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#1 · (Edited)
The World Wrestling Entertainment
A BkB Hulk Production



~ Administration ~
General Manager: Eric Bischoff
Announcers: Joey Styles, Jerry Lawler & Jonathan Coachman
Backstage Interviewers: Maria & Todd Grishim
Ring Announcer: Lilian Garcia

~ Champions ~
WWE Champion: Edge
Intercontinental Champion: Ric Flair
Women’s Champion: Mickie James
World Tag Team Champions: Kane & Big Show

~ Roster ~
Antonio
Ashley Massaro
Candice Michelle
Carlito
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Masters
Daivari
Danny Basham
Doug Basham
Edge
Eugene
Gene Snitsky
Goldust
Gregory Helms
John Cena
Johnny Jeter
Kane
Kenny Doane
Kurt Angle
Lance Cade
Lita
Matt Striker
Mick Foley
Mickie James
Mikey Mondo
Mitch Mitchell
Nicky Nemeth
Rene Dupree
Ric Flair
Rob Conway
Rob Van Dam
Romeo
Shelton Benjamin
Torrie Wilson
Trevor Murdoch
Triple H
Trish Stratus
Tyson Tomko
Val Venis
Victoria
Viscera


~ Tag Teams/Alliances/Stables ~
Carlito & Chris Masters
Chavo Guerrero & Ric Flair
Eugene & Goldust
Kane & Big Show
Mickie James & Ashley Massaro

The Basham Brothers: Doug Basham & Danny Basham
The Heart Throbs: Romeo & Antonio
The ******* Wrecking Crew: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
The Spirit Squad: Kenny Doane, Johnny Jeter, Mikey Mondo, Nicky Nemeth & Mitch Mitchell
The World's Greatest Tag Team: Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin
Trish Stratus & Victoria


----------



~ Administration ~
General Manager: Theodore Long
Network Executive: Palmer Canon
Announcers: Michael Cole & Tazz
Backstage Interviewers: Josh Matthews & Steve Romero
Ring Announcer: Tony Chimel

~ Champions ~
World Heavyweight Championship: Batista
United States Champion: Orlando Jordan
Cruiserweight Champion: Rey Mysterio
WWE Tag Team Champions: The Hardy Boyz

~ Roster ~
Batista
Bobby Lashley
Booker T
Brent Albright
Brian Kendrick
Chad Dick
Chris Benoit
CM Punk
Finlay
Funaki
Hardcore Holly
Heidenreich
Idol Stevens
James Dick
Jamie Noble
Jeff Hardy
Jillian Hall
Joey Mercury
John 'Bradshaw' Layfield
Johnny Nitro
Juventud
K.C. James
Kid Kash
Matt Hardy
Melina
Michelle McCool
Mr. Kennedy
Nunzio
Orlando Jordan
Paul Burchill
Paul London
Psicosis
Rey Mysterio
Road Warrior Animal
Scotty 2 Hotty
Shannon Moore
Sharmell
Simon Dean
Steven Richards
Super Crazy
Sylvain
The Boogeyman
The Undertaker
Vito
William Regal


~ Tag Teams/Alliances/Stables ~
Batista & Rey Mysterio
Booker T, Orlando Jordan & Sharmell

Legion of Doom: Road Warrior Animal & Heidenreich
MNM: Joey Mercury, Johnny Nitro & Melina
Nunzio & Vito
Paul London & Brian Kendrick
Scotty 2 Hotty & Funaki

The Bluebloods: William Regal & Paul Burchill
The Cabinet: John 'Bradshaw' Layfield, Brent Albright, Jillian Hall, K.C. James, Idol Stevens & Michelle McCool
The Dicks: Chad Dick & James Dick
The Hardy Boyz: Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy
The Mexicools: Juventud, Super Crazy & Psicosis

----------

~ Pay-Per-View Schedule ~
Royal Rumble: January 29th, 2006 | American Airlines Arena; Miami, Florida
No Way Out: February 19th, 2006 | 1st Mariner Arena; Baltimore, Maryland
WrestleMania 22: April 2nd, 2006 | Allstate Arena; Rosemont, Illinois
Backlash: April 30th, 2006 | Rupp Arena; Lexington, Kentucky
Judgment Day: May 21st, 2006 | US Airways Center; Phoenix, Arizona
One Night Stand: June 11th, 2006 | Hammerstein Ballroom; New York, New York
Vengeance: June 25th, 2006 | Charlotte Bobcats Arena; Charlotte, North Carolina
The Great American Bash: July 23rd, 2006 | Conseco Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Indiana
SummerSlam: August 20th, 2006 | TD Banknorth Garden; Boston, Massachusetts
Unforgiven: September 17th, 2006 | Air Canada Centre; Toronto, Ontario
No Mercy: October 8th, 2006 | RBC Center; Raleigh, North Carolina
Cyber Sunday: November 5th, 2006 | US Bank Arena; Cincinnati, Ohio
Survivor Series: November 26th, 2006 | Wachovia Center; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December to Dismember: December 3rd, 2006 | James Brown Arena; Augusta, Georgia
Armageddon: December 17th, 2006 | Richmond Coliseum; Richmond, Virginia
New Year’s Revolution: January 7th, 2007 | Kemper Arena; Kansas City, Missouri
Royal Rumble: January 28th, 2007 | AT&T Center; San Antonio, Texas
No Way Out: February 18th, 2007 | Staples Center; Los Angeles, California
WrestleMania 23: April 1st, 2007 | Ford Field; Detroit, Michigan

~ Title History ~
WWE Championship:
(1) Edge (January 8th, 2006 - )
Defeated John Cena


World Heavyweight Championship:
(1) Batista (April 3rd, 2005 - )
Defeated Triple H


Intercontinental Championship:
(1) Ric Flair (September 18th, 2005 - )
Defeated Carlito


United States Championship:
Vacant (November 25th, 2005 - January 13th, 2006)

(4) Booker T (January 13th, 2006 - April 2nd, 2006)
Randy Orton (Booker T's substitute) defeated Chris Benoit


(2) Orlando Jordan (April 2nd, 2006 - )
Defeated Booker T and Chris Benoit in a Three Way Dance


Women's Championship:
(5) Trish Stratus (January 9th, 2005 - April 2nd, 2006)
Defeated Lita


(1) Mickie James (April 2nd, 2006 - )
Defeated Trish Stratus


Cruiserweight Championship:
(1) Kid Kash (December 19th, 2005 - April 2nd, 2006)
Defeated Juventud


(7) Rey Mysterio (April 2nd, 2006 - )
Defeated Kid Kash


World Tag Team Championships:
(1) Kane & Big Show (1st November, 2005 - )
Defeated The ******* Wrecking Crew


WWE Tag Team Championships:
(3) MNM (30th December, 2005 - April 2nd, 2006 )
Defeated Batista & Rey Mysterio


(1) The Hardy Boyz (April 2nd, 2006 - )
Defeated MNM
 
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#121 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Well now being back to full force, and saying how I loved your Royal Rumble and couldn't wait for this thread to come back... I HAVE to start following this thread. So looking over the basic review, I have to say Van Dam/Lito' should be good bc even this is my first time saying anything in this thread the overview of their feud was amazing. With that said I would like to see Carlito get a win possibly bc of Masters.

Helms v. Michaels last week in fifteen minutes of action. Really? I know it was mentioned in the discussion thread about the way you use Helms, but I do remember he was one superstar who lasted very long in the Rumble around 46 minutes or so. So with that said, interested to see what he does/who he is in a match with. As for Mr.McMahon can't wait to see what he has to say.

I wish you good luck and can't wait for the show.
 
#124 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Nige's Raw Feedback

If I ever needed a recap, it was here. Oh well, it was a sit up and take notice start to the show. When you get anyone arriving in a limo at the top of the show, let alone Vince, you know something's going down. Creating that intrigue from the get go was clever booking. I've not seen much of this thread recently, but I can't wait to find out what he has to say. Also adding Angle in to it was sensible to kill two birds with one stone.

The intro from the super sized announce team was good and helped me catch up. It was very detailed and helped sell the Carlito/RVD match in a big way. Without knowing what happened before, I know all I need to now. With WrestleMania so close, I was a bit surprised you didn't hold off on putting the match on the card. They're probably better off in Money in the Bank anyway. I'm not familar with the HBK/Vince/HHH situation, and you said Michaels told Vince he was 'leaving' in the past as far as Bret goes. Was that supposed to be 'living in the past'? Careful now!

I was a bit disappointed we didn't see Vince come out as that's what I expected from the way you started the show. Anyways, great opener, written well with a great story tied in too. What more can you want? The body language of both Haas & Benjamin was described brilliantly from start to finish, and the booking of the match with Haas doing it all on his own was also very good. I'd have liked Benjamin to bow down to Charlie's greatness at the bell, but the awkward glances were the right way to go. I obviously didn't expect The Boring Basham Brothers to jump them. I feel there was enough of a story with Benjamin & Haas and The ********, but Doug & Danny can add to it. Time will tell though.

Now we get Vince though. I always wondered what paperwork GM's do, but having Bischoff agitated certainly put his character in to an ideal mood for the confrontation with Vince. Vince was written well and his character was great, laying down the law to Bischoff but not too much. Pushing the GM to do a better job is always interesting as you know he has to step up and do something. Let's see what he does, and mentioning Vince's plans to address the crowd later gives us another reason to stick around.

Wow, Angle & Bischoff both mean business. There's no better than Kurt Angle when he's in a bad mood, and he certainly was here. His body language was also written well, as was Bischoff's increased frustration. I'd have thought Angle would've shouted his line about shoving the pipe up Edge & Cena's ass though. Otherwise, solid promo and still we await Angle's blow up. You do know how to keep your viewers hooked in.

Great promo from Helms and an ideal situation for him to talk up his victory over Shawn Michaels. It was great too, real arrogance shining through to put himself over as the new star, and by beating Michaels, you gave him the ideal launch pad. Personally, I loved how he deliberately mistook the crowd's reaction in saying they loved him. Great job all round here.

Helms was always going to beat Viscera, it was just a job of whether he could do it clean. It's an impressive victory for him even though Mabel is a jobber, but when someone as small as Helms beats him, it's still a big scalp. It was realistic too with the moves he used at the end, and the Helms push continues well.

Selling Triple H's arrival helps get us geared up for whatever Vince has to say, and maybe more. Again adding Angle in to the mix keeps us aware of his bad intentions. Simple and effective booking.

Reading the Mickie/Trish promo made me remember how great their feud was. You're going to have your work cut it out to match it, but this was good I have to say. Mickie was written really well. She was so in your face it was creepy, and Trish handled it well. The booking of the title match, Mickie taking on Victoria this week and having Trish join her out there was all very good and put together well.

Man you like your promos don't you. I guess it's okay when you write them as well as you do. Carlito was in great character, just as he was when he was at his best. His attitude was on the money, dialled up maybe but it was fine. I thought maybe it went on a little too long, but with it being such a big match, it's understandable really to sell it that little bit more than any run of the mill match. This did a good job of hyping the match and making Carlito look like a right prick. It was great!

The Heart Throbs, god they sucked, and they got exactly what they deserved for sucking at the hands of Show & Kane. No surprises obviously, and the champions get to look dominating as they should. Flair & Chavo's presence was the talking point, and they seem like an odd combination at first reading. I'm interested to learn a bit more about them for sure.

Another glimpse of Angle. It's pushing overkill now a bit.

The Vince/Triple H promo was pretty good, and it certainly got better as it went along. I thought Vince's part went round in circles at bit (similar maybe to Carlito earlier), but Triple H made up for that. With Vince's actions and accusations, it was always going to bring out the aggression and bluntless from Triple H. You wrote him perfectly, and the ending of it was just awesome. I didn't see it coming at all, and to be honest, I was expecting a pedigree. The "turn around" and super kick was a lot better way to end it. Reading through it though, I was confused as to why some words were emphasised in italics and some in capitals. Most of the ones in caps didn't seem to warrant a raised voice and should maybe have been italics too.

Angle again? He's been shown enough now, and he's been there so long, he should really have a newspaper with him.

RVD's interview was great, and I loved that it had a kind of shoot feeling to it with RVD talking openly about his failure to reach the glass ceiling. It was honest and I think that's why it worked so well. The hype for his match with Carlito has been great all night.

Victoria walks out onto the stage, being accompanied by the beautiful yet useless Candice Michelle.
:lmao

Honestly, that's awesome. I love the bluntness in your writing at times.The match itself was equally brilliant. It's rare for any women's match, title or non-title to get ten minutes on pay-per-view, let alone TV. Mickie looked good, and more importantly, it was booked so well with the title match in mind next week. Victoria had to win really going in to it, and where some would say Mickie needs to win early in her career, she did well enough in the match without winning. It didn't harm in her any way and the right diva won. Taking it further in having Victoria send Trish a statement ahead of their title match was sensible too. It's all Mickie's fault, and I wonder if Trish will point that out to her next week.

Wow wee! I wasn't expecting the RVD/Carlito match to be quite so long, but I'm glad it was. I was instantly drawn in to it when he missed the roundhouse kick and hit the ringpost. I was intrigued as to what finish you would go with as with the build tonight, it could've carried on. With that said, having the match now so close to Mania with all the build up seemed to rule that out. Seeing RVD fight through the pain pointed at a victory for him, and rightfully so.

At least we see something else from Angle, but telling us he's going to the ring means we have to come back after the break. Has Lita just got Edge in trouble? We'll find out any minute.

Action time! Little grammar slip from Angle "get our here". It was an awesome end to the show with Edge striking like a coward as always. The brawl was great, so physical, and security getting battered made it look better too when Bischoff called for more.I thought that he was going to drop a bombshell with the pressure on him from Vince, so the ending was kind of a surprise. I wonder what his thinking is for that, but the inmates running the asylum next week is going to be crazy, a must see for sure.

Man, I was impressed big time. There's nothing apart from the over use of the shots of Angle in the back that I thought was bad. The quality of the matches, the promos and the booking of both was amazing. You've got a permanent reader from now on, and in time for WrestleMania too! Great job.

 
#125 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Have to be honest, I’m a bit out of the loop with Raw at the moment. Hopefully I’ll get back on track here.

Kurt Angle is quite obviously pissed off. And rightly so. Last time I checked in, he was assaulted before the Rumble match, which surely is what ultimately cost him victory. Having him wait for (I assume) Edge to arrive gives us something to keep us in suspense for the evening.

Van Dam vs. Carlito seems like a big match on free TV, considering the hype surrounding it being over six months in the making. With that kind of build up, I’m almost surprised this wasn’t carried over to WrestleMania, but I guess there are differing plans for both guys when it comes to the big dance.

The one argument I’d put up with what Lawler says here;

Jerry Lawler: Mr. McMahon has been on a mission to humiliate Shawn to the point where he’ll snap and revert back to the old Shawn Michaels who agreed with what Mr. McMahon did that fateful night in Montreal!
Is that Shawn Michaels of ‘06 didn’t disagree with what McMahon did in Montreal. In fact, I think he may have said he’d do it again. He simply believed it was time to move on from the past.

Seems like you could be heading towards a DX reunion?? I’ll be interested to see how that develops, and the commentary on Angle helped me clear up who he’s waiting for, thanks ;)

I’m keen to see where this estranged reunion between Haas and Benjamin is leading. Right now, it would appear Benjamin isn’t warming to the idea of teaming with Haas again, and as long as that’s the case, it would appear this is a short lived comeback for the WGTT, before splintering, and feuding once again. However, if he soon begins to warm to his old friend, they will likely take the tag division by storm on Raw. Haas looked incredible here, and by the sounds of things on commentary, it was the case last week too, with Shelton doing his best to cost the team any sort of success.

Aftermath sets up an intriguing curveball, with the recently reunited Bashams taking out TAFKATWGTT. I’d imagine this allows Haas and Benjamin a few more weeks to team, whether Shelton likes it or not, but whichever path you choose to take with TWGTT in the end; whether it be with Benjamin finally coming around to the benefits of reforming, or a turn on Haas, or even to continue the pair as a team, but with Shelton unhappy with the set up, is likely to work out terrifically in the long run.

Excellent little piece of dialogue between The Bisch and Vince. Vince very much came off as ‘The Boss’, giving Eric plenty of abuse for failing to control the roster, with the example of Kurt Angle lying in wait outside proving perfect evidence. Not sure whether or not to read much into it, as it did seem like Vince has had to put up with some not so positive reviews for the GM. I guess we’ll see in time…

I was into the maniacal side of Angles character here, completely ignoring the pleas of Bischoff to see sense … right up until …

Kurt Angle: When Edge or Cena show up ... I’m gonna’ shove ... this damn pipe ... right up their ass.
Just seemed overly ****-erotic, and killed the tension for me :$

Is Bischoff just going to leave him there??

Calling it now; Gregory Helms; Mister Money in the Bank. Let’s back that prediction up; a helluva showing in the Rumble (final four, right?), and now, a win over HBK. Personally, I don’t see the appeal in Helms for a massive push, but all credit to you for making the effort to make someone else a top name amongst the usual suspects. And imo, there is no doubt that is exactly where Helms is headed.

Not sure what to make of his attitude, as it diverted from confidence and cockiness and onto delusion toward the end, playing himself up as a hero, and who the fans all want to see. A win over the worlds largest love machine is a foregone conclusion.

Visagra?? Is that the dry humping?? Not something I’d suggest should happen to a guy you’re looking to put over as a serious threat on Raw, especially on his way up. Not so bad if it‘s someone that‘s already established in the upper reaches of the show, but Helms needs to look as strong as possible for the foreseeable future. Something I’d expect to see a joke of a jobber be on the receiving end of. If Visagra isn’t what I assumed it was … ignore that last paragraph :side:

Mickie James: (At Rebecca) Hey, I'm Mickie ... what'd you say your name was?

Rebecca: It's ...

Mickie James: (Back with Trish now) So did you hear, you’ve got a Women’s Title match against Victoria next week?
Tremendous. Loved that little bit of complete disrespect for Trish’ actual friend. I have no qualms with the psycho stalker route you’re going with Mickie, although I’m expecting you to put some sort of twist on the angle, which I expect will kick into high gear next week after Victoria challenges Trish for the belt.

Nice interview from Carlito to add further hype to the main event, and reveals the motivation for CCC tonight, which helps give us more to invest in, rather than just a revenge mission for RVD.

The only surprise in this one for me, was that the Heart Throbs lasted as long as two minutes against the champs. Don’t quite get where you’re going with Flair & Chavo as a team, but they cant be anything more than a stop gap, with grander plans in mind for both in the long run outside of tagging. Just doesn’t seem like a good fit - not even as an odd couple team.

Been anticipating this. The curious Triple H / Shawn Michaels / Mr. McMahon triangle has me all kinds of confused, as the signs are pointing toward a DX reunion, yet at the Rumble, The Game was in the pocket of Vince (albeit for a price), so I was hotly anticipating this promo from the beginning of the show.

Good job of Vince easing into the main topic of why he’s here, and the cheap heat was executed to perfection too, commenting that he envied HBK for missing the nights show.

Like I said with Smackdown and the term ‘vanilla midget’, I’m not a fan of the term ‘curtain jerker’ for much the same reasons. Having said that, I think curtain jerker has been used previously on TV, so maybe I should cut some slack there. Still, coming from a voice of authority, it doesn’t sit right with me.

Triple H channelling the spirit of The Rock?? :p Rightfully, The Game OWNS Vince, getting the fans onside, but some of his dialogue rambled a little, and could’ve done with being broken up a little better. Even jumping in with cheers and boos for the mention of Cena etc would’ve done the trick.

Really enjoyed the end of the promo too, with Triple H using Vinces own words against him, telling him he would do what he wanted, and bring back his old attitude … which just so happened to have dire consequences for McMahon!!

The DX reunion appears to be complete, even if it does seem a little quick, given their battle during the Rumble match, but still, I’m rather intrigued to see how you handle DX in 2006, as the real life reunion fell pretty flat for me. If you can keep away from shilling merchandise, and Laurel & Hardy esque comedy skits, you’ve got a good chance of making it work.

Not a brilliant promo, but pretty darn good, and sets up a money angle toward WrestleMania, with DX (seemingly) back in tune to face the McMahons??

Good to see you give RVD an interview too, adding further hype for the main event, which, thinking about it, is a good - possibly even necessary - idea, as it’s a main event between two guys that havent been showcased as main eventers too often, but have the chance to make the impression tonight. Very strong promo from RVD, who personally, I find hard to nail down, given his laid back demeanour, when trying to deliver a serious promo. But, you nailed it here, shifting from laid back to serious nicely, and the final few lines really hit the mark, in the final chance for build up in the main event.

Good write up for the Micke/Vickie contest, and the description of Mickie using a good bit of Trish’ own offence was a nice touch to keep the obsession angle in the forefront. The finish was able to add another crease to the ongoing problems between Trish and Mickie, as Mickie screwed things up, allowing Victoria to grab the win. A little surprised we didn’t see any of Mickie trying to help Trish up or anything, although I guess we can put that down to wanting to focus on Victoria standing tall ahead of next week, with a beat down on Trish and the visual of holding the belt.

A little surprised by the way the match started, as I expected to see RVD come out all guns blazing, and tear it up with a brawl. Saying that, I liked the cat and mouse story in the opening stages too, and eventually, it did lead to a hammering from RVD anyway. Glad you eventually let RVD show off his awesome ability, and the transition to get Carlito into control was rather creative to say the least, whilst also playing into the history of the feud, with Carlito homing in on the knee.

The short lived comeback for RVD came at the right time, and the eventual lead in to a period of back and forth with the further knee problems served nicely not to undersell the long period of work on the knee, coupled with the previous injury. The interference of Masters was also well timed, and at that point, I expected that distraction to lead to a Carlito win, and an ‘out’ for RVD, but that wasn’t to be.

Got a laugh out of Carlito using the thumb taunt, and, as it always seems to be … it was the kiss of death for the Puerto Rican. Great counter of Van Dam to the Backcracker, which allowed him to rid Masters from the scene, and set up the finish, and a deserved victory, to finally gain revenge on Carlito. Strong main event.

The reaction of Van Dam is what stumped me though. Having waited all that time to gain revenge … why no celebration?? Further knee problems?? Does he want to really destroy Carlito?? Puzzled as to where it’s leading, but very much looking forward to find out.

Kurt Angle must be freezing out in the cold this long :p. Seems like Edge has been hiding out all night long too.

For as little as it was, Angles opening promo in the ring was SUPERB. Captured the manic Olympian to a tee. As for Cena … where the heck was he all night if he was backstage?? Seemed a bit odd that this is the first and only time we saw him all night long. Liked the ‘to the point’ dialogue between Kurt and Cena, with no time wasted in getting right to the point. Then just as we get pumped for an old fashioned brawl … well …

It wouldn’t be like Edge to attack from behind. Didn’t do the champ much good though, with Angle desperate to get his hands on him. Wild, mass brawl, with the three rivals beating the snot out of each other - and anything else that moves too - with security taking a battering for getting in the way.

Loved the fact that even Bischoff wasn’t able to get the three men to stop. The shot from Edge (couldn’t tell if it was accidental or not) may just have tipped Easy E over the edge, and the vague cliffhanger at the end was great, and will undoubtedly lead to mass speculation over the next seven days. My prediction is some kind of twist on the Pick Your Poison concept, where Edge, Cena and Angle take turns to pick an opponent for each other (Helms over Cena or Angle, anyone??) … or it could be something completely different. A brilliant hook though to get us tuning in next week to find out.

Overall, a solid show, although we could do with more mentions of WrestleMania, even if it is still seven weeks away. The WM moments could even help or have some jobbers talk about aiming for a spot in MITB, but there needs to be more focus on WM imo. The build toward (what I assume will be) a triple threat for the title is also shaping up very nicely, and by the time we get to an announcement, it wont feel like a forced three way feud, it'll actually feel right.
 
#127 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

After reading Raw, I'm excited to see what you've got going on with Smackdown.

I have to admit it's hard to get pumped up about seeing Mark Henry in the main event. I read back and looked over the last show, and he did look like the legit threat he could be if pushed right. It'll be a big scalp for Batista when he retains at No Way Out. Booker/Benoit looks promising too, as does Taker/JBL.
 
#128 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Looks like this will bridge splendidly into No Way Out. All the focus is on that show, and I suspect a massive push here for the final PPV before WM.

The two tag matches should do their job, and I could envisage a pinfall for Kennedy over Batista for some reason, and give Ken another win over a (former) champion. The safe bet though would be Henry pinning Rey to gain a final push of momentum ahead of No Way Out. Orton is sure to be involved here too (possibly appointing himself as ref here as a preview?) in order to hype his involvement at No Way Out.

Should be interesting to see how you lead into No Way Out with the other tag match, as Taker has been owned for the last two weeks by JBL. Also looks like we should expect Benoit/Booker and Kash/Juvi to be announced for the PPV to nicely round the show up.

Looking forward to it ;)
 
#130 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Smackdown Review

Similar to Raw, this is my first time really reading a SD! from you, so with that said, let’s get everything under way shall we?

Batista vs. Henry with Randy Orton as the ref, and pretty much the man to determine who he will face at Wrestlemania is great especially since the match is going to be a street fight. Should be one hell of a main event. The first few lines I seemed to stumble over a few words, however the sentence structure got much better as Batista explained his feud with Henry. It seems you have built up Henry good, however I’m still not buying he could be a great main eventer, or he could even win the championship for that matter. Henry saying his wording was good, because Batista got a bit sidetracked by Orton when he should really be focusing on Henry. Orton coming out I originally wanted to see some more craziness but then I realized this was o6’ Orton so the cockiness of Orton was placed perfectly. All the small little details of smirks, and such was good and added much more to his side of things. Just one thing you have Orton saying “Rey Mysterio & Batista vs. Mr. Kennedy & Rey Mysterio”. Just change that to the real main event.

Good little interaction right here by the two competitors for No Way Out. MNM vs. Hardy and Moore, is tough to call, however MNM to be seems to be the more legit team even though Hardy and Moore were able to counter the attack of MNM and gain some momentum for themselves.

Long and Kash: I did enjoy the little description of how we got to this point where now we have a match between Kash and Juventud. Anyway an interesting stipulation, to punish Kash a bit more I think instead you should have had Kash in a match. I feel that Juventud is getting punished by having a match. If Long doesn’t like Kash, wouldn’t he place the champ in action with two days to spare before a huge match?

I like the team you have assembled for the Bluebloods. I was a bit surprised that Lashley and Finlay didn’t get into any scuffle during the match but whatever. Anyway I like that Finlay seems pretty legit in this thread, and is going up against someone like Lashley, who I always loved in the E.

Kennedy promo was pretty good, and Kennedy seems to be on a tear as he defeated a former champion last week in Benoit, which is good to see. The stealing of the show remark by Kennedy was a bit odd to be, considering he called him a human highlight reel? Wouldn’t you call him something along the lines of a “Stealer of the Show.” I guess that is not much better but that was a bit odd to me, as for the rest Kennedy’s cockiness was on point.

Two promos, in a row…alright I guess. Orlando Jordan as the protégé of Booker T is something I like. The whole respect thing a two way street was a great analogy since these guys have been wrestling together for so long and such. Booker calling him a Punkass Bitch, was a bit strong, but I guess screw whatever the rating of the show is, but Booker was very strong, and then out comes Benoit. LOL at Benoit calling Sharmell manly and calling Booker SUCKA!! That was pretty golden right there. With Booker injured, I really like Orlando vs. Benoit and if Benoit wins he is next in line for the title. The only problem I seem to be having is so far tonight up to this point we have had three matches booked on the fly it seemed. This one, Kash vs. Juventud, and Kennedy vs. Mysterio. I just feel you’re leaving yourself no room for hype in these matches.

A third straight promo….really? I usually like promos stretched throughout. Maybe split up a match in here in between. Juventud maybe here? Anyway JBL promo was really on point, and I enjoyed it a lot. I’m not too familiar with The Cabinet, but I like how JBL makes a guarantee, they will be standing tall at No Way Out.

No surprise by the win by Juventud, as it was a good match. With the stare down, maybe would of liked to hear what Kash has to say since he is at the announce table with Cole and such, get to get his thoughts as both men are doing the stare down.

Mysterio promo was excellent, talking about how he has always been considered the underdog, and how size doesn’t matter. Really, it doesn’t have much to do with Kennedy since he doesn’t have the size of let’s say a Taker or Henry, but the way Kennedy has been on a tear as of late, I guess Mysterio is still considered a huge under-dog. I like Mysterio saying he is going to steal the spotlight this Sunday at No Way Out a nice way to close the interview up.

MNM Promo: Eh, maybe should have left this out. We didn’t even get to hear from the champs, but instead Melina the whole time. I felt you could have easily saved this little speech for NWO, to be honest. Nice little touch with partying with Paris and J’Lo lol.

I was very surprised by JBL and Brent picking up the win. Especially JBL pinning Taker was simply amazing. Three weeks now JBL has conquered Taker. One thing Jillian was taken from Boogeyman, wanted to at least know if Brent beatdown Boogey to get Jillian back unharmed as it seemed when all of them were walking back up the ramp. Otherwise a very flawless match, and a huge surprise. However I am expecting JBL’s luck to run out, as Taker has been getting owned as of late.

Punk to SD! Simply cannot wait.

Main Event: First you went to a commercial break, maybe signify it in the thing, with the way you usually place your commercial breaks. Anyway it was a very good main event, the ending kind of tripped me up a bit, how was Kennedy restraining Batista when he was on the ground from a right hand from Mysterio about a few seconds ago. Anyway besides that I really enjoyed Orton seeming to screw Batista. Henry and Kennedy both have all the momentum heading into NWO. I do like the stare down between Orton and Batista, and nothing other than that. This is good to show, Batista won’t let his hatred for Orton get the best of him, and this also makes us have no idea how Orton is going to call the match, because Orton could have just as easily RKO’d Batista during the stare down but I’m glad he didn’t.

Overall: Well like I said my first Smackdown, and with Henry as the top guy on SD! challenging Batista it is very unique, and it wasn’t bad. He looked strong, as a matter of fact the whole show in general was good. Anyway it was a good read, I wasn’t lost at all, as you gave great descriptions of stuff that was going on in the past. My only problem possibly was the promos, at one point three in a row. I felt there was a lot more talking than actual wrestling, but all in all it was good and I can’t wait for NWO.
 
#131 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Nige's Smackdown Feedback

I was really impressed with the Raw you posted and I've been looking forward to this.

Nice recap and well described in good detail, which was important to hype up the title rematch at No Way Out. You really have done a good job with Mark Henry by the looks of it, and I for one would love to see him use the Pounce. Props to you for adding that to his locker as it would be immense. "But as we learnt last week, that’s not all these is to it." Just be careful with things like that, but it was a good build up to the show. It does appear you've left it late to confirm the Mysterio/Kennedy match for No Way Out, and the world title match was announced a week before. That's a bit surprising. The main event looks promising though for sure.

The opening promo was really good, especially when you consider it featured Batista & Mark Henry. The story telling side of it was great too with a lot of emphasis being placed on how Batista has managed to handle everything Henry's thrown at him, and that come No Way Out, The Animal will be unleashed. The honesty and frankness you get from Batista's promo as a face came over very well as it was all believable. Henry's threatening words also added to it so that it wasn't all about Batista, and he certainly sounded menacing to make us question Batista's chances. Bringing Orton in to the mix was a wise move to stir the pot slightly as we all know his intentions are always questionable to say the least. He did a good job of trying to sway us in believing him, but it's Orton. Putting him in to the match tonight is also smart as it adds a bit more intrigue in to that match, and we can get a glimpse of his motives before No Way Out. That itself could add more excitement to the title clash if something dodgy goes down. A very good start to the show my man.

You chose a good choice of match to start the show, and it delivered. Matt & Moore worked well together, and The Mexicools added to it to make the victory more impressive for Matt & Shannon. The most important part of the segment was obviously the MNM attack and the challengers coming back with Moore looking very good. He needed to look more credible as everyone would be looking at Hardy. The promo was a nice touch too. "Let that preview of what’s to come this Sunday", but again be careful and read things through a couple of times before you post it.

I loved the recap you did of the Kid Kash/Juventud program. It's all been set up well for Juve's return, but again another match has been left until the last minute to be announced for No Way Out. Teddy Long definitely left Kash in no uncertain terms that his back's against the wall come No Way Out, and it was good to see him put Kash in his place and lay down the law. Good recap and a good promo.

I'm running out of positive words now, so I'll just say I thought the promo from Lashley was very good. It set up the attempted ambush well, and it was good to see Lashley put up a good fight until Finlay rightly got him from behind. I didn't expect the impromptu appearance from Londrick, but it built up what was to come next well. You've definitely left it late to make some matches for No Way Out. I'm not sure what to make of that, and I'd also prefer to have seen the tag match separate from Lashley & Finlay and have two matches at the pay-per-view. It looks more like a TV match on a pay-per-view with the pay-per-view match on TV. The match itself was enjoyable, and you did a good job of bringing back the Londrick of 2006. That was an impressive win for them, but still would rather have seen this at No Way Out. Having seen this, it's hard to get excited about the six man when you could just have Lashley/Finlay. It looks like Finlay will find a way to beat Lashley by pinning either London or Kendrick and that the PPV match was designed just to do that.

Awesome interview from Kennedy, simply brilliant. It captured Kennedy's arrogance really well, and the angry side of him mixed in also made it more intense. There was no doubt he was going to accept the challenge, and by giving him a bit more time than you would see usually in an interview, it makes him stand out more. His push appears to be going well. You can add a win against Mysterio to that once No Way Out is over and done with.

The promo between Booker & Benoit was at a high standard just like all the others so far. I've never been a big Booker T fan and I thought maybe his part of the promo went on a bit. I got the message and it went round in circles for a while before Benoit came out. I liked Benoit's character and when he accused Booker of being a sucka. That set up Booker's trademark perfectly, but I'm really not getting in to the match with Orlando Jordan at No Way Out. Why have you left all the announcements to the last minute anyway? Putting that to the side, I don't see why you chose to go with this match for No Way Out when it seemed more appropriate to have it there and then. Given the history with Jordan, it's not a match we'd want to pay to see. Booker's role adds a bit of appeal, but not that much to excite me in to ordering the pay-per-view. The booking of this feud makes sense and I like the idea, but I'd definitely prefer to have seen this on TV instead of Londrick/Bluebloods with the tag match & Finlay/Lashley being at No Way Out instead.

