September 28, 2002
San Diego Sports Center
San Diego, CA
Commentators: Mark "Dorkus Malorkus" Lloyd and Tazz
Ring announcer: Tony Chimel
This week's velocity was taped Tuesday night before Smackdown and we got three matches. Billy Kidman vs Crash Holly, Shannon Moore vs Doug Basham and Reverend D'Von vs John Cena. No Albert this week? What is this herecy? The recaps should be fun as well since we had one of the best Smackdowns of all time on Thursday. Dorkus Malorkus and Tazz welcome us before sending us to our first match.
Match 1
Crash Holly vs Billy Kidman
We start the night with cruiserweight action between Kidman and Crash. They shake hands to start and they chain wrestle while the crowd chants "Let's go Elroy!" Crash goes up and over in the corner but Kidman fakes him out when he does it. Kidman hits a flying back elbow smash then sends Crash through the ropes to the outside with a head scissors. Kidman misses a baseball slide to the floor and Crash powerbombs him against the barricade. Tazz is trying to babble on about Brock Lesnar as he's instructed to do by whoever is in his ear, but he gets distracted by the cool looking powerbomb. This is why I hate C shows. Tazz wants to enjoy the match but they're instructed to promote Smackdown, Unforgiven, No Mercy and the upcoming presidential election if Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn tell them to. Back inside Crash covers for a deuce and hits a scoop slam. Another cover gets only a 1 and Crash locks in a surfboard. Dorkus Malorkus and Tazz continue to yap about Lesnar and Taker. A backbreaker by Crash also gets a two count and locks in a camel clutch. Crash lets him go and jumps on his back then re-applies it. Kidman powers out if it and catches Crash with an inside cradle for a two count. Kidman rallies with a series of clotheslines but misses a charge in the corner. Crash rolls him up and puts his feet on the ropes for 1...2....no. Tazz says referee Jimmy Korderas can't use the excuse his hair got in his eyes because he doesn't have any. Kidman counters a scoop slam with a sit down powerbomb for 1...2...noooo. Crash counters a bulldog and hits one of his own before covering for 1...2....noooo. Crash gets frustrated and Kidman hits an enziguiri. Kidman goes upstairs for the Seven Year Itch but Crash counters and does the Crash Landing for 1...2.....3 to win the match. Solid effort by both men including some good high spots to tell a story. Crash gets the duke as Dorkus Malorkus says Crash has been on a roll on Velocity lately.
Time of match: 4:34
Winner: Crash Holly by pinfall
Before we go to commercial we go to our recap portion and naturally its the amazing No DQ match between Edge and Eddie Guerrero that was half-ladder match. Too bad Edge legitimately injured his neck because to this day that was one of the best Smackdown matches ever. We also get more highlights of the Wrestlemania 19 press conference before we get to our next match.
Match 2
Shannon Moore vs Doug Basham
Moore was making a name of himself on Smackdown as Matt Hardy's lackey but Basham was just waiting for a spot to open up. Basham was one of those guys that spent way too long in the indies/developmental as he was already 31 by this point, which isn't his fault since WCW and ECW bit the dust a year earlier. Like I mentioned in another review, Doug had an incredible match with Chris Benoit a few weeks earlier so all eyes were on him. Tazz gives a shout out to Ohio Valley Wrestling as Dorkus Malorkus says "rookies" like Basham ask Tazz for advice. HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Basham was a 9 year veteran at this point, mentored by "Nitro" Danny davis and Jim Cornette. With all due respect, what the hell could Tazz tell him? Moore gets in an arm-ringer and Basham misses a charge in the corner. Moore hits a dropkick and a hurricarana but the cover only gets two. Moore's charge eats ring post and Basham hits a drop toe hold into the second rope. Basham covers for a two and he rams Shannon's head into the corner. Doug hits a clothesline in the corner as Dorkus correctly tells us Moore trained with the Hardy boys (so did Hurricane). Basham locks in a neck lock as the crowd chants "You suck" at Basham. Tazz says both his grandfather and father were named Tazz but his real life father stole the show on Before They Were Superstars. Mr. Senerchia said "I tell my son in high school NO DRUGS! You do drugs, I break your legs, you don't go out! No drugs!" To my knowledge Tazz was never involved in any shenanigans in the ECW locker room so heeded his father's words. Basham takes Matt down and they kind of botch an inverted power bomb into a bulldog spot causing the crowd to boo loudly. A charge by Basham in the corner eats boot and Shannon rallies with forearms. Shannon goes up and over and hits a bodypress for 1...2..no. Shannon hits a spinning heel kick and a rolling neckbreaker. Shannon covers for 1...2...nope. Shannon comes off the ropes and Basham counters with a jumping leg drop....nice. Basham covers and gets 2 and 3/4 before setting Shannon up on the top rope. Shannon elbows Doug off and hits a Halo (modified whil-o-whisp) then covers for 1...2....3 to win the match. Kind of a sloppy match but they only had four minutes and probably called it on the fly. Still, some of the spots worked. Tazz says "shades of Jeff Hardy" which is what Dorkus alluded to earlier.
