World Wrestling Entertainment presents Velocity
Date: 4/19/2003
From: Norfolk, VA
Matches:
1.) Smackdown Tag Team Champions Team Angle defeated Los Chihuahuas in a non-title match
2.) Bill DeMott defeated Pat Cusick
3.) Crash defeated Funaki
4.) Rhyno defeated Chris Kanyon
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Backstage, Smackdown Tag Team Champion Shelton Benjamin is dancing to his theme song when his tag partner Charlie Haas enters and asks what Benjamin is doing. Haas says he got them a tag match tonight to prepare for Los Guerreros at Backlash. Haas says the team is Los Chihuahuas and says they are going to show what Los Guerreros is going to be facing at Backlash.
2.) Los Chihuahuas are two masked wrestlers, but it’s clearly Joey Matthews and Christian York of ECW fame. Team Angle dominated the tag match throughout. York hit a messy top rope spinning heel kick on Haas, which the crowd seemed to jeer. They really leaned into the Mexican aspect of the gimmick. Haas forces York to submit to the Haas of Pain.
3.) Bill DeMott shared pre-tape comments before his match. DeMott says if people want to get to know him then they should come see him. DeMott won his enhancement match following a powerbomb. DeMott teased a second powerbomb, but didn’t give it to the fans because they wanted him to do it.
4.) Backstage, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Matt Hardy tells Shannon Moore that someone wants to join them and turn his life around. But, the man can’t spell Mattattitude. Hardy wants Moore to help the guy and calls the man a moron. That man turns out to be Crash. Hardy tells Moore that he has a lot of work to do. Moore tells Crash they have a lot to work to do as Crash was reading a book upside down.
5.) Funaki starts off with an arm drag on Crash. Crash controls Funaki with a wrist lock, but Funaki counters for a moment. They counter each other in the middle of the ring. Funaki shoulder blocks Crash followed by a hip toss and arm drag. Crash dumps Funaki to the apron and decks Funaki to the floor where Shannon Moore cheap shots Funaki. Crash pulls Moore off and they argue. Funaki takes Crash out with a crossbody to the floor. Funaki rolls Crash up for a two count. Funaki back elbows Crash in the corner, but runs into a snap powerslam for a two count. Crash pulls back on Funaki’s arm to keep control with his knee pressed into his back. Funaki misses a dropkick as Crash held the ropes. Funaki gets a rollup for a two count. Crash side slams Funaki for a two count. Crash scoop slams Funaki and heads to the top rope, but blocks a boot. Funaki ducks a clothesline to hit a back suplex. Funaki avoids a splash in the corner and bulldogs Crash for a near fall. Funaki drops Crash to the mat chest first and dropkicks Crash for a near fall. Funaki is stopped from going to the corner and kicks Crash on the side of the head for a near fall. Funaki dropkicks Crash, but is tripped by Moore. Crash knocks Funaki into the ropes and gets a rollup for the win. After the match, Crash can’t figure out the hand taunt that Hardy does. (**. Crash has new music, which isn’t as up-beat as his previous music, so he’s obviously a heel now. The action was good here and they kept it fast pace for the limited time they were given. Crash working as a protege to Hardy and even Moore is a bit funny.)
6.) This is Kanyon’s return to in-ring competition since being out with an injury. Kanyon last appeared on Sunday Night Heat that aired on October 28th, 2001 losing to Bradshaw. Of course, Kanyon had been seen earlier in 2003 being attacked by the Undertaker.
7.) Prior to the main event, Kanyon asks the fans who is better than Kanyon, and they respond by saying everyone. Kanyon talks about getting hurt fifteen months ago and the doctors had no idea what was wrong with him. Kanyon went to India and found a healing camp. Kanyon found a monk there and he proclaimed that there was one better than Kanyon. Kanyon knows that none of the fans are better than him. Kanyon us here to find out who is truly better than Kanyon. That brings out Rhyno.
8.) Rhyno starts off with chops in the corner and sends Kanyon into a corner, but runs into an elbow strike. Kanyon strikes Rhyno against the ropes, but Rhyno decks Kanyon with a short arm clothesline and stomps in the corner. Rhyno hits a belly to belly suplex and waits in the corner. Kanyon sidesteps the GORE an hits a side Russian leg sweep for a two count. Kanyon continues with a clothesline. Kanyon comes off the ropes to deliver an elbow drop. Kanyon strikes Rhyno in the corner several times to keep control of the bout. Kanyon drives Rhyno to the mat with a bulldog out of the corner for a near fall. Kanyon puts Rhyno in front of the ring post and baseball slides Rhyno ribs first into the ring post. Kanyon covers, but Rhyno kicks out at two. Kanyon keeps Rhyno on the mat with a chin lock. Rhyno fights free, but is yanked down to the mat and Kanyon delivers an elbow drop. Kanyon heads to the top rope missing a moonsault attempt. Rhyno strikes Kanyon several times and delivers a shoulder block followed by a clothesline. Kanyon kicks Rhyno, but runs into a spinebuster. Rhyno waits in the corner again. Rhyno runs through Kanyon hitting the GORE! Rhyno covers, but Kanyon has his foot under the ropes. Regardless, the referee counts the fall and Rhyno wins. (**1/2. Rhyno may be an underrated babyface. Rhyno got the crowd to react incredibly well and he came across as a popular act. The GORE is over with the crowd and the visual of the fans standing up to see the move performed makes it a bigger deal. I love Kanyon and this was a good main event for Velocity.)
Final Thoughts:
A good episode of Velocity this week. I thought the matches all had redeeming quality to them and it was an easy watch.
Thanks for reading.