*SPOILERS* WWE Smackdown (9/19) Taping Results from Nashville
September 17, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Report by Mark Spain and PWinsider.com
ECW Results 9/16/08
September 17, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Report by Rich Twilling and ProWrestling.net
The opening video aired and fireworks lit up the stage. Todd Grisham and Matt Striker welcomed us to the show. They plugged the Finlay vs. Mark Henry match for later in the night.
1. Matt Hardy defeated Mike Knox in a non-title match in 12:38. During Hardy’s entrance, footage was shown of how he became the ECW Champion at Unforgiven. That was followed by the announcement that Hardy will defend the ECW Championship at No Mercy vs. Mark Henry.
After some back and forth action, Knox gained the advantage. Striker called the ECW title belt “Seventeen pounds of pure platinum.” Knox was impressive on offense as Hardy continued to attempt coming back. In a very cool spot, Hardy tried the Twist of Fate but could not turn Knox over. So, he hit a DDT for a two count. Knox broke the count by putting his foot on the rope. Both men hit simultaneous closelines on the floor.
-commercial-
Knox had Hardy grounded with a reverse chinlock coming back from commercial. Hardy broke loose by Knox hit a surprising dropkick. Nicely done. Knox scored multiple nearfalls after hitting a succession of various suplexes. Hardy knocked Knox from the ropes and tried a moonsault, hitting his face on Knox’s back as he rolled away. Knox scored another two count.
Hardy hit the Side Effect for a two count before hitting a second rope tornado DDT. He followed that up with the Twist of Fate for the clean victory.
Backstage, Tony Atlas and Mark Henry were watching on a monitor. Atlas said Hardy looked good out there. Henry said Hardy only looked good because he was not in the ring with the world’s strongest champion. Henry said Finlay saved Hardy from being carried out last week and he had the luck of the Irish on his side…
Miz and Morrison walked out of what looked like a New York apartment building elevator.
-commercial-
Shawn Michaels narrated the piece for the American Red Cross in their effort to raise money for the Hurricane Ike Relief Fund. For more information, go to WWE.com.
2. Evan Bourne (with Ricky Ortiz) defeated The Miz (with John Morrison) in 5:27. Miz and Bourne exchanged hard left hands early. Miz kicked Bourne to the floor. Morrison and Ortiz approached Bourne. Morrison told Ortiz to give Carlito his hair back. Funny. Miz turned Bourne inside out with a lariat and continued to work on the back and ribs area.
Bourne hit a standing kick to Miz’s face. He followed that up with a standing moonsault for a nearfall. He went to the top rope but Miz threw him to the mat. Miz hit a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. Morrison grabbed Bourne’s leg and was ambushed by Ortiz. Miz was distracted and Bourne scored the pinfall with that unique rollup that he does.
Finlay vs. Mark Henry was plugged.
-commercial-
The Raw Rebound showcased last night’s World Heavyweight Championship steel cage match between C.M. Punk and Chris Jericho. The footage progressed into Mike Adamle announcing the two top Raw matches at No Mercy.
3. Jack Swagger defeated Chase Stevens in 1:46. Swagger hit his finisher (side suplex into a powerbomb) for the win.
Finlay and Hornswoggle made their way through the back.
-commercial-
4. Mark Henry (with Tony Atlas) defeated Finlay (with Hornswoggle) in 14:07. Henry looked pissed. Finlay became serious when the bell rang. Grisham said Henry can hammer nails with his hands and straighten horse shoes. Striker said Finlay’s name meant “the fair haired warrior.”
Henry was very cerebral and plodding in between each impressive, powerful move. With Finlay on the apron, Atlas took a shot at him too. Finlay remained down on the floor as the show went into its final commercial of the night.
-commercial-
Henry had a nerve hold applied across the clavicle of Finlay coming back from commercial. Henry scored a couple of nearfalls and continued to punish Finlay with powerful slams and boots.
Finlay put Henry’s head in the ring apron and pounded on him. Atlas came around and pushed Hornswoggle. Finlay went after Atlas. Henry grabbed Horny and Finlay snuck up and hit him in the arm with the shillegleh.
Finlay applied a Fujiwara armbar but Henry broke out of it. Finlay scored a two count after hitting a DDT while Henry was on his knees. With both men struggling, Henry hit the World’s Strongest Slam out of nowhere for the win. Henry sold his arm after the match.
End of show…
WWE Monday Night Raw Results 9/15/08
September 16, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
We are live from Memphis, Tennessee and your announcers are Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole.
The show starts off with the official Cage Lowering Music of the WWE and it has a new sound to it.
We see footage of how CM Punk did not get to defend his title due to the attack by Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, and Manu followed by Randy Orton’s kick to Punk’s head after Kofi Kingston tried to help Punk. We then see Chris Jericho get the title at Unforgiven by outsmarting Batista.
Match Number One: Chris Jericho versus CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Title in a Steel Cage Match
The cage door is closed and the match begins. Jericho and Punk have some words for each other and then they get nose to nose. Jericho tries for a punch, but Punk blocks it and he punches Jericho. Punk with a knee to the midsection and then he punches Jericho followed by knees to the midsection. Punk with kicks to the back and then he connects with a forearm. Punk with a hard Irish whip to Jericho as he continues to dominate the early part of the match. Punk with an Irish whip and Jericho tries to climb the cage in the corner but Punk climbs up and stops Jericho. They fight on the top rope but Punk with kicks to Jericho and Jericho goes down. Punk gets to the top of the cage but Jericho grabs on to Punk’s leg to pull him back into the cage. Punk with elbows and then Jericho pulls Punk off. Punk pulls Jericho off and then Punk with a kick and knee lift. Jericho cannot stay up but Punk hits a drop kick. Punk with a knee in the corner and then he hits the bulldog. Punk wants Jericho to get up and then Punk gets Jericho up for the Go To Sleep but Jericho gets a hold of the ropes. Punk sends Jericho into the cage, but Punk is a bit woozy as we go to commercial.
We are back and Jericho works on Punk’s ankle. We see footage during the break when Punk was almost out of the cage, but Jericho pulled him back in. Jericho falls victim to an enzuigiri when Punk is able to get back to his feet. Punk with kicks to the leg followed by a series of slaps and a back fist. Jericho tries for the Walls of Jericho and he locks it in. Punk crawls towards the corner where the door is and he asks for the door to be opened. Punk crawls to the door and then he gets part of his body out of the cage. Punk gets his hand on the floor and one foot but Jericho holds on to the other leg and then he closes the door into Punk’s head. Jericho gets a two count.