JBL's promo was exceptional as most of his promos were. You've clearly got his character down to a tee, and you made his accomplishment in destroying The Undertaker recently stand out. The tag match tonight and his match with Taker was also sold well. With The Boogeyman there, I fully expect JBL to beat him going in to No Way Out.

Juve picked up an impressive win going in to No Way Out, made even better with Kash sat at ringside to watch so that he sees he's in for real challenge. Beating Noble definitely helps us believe Juve could win the title even though your Kash avatar has gone now that it seems Jack Swagger does it for you now! Good win for Juve heading in to No Way Out and this has been built strongly for Sunday.

Rey Rey's interview sounded good, and it's always nice to see Mysterio fired up. It always helps as it becomes a match that will be very competitive which Rey's not out of his depth in. I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

Another interview? This is four in quick succession. I think three interviews is slightly overkill, but to have four separated by just one match and a promo is going a bit too far. Anyway, having Matt & Moore get one over on them earlier, it gave Melina an edge in the interview. Aside from her calling them cretins, which I don't see her saying when she had could've used more appropriate words, it was good. Mentioning that the country hicks have never won the titles and reminding Josh that her boys have held them three times stood out and proved a point. With them fired up, it's going to be a match to watch at No Way Out.

As we got to the tag match with JBL & Albright, I realised this would be the third tag match of the night, and there's still a fourth to come. I'm not so keen on having that many on one show. The match itself was better than I expected, but I was shocked that JBL pinned Taker clean with the Clothesline From Hell. That completely took me by surprise and I'm not sure whether I'm a fan of that decision. Had it been after Jillian distracted him and he then turned right in to it without the tombstone attempt, I might've bought in to it a bit more. It makes me believe he'll lose Sunday now, but we'll see.

CM Punk coming to Smackdown, well what can I say apart from get the fuck in. Look forward to it.

Good hype for the No Way Out Card. I'm still not overjoyed by the decision to have Benoit/Jordan on there and the six man, and I'm not exactly keen on having to endure Boogeyman/Albright on pay-per-view when the six man could have been split to make it a more appealing pay-per-view. I can understand the decision to put Albright over on pay-per-view though. Looking at whether I'd order it in real life, I'd be unsure if I would to be honest. Batista/Henry as a main event doesn't get me too excited either, although having read the promo before and Orton's involvement, I'm slightly happier about it. Rey/Kennedy & Taker/JBL are the only ones that I'd be looking at with the tag title and cruiserweight title offering decent matches too.

The main event was solid and with no real big moments from Orton. There were the odd looks to keep making you think something could happen, but it never would before No Way Out. I think the decision to put the heels over and Henry especially was the right one. I wasn't too keen on the finish as a hot Rey kind of got owned very quickly. It seemed a little too convenient with Henry being on the middle rope, and I'd have expected Batista to have tried to stop the cover a bit more. I wasn't too sure of how Kennedy restrained him as it wasn't described in much detail.

Overall, I think you did a good job of pushing the matches you've lined up for No Way Out. You know I'm keen on some of the matches and the delay in announcing most of them, but you did hype it well. There were a lot of interviews all close together too, and 80% of your matches were tag team matches. The show was still very enjoyable and well booked with the promos and matches being good too. Good luck with No Way Out! I'll be checking it out when it's up.


 
#133 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era


February 19th, 2006 | Preview

World Heavyweight Championship; Street Fight; Special Guest Referee: Randy Orton:
Batista (c) vs. Mark Henry


For months on end Batista and Mark Henry have been struggling to find out just who the bigger and better man is. For eleven months Batista has reigned supreme as World Heavyweight Champion, but at No Way Out he faces literally his biggest challenge yet when he faces Mark Henry.

Over two months ago Mark Henry made his return to the WWE when he assaulted Batista by tearing through a steel cage to get to it and assault ‘The Animal’, beating him with the cage door that he removed with ease, and smashing him into the cage time and time again. Since then Henry has continued to assault Batista, making his intentions clear – he is going after Batista for the World Heavyweight Title. After going at it for weeks, the two finally met for the first time at the Royal Rumble in what can best be described as a slugfest. However, no true winner was found, as Mark Henry let his temper get the best of him, getting disqualified when he smashed Batista with a monitor, then sent him through the announce table with The World’s Strongest Splash. The two were set to have a rematch two weeks later on SmackDown!, in what again was a violent slugfest, until this time Batista lost his temper, slamming a steel chair into the skull of his foe. This brought about the announcement of their match at No Way Out – a Street Fight ... with special guest referee Randy Orton.

So here we are, the two men set to wage war, with the man the winner will face at WrestleMania 22 in the main event, the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble Randy Orton standing in the middle of them. Orton will be the intangible, especially following the tension between him and Batista this past Sunday on SmackDown!. Will these two monsters finally find out who is the king of the jungle, and will Orton have an influence on the result?

WWE Tag Team Championships:
MNM (c) vs. Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore


It all started two months ago when Joey Mercury was set for singles action against Shannon Moore. MNM treated the match as a joke, believing they were too good for Moore, only for Moore to upset Mercury. The next week Nitro was the one set to face Moore, but again, Moore came out victorious.

Enter Matt Hardy. While Shannon Moore was set for action with Mark Henry, thanks in part to MNM, Johnny Nitro this time was set to face Matt Hardy, and again, he felt short. At the Royal Rumble MNM got a form of vengeance when, after Matt eliminated Nitro, Nitro & Melina distracted Hardy, allowing Gregory Helms to eliminate him from the match. Since then, old childhood friends Hardy & Moore have banded together to combat MNM, attempting to thwart the tag team champions number game by evening up the numbers. At No Way Out the two teams will now face off, with the WWE Tag Team Championships on the line. Can Moore & Hardy channel their childhood and work together to overcome the champions, or will the champions once again prevail?

Cruiserweight Championship:
Kid Kash (c) vs. Juventud


The rivalry between Kid Kash and Juventud all began three months ago when Kid Kash became the number one contender to face Juventud for the Cruiserweight Title at Armageddon. Kid Kash had been mowing down the competition leading to his match with Juvi, leaving the champion the only man for him to beat. The two had an exciting match, full of momentum swings, proving the two men to be even. However, only one man could win, and that man was Kid Kash when he hit the Dead Level and became the new Cruiserweight Champion.

Despite this, Kash was still paranoid about having to defend his title against Juventud in fear that he might lose it. This caused Kash to dodge a rematch against Juventud seemingly as long as he could. SmackDown! General Manager, Theodore Long would grow sick of it though, and he made a match on SmackDown! a few weeks before the Royal Rumble where the winner would face Kid Kash for the golf at the Rumble. The two men in the match? Jamie Noble, and Juventud. Before this match Kash said he didn’t care who win, and even went as far as to shake Juventud’s hand after the match, only to show his true colours post-match and smash Juventud’s head in with his title, then kick him in the head and drop him with the Dead Level across it. These heinous actions from Kash led to a layoff for Juvi with a concussion, causing him to miss the match at the Royal Rumble. Teddy Long, however, made sure there would be a Cruiserweight Title match when he made a Cruiserweight Open, where Kash would defend his title against all of the SmackDown! cruiserweights.

With the odds stacked against him, Kash was still able to succeed, picking up the win before going on to defend his title against Jamie Noble and Scotty 2 Hotty in the next two weeks, only to brag about it and bring about the return of Juventud. So now the match has been set, and for Kash there is no way out, for if he is disqualified or counted out he will lose his title to Juventud. Will Juventud be able to win back his Cruiserweight Title, or will Kash prove himself to be the best cruiserweight on the roster?

Chris Benoit vs. Orlando Jordan

Throughout 2005 Chris Benoit and Orlando Jordan battled many times, with the United States Title at the centre of the battle. For the first time since last year, they meet up once more, with once again the United States Title being the centre of the focus, except this time neither man is champion.

For years Chris Benoit and Orlando Jordan’s mentor, Booker T had been the best of friends. From WCW to RAW to SmackDown!, the duo travelled the roads together and spent more time together than they did with their own family. However, their friendship was turned sour by the lust that Booker T had for the United States Title that Chris Benoit held at the time, causing him to turn on his former best friend and now enemy, and strive to capture the gold, which he did, before the two met again and drew, prompting SmackDown! General Manager, Theodore Long to vacate the title and set up a best of seven series between the two. The series was precariously placed at 3-2 in favour of Booker T, when at a WWE live event, he suffered an injury at the hands of Matt Hardy. This left Teddy Long in an awkward spot, whereby he decided to allow Booker T to choose a substitute to compete in the rest of the series for him. Many names came forward, including Orlando Jordan, but Booker T ultimately chose Randy Orton, who, after losing to level the series 3-3, defeated Benoit in the final match thanks to interference from Booker and Jordan, who we would learn is Booker’s new protégé.

Since then Benoit has not given in on his dream of regaining the gold, challenging Booker at every chance. Booker, however, has refused, not just because of his injury, but because he deems Benoit unworthy of challenging for the title. This brought Benoit to a point where he was willing to make an ultimatum: if Benoit could defeat Booker T’s protégé, Orlando Jordan, he would be next in line for a title shot. If however, Jordan were to win, Benoit would never receive a shot at Booker T and the U.S. Title again. So now it’s all on the line for both men. For Orlando Jordan, it’s a chance to atone for last year where he fell three times to Chris Benoit in under a minute. For Benoit, it’s a chance to take the first step in regaining the United States Title many feel he was robbed of. It’s winner takes all – who will be victorious?

The Undertaker vs. John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield

Ever since he lost the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21, John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield has been on a mission to regain his title that he loved oh so dearly. Over time that mission has become an obsession, for with every week Layfield is without the gold, his lust for it only grows stronger. Out of chances for title matches, the Royal Rumble couldn’t come soon enough for JBL, where he thought he could finally get himself a match for a world title of his choosing on the grandest stage of them all. That, however, was not to be, as JBL, after going on a rampage, was to be eliminated from the match by none other than The Undertaker.

The next Friday The Undertaker was set to make his first appearance in a SmackDown! ring of 2006 in a match against Finlay. However, before that match could end, JBL would make his presence felt as in a clearly deranged state, Layfield went out and beat The Undertaker down, leaving him looking like a bloody mess. The next week JBL promised to apologise to The Undertaker, however, the apology ended up in much the same way as The Undertaker match the previous week with JBL standing tall, and The Undertaker a broken mess. Since then JBL has pinned The Undertaker in tag team action, perhaps proving that if there was ever a time that JBL would be able to beat The Undertaker, No Way Out is the time. Will JBL be able to capitalise on all of his momentum, or will Layfield feel the wrath of ‘The Phenom’?

Six Man Tag Team Match:
Bobby Lashley, Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Finlay & The Bluebloods


Ever since his debut on Friday Night SmackDown! in September of last year, ‘The Dominator’ Bobby Lashley has taken Friday nights by storm, extending an undefeated streak that still stands today, eliminating the most competitors in January’s Royal Rumble, and also proving to be a hit with not just the crowd, but also the SmackDown! locker-room. Three members of the locker-room, however, haven’t been so welcoming to Lashley: the bully-like ‘Fighting Irishman’ Finlay, and The Bluebloods.

Lashley has defeated all of the men in one on one competition, but they, in particular, Finlay, have been unable to accept this. It all boiled over a few weeks ago when Finlay assaulted Bobby Lashley during his entrance with his shillelagh, slamming it into the leg of Lashley multiple times, rendering him unable to compete, and also changing the scheduled six man tag team match of Bobby Lashley, Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Finlay & The Bluebloods into a handicap match, in which the numbers game prevailed. Lashley went out in seek of revenge last week on SmackDown!, calling out Finlay, only for Finlay to come out along with The Bluebloods. This would lead to Paul London & Brian Kendrick coming down in aid of their friend Lashley, leading to this match being scheduled after it should have happened a few weeks ago.

The team of Lashley, London & Kendrick has the momentum following Lashley’s victories over Finlay, Regal & Burchill in singles competition, along with London & Kendrick beating The Bluebloods in tag team action this past week on SmackDown!. However, we all know that you can never count out either of Finlay or The Bluebloods, especially with the experience they bring to the table in the form of Finlay & Regal. Will that experience prevail at No Way Out, or will the youthful exuberance of Lashley, London & Kendrick be able to overcome it?

Rey Mysterio vs. Mr. Kennedy

A rivalry that was originally built around the question of whether or not a cruiserweight can compete with the heavyweights, this rivalry between Rey Mysterio and Mr. Kennedy has turned into so much more. It all began on the premiere of the talk show Mr. Kennedy created – The Open Mic. The concept? Simple. It was as the title says it is – an open mic. Despite this, Mr. Kennedy spent much of the premiere doing what he does best in talking about himself, and just how great he is. However, he was soon cut off by Rey Mysterio, who took up the offer of an open mic. Mysterio came out and gave an emotional speech in which he talked about his late, great friend, Eddie Guerrero, and how tough it has been moving on. He said that the youth of SmackDown! has helped though, and that he has become stronger than ever, ready for the Royal Rumble Match in tribute to Eddie Guerrero. Kennedy took exception to this, because the Royal Rumble was meant to be about him, not Rey Mysterio or Eddie Guerrero. After all, Kennedy had been on the shelf for several months, and his return was set to take place at the Rumble. All of the focus had to be on him.

Kennedy tried to gain all that focus, telling Rey he shouldn’t bother competing in the Rumble, because there was not a single chance that he could win. Why? He just wasn’t big enough. Kennedy said that when it came down to it, cruiserweights just couldn’t cut it at the top level, and that the man who would win the Royal Rumble would be a heavyweight, or more specifically, him. The two exchanged some words, ending with Mr. Kennedy trying to attack Mysterio, only for Mysterio to get the best of the loudmouth and lambast him with the 619. When the Rumble came around and Kennedy made his return, the first man he went to was Rey Mysterio. However, when it came down to it, Mysterio got the best of Kennedy, eliminating him from proceedings, much to the anger of Kennedy. Since then, Kennedy has attacked Rey and has called him out not just for not being worthy of competing with the heavyweights, but also for stealing the spotlight that Kennedy deserves. Mysterio has fired back, attacking Kennedy after he beat Chris Benoit, sick of both the personal and physical attacks from Kennedy, challenging the brash youngster to a match at No Way Out.

As we of course know, Kennedy accepted, and now the two are set to do battle. Can a cruiserweight belong in the heavyweight division, or will Kennedy reclaim the spotlight that he claims he deserves?

The Boogeyman vs. Brent Albright

For months The Boogeyman had tormented John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield, being everywhere that the self-made millionaire turned. Worms in mouth and clock in hand, The Boogeyman was unrelenting in his obsession with JBL. JBL though, didn’t feel the same way, avoiding The Boogeyman at all costs. However, two weeks before the Royal Rumble, after JBL had avoided a match with Boogeyman for months, whether it be with a doctor’s note or because of a lack of gear, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long gave JBL an ultimatum: either compete against The Boogeyman the next week, or lose the chance to compete in the Royal Rumble Match. JBL, being oh so desperate to reclaim “his” title in the main event of WrestleMania 22, had no other choice; he was resigned to competing against The Boogeyman.

Jillian Hall, however, had a plan, and that plan came into fruition when Brent Albright, JBL’s ‘Hired Gun’ and the newest member of the reincarnated Cabinet interfered, flatting Boogey with a half nelson suplex and setting JBL up for the win. Since that night, Albright hasn’t been quite so eager to get his hands on The Boogeyman, avoiding him for the most part, with the simultaneous beatdown of The Boogeyman and The Undertaker at the hands of The Cabinet being the only exception. However, at No Way Out, Albright will have no other choice but to compete against him, with the two set to go one on one. Will Boogeyman gain revenge on Albright, or will Albright show his worth to JBL by taking out Boogey?

Prediction Template:
World Heavyweight Championship; Street Fight; Special Guest Referee: Randy Orton:
Batista (c) vs. Mark Henry

WWE Tag Team Championships:
MNM (c) vs. Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore

Cruiserweight Championship:
Kid Kash (c) vs. Juventud

Chris Benoit vs. Orlando Jordan

The Undertaker vs. John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield

Six Man Tag Team Match:
Bobby Lashley, Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Finlay & The Bluebloods

Rey Mysterio vs. Mr. Kennedy

The Boogeyman vs. Brent Albright


Bonus Points:
What will be the match order?
How many titles will change hands?
Who will take the fall in the six man tag match?
Will there be any surprise appearances? If yes, then by who?
What will be the longest match?
What will be the shortest match?
Will Randy Orton truly call the main event right down the middle?
How many pinfalls/submissions/other finishes will there be?


Rewards:
1st Place: 1 billion credits
2nd Place: 750 million credits
3rd Place: 500 million credits
4th Place: 250 million credits
5th Place: 125 million credits


----------​

Predictions are of course now welcome. :)
 
#134 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

I'm going to have a read back through and get fully up-to-date before even attempting to predict, otherwise its pointless. No idea whether I will catch up by the time the event is posted, but we'll see. Feel proud of yourself that you have probably become the more consistent booking and along with Wolfy and Legend, are pumping out some great stuff. (Y)
 
#141 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Prediction Template:
8. World Heavyweight Championship; Street Fight; Special Guest Referee: Randy Orton:
Batista (c) vs. Mark Henry
Henry's got no chance at winning. It will be Batista vs. Orton at Mania.

4. WWE Tag Team Championships:
MNM (c) vs. Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore
MNM is gonna screw over Hardy and friend after a back and forth match.

3. Cruiserweight Championship:
Kid Kash (c) vs. Juventud
Kid Kash deserves the win and seems like he will get a bigger push soon.

6. Chris Benoit vs. Orlando Jordan
Benoit is gonna make Jordan tapout, so it will be Booker vs. Benoit at Mania.

7. The Undertaker vs. John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield
I think JBL will win here, since you are building him up pretty well.

1. Six Man Tag Team Match:
Bobby Lashley, Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Finlay & The Bluebloods
Tough one to call here, but I guess I'll go with the heels here.

5. Rey Mysterio vs. Mr. Kennedy
Kennedy all the way. He is getting a megapush.

2. The Boogeyman vs. Brent Albright
Albright will squash Boogeyman in a short match. Hopefully Boogey will get future endeavored soon.

Bonus Points:
What will be the match order? Look above
How many titles will change hands? None
Who will take the fall in the six man tag match? Paul London
Will there be any surprise appearances? If yes, then by who? There will be none
What will be the longest match? Main Event
What will be the shortest match? Boogeyman/Albright
Will Randy Orton truly call the main event right down the middle? Yes
How many pinfalls/submissions/other finishes will there be? 7 pins 1 tapout

This is a very good BTB. Keep up the good work.
 
#142 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Prediction Template:
8. World Heavyweight Championship; Street Fight; Special Guest Referee: Randy Orton:
Batista (c) vs. Mark Henry
Much as I was looking forward to Henry vs Orton headlining Wrestlemania, I'll have to go with the Animal. He'll look pretty damn strong doing it though.

2. WWE Tag Team Championships:
MNM (c) vs. Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore
Hardy and Moore looked pretty good on SmackDown, but they're not quite there for taking the tag team titles imo.

5. Cruiserweight Championship:
Kid Kash (c) vs. Juventud
Seeing as everyone hates Kash and all, it needs a huge pay-off for when he eventually loses the title and gets his comeuppance. And there's no better place for a huge, feel-good payoff, than Wrestlemania itself, so I pick Kash to retain, via ridiculous amounts of cheating.

4. Chris Benoit vs. Orlando Jordan
OJ to cry like a little girl in the Crossface, and tap faster than you can say... Booker T at Wrestlemania.

7. The Undertaker vs. John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield
Taker to get his revenge, and make him look like a beast going into a successful (?) streak defence at Mania.

1. Six Man Tag Team Match:
Bobby Lashley, Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Finlay & The Bluebloods
Just to drive Lashley more mad, pour more petrol on the fire - has to be a bit of shillelagh action, tbh. Did someone say 'Belfast Brawl'? I sure hope so.

6. Rey Mysterio vs. Mr. Kennedy
Just because he's going places, and I can't wait for the promos afterwards. Wouldn't surprise me if you went for a sneaky DQ to possibly keep it going til Mania, but I doubt it. Whoever suggested Kennedy/Taker may be on to something, tbh.

3. The Boogeyman vs. Brent Albright
Boogeyman would have nothing to gain, tbh, whereas Albright does.

Bonus Points:
What will be the match order? See above.
How many titles will change hands? Nul pois. 0.
Who will take the fall in the six man tag match? London.
Will there be any surprise appearances? If yes, then by who? Booker T, possibly.
What will be the longest match? Undertaker/JBL.
What will be the shortest match? Boogeyman/Albright.
Will Randy Orton truly call the main event right down the middle? Not entirely. He'll tease Tista with a few slow counts, then eventually count the winning pinfall, tbh, just to get on his nerves.
How many pinfalls/submissions/other finishes will there be? One sexy, sexy tap-out to the Crossface, and the rest can be pinfall, imo.

Good luck, man. I'll be reading, and you can expect some lengthy feedback, after you've been so kind as to give me it in my thread.
 
#156 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

We open the show with the image of a black silhouette striding down a walkway, headed towards a light.

Narrator:
For the superstars of SmackDown! it has been a long year. A year with both success ...

Image of Batista raising the gold up high at WrestleMania 21, having vanquished his former mentor, Triple H.

Narrator:
And failure.

John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield realising he won’t be main eventing WrestleMania 22 after being thrown out of the Royal Rumble by The Undertaker.

Narrator:
Of trials ... and tribulations.

An image of Eddie Guerrero fades away, as we see a teary eyed Rey Mysterio.

Narrator:
But the year is coming to a close ...

The figure getting closer and closer to that light.

Narrator:
The long road coming to a head ...

Close again.

Narrator:
The light at the end of the tunnel ... is there.

The figure gets closer and closer ... until a door slams shut.

Narrator:
Or is it?

Cue dramatic music as we suddenly see flashes of different superstars who will be competing tonight.

Narrator:
Tonight, the superstars of SmackDown! do battle on the very last stop on the road to WrestleMania. Whether they seek revenge, redemption, or gold, each and every man tonight will put their bodies on the line so that they can make it to WrestleMania.

Cut to see Mark Henry tearing his way into the steel cage back on SmackDown! in December, then absolutely manhandling Batista, vaulting him into the cage like a javelin, then tearing the door of its hinges and brutalising Batista with it, slamming it down into him time after time. We then cut away to see Henry sending Batista through the announce table at the Royal Rumble with The World’s Strongest Splash.

Mark Henry:
I am the king ... of the SmackDown! jungle!

We now see Kid Kash smashing Juventud’s face in with the Cruiserweight Title, kicking him in the temple and dropping him with the Dead Level square across the gold.

Kid Kash:
I took out ... the trash.

Mr. Kennedy is shown hitting Rey Mysterio with his microphone.

Mr. Kennedy:
Size ... does matter.

Rey Mysterio is shown hitting Mr. Kennedy with the 619.

Rey Mysterio:
I’m gonna’ show you that I do belong in the ring with the heavyweights.

Kid Kash is shown running from Juventud.

Theodore Long:
You WILL defend your title against Juventud this time!

Batista is shown hitting Mark Henry over the head with a steel chair.

Batista:
You have just released ... an animal!

The walls now close in on the silhouette, as he turns to reveal the face of Batista, staring intently at the camera.

Narrator:
Tonight for the superstars of SmackDown! there is No ... Way ... Out!


February 19th, 2006 | 1st Mariner Arena; Baltimore, Maryland

We cut into the 1st Mariner Arena, and pyro explodes everywhere across the stage, sending the crowd into a frenzy. We pan across the crowd to show just how many people are in the sold out arena, with many members of the crowd jumping up and down, holding up signs, before we make it to our commentating crew.

Michael Cole:
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the sold out 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, welcome to the final stop on the road to WrestleMania 22 – welcome ... to No ... Way ... Out! I’m Michael Cole, seated here at ringside with my partner Tazz, and partner, what a night tonight is going to be!

Tazz:
Oh you ain’t kiddin’, Cole. Tonight is gonna’ be huge! These SmackDown! superstars have gone through a helluva lot this past year, and they’ve almost made it to WrestleMania. This is their one last stop, and personally, I can’t wait for it.

Michael Cole:
Neither can I partner, because we’ve got a heck of a show to look forward to. Kennedy/Mysterio, Kid Kash/Juventud, JBL/Undertaker, and most importantly, for the final time, there must be a winner, it will be Batista defending his World Heavyweight Championship against ‘The World’s Strongest Man’ Mark Henry!

Tazz:
The reign of Henry begins tonight, Cole, mark my words. But y’know what ya’ can’t forget about in our main event tonight, and that’s Randy Orton.

Michael Cole:
That’s right. Last month at the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton defeated twenty-nine other superstars to earn himself a shot at the title of his choosing at WrestleMania 22. He made it clear he was staying on SmackDown!, and now, tonight he will practically decide just who he wants to face at WrestleMania when he is the special guest referee in our main event.

Tazz:
Cole, I don’t think Orton is gonna’ decide. I think he’s gonna’ do his job properly. I mean, you heard him this past Friday night – he told Batista, Mark Henry and the whole world that tonight, he would be callin’ this match right down the middle, baby.

Michael Cole:
But we also saw Orton last Friday night costing Batista & Rey Mysterio their match against Batista & Mr. Kennedy in what was a little preview for tonight. I’m not sure if Batista or Henry can trust Orton, but maybe there’s two men who do know, and they are our Spanish colleagues, Hugo Savinovich and Carlos Cabrera!

The Spanish announce team ramble on in Spanish for awhile, talking about the main event, before we see our ring announcer standing in the ring with the sound of the bell ringing throughout the arena.

Tony Chimel:
The following contest is a tag team match, and it is for the WWE Tag Team Championships!

“OH YEAH”

*LIVE FOR THE MOMENT*


The fired up crowd gives a BIG pop as Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore jog their way out onto the stage, playing it up to the fans, Hardy throwing the V1 sign, while Moore just pumps his fist like a champ.


Tony Chimel:
Introducing first, the challengers, from Cameron, North Carolina, weighing a combined weight of 440 lbs, MATT HARDY & SHANNON MOOOOORE!

Michael Cole:
For Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore this is a dream come true here tonight. Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore are lifetime friends, they grew up together on their properties in Cameron, North Carolina, and all they wanted to do, all they could think about, was wrestling. Tonight, they get the chance to do that together, as they team up and they challenge for the WWE Tag Team Titles. Partner, the champions MNM are a good team, heck, they’re a great team, but can they overcome the bond that Shannon Moore & Matt Hardy have between them?

Tazz:
I dunno’, Cole. Everything you say is true, Matt & Shannon, they’ve been waitin’ for this moment their whole lives. Matt’s a former tag champ, a former FIVE time tag champ, but he ain’t never held it with Shannon Moore, and while they may be good buddies, they’re in for a test tonight, especially against an angry MNM.

Hardy & Moore make their way down to the ring, slapping hands with the fans as they do so, before climbing up into the squared circle and playing it up to the crowd some more.

*PAPARAZZI*

Big heat as the red carpet is rolled out and the paparazzi swarms, waiting until the WWE Tag Team Champions, MNM stride out onto the stage, looking a little angrier than normal tonight.


Tony Chimel:
Their opponents, from Los Angeles, California, weighing 420 lbs, they are the WWE Tag Team Champions, Mercury, Nitro & Melina, M – N – M!

Michael Cole:
MNM may just be the most incensed we’ve ever seen them here tonight, Tazz. For the past two months, MNM have found themselves getting embarrassed by Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore multiple times, first alone, and then as a tag team. It all came to a head this past week on SmackDown! when MNM tried a sneak attack on Moore & Hardy following them defeating The Mexicools, but it would backfire as Moore & Hardy would lay the champs out.

Tazz:
But you gotta’ remember that after that, MNM, they swore revenge on Moore & Hardy, sayin’ that they weren’t gonna’ be embarrassed tonight and that they were gonna’ retain their tag team titles. Lookin’ into the eyes of MNM, I have to believe that. I ain’t never seen ‘em like this before.

MNM get to the foot of the ramp, then do their classic entrance with Melina doing the splits to enter under the bottom rope, but Mercury & Nitro aren’t entirely focused on her tonight, instead glancing at their challengers before they huddle up in the corner.

Match One ~ Tag Team Match ~ WWE Tag Team Championships:
Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore vs. MNM w/ Melina (c)

As the two teams settle in their respective corners and decide which member will begin the match for them, the crowd begin a “Hardy! Hardy! Hardy!” chant, showing just how over the man is getting. Despite this, Hardy steps out onto the apron, leaving Shannon Moore to start the match, drawing some boos from the raucous crowd. Moore, though, is all business, circling around the ring with the Joey Mercury racing after him, starting the match off for the champions. The two quickly dash around the ring, before moving in towards one another and engaging in a lockup. Mercury is out with a point to prove after being embarrassed over the past few weeks, and he shows that as he uses his slender size advantage to force his exuberant foe back into the corner. However, before the champion can get a shot in, referee Nick Patrick makes his presence felt, getting in between Moore and Mercury, forcing the clean break in what seems to be an attempt to set a fair tone for the match.

Mercury backs away, shaking his head with a smirk on his face as he talks some trash, telling Moore to stop hiding behind the referee. This insights Moore as he wants to prove that he is no pussy, stepping forward and getting right up into Mercury’s face, the two going nose-to-nose. The two share an intense moment (no, not of that kind) ... MERCURY SWINGS FOR THE FENCES OUT OF NOWHERE … BUT MOORE DUCKS UNDER IT … AND STRIKES THE CHAMPION WITH A RESOUNDING SLAP! The spit flies from the mouth of Mercury as the champion falls back against the ropes, dazed and surprised at the insulting slap. Nitro, however, knows exactly what is happening as he tags himself in and makes a beeline right for Moore, asking him if he thinks he’s funny in the process.

Much like Mercury and Moore a moment ago, the two combatants go nose-to-nose, Nitro clearly the more aggressive of the two, sick of being made to look like a laughing stock by Moore … BUT THE ENIGMA KNOWN AS SHANNON MOORE WON’T BACK DOWN, INSTEAD SHOVING NITRO BACK! The normally cool and calm Nitro couldn’t be more pissed off as he charges at Moore and SWIPES HIS FIST at him, only for Moore to duck the errant strike … THEN SLAP NITRO UPSIDE THE FACE! The crowd are in a frenzy as Nitro has the taste slapped out of his mouth and into the crowd, while Moore looks on resiliently. Taking a moment to get regather himself, Nitro shakes his head and rubs his jaw, then once again charges at Moore, but he gets taken over with an arm drag from Moore! Nitro gets up, his face beet red, but Moore is ready for him as he takes him down with a second arm drag. Once again Nitro gets up, only to receive the same fate before Moore looks for something more, pressing Nitro against the ropes and sending him charging off across the ring, then sending him down face-first with a drop toe hold!

Nitro sits up, holding his face in pain, before being quickly sent onto his back as Shannon Moore makes the first pin attempt for the match:

………
……
……1……


Nitro hurriedly kicks out, saving further embarrassment!

Despite this minor setback Moore is still on top of his game, helping Nitro back to his feet and pressing his back against the ropes again, then sending him off with an Irish whip and throwing him head over heels with a monkey flip on the rebound! Nitro again tries to sit up, but Moore is right on him, making a second cover:

………
……
……1……
……

Nitro kicks out quickly for a second time!

This time Moore isn’t looking to Irish whip Nitro off, instead grabbing him by the hair and taking him across to the corner, before tagging in Matt Hardy to a big pop. Hardy climbs into the ring to join his partner, the duo instantly looking for a bit of teamwork as they move Nitro along the ropes, leading into a double Irish whip, then a double hip toss on the rebound. Moore scatters, rolling from the ring, while Hardy makes a cover:

………
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……1……
………
……
…2…

Nitro lifts a shoulder off the mat emphatically!

Hardy is not perturbed by the failed pinfall attempt, deciding it to be best to get back to his feet with no fuss, watching Nitro as he does the same. Hardy THROWS a few fists Nitro’s way, jacking him in the jaw, before he grabs his arm and twists it overhead, using it to guide one half of the tag champs across to the corner so he can tag Shannon Moore back in. Once again the duo use some teamwork, double Irish whipping Nitro into the corner, Hardy following him in and going down to his hands and knees, ALLOWING MOORE TO SPRING OFF HIS BACK, CONNECTING WITH POETRY IN MOTION TO A BIG POP! Hardy this time is quick to make his exit as Moore makes a cover:

………
……
……1……
………
……
……2……


Nitro springs his shoulder up off the mat!

The crowd are still hot, cheering as Moore lifts Nitro back onto his feet and backs the Californian into the corner, allowing him to lay into the champion with some kicks with a whole new level of intensity for the youngster! Nick Patrick, seeing Moore may be getting out of control, decides to intervene, pulling Moore back, allowing Nitro to burst out of the corner and strike Moore with a right hand which dazes the challenger. Moore takes a moment to stagger back, allowing Nitro to charge in at him … but Moore stuns him with a hurricanrana! The crowd pops as Nitro gets right back up … DROPKICK ON THE BUTTON! Cover:

………
……
……1……
………
……
……2……


Nitro again lifts his shoulder off the mat, surviving once more!

Nitro is clearly embarrassed as he gets guided back to his feet, but is too groggy to do anything about it, instead succumbing to being pushed back into the corner. Moore, knowing Nitro is in no position to fight back, takes the chance to climb up to the second rope, and with the support of the crowd strikes Nitro once … twice … three times … four … FIVE … SIX … SEVEN … EIGHT … NINE … TEN!

Moore jumps back down off the ropes to a pop from the crowd, then runs across to the opposite ropes and springs back off them … taking the confused Nitro down with a BIG jumping lariat! Another pop is emitted from the crowd as Moore – YET AGAIN – makes a pinfall attempt:

………
……
……1……
……….
……
……2……
……

Nitro kicks out AGAIN!

