placement on the card.

Cole and JBL discuss the Rumble, and we then head to Wrestlemania for the Triple Threat match. Only highlights are shown, however.

Up next, a Diva bikini contest.

Highlights of the Diva Search final are shown with Leyla winning.

Cole comes out with a great line here: “How about the other Diva that joined the Smackdown roster this year; Miz!”. JBL then wishes Miz a terrible Christmas.

June 9: Diva Bikini Contest:

Miz is your host, and the participants are Ashley, Jillian, Kristal and Michelle McCool. The usual fare here, with McCool then refusing to strip and walking off. Ashley is declared the winner.

Ashley’s Playboy cover is plugged, and thankfully JBL has his subscription!

- - -

We see highlights of Judgment Day and the following Smackdown, where JBL lost the US Title to Lashley, before losing his Title vs Career match with Rey.

JBL informs us that he has gone from being the greatest wrestler of all time to the greatest announcer of all time! We move into discussion about Christmas with the Troops. A very cool video package is shown.

- - -

We’re then shown the Vickie Guererro heel turn in a video package, leading us into the I Quit match on October 20.

I Quit Match: Rey Mysterio vs Chavo Guererro:

Rey dominates Chavo early, before hitting a giant seated senton over the top rope. He throws Chavo into the steps, and Chavo refuses to quit. CHavo is sent shoulder first into the ringpost, before Rey retrieves a chair and goes to town on Chavo back in the ring. He sets Chavo in the corner and hits a running dropkick into the chair. This doesn’t get him to quit, so he plasters him with a chair shot and hits the 619. Vickie prevents the frog splash, and Chavo throws the chair into Rey’s face. Chavo starts working the knee, including some chair shots and a Half Boston Crab. He sandwiches Rey’s leg between the chair and hits the Frog Spash onto the chair.

We cut to them brawling on the ramp, and Rey suplexes Guerrero. Rey kicks Chavo off the stage to the floor and follows this up with a hobbling seated senton. Another cut and they’re brawling on the floor. Chavo lays Rey on some equipment cases, but fails to run one of them into his knee. Rey ends up on the steel spot light gantry, where Chavo catches him and tangles his leg, leaving him dangling upside down. A series of chairshots to the knee later, and Rey quits.

A good match, as always from these two, but I personally didn’t really buy an I Quit match between them, mainly as I just couldn’t feel enough hatred during the feud. Obviously they were handicapped to the extreme by the material they had to work with, however…

- - -

Teddy’s announcement:

Next week we’re kicking off the first-ever Smackdown Sprint: a series of timed matches, with the winner of the fastest match advancing to the Rumble to take on Batista.

Kane and Undertaker vs Mr Kennedy and MVP (Nov 3): I assume this is the squash match. Taker no sells a punch from MVP, who runs out of the ring and tags Kennedy in. We momentarily have heat on the Undertaker, before we see almost stereo big boots, and then stereo clotheslines over the top. We cut to Taker hitting Old School on MVP. Kane tags in and hits a side slam, and a top rope clothesline. Kane sets up a goozle, but Kennedy runs in and low blows him for the DQ. Teddy Long though restarts the match. The brothers destroy their opponents outside the ring for a while, before rolling them back in the ring and taking turns hitting running clotheslines. We cut to Taker hitting Snake Eyes on Kennedy, but before he can hit the big boot, in a funny moment, Kane steps in and hits one of his own, shrugs it off and laughs. Kennedy and MVP somehow get both brothers down, before both do the sit up, and destroy the geeks with a double chokeslam. Undertaker hits the Tombstone, and that’s all she wrote.

A fun match, despite the squashiness of it all.

We now see highlights of the Inferno Match and the Last Ride Match from Armageddon.

- - -

Little Bastard Video Package~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Finlay vs Chris Benoit (Judgment Day):

Unfortunately, we’re joined in progress. Benoit hits 3 Germans and signals for the headbutt, which misses. Benoit hits a dragon screw and tries the sharpshooter, but Finlay bails, only to be hit by a baseball slide. This time the headbutt connects, but Finlay kicks out at 2. Benoit takes his face first bump into the turnbuckle, and we cut to Finaly working his neck. A reversal leads to 2 Germans and an enziguri. On the outside, Finlay misses a shillelagh shot, and Benoit Germans him~! Benoit suplexes him in and turns this into the 3 Amigos. Finlay throws him outside and Benoit smacks his head into the barricade. Back in the ring, Benoit is thrown shoulder first into the ringpost. He picks up benoit, but is reversed into the Crossface, after a great struggle to get the move locked in, as soon as it is FInlay immediately taps.

Great match, which was even better in its entirety.

- - -

Cena vs K-Fed~! Video package. Now there’s a match I’m looking forward to.

We now get a Smackdown 2006 video package:

- ‘The Moments’: Helms winning the Cruiserweight title at the Rumble and his record reign;

- ‘The Misunderstood’: Jimmy Wang Yang;

- ‘The Mole’: The Boogeyman biting Jillian’s mole off her face;

- ‘The Moves’: London and Kendrick highlights;

- ‘The Miz’s Birthday’: and Big Dick Johnson. Less said the better…;

- ‘The Man in the Dress’: “highlights” of Vito.

We then see Vito kissing Michael Cole, mounting him and slapping his ass. Cole looks mortified, which made it very funny!

Another package of the Iraq trip is shown.

- - -

King Booker video package~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~! This most probably was the highlight of Smackdown this year for me. I just love the character, and it has given him a totally new lease of life.

Cole and JBL discuss Batista’s road back to the title, whereupon we go to…

King Booker vs Batista (Survivor Series):

Batista attacks The King during his entrance, but once the action starts we see some back and forth action until Batista hits a suplex, as Booker bails outside. We cut to later on as Batista is in control. The botch an Irish Whip, and Booker drops Dave neck first on the top rope as we hit a break.

- - -

As we return Booker has a chin lock applied. Big Dave hits a belly to belly suplex, boots Booker out of the ring and throws him into the steps. Batista goes up top and hits a flying tackle for 2. He hits a spinebuster for another 2 count. Booker then hits the Book End for 2 of his own. He sets up for the Scissors Kick, but is caught by the Big Dave Bomb for a great near fall as Booker grabs the rope. Her Majesty Queen Sharmell hands Booker the belt, but it backfires as Batista is the one to use it and win back the World Heavyweight Championship.

And that’s it for the best of Smackdown 2006.

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