Jericho returns to the leg and he kicks Punk in the shin. Jericho with boots to Punk’s head followed by punches as Punk tries to defend himself. Jericho tries for the Lionsault but Punk gets his knee up to block the move. Punk with kicks to the chest. Punk misses the knee into the corner and Punk goes into the cage and turnbuckles. Punk is on the apron and Jericho hits a springboard drop kick that sends Punk’s head into the cage one more time. Jericho climbs to the top of the cage and Punk grabs the champion’s leg. Punk has Jericho on top and he appears to set for a Go To Sleep from the top but Jericho escapes the hold.
They continue to fight on the top turnbuckle and Punk and Jericho send each other’s heads into the top of the cage and both men go down. Punk covers Jericho but Jericho kicks out instinctively. Jericho with a shoulder and then he sends Punk into the cage one more time. Jericho climbs to the top one more time. Jericho gets to the top but Punk stops Jericho again and he pulls Jericho back in. Punk with an electric chair drop from the top turnbuckle and both men are down. Punk crawls towards the open door but Jericho stops him and Jericho climbs over Punk. Punk climbs over Jericho as they each try to get out of the cage while keeping the other inside. Jericho is on the apron by the door and Punk sends Jericho into the cage. Jericho with a head butt and then Jericho falls out of the cage to win the match.
Winner: Chris Jericho
We go to the locker room where Batista watches Jericho heading towards the back.
We go to commercial.
We are back with Shawn Michaels commenting on the damage that Hurricane Ike caused and he talks about the efforts of the American Red Cross.
Mike Adamle is with Kelly Kelly in the back and he starts to talk about No Mercy and Dolph Diggler introduces himself. Chris Jericho walks by and Mike Adamle congratulates Jericho and tells him to get ready for No Mercy. Jericho talks about what he has done since Unforgiven. Jericho points out that he keeps winning, but he tells Adamle to take care of his champion. Jericho says that he is not a machine and Adamle needs to take care of him. Jericho wants to talk to Adamle in his office.
We see the back of Kane’s head and he is wearing the mask again. He says years ago he was forced to remove his mask. As he takes off his mask, his old music plays. Kane says that nobody forces him to do anything. He took off his mask for everyone else so he could be accepted. He had the guts to take off his mask, but he saw people pointing at him. He says that he does not like being pointed at or ridiculed. He says that the fans are repulsed at the sight of him and the feeling is mutual. Kane sees someone like Rey Mysterio who still wears a mask. Why do people love him? It is because everyone wears masks of self righteousness. Kane says that he was attacking everyone when he attacked Rey.
Evan Bourne stops by and he tells Kane that Rey is courageous and is the reason why he is in the WWE. Evan says that he cannot wait to see Rey beat Kane. Kane laughs maniacally and then he stares at something.
Jillian Hall comes out and she makes noises that resemble the song Hound Dog. We go to commercial as we await her match with Candice Michelle.
We are back and the reason for the mute button is in the ring. She is interrupted by the Hyper Dance Mix of the number one contender. She is followed to the ring by Beth Phoenix. Beth walks next to Candice and they exchange nasty looks.
Match Number Two: Candice Michelle versus Jillian Hall
Jillian pushes Candice and Candice returns the favor. Jillian with a head scissors but Candice with a side head lock and shoulder tackle. Candice with a kick to Jillian followed by a springboard kick for a two count. Candice sets for a crucifix but Jillian counters with a modified Samoan Drop for a two count. Jillian works on Candice’s neck in the ropes. Jillian slams Candice’s head into the turnbuckles and then she chokes Candice in the ropes. Jillian tosses Candice by the hair. Jillian with a full nelson but Candice gets out of the hold. Jillian with a snap mare and she returns to the full nelson. Candice gets to her feet and she drops down to get out of the hold and then she kicks Jillian. Jillian and Candice with forearms with Candice taking control. Candice with flying double sledges followed by a drop kick. Candice with the breakdown for a two count. Candice sets for the Unprettier but Jillian with a belly-to-back suplex. Jillian with a forearm followed by an Irish whip. Jillian tries for the handspring into the corner, but Candice catches her and hits the Unprettier for the three count.
Winner: Candice Michelle
Candice wants Beth to come into the ring for a fight and Beth puts down her title belt and thinks about it. Beth gets to the apron and Candice with a drop kick as Beth enters the ring. Candice gets on the turnbuckles and Beth gets her title belt and she walks to the back showing Candice that she is the champion.
We go to commercial.
Match Number Three: John Bradshaw Layfield with JBLimo versus Tommy Dreamer in an Interbrand Match
They lock up and Bradshaw with punches in the corner followed by a boot to the head. Bradshaw with a forearm to the back and a slam. Bradshaw misses an elbow but Dreamer runs into a big boot. Bradshaw punches Dreamer in the corner and the referee tries to stop him. Bradshaw runs into a boot from Dreamer and Dreamer hits a swinging neck breaker for a two count. Dreamer misses a charge into the corner and Bradshaw with the Clothesline from Wall Street for the three count.
Winner: Bradshaw
Bradshaw brings a chair into the ring after the match and the referee tries to stop Bradshaw from using it. Bradshaw sits down in the chair and then he gets the mic. Bradshaw tells Mike Adamle that he is not leaving the ring until he is made the number one contender.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Bradshaw does not want Mike Adamle to listen to the fans. The people cannot relate to him. They live in homes with mortgages they cannot afford while he owns several homes. Bradshaw says that you don’t mess with him. No one has more credentials to be number one contender than him.
Randy Orton’s music plays and he walks deliberately to the ring. Orton has something to say. He reminds everyone that he gave an evaluation of the champions and he was not impressed. That is why he made sure that Punk did not keep his title. Orton tells Bradshaw that he is not much of an improvement. Randy points out that the Age of Orton was cut short due to injury, but it is only a matter of time until he returns to the ring. He says that it does not matter who is the champion on Raw because he will become World Champion again. Finally there will be a champion on Raw with some credibility. Orton says that he does not care.
Santino Marella’s music plays and he comes out with Beth Phoenix. Santino has the mic and he wants to know who Orton thinks he is. He insults Santino and Beth, but they are champions. Unlike Orton, they are healthy. Santino says that Orton is always injured, just like his daddy. Santino asks Randy how long his dad had the cast on his arm. Santino says that his dad is always healthy, despite having the herpes. Santino says that him and Beth represent the new age of champions so he wants Orton to apologize.
Orton asks Santino if he is supposed to respond. Bradshaw tells Orton to apologize, but not to Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix, but to him because Orton is irrelevant. Bradshaw says that he was able to do something that Orton could not do and he did it with one move. Bradshaw says that he took Batista down with a clothesline. Bradshaw says that he hopes Orton doesn’t hurt his shoulder again.