Getting back to his feet, Moore confidently plays to the crowd, bouncing up and down before walking over to the corner and tagging Matt Hardy back into the match. Hardy is swift in getting into the ring and going after Nitro, striking him with a stiff kick to the midsection, then hurling him into the corner and letting go with a big series of right hands. Hardy is unrelenting in his attack on Nitro, hitting him again and again, eventually leading to Nitro falling from the ring through the second rope and out to the floor, such is the damage of the blows!

Hardy is on fire, bellowing out to the crowd as he looks down at his fallen foe, before moving to the ropes and waiting as he gets up … THEN LAUNCHING HIMSELF THROUGH THE AIR WITH A PLANCHA ATTEMPT … BUT NITRO FALLS OUT OF THE WAY, AND HARDY HITS NOTHING BUT FLOOR! The crowd lets out a collective groan as the sound of flesh on floor reverberates throughout the arena, prompting Nick Patrick to climb from the ring and check on Hardy, while the champion rolls back into the ring. On the floor, Patrick warns Melina to stay away, then checks on Hardy as Moore turns and looks down at Hardy from the apron, shouting words of encouragement … BEFORE HE IS SUDDENLY SENT FLYING THROUGH THE AIR AS NITRO STRIKES HIM IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WITH A MASSIVE SUPERKICK … SNEDING HIM DOWN HEADFIRST INTO THE CROWD BARRIER!

The champions have finally had enough and let out all of their frustration in one foul swoop, leaving both members of the opposition team laying on the outside, a vicious superkick perhaps sending Moore down for good. Nick Patrick on the outside knows his condition is dire as he moves on from Hardy and checks on the unmoving Moore, raising his hand up, leaving it to flop back down to the floor, prompting him to cry for help from the back. In a matter of moments medics rush out from the back with a stretcher, headed right for Shannon Moore, who is still yet to move, while Hardy begins to flail around on the mat. In the ring, the champs take the opportunity to rest up, and show off their complete and utter contempt for their opposition, with a now confident Nitro laying across the top rope in the corner almost as if it is a hammock, getting a plethora of heat.

On the outside Shannon Moore is now loaded onto a stretcher, and is wheeled away to a round of applause from the crowd, who appreciate the situation Moore is in, even if the reckless champions don’t. Meanwhile Matt Hardy is still rolling around on the floor, causing Nitro to call the referee back into the ring and telling him to count Hardy out. Despite the situation, Patrick is forced to do his job, as he now begins to employ the count.

… ONE … TWO … THREE …

Hardy is still flailing around on the mat, not yet looking to get back in the ring.

… FOUR … FIVE …

Hardy starts to gain some sense of direction, rolling to the apron and reaching up to grab it, looking for some sort of assistance in getting back into the ring.

… SIX … SEVEN …

Hardy sluggishly pulls himself up, clearly not all there, still yet to get into the ring.

… EIGHT … NINE …

HARDY SLIDES INTO THE RING … AND IS INSTANTLY MET WITH A FURY OF STOMPS FROM NITRO!

Annoyed that Hardy has the audacity to want to continue to compete, Johnny lets fly with his feet into the back of Hardy, stomping him again, and again, and again, AND AGAIN, until finally he is pulled back by referee Nick Patrick!

Having been the legal man for some considerable time now, Nitro walks to his corner and tags in Mercury, allowing his equally furious other half to climb into the ring and rush across to a rising Hardy, pushing him down against the second rope … AND CHOKING HIM! The crowd boos as Mercury continues to push Hardy down with all his might, screaming with intensity as he does so, before finally relenting when Patrick intervenes. Mercury, though, is not content, charging off to the opposite ropes, bouncing back and LEAPING into the back of the neck of Hardy, CRASHING his windpipe into the second rope!

Gasping for air, a red-faced Hardy falls back into the middle of the ring and clutches at his throat, clearly in severe pain. The tag champs are still livid though, and Mercury is not yet ready to back off, instead now mounting Hardy and SMASHING his fist into the challenger’s skull several times, perhaps trying to beat some “sense” into him. Again, Nick Patrick is the only thing that is able to stop Mercury beating the stuffing out of Hardy, pulling him away from the prone carcass of Hardy.

Mercury looks to go back on the attack when he hears the voice of his partner on the apron, causing him to turn and tag a salivating Johnny Nitro back into the match/beatdown. Nitro moves right into where Mercury left off, charging towards Hardy and dropping to his knees so that he can blatantly choke him, further denying the lungs of Hardy of any oxygen. Once again, Nick Patrick finds himself in a spot where he has to fend Nitro off from Hardy, telling him that if he continues to break the rules he will be disqualified. Nitro now turns back to Hardy to see ‘The Sensei of Mattitude’ picking himself up in the corner, prompting Nitro to move back in after him and look for a right hand ... but Hardy beats him to the punch, literally!

Matt hits a few right hands, staggering Nitro all of the way back to the ropes, before attempting to send him off to the ropes, only for Nitro to reverse, then look for a knee lift on the rebound ... BUT HARDY FLOATS OVER IT AND ROLLS NITRO UP:

.........
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......1......
.........
......
......2......
.........
......
THR – NO!

NITRO JUST KICKS OUT!

Nitro scrambles back to his feet and quickly scores with a knee lift to the head of Matt, sending him down in a heap. With that, Nitro proclaims “He’s done”, before finally making a cover:

.........
......
......1......
.........
......
......2......
.........
......
THR – NO!

HARDY LIVES TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY!

It seems that this kickout does even more to anger Nitro as he pulls back at his hair, only for the calming influence of Melina at ringside to tell him not to worry, “Just finish it now.” Nitro seems to get the message immediately, tagging in Joey Mercury ... AND THE TWO MOTION FOR THE SNAPSHOT! Slowly but surely, Matt Hardy fights back to his feet as the two members of MNM wait ... AND MERCURY GOES TO LIFT HARDY UP ... BUT HE ROLLS THROUGH INTO A SUNSET FLIP:

.........
......
......1......
...

NITRO LOOKS TO TAKE HARDY’S HEAD OFF WITH A RUNNING KNEE ... BUT HARDY LETS GO OF THE COVER AND DUCKS UNDER IT ... THEN QUICKLY THROWS NITRO FROM THE RING! Hardy then turns and receives a kick to the midsection from Mercury, who then sets up for a neckbreaker, spinning hardy around and doing the paparazzi motion ... BUT HARDY TURNS AROUND ... THEN PLANTS MERCURY WITH A BACK SUPLEX!

Both Mercury and Hardy remain down following the move, Hardy looking worse for wear thanks to the unforgiving offense he has endured. However, Mercury too looks to be in a lot of pain as he squirms around the mat before he negotiates his way back to his feet. The first up, Mercury sees Hardy struggling and a smile comes across his face, the confidence seeping through as he makes his way across to Hardy and looks for a right hand ... but Hardy blocks ... then hits a right of his own ... then a left ... then a right ... another left ... right ... left .. RIGHT ... LEFT ... RIGHT!

Hardy has Mercury all of the way back against the ropes now, allowing him to go for an Irish whip, but Mercury reverses ... AND HARDY RUNS ACROSS AND KNOCKS JOHNNY NITRO, WHO WAS CLIMBING UP ONTO THE APRON, DOWN TO THE FLOOR WITH A RIGHT HAND! Hardy turns around and Mercury charges ... but Hardy scores with a back elbow that sends Mercury down! Joey gets back up to receive a kick to the midsection, then gets send into the corner with an Irish whip, before being followed in and SQUASHED with a corner clothesline! Hardy is fired up as he grabs Mercury around the skull and charges out of the corner ... THEN LEAPS UP, KNOCKING NITRO DOWN WITH A CLOTHESLINE AND PLANTING MERCURY WITH A BULLDOG!

Hardy is full of energy as he gets back to his feet, before heading across to the corner and channelling this energy as he bellows to the crowd ... THEN COMES OFF WITH AN ELBOW TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD OF NITRO THAT SENDS HIM DOWN!

The crowd goes wild as Hardy springs back up to his feet and looks on at Mercury as he climbs up ... BEFORE HOOKING HIM UP FOR THE SIDE EFFECT ... AND CONNECTING! Hardy is again back to his feet, brimming with energy ... AS HE SIGNALS TO THE CROWD THAT IT’S TIME FOR THE TWIST OF FATE! Mercury struggles back to his feet, unaware of what is happening around him ... AND HARDY QUICKLY KICKS HIM IN THE MIDSECTION, THEN GRABS HIM IN A FRONT FACE LOCK AND TURNS ... SUPERKICK! NITRO SUPERKICKS HARDY!

Hardy is out on his feet as Mercury then hoists him up ... AND MNM CONNECTS WITH THE SNAPSHOT! The crowd boos as Mercury makes the cover:

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......1......
.........
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......2......
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......
THREE!

Winners (and still WWE Tag Team Champions): MNM via pinfall @ 14:11

*PAPARAZZI*


Tony Chimel:
Here are your winners and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions, M – N – M!

The champions get back to their feet and quickly get their titles handed to them by the beautiful Melina, raising their hands up in victory, still looking down at Matt Hardy with a look of contempt on their faces, despite picking the victory up over him tonight, and taking out his friend in the process.

Michael Cole:
MNM retain their WWE Tag Team Titles, but the big story here partner, is the condition of Shannon Moore. As we saw, following a nasty collision with the crowd barrier, paramedics took him away fearing the worst, and really, we can only hope that things aren’t as bad as they appear to be for young Shannon.

Tazz:
That’s right, Cole. Shannon Moore was on the biggest roll of his career, so for this to happen now ... it’s unfortunate to say the least. Shannon’s got a big heart, he’s a good guy, and as you said, hopefully it ain’t as bad as it appears.

We see MNM now leaving the ring as Matt Hardy comes to in the ring, clawing his way towards MNM, holding his hand out to them, with MNM just laughing in his face.

Michael Cole:
Matt Hardy gave it his all, but ultimately, he couldn’t do it all alone tonight. Going two on one against the tag team champions was too much of an ask, but Matt Hardy will be back, and you better believe that he won’t give in.

We’re now backstage, where we see Randy Orton walking through the arena in casual clothes, carrying his bag to some very big heat from the crowd. ‘The Legend Killer’ strides along, ignoring everything that happens around him including approaches from a few friendly backstage workers.

Moving away from that, we cut off to the interview area to see Josh Matthews standing by.


Josh Matthews:
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time, the Cruiserweight Champion, Kid Kash!

Heat as the Cruiserweight Champion, Kid Kash steps into view, title over his shoulder as he smirks arrogantly.

Josh Matthews:
Kid Kash, after last month attacking Juventud and putting him on the sidelines with a concussion, you’re finally forced to face him one on one in a match where if you get counted out or disqualified, you will lose your Cruiserweight Title to Juventud. Your thoughts?

Kid Kash:
Kid, the key word ... is “forced”. And y’see, I don’t say that ‘cause I’m runnin’ from Juventud, I’m not sayin’ that ‘cause I’m scared of him, but it’s quite simply ‘cause old Juvi just don’t deserve a shot at ‘The Notorious K.I.D’.

Heat.

Kid Kash:
But y’know what, no, it doesn’t go like that here on SmackDown!, ‘cause what we’re run by, is a dictatorship. Ya’ don’t have to be the best, heck, ya’ don’t even have to earn your shot, all ya’ have to do is be one of Teddy Long’s buddies, and you’ve got yourself a title shot.

Kash sneers.

Kid Kash:
Two nights ago, I had a problem with that. I mean, I took out Juventud for a reason, and that was that he didn’t deserve his shot at my title. But y’know what? Now ... now I don’t mind so much, ‘cause after tonight, Juventud will never be gettin’ another shot at ‘The Notorious K.I.D’. Don’t worry about no counts out, and don’t worry no DQ, ‘cause tonight, I’m just gonna’ take out the trash ... for good.

More heat as Kash smirks.

Kid Kash:
And when all is said an’ done, your blood is gonna’ be on my hands, Juventud ... and I love it.

MAJOR heat.

Kid Kash:
Tonight, not only am I gonna’ show that Kid Kash is money, but I’m also gonna’ show that I am without a doubt, the greatest Cruiserweight Champion of all-time. Bet on it.

And with that, the champ walks from view, leaving us to cut back to ringside.

*BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK*

The crowd boos as JBL’s very own ‘Hired Gun’, Brent Albright saunters out onto the stage, on his own tonight as JBL has a match on later tonight. Looking quietly confident in his black coat and beanie, Albright makes his way down to the ring without much fuss, perhaps showing that he would rather his wrestling do the talking.


Tony Chimel:
The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, weighing 243 lbs, he is ‘The Hired Gun’, BRENT ... ALLLLLLBRIGHT!

Michael Cole:
Strong words we just heard there from the Cruiserweight Champion, Kid Kash who will face Juventud later tonight, but right now it’s about this man, Brent Albright, and The Boogeyman, who Albright debuted by attacking on behalf of JBL. Since then, we have learnt that Albright is JBL’s ‘Hired Gun’, and that he is more than just handy in the ring, as we saw this past Friday night when he went toe to toe with ‘The Deadman’.

Tazz:
That’s right, Cole. Brent Albright is one badass dude, and if you disagree he may just break your arm, and y’know, I love that about him. The kid’s got a big future here on SmackDown!, and with the guidance of a man with the stature of JBL, I gotta’ say, I’m backin’ him to maybe even go all the way one day.

Albright now climbs up into the ring and removes his coat, still not looking intimidated in the slightest, despite the task that he is about to face.

*I’M THE BOOGEYMAN*

A red smog seeps out from the floors of the arena, filling it, most intensely at the top of the ramp, where from the smoke, The Boogeyman rises, holding a stick which exudes the smog in one hand, and a clock in the other. Rising to his feet, The Boogeyman looks around, then smashes the clock right into his own face, setting the pyro off!


Tony Chimel:
His opponent, from The Bottomless Pit, weighing 265 lbs, THE BOOOOGEYMANNN!

Michael Cole:
Brent Albright may have a big future, but that future may also be ended here tonight by The Boogeyman. To say this guy is weird ... well, that would be an understatement. Albright finds himself in an awkward spot here tonight, because should he lose to The Boogeyman, he may just set the trend for The Cabinet for the whole night, with his leader, JBL set to face The Undertaker later here tonight.

Tazz:
The Boogeyman may be a freak, but Cole, just look at Brent Albright. Is he backin’ down? Is he showin’ fear? No. Albright is standin’ there, he’s lookin’ The Boogeyman in the eye, and he’s sayin’ to him “Hey, you don’t scare me”. Now that, I dig, an’ if anyone’s gonna’ be able to topple a freak like The Boogeyman, it’s gonna’ be a man with an attitude like that. It’s gonna’ be Brent Albright.

Albright remains in the corner, not looking fazed in the slightest as The Boogeyman now enters the ring and shakes around, getting himself all excited for the upcoming contest as we look set to begin it.

Match Two ~ Singles Match:
Brent Albright vs. The Boogeyman

The red putrid smog continues to filter through the arena as these two men stand on opposite sides of the ring, Albright shaking his arms out, The Boogeyman just looking flat out weird. The two men move forward to the middle of the ring, The Boogeyman doing his little shimmy, even as he stands before Albright. Albright looks unimpressed by The Boogeyman, perhaps having gained some confidence from these past few weeks on SmackDown! ... AS HE SHOVES THE BOOGEYMAN BACK! The crowd oos and ahs, with Albright showing no fear, mouthing off to The Boogeyman ... ONLY FOR BOOGEY TO SUDDENLY GRAB HIM BY THE THROAT AND THROW HIM INTO THE CORNER!

A seemingly enraged Boogeyman follows Albright in, hitting him with a series of BIG right hands, rocking the jaw of Albright, before attempting to send him off to the opposite corner, only for Albright to reverse and send Boogey off. The result is Boogey hitting the buckle hard, thanks to the power of Albright and staggering out ... RIGHT INTO AN EXPLOSIVE BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX FROM ALBRIGHT! Brent Albright is wasting no time as he climbs back to his feet and waits for Boogeyman to get up, then kicks him in the midsection, lifts him up for a suplex ... THEN DROPS HIM ACROSS THE TOP ROPE! The Boogeyman hangs precariously as Albright measures him ... THEN BOOTS HIM RIGHT IN THE JAW, SENDING BOOGEYMAN FALLING TO THE OUTSIDE!

Albright doesn’t allow The Boogeyman any time to leave, quickly rolling from the ring and joining Boogey at ringside where he grabs him by the arm ... THEN SENDS HIM CRASHING INTO THE STEEL STEPS WITH AN IRISH WHIP! Albright though, is still not content, tearing away at the mats on ringside, EXPOSING THE COLD, HARD FLOOR! The crowd actually cheers for this as Albright rolls in and out of the ring to break the referee’s count, then goes back after The Boogeyman, lifting him back up to his feet, kicking him in the midsection ... AND SLAMMING HIM DOWN ONTO THE COLD, HARD, UNFORGIVING CONCRETE WITH A SNAP SUPLEX! Again, Albright gets back to his feet and snarls, STILL not content with the damage he has done Boogeyman as he picks him up and rolls him into the ring.

Slowly, Boogey climbs back to his feet, up from his hands and knees, and he moves right into a boot to the midsection from Albright ... THEN GETS THROWN OVERHEAD WITH AN AMAZING EXPLODER SUPLEX, FOLDING HIM UP LIKE AN ACCORDIAN! Albright is once more right back up to his feet, grabbing Boogeyman in a waistlock and hoisting him back up ... THEN THROWING HIM OVERHEAD WITH A GERMAN SUPLEX! Albright isn’t done though, as he keeps his hands locked and lifts Boogeyman up ... AND SENDS HIM FLYING WITH A SPECTACULAR HALF NELSON SUPLEX!

The crowd is in awe as Albright gets back to his feet and signals for the end ... THEN DROPS DOWN AND LOCKS IN THE CROWBAR, BENDING BOOGEYMAN’S ARM BACK AT AN ANGLE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY JUST SNAP HIS ARM IN HALF ... AND THE BOOGEYMAN INSTANTLY TAPS!

Winner: Brent Albright via submission @ 2:43

*BLOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK*


Tony Chimel:
Here is your winner, BRENT ALLLLLBRIGHT!

Despite having won the match, Albright doesn’t appear to be finished with The Boogeyman yet, as he continues to crank back and back on the arm of Boogey, looking to snap it in half! The referee tells Albright the match is over, but ‘The Hired Gun’ doesn’t seem to care, AS HE LEANS EVEN FURTHER BACK IN THE CROWBAR! Albright amps up the punishment, causing The Boogeyman, the man who we weren’t sure could feel pain, SQUEAL in pain!

Finally, officials empty out from the back, and they pull Albright away, picking him back up to his feet, where ‘The Hired Gun’ looks down at The Boogeyman, clutching his arm in pain, with a look of complete and utter contempt in his eyes.

Michael Cole:
I didn’t think I would ever say this, but The Boogeyman ... The Boogeyman appears to be in some serious pain. Brent Albright came out with a mission tonight, a mission to take out The Boogeyman ... and it looks like mission accomplished to me.

Tazz:
No kiddin’, Cole. This kid Brent Albright is the real deal, and he just proved all the doubters wrong right there. Like I said before, with the guidance of a guy like JBL, the only way Albright will be goin’ is up, and that’s gonna’ be a scary thought for a lotta’ the guys in that locker-room.

We see Albright once more, before cutting away backstage, with Kristal Marshall standing by in the interview area.

Kristal Marshall:
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guests at this time, The Bluebloods & Finlay!

The crowd gives some nice heat as Finlay & The Bluebloods step into view.

Kristal Marshall:
Gentlemen, up next you face off with Bobby Lashley, Paul London & Brian Kendrick, and it’s fair to say that they have had the momentum coming into this match. Your thoughts before this contest?

Finlay:
Momentum? Lashley an’ his boys have momentum? Woman, ye’ best get ye’ facts straight next time, ‘cause last time I checked, me leavin’ Lashley in a heap doesn’t count as the boy havin’ momentum.

Heat.

Finlay:
In a way, I gotta’ give it to Lashley. The kid has guts. He has the guts to call me out in front of the whole world, an’ challenge me to a fight. But what the kid doesn’t have, is brains, ‘cause if he did, he’d have realised that every single time he’s messed with me, he’s been the one that’s lost. Sure, he may have technically beaten me in the match, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that each an’ every time the lad has stepped inside that ring with me ... or even tried to fight me outside of it ... he’s ended up on the receiving end ... of this.

Finlay smirks and raises his shillelagh into view to heat.

Finlay:
The only difference between all of those other times an’ tonight is that tonight, he’s bringin’ two of his little friends to the party, an’ this time, I’m not just shootin’ to knock the kid out ... I’m shootin’ to win.

Pause from Finlay.

Finlay:
Ye’ may think yer tough stuff, Lashley, standin’ up to me ... but I guarantee by the end of the night, yer not gonna’ be standin’ any longer.

Finlay smiles, as William Regal now steps up.

William Regal:
And as far as those two little miserable toerags London & Kendrick go ... expect much of the same, gentlemen. Because while you may have got one over us this past Friday night, you’re about to learn that The Bluebloods never make the same mistake twice.

Finlay & The Bluebloods now step from view.

***

We now cut to a video package, which begins with the image of a road that we are slowly moving along, Mark Henry hitting The World’s Strongest Slam on Rey Mysterio.

Narrator:
The journey is almost complete.

We are now suddenly back on that road, which we are starting to pick up some pace as we go along, before we cut off to see Kurt Angle hitting Edge with the Angle Slam.

Narrator:
The travelling, almost done.

We continue to move down the road, this time getting even faster, before seeing Randy Orton hitting the RKO on The Undertaker.

Narrator:
The destination ... is there.

We see the WrestleMania 22 logo in the distance as we continue to speed closer and closer towards it, the logo becoming even larger as we now enter the streets of Chicago ... before coming to a screeching halt.

Narrator:
But before we get there, we have just one more trip, down memory lane.

We see a street sign with the words on it ‘Memory Lane’, while images of Hulk Hogan hitting the Atomic Leg Drop on Andre The Giant, the Hulkster battling with Paul Orndorff, and Andre The Giant now standing tall over Hogan.

Narrator:
Join the superstars of the WWE, as we bring back a tradition from the forefathers of this company.

The images now fade away to be replaced by the Saturday Night’s Main Event logo.

SATURDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT – LIVE THREE HOUR SPECIAL MARCH 4TH, 2006

***

Back at ringside.

Michael Cole:
Ladies and gentlemen, the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event in just thirteen days, and you know what that means, don’t you partner?

Tazz:
The big one, champion vs. champion!

Michael Cole:
That’s right, as stated earlier this week on wwe.com, in thirteen days time at the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event, we will see the clash of the champions, as RAW’s WWE Champion, ‘The Rated R Superstar’ Edge, will face the winner of tonight’s main event in a battle of the brands.

Tazz:
Saturday Night’s Main Event is gonna’ be off the hook, no doubt about it. If Batista and Mark Henry didn’t already have enough motivation goin’ into tonight’s match, the chance to main event the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event has given ‘em that little bit more.

We now cut to see inside the ring where Chimel stands, as the bell tolls.

Tony Chimel:
The following contest is a six man tag team match, and it is scheduled for one fall!

*LONDON CALLING*

The crowd springs up as the energetic duo of Paul London & Brian Kendrick stomp their way out onto the stage, prompting the ladies in the crowd to scream in approval, despite masks covering their faces.


Tony Chimel:
Introducing first, weighing in at a combined weight of 369 lbs, the team of PAAAUUUL LONDON & BRIAN KENDRIIIIICKKKK!

Michael Cole:
As we just heard from The Bluebloods backstage, these two men Paul London & Brian Kendrick were able to topple the two Englishmen this past week on Friday Night SmackDown!, following the announcement of this match by SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long. Tonight, the two youngsters look to keep this momentum going, as they join up with another youngster in Bobby Lashley.

Tazz:
London & Kendrick are gonna’ have to be careful here tonight. As exciting as they are, all they did this past Friday night by defeating The Bluebloods was piss them off, and trust me, you don’t wanna’ piss off an Englishman, especially not when they learnt to fight on the streets like Regal & Burchill did.

London & Kendrick sprint down to the ring, full of life as they spring up to their feet having slid into the ring, then climb up the corners and play it up to the crowd, before doing simultaneous backflips into the middle of the ring.

*HELL WILL BE CALLIN’ YOUR NAME*

The crowd gives a very nice pop as Bobby Lashley storms out onto the stage, looking determined here tonight as he looks to both sides of the stage, before settling in the middle and pointing out to the fans, setting off his pyro in the process.


Tony Chimel:
Their partner, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, weighing 275 lbs, BOBBY ... LAAAASHLEY!

Michael Cole:
This man Bobby Lashley debuted here in the WWE just five months ago here on Friday Night SmackDown!, and he has instantly made an impact, getting better and better by the week. Last month at the Royal Rumble, Lashley made it down to the final five, in the process eliminating the most men in the match, including the gargantuan World Tag Team Champions from RAW, Kane & the Big Show, one after that other.

Tazz:
Yeah, but the thorn in Lashley’s side has been that tough Irish bastard, Finlay, and Lashley himself even admitted that this past Friday night on SmackDown!. If you ask me, Finlay’s in Lashley’s head, and I don’t think Lashley has the experience to deal with that.

Lashley marches down the ramp and leaps up onto the apron, sending pyro flying from the ringposts, before he climbs up into the ring and nods at his two partners/friends on his way to posing to the fans on the turnbuckle.

“MY NAME IS FINLAY, AND I LOVE TO FIGHT”

*LAMBEG*


The crowd instantly gives some very nice heat as Finlay & The Bluebloods walk out onto the stage, Finlay pointing his shillelagh down at the ring, almost to warn his foes of what he feels is their fate, while Burchill looks to be salivating at the thought of action, and Regal simply turns his nose up at the fans.


Tony Chimel:
Their opponents, weighing a combined weight of 735 lbs, the team of THE BLUEBLOODS & FINNNLAYYY!

Michael Cole:
You bring up a good point, Tazz. Bobby Lashley has never had to deal with someone getting into his head, with someone psyching him out, and that’s exactly what Finlay has done. With the warning that tonight Finlay is playing to win, Lashley finds himself in unfamiliar territory here, possibly signalling the end of this young man’s undefeated streak.

Tazz:
You can’t forget the two guys Finlay has on his team here tonight. The Bluebloods are two nasty sons of bitches, an’ they both know what they’re doin’ in that squared circle, especially the veteran Regal. This is one formidable team, and one that I don’t think’ll be easily beaten.

The three men make their way down to the ring rather quickly, Finlay wasting no time in climbing up and pointing his shillelagh up at his opponents, while The Bluebloods snootily wipe their feet on the ring apron, before joining their partner.

Match Three ~ Six Man Tag Team Match:
Bobby Lashley, Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Finlay & The Bluebloods

With only two men allowed to be legal in this match, competitors quickly filter out onto the apron on both sides of the ring, leaving us with rivals Bobby Lashley and Finlay standing in the ring. Lashley instantly squats down in an amateur wrestling position, ready to start the match ... but Finlay thinks better of it as he tags the youngster of his team, Paul Burchill, into the match. Despite this, Lashley remains undeterred, staying in the same position as Burchill swings through the ropes with a bit of swagger and begins to circle the ring. The two most inexperienced, but also two largest men in this match only circle around the ring for a short moment, before stepping forward and locking up like the bulls that they are. Noses flaring, the two men attempt to overpower one another, with Lashley predictably winning out, forcing Burchill back to the corner. Referee Jack Doan, wanting to set the right example from the beginning, tells Lashley to back off, and we get a clean break.

Lashley backs his way right up into the middle of the ring, then waits for Burchill to come out before they lock up for a second time ... and this time Lashley swiftly ducks behind Burchill, gets him in a waistlock, lifts him and takes him down to the mat. Showing his amateur prowess, Lashley rides Burchill for a moment, then floats over him and grabs a front face lock, using his superior power to lynch onto Burchill. Burchill starts to fight back to his feet, prompting Lashley to switch the move up into a traditional side headlock as Burchill pushes him back into the ropes, then springs off them and uses the momentum to push Lashley off ... only for Lashley to FLATTEN him with a shoulder tackle on the return!

The powerful Lashley dashes off to the ropes, then jumps over Burchill who drops down onto his stomach, before bouncing back towards a rising Burchill, blocking a hip toss attempt from him, and NAILING him with a clothesline. Lashley drops down and makes the first cover of the match:

.........
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......1......
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...2...

Burchill gets his shoulder up off the mat!

Lashley gets back up to his feet, not worrying too much about the count, then bends over and goes to pick Paul Burchill up ... but the resourceful Brit surprises the big man with a jawbreaker! Lashley is stunned, stumbling back as he holds his jaw, allowing Burchill to scoot over to his corner and tag in his mentor, William Regal. Regal rushes into the ring and comes out all guns blazing, kicking Lashley in the midsection to double him over, then SMASHING his head with a nasty left forearm that backs Lashley up to the ropes. Regal follows him in, using his experience and not letting the youngster breathe, instead DRIVING the air out from his lungs with multiple kicks to the midsection in the corner. At a count of four from Jack Doan, Regal turns and taunts the crowd, waving to the “queen”, before being called over to his corner by Finlay.

Regal decides to let his partner get in on the action, tagging the hungry Finlay in, who sees Lashley as raw meat, set up for the kill. He moves in at Lashley in the corner and looks to hammer him with a right hand ... but Lashley blocks, then CLUBS Finlay in the face with a series of rights of his own! Lashley backs Finlay all of the way back up against the ropes, allowing him to send the Irishman off with an Irish whip, then catch him with an elbow right to the jaw on the rebound! Lashley drops down and quickly hooks the leg:

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......1......
.........

Finlay kicks out, not wanting to be on his back for long!

This time Lashley doesn’t allow his opponent a look in, instead instantly grabbing him in a front face lock and dragging him across to the corner to tag Brian Kendrick into the match. The crowd gives Kendrick a nice pop as ascends up to the top rope ... then comes down with a CLUBBING double axehandle onto the back of Finlay, sending him down onto his knees! With Lashley having left the ring, Kendrick thinks quickly and rolls Finlay over onto his back for the pin:

.........
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......1......
.........
...

Finlay again kicks out at just one!

Kendrick, like Lashley, picks Finlay up in a front face lock, then drags him across to the corner, twists his arm overhead and tags Paul London into the match. London wastes no time in heading to the top rope, then coming down with a double axehandle in the same way that Kendrick did, only this time across the arm of Finlay! Finlay tries to gain some separation, moving away from London, nursing his arm, but London is quickly onto it, grabbing Finlay by the arm and taking him over with an arm drag which he keeps hold of, wrenching Finlay’s arm in an armbar!

The gap-toothed Irishman grimaces in pain, then fights back up to his feet, trying to push London back towards his corner so he can make a tag ... but London has other ideas, tugging on the arm of Finlay to send the pain shooting through him, then dragging him back to his own corner so he can tag in Brian Kendrick! Kendrick comes into the ring and takes the other arm for Finlay as both London & Kendrick twist an arm of Finlay overhead, press him back against the ropes and send him off with an Irish whip ... then take him over with a double Japanese arm drag on the rebound! The crowd applauds the teamwork of the youngsters as London exits the ring and Kendrick hooks the leg of Finlay:

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......1......
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......2......
...

The pin is broken up by a boot to the back of Kendrick courtesy of William Regal!

Kendrick turns to Regal and shoots off a few disparaging remarks as Regal enters the ring, before turning back to Finlay ... and Finlay takes the opening to bulrush Kendrick back into the corner he doesn’t want to be in, allowing Paul Burchill to tag himself in. Burchill comes in and immediately takes the free shot, scoring with a right hand, JOLTING the jaw of Kendrick. With Kendrick now on the defensive, Finlay leaves the ring, allowing Burchill to kick away at the midsection of his foe until Jack Doan’s count reaches four. At that point Burchill drags his smaller opponent out of the corner by the hair, then DROPS him with a big right, before dropping down to make the cover:

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......1......
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......2......
.........

Kendrick shoots his shoulders up off the mat!

Burchill gets back to his feet, no fuss, guiding Kendrick with him by the hair and taking him to the corner to tag in William Regal. Regal climbs in, and The Bluebloods look for a bit of teamwork, hooking Kendrick up, then THROWING him overhead with a double suplex. Burchill rolls from the ring and out to the floor now, as Regal rolls through and makes the cover, GRINDING his forearm into Kendrick’s jaw:

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......1......
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......2......
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...

Kendrick again kicks out!

Regal gets to his knees, glancing at Doan to make sure it was just two, before turning back to Kendrick and beginning to lift him up by the hair ... when Kendrick suddenly shows his fire and fight with a kick to the hamstring! Regal hops in pain as Kendrick connects with a second, then goes for a third ... but Regal catches his boot, trips him up with a single leg and DRIVES his elbow down into the chest if the youngster. Not wanting to give him a reprieve after that showing of spirit, Regal quickly lifts Kendrick up and places him between his legs, grabbing a double underhook as he does so, before sending him FLYING with a beautiful butterfly suplex. Again, Regal makes the cover, DRIVING his forearm into the jaw of Kendrick:

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......1......
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......2......
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Kendrick again lifts a shoulder up off the mat!

Regal gets back to his feet and sneers evilly at Kendrick, lifting him by the hair before just out and out THROWING him into the corner and tagging Fit Finlay back into the match. Finlay wastes no time as he climbs right up into the ring and comes at Kendrick with a CRACKING headbutt, before beginning to RAM his shoulder into the midriff of Kendrick, driving both the air and energy out of BK. Having worn Kendrick down some more, Finlay drags Kendrick out of the corner by his long locks, then DRIVES his forearm up, smashing Kendrick in the jaw and sending him down to the mat with a textbook European uppercut.

Kendrick is quick to start getting up, and Finlay doesn’t object, aiding Kendrick in getting up and pushing him back against the ropes to send him off with an Irish whip, then sending him down to the mat with a BRUTAL clothesline on the rebound. Finlay drops down and makes the cover, much like his comrade Regal, DRIVING his forearm into Kendrick face:

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......1......
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......2......
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T – NO!

KENDRICK KICKS OUT AGAIN!

