'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tonight, WWE SmackDown Live will celebrate its historic 1000th episode. It's going to be a monumental episode akin to RAW's 1000th episode in 2012 and will celebrate the rich history of the blue show.
Piloting in 1999 and having it's debut later that same year, the show was named after The Rock's infamous catchphrase, "Layeth the SmackDown" showing the massive stardom that the future box-office sensation would come to have.
Since then, the show has bounced around from Thursday nights to Friday nights to its current spot on Tuesday nights as part of the USA Network. Despite these changes, the quality of the show has never faltered with SmackDown being seen as the more wrestling based show, compared to RAW's entertainment episodes.
There are plenty of classic moments to sit back and watch from the past 999 episodes, but there are also some matches and segments you may not remember.
Here are 5 forgotten gems of SmackDown.
#5 Vince McMahon debuts the nWo
Vince McMahon on-screen has almost always been shown as a truly evil figure, willing to do whatever it takes to destroy those who stand in his way.
So when McMahon found himself sharing his company with Ric Flair, the Boss was not happy. After seeing all Flair had done, the maniacal McMahon came to the conclusion that the WWF had to die, and it had to die by his hands.
In an eerie, but stunning promo, McMahon spoke about destroying his creation and injecting the company with a lethal dose of poison. Spinning his chair, McMahon would reveal the nWo logo, the same group that had helped make and inevitably break WCW.
Whilst their actual run in WWE would be lukewarm at best, this promo is still worth a watch just to see how crazed Vince McMahon can be.
#4 Tazz Vs. Triple H
In 2000, Triple H was at an all-time high. Already the WWF Champion, The Game was also running the company alongside his wife Stephanie. In a bizarre twist of fate, former ECW Superstar Tazz, who had debuted in the WWF in January that year, returned to his old stomping ground to win the ECW World Championship.
Seeing an opportunity, Tazz and The Game faced off on SmackDown in a historic Champion Vs Champion match which many thought The Game would win easily. Instead, the Human Suplex Machine pushed Triple H to his absolute limit, only losing after interference by fellow ECW Star, Tommy Dreamer.
It was an intense and brutal match between the two legends and showed ECW off to a global audience. Whilst many have said that Triple H only focused on himself, The Game did show that he had no problem helping out the mid-card talent when needed.
#3 Eddie Guerrero Vs John Cena (Parking Lot Brawl)
Two of SmackDown's most iconic stars, Eddie Guerrero and John Cena helped shape the blue brand in 2002-2005. At a point in 2003, the two were bitter rivals with Cena disrespecting Eddie's heritage and Latino Heat finding ways to get under the skin of the Doctor of Thuganomics.
Seeing that their problem could not be contained in the Squared Circle, the two faced off in a Parking Lot Brawl with a literal ring of cars enclosing them. The pair had a brutal contest, though managed to have plenty of fun along the way, notably when a car horn went off with each slam into the steering wheel.
In the end, Latino Heat would emerge the victor, thanks to the assist from the returning Chavo. The match is a definite must-see from the start, where Cena uses his verbal barbs to the end, where the victorious Eddie complains of a headache.
#2 Booker T and Stone Cold in the Supermarket (December 13, 2001)
When Booker T burst onto the WWF scene in 2001 he did so attacking Steve Austin in the middle of a WWF Championship match at King of the Ring. Clearly bitter by the encounter, Austin would later retaliate. The pair was seen fighting all over and outside the arena.
In this encounter, fans saw the Book-Man at a supermarket, minding his own business, before the tannoy would reveal the presence of the Rattlesnake. In one of the WWE's funniest segments, the two brawled all over the area with Austin decimating the final WCW Champion.
Complete with the Bionic red neck's rendition of "That's Amore" the usually somber and intense Austin showed his comedic talents, finishing Booker off by placing him on the checkout. At the sound of sirens in the distance, Austin would make his escape. This segment showed the WWE Universe just how multi-talented both men are.
#1 Brock Lesnar Vs Kurt Angle (Iron Man Match) (September 18, 2003)
Never before had an Iron Man match been shown for free on Television. Usually reserved for major events such as WrestleMania 12 or Judgement Day 2000, the pairing of Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle made for great viewing.
Following The Beast's heel turn over the summer, Lesnar quickly went to work using every rule and loophole he could to expand his lead. Resilient, the Olympian refused to give in, fighting and clawing back to even the score in the hope of retaining his WWE Championship.
Unfortunately for Angle, Brock would just barely hold the lead, refusing to tap to the Ankle lock as the clock hit 0. The match was a truly epic encounter and showed why these World Champions are Hall Of Fame worthy.
Lesnar would hold the title for the rest of 2003 before dropping the title to Eddie Guerrero in February 2004.