Batista makes his way to the ring, but first we get some pyro. Batista laughs and says that before he beats the hell out of everyone, he says that this is the most pathetic sight that he has seen. They are making promises that they cannot keep. He compares them to politicians. Batista compares Beth to a pig wearing lipstick. Santino says that even though Beth may squeal, she is not a pig. Batista has a solution. He will face Bradshaw. After he beats Bradshaw, he will face Jericho at No Mercy. He will beat Jericho and then continue to beat people until Orton gets his doctor note. Santino asks if Batista is forgetting everyone. Batista tells Santino that if Beth wants a shot at the title after he wins it, she can get her ass kicked. Batista tells Bradshaw that he did not forget about last week and he wants a piece of Bradshaw.
Mike Adamle appears on the TitanTron and he says that there is no reason for physicality. He has talked to Chris Jericho about the number one contender. He will make his announcement after the Kane/Rey Mysterio match at the end of the night.
Batista tells Adamle that he will plead his case now. Batista with a punch to Bradshaw, but Bradshaw with a forearm to the back. Santino gets a spinebuster from Batista. Beth gets in Batista’s face while Bradshaw leaves the ring. Beth slaps Batista in the face and then she yells at Batista. She slaps him again and he looks like he enjoys it. Batista hits Beth a spinebuster on top of Santino.
Randy Orton walks in the back and he happens to pass Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, and Manu. They walk past without saying anything. We go to a second generation commercial.
Before the match starts, Jimmy Haas gets on the mic and he says that he talks about Oklahoma. He says that business is about to pick up and it will be a slobber knocker. Haas makes a plug for JR’s barbecue sauce.
Match Number Four: Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, and Manu versus Kofi Kingston, Jerry Lawler, and Jim Haas (to Jim Ross’s entrance music)
Kingston and Manu start things off and Kingston with a waist lock but Manu with a shoulder tackle and a head butt. Manu with a slam attempt but Kingston with a drop kick. Rhodes tags in and Kingston with a monkey flip. Lawler tags in and he kicks Rhodes. Rhodes punches Lawler but Lawler with a punch of his own. Lawler with a back body drop and a drop kick. Rhodes gets a near fall and then has Lawler in a side head lock. Haas joins Cole at the announce table before returning to the apron. Lawler with a jawbreaker and a punch. Haas tags in and he punches DiBiase. Haas with a clothesline and drop kick. Haas with a Thesz Press and punches and then he adjusts his midsection for a splash and he gets a two count. All six men are in the ring, but Kingston with a clothesline that takes care of him and Manu. DiBiase with the Million Dollar Side Leg Sweep for the three count on Haas.
Winners: Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, and Manu
We go to the Smackdown Rebound.
Chris Jericho is in his locker room getting cleaned up and Bradshaw enters. He reminds Jericho that they are not friends but he says that they were a good tag team. Jericho stops Bradshaw and he reminds Bradshaw that he cost him the title last year against Randy Orton. Jericho says that Mike Adamle trusts him more than Bradshaw. Jericho says that he is not investing in Lehman Brothers or Bradshaw title matches. We go to commercial.
We are back with the WWE Rewind: Jamie Noble and William Regal’s match with Layla leaving with Regal after the match.
Match Number Five: Jamie Noble versus Paul Burchill with Katie Lea
Noble with a kick and forearms but Burchill sends Noble into the corner. Noble with kicks and forearms followed by kicks to the head. Noble with a running back elbow to Burchill. Noble with a head butt but Burchill with a knee to the midsection followed by a European uppercut. Burchill misses a charge into the corner and Noble rolls through into a cross arm breaker and Burchill taps out.
Winner: Jamie Noble
After the match, Layla comes out and she has a British accent. She says that last week was difficult and a hard decision. She says that she is sorry that it took so long to get rid of him. She was not going to have Noble take her to the Waffle House. She found a man who is worthy of her and it is William Regal. Regal comes out and says that it was not Noble that she wanted, it was nobility.
Mike Adamle is with Lance Cade and Batista interrupts and he wants to know if he is the number one contender. Cade asks Batista why he should think he is the number one contender. Batista grabs Cade by his shirt and asks him when he asked for Cade’s opinion. Batista leaves the office and Cade looks like he might need a change of pants. We go to commercial.
Match Number Six: Kane versus Rey Mysterio
Rey with a kick to the leg at the start of the match. Kane tries to back Rey into the corner and he is able to stop Rey from getting out of the corner. Kane with a punch to Rey. Kane charges into a boot. Rey with a springboard move and Kane catches him, but Rey punches his way out of Kane’s clutches. Kane chokes Rey in the ropes and then she throws Rey under the bottom rope but Rey lands on his feet. Rey gets in as Kane leaves the ring and Rey with a drop kick to Kane to send him to the floor. We go to commercial.
We are back and Kane has Rey in a reverse chin lock. We see footage during the commercial when Rey hit a DDT on the floor but Kane hit a big boot. We are back to live action and Rey with a jawbreaker and then he kicks Kane away. Kane with a slam to Rey but he misses an elbow. Rey with a kick to the head followed by a drop kick. Rey punches Kane but Kane pushes Rey away. Kane with a knee and then he rolls Rey into the ring post and Rey hits it. Kane picks Rey up and then he gives Rey a hard Irish whip and he continues to work on Rey’s back. Kane with a back breaker and then he stretches Rey over his knee. Rey with knees to the head to get out of the hold. Kane punches Rey in the head and kicks him. Kane with an Irish whip but Kane misses a big boot in the corner when Rey moves. Rey with kicks to the leg followed by a wheelbarrow into a drop kick. Rey with a drop kick for a near fall. Rey with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors and Kane is sent into the turnbuckles. Rey goes up top but Kane catches him. Rey with an enzuigiri and Kane falls conveniently into the ropes for the 619, but Kane with a clothesline as Rey comes off the ropes. Kane stomps on Rey’s chest and kicks Rey but the referee calls for the bell.
Referee Stoppage
After the match, Kane tries to take off Rey’s mask Evan Bourne comes out and he connects with drop kicks to the knee. Rey with a drop kick and then Bourne with knees from the top turnbuckle. Rey hits a springboard seated senton and then Bourne and Rey leave the ring.
Chris Jericho and Lance Cade are walking and they are stopped by Dolph Diggler. Jericho refuses to shake his hand but Cade does. We go to commercial.
We are back with more fun factoids about the military tours.
Chris Jericho comes out with Lance Cade and Jericho gingerly enters the ring and he favors his right arm. Jericho has a mic and he tells everyone that he wanted to thank Mike Adamle for respecting his opinion as champion to figure out who will be the number one contender for his title. Jericho says that there has been a lot of talk. Should it be Bradshaw or Batista? Jericho says that neither man are worthy of a shot at his title. Jericho wants Bradshaw and Batista should meet at No Mercy to see who is the number one contender and then Jericho will wrestle the winner. Jericho says that is not a problem because he wrestled twice at Unforgiven. Jericho says that he is the best in the world and he deserves the title. Jericho says that he hopes Adamle accepts this proposition.