Finlay is right back up to his feet, not wasting any time as he STOMPS on Kendrick, driving him across to the ropes to look for an enforced break. Finlay however, never been one to follow the rules, uses the ropes to his advantage, pulling Kendrick’s head up by the hair and putting his throat across the second rope, before PRESSING down on the back of his neck, essentially choking him. Kendrick gasps for air, flailing about to no avail, until finally Doan’s count finally reaches four. This forces Finlay to finally release the pressure, though he doesn’t let up in his attack on Kendrick, lifting him by the arm, then dragging him to the middle of the ring and SMASHING his jaw with a short arm clothesline. Finlay though, is yet to be done, instantly running off to the ropes and bouncing back, then SQUASHING Kendrick with a cannonball, moving quickly into a cover:

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......1......
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THR – NO!

THE CROWD CHEERS AS KENDRICK ONCE AGAIN JUST GETS HIS SHOULDER OFF THE MAT!

Finlay shakes his head, perhaps surprised at the fight of BK, before stomping on the youngster and walking across to tag in Paul Burchill. Burchill is quick to make his way into the ring and run across to kick Kendrick, keeping him down, before dropping down and locking in a sleeper hold. Kendrick, despite being in the middle of the ring, tries to reach out to the ropes at first, looking for a way out of the hold, before he begins to fade. Kendrick’s eyes begin to close and his face goes pale, the oxygen clearly not flowing through to his head. The hands of BK begin to fall, prompting Burchill to command Doan to check on Kendrick. Doan does just that, lifting Kendrick’s hand up ... AND IT DROPS ONCE! The crowd really starts to rally behind the youthful Kendrick, clapping him on as his hands lifted a second time ... AND IT DROPS A SECOND TIME! Burchill wrenches the hold in even tighter, swinging Kendrick around like a ragdoll, with Doan lifting his hand a third time ... AND IT STAYS UP!

The crowd cheers as BK starts to fight back to his feet with a sudden burst of energy, before hitting a few elbows to the midsection of Burchill to gain himself some space, hitting the ropes ... AND GETTING SENT OVERHEAD WITH A HUGE BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX BY BURCHILL!

Burchill charges to the corner and knocks both Lashley and London to the floor with right hands, then rushes back and hooks the leg of Kendrick:

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......1......
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THR – NO!

BK JUST KICKS OUT!

The crowd cheers, enraging Burchill, who tugs back at his hair, the frustration of not putting away BK with the high impact move clear for all to see. Burchill then gets back to his feet and commands Kendrick to get back to his feet, stalking him as he does so, ignoring the calls of Regal from the outside to make the tag. Instead he waits as Kendrick starts to pull himself and turns ... AND BURCHILL HOOKS KENDRICK UP FOR THE C-4 ... BUT KENDRICK FLIPS THROUGH INTO A SUNSET FLIP:

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THRE – NO!

BURCHILL JUST ROLLS OUT OF THE PIN ATTEMPT!

The two men get back to their feet, Burchill swinging for a clothesline to try to save face, but Kendrick ducks right under it, runs off to the ropes ... THEN SCORES WITH A RUNNING LEG LARIAT!

Both men are now down in the middle of the ring, slowly starting to head towards their respective corners as the crowd cheers Kendrick on. Kendrick starts to inch closer, only for Burchill, under command from Regal, to turn and chase after him. Still, it looks like Kendrick will make the tag as he outreaches his hand ... but Burchill just gets Kendrick by the leg and drags him back! The two men stand up, Kendrick on one leg ... BUT HE HITS A STEP UP ENZUIGURI! The crowd goes wild as Burchill staggers all of the way into his corner, allowing Finlay to tag himself in ... WHILE BK TAGS IN BOBBY LASHLEY!

The two men charge into the ring at one another ... and Lashley gets the first strike with a forearm knockdown! Finlay springs back up, right into another Lashley knockdown, before he then gets met with a STIFF clothesline! Lashley is on fire and the crowd is loving it as he pushes a rising Finlay against the ropes, sends him off with an Irish whip ... THEN SLAMS HIM DOWN INTO THE MAT WITH A SCOOP POWERSLAM! Lashley hooks the leg of Finlay:

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......2......
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TH – NO!

WILLIAM REGAL BREAKS UP THE PIN WITH A KICK TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD OF LASHLEY!

Regal now waits as Lashley starts to struggle back to his feet ... THEN DUMPS HIM ON TOP OF HIS HEAD WITH A HALF NELSON SUPLEX! However, we don’t get long to take in the move, as London turns Regal around, kicks him in the midsection ... LEGSWEEP DDT! LONDON DUMPS REGAL RIGHT ON HIS HEAD! Paul Burchill then staggers into the ring and hammers London with a shot to the back of the head ... BEFORE TURNING HIM AROUND, LIFTING HIM UP ... AND NAILING THE BRAINBUSTER!

Burchill staggers back against the ropes, still dazed from the enzuiguri at the hands of Kendrick ... ONLY FOR THE MAN HIMSELF TO CHARGE ACROSS THE RING AND NAIL A CROSSBODY, SENDING BOTH MEN OUT TO THE FLOOR! We are left with just Finlay and Lashley in the ring, Finlay now in the corner as Lashley charges in at him ... but Finlay meets him with a boot to the jaw ... THEN GRABS HIS SHILLELAGH! The crowd boos, but the referee is still distracted by all of the chaos happening around ringside, with Finlay now waiting as Lashley falls to his hands and knees ... THEN GETS UP ... AND FINLAY SWINGS FOR THE HILLS ... BUT LASHLEY DUCKS UNDER IT AND HITS THE ROPES ... SPEAR! LASHLEY SPEARS FINLAY! The big man makes the cover just as Jack Doan turns around:

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THREE!

Winners: Bobby Lashley, Paul London & Brian Kendrick via pinfall @ 13:16

*HELL WILL BE CALLIN’ YOUR NAME*


Tony Chimel:
Here are your winners, PAUL LONDON, BRIAN KENDRICK & BOBBY ... LASHLEYYYYY!

The victorious Lashley springs back up to his feet, being joined quickly by London & Kendrick, with the three youngsters celebrating one of the bigger wins in their careers thus far over two veterans, and a heck of a talent in Paul Burchill.

Michael Cole:
Well we questioned whether or not they’d be able to do it, but the youthful team of London, Kendrick & Lashley have been able to do it, with Lashley able to overcome his foe Finlay when it mattered, ducking that shillelagh shot that he has felt many times before, and spearing him down once and for all!

Tazz:
That’s a big win for these three men, and I ain’t gonna’ argue with you about that. I thought all three of these men were very impressive tonight, especially since all SIX men in this match looked to be on top of their game. This Bobby Lashley looks damn near unstoppable.

The youngsters continue to celebrate in the ring, as we now cut away elsewhere.

***

We now cut to see a vignette, which is accompanied by the sound of ‘This Fire Burns’ by Killswitch Engage. We see images of a mystery man performing some of his in-ring moves (running knee/bulldog combo, urange/anaconda vise combo and the GTS, along with some big kicks).

???:
It’s time for a new breed of wrestler.

The moves continue.

???:
A breed of competitors. A breed that realises that things like luck, are for losers.

We now cut away to see a close-up of the man’s arms, which are covered by tattoos.

???:
A breed of competitor which understand just what wrestling is all about – and that is the art ... of battle.

The left bicep is featured.

???:
I don’t drink.

The right bicep.

???:
I don’t smoke.

The man is now shown holding up his knuckles, which spell out the words ‘DRUG FREE’.

???:
And I don’t do drugs.

His stomach is now shown.

???:
I’m primed, I’m focussed and I know what I want. I am ... straight edge, and my only addiction ... is competition.

The man’s face is now shown, where we now get a close-up on his long, black hair, and a confident smile, with a snakebite piercing his lip.

???:
My name is CM Punk ... and I am coming to Friday Night SmackDown!

CM PUNK – COMING SOON TO FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN!

***

We now cut off away backstage to be in the locker-room of John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield, who sits on a chair, being pampered by workers who massage his shoulders, back and calves, working on all parts of ‘The Wrestling God’. Jillian Hall, meanwhile, stands front and centre, holding her clipboard.

John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield:
Jillian, tonight ... haha, tonight is gonna’ be a GREAT night for The Cabinet. I can feel it, you can feel it, we can ALL feel it!

Layfield raises his hand, prompting all of the workers around him to stop.

John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield:
Just as Brent did to The Boogeyman earlier, tonight ... I’m gonna’ take out ... ‘The Phenom’.

JBL smirks as the workers now go back to work, leaving us to cut back to ringside.

Michael Cole:
Ladies and gentlemen, JBL looks to be feeling confident tonight, but one man who may not be feeling so confident is JBL’s former chief of staff, and now Booker T’s protégé, Orlando Jordan.

A graphic promoting the Chris Benoit vs. Orlando Jordan match pops up on the screen.

Tazz:
Orlando doesn’t have the best record against Benoit, there ain’t no doubtin’ that, but he stepped up to the plate here tonight, and I gotta’ respect that. Whether or not he can deliver, well, that’s another thing, but don’t even count out the rapidly improvin’ Orlando Jordan.

Michael Cole:
This whole story surrounds Jordan’s want to prove himself to his mentor Booker T, against Booker’s rival and a man who has plagued Orlando, Chris Benoit. Let’s take a look at how all of this came to be.

***

Our video package begins with scenes from last year, with Chris Benoit locking Orlando Jordan in the Crippler Crossface, forcing OJ to instantaneously tap out.

Michael Cole:
Chris Benoit has done it! He has beaten Orlando Jordan in under thirty seconds and he has retained his United States Championship!

We now cut to SmackDown! last year, with Benoit facing Orlando again, this time making him submit straight away to the Sharpshooter.

Michael Cole:
Chris Benoit has done it again! Orlando Jordan ... Orlando Jordan tapped out even faster than last time!

We now see Benoit backstage with his then friend Booker T, United States Title over the Canadian’s shoulder.

Chris Benoit:
Hey, Book, any time you want a shot at this title ... you got it.

We see Booker nodding, before cutting off to see the two facing off for the United States Championship in what appeared to be a friendly contest, only for Booker’s wife Sharmell to interject herself and cost Benoit the match and his title. Booker at first denies any involvement in Sharmell’s interference, shaking his head at her, only to then blast Benoit with the United States Title as we cut ahead, going then even further to SmackDown! this past Friday.

Booker T:
After all o’ ‘dat, after all the chances ‘dat his punkass has had, two weeks ago, Chris Benoit came out, and he said he wanted ANOTHER, ANOTHER shot, at muh’ United States Title! Well y’know what, Benoit? No more.

Booker pauses to some heat.

Booker T:
‘Das righ’ ... no more. I’ve had enough ... I’m givin’ you ... the Benoit treatment. You had your chance. You had it time and time again. You had it more times than I can count. You di’nt wanna’ give me a shot when you were the champ? When we were supposed ta’ be friends? Y’know, ‘das fine. You think you’re the only one ‘dat can pull ‘dat? Naw man, ‘cause two can play at ‘dat game. So here it goes.

Booker pauses for a moment.

Booker T:
I, Booker T, am officially announcin’, ‘dat from this day forth, Chris Benoit, after all o’ his chances, won’t be ever, EVER, gettin’ another shot at me, and muh’ United States Championship!

Big heat.

Booker T:
Now can you dig ‘dat, su ...

*WHATEVER*

The crowd gives a big pop as Chris Benoit makes his way out onto the stage, microphone already in hand. Benoit walks down to the ring swiftly, not wasting any time, but before he can even get to the ring we hear the sounds of shouting from the ring.


Booker T:
WHAT THE HELL? CUT THE MUSIC, CUT HIS DAMN MUSIC!

The music cuts out as Booker stares at Benoit, eyes bulging from their sockets.

Booker T:
What the HELL do you want?

Chris Benoit:
I want what I think everyone else in this arena wants, and that is for you to shut, the hell, up!

Big pop, causing Booker to look shocked.

Chris Benoit:
Seriously, Booker we get it. You’re the champ, you’re the man, and you won’t defend the title against me. We get it. I get it. I understand, Book ... you’re scared.

HUGE pop.

Booker T:
WHAT?

Chris Benoit:
Face it, Booker, you could never beat me. I mean, how did you win that title in the first place? Did you beat me, or did you have Randy Orton and your little lackey who’s standin’ right there behind you do all the work? Huh Booker? Huh?

Booker looks none too happy.

Chris Benoit:
You wanna’ try me? Fine. You an’ me for the United States Title at No, Way, Out!

Pop.

Booker T:
Is ‘dat some kinda’ joke? Did you not hear me? You ain’t never gettin’ another shot at me an’ muh’ title. Not here tonight, not tomorrow, not at No Way Out, not ever! An’ even if I wanted to, even if I wanted to embarrass you one more time, I can’t? You blind? I’m still incapacitated from what yo’ lil’ buddy Matt Hardy did ta’ me back in December!

Chris Benoit:
I hear you, so y’know what ... how about somethin’ a little different? I’m not challengin’ you to a match at No Way Out now Booker ... I’m challengin’ ... you ... Orlando, Jordan.

Jordan, standing behind Booker, looks quite surprised.

Chris Benoit:
What was it last year? You tapped out to me three times in under thirty seconds? Why don’t you step up and prove to me, to Booker, that you belong here on Friday nights? Prove yourself Orlando ... if you beat me ... I’ll never challenge Booker T for the United States Title again.

Small heat.

Chris Benoit:
But if I win ... I’m next in line for a shot at the United States Title.

Jordan snatches the mic away from Booker eagerly.

Orlando Jordan:
YOU’RE ON!

BOOKER CAN’T BELIEVE IT! He looks at Jordan, his mouth wide open, his eyes bulging, as Benoit just smiles.

We now cut away to see rapid fire shots of Benoit making Jordan to submit, showing his superiority over here, before seeing one last look at the steely resolve in the eyes of OJ, and cutting away.


***

*WHATEVER*

Back live, and the crowd gives a very good pop as the no fuss Chris Benoit walks out onto the stage, raring to go here tonight, stretching on his way down to the ring.


Tony Chimel:
The following contest is scheduled for one fall, where if Chris Benoit wins, he will receive a shot at Booker T’s United States Championship. However, if Chris Benout loses, he will never get another shot at the United States Title again. Introducing first, from Atlanta, Georgia, weighing 225 lbs, CHRIS ... BENOOOIITTT!

Michael Cole:
Chris Benoit has had to fight and claw for everything he has ever got in his career. Last year, when he captured the United States Title from Orlando Jordan, it was the first time that Benoit has not been involved in a struggle to get what he wants, but that was all taken away from him by a man who used to call himself Benoit’s ‘best friend’. Now the situation has come full circle, as to get another shot at Booker, Benoit has to defeat the man who is now Booker T’s protégé, Orlando Jordan, here tonight.

Tazz:
This is essentially Benoit’s last chance to get the title that he feels he was cheated out of late last year. Personally, I disagree, I think that Booker just outsmarted Benoit, but if he wants that title back, he’s gonna’ have to do what he did last year to get that title in the first place and beat Orlando Jordan.

Benoit climbs up into the ring and begins to pace around, not bothering to pander to the fans tonight as his focus is on getting a shot at the gold that he longs for.

“CAN YOU DIG IT, SUCKA?”

*RAP SHEET*


The crowd gives some pretty good heat now as a rather apprehensive looking Orlando Jordan walks out to the top of the ramp. Clearly nervous, Jordan is perhaps having second thoughts about the situation he got himself into this past Friday.


Tony Chimel:
His opponent, from Miami, Florida, weighing 255 lbs, ORLANDO JORDANNNN!

Michael Cole:
Tonight Orlando Jordan faces his biggest test to date. While Jordan has undoubtedly improved a lot lately, there is still that mental block, that voice in his mind that has to be telling him that he cannot beat Chris Benoit, and that is going to be a problem for him here tonight.

Tazz:
Yeah, that’s right, Cole. If you don’t come into a match believin’ that you can win, you don’t. It’s as simple as that. Orlando has just gotta’ make sure he finds that belief, and fast, because Booker’s dependin’ on him here tonight.

Jordan now climbs up into the ring, though he doesn’t move far, staying anxiously against the ropes, watching Benoit.

Match Four ~ Singles Match:
Chris Benoit vs. Orlando Jordan

The crowd cheer with anticipation for as the two combatants, Chris Benoit and Orlando Jordan, stand back in their respective corners, ready to engage in battle with a lot on the line for both men. For Benoit, tonight is a chance to get himself that one final shot for the United States Title that he has been oh so persistent in chasing, while Jordan has the chance to prove himself not just to his mentor Booker T, but also to all of the fans, having tapped out multiple times to Benoit in under thirty seconds last year. Because of this Jordan seems tentative at first, keeping a distance from Benoit as ‘The Rabid Wolverine’ begins to circle around the ring. Looking to continue to keep some distance between himself and Benoit, Jordan too circles around, going at an equal pace to his foe. Benoit, being the machine that he is, begins to pick up the pace, causing Jordan to do the same before Benoit decides he’s had enough and makes his way through the middle of the ring, looking to pick the leg of Jordan, only for Jordan to narrowly evade, jumping out of the clutches of the wolverine.

Benoit smiles his toothless grin as he gets back up to his feet, before coming towards Jordan, who perhaps now has a bit of confidence, as he does the same thing, with the two engaging in the very first lockup of the match. The two go back and forth, struggling for a bit, attempting with all their might to force the other man into a defensive position, only to find themselves stuck in a stalemate, prompting both men to let go and back away, nodding at one another in a sign of respect. Looking to start over, the two go to circle the ring again, before coming forward and looking to lockup, although the wily veteran Benoit changes things up, ducking under the arms of Jordan and grabbing him by the waist ... THEN GRABBING HIS ARM, LOOKING FOR THE CRIPPLER CROSSFACE! JORDAN STRUGGLES, KNOWING HE HAS SUFFERED THIS FATE BEFORE, AS HE KICKS AND WRIGGLES WHILE BENOIT PERSISTS LIKE THE PITBULL THAT HE IS, PULLING THE ARM OF JORDAN DOWN ... BUT JORDAN CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE ... AND HE MANAGES TO FIGHT HIS WAY ACROSS FAR ENOUGH TO HOOK HIS FOOT ONTO THE BOTTOM ROPE!

The tenacious Benoit takes a moment to let go of Jordan, although the referee makes sure he does, forcing the Canadian to back away from Jordan. Jordan, eyes wide and mouth wide open, stays down leaning against the ropes, looking up at Benoit, knowing how close he was to yet another demoralising loss to Benoit. Finally, Jordan nods his head, almost to acknowledge that Benoit nearly had him on his way back up to his feet as the two once again begin to slowly circle the ring and come forward. Again, Jordan looks to lockup, but Benoit has other ideas, ducking out of the way of Jordan and going behind him ... THEN SPINNING HIM AROUND AND TAKING HIM DOWN WITH A SINGLE LEG! BENOIT GRABS BOTH LEGS AND LOOKS TO LOCK IN THE SHARPSHOOTER ... BUT JORDAN SQUIRMS AROUND THE MAT ... AND MANAGES TO ROLL ALL OF THE WAY TO THE ROPES, ALLOWING FOR A BREAK!

Benoit again gets to his feet with a smirk on his face, knowing that he is ever so close to that United States Title shot. The panicked Jordan meanwhile remains down in the ropes ... and then this time rolls from the ring to take a breather. Jordan looks down at the floor and takes a few deep breaths, looking to recompose himself ... only for the veteran Benoit to come out after him, not allowing Jordan any space to breathe as he begins to chase him around ringside! Jordan runs for his life, weaving around the corners of the ring before sliding back in, with Benoit close behind ... but dives forward in desperation and scores with a double axe handle to the back of the head of Benoit!

Jordan sees his window, and boy does he take it, stomping VICIOUSLY on the back of the neck of Benoit, before beginning to DROP HIS KNEE into it time and time again, until he decides to look for an early victory:

.........
......
......1......
......

Benoit springs his shoulder up!

Despite this kickout Jordan continues to put the pressure on Benoit, following him as he gets back to his feet before HAMMERING him with some heavy handed shots in the corner, sending Benoit down to a seated position. Despite referee Nick Patrick’s count reaching four, OJ refuses to relent, prompting Patrick to step in and tell Jordan to watch himself. Jordan, eager to keep Benoit down, moves back in ... but Benoit SLAPS his chest with a resounding knife edge chop! Benoit takes advantage of the space given to him by OJ, SMASHING his chest for a second time ... but OJ cuts him off with a thumb to the eye! The referee again warns Jordan, but this time OJ isn’t allowing himself to be distracted, following up on Benoit with a kick to the midsection and then a swinging neckbreaker! Thinking (or hoping) he may have done enough, Jordan hooks the leg:

.........
......
......1......
.........
......
...2...

Benoit lifts his shoulder!

It was a two count this time, but still, Jordan hasn’t weakened Benoit anywhere near enough, and he knows this, looking to do some quick damage by climbing into a mount position then WAILING away on Benoit with his fists, hitting some big rights! Patrick again takes exception to Jordan blatantly breaking the rules, stepping in to tell him to get of Benoit, but again, Booker T’s protégé will not ease up, DROPPING his knee across the back of the neck of Benoit as soon as he rolls over. Jordan does this once more, continuing to wear down the surgically repaired neck of ‘The Canadian Crippler’, before sitting him up, DRIVING his knee up into the back of Benoit and WRENCHING his head back in a rear chinlock.

Patrick questions Benoit as to whether or not he wishes to continue at the behest of OJ, but the resilient Benoit refuses to quick, fighting through the pain looking for some way to escape from the move by swinging his arms around wildly, trying to grab at any part of OJ. Jordan, however, will not be deterred, applying EVEN MORE pressure to the hold as he bellows with intensity, while Benoit groans with pain, his face turning the bright red colour of a tomato. Despite this, Benoit continues to fight, the word ‘quit’ obviously not in his vocabulary as the crowd get behind him and Benoit pumps his fists, beginning the ascent back to his feet.

Jordan is forced to remove his knee from the back of Benoit’s neck in order to stand above him in the hope that he can keep Benoit in the hold, but as Benoit shows by getting first to one foot and then ultimately to a standing base, you can never keep a good man down. Now looking for a way to escape from Jordan’s clutches, Benoit starts to invert the hold, then hits a few elbows to the midsection of Jordan that cause him to both jump and gasp in pain ... but Jordan cuts Benoit off with a fraught, clubbing forearm shot to the back of the, you guessed it, neck.

Benoit staggers forwards in pain, his neck clearly bothering him, but again Jordan is insistent on keeping close to Benoit, pulling him in by the back of the tights, before pushing him off chest-first into the ropes ... THEN SMASHING THE BACK OF HIS HEAD WITH A LARIAT ON THE REBOUND! The crowd boos as Benoit falls in a heap, and Jordan rolls him over, making the cover:

.........
......
......1......
.........
......
......2......
.........
...

BENOIT KICKS OUT!

An exasperated Jordan cannot believe it, looking up at Nick Patrick for answers, before again hooking the leg of Benoit:

.........
......
......1......
.........
......
......2......
......

AGAIN, THE SAME RESULT AS BENOIT KICKS OUT!

Jordan cannot believe it, shaking his head in denial, before stomping right on the neck of Benoit and yelling out to the audience “It’s over”, his eyes bulging as he does so. The distressed youngster now begins to stalk Benoit, following him as he moves towards the ropes and begins to pick himself up with them, then turns ... Jordan boots Benoit in the midsection ... hooks him in a suplex position ... BUT HE GETS ROLLED UP INTO A SMALL PACKAGE:

.........
......
......1......
.........
......
......2......
.........
......
THRE – NO!

ORLANDO JORDAN JUST MANAGES TO KICK OUT!

The embarrassment on Jordan’s face cannot be missed as Benoit almost caught him out of nowhere AGAIN, prompting Jordan to go for a wild and panic-stricken clothesline as soon as the two men return to their feet, but Benoit – despite the sore neck – is just able to duck under it ... THEN DRILLS ORLANDO JORDAN DOWN INTO THE MAT BY THROWING HIM OVERHEAD WITH A HUGE GERMAN SUPLEX!

Both men are now down following the big move from Benoit, the affects of the match clear. Benoit is seen clutching at the back of his neck as he rolls around the ring with one hand while shaking the other, perhaps to gain some feeling back in it, while Jordan holds the back of his head in pain having just been thrown right on top of it. The two men sluggishly make their way back to their feet, Benoit with the aid of the ropes, Jordan in the centre of the ring, before they stagger towards one another ... WOO! BENOIT SLAPS JORDAN SQUARE IN THE CHEST ... BAM! JORDAN SMASHES BENOIT RIGHT BACK WITH A RIGHT HAND ... WOO! ANOTHER CHOP ... BAM! ANOTHER RIGHT ... WOO ... BAM ... WOO ... BAM ... WOO ... WOO ... WOO ... WOO!

Benoit backs Jordan all of the way back into the ropes with his big knife edge chops that have made Jordan’s chest glow, before sending him off with an Irish whip ... and SMASHING him right in the jaw with a reverse elbow on the rebound! Jordan gets right back up to his feet ... and he’s taken back down with a forearm smash! Jordan again gets back to his feet, a bit of a glazed over look in his eyes ... and he gets kicked in the midsection, then THROWN overhead in a flash with a snap suplex! Benoit, however, takes his time in making the cover, not floating over like usual but instead clutching at his neck, then making the cover with the hook of the leg:

.........
......
......1......
.........
......
......2......
.........
......
TH – NO!

JORDAN KICKS OUT!

Benoit gets right back up to his feet, giving a little feel to his neck as he does so, watching intently as Jordan gets up too ... BEFORE QUICKLY GRABBING HIM IN A WAISTLOCK ... BUT JORDAN BLOCKS THE GERMAN SUPLEX ATTEMPT AND GOES BEHIND BENOIT TO DELIVER A BLOW RIGHT TO THE BACK OF HIS NECK!

Benoit is staggered by this shot, and Jordan looks to capitalise by kicking him in the midsection ... hooking him for suplex ... THEN DRIVING HIM INTO THE MAT WITH A BIG TIME NECKBREAKER! The crowd boos as Jordan makes the cover:

.........
......
......1......
.........
......
......2......
.........
......
THR – NO!

BENOIT GETS HIS SHOULDER UP, MUCH TO THE JOY OF THE CROWD!

Jordan however, looks distraught, tugging at his wonderful hair, before a sick, twisted smile crosses his face ... AND HE DOES THE CLASSIC BENOIT THROAT SLASHING MOTION ON THE MAT ... THEN GRABS THE ARM OF BENOIT AND LOOKS TO LOCK IN THE CRIPPLER CROSSFACE ... BUT IF BENOIT INSTANTLY COUNTERS THE MOVE BY ROLLING JORDAN THROUGH ... BOTH MEN GET UP ... AND BENOIT SNAPS OFF A GERMAN SUPLEX AS QUICK AS YOU LIKE! Benoit, though, isn’t done, his hands still locked around the waist of Jordan as he lifts him up ... THEN DRILLS A SECOND GERMAN SUPLEX ... BEFORE GOING FOR A THIRD AS JORDAN STRUGGLES AND SWINGS HIS ARMS EVERYWHERE ... HIS ELBOW CLOCKING THE REFEREE AND SENDING HIM DOWN ... BEFORE BENOIT DRILLS THE THIRD GERMAN!

Benoit then gets up, standing over the body of Jordan as Nick Patrick lays near the corner ... and Benoit now does HIS throat slashing motion to a big pop from the crowd! The crowd, however, starts to boo as Benoit now heads for the corner ... AND WE SEE WHY WHEN HE STARTS TO CLIMB TO THE TOP ROPE AS SHARMELL GRABS HIM BY THE FOOT ... AND BOOKER T HITS HIM OVER THE HEAD WITH HIS CRUTCH FROM THE OTHER SIDE! The crowd unloads with heat as Orlando Jordan struggles to his feet and sees Benoit out, seated on the top rope, prompting OJ to stagger across to the corner, climb up to join Benoit ... THEN SEND HIM FLYING WITH A HUGE SUPERPLEX DOWN TO THE MAT, AS BOTH MEN LAND WITH A HUGE THUD!

Both men are down for a moment, with Jordan the first to react, pulling his aching body towards Benoit and throwing his arm over the chest of Benoit ... BUT THERE’S NO REFEREE! Jordan looks around disappointedly, but he is soon being shouted directions by Booker T ... WHO THROWS OJ HIS CRUTCH! Booker tells Jordan to finish Benoit off, which is exactly what Jordan looks set to do as he grasps at the crutch and waits anxiously as Benoit slowly starts to get back to his feet ... BEFORE SWINGING WILDLY AS BENOIT TURNS ... BUT BENOIT DUCKS ... GERMAN SUPLEX WHICH SENDS THE CRUTCH FLYING FROM THE RING!

Jordan is down, the crutch now god knows where, and Benoit slowly pulling himself up ... WHEN BOOKER T SLIDES INTO THE RING AND JUMPS UP AND DOWN WITH EXCITEMENT – PROVING HE IS NO LONGER INJURED – HOLDING THE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP! Benoit hears the noise and turns ... MUCH LIKE JORDAN, BENOIT SWINGS FOR THE FENCES WITH THE TITLE ... BUT BENOIT AGAIN DUCKS ... THEN DRILLS BOOKER WITH A GERMAN SUPLEX, SENDING HIM DOWN NEXT TO JORDAN!

The crowd cheers as Chris Benoit picks himself back up to his feet and sees the United States Title on the mat, looking deep into it for a moment ... before doing the throat slashing motion with one hand ... then the other before pointing down at both OJ and Booker! Benoit heads for the corner and starts to climb up to the top rope ... WHERE HE IS AGAIN GRABBED BY SHARMELL ... BUT BENOIT’S LUST FOR THE GOLD IS UNBREAKABLE, AS HE KICKS SHARMELL OFF, DESPITE HER BEING A WOMAN ... THEN LAUNCHES HIMSELF THROUGH THE AIR ... AND SCORES WITH A DIVING HEADBUTT TO BOTH MEN AT ONCE!

They both roll around in pain, with Benoit groggily picking himself up, then doing the same to Booker and throwing him from the ring ... BEFORE HEADING ACROSS TO OJ ... GRABBING HIM BY THE ARM ... AND LOCKING IN THE CRIPPLER CROSSFACE! The crowd goes wild as OJ struggles around the ring, his eyes wide and his head shaking in pain as he looks to not quit to Benoit again. Slowly, Nick Patrick crawls across, realising what is happening as Orlando looks desperate ... he doesn’t want to tap out again ... AND HE WON’T! HE CONTINUES TO FIGHT! DESPITE NOT MOVING, DESPITE BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING ... DESPITE SEEMINGLY BEING NOWHERE NEAR THE ROPES, ORLANDO JORDAN GRITS HIS TEETH, LOOKS DOWN DEEP INTO HIS HEART AND HE REFUSES TO TAP OUT! Benoit, being the pugnacious man that he is, will not relent on the pressure, he will not release the hold, BUT ORLANDO JORDAN CONTINUES TO FIGHT! HE CONTINUES TO HOLD ON! HE CAN’T ... HE WON’T ... HE WILL NOT TAP!

The resolve of OJ is amazing as he refuses to quit, screaming “NO!” with such pain in his voice, such obvious, agonising pain that it makes one wonder just how it is that he won’t give up. Still, Orlando remains in the hold, unmoving apart from his mouth which continues to utter the same screams of “NO!” as he refuses to quit. Benoit has no sympathy though; he wants his title shot, and despite the fight of the kid, he refuses to relent ... INSTEAD CRANKING UP THE PRESSURE EVEN HIGHER! Jordan’s cries of “NO!” are replaced with unidentifiable cries as he bellows in pain, still not wanting to quit ...

... BUT HE HAS NO OTHER CHOICE AS HE TAPS OUT!

Winner: Chris Benoit via submission @ 14:05

*WHATEVER*


Tony Chimel:
Here is your winner, CHRIS BENOOOIIITTT!

Benoit lets go of the hold with a look of relief on his face as he gets back to his feet, perhaps a bit surprised at the fight of Orlando Jordan. ‘The Canadian Crippler’ has his hand raised by the referee as he looks at Booker T, regaining himself on the floor, before catching sight of OJ also regathering on the floor, who he nods at, almost as a show of respect to the youngster.

Michael Cole:
A heck of an effort from Orlando Jordan here, proving how much he has come along in just a short time, but Chris Benoit ultimately picks up the victory, and he gets that one last shot at Booker T that he has been longing for for all that time. And with Booker seemingly fine, having involved himself in this match, their match can’t be too far off.

Tazz:
Orlando Jordan put in the performance of his career, ain’t no doubtin’ that. As for Booker, I guess he managed to heal up since Friday night. I mean, he said he was injured then, and it ain’t like Booker to lie, so I tend to believe him. It’s good to see our United States Champion back in tip top shape.

We not cut off elsewhere to see Mark Henry seated in his locker-room, gearing himself up by hitting himself in the head a few times, then roaring in an animal like manner, ready for tonight’s main event.

Off elsewhere, and we now see The Mexicools, with Juventud leaving a locker-room as Super Crazy & Psichosis stand at the door, yelling what we can only assume is encouragement in Spanish.

From there we had back to ringside to see our commentators.


Michael Cole:
There we see Juventud, who up next will get his long awaited Cruiserweight Title rematch. It’s Kid Kash vs. Juventud, Cruiserweight Title on the line, but Juventud, redemption may just mean so much more.

***

We start off the video package by seeing Kid Kash defeated Juventud for the Cruiserweight Championship at Armageddon by hitting him with the Dead Level. A tired Kash is then shown holding the belt up following the victory.

Cut away to the January 20th SmackDown!, where Kid Kash is backstage with Josh Matthews.


Josh Matthews:
Kid Kash, tonight we find out who your challenger for the Cruiserweight Championship will be at the Royal Rumble. Going into the match between former champions Juventud and Jamie Noble, do you have any preferences to who you want to win?

Kid Kash:
I’ll give it to both Noble and Juventud, they’re world class cruiserweights. Jamie Noble’s one of the toughest sons of bitches not just in the WWE, but in the whole world, and Juventud, well he was the best cruiserweight around these parts ... until I got here that is. So while I’ll watch the match, you better believe I ain’t scared of either of these men. All they’re doin’ by winnin’ is sealin’ their fate at the Rumble.