Time of match: 4:12
Winner: Moore by pinfall
Our next recap is the brilliant main event from Smackdown where Rey Mysterio Jr defeated Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in a triple threat match. Benoit and Angle were so bloodthirsty to destroy each other Rey snuck in and stole the victory. If it wasn't for Eddie vs Edge, that would have been the talk of the week. After that Tazz says our main event will be John Cena against Reverand D'Von. Back from break we get a recap of Brock Lesnar taking out Funaki and busting open The Undertaker after Taker beats up the "ingrate" Matt Hardy. Again, one of the best Smackdown's of all time so I can see why this episode dedicated so much time to the recaps. Let's get to our main event.
Match 3
Reverand D'Von vs John Cena
Where have we seen this before? Cena does the "Word Life" pose despite not having the gimmick yet. They lock up to start and Cena gets the upper hand in the corner. Tazz brings up what I mentioned earlier that the triple threat got overshadowed by Edge vs Eddie Guerrero. Its funny how this Velocity was taped before the very same Smackdown they're mentioning in past tense, gotta love syndication. D'Von misses a line in the corner and eats an armdrag. Cena hits a hiptoss and another arm drag as the announcers mention "ruthless aggression". Cena hits a body press for a two count and another arm drag. The crowd chants "we want tables" as Cena rolls up D'Von for another two count. D'Von sends Cena ass over tea kettle to the outside. Cena gets on the apron and does a face plant to the floor when D'Von hits a forearm. D'Von rolls him inside and puts the boots to him. Some dude in the crowd chants "Cena sucks!" as D'Von rakes the eyes. Cena rallies with strikes and a clothesline, covering for a two count. D'Von hits a lariat on Cena and puts the boots to him again. A cover gets a deuce as Dorkus Malorkus starts babbling about Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker again (I'd love for Lloyd to tell whoever is in his ear to stick it). The crowd chants "boring" as D'Von misses a second rope elbow. Cena hits a series of clotheslines and an atomic drop. A dropkick by Cena gets 1...2....nope. Cena hits a spinning fisherman's suplex (!) and covers for a deuce. Cena goes for the 10 punches in the corner but makes it to four before D'Von slides under and hits a second rope neckbreaker. D'Von covers for 1...2....nope. D'Von goes for a Saving Grace but Cena rolls through. Cena sends D'Von off but the reverend throws Cena over the top rope. Cena catches himself, hits a shoulderblock and sunset flips D'Von for 1...2....3 to win the match. Cena wins the match as Malorkus calls it an upset. D'Von hits Saving Grace after the bell to get some heat back. D'Von hits the wazzup headbutt as Malorkus says "Geeeeeez." D'Von leaves Cena sprawling as we sign off. Decent match for what it was as some of Cena's spots were hilarious. You could tell Cena was due to break out but just needed the right gimmick.
Time of match: 5:11
Winner: Cena by pinfall
Mostly by proxy, this was probably one of the best Velocity's of all time. The recaps were fun because of the great matches and Crash vs Kidman was great for the time frame given. Smackdown was definitely the place to be at the time and good times were coming for sure. As for this show, the opener was great, the second match was meh and the main event was okay. Least there was no Albert this time, right? We got three shows tomorrow with the Raw crew in Beaumont, Texas, Smackdown in Bossier City, Louisiana and Sunday Night Heat. I'll see you in Bossier City.
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