Mike Adamle comes out and he says that is more than fair. Bradshaw will face Batista and the winner will be the new number one contender. Mike says that he does not want to have challengers fight twice on the same night because he has to deal with Shane and Stephanie McMahon. Adamle says that Bradshaw and Batista will face the winner at a later date. Mike says that he heard of an idea that he could not ignore. Mike brings out Jericho’s opponent at No Mercy. Shawn Michaels comes out and he says that he knows what Chris is thinking. They have fought in a regular match and an unsanctioned match. Is there a way to top themselves? Is there a match that is not only thrilling and exhilarating that will allow him to permanently disfigure Chris in ways that he could not imagine. Shawn says that there is a match that some say he put on the map. A match that he revolutionized. It is a match that will allow him to beat Jericho for the title at No Mercy. They will meet in a… HBK asks for some help and two people bring out a big ladder. Shawn climbs the ladder and announces a ladder match for No Mercy.
End of show…
Shop WWE Columns – Ask Your Ayatollah – 9/8/08
September 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Hey there, kids, and welcome back to yet another fun filled edition of Ask Your Ayatollah. The response to the debut was pretty good, I must say. Most everyone seemed to like it alright, and I got more email and general feedback off of it than I ever got back when I was rocking All About the Game on the LoP main page a few years back. So yeah, that was spiffy, and I do very much thank every single one of you who read it, with a special tip of my rockin’ Alice in Chains hat to those of you who took the time to tell me so.
I do hope that life has been good for all of you in the two weeks since we last got together. Been a rocky couple for the Toller, I must say. Some personal drama flaring up, and a bit of uncomfortableness here and there. Nothing I haven’t been able to handle, though, as lord knows I’ve seen worse. In the end, it’s all just made things better, in an oddly roundabout way. Life has been very good for Your Ayatollah for the past couple months. I’m tickled pink.
Tonight, though, I’m in a rare mood. Feeling it, if you will. Thus, I’ll cut with the chit chat and get right into the festivities at hand. Strong bunch of questions this time out, with a couple solid music questions tossed my way, a fairly epic one that I’m thinking I’ll tackle at the end, and the very, very welcome return of a long missed name from my past. I do believe this shall be fun.
We’ll kick off the playlist tonight with Addicted by Saving Abel. Yeah, we will.
Back to the front.
Remember that long missed name from my past I mentioned? We’re going to kick it off with him. The one, the only, the legendary…
1,000,000 BC says…
I might as well chuck in a question seeing as you’ve decided people care about your opinions and all. With ‘Mania headed your way in ’09, any thoughts on a potential Steve Austin match? Opponents, angles, will it/won’t it?
Man, I love Steve Austin. Always have, since before he was Stone Cold, back in his Stunning days, running around with Paul E. and the Dangerous Alliance. It would be all sorts of awesome to see the Texas Rattlesnake make his WrestleMania return and have that one big last match that he so richly deserves here in his home state of Texas, and I would be all over it, man.
Unfortunately, I just don’t see it going down. I would hope he would make an appearance of some sort, but a match? Nope, not gonna happen. I mean, honestly, who could he face? Orton would probably be the best candidate, with the whole Legend Killer thing and all that, but I don’t see why they would have Randall lay down for Austin. Of course, Austin could just lay down for Orton…..but yeah, that ain’t happening. Nor should it, in my estimation, as I think Stone Cold deserves to go out with those middle fingers raised to the air in victory.
Hogan? I know it’s perhaps the fanboy dream match to end all dream matches, and that they’ve even hinted towards it here and there, most notably at the Hall of Fame a few years back. Let’s get real here, though, kids. It ain’t going to happen. Again, slowly. It. Ain’t. Going. To. Happen. First of all it would cost a fortune to get those two even on the card, let alone in the ring with each other. Second, neither of them would do the job for the other. (would? by alice in chains) Ego is what it is, and they’ve both got healthy ones. Austin has gone on record as saying that he thinks the Hulkster is a “piece of trash”, and you just know it eats Hogan alive that Steve is now routinely referred to as the biggest superstar in the history of the business. Even with that being as asinine a statement as it is.
Who else is there? Cena? Maybe, but really? Is anyone REALLY dying to see Austin vs Cena? I’m alright with both dudes, with an admittedly large preference towards SCSA, and even I would be hard pressed to come up with a good reason to want to see that go down. Batista? Frankly, Steve deserves better than that. Those who saw the HoF this year may say Rocky, even, but uh uh, don’t think so. We’ve seen that three times at Mania already, and as much as I’d love to see him come back, our pal Dwayne would be a damn fool to give up his phat movie cash to do the training and such necessary to make any sort of return to the ring worthwhile.
So no, I don’t see Austin wrestling at WrestleMania this year. Nor do I really see Austin ever wrestling again, for that matter. A stray Stunner here and there, perhaps a few Steveweisers on a special occasion, maybe even a guest referee spot or something. For all intents and purposes, though, that walk up the aisle at WM 19 was the last of Steve Austin’s professional wrestling career. Wish I could say it ain’t so, but then, I’d rather have a healthy sometimes Rattlesnake appearance over him rolling around in a wheelchair.
Thank you, BC. (walk on water by ozzy osbourne) It was fucking excellent to hear from you, and I sincerely hope it wasn’t just a one time deal. Shoo-dee-doo-bop-ba-dow, indeed.
Matt asks…
Are you..How do they say? GAY!
Do you really think this is quality work that should go on the MP?
Is it sad that I get joy out of making other people angry?
No, not last I checked. Let me check again right quick…..ah, as I suspected. Still no.
I don’t suppose I’m the one who should be answering that second question, as it’s frankly up to the readers to determine what is and isn’t worthy of inclusion on the Lords of Pain main page. Sure, they don’t put us here, but they damn sure keep us here. As yours was the only real complaint I saw tossed my way, I would wager the guess that it’s quality enough.
And yes. Yes, that is sad.
Bencif asks…
What do you think are the chances of Jericho getting the WWE or World Heavyweight title again? Also how do you see the rest of his career going?
Guess I should have gotten off my ass last weekend to write a column, huh? Well, given the way Unforgiven turned out, My Ayatollah’s chances at World title glory are quite obviously pretty good, as he is, once again, the World Heavyweight Champion. Sorry I didn’t get to that question before it went down, Ben. (suck my kiss by red hot chili peppers) Though I’d have said he would get it again, anyways.
As to the rest of his career, I see it going quite well, actually. This recent heel turn has been fucking brilliant, sir, just brilliant. With the exception of the little tights. Those are just wrong, man. So wrong that for his first World title match, I want to see Chris Jericho vs a full length mirror. Upon seeing how ricockulous he looks, he would surrender the title in disgust and begin work on his next book, A Lion’s Tale II: Around the World in Entirely Too Little Spandex.