Cut forward to the match between Juventud and Jamie Noble, with Juventud picking up the win thanks to the Juvi Driver and becoming number one contender to the gold. Kash then climbs into the ring and shakes hands with Juvi ... BEFORE SMASHING HIM OVER THE HEAD WITH A TITLE ... AND THEN KICKS HIM SQUARE IN THE TEMPLE AND DRILLS JUVENTUD’S HEAD DOWN INTO THE TITLE WITH THE DEAD LEVEL! Kash smiles and raises the gold, standing over the body of Juventud as agents and medics rush from the back.

Now on the January 27th SmackDown!, we see Kid Kash walk into the office of SmackDown! General Manager, Theodore Long, smirking away.


Theodore Long:
I’d wipe that grin of mah’ face right now if I were you.

Realising that’s probably a good idea, Kash does just that.

Theodore Long:
Now I’m sure you know why you’re here, so there’s no real reason to beat ‘round the bush. Last week, your actions were unacceptable. As a champion you are a leader of the locker-room, and last week, your actions were nothin’ short of despicable. For a week now, I’ve wracked mah’ brain, thinkin’ just how I should punish you. I considered strippin’ you of your Cruiserweight Title, but then I went back on that. I considered SUSPENDIN’ you, but that wouldn’t be fair on the rest of the cruiserweights; you’re the champ, after all, and after what you did, not only do they wanna’ get their hands on your belt, but they also wanna’ get their hands on YOU. And y’know, Kash, that’s exactly where I got my idea from. I’m gonna’ lay this down for ya’, Kash: I ain’t gonna’ punish you. At least not directly. Y’see, the way I see things is that you’re now an outcast, and any time you’re jumped from behind, any time you’re attacked, I’m not responsible; you are. Now as far as the Royal Rumble goes, Juventud will not be fit to compete ...

Kid Kash:
(Smugly) Which means, no defence for me, right? Good to see ya’, Teddy, but that’s all I needed to hear. I’ll see ya’ ‘round ...

Theodore Long:
Not so fast, champ. I said I wasn’t gonna’ directly gonna’ punish you, but your match at the Rumble – that’s right, you will be in action – well, you’re gonna’ get punished ... just not by me.

Pop.

Theodore Long:
Instead, I’m gonna’ leave it up to the cruiserweights of SmackDown! to do the punishin’, because at the Royal Rumble, you, Kid Kash, will be defendin’ your Cruiserweight Championship ... against ALL the cruiserweights of SmackDown! in a Cruiserweight Open!

We cut forward to the Cruiserweight Open at the Rumble, with Kid Kash getting beaten down by all of the other cruiserweights. However, when we cut to the end of the match we see him rush into the ring following Super Crazy hitting Scotty 2 Hotty with the Moonsault and steal his pin, picking up the win.

We’re now at SmackDown! from two weeks ago, with Kash standing in the ring.


Kid Kash:
Y’see, these past few months, Teddy Long, he’s made it his mission to get this here Cruiserweight Title away, from my gorgeous waist. Why did he do that? Why did Teddy Long feel the want, the need to screw over ‘The Notorious K.I.D’?

Kash pauses, getting a more intense look on his face.

Kid Kash:
‘Cause I took out ... the trash. Juventud ...

Pop.

Kid Kash:
Juventud may be y’all, “golden boy”, Teddy. He may y’all “role model”. But what he is not is deserving of shot, at my Cruiserweight Title!

Heat.

Kid Kash:
I already beat him, I already beat him to win this damn title! He doesn’t deserve a rematch with me. An’ yet, that’s what you let him have. That’s what you handed ta’ him ... on a silver platter. So I did what was right ... I took out ... the trash.

Heat.

Kid Kash:
Now, y’all here tonight may think it’s ‘cause I’m scared of Juventud, but lemme’ tell ya’, ‘The Notorious K.I.D’ is scared of no man. Ever since I removed Juventud from this brand, I have had ta’ defend this title against ALL a’ the cruiserweights, and I have WON every damn time. I have proved that I am what I’ve been sayin’ all along, and that is the greatest cruiserweight on this brand.

Small pause to some heat.

Kid Kash:
So y’know what ... I’m ready to do it all again tonight. Bring out ... my next victim.

We see quick scenes of Kash defeating Scotty, before kicking him from the ring.

Kid Kash:
Y’see ... this ... this is just another win ... another successful title defence ... for the K.I.D. I told y’all I’d do it ... I told y’all I’d beat ‘em all, and I’ve done it yet again. There ain’t nobody who can stop me!

Heat for this as Kash smirks.

Kid Kash:
So y’know what? I think ...

*MUY LOCO*

The crowd gives a very nice pop, as the music of the ever popular stable starts up, but nobody comes out.


Kid Kash:
Come on Super Crazy! Come on Psichosis! I already beat the two a’ you, and I have no problem doin’ it again!

Kash has a look of complete and utter confidence as he looks up at the ramp, prepared to take on whichever of The Mexicools appears ... until the former champion, the man Kash has been ducking, Juventud slowly makes his way out, a look of pure, unadulterated hatred on his face ... and a look of shock now on Kash’s. Juventud shakes his head, then points at Kash in the ring ... BEFORE CHARGING DOWN THE RAMP! JUVENTUD WANTS KASH RIGHT NOW ... BUT KASH ESCAPES FROM THE RING, ROLLING AWAY TO SAFETY JUST AS JUVENTUD SLIDES IN! The crowd boos as the cowardly Kash backs up the ramp, title in hand, while Juvi points at him from the ring, telling him that his time is coming.

*MUY LOCO*


Michael Cole:
Juventud! Juventud is back, and Kid Kash is running scared!

Tazz:
And the champ’s hightailin’ it, Cole.

Michael Cole:
He’s going to have to face up to Juventud one day, and by the look of things, that day might be coming sooner than Kash would like it to.

We then see Juventud standing in the ring, with Kash backing up the ramp looking worried, as the video package ends.

***

Tony Chimel:
The following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WOOOORLD! Now in this match, if the champion Kid Kash gets himself counted out or disqualified, he will lose the title to Juventud.

*MUY LOCO*

The crowd gives a very nice pop as the sound of revving is heard throughout the arena, with Juventud soon following, making his way out on a Juan Deere to the top of the ramp.


Tony Chimel:
Introducing first the challenger, from Mexico City, Mexico, weighing 170 lbs, JUUUUVENTUD!

Michael Cole:
Tonight is about so many different things for Juventud. First of all the chance to regain the Cruiserweight Title that back at Armageddon two months ago, he lost to Kid Kash. But perhaps more importantly is the revenge that he seeks on Kash after the sickening attack last month from Kash which left Juventud hospitalised with a serious concussion.

Tazz:
I know Juvi well, Cole, and lemme’ tell you, he is gonna’ do everything he can to get revenge on Kid Kash. Whether or not he can do it, I dunno’, ‘cause Kash has backed up everything that he’s said so far, so maybe he’s right about Juvi too.

Juventud rolls on down the ramp, then circles around the ring, yelling out to the fans as he does so, before enthusiastically climbing up into the ring, ready for action.

*KASH MONEY*

The crowd gives some very decent heat as out from the back comes the Cruiserweight Champion, Kid Kash, who, despite being in a big match, still has that same old smirk on his face. Kash makes his way down the ramp slowly, parading around with the gold as he does so.


Tony Chimel:
His opponent, from Johnson City, Tennessee, weighing 205 lbs, he is the CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD ... KID – KASH!

Michael Cole:
You’re right when you say that Kid Kash has – WHOA! HERE WE GO!

We see what Cole reacts to, as when Kash climbs up onto the apron, Juventud races across and slides between his legs and out to the floor ... THEN GRABS KASH’S LEG AND JERKS HIM DOWN, SMASHING HIS FACE INTO THE APRON! The crowd cheers as Juventud hits a few big right hands, punishing Kash before the bell has even rung, before rolling Kash into the ring and following himself.

Match Five ~ Cruiserweight Championship ~ Singles Match:
Juventud vs. Kid Kash (c)

Kid Kash now begins to beg away from Juventud, backing up to the corner with his hands up, pleading with Juventud to back off. However, Kash is distracted when, with both men in the ring, referee Jack Doan calls for the ball, which earns Doan some abuse from Kash who yells that he isn’t ready ... and Juvi takes advantage, charging in and SMASHING Kash in the jaw with a big forearm blow! Kash is stunned in the corner, and ‘The Juice’ looks to take advantage, looking for vengeance on the man who sent him home with a major concussion and cost him a shot at the Cruiserweight Title at the Royal Rumble by JACKING the jaw of Kash with right hand after right hand, showing absolutely no mercy as he hammers away on Kash.

Referee Nick Patrick, however, does show mercy, as he gets Juventud to back out of the corner, threatening to disqualify him if he doesn’t heed his advice. Juventud though, is much too fired up for that, and he shows that by going right back after Kash ... only to be caught with a thumb to the eye! Kash looks to take advantage of the sedated Juventud, throwing him back into the corner, then hitting some STIFF right hands of his own, looking for redemption after the beating he just got from Juventud. Nick Patrick, despite his past, isn’t going to let this go on for too long, making his presence known once again as he now gets Kash to back away out of the corner.

Kash now, much like Juvi before, comes right back at his foe ... but Juventud kicks Kash in the midsection, then HURLS him into the corner and begins to WILDLY send his fists flying everywhere, striking Kash with whatever he can. Juventud is able to follow up by somewhat reigning his emotions in, not allowing Nick Patrick to stop his momentum as he grabs Kash by the arm and tries to Irish whip him off to the opposite corner. Kash, however, has other ideas, reversing, then chasing Juventud right in, although ‘The Juice’ is equal to the task, leapfrogging over Kash when he reaches the corner, leaving Kash to mow into the corner chest first. Juventud meanwhile runs off to the ropes, bounces back ... THEN MEETS A TURNING KASH WITH A HUGE ROARING ELBOW RIGHT TO THE JAW, SENDING KASH FALLING THROUGH THE ROPES IN A HEAP!

Juventud is channelling his uncharacteristic aggression well in the early stages, now waiting as an extremely groggy Kash, following the huge shot to his head, starts to pick himself up, then turns towards the ring ... AND GETS HIT BY JUVENTUD, WHO FLIES THROUGH THE AIR LIKE A MISSLE, CRASHING DOWN INTO KASH WITH THE AIR JUVI!

Kash is down on the outside, while Juvi just springs right back up, slapping hands with a few fans enthusiastically, before picking Kash up and rolling him back into the ring, where he quickly joins him. Kash, though, wants no part of Juventud, as, much like at the beginning of the match, he raises his hands up into the air and begs Juvi off, backing away from him. Juventud, as you would expect, is in no mood to let Kash off the hook as he continues to stalk the champ, but rather than going to the corner, this time Kash wisely heads out through the ropes to the apron. Juventud, still fired up, tries to grab Kash ... but Kash outwits him, grabbing him by the skull and SNAPPING his head down across the top rope with a hot shot, sending Juventud falling back into the middle of the ring, clutching at his throat.

Having landed on the floor, Kash quickly scoots into the ring and dives on top of Juventud, hooking the leg:

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...

Juventud gets his shoulders up off the mat!

Despite the kickout, Kash is right back to work, going after Juventud as he climbs back to his feet with a kick to the midsection, then grabbing him by the long locks, running him across to the corner and SLAMMING his head down face first into the turnbuckle. With Juvi now on the defensive, Kash looks to take advantage, opening Juventud up in the corner, then SLAPPING him with all his force, right in the chest with a knife edge chop that reverberates throughout the 1st Mariner Arena. It’s just the first of many though, as Kash keeps the chops coming, putting the hurt to Juventud in the corner. Finally, at Nick Patrick’s count of four, Juventud begrudgingly relents, leaving Juventud to painfully stumble away on the ropes, allowing Kash to follow up as he takes a free shot with a quick right to the head of Juvi, then sends him off with an Irish whip. Kash, perhaps a bit overconfident, is too quick to bend over for the back body drop though, so when Juventud bounces back off the ropes he sees this, allowing him to kick Kash square in the chest, perhaps gaining some revenge for the chops.

Juvi then follows up, backing into the ropes and charging at Kash ... BUT KASH COMES OUT OF NOWHERE WITH A BEAUTIFUL SCOOP POWERSLAM! The Cruiserweight Champion looks to take advantage, quickly hooking the leg of Juvi:

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Juvi gets his shoulders up off the mat!

Kash throws Patrick a quick glance, before getting back to his feet and kicking away at Juventud as he starts to get back to his feet, sending him onto his hands and knees, before running up and PUNTING him in the ribs, causing ‘The Juice’ to go sprawling into the corner.

Kash stays close, going to work now on Juventud as he SINKS his boot into the midsection of the lucha star time and time again, inflicting as much punishment to his challenger as possible. Nick Patrick, however, wants to see a clean contest, and he enforces the break, pulling Kash back and giving him a word of warning ... only for Kash to go back, kicking the reeling Mexicool in the midsection ... then DRIVE him down into his knee with a sickening gutbuster! The ribs of Juvi are surely crushed as he writhes around the mat in pain, clutching at his rubs. The Cruiserweight Champ is an unsympathetic bastard though, and he isn’t giving Juventud any space, instantly making the cover:

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Juventud shoots his shoulder off the mat!

The crowd pops as Kash can be seen mouthing the words “Son of a bitch” to himself, before getting right back on a now seated challenger, and having identified a weak point, constricting his legs up around the body of Juventud, applying a bodyscissors. Juventud instantly bellows in pain, the pain still lingering from the gutbuster, causing a smile to spread across Kash’s face, as he knows he may have his man here. Kash wants to be sure though, and he now cranks up the pressure, gritting his teeth and pumping his legs, pushing up and down from the mat with the power in his arms and legs, tightening his vice like grip around the midsection of Juvi.

To say the challenger is feeling it would be an understatement. The bellows from Juvi can be heard all of the way through the 1st Mariner Arena, with this showing of pain only strengthening the pressure applied as Kid Kash looks for a submission right here and now. Juventud, however, has the heart of a warrior, and he is not willing to throw away his shot at the title which he used to hold. Juventud now starts to fight back through the pain, channelling the energy that the crowd is giving him, and prompting him to turn around and try to fight back. Kash, however, looks for a counter, being the tremendous man that he is, grabbing a front face lock now, releasing his legs. ‘The Juice’ is able to fight back through all of the intelligence of Kash though, getting to a knee, then back to both feet, starting to fling his fists at the midsection of Kash, looking to launch a comeback ... but Kash SHOCKS his challenger with a big knee lift to the midsection, DRIVING it up into his ribs!

Juventud doubles over, clearly still in pain, and Kash looks set to instantly take advantage, hitting a beautiful snap suplex, then floating right over into a cover:

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Juventud kicks out again!

‘The Notorious K.I.D’ gives the resilient challenger a slightly frustrated look as he sits back up, then puts his hands on top of his head and glances to the middle of the ring. He then looks back at Juventud and assists him in getting up so that he can scoop and SLAM his foe right down in the middle of the ring. Kash then looks around, a smirk on his face, before he runs at the ropes ... THEN SPRINGBOARDS BACK ... LOOKING FOR A MOONSAULT ... BUT JUVENTUD ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY ... KASH SHOWS HIS AWESOME ATHLETICISM BY LANDING ON HIS FEET TO SEE JUVI CHARGING AT HIM ... TILT A WHIRL BACKBREAKER! KASH BENDS JUVENTUD OVER HIS KNEE!

Juvi falls to the mat and convulses in pain for a moment, before Kash rolls him over and hooks the leg, expecting to pick up the victory:

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T – NO!

JUVENTUD AGAIN KICKS OUT!

Kash rolls off Juventud and runs his hands through his hair, frustrated with his inability to put Juventud away. Juventud meanwhile rolls around the ring, clearly in pain ... and Kash decides it’s time to finish the job, slapping the mat in fury then getting back to his feet, demanding that Juventud makes his way back up to his feet. Slowly but surely, Juvi does just that, using the ropes to assist in pulling his battered body back up to his feet ... then turning into a kick to the midsection ... AND KASH HOOKS HIM FOR THE DEAD LEVEL! THE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMP LIFTS JUVENTUD UP ... AND LOOKS TO DROP HIM ON TOP OF HIS SKULL ... BUT JUVENTUD FALLS LOOSE AND LANDS BEHIND KASH ... THEN TURNS HIM AROUND, KICKS HIM IN THE MIDDLE AND SCORES WITH A SIT OUT FACEBUSTER!

Following this counter from ‘The Juice’, both men are down, reeling on the mat, prompting Nick Patrick to begin his count.

... ONE ... TWO ...

Both men start to roll around on the mat, Kash feeling his face, while Juvi grabs at his waking back.

... THREE ... FOUR ...

The champ and challenger are still both down, but they begin to sit up, shaking the cobwebs loose.

... FIVE ... SIX ...

And the count stops there, as both men use the ropes to pull themselves back up to their feet!

The two men step towards one another in the middle of the ring and engage in a quick staredown, some trash talking been done, mainly by Kash ... WHAM! Kash smashes Juventud with a big forearm! Juvi is in trouble, and Kash looks to capitalise, going for another big smash ... BUT JUVI DUCKS AND SCORES WITH A BIG SLAP TO THE JAW ... THEN ANOTHER ... AND THEN A SERIES OF FOREARMS, DENTING THE JAW OF KID KASH WITH AN AMAZING FLURRY OF RIGHT FOREARMS THAT BRINGS THE CROWD UP TO ITS FEET, AND KASH ALMOST DOWN TO THE MAT, IF NOT FOR JUVI HOLDING HIM UP BY THE HAIR WITH HIS OTHER HAND TO DELIVER MORE PUNISHMENT!

Juvi is on a rampage, roaring with intensity, his anger fuelling his desire to become Cruiserweight Champion again as he quickly looks to follow up on his offensive barrage, sending Kash running off to the ropes with an Irish whip ... then SMASHING him with a back elbow on the return!

Kash springs back up to his feet, showing his resilience, only to get his head taken off with an ANGRY clothesline from ‘The Juice’. Juventud is on fire now, lifting Kash right back up and whipping him into the corner ... THEN CONTINUING HIS AGGRESSIVE APPROACH BY CHARGING IN AND ROCKING HIS FOE WITH A HUGE CHARGING FOREARM!

Kash looks gone for all money, sagging down onto the mat in a seated position, allowing Juvi to charge back in at him a second time ... AND HIT A HUGE LOW DROPKICK TO THE JAW, SENDING KASH OUT OF THIS WORLD! Juventud quickly drags Kash out of the corner and hooks the leg:

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TH – NO!

THE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMP SPRINGS HIS SHOULDER OFF THE MAT!

Juventud doesn’t waste much time in looking frustrated, getting right back up to his feet and guiding Kash up with him, pushing him against the ropes enthusiastically and attempting to send him off with a whip, only for Kash to reverse, then double over early for a back body drop ... AND JUVENTUD QUICKLY GETS KASH’S HEAD IN BETWEEN HIS LEGS ON THE REBOUND, THEN LIFTS HIM INTO THE AIR ... BUT KASH FIGHTS FREE, JUMPING DOWN AND LANDING BEHIND ‘THE JUICE’ ... BEFORE GRABBING HIM AROUND THE WAIST, PERHAPS THINKING GERMAN SUPLEX ... JUVENTUD GOES BEHIND KASH AND MOVES HIM INTO A PUMPHANDLE POSITION ... THEN SCOOPS HIM UP ... AND DROPS HIM RIGHT ON HIS FACE! JUVENTUD SENDS KASH DOWN ONTO THE MAT WITH A HUGE SPLAT!

The former champion looks to again capitalise, going for a hook of the leg:

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THR – NO!

KASH AGAIN SURVIVES, THIS TIME BY THE SKIN OF HIS TEETH!

Juventud this time looks a little shocked, having hit a huge move, only to not pick up the win, although again, he tries to take it in his stride as he gets back to his feet and instantly looks to pick one of the legs of Kash, perhaps looking for the Juvi Lock ... but Kash fights it, striking with a right foot to the head of Juventud ... and the challenger looks legitimately shaken by the move!

This allows Kid Kash time to get up, which he takes advantage of, before Juventud looks to regain his senses, charging at Kash and going for a clothesline, which Kash manages to duck under ... THEN QUICKLY GO BEHIND JUVENTUD, GRAB A WAIST LOCK AND NAIL A GERMAN SUPLEX! JUVENTUD LANDS RIGHT ON TOP OF HIS HEAD – HIS CONCUSSED HEAD – AND FOLDS UP LIKE AN ACCORDION, SOMEHOW BACK TO HIS FEET ... BEING INSTANTLY GRABBED BY KASH UP INTO A FIREMAN’S CARRY ... AND BEING THROWN DOWN INTO THE KNEE OF KASH, STRIKING IT WITH THE BACK OF HIS HEAD, SENDING HIM INTO A SEATED POSITION ... BAM! KASH RUNS OFF THE ROPES THEN BOOTS HIS CHALLENGER RIGHT IN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD WITH A SICKENING KICK! JUVENTUD IS OUT!

Kash instantly looks for the win, dropping down and hooking the leg:

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THRE – NO!

JUVENTUD JUST SOMEHOW, IN SOME WAY, MANAGES TO KICK OUT!

Kid Kash can’t believe it, smashing his hands down into the mat in frustration, before getting back up to his feet and looking down at Juventud in the ring, before smirking, running across to the corner ... AND LOOKING FOR THE DOUBLE JUMP MOONSAULT ... BUT JUVENTUD ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY ... AND KASH LANDS FLAT ACROSS HIS STOMACH!

Both men are once again down on the mat, looking dead, quite frankly, which triggers Nick Patrick into starting up the count again.

... ONE ... TWO ... THREE ...

Both men remain down, Kash exhausted and in pain, while Juvi perhaps suffers from a relapse of his concussion.

... FOUR ... FIVE ...

Both men are down on the mat, although they begin to show some life, rolling towards the ropes on opposite sides of the ring.

... SIX ... SEVEN ...

With all of the strength that they can muster, both men begin to use the ropes to pull their aching bodies up off their position on the mat.

... EIGHT ... NINE ...

BOTH MEN JUST GET BACK TO THEIR FEET!

The two enemies stagger towards one another ... AND JUVENTUD SUDDENLY STRIKES OUT OF NOWHERE WITH A HUGE SUPERKICK! NO MATTER HOW GROGGY, NO MATTER HOW OUT OF IT, JUVENTUD FIGHTS ON, SENDING KASH INTO ALMOST THE SAME STATE WITH A HUGE SUPERKICK! Kash somehow remains on his feet ... AND JUVENTUD QUICKLY PUTS HIM IN BETWEEN HIS LEGS, HOISTS HIM UP ... LIGER BOMB! MASSIVE LIGER BOMB! JUVENTUD LAYS KASH OUT, AND HE STAYS IN POSITION, WITH KASH’S SHOULDERS DOWN:

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THRE – NO!

NO! KID KASH AGAIN JUST MANAGES TO GET HIS SHOULDERS OFF THE MAT!

Juventud rolls off the mat, heads in hands, disbelief as to how Kash kicked out clear. Juventud, however, is unable to follow right up, his probable concussion causing him problems as he lies on the mat and heaves in a few deep breaths, blinking rapidly, showing the effects of his head injuries. Slowly yet ever so surely, Juventud begins to roll towards the ropes, shaking his head in pain as he sluggishly pulls himself back up to his feet with assistance from the ropes, hanging over them for a moment, saliva hanging from his mouth and falling to the apron.

Slowly regaining his senses, Juvi turns back to see ‘The Notorious K.I.D’ still down in the ring, out like a light. Juvi then turns to the corner, then back at Kash again, noticing that he is perfectly placed in the centre of the ring. Ever the risk taker, Juventud ignores the fact that he may have suffered a second concussion in the space of just over a month and heads to the corner, where he begins to climb up to the top rope. The assent, however, is more of a struggle than normal, as Juventud wobbles with every movement, only just holding onto the ropes instead of falling out to the floor with each step. Finally, Juventud gets to the top rope and stands up ... WOBBLING A BIT ... BUT HE KEEPS HIS BALANCE, THEN JUMPS OFF WITH THE 450 SPLASH ... BUT KASH ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY! JUVENTUD, HAVING GIVEN KID KASH TOO MUCH TIME TO RECOVER, CRASHES AND BURNS!

Juventud is down on the mat, writhing in pain, perhaps his one big chance having gone out the window, as a now extremely angry Kash gets back to his feet, his rage clear as he stares at Juvi with killer intent in his eyes ... BEFORE HE PUNTS JUVENTUD RIGHT IN THE TEMPLE, LIFTS HIM UP IN A FLASH FOR THE DEAD LEVEL ... BUT THEN RUNS HIM INTO THE CORNER AND RAMS HIS HEAD INTO THE TURNBUCKLE TIME AND TIME AGAIN! KASH KEEPS GOING, MOVING BACK AND SMASHING THE TEMPLE OF JUVI AGAINST THE CORNER, DOING MORE AND MORE DAMAGE, SHOWING NO REMORSE, MAKING SURE HE HAS JUVENTUD COMPLETELY KNOCKED OUT BEFORE WALKING BACK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE RING ... AND DROPPING HIM WITH THE DEAD LEVEL!

Kid Kash has completely knocked Juventud out, possibly for good, as he falls to the mat and makes a lax cover:

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THREE!

Winner (and still Cruiserweight Champion: Kid Kash via pinfall @ 16:19

*KASH MONEY*


Tony Chimel:
Here is your winner, and still CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD ... KID – KASH!

Kash climbs back to his feet and has his hand raised by the referee, although that’s not what he’s after as he instead demands his title be handed over to him. With medics now rushing out from the back, not for the first time in the match, Kash receives his title and tells the medics to back off, walking across so he can stand over Juventud ... and heinously put his foot right on the face of Juvi, raising the gold into the air as he does so!

Michael Cole:
Sickening. Simply ... sickening. I don’t know, Tazz, I just ... I just can’t think of any other words to describe ... to describe THAT right now.

Tazz:
I know what you mean, Cole. It’s a dark situation ... that’s for sure.

We see the medics tending to Juvi once more in the ring, before cutting off backstage and seeing the World Heavyweight Champion, Batista warming up for his match, throwing some fists and ducking.

***

WrestleMania 22 Countdown – 42 Days To Go



***

Michael Cole:
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, the biggest Pay-Per-View of the year, WrestleMania 22 is just six weeks away. However, right now all of the focus is on Rey Mysterio, and Mr. Kennedy.

Graphic promoting the Kennedy/Rey match appears.

Michael Cole:
For these two men, tonight is about proving themselves. Mysterio that he can compete with the big boys, and Kennedy that he belongs in the spotlight.

***

We start off by seeing images of the first ever Open Mic, with Mr. Kennedy making his way out to the ring into the new set.

Mr. Kennedy:
Ladies, gentlemen and people watching all around the world, please allow me to welcome you to not just Friday Night SmackDown!, but also the single biggest premiere in the history of television. Y’see this here tonight ... this is special.

Cut forward a bit.

Mr. Kennedy:
This is the beginning, the debut, the premiere of the hottest thing to hit this planet since yours truly was born ... this is The Open, Mic, and I – I am your esteemed host. Forget about Conan O’Brian, forget about David Letterman and Jay Leno? Yeah, you can forget about him too. I – I am the new generation of talk show hosts. I am THE ... breath of fresh air that you people, you want, you need... you desire. I am the most charismatic man on the face ... of this planet and I – I am the man to take you to a new era of greatness. The only name you need to remember now ... Kennedy.

Again, cut forward.

Mr Kennedy:
And secondly because that’s not me. That’s not who I am. So then I thought to myself, should I maybe just come out and give myself air time? Talk about myself? I mean, I’m sure all of you wanna’ hear that, right?

Heat from the crowd as Kennedy continues to chew his gum obnoxiously, smiling away.

Mr Kennedy:
I mean, in case you forgot, I could just use this time to remind you, that y’know, (shrugs) ever since I made my debut last September, I’ve defeated four – count ‘em, (lifting his hand to count along) one, two, three, four ... former ... world, champions. I could remind you that in the four short months I’ve been here on SmackDown!, I’ve not only raised the bar here on Friday nights, but I’ve raised the bar throughout the entire W ... W ... E. I could remind you that I am indeed, the man who is changing Friday nights, and that I am a sure-fire future, world, champion. Or I could just point out that I am simply the greatest thing since sliced bread. But y’know, I’m not gonna’ do that. Nope.

Further forward.

Mr Kennedy:
I know, clever, right? So without further ado, allow me to extend an invitation to the guys in the back. Y’see this – this is the opportunity of a life – time – a once in a lifetime opportunity, if you will. This is a lone chance, so if anyone in the back wants to come out and discuss anything – and I mean anything – well folks, it’s your lucky day. So to whoever – whoever has the guts in the back, come on down, join one of the greats right here in the ring ... and let your voice ... be heard.

Kennedy pauses for a moment, taking the microphone away from his mouth and waiting, still chewing away at that gum. Soon enough Kennedy is forced to look to the stage due to hearing the sound of ...

*Booyaka 619*

The crowd pops big as the music of the man from the 619 hits, with Kennedy being seen with a smile on his face in the ring. As the beat picks up Rey Mysterio jumps up onto the SmackDown! stage, pyro shooting out from under him with the crowd’s reaction for the little man only growing bigger. As he walks down the ramp Mysterio salutes his fans, slapping hands with the ones in the front row before embracing those who have bought his merchandise. Now climbing up into the ring, Mysterio salutes his fans and grabs a mic, Kennedy meanwhile clapping him on.


Mr Kennedy:
Ladies and gentlemen, Rey, Mysterio!

The crowd of course pops.

Mr Kennedy:
Rey, lemme’ start off by saying it is an honour – an honour to have you have, my very first guest on The Open Mic.

Rey Mysterio
Thanks man.

Mr Kennedy:
And y’know, Rey, here on The Open Mic, I’m tryna’ give it a nice, welcoming feel. I know I said this wasn’t gonna’ be just me askin’ questions, but I’ve gotta’ make you feel welcome, so I’m just gonna’ ask a few questions, y’know, make you feel like you’re at home. I guess I should start off by askin’ how your family are goin’.

Rey Mysterio:
Good man. They’re all feelin’ good.

Mr Kennedy:
That’s good to hear. How about you yourself?

Rey Mysterio:
Yeah, I’m feelin’ pretty good too right now.

Mr Kennedy:
That’s great, Rey, just great. And y’know, I ask because I was a little worried about you. Yeah, a little worried. I mean, just two weeks ago Mark Henry treated you like his own personal crash test dummy ...

Huge heat.

Mr Kennedy:
And I was just wonderin’ how you were feelin’. But it’s good to hear you’re goin’ alright, Rey. It really is.

Rey Mysterio:
That’s cute, Kennedy, but y’know, I’m not the one who got my ass kicked so bad I had to take a couple of months off on the sidelines.

The two engage in a staredown, before we again skip forward.

Mr Kennedy:
Rey, I’m gonna’ make this very simple. You say – you say you’ve been ‘reinvigorated’ by the youth of Friday Night SmackDown!. You – you say that you’re ‘back on top of ya’ game’. Rey, lemme’ let you in on a lil’ secret ... it doesn’t matter. Y’see, regardless of how good you’re feelin’ about yourself or yout abilities, Rey, you’re not gonna’ win this Sunday, and it’s not just because of yours truly. Those people you mentioned before – Kane, the Big Show, Mark Henry ... do ya’ know what they all have in common, Rey? Huh, do ya’? They’re all bigger than you, and because of that, Rey, they’re all better than you. You’re too short, Rey ... you just don’t, measure, up.

Kennedy stares at Rey now, his mouth open, almost as if to say “What are you gonna’ do about that?”

Rey Mysterio:
I don’t measure up, eh, Kennedy? Is that what it is? Well last I recall, I could kick your ass anytime I wanted!

Kennedy looks slightly agitated at Rey’s response.

Mr Kennedy:
Is that so?

With that, Kennedy pie-faces Rey, sending him stumbling back. Rey doesn’t back down though, showing his fighting spirit as he gets right back into the face of Kennedy.

Rey Mysterio:
Yeah ... that’s so.

Kennedy pie-faces Rey again, before smirking at the pissed off little man. Before Kennedy knows it, Rey charges at him, ducking under a panicking swing from Kennedy to hit the ropes, then come back and hit a HUGE running hurricanrana ... sending Kennedy down throat-first across the second rope! Rey looks around as the crowd pops big, before charging off to the opposite ropes and coming back --- 619 --- NO! KENNEDY NARROWLY ESCAPES, ROLLING UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE! Retreating back up the ramp, Kennedy feels at his face, making sure he’s okay.

From there we cut to the main event Battle Royal of the show, with Mr. Kennedy interfering to eliminate Rey, only for Rey to get revenge when he eliminates Kennedy two days later in the Royal Rumble Match. We then cut to see Rey hitting a 619 on Kennedy.

Rey Mysterio:
I’m gonna’ show you that size doesn’t matter!

KK smashing Rey in the face with his own custom mic.

Mr. Kennedy:
This spotlight ... is MINE.

The word mine reverberates as we see KK standing atop the corner, lights out with the only light in the arena being on him, ending the video.

***

“MMMIIISSSTTTEEERRR KENNEDY ... KEN – NAH – DAY!”

*TURN UP THE TROUBLE*


The crowd ERUPTS into some great heat, showing the ever rising stock of Mr. Kennedy, who strides out onto the stage chewing his gum obnoxiously. Looking down at the ring, KK sees Chimel about to announce his name, prompting him to shout “Don’t you even dare, tubs!”


Michael Cole:
This young man Mr. Kennedy is perhaps the next big thing here in the WWE. Since debuting last year, Kennedy has beaten a plethora of the top superstars on SmackDown!, including five former world champions. The problem with Kennedy? He’s not afraid to tell you that himself.

Tazz:
That’s a problem, Cole? Personally, I LOVE Kennedy’s attitude. The guy may know he’s good, but when you’re as good as he is, you’re allowed to know it. Trust me, my boy Mr. Kennedy is goin’ a long, long way.

