Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle - WWE Smackdown 4/14/05

 

I feel like I saw this at the time it was aired as I was a pretty big Smackdown fan at the time. Eddie is the babyface, but the slow burn is in effect. Angle is the heel coming off HBk program. Fantastically laid out match for the first 3/4s and Eddie's babyface charisma was in overdrive. I know the Rey stuff produced some legendary matches, but God Eddie was such a good babyface.

 

Excellent shine with Eddie frustrating Angle with the basics. Angle is forced to powder just cant get anything going. Eddie parlays that into the Three Amigos and wants the Frogsplash but rolls through when Angle heads for the outside. Awesome climax to that segment. Angle is wary of the Frogsplash. Eddie is looking to win. Simple but effective. Back from commercial, Angle is racking up European Uppercuts. Eddie escapes a waistlock, Angle grabs the trunk, Where you think you are going, NOWHERE! Eddie escapes the Angle Slam. Excellent. Both men trying to win, but each has the other finish scouted. Fun Eddie comedy bit as the hope spot. Angle regains control with a German. He goes for a Super Angle slam, but Eddie knocks him off. Eddie is on the top rope so why not try the Frog Splash, but eats knees, Angle gets two as we roll into commercial. Again perfect timing. Eddie would win if he hits that has to go for it, but it is high risk. Some of Angle's restholds are boring, but only negative thus far. Eddie counters Angle Slam for a 3rd time (kudos to Cole for noticing) this time with a DDT. This match has all been about finishes and winning. Love it. Match goes off rails a little here. Angle gets up way too quick off that DDT. Strike exchange, ewwww. Three Amigos and on third vertical suplex, Angle slips out hits Angle Slam and kick out. WHAT!?!?! You take two Vertical Suplexes and now you are able to execute your finish. Poor psychology. On top of that , whole match was built to who could hit Frogsplash or Angle Slam first and we get a kick out. Bad! Eddie gets an armdrag out of another Angle Slam as the straps are down whats the point. He hits more vertical suplexes cmon gonna be another way. On third attempt, hits Frogsplash, but that is kicked out. What?!?!?! Whole match has been built around this and now you are just kicking out. Cheap pops at the expense of the ultimate finish. Angle does have the Angle lock that of course gets countered into a ref bump.

 

I do commend them on the finish. Rey chases Angle off from using the chair. Angle then shoves Rey into Eddie with the chair to add fuel to that fire while getting cheap pin. First 3/4s is awesome, highly effective finish, but I thought that finish run was focused more on getting cheap pops than executing on the established story. That brings it down, but still a very entertaining match, ***3/4

This was okay, but I'm not a believer in this match up. Nothing they did in the ring swayed me from that opinion. And the finish was dumb.