But seriously, Jericho’s just too good to not excel for the rest of his in ring career, and I see no good reason that they would hold him back from doing so. While the roster isn’t exactly paper thin at moment or anything, Jericho very obviously stands out as one of the absolute best they’ve got. He always has, to a degree, but there’s no Austin, Rock, or Triple H around to overshadow him on RAW anymore. My Ayatollah will conclude his career brilliantly, in my opinion, and hopefully will do so a long, long time from now.
Thank you, sir. (touch too much by ac/dc)
The Freak, Himself asks…
Alot of the more popular wrestlers have run the gammut of very, well, unpopular gimmicks in the past that went over like a meat and cheese platter at a PETA meeting. Some, however, had gimmicks that were changed due to marketability, changing companies, or because someone thought it would help their career. Throughout time though, we’ve seen some of these gimmicks return to grandeur that was as high, and sometimes higher, than it was in the first place. When Mick Foley came back as Cactus Jack and tore Trips a new a-hole, for a good example. When Chris Daniels decided he wanted to be funny and brought Curry Man to TNA.
So, on to my question: Are their any old gimmicks you would like to see return today, or any that you think would have made it TODAY that failed horrible years ago?
Well, I spoke of Hakushi last time out, and I think that gimmick, which was brilliant, would work better in today’s environment. We’ve been over that, though, so I’ll move along.
Most gimmicks that have failed have done so for a reason. Namely, because they suck. I’d most assuredly not like to see Kane go back to Issac Yankem, DDS, or see a return to form for Big Show as the “son of Andre”. So I guess the answer is no, there aren’t any gimmicks that failed horribly in the past that I think would really make it today.
That said, there are a few gimmicks I’d like to see make a return from years gone by, with one that stands out in particular. Muhammad Hassan was an excellent heel character, and his run was cut short well, well before it should have been. If the reasoning behind the premature abandonment was any good, like if he wasn’t getting over or if he just straight up sucked, then I wouldn’t have beef with it. (rainbow in the dark by dio) But the Hassan character was, ironically, martyred due to unfair pressure applied by outsiders who had no real understanding of the world of professional wrestling.
I know it’s still a sore subject with some people, but let’s look at the facts, here. Hassan was just the most recent in a long line of foreign heels. After World War II we had Fritz Von Erich and Baron von Raschke. During the Cold War, there were Nikolai Volkoff and Nikita Koloff. Hell, Sgt. Slaughter during the original Gulf War stands out as perhaps the best example of the past 20 some odd years. A topical, controversial foreign heel character is nothing new.
And that’s all that Hassan was, for all intents and purposes. Used the same gimmicks we’d seen previously, like speaking in a foreign tongue via the afore mentioned Volkoff, or performing ceremonial “rituals” during his entrance via a Yokozuna or Mr. Fuji. And the thing that pisses me off about it is that he did it well. Really well. Perhaps too well.
Thus, people got pissed, (which is kinda the point), and the dude was shut down before he really got out of blocks. That guy would be a multiple time World champ by now, no doubt, and would have had a shot at going down as possibly the best heel of that type in the modern history of the business. (only by nine inch nails) Alas, it wasn’t meant to be, all because some suits who likely couldn’t pick the dude out of a lineup deemed it inappropriate. Apparently they can do stuff like that on 24 or in countless movies, but pro wrestling just isn’t allowed to tackle a sensitive issue. Which is why our favorite form of entertainment, friends, will always be viewed as little more than a sideshow attraction.
Thank you for a question that I probably just took entirely too seriously.
DaveyBoy asks…
Which member of New Kids On The Block do you think is most talented…???
Man, I came up back in the day, when NKOTB were The Shit. Yes, capitalized and everything. Giant buttons, t-shirts galore, Saturday morning cartoon shows, on and on and on and on. So yes, I’m not ashamed to say that I know a thing or two about them. Well, not too ashamed.
My favorite back in the day was Donnie Wahlberg, the “bad boy” of the group. As many know, he has since gone on to have a moderately successful acting career, breaking out a pretty damn good turn in Saw II and a brief but haunting performance in The Sixth Sense. Of course, his brother Marky Mark has vastly overshadowed everything he’s done. (swamped by lacuna coil) Boogie Nights alone is better than Donnie’s entire resume.
Really, though, considering how little we’ve heard from the rest of them since the group’s demise way on back in the day, I would say that Donnie is probably the most overall talented of the bunch. Best singer was probably Jordan, who actually managed a reasonably decent sized solo hit in the late ’90s. I always liked Joey, too, because he sounded every single bit of the 12 years old or whatever he was. Funny to hear that voice singing about some chick leaving and ruining his whole world. Please don’t go, girl.
I understand they’re getting back together, actually, which should pretty much tell you just how well they’ve all been doing since their split. For the record, the best thing to come out of the New Kids phenomenon is the sex tape scene featuring Ben Affleck in Mallrats.
Thanks, Davey. Keep hangin’ tough.
Jesus, that was lame.
Dan H. asks…
You mentioned in your most recent column that you were as shocked if not more so then myself with the Kane/Mysterio happenings on Raw. This is really just the most recent in a long line of surprises, starting with John Cena’s return at the Royal Rumble, moving on to the Draft and Punk’s title win, and now this. At first I thought it was great that the WWE was sending out new material for our viewing pleasure, but now it seems like they’re booking illogical stories simply to surprise people. Do you think this is the case?
To be honest, man, I was just talking to my good buddy Anthrax the other day about how it seemed almost as if they lost Kane’s old mask right before the bag segment was set to go on, and they just grabbed a Rey one from the merch stand to stick in there. It was just so fuckin’ random, you know? I joked about The Hurricane’s mask being in there last week, but damn, even that would have made more sense than Rey’s.
So yeah, it kinda does look like they’re doing nonsensical shit just to throw us off a bit, at least in terms of that one storyline. (the death song by marilyn manson) Aside from that one, though, I’d say all the other stuff they’ve done has been pleasantly surprising for the most part. The only other thing I can think of offhandedly that made as little sense as the Kane/Rey thing is the whole Adamle as GM bit, which I still think has been a damn fun storyline despite what someone else keeps telling me. Really, the dude just had incredible heat all by his lonesome, and it was a stroke of mild brilliance to put him in a position other than that of announcer, where he couldn’t really interact with the crowd to any real degree.
Anyways, on the front of the Kane storyline, I would lean towards them just being illogical to keep us on our toes. Everything else, though, has been pretty alright thus far. I just hope that the answer to the Mystery of Kane’s Sack isn’t an indicator of what’s to come.
Thank you kindly, sir.