KK is pretty quick in making his way down the ramp and climbing up into the ring, posing in the centre of it so that his mic can drop down into his outstretched hand.

Mr. Kennedy:
Ahem. The following contest, IF, you can call is that, is scheduled for one ... fall. Introducing first, the man, who in just under six short months on Friday Night SmackDown!, has become the beacon of hope for the future of the WWE, the man who is SINGLE ... HANDEDLY ... revolutionising Friday nights ... the man who has defeated FIVE, count ‘em, FIVE former World Heavyweight Champions, and tonight, will defeat a former Midget Champion ... weighing an simply amazing, simply ... astonishing two-hundred – and forty – six – poundssssssssss ... MMMIIISSSTTTEEERRR ... KENNEDY!

KK heads for the corner and climbs up to the second rope.

Mr. Kennedy:
KEN – NAH – DAY!

*BOOYAKA 619*

The crowd now gives a MASSIVE pop as Rey Mysterio springs up from the floor, pyro shooting out from under him, and instantly fires the fans up by playing to them on both sides of the stage.


Tony Chimel:
His opponent, from San Diego, California, weighing 246 lbs, REEEEEYYYY MYSTEEERRRRIO!

Michael Cole:
Rey Mysterio is a fighter. He is a warrior, and he is a man who will never quit. For months now, Mr. Kennedy has been telling Mysterio that he doesn’t belong, that he’s too small, and tonight Rey finally gets the chance to prove to Kennedy that he does indeed belong with the big boys.

Tazz:
Hey, but that’s not all Kennedy says. Don’t forget that Rey has been stealin’ the spotlight from Mr. Kennedy too, so there’s motivation for both men in this one.

Mysterio slaps hands with the fans on his way down the ramp, then climbs up into the ring, all while keeping his eyes locked on the beady eyes of Mr. Kennedy.

Match Six ~ Singles Match:
Mr. Kennedy vs. Rey Mysterio

We waste no time in the beginning of this match with the two men not dodging each other here as they both step forward, both with a point to prove and something to show not just to the other man, but also to the world. The two men go nose to nose, or as close as they can, with Mr. Kennedy clearly the bigger man, standing well over Rey Mysterio. Mysterio remains quiet, focussed, ready, while Kennedy does what he always does – he talks some trash. The vivid jaw jacking of Kennedy seems to have no affect on Mysterio who just stands there looking stony eyed, perhaps trying to contain the emotion that he has. KK senses this as he looks into the eyes of Mysterio, prompting him to get even closer to Mysterio, chest butting him, attempting to get right into his head. Again though, Mysterio will not back down, getting back in the face of Kennedy, showing no fear of his bigger opponent ... PROMPTING KENNEDY TO SUDDENLY PIEFACE MYSTERIO! Kennedy shoves Mysterio right back by the face, sending him stumbling back.

The egomaniacal Kennedy shows what he’s all about, shouting “You will learn to respect me! You will learn ... to respect ... me!” at the top of his lungs. These attempts at bullying Mysterio will not work though, as shown by Mysterio stepping back forward and getting right in the face of Kennedy again, not saying a word, letting the steely resolve in his eyes do the talking ... SO KENNEDY AGAIN PIEFACES MYSTERIO! The crowd gives a big “OH~” with Mysterio again stumbling back, and Kennedy this time laughing at the ease in which he pushed Mysterio back. Confident, Kennedy tells Mysterio “Bring it, big guy. Huh? Come on!” with the sound of complete and utter confidence (or perhaps cockiness) in his voice.

Mysterio this time takes a moment to step back up, taking a few slow steps ... BEFORE SUDDENLY EXPLODING FORWARD WITH A HUGE SLAP TO THE FACE OF KENNEDY! The crowd goes nuts for the ballsy actions of Mysterio, while KK just stumbles back a bit, looking to be in shock more than pain. Mouth wide open, Kennedy looks to be taking a moment to regather himself, only for his face to then go bright red and his eyes to bulge out of his head as he suddenly lunges at Mysterio ... but Rey ducks out of the clutches of Kennedy, runs off at the ropes, bounces back to Kennedy and ducks under another attempt at being grabbed to swing around Kennedy ... AND ROLL HIM UP, PUTTING ALL OF HIS WEIGHT DOWN ONTO KK:

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TH – NO!

KENNEDY JUST KICKS OUT!

The crowd cheers as both men get back up and Mysterio comes out all fire, SLAPPING his foot into the hamstring of Kennedy with a big kick. Kennedy hops in pain and tries to grab at the smaller man, but Mysterio is too quick, moving around the body of Kennedy and quickly kicking KK in the hamstring again! KK tries a second time to grab Mysterio off the back of a kick, but again Mysterio is too fast, delivering a third kick to Kennedy before running off to the ropes, bouncing back, ducking under a desperate clothesline attempt, jumping up the second rope and springboarding back ... giving his back to Kennedy, allowing him to finally get his hands on the little man ... but Rey pulls out a sensational arm drag!

The lucha star shows what he’s all about, taking Kennedy down and quickly jumping on top of him for a cover:

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Kennedy lifts his shoulders up off the mat!

Mysterio springs back right back to his feet speedily, then kicks away at Kennedy as he does the same, continuing to wear him down before heading off to the ropes, looking to use his pace again ... but KK finally halts Mysterio, hitting him with a kick to the midsection that stops Mysterio right in his tracks, doubling him over. Thinking that he simply has to take advantage of this chance, KK looks to use his strength against the smaller Mysterio, grabbing him roughly then running him across the ring ... AND HURLING HIM UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE AT A HUGE VELOCITY, DOWN TO THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE RAMP ... BUT MYSTERIO SUDDENLY ROLLS THROUGH AND LANDS ON HIS FEET ON THE FLOOR!

This sends Kennedy over the edge as it looks like he simply can’t stop Mysterio, prompting him to charge at the ropes then slide out to the floor ... but Mysterio is even quicker, sliding back into the ring next to him ... AND USING THE TOP ROPE LIKE A BAR TO SWING ON, SENDING HIS FEET THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND BOTTOM ROPE INTO THE JAW OF KENNEDY WITH A BIG DOUBLE KICK THAT SENDS KENNEDY DOWN TO HIS HANDS AND KNEES ON THE FLOOR!

The crowd cheers as Mysterio climbs back from the apron into the ring and plays with his mask, waiting as KK starts to get back to his feet, then running across at the opposite ropes when he sees some movement, bouncing back and coming towards Kennedy ... THEN LAUNCHING HIMSELF UP AND OVER THE TOP ROPE WITH A SENSATIONAL CORKSCREW TOPE ... CRASHING RIGHT DOWN ON TOP OF MR. KENNEDY WITH A HUGE AMOUNT OF FORCE!

The crowd breaks out into a mix of a massive cheer and chants of “Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!” as Mysterio gets back up to his feet and looks out at them. The master of the 619 then turns back to see Kennedy reeling as he tries to get back to his feet, allowing Rey to lift the larger man and roll him back into the ring without a fight, then quickly follow KK in himself and make the cover:

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Kennedy gets his shoulders up off the mat!

Mysterio gets to his knees and glances at the referee to make sure the count was just two, before getting back to his feet and waiting as KK does the same. Kennedy is a little slow at getting up, perhaps stunned at the start of Mysterio, although when he does get up, he springs into action, seeing Mysterio charging at him and trying to throw him overhead ... but Rey lands on his feet, then turns right into a kick to the midsection from KK, before being taken over with a headlock takedown. Kennedy has finally got what he wants, getting his hands on Mysterio, using a grounded side headlock in an attempt to keep Mysterio in close and wear him down.

Mysterio struggles under the superior girth of KK’s body, trying to pick himself up from under the weight of Kennedy, although Ken makes sure that doesn’t happen, putting all of his weight down onto the body of Mysterio, holding him down with all of his strength. Mysterio continues to fight, rolling around on the mat, kicking his legs, before thinking to roll Kennedy over onto his shoulders:

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Kennedy rolls back over.

Kennedy continues to control the match, holding Mysterio down in the side headlock, trying to eek all of the energy out of the body of Rey. Rey again struggles a bit, kicking his legs around before rolling over, putting Kennedy on his shoulders again:

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Kennedy rolls of his shoulders again ... and Mysterio uses the momentum to get to a knee!

Kennedy is clearly annoyed having let Mysterio get almost back to his feet, causing him to up the intensity and crank on the headlock as hard as he can, only for Mysterio to back the both of them into the ropes, then use the momentum coming off the ropes to propel Kennedy off the side headlock and to the opposite ropes. Kennedy comes roaring back, looking to take Mysterio down, but Mysterio is quick to leapfrog over him ... then sending him flipping over with a monkey flip on the next rebound!

The crowd pops as Kennedy gets back up to his feet, clearly angered by Mysterio being able to control him as he charges in at him, looking for revenge ... but Mysterio takes him over with an arm drag. KK gets back to his feet and charges at Mysterio again ... only to get a second arm drag ... and then a third! Mysterio is inside Kennedy’s head and he knows it as he now dashes off to the ropes, jumps up to the second rope and springboards back, looking for a crossbody block ... BUT KENNEDY STEPS BACK AND PUSHES REY DOWN ACROSS HIS KNEE WITH A SICKENING BACKBREAKER!

The air is taken out of the crowd as Mysterio’s momentum is taken right then and there, a single reversal from KK changing everything in this match. Following this move, KK finds himself taking a bit of time trying to recover on his hands and knees, before he hooks the leg of Rey:

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Mysterio gets his shoulder up off the mat!

Kennedy gets to his knees and looks up at referee Charles Robinson, giving him a quick glare, before getting back to his feet and grabbing Mysterio by the mask, making sure the little man isn’t about to get away. Kennedy’s mean streak is coming to the forefront now, as the loudmouth shoves Mysterio back into the corner violently, then follows him in and begins to THROW elbows recklessly at the temple of Mysterio, making him more groggy with each and every shot. Kennedy is forced to break away by Robinson at the count of four so as to not get disqualified, at which point he pulls Mysterio from the corner and sends him to the opposite corner with a hard Irish whip, causing Mysterio to stagger from the corner in pain after hitting the turnbuckles, right into a reverse elbow from KK, which he quickly tries to capitalise on with a cover:

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Mysterio again kicks out!

Kennedy again shoots Robinson a quick look as he gets back to his feet, clutching at Mysterio by the mask to guide him up too, before scooping him up and SLAMMING him down hard in the middle of the ring. Kennedy looks down at Mysterio, a look of contempt on his face as he blows his snot down at Mysterio, gaining some MASSIVE heat from the crowd, before DRIVING his elbow down into the chest of Mysterio. Keeping close to Rey, Kennedy drops down and makes another cover:

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Mysterio gets his shoulders up!

Despite the kickout, Kennedy continues to suppress Mysterio, sitting him up and immediately locking in a sleeper hold, putting all of his weight on the back of the neck of Mysterio. The smaller man slouches over, having to carry Kennedy’s “simply amazing, astonishing 246 lbs” (in KK’s own words) on him clearly taking its toll. Mysterio though, is not one to quit, and after fighting through the pain for a short while, he lifts his arm up into the air and starts to pump it, getting the crowd to rally behind him as they start to cheer him on. Mysterio takes this energy from the crowd and he channels it to start to fight up, getting to a knee first, and then back up to his feet, hoping to escape from the clutches of KK and get on the run ... but Kennedy sees it coming and scores with a knee lift to the midsection of Mysterio, DRIVING the energy out of Mysterio ... then takes him over and DOWN into the mat with a picture perfect suplex.

Looking to follow up, Mr. Kennedy once again makes the cover:

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T – NO!

MYSTERIO ONCE AGAIN KICKS OUT!

Despite the continued pressure of Kennedy, Mysterio fights on, pushing the weight of KK off him again. Despite this, Kennedy continues to soldier on, sitting Rey up and again locking the sleeper hold in, trying with all his might to keep Rey down. Cranking up the pressure, the Green Bay native now lays back, taking Rey with him, then wraps his legs up around the midriff of Mysterio, beginning to SQUEEZE the life out of him with both his arms and now his legs. Rolling around so that Mysterio has to put up with all of the weight on the back of him, KK continues to wear the little man down, yelling at him “Just give it up, Rey! Ya’ don’t belong! Just give it up!”

Mysterio though, will not give up, continuing to fight as he tells referee Charles Robinson that he will not quit each and every time he asks until the crowd once again begins to clap him on, giving Mysterio some energy to feed off, some inspiration. Rey takes that inspiration and he uses it to roll around the mat, looking to get in a more favourable position, which he manages to do, before getting to a knee, still carrying all of the weight of Kennedy on him, who despite releasing his bind of Mysterio’s midsection with his legs, leans all over Rey, making life as difficult as it can possibly be for him.

In spite of this, Rey’s will to win seems to be stronger than KK will ever be, as shown by Rey summoning all of his strength in getting back to his feet and running towards the corner backwards, Kennedy still on his back, allowing him to RAM Kennedy in the corner. Rey moves forward and does this again, DRIVING his body full force into Kennedy. Having almost gained separation, Rey looks to do this once more ... but Kennedy grabs him by the mask and SLAMS him down to the mat!

Rey hits the mat with extreme force, the whiplash clearly being felt by Rey as he moans in pain, while Kennedy hangs onto the ropes and takes a moment to recover ... before looking at the corner and deciding to head up top! For the first time since he got on the offensive, Kennedy has given Rey some space and decided to take a risk, seemingly going for it all as he goes to the top, then stands up for all to see, raising his hands as if to say “Watch this” ... THEN JUMPING ... LOOKING FOR A SENTON ... BUT REY ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY, AND KENNEDY LANDS RIGHT ON HIS BACK! KENNEDY CRASHES AND BURNS, HAVING SLIPPED UP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MATCH!

Rey now has the space he so badly craves with both men on the mat for the time being, KK flopping around like a fish out of water, while Rey looks for assistance in regaining his footing thanks to the ropes. Both men get back to their feet rather quickly, meaning Charles Robinson doesn’t have to count, with Kennedy now coming at Mysterio ... but Rey runs right on past him, using his speed to his advantage as he comes towards Kennedy and takes him down with a jumping arm drag.

Kennedy is dumbfounded by the pace at which Mysterio moves, getting up to see him dashing on by again as Rey hits the ropes, then comes back at Kennedy and takes him over with a beautiful headscissors takedown! Kennedy is in a spin as he gets back to his feet, giving his back to Rey ... THEN TURNING TO SEE REY FLYING MAJESTICALLY THROUGH THE AIR, HAVING SPRINGBOARDED OFF THE SECOND ROPE, COMING DOWN ONTO KENNEDY WITH A CROSS BODY INTO A HOOK OF THE LEG:

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TH – NO!

KENNEDY JUST PUSHES MYSTERIO OFF THE COVER!

Mysterio gets back to his feet and readjusts his mask, waiting as Kennedy gets back up too, then beginning to go back at the hamstrings of Kennedy by scoring with some kicks that SLAP off Kennedy, the sound reverberating throughout the arena. Having kicked him several times, KK finally catches on literally as he catches the foot of Mysterio ... BUT MYSTERIO HITS A STEP UP ENZUIGURI! Mr. Kennedy looks out on his feet as he stumbles across to the ropes, his eyes rolling up into his head, providing Mysterio a chance to climb up to the second rope and pull Kennedy in, locking in a front face lock ... THEN JUMPING UP AND SPINNING, LOOKING FOR A TORNADO DDT ... BUT KENNEDY PUSHES MYSTERIO AWAY, SENDING HIM FLYING ACROSS THE RING TO LAND ON HIS FRONT ON THE MAT WITH A SPLAT!

The crowd gasps as Mysterio flops down onto his face, allowing KK some time to recover. Kennedy does just that, shaking the cobwebs loose as he looks at Mysterio starting to struggle back to his feet, poising himself ... THEN CHARGING ACROSS AS MYSTERIO GETS BACK TO HIS FEET ... AND STRIKING HIM WITH A HUGE BIG BOOT THAT SENDS MYSTERIO DOWN IN A HEAP! Surely Kennedy has the match won with Mysterio seemingly down and out! KK is in just the same frame of mind as he casually falls back and makes an extremely lax cover:

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THR – NO!

MYSTERIO LIFTS HIS SHOULDER UP TO A BIG POP!

Kennedy is clearly agitated, looking up at referee Charlies Robinson and demanding to be told it was a three count. Robinson, however, will tell him no such thing, confirming Mr. Kennedy’s fears that it was a two count. Kennedy gets back to his feet now, his face red and his eyes narrowed as he looks down at Mysterio and begins to FURIOUSLY stomp away at the prone body of Rey, squashing various parts of Mysterio’s body with boot after boot.

Charles Robinson tries to pull Kennedy away, but the rabid loudmouth will not be restrained, moving right back into Mysterio and forcing his head over the second rope, pressing his throat down right into it, then PUSHING all of his weight down onto the back of Mysterio’s neck, strangling him with the rope! The crowd gives some great heat as Kennedy keeps the pressure going, pressing down with all of his strength until Charles Robinson finally forces him to break away from Rey.

The Green Bay native doesn’t give Rey much of a reprieve though, moving back in after him and shoving him back to the corner. KK knows Rey is in a prone position here and he takes advantage of it, DRIVING his boot into the midsection of the cornered Rey-Rey multiple times, taking advantage of his position. Again referee Charles Robinson is the only thing able to stop the rampaging Kennedy, getting in between him and Rey.

Again, this only stops Kennedy momentarily, the platinum blonde KK moving in after Rey who staggers towards him and kicks him in the midsection, doubling him over, then CLUBBING him right in the back with a big forearm blow. Mysterio takes the full force of the blow, falling towards the centre of the ring, closely followed by Kennedy who grabs Mysterio around the skill, twists him around, then SNAPS him down into the mat with a big time neckbreaker, slamming the back of his skull off the mat. Looking to quickly follow up, Kennedy hooks the leg of Rey:

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THR – NO!

MYSTERIO LIFTS HIS SHOULDER OFF THE MAT AGAIN!

Kennedy looks agitated, his anger still having not yet subsided as he now climbs into a mount position and begins to carelessly PUMMEL the face (or mask) of Mysterio with right hand after right hand, damn near smashing the face of Mysterio in. Once again, referee Charlies Robinson is the only thing able to give Mysterio any space, as after many, MANY right hands from the punishing Kennedy, Robinson once again enforces the break. Kennedy is quick to get back on Mysterio, looking to continue to wear him down as for a third time in the match, he goes back to the sleeper hold.

Kennedy locks the hold in tight, smothering Mysterio, putting all of his weight onto the back of Mysterio and again wrapping his legs up around the waist of Mysterio, cranking up the pressure, locking the hold in TIGHT and SQUEEZING the life out of Rey. Just like the previous two times, the crowd get right behind Rey, throwing their support with him as the sound of their chanting sounds through the arena – “6 – 1 – 9! 6 – 1 – 9! 6 – 1 – 9!”

Mysterio, as we have come to expect, refuses to submit to Kennedy, instead fighting his way through the pain, harnessing the support he is garnering by pumping his fist into the air and beginning his ascent back into the feet, using all of his inner strength to will himself up to his feet, overcoming Kennedy, who tries as he might, simply CANNOT hold Rey Mysterio down. Kennedy won’t quit either though, continuing to crank on the hold as Rey gets up, not allowing himself to go on the defensive, even dropping to a knee himself to make sure that there is absolutely no way Mysterio can simply run off and get his momentum going once more. Mysterio tries the orthodox method of hitting a few elbows to the midsection of Kennedy, but KK will not be deterred with a few simple strikes, keeping the pressure cranking on, causing Mysterio to innovate as only the master of the 619 can as he reaches up and grabs around the jaw of Kennedy then jumps up, flips over ... AND LANDS BEHIND KENNEDY ON HIS FEET!

Kennedy can’t believe it, having just been holding Mysterio a moment ago, only for him to disappear in a flash, as he quickly turns to see Rey hitting the ropes, then ducking under a wild back elbow attempt from Kennedy, hitting the opposite ropes, sliding through the legs of Kennedy on the rebound, then scoring with a hurricanrana ... THAT SENDS KENNEDY DOWN ACROSS THE SECOND ROPE! THE CROWD GOES WILD AS MYSTERIO LOOKS AROUND, THEN HITS THE OPPOSITE ROPES, COMES BACK AND ... KENNEDY JUST DUCKS UNDER THE 619, AVOIDING WHAT WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY END THE MATCH SHOULD IT HAVE CONNECTED!

Mysterio swings around into the centre of the ring, almost dizzying himself, turning to see Kennedy coming towards him and going for a huge clothesline ... but Rey manages to duck under it and run off to hit the ropes ... then hit a big time spinning wheel kick that SMASHES into the jaw of Kennedy, hitting him right on the button!

Both men are down on the mat following this move, Rey having taken a hell of a lot of punishment in this match and having to have carry Kennedy around on top of him for a lot of it too, while Kennedy was just plain knocked stupid by that big kick from Mysterio. Seeing that neither man looks to be getting up soon, unlike earlier in the match, Charles Robinson now decides to instigate the count.

... ONE ... TWO ...

Kennedy and Mysterio remain down on the mat, still unmoving following the chaos and carnage of the match.

... THREE ... FOUR ...

Both men begin to show some life, rolling around the mat, regaining some of their senses.

... FIVE ... SIX ...

They both roll towards the ropes on opposite sides of the ring, looking for some assistance in pulling the weary bodies back up to a vertical position.

... SEVEN ... EIGHT ...

And the two foes are back up to their feet!

Both men struggle back to their feet, using their mind to overcome their body as they stagger towards one another, looking set to exchange a few fists, but when Kennedy takes a swing, Mysterio suddenly explodes under the right hand, hits the ropes, and comes back with a beautiful running hurricanrana! Kennedy gets back to his feet dizzy, having been sent head over heels, stumbling around the centre of the ring ... and getting met with two boots that FIRMLY implant into his face courtesy of a beautiful springboard dropkick from Mysterio.

Rey, however, doesn’t look to immediately follow up, rolling out to the apron, then motioning for Kennedy to get up, which the platinum blonde superstar groggily does, turning to Mysterio ... and seeing him flying through the air, having come off the top rope with an effortless springboard, looking for a seated senton ... but KK manages to duck under it! Mysterio lands on his feet though, and he keeps his momentum going, running at the ropes, jumping up to the second rope ... AND SPRINGBOARD BACK WITH A PHENOMENAL MOONSAULT BODYBLOCK THAT TAKES KENNEDY DOWN JUST AS HE TURNS AROUND! Looking to take advantage, Mysterio this time stays on top of Kennedy, making the effort to hook the leg:

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THR – NO!

KENNEDY GETS HIS SHOULDER UP OFF THE MAT!

The crowd reacts with a bit of an “Ooooooo” as Mysterio glances up at Charles Robinson, then looks back at Kennedy to see him crawling towards the corner ... and Rey helps him along the way with a STIFF kick to the ribs! Kennedy is now seated in the corner, and Mysterio looks to take advantage, backing off across the ring, then charging in ... AND STRIKING WITH A LOW DROPKICK THAT HITS KENNEDY RIGHT IN THE JAW, SENDING HIS EYES ROLLING BACK IN HIS HEAD!

Kennedy looks out of things, but Rey doesn’t go for the cover, instead backing across the side of the ring, perhaps thinking of doing a bit of psychological damage to Ken as he now charges back towards KK ... and looks for the bronco buster ... but Kennedy rolls out of the way, and Mysterio lands mighty awkwardly, straddling the bottom turnbuckle! The crowd gasps, feeling the pain of Mysterio, but Kennedy does much the opposite, for after climbing back to his feet and shaken the cobwebs loose, a sinister snarl comes across the face of Kennedy.

Kennedy looks down at Rey and HAMMERS him with a big right hand, making him that little bit more groggy, before turning him around into a seated position. From here Kennedy looks out to the crowd and breathes heavily, creating some very strong heat ... as he begins to rub his boot against the side of the mask of Mysterio with a sickening facewash! Kennedy does it a few more times, seemingly enjoying rubbing the sole of his boot on the side of Mysterio’s mask, setting him up before he runs across the ring, bounces back off the opposite ropes ... THEN COMES BACK AND LOOKS TO BOOT REY’S HEAD CLEAN OFF HIS SHOULDERS AND INTO THE STANDS ... BUT MYSTERIO JUST MANAGES TO ROLL OUT OF THE WAY, NARROWLY AVOIDING WHAT LOOKED TO HAVE BEEN A KNOCKOUT BLOW ... AS HE THEN JUMPS UP TO THE SECOND ROPE ... AND UP ONTO KENNEDY’S SHOULDERS! Kennedy walks back to the centre of the ring, unsure of what Mysterio is doing ... and Mysterio suddenly captures him in a victory roll:

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THR – NO!

KENNEDY JUST ESCAPES!

Both men regain their footing swiftly, and Mysterio is the first to make a move, pushing Kennedy back into the ropes and looking to send him off with an Irish whip, only for Kennedy to reverse and shoot Mysterio off. Perhaps expecting a springboard crossbody, Kennedy ducks down early, and Mysterio sees this as he jumps up to the second rope, springboards back ... and scores with a sunset flip ... then rolls through ... AND KICKS KENNEDY IN THE TEMPLE ... NO, KENNEDY DUCKS, THE MOMENTUM SENDING REY SPINNING AROUND ... UNTIL HE SUDDENLY GETS HIS HEAD KICKED INTO NEXT WEEK WITH A HUGE YAKUZA KICK!

Rey looks out on his feet, only staying up thanks to an arm draped across the top rope, but Kennedy is quick to fix that, getting Mysterio up into a fireman’s carry ... THEN SCORING WITH A ROLLING FIREMAN’S CARRY SLAM! KENNEDY HAS DONE IT! KK hooks the leg gleefully:

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THRE – NO!

REY MYSTERIO SIMPLY WILL NOT BE HELD DOWN, KICKING OUT AGAIN!

Kennedy can’t believe it – he won’t believe it, yelling abuse at Charles Robinson, telling him it should have been three. He then turns back to Mysterio and sees him starting to pull himself up, seemingly setting KK over the edge as he approaches Rey and begins to slap his head insultingly! “Stay down! You can’t beat me, JUST STAY DOWN! STOP BEING A HERO REY! THIS SPOTLIGHT IS MINE! IT’S MINE!”

With that, Kennedy backs away, waiting for Mysterio to get back to his feet, which Rey slowly does with assistance from the ropes, before turning ... AND BEING MET WITH A MASSIVE ROUNDHOUSE KICK ... THAT HE DUCKS ... BEFORE DROPKICKING KENNEDY RIGHT IN THE BACK ... AND SENDING HIM DOWN THROAT FIRST INTO THE SECOND ROPE!

The crowd goes ballistic, knowing what this means as Rey runs off to the opposite ropes quick as a flash, comes back ... AND SWINGS THROUGH THE ROPES FOR THE 619 ... WHICH CONNECTS! REY SCORES WITH BOTH OF HIS BOOTS TO THE FACE OF KENNEDY, SENDING KK ROLLING BACK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE RING! Kennedy groggily gets back to his feet, looking out of it as Mysterio jumps up to the top rope and springboards in ... SEATED SENTON ... THIS ONE IS OVER ... NO, KENNEDY KEEPS REY ON HIS SHOULDERS ... THEN STUMBLES BACK AND DROPS HIM THROAT FIRST ACROSS THE TOP ROPE WITH A HUGE HOT SHOT!

Rey staggers back from the ropes, holding his head and neck in pain ... AND KENNEDY COMES OUT OF NOWHERE WITH A HUGE ROUNDHOUSE KICK RIGHT TO THE TEMPLE OF MYSTERIO, KNOCKING HIM OUT! KK falls across Mysterio on the impact, no energy left to stand:

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THRE – NO!

NO WAY ... MYSTERIO KICKS OUT AGAIN!

Kennedy is beyond anger now, just rolling of Mysterio, his head in his hands. How can Rey Mysterio continue to fight? Why will he not give in? Kennedy doesn’t know as he struggles back to his feet, but what he does know is that he has one big move left in his arsenal, and he fully intends on going for it as he picks up a groggy Mysterio and drags him towards the corner, then lifts him up and places him precariously up on the top rope, with the crowd booing as they know what’s coming. Kennedy now groggily climbs up to the second rope and starts to grab at Rey ... LOOKING TO LIFT HIM UP FOR THE GREEEN BAY PLUNGE ... BUT MYSTERIO FIRES OFF A QUICK SERIES OF ELBOWS, STRIKING KENNEDY IN THE TEMPLE SEVERAL TIMES, THEN PUSHING HIM DOWN OFF THE ROPES ... BUT KENNEDY LANDS ON HIS FEET ... ONLY FOR REY TO JUMP RIGHT OVER HIM, THEN GRAB THE ARM OF KENNEDY, TWIST IT AROUND, MOVE PAST KENNEDY TO THE ROPES, JUMP UP TOP, MOONSAULT BACK ... AMAZING DDT! MYSTERIO, HAVING RUN KENNEDY DIZZY WITH HIS AMAZING SPEED, TOPS IT ALL OFF WITH A TREMENDOUS MOONSAULT INTO A DDT!

Kennedy looks out like a light, and Mysterio knows it, resting an arm down on top of him in what barely resembles a cover:

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THRE – NO!

THE CROWD GOES MENTAL AS KENNEDY NOW KICKS OUT!

The crowd in the 1st Mariner Arena don’t care that the heel kicked out – they simply cannot believe the fight that both men have in them, and their desperation to prove that they are the better man, that they deserve this victory here tonight. It’s now Mysterio’s time to roll off Kennedy and look miffed as to why he didn’t score the three count, with the fight of Kennedy seemingly equalling that of Rey, showing that while the youngster has a big mouth, he also has a heck of a lot of talent, and perhaps more importantly, a big heart to back it up. Much like Kennedy, Mysterio gets back to his feet and looks down at the body of Kennedy, knowing that there is that one big secret weapon that he has left, that one move that is sure to finish the job ... and he shakes his hips, then slaps his chest and points to the heavens, signalling that it is time for the late, great Eddie Guerrero’s Frog Splash!

The crowd goes mental, descending into huge roars of “Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!” as Mysterio heads for the corner, then slowly, tiredly starts to climb to the top, looking to finish the match off ... BUT KENNEDY IS UP AND HE LEAPS AT THE ROPES, LANDING ACROSS THE TOP ONE ... CAUSING REY TO LOSE BALANCE ... AND CROTCH HIMSELF ON THE TOP ROPE IN THE CORNER!

Rey is propped up on the top rope in prime position for Kennedy, and Kennedy knows it. Still, he takes his time to recover, having endured a lot from Mysterio, his energy reserve just been used up in that one big, dramatic dive, before he groggily begins to stumble towards the corner, towards the body of Mysterio that is in absolutely perfect position. Kennedy takes his time in getting to the corner, his senses perhaps not all firing following this long, all out way that he has endured. Finally he makes it to the corner, to his fate as he negotiates his way up on the corner next to Rey, taking a seat on the top rope beside his foe ... BEFORE HOISTING MYSTERIO UP ONTO HIS SHOULDERS! Kennedy bellows out to the crowd, who, despite their hate for Kennedy, look on in awe ... AS KENNEDY NOW LOOKS TO LEAP FORWARD ... BUT REY MYSTERIO SENSATIONALLY SLIPS HIS LEGS UP AROUND THE NECK OF KENNEDY ... THEN FLIPS BACK ... AND HE SCORES WITH AN AMAZING SUPER HURRICANRANA, PULLING ONE OF HIS OLD FINISHERS OUT OF NOWHERE ... HOOKING THE LEG UPON THE HUGE IMPACT ON THE MAT ALMOST INSTANTLY TO A MASSIVE OVATION:

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THREE!

Winner: Rey Mysterio via pinfall @ 28:52

*BOOYAKA 619*


Tony Chimel:
Here is your winner, REEEEYYYY MYSTEEEEERRRRRIO!

The crowd pops as Rey rolls off Kennedy and remains down next to him, both men exhausted after the contest.

Michael Cole:
Rey Mysterio! Rey Mysterio has done it! He has proven to Mr. Kennedy that he does belong, and what a way to do it, using a move that only a cruiserweight could truly pull off!

Tazz:
Unreal ending to the match, that’s for sure. Kennedy gave it his all, but when Rey does somethin’ like that, there ain’t nothin’ you can do. I take my hat off to Rey, that was a heck of an effort.

Michael Cole:
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s take one last look at how Mysterio was able to counter Mr. Kennedy, and pick up the win at the ending of this match.

A replay is shown of Mysterio countering the Green Bay Plunge into a super hurricanrana and getting the victory.

Michael Cole:
Well if anything is ever going to prove the doubters wrong, that right there has to be it.

Mysterio gets back to his feet and finally has his hand raised by the referee, the crowd cheering him after his effort, leaving a disillusioned KK to stay down on the mat, wondering what could have been, his undefeated streak now broken.

We now cut away from that to see Randy Orton in his locker-room, tying up his bootlaces, already in his referee attire. The crowd of course boos the sight of Orton ... before popping as SmackDown! General Manager, Theodore Long walks into the shot, prompting Orton to stand.


Randy Orton:
Teddy.

Theodore Long:
Randy. Just comin’ to check that everything’s in order and that you’re all set for tonight.

Randy Orton:
Ready? Teddy, I was born ready.

Theodore Long:
While that may be, lemme’ remind you, Randy, that tonight, I’m trustin’ you to call this thing right down the middle. Now you remember what we talked ‘bout, don’t you?

Randy Orton:
Teddy, Teddy, you have no need to worry. I have a feeling that tonight, regardless of whether or not I do my job, destiny, will do its.

Orton smirks, forcing Long to look a little uneasy before he walks from the shot, none of his concerns having been eased.

We’re now back at ringside with our announce crew.


Michael Cole:
That man Randy Orton will be officiating our main event, but before we get to that, up next we have another personal contest, as JBL goes one on one with The Undertaker.

Graphic for the match is shown.

Michael Cole:
This all stems from The Undertaker eliminating JBL from the Royal Rumble, but since then it has got so much more personal.