Alright, this is the last one for this time around, and it’s kinda epic.
anonymous asks…
If you’re in for a bit of a challenge: List every member of the Raw Roster in the order of how important you feel they are to the company.
I’m always in for a bit of a challenge. Here goes nothing. (my girlfriend’s girlfriend by type o negative) I’ll take it in reverse order, from least important to most.
Deuce – Has this motherfucker even been on TV yet?
Snitsky – Um, yeah. But hey, it’s not his fault.
Ron Simmons – Only because I refused to rank him below the baby killer.
Val Venis – I love this dude, but he’s looked into more bright lights than Wayne Newton.
Paul London – I had hopes for this guy, but man, he’s just fucked.
Chuck Palumbo – He’s on RAW? I honestly didn’t even remember that shit.
Hardcore Holly – Is he still alive?
Hacksaw Jim Duggan – I got mad love for Hacksaw, but he’s little more than filler.
Primo Colon – Unproven, but at least he’s on TV, unlike most of the previously mentioned guys.
Layla – She don’t do shit but get Jamie’s ass kicked. Which I must admit is pretty fun.
Kelly Kelly – Same thing, only she’s actually “wrestled” a couple times.
D-Lo Brown – Dig him, but have a sneaking suspicion he’s the next Val.
Charlie Haas – Doesn’t do much, but has been entertaining lately.
Melina – Would be higher if she weren’t injured. But she is.
Paul Burchill – Had some potential, but that looks to be fading. I miss the pirate gimmick.
Lance Cade – Could be something, but it’s really too early to tell.
Jamie Noble – One of my favorite parts of the show. Love this guy.
Katie Lea – I dig her, but she hasn’t done a whole lot yet. More than her brother, though.
Candice – Been gone a while, but always good to see her. She’s just fun. But Christ, that music sucks.
William Regal – One of my all time favorites, but the time away hurt him.
Beth Phoenix – I dig this chick a lot, and she’s part of maybe the best thing going on the show with Glammarella.
Rhoades and Dibiase – These guys are going to be something special.
Cryme Tyme – More over than the previous tag team, but are still a tag team. Thus, not exactly integral to the show these days. (rush by poisonblack)
Rey Mysterio – Hasn’t done much yet, and really just kinda doesn’t fit in. Still, he’s hella over with kids and stuff.
Mickie James – Meh, she’s Mickie.
Kofi Kingston – This dude has all the potential in the world. Six months from now he will maybe be near the top of this list.
Santino Marella – That’s all that needs to be said, really.
JBL – I hate this prick, but he’s always in the mix.
Lilian Garcia – I mark for Lilian. Sue me.
Mike Adamle – Guy’s a fuckin’ trip.
Kane – I’d love to have him on top of the list. Alas, he’s not.
Batista – Still in the hunt at all times, but his time is kinda drawing to a close, I think.
CM Punk – I’m a big fan of this dude. He’s the future.
Shawn Michaels – RAW’s MVP for the past, like, five years, at least when he’s around. HBK is damn near untouchable.
Randy Orton – I hate this fucking cocksucker. But goddamn is he good. Fuckin’ dick with ears.
Chris Jericho – Dude, he’s fuckin’ Jericho. Best reason to watch the show, especially lately.
John Cena – John Cena, regardless your thoughts on him, IS RAW. He’s the masthead on the flagship, and will be for the as long as he’s healthy and on the roster.
Thanks a lot, nonymo. There’s a reason you’re one of my favorite people around this joint.
That just took foreeeeever. Fun, though.
The rest of it was, as well, and I do thank each and every one of you who sent a question my way. If you’d like to join in the fun, then please feel free to do so. You can hit me up via my email address at AskYourAyatollah@rock.com, or via my very own personal feedback thread on LoPForums, which you can find by clicking right here. Or, if you’re a member of said LoPForums, just hit me with a Private Message.
If you’re not a member of the Forums, well, get that way. I especially encourage you to visit the Columns Forum, where you’ll find some of the absolute best wrestling writing on the net, bar none.
I thank you all for taking the time to check this out. I’ve been doing this column thing for a long time, now, and I’ve never quite enjoyed doing anything quite as much as I do this. I do hope that came through, and that this was a halfway decent way to spend five or ten minutes of your time. I also send my thanks out to my editor, without whom I wouldn’t be doing this in the first place. Thanks for being my sounding board.
Alright, that’ll do it. Playlist wraps tonight with Leper Messiah by Metallica. Hell yes. I shall return in a couple weeks’ time with even more Asky goodness. Again, I encourage you all to send your questions my way, be they about wrestling , music, life in general, whatever. It’s what I do. Until we get together to do it all again, you guys and gals take care of yourselves out there in the big bad really real world. Much love, kids.
Fire at will.
-Steve
AskYourAyatollah@rock.com
Why was MVP in prison, and how long was hein the slammer?
September 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
MVP was in prison 9 1/2 years for armed robbery and kidnapping.
Longest reigning Intercontinental champion? Longest reigning WWE champion?
September 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
The longest reigning intercontinental champion is the Honky Tonk Man, he held it for 454 days.
The longest reigning WWE champion is John Cena, 1 year. ‘WWF’ was Bruno Samartino 7 plus years.
WWE House Show Results from Little Rock, Arkansas 9/13/08
September 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Report sent in by Mike
Jamie Noble and William Regal started the show off. They had a rather back in forth match. Noble scored the victory after a crossbody from the top rope.
Hacksaw came out to a huge pop like always. Snitsky blindsided him and then the match started. Hacksaw kicked his ass pretty good, even hitting the three point stance, surprisingly. But Snitsky got a measly boot (his only move of the match) on Hacksaw and the match was over.
Santino Marella retained his title against Charlie (Haas) Marella. Santino actually showed a tad bit of wrestling skill, much to my surprise. Santino won with a basic pin.
Then I got to see the “All American American” Jack Swagger. And I have to say, the kid sucks pretty bad. But he has a hell of a personality. He was doing some breakdancing after giving D’Lo a hiptoss or an arm drag. However, our undefeated Rookie, LOST to D’Lo Brown after the Low Down.
Then, we got the Women’s Title match. Mickie’s ass was looking luscious. Yeah, I said it. These two had probably the match of the night. Seriously. Well…actual wrestling wise. Beth would use the Steamboat Chickenwing and convert it into a facebuster for the win.
After intermission, we got Kane vs Mysterio. It was announced earlier that fans could vote with their phones for the stipulation. No Disqualification won 78% of the vote. Upon Mysterio’s arrival, he was doing his interaction with the crowd and some guy decided to pour his beer all over Mysterio. And four security guys proceeded to launching the guy from his seat to the entrance area. After he was reprimanded, we had the match. Kane basically dominated Rey for all of the match. Rey pulled the cheesiest finish ever. He won with the 6-1-9, followed by the splash from the top rope. Meh.