***

*DEADMAN’S SYMPHONY*
ENTRANT #29: THE UNDERTAKER @ 40:30

The crowd pops big as the lights in the American Airlines Arena go out, with the awe-inspiring entrance of The Undertaker taking the focus of both the crowd and the men in the ring.


Joey Styles:
‘The Phenom’ The Undertaker has never won the Royal Rumble Match, however, tonight he enters the match at number twenty-nine, and you have got to believe that if there is a favourite at this time, it is The Undertaker.

Tazz:
No kiddin’, Styles. Look in the ring: every single man is watchin’ The Undertaker come down to the ring, and are in awe of his presence.

Slowly but surely, The Undertaker makes his way into the ring, climbing up into it, instantly attracting a crowd as JBL is the first to charge at him and be sent packing courtesy of a BIG right hand. Rights then come for Shawn Michaels, Bobby Lashley, Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam, with The Undertaker not only taking on all challengers, but also winning. JBL gets back to his feet and, in a dazed manner, staggers towards The Undertaker, receiving a kick to the midsection ... BEFORE BEING GRABBED AND THROWN OVER THE TOP ROPE AND OUT OF THE MATCH!

ELIMINATION #20: JOHN ‘BRADSHAW’ LAYFIELD BY THE UNDERTAKER @ 41:00

We now cut forward to the next SmackDown!, where The Undertaker makes his return to in-ring action on SmackDown! for the first time in 2006 against Finlay.

Finlay gets up and shakes the cobwebs clear, before refocussing back on ‘Taker, and kicking away at him as he gets up, sending him back into the ropes. Finlay then looks to follow up by charging off to the opposite ropes and sprinting back across the ring ... BUT ‘TAKER TURNS AND CATCHES FINLAY BY THE THROAT ... CHOKESLAM! ‘Taker has Finlay down, as he now calls for the end ... BAM! ‘TAKER IS SUDDENLY WALLOPED FROM BEHIND BY JOHN ‘BRADSHAW’ LAYFIELD, CAUSING THE DQ!


Winner: The Undertaker by disqualification @ 7:59

JBL, despite being in a suit for the most part, obviously isn’t done, immediately beginning to stomp away on ‘Taker for impact. While Finlay is gone from the ring, the referee isn’t as he begs JBL to leave, but JBL will have none of it, instead lambasting the referee with threats, causing him to leave JBL alone as he now pulls ‘Taker up ... short arm clothesline! JBL has The Undertaker down at his peril, taking the opportunity to undo his cuffs and then mount ‘Taker, laying into him with a vicious sequence of right hands, taking almost all of his rage out on ‘The Deadman’, before getting back up and rolling his sleeves up. JBL clearly isn’t done as he waits on ‘Taker, telling him, daring him to get up, which ‘Taker ever so slowly does ... WALKING STRAIGHT INTO A BRUTAL CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL! The crowd serenades ‘The Wrestling God’ with heat as he looks down at the fallen ‘Deadman’, before rolling out of the ring, seemingly content with the damage he has caused ...

... But then we hear the sound of steel clashing together ... JBL ROLLS BACK INTO THE RING ... AND HE’S HOLDING A STEEL CHAIR! The crowd continues to rain heat down upon JBL as he again waits for The Undertaker to get up, which he slowly does ... CRACK! JBL SMASHES THE SKULL OF THE UNDERTAKER IN WITH THE STEEL CHAIR! JBL now throws the steel chair down and smiles a sinister smile ... as both JBL and us, the viewers, see blood gushing from the forehead of The Undertaker. The smile remains on JBL’s face as he drops to his knees and grabs ‘Taker by the head, rubbing his hand on the forehead of The Undertaker literally putting the blood of The Undertaker on his hands, as well as his expensive blue shirt which he wipes it on!


Michael Cole:
Sick ... absolutely ... sick.

We see JBL for awhile longer, still smiling away, happy with the destruction he’s caused.

Cut forward to the next week on SmackDown! to see JBL makes his official apology to The Undertaker.

John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield:
So Undertaker ... from the bottom ... of my heart, I just want to say ... ... ... I’m sorry.

The crowd boos as JBL once again looks into the camera for a moment, taking his time.

John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield:
Thank you.

*LONGHORN*

The crowd boos as JBL breathe a sigh of relief, having got through his public apology. Proud of himself, the media mogul begins to smile that big old toothy grin, when suddenly ...

...

...

...

...

*GONG*

THE LIGHTS GO OUT! The crowd are going absolutely crazy, as they know what they’re about to see ...

*GONG*

The lights are back on ... AND THE UNDERTAKER IS IN THE RING RIGHT IN FRONT OF JBL! Layfield shakes his head, perhaps in surprise or denial ... BUT THE UNDERTAKER WILL HAVE NONE OF IT AS HE GRABS JBL BY THE THROAT! The crowd’s go crazy at first ... but then suddenly degenerate into heat as Brent Albright slides into the ring behind The Undertaker and CLUBS him with a big forearm blow to the back.

‘Taker is staggered by the blow as he stumbles forward, letting go of Layfield, allowing The Cabinet to begin a two on one assault of ‘The Phenom’. Cornering him with blows, the two hated heels are absolutely ruthless, raining down on ‘Taker with shot, after shot, after shot, AFTER SHOT, AFTER SHOT, AFTER SHOT right to the cranium of ‘The Deadman’.

The Cabinet has ‘The Phenom’ reeling, and JBL knows it as he takes his time to now turn around and throw off his tie, then unbutton his shirt as he hurls abuse at the fans. The crowd, though, have began to cheer ... AS THE UNDERTAKER SUDDENLY HAS BRENT ALBRIGHT REELING FOLLOWING A SERIES OF MASSIVE RIGHT HANDS, BEFORE SENDING HIM DOWN WITH ONE FINAL SHOT! Albright struggles back to his feet, clearly in pain ... AND GETS GRABBED BY THE THROAT ... BUT JBL CATCHES UNDERTAKER OFF GUARD WITH A BIG BOOT! ‘Taker is dazed, causing a smirk to come across the face of JBL as he holds his arm up, before going back to beating down ‘The Phenom to some monstrous heat. Layfield, though, ignores it all, climbing into a mount position and beginning to RAIN down on the skull of The Undertaker with merciless right hands, while Brent Albright stomps away at the prone body of The Undertaker. The assault continues, with seemingly no end in sight as JBL simply does not want to get off ‘Taker, even going as far as cause him to BLEED for the second straight week.

Finally, JBL decides enough of the right hands, getting up to his feet and again raising his hands into the air, before telling Brent Albright to pick ‘Taker’s broken body up off the ground. Slowly but surely Albright does just that, holding ‘Taker up by the arms as JBL smirks ...

...

...

...

*I’M THE BOOGEYMAN*

The crowd gives a big pop as The Boogeyman comes out, holding his cane like usual, a putrid red smoke surrounding him. In the ring Albright and JBL panic as they forget about The Undertaker and watch as Boogey shimmies his way down the ramp ... THEN TRY TO JUMP HIM WHEN HE CLIMBS INTO THE RING, IMMEDIATELY STOMPING ON HIM! The two members of The Cabinet instantly attempt to press their advantage, picking The Boogeyman up and sending him off to the ropes with a double Irish whip ... BUT BOOGEYMAN EXPLODES THROUGH THEM ON THE REBOUND WITH A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE, ONE FOR EACH MAN! The crowd goes wild as Albright gets back to his feet and is whipped right into the corner, before being squashed by JBL ... AND THEN THE BOOGEYMAN WHO CHARGES IN AFTER THE DUO AND SQUASHES THEM BOTH WITH A STINGER SPLASH!

The Cabinet is down and dazed as they slowly try to recover, climbing back to their feet ... only for Boogey to grab Albright by the throat ... AND ‘TAKER TO DO THE SAME TO JBL! The crowd goes wild as the two faces look at one another ...

BUT THEN GET TACKLED DOWN FROM BEHIND OUT OF NOWHERE ... BY THE BASHAM BROTHERS! Despite Danny not even being a member of the SmackDown! roster (he’s from RAW), the two former members of The Cabinet assault ‘Taker & Boogeyman, with JBL & Albright joining in too, creating a four on two situation. Despite the power of both of the faces, they are clearly overwhelmed as The Cabinet annihilate them in separate corners, Albright & Doug Basham beating down The Boogeyman, and Danny & JBL taking out The Undertaker. The heat in the building is astounding, as the heels sap the faces of all life, continuing to beat them down while time seemingly stands still, measuring each and every shot. Finally, enough is enough as the four men back away, before JBL nods at Brent Albright. This prompts ‘The Hired Gun’ to move into the corner and lift Boogeyman up, then drag his lifeless body into the middle of the ring ... AND THROW HIM OVERHEAD WITH A SICKENING HALF NELSON SUPLEX!

Boogeyman is down and out, leaving only Undertaker, as The Basham Brothers move into the corner and drag him up, then hold his lifeless body up ... JBL BACKS INTO THE ROPES ... CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL! For the second straight week we see JBL standing tall over ‘The Deadman’, as the four members of The Cabinet raise their arms into the air, basking in their ‘victory’, while we fade away to a break.

Now cut forward to the next week on SmackDown!, showing The Undertaker assaulting JBL with a barrage of right hands and throwing him around the ring like a ragdoll, only for JBL to nail him with the Clothesline From Hell and pick up the win, looking shocked.


***

*LONGHORN*

The crowd gives some intense heat as from the side of the stage a white limousine rolls out, the JBL logo emblazoned upon the side of it. It rolls up to the ramp, then stops, a chauffeur climbing out, then walking to the next door and opening it for Jillian Hall to climb out carrying a clipboard, and more importantly, John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield in his usual attire of a black coat, towel and cowboy hat over his wrestling tights.


Tony Chimel:
The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, from New York City, weighing 295 lbs, J – B – L!

Michael Cole:
Up until this past Friday night on SmackDown! many people, myself and perhaps even JBL included, thought that the self-made millionaire had got himself into a heck of a mess, until last week he pinned The Undertaker in the centre of the ring. Tonight, will JBL be able to do the same without Brent Albright to help him, or will The Undertaker gain his revenge on Layfield?

Tazz:
Don’t forget, Cole, Brent Albright for The Cabinet off to a good start earlier tonight against The Boogeyman, so in another way, JBL has some momentum goin’ into this match.

Layfield climbs up into the ring and waits, looking a bit nervous as his music stops.

...

...

...

*GONG*

*GONG*

*GRAVEYARD SYMPHONY*


The crowd gives an amazing pop as smoke begins to fill the dimmed arena, and out from the back follows the mysterious figure known as The Undertaker, clad in his black jacket and hat.


Tony Chimel:
His opponent, from Death Valley, weighing 295 lbs ... THE UNNNNNDDERTAAAAKER!

Michael Cole:
The ominous march of The Undertaker begins, and fear is struck into the heart of his opponent. JBL may have said that he doesn’t fear The Undertaker, but one look at him now in the ring, and you’ve got to believe otherwise.

Tazz:
I still believe in JBL. Sure, the guy may have got himself in a little over his head to begin with, but after last Friday, I believe that JBL can do it here tonight. I believe that he can beat ‘The Phenom’.

The Undertaker goes through his painfully slow march to the ring, finally making it up the steps and removing everything but his ring attire, ready for action.

Match Seven ~ Singles Match:
John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield w/ Jillian Hall vs. The Undertaker

The two men stand in opposite corners, The Undertaker looking ready for combat, shaking his arms out and clenching his fists, while JBL talks some last minute strategy with Jillian Hall, who has remained on the apron. Layfield looks apprehensive, taking his time in his talk with the lovely Jillian, forcing The Undertaker to make the first move as he begins to circle around the ring. This prompts Jillian to jump down, and forces Layfield to also circle around the ring to not get caught out. The two giants circle one another for a moment, ‘Taker with his hands up in his classic fighting stance, while JBL adopts a similar position as the two bulls move forward and grapple one another for the first time. At first neither man is able to get a decisive advantage thanks to the similar size and strength. However, JBL, perhaps not as focussed as The Undertaker despite his pre-match promo in which he declared he was not in fear of the wrath of ‘The Phenom’ is the first to let up, allowing Undertaker to overpower him and back him up to the corner.

A worried JBL leans his head back, perhaps expecting a blow to come his way ... The Undertaker, however, provides a clean break, slowly backing away, much to the relief of JBL who takes a deep breath. One again The Undertaker begins to circle the ring, his fighting stance back, prompting JBL to do the same as the two men start to come closer together ... and ‘Taker feigns a right ... causing JBL to duck back in fear! The eyes of JBL bulge from their sockets, sweat now appearing on his brow, showing the “fearless” Layfield to perhaps not be as bulletproof as he would have you believe. ‘Taker though, takes no notice of this, continuing to circle around the ring, the same intensity still being prevalent in his emotionless stare. JBL too starts to move around the ring again following a few deep breaths, looking to overcome a shaky start ... only for a fist to come his way out of nowhere ... but again it’s just a fake ... which JBL only realises after he stumbles all of the way back into the ropes!

The murmurs of the crowd, no doubt disparaging remarks about JBL, are becoming noticeable as Layfield once again picks himself up and breathes in a couple of the deep ones. Ready for action again, JBL starts to follow The Undertaker as he moves around the ring ... when ‘Taker again feigns a right ... and JBL this time falls right on his ass!

The face of JBL has turned a bright red as the laughs of the crowd become clear ... prompting JBL to slap the mat with anger and spring back up to his feet ... GETTING RIGHT UP IN THE FACE OF THE UNDERTAKER! Layfield has been tipped over the edge as he goes nose to nose with ‘The Phenom’ shouting “Do you know who I am? Huh? HOW DARE YOU EMBARRASS ME?” ... BEFORE GETTING DUCKED WITH A BIG RIGHT HAND!

The Undertaker is not here to play games, which he shows as he grabs Layfield by the hair, charges across to the corner with him and SLAMS his face down into the top turnbuckle. Layfield looks to stumble back, clearly dazed, but ‘Taker will have none of it, pushing JBL back into the corner, THEN UNLOADING ON HIM WITH A QUICK SERIES OF RIGHTS! The legendary fists of ‘The Deadman’ are literally flying as he strikes the head of JBL again and again and again and again!

JBL is seemingly in a completely difference place now as ‘Taker drags him from the corner by the arm, then twists it overhead and giving it a good wrench. Softening up JBL, The Undertaker twists his arm overhead a second time, then pulls him in and BUTTS SHOULDERS with JBL. The Undertaker does this twice more, further weakening JBL, before pushing him back, kicking him in the midsection, and sending him into the corner with an Irish whip. The Undertaker looks to immediately follow up, roaring in after JBL ... but Layfield manages to score his first offense move while on the defence by sticking his boot up into the jaw of the oncoming ‘Demon of Death Valley’.

JBL, thinking quickly, sees an opening as he runs off to the ropes, perhaps thinking of the Clothesline From Hell as he springs back at ‘Taker ... but he is met with a right hand right to the face that sends him down to the mat in a hurry! Layfield gets back to his feet to be met with some body blows, forcing him back into the corner, where The Undertaker looks to continue his onslaught on ‘The American Hero’ with the point of his elbow, SMASHING it into the temple of Layfield several times in the corner. Finally, ‘The Phenom’ relents, grabbing JBL by the arm and again pulling him from the corner to wrench it overhead, then DRIVE the point of his elbow down across it. Having loosened his grip, ‘Taker twists JBL’s arm over for a fourth time, then begins to drag him back towards the corner as the cries of the fans can be heard: “Oooolllllddd school!”

That looks to be exactly what ‘Taker has in mind as he seats himself up on the top rope, then looks to gain some balance, walking precariously across the top rope ... ONLY TO FALL DOWN CROTCH FIRST ACROSS THE TOP ROPE THANKS TO A SUDDEN MOVEMENT FROM LAYFIELD!

The crowd boos as JBL staggers away from his foe, taking his time to take a breather as Undertaker grimaces in pain ... ONLY TO THEN BE SENT FLYING FROM HIS POSITION ON THE TOP ROPE AND OUT TO THE FLOOR BY A BIG BOOT RIGHT TO THE JAW FROM JBL!

JBL has earned himself a reprieve here, falling back against the ropes in the ring, feeling at his face and taking in some deep breaths, before commanding referee Mike Chioda to count ‘The Phenom’ out.

... ONE ... TWO ...

The Undertaker starts to roll around at ringside, having fallen to the ground with a mighty thud.

... THREE ... FOUR ...

‘Taker continues to struggle on the outside, picking himself up to his hands and knees.

... FIVE ... SIX ...

Undertaker now stumbles his way to the apron, almost back in the ring.

... SEVEN ... EIGHT ...

‘THE PHENOM’ ROLLS BACK INTO THE RING ... but he is instantly met with a TIRADE of stomps from the ruthless Layfield. The incensed millionaire allows ‘Taker to struggle back to his feet, so he can push him back into the corner, then begin to WAIL on him with a BARRAGE of right hands. Strike after strike after strike, ‘The Wrestling God’ wears ‘Taker down, almost as if he is trying to send his fist all of the way through The Undertaker’s face, before Mike Chioda finally forces him to break the hold ... and he pulls ‘Taker out of the corner by the arm to SMASH him with a short arm clothesline. JBL drops down and hooks the leg:

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......

‘Taker lifts his shoulder up off the mat!

JBL, not sweating the kickout, gets right back up to his feet and goes right back to business, waiting for The Undertaker moving before KICKING him right in the chest and sending him back down. JBL then kicks ‘The Phenom’ several more times, backing him all of the way back to a seated position in the corner where he then PUSHES his boot right into the windpipe of The Undertaker, SQUASHING it!

‘The Phenom’ gasps for oxygen, unable to breathe as the merciless ‘American Hero’ crushes his throat under his boot, until finally Mike Chioda is able to get JBL to release the hold, warning him that he may find himself disqualified soon. JBL, as you would expect, does not heed the advice of Chioda, going right back in after ‘Taker ... AND GETS STRUCK WITH A BODY BLOW! JBL is surprised as he doubles back a bit in pain, before moving back in ... and getting TWO body blows this time!

The Undertaker now looks to get back to his feet and come at JBL ... but the underhanded ex-Texan scores with a thumb to the eye of ‘The Phenom’, momentarily blinding him. The crowd boos the cowardly actions of Layfield, but he takes no notice, instead running back into the ropes and springing back off them ... right into a back body drop from The Undertaker! The crowd pops as Layfield springs off the mat onto the ropes, holding his back in pain ... before being sent over the top and out to the floor with a thunderous clothesline in much the same way that this rivalry began at the Royal Rumble!

JBL hits the protective mats on the outside with a thud and proceeds to flop around like a fish out of water, giving The Undertaker some time to recover in the ring. Sensing that JBL is starting to get back to his feet, ‘The Phenom’ glances across the check across on his foe, before dashing off to the opposite ropes, springing back ... AND IN AN AMAZING SHOWING OF ATHLETICISM DIVE OVER THE TOP ROPE, LANDING RIGHT ON TOP OF JBL!

The crowd reaches a fever pitch as the two bodies hit the floor, ‘The Phenom’ having soared like a man half his weight. The crowd, ever appreciative of his efforts, now begin to clap, rather than cheer wildly, as The Undertaker gets back to his feet, taking some time to shake the cobwebs loose before going to pick up a double over JBL and SLAM his face down into the ring apron.

JBL’s legs give out from under him for a moment as he drops back to his knees, allowing ‘Taker to roll in and out of the ring to break the count, before lifting JBL back up and rolling his body under the ropes, leaving only his head hanging precariously out onto the apron. The Undertaker takes his time, walking around ringside and readjusting his elbow pad ... BEFORE TURNING AND CHARGING TOWARDS JBL TO DRIVE THE POINT OF HIS ELBOW RIGHT DOWN INTO THE FACE OF JBL!

The crowd cheers, but ‘The Deadman’ isn’t done, now climbing up onto the apron and looking around to the crowd who cheer ... THEN RUNNING DOWN THE APRON AND DROPPING A LEG RIGHT ACROSS THE NECK AND FACE OF JBL, SQUASHING HIM!

Again the crowd cheers at ringside as The Undertaker looks out at them, before he turns, rolls JBL’s body all of the way back into the ring and follows himself to make the cover:

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T – NO!

JBL GETS HIS SHOULDER OFF THE MAT!

The Undertaker takes his time to look at Mike Chioda, attempting to perhaps intimidate the official into counting faster next time, before turning to see JBL staggering towards the corner. The Undertaker follows his opponent to the corner, then scores with a few elbows to the side of his head, dazing him, causing him to sag back into the ropes to stay on his feet. ‘The Phenom’ capitalises on this by measuring JBL and SMASHING his jaw with a few big shots until Mike Chioda tries to get ‘Taker to move away ... causing The Undertaker to step up the ferocity of the shots as he now hits JBL with EVERYTHING he has! The crowd cheers as The Undertaker finishes up and chases Chioda from the corner, sending him running all of the way out to ringside before ‘Taker turns back to JBL ... and he is taken off guard with a right hand!

The Undertaker hangs back on the ropes, stunned by the shot, which JBL sees and capitalises on by sending him off with an Irish whip ... and The Undertaker ducks a clothesline on the rebound ... THEN EXPLODES WITH A JUMPING CLOTHESLINE ON THE WAY BACK! The crowd comes alive with ‘The Phenom’ as he gets up and instantly grabs the arm of JBL, twisting it overhead ... then taking him across to the corner, perhaps looking for the move that he failed to hit earlier in old school!

‘The Phenom’ sits himself up on the top rope, then starts to walk across the proverbial tightrope ... BEFORE JUMPING UP INTO THE AIR ... AND COMING DOWN ONTO JBL WITH OLD SCHOOL! ‘Taker makes the cover:

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TH – NO!

JBL LIFTS ONE SHOULDER UP OFF THE MAT!

The crowd of course reacts with the long call of “Oooooooooo”, before beginning to cheer as The Undertaker gets back to his feet ... AND LIFTS HIS GIANT MITT INTO THE AIR, SIGNALLING THAT IT’S TIME FOR THE CHOKESLAM! JBL, unaware of his fate, heads to the ropes to pick himself up, giving his back to ‘The Demon of Death Valley’, before staggering back towards him ... DOOZLE! THE UNDERTAKER HAS JBL IN HIS CLUTCHES AS HE GOES TO LIFT HIM UP ... BUT JBL SUDDENLY SCORES WITH A KICK TO THE MIDSECTION THAT DOUBLES THE UNDERTAKER OVER ... THEN HITS A SWINGING NECKBREAKER!

The crowd boos as both men are now down, unmoving for the moment, before a tired JBL begins to crawl across to the downed body of The Undertaker and making the cover:

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TH – NO!

THE CROWD CHEERS AS THE UNDERTAKER SPRINGS HIS SHOULDER UP!

JBL, now seemingly recovered, looks up at Chioda with a look of shock on his face, holding three fingers up only to get two back, prompting him to make the cover again:

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TH – NO!

AGAIN, THE SAME RESULT AS THE UNDERTAKER KICKS OUT!

JBL’s look of shock turns to anger as he gets back to his feet, then DROPS his elbow right down into the chest of The Undertaker. Springing back to his feet, JBL’s face is red with rage as he DRIVE his elbow through the chest of The Undertaker a second, then a third time, before again making the cover:

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THR – NO!

THE UNDERTAKER GETS A SHOULDER UP OFF THE MAT!

The crowd cheers as an infuriated JBL briskly moves into a mount position, then begins to POUND The Undertaker with right hand after right hand after right hand straight to the skull! Mike Chioda struggles with JBL, but eventually he manages to get JBL up ... as we see BLOOD on the hands of JBL, and not for the first time! We then see The Undertaker struggling on the mat, his forehead bleeding like a fountain, covering his forehead in the deep red! JBL looks down at his hands, a sick smile on his face ... leading to him charging and KICKING ‘The Phenom’ square in the head, sending him back down sprawled out on the mat from his seated position!

The crowd is irate, giving off extreme heat as JBL looks out at them ... and smiles. The toothy grin of JBL rears its ugly head, revealing the though process of JBL. He has again beaten and bloodied The Undertaker – now all that’s left is to finish him – and almost as if on cue, JBL signals that this match, as a contest, is over.

The supposed ‘Wrestling God’ sets himself, waiting as The Undertaker starts to get to his hands and knees ... THEN THROWS HIM BETWEEN HIS LEGS AND THROWS UP THE CABINET BULLHORNS, PERHAPS LOOKING FOR A POWERBOMB ... BUT THE UNDERTAKER EXPLODES OUT OF THE BLOCKS WITH A BACK BODY DROP!

‘Taker is still on his feet, staggering around as the crowd explode with cheers, only for JBL to try to spoil the party as he charges towards The Undertaker ... BUT ‘THE PHENOM’ SCORES WITH A HUGE UPPERCUT, SENDING JBL DOWN IN A HEAP ... AND HE FALLS RIGHT DOWN NEXT TO HIM!

Both men are down, side by side on the mat, referee Mike Chioda standing over them. One bloodied, the other just plain beaten, neither man move as Mike Chioda starts the count.

... ONE ... TWO ...

Neither man moves, remaining down on the mat.

... THREE ... FOUR ...

JBL begins to roll over, regaining his wherewithal, while The Undertaker starts to twitch and move about on the mat.

... FIVE ... SIX ...

JBL starts to pull himself towards the ropes and reaches up to grab the top one, while The Undertaker holds onto the bottom rope on the other side of the ring.

... SEVEN ... EIGHT ...

AND BOTH MEN ARE BACK ONTO THEIR FEET!

The two combatants stand on the opposite sides of the ring, both facing out to the crowd, the ropes being the only thing that holds them up, their jelly legs not being of much use for the moment. Both men turn around, and looking almost lethargic, they stagger towards one another in the centre of the ring ... and JBL strikes with a right hand! The crowd boos as The Undertaker staggers back ... then comes back with a right of his own! The crowd of course cheers this ... before beginning to boo as JBL strikes again ... but ‘Taker strikes back again ... Layfield ... ‘Taker ... Layfield ... ‘Taker ... Layfield ... ‘Taker ... Layfield ... ‘Taker ... LAYFIELD ... ‘TAKER ... ‘TAKER ... ‘TAKER ... ‘TAKER ... ‘TAKER!

Undertaker wins the exchange of fists between the heavy hitters, forcing JBL all of the way back against the ropes, allowing for him to send his enemy off with an Irish whip ... then pick him up and DRIVE him into the mat with a sidewalk slam! The crowd cheers as JBL rolls away from ‘Taker, not wanting to be pinned, instead heading to the corner. Undertaker isn’t about to protest about that though, waiting as JBL gets up ... before charging in and SQUASHING him with a corner clothesline! JBL staggers from the corner, his legs looking like they could give way at any moment ... but ‘Taker doesn’t allow for that, scooping JBL up, then DROPPING HIM FACE FIRST INTO THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! ‘The Phenom’ charges off as JBL staggers from the corner, then turns ... AND GETS HIT RIGHT IN THE FACE BY A BIG BOOT FROM THE UNDERTAKER!

The crowd cheers as The Undertaker drops down into the cover:

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THR – NO!

LAYFIELD GETS A SHOULDER UP!

The crowd oooos as ‘Taker gets back up ... AND FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE MATCH SIGNALS FOR THE CHOKESLAM! JBL slowly struggles back to his feet, unaware of ‘The Phenom’s’ hand hanging ominously in the air behind him ... BUT HE SOON BECOMES AWARE AS HE TURNS AND GETS GRABBED BY THE THROAT ... BUT JBL WAS ALMOST READY FOR IT, KICKING ‘TAKER IN THE MIDSECTION AND USING HIS ARM TO THROW HIM OFF INTO THE ROPES WITH!

‘Taker bounces back off the ropes, ducks under a clothesline attempt, then comes back from the other ropes ... AND AGAIN LOOKS FOR A JUMPING CLOTHESLINE ... BUT JBL MEETS HIM WITH A BIG BOOT RIGHT TO THE BLOODY FACE IN MIDAIR, SENDING HIM CRASHING DOWN TO THE MAT IN A HEAP!

The crowd is shocked by the move as JBL falls across The Undertaker, making the cover:

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THRE – NO!

THE UNDERTAKER AGAIN GETS A SHOULDER UP!

JBL cannot believe it, shaking his head in disbelief and shouting obscenities at Chioda on his way back to his feet, stopping when he sees The Undertaker starting to struggle up, blood dripping from his forehead down to the mat. An agitated Layfield pushes The Undertaker back against the ropes and again Irish whips him, perhaps feeling lucky with it as he doubles over for a back body drop ... BUT ‘TAKER SEES IT COMING AND PLANTS JBL WITH A RUNNING DDT ON THE REBOUND!

A major pop comes from the crowd, but both men are down for the moment, suffering the effects of a hard hitting contest between two large heavyweights. Slowly, both men start to fight against their bodies wishes and pull themself back up to their feet where they once again meet ... AND THE UNDERTAKER IMMEDIATELY GRABS JBL BY THE THROAT ... BUT JILLIAN HALL CLIMB UP ONTO THE APRON! The Undertaker throws JBL away and goes to stare down Jillian, much like on SmackDown!, before turning ... AND JBL, AGAIN LIKE ON SmackDown!, EXPLODES OUT OF THE BLOCKS WITH THE CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL ... BUT THE UNDERTAKER DUCKS ... AND JBL CREAMS CHIODA!

The referee is out ... NOT THAT ‘TAKER CARES AS HE INSTANTLY GRABS JBL BY THE THROAT AGAIN AS HE TURNS ... CHOKESLAM CONNECTS! THE UNDERTAKER SLAMS JBL RIGHT DOWN INTO THE MAT WITH A MASSIVE CHOKESLAM!

The crowd cheers as The Undertaker looks right out towards them ... THEN SIGNALS THE END! THE END IS NIGH FOR JBL! Not knowing this, the leader of The Cabinet picks himself up with the aid of the ropes, all while being stalked from behind by The Undertaker ... AND HE THEN GETS SCOOPED UP! THE UNDERTAKER HAS JBL IN POSITION AS HE TURNS TO FACE THE HARD CAMERA ... BUT THEN GETS TAKEN OUT WITH A THRUST KICK!

WHAT?!

...

...

...

IT’S ROB VAN DAM~!

No one knows how to react as The Undertaker falls to the mat with the flying kick right to his head, the body of JBL also landing right on top of him as RVD looks out to the crowd to a huge mixed reaction ... THEN HEADS TO THE CORNER AND GOES UP TOP! EVERYONE IN THE ARENA IS STANDING UP ON THEIR FEET, THE REACTION HUGE AS RVD LAUNCHES HIMSELF ... AND HE LANDS ON TOP OF THE UNDERTAKER WITH THE FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH!

RVD rolls around on the mat for a moment from the impact, before getting back up to his feet, looking around ... AND GETTING OUT OF DODGE! RVD ROLLS FROM THE RING AND EXITS THROUGH THE CROWD, WHO ARE STILL ALL ON THEIR FEET, UNSURE OF HOW THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE REACTING!

In the ring, both JBL and Mike Chioda are pulling themselves back up to their feet, neither aware of what has transpired. JBL takes a moment to recuperate, shaking his head to try to get his mind straight ... before he sees The Undertaker rolling towards the ropes. Layfield has no idea how Undertaker got there, but he knows he’s in the commanding position now as he waits on The Undertaker to pull himself back to his feet with the ropes, which he does ... THEN TURNS RIGHT INTO THE CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL! JBL WIPES UNDERTAKER OUT WITH THE CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL!

THE CROWD BOO FURIOUSLY AS JBL HOOKS THE LEG:

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THREE!

Winner: John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield via pinfall @ 19:26

*LONGHORN*


Tony Chimel:
Here is your winner, J – B – L!

The crowd can’t believe it ... and neither can JBL! The former Texan sits back up and looks around shocked, before having his hand raised by the referee, a toothy grin on his face.

Michael Cole:
What did we just see? Why did ... why did RAW’s RVD interfere and cost The Undertaker his match with JBL?

Tazz:
I dunno’, Cole ... I’m ... I’m in shock.

Michael Cole:
Well let’s take another look at the closing moments of this match and just see if we can make ANY sense of it.

We see a replay of The Undertaker hoisting JBL up for the Tombstone Piledriver, only for RVD to run in and make his mark, costing The Undertaker his ultimate redemption on JBL.

Michael Cole:
Seeing that, it doesn’t become any clearer. How did RVD get into the arena tonight, and perhaps more importantly ... why ... why did he choose to attack The Undertaker?

We see The Undertaker down again in the ring, before cutting backstage where we see Josh Matthews rushing after SmackDown! General Manager, Theodore Long.

Josh Matthews:
Mr. Long! Mr. Long!

Teddy turns to see Matthews.

Josh Matthews:
Mr. Long, I was just wondering what you know of what we just saw unfold with RAW’s RVD attacking The Undertaker?

Theodore Long:
Josh, playa’, I know the same as everyone else ... nothin’. So what I’m doin’ is simple. If RVD wants a chance ta’ explain his action, then he’s got it this Friday night on SmackDown!.

The crowd pops as Long now walks off, leaving Matthews to stand alone. We then cut off elsewhere to see a three way split of the screen, showing Randy Orton, Mark Henry, and the World Heavyweight Champion, Batista each leaving their respective locker-rooms.

Michael Cole:
Well ladies and gentlemen, up next, it’s the big one. Two of the fiercest rivals I can remember seeing, Batista and Mark Henry go one on one, World Heavyweight Title and spot in the WrestleMania 22 main event on the line, with the winner facing the special guest referee, Randy Orton.

***

We begin the video package by seeing Mark Henry’s impactful debut in December, in which he demolished Batista after tearing through the door of the steel cage and using it to batter Batista.

We then cut forward to Henry explaining his actions in the week leading up to the Royal Rumble.


Mark Henry:
Ever since I made my return here to SmackDown! about a month ago, there’s been one place that I’ve had my target set. There’s been one place I’ve been aimin’ at, and there’s been one place that I’ve fired at, and this Sunday – this Sunday that all comes to a head ... this Sunday, I FINALLY ... finally get what I want. This Sunday, I finally get the World, Heavyweight, Championship.

Henry closes his eyes and takes in the moment as the crowd boos.