Then we got a rematch from RAW, as Priceless and Manu took on Kingston and Cryme Tyme. This match had the biggest crowd reaction, interaction, pops, all of that. Nothing special in the ring. Cryme Tyme had the momentum, then Manu hit JTG with a superkick and Cody scored the win after his botched DDT. Just poorly executed, as usual.
For the main event, we got Jericho vs Batista vs JBL. JBL and Jericho did the whole 2 on 1 scenario for most of the match until Jericho hit JBL with an enzugiri. Jericho would get Batista in the Walls of the Jericho, but JBL delivered the boot to break the hold. Batista would regain control of the match, hitting a powerslam on Jericho and a spinebuster on JBL. JBL would then get a Batista Bomb. Batista went to give one to Jericho, but Lance Cade distracted him. Jericho pinned JBL to retain the title.
WWE House Show Results from Monroe, Louisiana 9/13/08
September 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Report sent in by Trae Wisecarver
I went to the Smackdown/ECW house show in Monroe last night. All in all it
was a fun show. While we were waiting for the doors to open, my friend
spotted former TNA wrestler and WWE developmental talent Cassidy Riley at
the box office (he’s from Monroe and lives nearby). After we argued for a
few minutes over whether or not it was him and whether or not to approach
him, my wife went over to him and confirmed it was indeed Cassidy Riley, and
he came over and signed autographs and took pictures with us. Nice guy.
Justin Roberts opened the show and did the whole “text your vote for the
stipulation” thing for the ECW Title match later on. The “choices” were 2/3
Falls, Falls Count Anywhere, and No DQ.
1. Evan Bourne beat Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) (9:48) with a cradle.
Chavo attacked Bourne after the match and then yelled at Neely for not
helping him. Neely got in the ring and held Bourne up for Chavo to hit him,
but at the last second Neely clotheslined Chavo and left, then Bourne hit
the Shooting Star Press on Chavo.
Eve Torres was up in the cheap seats with some fans. She told a family they
would get front row seats if the kid could answer a trivia question. The
question was “Which superstar is the current United States Champion?” The
kid correctly answered “Shelton Benjamin.”
2. Jeff Hardy beat Vladimir Kozlov (5:57) with the Swanton bomb. Kozlov cut
a promo before the match about wanting competition. The crowd gave him the
“WHAT?!” treatment. Jeff was over huge.
Eve had made her way to ringside and brought some kid in to be the guest
bell ringer for the next match.
3. WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool beat Maryse (w/ Victoria) (8:37) with
a double-underhook face plant that Wikipedia says is called the Wings of
Love. The match was what you’d expect. Towards the end Victoria tried to
interfere, but Eve took her down to even the score. Maryse took down Eve,
then Michelle hit her with the finish.
4. WWE United States Champion Shelton Benjamin beat Jimmy Wang Yang (15:02)
with the Pay Dirt. They had a pretty good match and worked the crowd into
it, which is the important thing. At one point late in the match, the
referee caught Shelton trying to take off the turnbuckle pad. While the ref
was fixing it, Yang caught him with an inside cradle for a phantom three
count. Of course, by the time the ref turned around and counted, Shelton
kicked out at 2. Finish was Yang missing the moonsault and Shelton hitting
him with the Paydirt.
5. Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) beat Mike Knox (12:25) with a shillelagh (thank
God for spell check) shot. They had the usual antics with Hornswoggle. After
the match, they brought about 5 kids and a soldier in the ring to play Chase
the Midget… or something. Intermission followed.
6. WWE Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus,
John Morrison & The Miz, and Carlito & Primo Colon (15:54) when Hawkins
pinned Festus with a school boy. When the bell rang at the start, Festus
went crazy and chased the heels all around the ring and up the aisle and
back. It was a fun match. Mizorrison are the best thing to happen to tag
team wrestling in WWE in ages, and they were pretty popular with the women
in the crowd. Primo Colon was very impressive.
Teddy Long came out to announce the “winner” of the text message “vote.” It
was a No DQ Match.
7. ECW Champion Matt Hardy beat Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) (11:34) with the
Twist of Fate. As is the case every time they come to Monroe, Matt got the
biggest pop of the night (and this was a show that included Triple H and The
Undertaker). Before the match got started, Teddy told Tony Atlas that if he
touched Matt, Henry would automatically lose. The match was what you’d
expect. They used a trash can, a chair, and the ring steps. Matt won with
the Twist of Fate.
MVP came out for the main event. He cut a promo on Karl Malone, who was in
the front row.
8. Triple H & The Undertaker defeated Great Khali & MVP (22:00) when Triple
H pinned Khali with the Pedigree. This was my first time seeing Triple H
and Undertaker live, and it was a very cool experience. The match was
pretty long, but actually wasn’t bad (then again, everything seems better
live). The bad guys got heat on Taker forever, but he finally made the hot
tag to Triple H. The end came when Undertaker chokeslammed MVP at the same
time Triple H hit the Pedigree on Khali and got the pin.
The show ended up going about 3 hours, 10 minutes total. It was the best
WWE show I’ve been to, but it wasn’t as good as the TNA show in the same
building 2 months ago.
WWE Smackdown Results 9/12/08
September 15, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Report by Jason Powell and ProWrestling.net
Highlights aired from Unforgiven of Triple H winning the Championship Scramble.
The opening montage played.
Jim Ross and Tazz introduced the show from ringside and hyped the four-way match between Jeff Hardy, Shelton Benjamin, MVP, and Brian Kendrick for a shot at the WWE Title.
Triple H’s music played and he walked to the ring for a promo. Hunter encouraged everyone to watch the Unforgiven DVD as soon as it comes out and not just because he gets good residuals. He put over the major events of the pay-per-view and said he was the only man to walk in as a champion and walk out as a champion.
Jeff Hardy interrupted Hunter. He said everyone in the locker room looks up to Hunter, including him. He said Hunter is like a god in the WWE Universe. Hunter insincerely talked about how much he admires Hardy for his good traits. Hunter said he admires the way Hardy comes out night after night and reaches for the brass ring and comes up one step short. “Kind of the story of your life,” Hunter said.
Hardy said maybe he’s been one step away or maybe it’s because he didn’t have the right people to push him along. He noted he didn’t have The Clique, DX, or “the family.” Hunter said maybe all that is true, while noting that Matt Hardy won the ECW Title. Hunter insinuated that Jeff hasn’t been able to stay focussed enough without Matt leading the way and mocked Jeff’s “extracurricular activities.”
Hunter sincerely stated that he respects Jeff and everything he’s done in the business. He said he hopes Jeff wins. “I will win,” Hardy said. Hunter said he hopes that Jeff proves him wrong. “Because no matter what happens, when you get to No Mercy, you’ll prove me right”.
-commercial-
1. Michelle McCool and Brie Bella and Maria beat Maryse and Natalya and Victoria in 4:00. The heels roughed up Brie until she crawled underneath the ring. As usual, Brie emerged from underneath the ring with more energy and immediately pined Victoria.
-commercial-
2. R-Truth beat Chavo Guerrero (w/Bam Neely) by DQ in 3:25. Same entrance as last week with R-Truth walking through the crowd and singing his entrance song. Late in the match, Chavo went to the top rope for a frogsplash, but Killing caught him. Neely jumped up and pulled R-Truth down to the mat for the DQ.
After the match, Chavo and Neely bickered. Chavo was saying something about how he pays Neely and then shoved him. Neely got upset and shoved Chavo to the mat. “Don’t you ever put your hands on me,” Neely said. Truth attacked Neely and hit the ax kick. Chavo attacked R-Truth, who quickly regained control of their fight…
Backstage, Hunter interrupted a conversation between Shelton and Eve. Hunter said he’s not even sure why Shelton has to compete in the four-way match since he was the only other guy in the Championship Scramble who didn’t get pinned. Hunter got Shelton worked up by telling him that Hardy claims he’s grabbing the brass ring.
At ringside, Tazz told Ross some state about WWE having three times the viewers of some college football game on ESPN last week. Ross joked that Tazz shouldn’t make it personal.
3. Festus (w/Jesse) fought Kenny Dykstra to a no-contest in 1:00. The babyface duo came to the ring wearing “My Moving Co.” moving outfits. Dykstra cut a promo while walking to the ring and referred to himself as a 22 year-old stud. He attacked Festus before the bell. Jesse rang the bell and it was all Festus. Out of nowhere, Festus looked to Jesse, who threw him a roll of duct tape. They hogtied Dykstra and placed him on a moving cart.
-commercial-
After the break, Jesse and Festus had Dykstra wrapped in tape and bubble wrap. They placed a piece of tape over his mouth and then moved him backstage.
At ringside, Ross and Tazz teased that Big Show and Vickie Guerrero would be coming out to explain why Show attacked Undertaker at the pay-per-view.
Highlights aired of the Big Show angle at the pay-per-view.
Vickie Guerrero came out to mega heat and earned more with her “excuse me” line. She introduced Big Show, who said he got upset because Undertaker thinks he’s special and above the rules.
“Undertaker, you might be above many things, but no one is above me,” Show said. He claims he follows the rules because he knows what’s best for Smackdown and all the fans. He said you won’t see any wedding rings or sweet nothings. It’s strictly business. In order to get a shot at the WWE Title, he has to get Undertaker to apologize. “If you’re not sorry now, I will personally make sure you will be.
-commercial-
4. Vladimir Kozlov squashed Scott Goldman and Funaki in 1:00. Goldman and Funaki were both allowed in the ring at the same time. Kozlov kicked both of their asses and ended up pinning Funaki. Afterward, he said he came to Smackdown looking for a challenge. He demanded a better challenge and said he’d find one if no one stepped up.
Backstage, Triple H approached Zeke, who was reading the latest WWE Magazine. They had a brief staredown and Zeke didn’t say a word. The Brian Kendrick showed up and bragged about being the longest reigning champion in the Champion Scramble. Hunter said he was rooting for Kendrick the whole time. “Of all the losers there were that night, you were by far the biggest”.
-commercial-
5. Carlito and Primo Colon beat Zach Ryder and Curt Hawkins in a non-title match in 6:45. A pre-taped promo aired with Primo saying he’s been dreaming about teaming with his brother. Primo showed some flash offense early, but then the match turned into a dragged out series of rest holds that drew some boos. Primo picked up the pace in the match and then Carlito hit the Backstabber on Hawkins for the win.
Backstage, Hunter questioned why MVP was in the four-way match when he didn’t do anything notable in the Championship Scramble match. Hunter said he hopes MVP doesn’t choke like he did on Sunday night.
-commercial-
The WWE 24/7 showcase featured Ric Flair beating Harley Race to win the NWA Title.
At ringside, the announcers hyped “Forever Flair” on WWE 24/7.
Ring introductions for the four-way match took place. Shelton appeared on the big screen and said he’s called the Gold Standard because he shines brighter than anyone. Ross compared Shelton to Adrian Peterson. Kendrick was out next. He pranced, but his dance routine was tamed down. They went to break before Hardy came out.
-commercial-
Jeff Hardy’s was introduced to the usual big ovation. Ross said no one gets a bigger ovation than Hardy.
6. Jeff Hardy defeated MVP and Shelton Benjamin and The Brian Kendrick (w/Ezekiel Jackson) in a four-way at 15:30 to earn a shot at the WWE Title at the pay-per-view. Kendrick ducked to ringside as soon as the bell rang. He tried to sneak in, but Hardy spotted him and he immediately darted back to the floor. At 2:30, Kendrick went for his finisher, but MVP caught him and then used him as a weapon momentarily. Nice spot. Hardy scored a nearfall on Benjamin heading into the break.
-commercial-
Kendrick continued to pick his spots. Zeke got involved by tossing Hardy into the guardrail while the ref was focussed on the action in the ring. MVP hit a really nice rolling throw (as the announcers called it) on Benjamin. MVP and Benjamin continued to square off while Hardy sold an injury and Kendrick picked his spots and took a cheap shot at Hardy.
Hardy finally got back in the match at 13:00. He went for a a Swanton on Shelton, but MVP pulled Shelton out of the ring. Kendrick snuck in for a cover, but MVP shoved him off and got a nearfall of his own. MVP held Hardy for Kendrick, who took the bait. MVP clotheslined Kendrick to the mat.
A short time later, Shelton hit his finisher on MVP, but Kendrick ran in and dropkicked Shelton and followed up with The Kendrick. Hardy kicked Zeke through the ropes and then hit the Swanton on Kendrick as he was going for the cover on Shelton. Hardy pinned Kendrick and received a big pop.
Vladimir Kozlov walked to the ring. Hardy ducked his first shot and landed one of his own, but Kozlov got the better of the exchange and left Hardy lying in the ring. “The ruthless Russian has just assaulted the new number one contender,” Ross said to close the show.
Report by Jason Powell and ProWrestling.net
Cena’s HEEL return
September 14, 2008 by benish · Leave a Comment
A possible storyline upon Cena’s return is that he is turning heel. Having been sidelined by Batista it makes sense to feud the two leading up to Wrestlemania 25 for Cena/Batista 2. Cena having been put on the self last year around the same time many are wondering if Cena’s babyface style can stick as the crowds are 50/50 every venue the WWE travels to, a heel turn isn’t a primary focus for Cena but is a largley takled about possibility.