Mark Henry:
That’s right, Dave, I don’t get you ... I don’t get the ‘almighty’ Dave Batista ... no, I get the title.

Pause from Henry.

Mark Henry:
Dave, this ain’t personal. This thing ... this thing between you an’ me, it’s just ... business. And this Sunday, I’m gonna’ take care of business when I take the World ... Heavyweight ... Title.

Scenes of the match at the Royal Rumble are shown, with Mark Henry manhandling Batista, getting himself disqualified.

Batista:
You don’t think this is personal? You just MADE ... this personal.

Scenes of their World Heavyweight Title match with Batista pummelling Batista, having got himself disqualified.

???:
Batista!

Batista stops fighting and looks up at the top of the ramp where we now see SmackDown! General Manager, Theodore Long.

Theodore Long:
Listen playa’, I know you wanna’ get your hands on Mark, but the match is over, and now is not the, nor place.

Heat.

Theodore Long:
But playa’, because I anticipated that this might happen, lemme’ tell ya’, I will give you a time, and a place for you two to settle your differences one last time. Y’see, in nine days, there’s a little event called No Way Out, and it needs a main event, so here’s what I’m gonna do.

A slight pause from Long.

Theodore Long:
At No Way Out, for one final time, it will be ‘The World’s Strongest Man’ Mark Henry, challengin’ ‘The Animal’ Dave Batista, for ‘da World, Heavyweight Championship!

Big pop.

Theodore Long:
But that’s not all. Y’see to make sure that this time we have a winner, in that match there’s gonna’ be no disqualifications and no count outs, because that match ... it’s gonna’ be a STREET FIGHT!

HUGE pop.

Theodore Long:
Now, with the two o’ you goin’ at it, that’s sure to be a volatile environment, ya’ feel me? Because o’ ‘dis, and the fact that you just knocked out all of mah’ referees, I’ve gone ahead and anointed myself a special guest referee to this match ...

Dramatic pause ...

...

...

...

Oh the tension

...

*BURN IN MY LIGHT*

Despite it being fairly obvious, the crowd responds with a MASSIVE mixed reaction as Randy Orton strides out onto the stage, looking as cocky and conceited as ever.


Theodore Long:
The winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble and the man who will be challenin’ the winner of this match at WrestleMania 22 ... Randy ... Orton!

We now see Henry and Batista looking up shocked, before cutting forward to the next week.

Batista:
Y’know, normally ... normally, comin’ out here, and I’d feel a lot different. I mean, last week, I had a match for MY World Heavyweight Championship ... and I walked out of that match, STILL World Heavyweight Champion.

Pop.

Batista:
Usually, a title defence, that has me pretty psyched, it has me excited. But this week, nah, I’m not feelin’ so good about that.

‘Tista pauses and takes a few steps around the ring, moving back and forth, before stopping back where he began.

Batista:
Don’t get me wrong. Bein’ the World Heavyweight Champion, it means everything to me, it means the world to me. But that match last week? Nah, it’s just not cuttin’ it. I’m not feelin’ too good about it.

Pause from Big Dave.

Batista:
These past few months, they’ve been tough. They’ve been REAL tough. Mark Henry ... he hasn’t made my life easy. Each and every time I’ve stepped into the ring for him, I’ve known I’ve been in for a battle, I’ve known I’ve been in for a war. But it’s more than just that. It’s more than just the fact that Mark Henry is one of the toughest men you will ever find, more than just that he’s ‘The World’s Strongest Man’. This thing between me and Mark ... it’s personal.

Batista pauses.

Batista:
Every time I’m out here, every time, I’ve gotta’ watch my back. I’ve gotta’ have eyes in the back of my head, because Mark Henry will not miss a chance to hit me from behind, and try to take ... me ... out.

Another small pause.

Batista:
And do ya’ know why he does this? According to him, it’s because I have somethin’ that he wants. He says he’s doin’ it all ... for this.

Batista raises his title into the air.

Batista:
For days ... for weeks ... for MONTHS, Mark Henry has been jumpin’ me from behind, ASSAULTING me, doin’ everything he can to take me out ... all for this. Last week, I got a chance to end all of that. I got a chance to not just beat Mark Henry, but to see off his challenge last week ... for good. And y’know, I went out there, and I tried to do it, but just like it has always happened throughout my life, my emotions, they got the best of me. And like I said, I’m not happy about that. I’m not happy at all about that. That is NOT what I set out to do last week. But y’know, somethin’ else that happened last week does have me feelin’ a little better about things. Two words ... two, sweet, words ...

Batista pauses, a smile now coming across his face.

Batista:
STREET FIGHT.

Big pop from the crowd.

Batista:
My whole career ... no, my whole LIFE, the one thing that I’ve had problems with, the one thing I’ve struggled to do ... is keep ... my temper. The one thing I’ve been unable to do is control myself. To let things go. Last week, I showed that again. I let my emotions get the best of me, and it cost me the chance to get rid of Mark Henry for good. But each cloud has its own silver lining, and mine is that in two nights ... oh yeah, in two nights, I can LET my emotions take over. I can LET myself lose control. I can unleash ... ‘The Animal’.

*SOME BODIES GONNA GET IT*

The crowd erupts into a huge heated reaction as the man who will challenge Batista this Sunday for the gold, Mark Henry marches out onto the stage in his wrestling gear with a look that could kill. Henry is quick to make his way down to the ring and receive a mic, standing right in front of his foe as he clutches it.


Mark Henry:
You think I’ve given you all I got? You think that this Street Fight favours you? Do you need me to remind you what I did to you at the Royal Rumble? Do you need to be reminded that I broke you in half? Yeah, I got DQed, but this Sunday ... this Sunday that ain’t gonna’ happen, that can’t happen, so what makes you think I’m not gonna’ break you in half ... all over ... again?

Heat as Henry smirks.

Mark Henry:
Y’know, I’m gonna’ give you some credit, big man. You’ve been tougher than I thought you’d be. I thought for sure that I’d already have that belt ‘round my waist. But that doesn’t matter, ‘cause this Sunday, I’m gonna’ fix that, and prove that I, not you, but I, ’The Silverback’ am the king ... of the SmackDown!, jungle.

Big heat as Henry smirks again.

Batista:
Oh yeah? Is that right?

Mark Henry:
That’s right.

Batista:
Well let me tell you somethin’, Mark. I do remember what happened at the Royal Rumble. I do remember you crushing my body in amongst the rubble, the destruction that you caused. But y’know what? That doesn’t ... scare me. It motivates me.

Big pop.

Batista:
I’m not scared of you, Mark. I’m not afraid. You try, you just try to do what you did to me at the Royal Rumble, but know this ... the ONLY way that you’re gonna’ take this title from me is if you take it from my COLD, DEAD HANDS!

Massive pop, as Henry steps forward and starts to get right into Batista’s face.

Mark Henry:
Well maybe that’s what I’m goin’ to have to do. Maybe I should give you a preview of this Sunday.

Batista:
... Try me.

The two men continue to stare each other down, the animosity between them seemingly set to explode.

*BURN IN MY LIGHT*

The disappointed crowd unload with big time heat as the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble, Randy Orton walks out onto the stage, looking as cocky as ever, a microphone in hand ... and a referee shirt on. Wasting no time in talking, Orton begins as he walks down the ramp.


Randy Orton:
Gentlemen, gentlemen. Calm down. Save yourselves ... for this Sunday.

Orton now climbs up into the ring and stands between the two men.

Batista:
What do you want, Randy?

Randy Orton:
What do I want? Dave, you misunderstand me. I’m not out here for myself. No, I’m out here for the two of you. I’m out here ... to maintain order.

Orton smiles as the crowd boos his arrogance.

Randy Orton:
I mean, let’s face it. The two of, you need me out here. You can’t control yourselves. Just last week you were tryin’ to tear each other’s heads off. What kind of a referee ... what kind of a person would I be, if just two days away from your match, just two days away from No Way Out ... what kind of a person would I be if I let you two go at it now?

Heat.

Randy Orton:
I’m not out here to annoy you, Dave, nor am I out here to annoy Mark. I’m out here because I care. I’m out here because without me, the two of you wouldn’t make it ... to No ... Way ... Out. So think of me as your saviour, think of me as your guiding light, because I fully intend to guide the two of you and maintain control over you this Sunday at No Way Out.

A pause from Orton, as he looks at both Henry, and then with more intensity, at Batista.

Randy Orton:
And y’know, Dave, I heard you ... I heard what you said earlier. I heard that for some reason ... for some, unknown reason ... you think I’m going to screw you this Sunday.

Heat as Orton again pauses.

Randy Orton:
Now, I have no idea where you would get these ideas from, but Dave, let me tell you, I will not screw you this Sunday, nor will I screw you, Mark. I have no reason to. All I want to see is a good, fair contest, and I fully intend on making it that, I fully intend on calling that match right ... down ... the middle.

Mixed reaction.

Randy Orton:
Now, as far as that preview goes that were talkin’ about just before, Mark, y’know, I agree. That’s right, I agree, I think we should have a preview for this Sunday, and that’s exactly what Teddy Long has let me have, because in tonight’s main event it will be Batista & Rey Mysterio vs. Mr. Kennedy & Mark Henry.

Pop.

Batista:
We already ...

Randy Orton:
Uh, Dave, did I ... did I say I was finished? Was I done?

Orton smirks.

Randy Orton:
That’s better.

Orton pauses, his eyes gleaming.

Randy Orton:
Tonight it will be Rey Mysterio & Batista vs. Mr. Kennedy & Rey Mysterio ... and the special guest referee will be me ... Randy, Orton!

We now cut forward to the main event, where Randy Orton inadvertently costs Batista’s team the match, dealing with Batista while Rey Mysterio gets double teamed and beaten. We finished the video package by then seeing the three men who will be involved in the main event locking eyes.

***

We look into the ring as the sound of the ball rings throughout the arena.

Tony Chimel:
The following contest is a STREET FIGHT and it is for the WOOOORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!

*BURN IN MY LIGHT*

Some GREAT heat is exuded from the crowd as the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble, Randy Orton strides out onto the stage cockily, wearing his referee gear.


Tony Chimel:
Introducing the special guest referee, the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble, RANDY – ORTONNNN!

Michael Cole:
The time has come, partner. Who will go to WrestleMania 22, and face this man, Randy Orton, and perhaps more important here, will Randy Orton call the match right down the middle?

Tazz:
Orton said he would, and y’know, I wanna’ believe Randy. This match is important, and Randy knows that, so he knows what to do here tonight.

Orton now walks down the rest of the ramp and climbs up into the ring, waiting for Batista and Henry.

*SOME BODIES GONNA GET IT*

The crowd boos just as heavily as out from the back comes Mark Henry, slapping his chest manically, sending sweat and water flying everywhere.


Tony Chimel:
Introducing the challenger, from Silsbee, Texas, weighing 387 lbs, MARK HENRRRYYYYY!

Michael Cole:
This man Mark Henry has been a path of destruction since making his return to Friday Night SmackDown!, and in his sight has been the World Heavyweight Title. Tonight Henry will get his final chance at the gold. Quite simply, if he wins, he’s headed to WrestleMania to face Randy Orton. If he loses, he isn’t getting another shot.

Tazz:
And I believe Mark can do it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Mark is Batista’s biggest challenge yet, and because I ain’t seen him truly overcome Mark yet, I don’t think he’s gonna’ do it either here tonight.

Henry makes his way up into the ring and gives Randy Orton a quick glare, before we wait.

...

...

...

...

...

*I WALK ALONE*

The crowd EXPLODES as the World Heavyweight Champion, Batista makes his way out ... AND MARK HENRY INSTANTLY CHARGES UP THE RAMP AND HITS A RIGHT HAND, KICKSTARTING THE MATCH!


Match Eight ~ World Heavyweight Championship ~ Street Fight; Special Guest Referee – Randy Orton:
Mark Henry vs. Batista (c)

The crowd goes nuts as right Orton calls for the bell, starting the match as Batista strikes right back, not backing down from Henry. The fists fly, both men, going at it, with Batista striking, then Henry, then Batista, then Henry, Batista, Henry, Batista, Henry, Batista, Batista, Batista, BATISTA, BATISTA ... BUT Henry cuts him off by RAMMING him into the crowd barrier back first! Batista winces in pain as Henry now takes advantage, CLUBBING Batista in the back, causing him to stagger away, headed towards the ring. Henry follows him, STRIKING Batista in the head with a few more rights, sending him further and further towards ringside until finally he’s by the ring. Henry ten looks to change things up, grabbing Batista around the head and trying to SLAM his face down into the ring apron ... but Batista blocks! The strength of ‘The Animal’ is there for all to see as he reaches down and pushes off the apron, then elbows Henry in the midsection, and SMASHES the face of ‘The Silverback’ into the apron to a big pop!

Henry stumbles back, dazed from the shot, allowing Batista to look to take advantage ... but Henry suddenly RAMS him back into the ring apron! Henry is able to roll Batista into the ring with ease, as the injured ribs of the champ come into play, leaving him reeling. Henry follows Batista right in, with Orton in tow too, as Batista stumbles back to the corner and Henry looks to immediately go after those ribs again, DIGGING his shoulder into the ribs of Batista several times, CRUNCHING them with each thrust inwards. With essentially no rules in this match, Henry keeps this going for quite some time ... until Randy Orton makes his presence known and tells Henry to back it up! Henry gives Orton the evil eye, attempting to intimidate the special guest referee, but Orton will have none of it, refusing to back down.

Deciding better of doing anything else involving Orton, Henry turns back to Batista, then charges into the corner ... LOOKING TO SQUASH BOTH BATISTA ONCE AND FOR ALL ... BUT BATISTA GETS HIS FOOT UP! Henry staggers around, having eaten a boot right to the jaw ... and Batista springs to life, grabbing Henry and throwing him back into the corner, then THROWING FISTS AT HIM WILDLY! The raucous Baltimore crowd goes crazy as Batista SMASHES the jaw of Henry repeatedly, unleashing all of the frustration he has built up inside him ... until Randy Orton once again interjects himself ... and after having enough of Batista ignoring his commands, he FORCEFULLY removes ‘The Animal’ from the corner.

The crowd now unloads with heat as Batista and Orton stare at one another, Batista absolutely fuming that Orton would lay his hands on him and stop him from attacking Henry ... but before he can do anything Mark Henry FLATTENS him with a clothesline! Henry makes an opportunistic cover:

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...

Batista lifts his shoulders up!

Henry throws a look Orton’s way, making sure he’s counting as fast as he should be, before getting up with Batista and sending the now groggy ‘Animal’ staggering back to the corner thanks to a CRACKING headbutt. Looking to immediately follow up, Henry moves right in after ‘Tista and again DRIVES his broad, muscular shoulder into the ribs of the champ a few more times, until Batista finally starts to wobble out of the corner, moving along the ropes. Henry, not wanting to give his foe any space, follows Batista, then sends him off with an Irish whip, before SMASHING him with another clothesline. Henry this time looks to follow up and go after the injured ribs of Batista, DROPPING an elbow right across them, then making the cover:

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Batista gets his shoulders up!

Henry shoots a frustrated look at Orton, before deciding to cut the crap and roll out to the outside, lifting the cover off the ring apron and going under the ring in search of weapons. The crowd gives their obligatory cheer as Henry searches through the realms of under the ring, where he picks out a trash can, containing assorted goodies and throws it into the ring, along with a few trash can lids, one of which he holds on to. Despite the weaker weapons being thrown into the ring, the crowd is still excited as Henry climbs into the ring, clutching the trash can lid ... BUT HE GETS ROCKED WITH THE OTHER ONE HE THREW IN! Batista smashes Henry right in the head, at least halting him ... BEFORE HE HITS HIM AGAIN, AS HARD AS HE CAN, SQUARE IN THE HEAD ... BUT HENRY STILL STANDS THROUGH IT!

Batista looks at the trash can lid, almost not believing that Henry didn’t go down from the shot, before rearing back again, ready to smash Henry’s head in ... but Henry kicks him in the ribs, doubling Batista over! Henry then takes advantage, taking the trash can lid from Batista, THEN SMASHING HIM IN THE BACK, JOLTING HIS RIBS AND SENDING HIM DOWN! The crowd boos as Batista writhes in pain on the mat, Henry looking to take advantage by making a cover:

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Batista gets his shoulder off the mat!

Henry gives Orton a quick gaze, then gets back to his feet and goes over the goody filled trash can, pulling out a stop sign. The crowd boos as Henry looks at it, a smile on his face, before going over to Batista and SMASHING him over the back with the sign! The crowd boos as Batista rolls away, under the ropes and out to the apron, while Henry disposes of the sign and begins to stalk ‘Tista. Slowly but surely, the reigning and defending champ regains his footing on the apron, using the ropes to pull him up, leaning on them as he tries to recover ... WHEN MARK HENRY SPRINTS ACROSS THE RING AND RAMS RIGHT INTO BATISTA ... SENDING HIM CRASHING DOWN RIB FIRST INTO THE CROWD BARRIER!

The crowd gasps as Batista sickeningly lands across the steel barrier, protected only by a thin, flimsy protective layer, then sags back down to the floor, quivering in pain. Henry takes a moment to smile at his handiwork, while Randy Orton looks on from the ring, almost emotionless. Knowing the rules of a Street Fight, Henry then drops down and slides out of the ring, before covering him on the floor:

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TH – NO!

BATISTA JUST MANAGES TO KICK OUT FROM THE PIN ATTEMPT!

The crowd pops as Batista just kicks out, despite having no time to recover by being rolled back into the ring due to the element of the match, showing the passion the champion has to remain just that – the champ. Henry, of course, looks frustrated at first, before aiding Batista in getting up and RAMMING him back into the ring apron again, doing EVEN MORE damage to the ribs of ‘The Animal’, again!

Content with that, Henry rolls Batista back into the ring, then goes back under the ring, searching for more goodies ... AND PULLING OUT A TABLE! The crowd goes absolutely bonkers, the sight of a table sending them into an uproar, as always. Henry slides the table into the ring, then moves in after it, taking it across the corner and then turning it over, perhaps showing his excitement in that he fumbles with the table at first, taking his time, before finally setting it up, propped up against the top turnbuckle. Having given Batista some time now, Henry turns ... AND HE GETS SMASHED IN THE SKULL WITH THE TRASH CAN!

The items in the trash can spill out across the ring as Batista stuns Henry, causing him to stand on jelly legs ... BEFORE SLAMMING THAT TRASH CAN INTO THE HEAD OF HENRY AGAIN, BENDING IT AROUND HIS SKULL, CAUSING HIM TO STAGGER BACK INTO THE ROPES, CLEARLY OUT OF IT!

Batista looks at Henry, then disposes of the trash can, throwing it over the top rope, before roaring and charging at Henry ... KNOCKING BOTH HIMSELF, AND HIMSELF, OUT OVER THE TOP ROPE WITH A HUGE CROSS BODY THAT SENDS BOTH MEN CRASHING DOWN TO THE FLOOR WITH A THUD! The crowd goes crazy as both men lie on the floor, both feeling the effects from the fall as Randy Orton stands over both of them, looking down at his potential WrestleMania 22 opponents.

Both men take their time in recovering, Henry the quicker of the two as he picks himself up with some assistance from the announce table, while Batista uses the ring apron to claw his way back up to his feet. The two men stagger towards one another, with Henry looking for a right hand ... but Batista explodes out under it, then UNLOADS with an amazingly quick series of right hand after right hand after right hand, shocking his challenger. ‘The Animal’ isn’t anywhere near down though, taking the advantage and using it to kick Henry in the midsection, then Irish whip him when he is too out of it to reverse ... SENDING HIM INTO THE STEEL STEPS WITH A MASSIVE CRASH!

The crowd pops as Batista takes a moment to try to shake off the earlier assault from Henry, before heading over to him and lifting the top part of the steps away. The crowd cheers with ‘The Animal’ now on the prowl, waiting as Mark Henry regains his footing, then turns ... RIGHT INTO A CHARGING BATISTA WHO SMASHES HENRY IN THE HEAD WITH THE STEEL STEPS, SENDING HENRY FALLING DOWN INTO A HUNCHED OVER POSITION ON THE APRON!

Batista roars with intensity, the crowd roaring back with their excitement, before he drops the steps, then goes over and picks up the bottom part of the steps, throwing them into the ring. Despite the injured ribs, ‘The Animal’ looks to be on a rampage, now going to the timekeepers area and throwing a multitude of steel chairs towards the ring, most of which go over it and land on the ramp, with only one looking to have stayed in the ring. Having turned his attention back towards Henry, after a little bit of a struggle, Batista rolls the big man back into the ring, then slides in himself ... TO SEE HENRY ALREADY GETTING UP!

‘The Animal’ acts fast, running off to the opposite ropes, then coming back at Mark Henry ... BUT ‘THE WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN’ RUNS STRAIGHT THROUGH BATISTA LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN! Batista is down, and possibly out, having just been met by the gargantuan figure of Mark Henry running straight through him! Henry though, does not have the wherewithal to follow up immediately, staggering to the ropes and holding his head in pain, leaving both men in the contest looking like damaged goods.

As you would expect, Henry is the first to make some sort of a recovery, pulling himself away from the ropes and looking around the ring ... to spot the steel chain that fell out of the trash can earlier. As Batista is left trying to work out what has hit him, still down on the mat in a heap, a sick, twisted smile crosses the face of ‘The World’s Strongest Man’ as he marches over to the chain and bends over slowly, taking in the moment as he grabs it. The crowd boos Henry, who now lifts the chain up into the lights and looks up at it, both the steel of the chain and Henry’s eyes gleaming in the light. On the mat, Batista is still unaware of what is going on, having not yet recovered from his collision at the hands of Henry.

Mark Henry though, is fully aware of what is happening and what he is about to do as he walks up from behind Batista’s vision, with Batista now on his side, raising the chain into the air ever so slowly ... THEN BRINGING IT DOWN AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT, WHIPPING BATISTA WITH THE COLD, HARD, UNFORGIVING STEEL RIGHT IN THE RIBS! Batista jumps up in pain, but Henry isn’t done, lifting the chain up, AND SMASHING IT INTO THE RIBS OF BATISTA WITH JUST AS MUCH FORCE AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN! Henry won’t stop, deciding he will break the ribs of Batista if necessary, BREAKING THEM BIT BY BIT WITH EVERY SHOT, EVERY SINGLE SLING OF THE CHAIN INTO THE ALREADY INJURED, AND NOW SURELY BROKEN RIBS OF BATISTA!

The crowd pours the heat on as Randy Orton looks on, allowing Henry to persist with what is now just a flat out beating of the World Heavyweight Champion. Welts appear across the side of Batista ribs already, blood beginning to seep from them, as Henry continues to slam the chain into ‘The Animal’ before finally ... FINALLY ... stopping.

The damage is clearly done, ‘The Animal’ showing that by rolling around the mat, crying out in pain in perhaps his greatest showing of weakness yet. The ***** in the armour was there, and it has been exposed by ‘The World’s Strongest Man’. And boy does Henry know it, the smile back on his face as he raises the chain in the air to some tremendous heat. He then looks at it once more, then back at Batista who is at the ropes now ... BEFORE BEGINNING TO WRAP THE CHAIN AROUND HIS FIST!

The crowd knows what’s coming, trying to intervene by shouting out warnings to Batista, who is busy trying to pick himself up with the ropes. The champ, however, is too out of it to heed their advice, turning around regardless of the warnings ... TO SEE A GIANT FIST WITH A STEEL CHAIN WRAPPED AROUND IT COMING RIGHT HIS WAY ... AND SMASHING HIM SQUARE IN THE FOREHEAD!

Batista goes down like a ton of bricks, leaving Henry believing he has done enough to win the match, disposing of the steel chain before dropping down and making the cover, perhaps meaning a new champion is on the way:

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THRE – NO!

BATISTA JUST KICKS OUT!

The crowd goes apeshit as Batista lifts his shoulder off the mat at the very last minute, infuriating Henry as he gets right back up to his feet AND GETS IN THE FACE OF OUR SPECIAL GUEST REFEREE! Orton and Henry stare each other down for a moment, neither man backing down ... until Henry goes back to Batista, who we now see is BLEEDING like a faucet. The doesn’t deter Henry; in fact, if anything, the red makes him angrier as he picks Batista up and throws him out of the ring, down in front of the announce tables ... in a repeat of the Royal Rumble!

Just like a month ago, Henry goes right to work on the announce table (this time the SmackDown! one), throwing papers, monitors and cables by the wayside, clearing everything from it. Henry then turns back to the bloodied and beaten Batista, hitting him with a right hand, then laying him down across the table. ‘The World’s Strongest Man’ now heads to the Spanish announce table, yelling at out Spanish friends to scram, before again, throwing anything and everything from the table, clearing it out. Instead of going right for the kill though, Henry takes a moment to look at special guest referee Randy Orton, yelling at him “This is YOUR future!” then turning back to the table and climbing up onto it.

Henry wobbles a bit, trying to gain some balance on the somewhat flimsy table ... BEFORE CHARGING ACROSS IT, LOOKING TO JUMP OVER ONTO BATISTA’S TABLE ... BUT BATISTA EXPLODES OUT OF THE BLOCKS ... SPINEBUSTER! BATISTA SENDS HENRY RIGHT THROUGH THE TABLE WITH A HUGE, DAMN NEAR UNBELIEVABLE SPINEBUSTER THAT CAUSES THE TABLE TO BREAK UNDER THE FORCE OF BOTH MEN DRIVING THEIR WEIGHT DOWN INTO IT!

The crowd cheers this destruction rabidly (sick bastards), both men down in amongst the rabble, the chaos that they have caused. Neither man moves, leaving Randy Orton to once again stand above them both, doing nothing, perhaps in shock as to how much the World Heavyweight Championship means to both men, and what he will be facing at WrestleMania 22. Ever so slowly, Batista now begins to move, inching himself closer and closer towards Henry, before draping his hand across him in a cover:

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......1......
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THRE – NO!

MARK HENRY JUST LIFTS HIS SHOULDER UP!

Batista rolls over and lays on his back, putting his hands on his bloody forehead in both shock and a show of exhaustion, leaving both men side by side, their bodies not ready to even attempt getting up. The two men take their time, breathing in heavily, before rolling over and simultaneously staggering towards the ring and sliding in next to one another, Batista leaving a trail of blood behind him.

The two men get back up to their feet and begin to stagger towards one another, their fatigue on show for all to see as they get set to engage in battle ... THEN THROW ASIDE ALL OF THEIR PAIN, ALL OF THEIR FATIGUE BY DUKING IT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING! The pace starts off slow, but much like at the start of the match it builds up and up and up, until Batista starts to get the better of Henry, his passion to be the best shining through as he BATTERS the challengers with repeated right hand shots.

Henry is stunned, and Batista takes advantage, ramming him back into the corner, then DIGGING his shoulder into the midsection of ‘The World’s Strongest Man’ time and time again with some damn heavy shoulder thrusts. Content with the damage he has caused his foe with the shoulder thrusts, Batista backs away from the corner, holding his ribs in pain ... then charges in and SQUASHES Henry with a big time corner clothesline. Batista takes a moment to glance at the table that is propped up in the opposite corner, then looks at Henry again, before backing away and charging in to squash Henry for a second time with a corner clothesline!

Batista glances back at the table again, then looks at Henry, seeing that he’s extremely groggy ... BEFORE LOOKING TO IRISH WHIP HIM INTO IT ... BUT HENRY REVSERSES, SENDING BATISTA TOWARDS THE TABLE ... AND BATISTA STOPS JUST BEFORE HE HITS IT ... THEN TURNS BACK TO SEE A CHARGING HENRY AND SCORES WITH A BIG BOOT!

Henry is extremely groggy, staggering around the ring as Batista thinks back to SmackDown! two weeks ago ... AS HE PICKS UP THE STEEL CHAIR! The crowd cheers as Batista looks at the chair, bad intentions in his mind ... BEFORE HE SUDDENLY SLAMS IT INTO THE SKULL OF HENRY ... BUT LIKE ON SMACKDOWN!, HENRY DOESN’T FALL OVER! Batista can’t believe it, thinking surely he had Henry groggy enough ... BEFORE DECIDING TO TEE UP AGAIN AND SWING FOR THE FENCES ... ONLY FOR BATISTA TO AGAIN BE LEFT ON JELLY LEGS! Batista shakes his head, the frustration clear as he tries to formulate a plan, before backing into the ropes ... AND SWINGING WITH ALL OF HIS MIGHT ... BUT HENRY DUCKS AND RUNS OFF TO THE ROPES ... LEAVING BATISTA TO SMASH THE CHAIR INTO ORTON! THE REFEREE RANDY ORTON, THE MAN WHO WILL DECIDE THE FATE IN THIS MATCH AND IS IN NO WAY AN UNBIASED MAN, JUST HAD HIS BRAINS SCRAMBLED BY BATISTA!

The crowd doesn’t know how to react, giving a mixed reaction as Batista looks at Orton for a moment, perhaps thinking of the ramifications of what he just did, before turning ... AND BEING MET WITH AN ONCOMING HENRY, WHO SCORES WITH THE MOVE FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE POUNCE ... SENDING BATISTA FLYING THROUGH THE TABLE SET UP IN THE CORNER! HENRY SENDS BATISTA SMASHING THROUGH THE WOOD!

The crowd breaks out into a “Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!” chant as all three men, the competitors AND the referee lay in the ring, almost lifeless. Surprisingly, Randy Orton is the first to move, rolling around the mat a bit, before Henry starts to drag his tired and heavy body towards Batista, dragging him away from the wreckage before making the cover as a dazed and apparently BLOODIED Orton, perhaps unaware of what is happening, pulls himself over and makes a slow count:

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THRE – NO!

BATISTA JUST KICKS OUT, SENDING THE CROWD INTO A FRENZY!

The fan favourite manages to escape, much to the anger of Henry, who, after rolling off Batista, begins to yell at Orton, telling him to do his job properly. Henry then picks himself back up to his feet, stumbling around a bit at first to show the affect the match has had on him ... before he locks in on the steel steps that Batista threw into the ring earlier, laying by the side of the ring! The crowd gives some damn fine heat as Henry sluggishly makes his way across to them, then lifts them up into the air, and like the chain earlier, stares right into the metal for a moment. Knowing that this may be the best weapon left to use, Henry walks the steps across to the middle of the ring, then SLAMS them down to the mat with intent and malice.

Henry then makes his way over to Batista and tears away the wreckage that surrounds him, throwing bits of wood and framing out to the floor like a crazed beast. Having cleared some space, Henry picks Batista back up to his feet ... then THROWS his forehead into Batista’s with a vicious headbutt, causing him to stagger back into the corner.

Henry follows Batista right in, then UNLEASHES all of his rage, NAILING another headbutt before beginning to absolutely fucking PUMMEL Batista, hitting right hand after right hand after right hand, simply trying to smash the skull of Batista to pieces. Henry is a mad man, the intensity that originally caught Batista’s attention being on showcase here as he continues to just plain hit Batista in the head time and time again, opening the gaping wound on ‘The Animal’s forehead up even further. That isn’t enough for Henry though, as he wants a good look at it. He wants to look at the damage that he is causing, prompting him to climb up onto the second rope and continue to BATTER Batista, causing ‘The Animal’ to slowly slide down the turnbuckle, looking more and more out of it by the moment, his title reign seemingly fading away much like his consciousness ... WHEN HE SUDDENLY EXPLODES OUT OF THE CORNER WITH ALL OF HIS ENERGY, LIFTING HENRY UP .... AND QUICKLY SENDING HIM DOWN INTO THE SET UP STEEL STEPS WITH A MASSIVE BATISTA BOMB! THE HUGE FRAME OF HENRY IS SENT CRASHING DOWN INTO THE STEEL, AND WHILE HENRY MAY BE ‘THE WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN’, THE STEEL WAS STRONGER!

The reaction from the crowd is off the charts as Batista falls to his knees, a mixture of blood and sweat dripping from his forehead following that amazing display of power. Slowly but surely, on his hands and knees, the proud champion crawls across to the carcass of Mark Henry, then collapses down on it in a cover ... which Randy Orton initially does nothing about, having regained his bearings, just staring at Batista, perhaps in shock, the blood also dripping from the wound on his head, thanks to the chair shot from Batista ... before dropping to his knees and making the count:

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... ORTON LOOKS UP AT BATISTA ONE FINAL TIME, LOOKING HIM RIGHT IN THE EYE AS BATISTA STARES BACK AT HIM ...

THREE!


Winner (and still World Heavyweight Champion): Batista via pinfall @ 20:14

*I WALK ALONE*


Tony Chimel:
Here is your winner, and STILL WOOOOORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, BAAAATISTAAAAAAAA!

The crowd cheers as Batista slowly gets back to his feet, blood dripping from his face, having retained the gold.

Michael Cole:
HE DID IT! BATISTA HAS DONE IT! HE HAS RETAINED THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE! Many said he couldn’t, many said he wouldn’t, but ultimately Batista has overcome the odds, and he is going to the main event of WrestleMania 22!

Tazz:
I have to admit, I doubted Dave, but he proved me wrong here tonight. He really did unleash ‘The Animal’, and he proved why he has been champ for as long as he has been.

Batista gets back to his feet and turns to see Orton who hands him his title ... BUT ORTON HOLDS ONTO IT, NOT LETTING GO AS BOTH MEN HOLD A SIDE OF THE BELT, BLOOD DRIPPING DOWN THEIR FACE, LOOKING INTO EACH OTHER’S EYES!

Michael Cole:
Ladies and gentlemen, remember this image, Randy Orton and Batista both bloody, battling over the World Heavyweight Title, because at WrestleMania 22 the next time we’re on Pay-Per-View, you’ll be seeing just that! But for now, thanks for watching No Way Out, and we’ll see you this Friday night for all the fallout on SmackDown!.

The two former members continue their heated staredown, as we now fade to black.

End.
 
#157 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

No Way Out was awesome.

Tag Titles: Nice and love you to keep MNM running and maybe Hardy and Moore can get a run in the near future. A nice way to kick off No Way Out man.

Brent and Boogey: Didnt matter who came off with the victory but Brent seems like somebody you can push and has the strength, JBL is a good teacher for him.

Jordan and Benoit: Nice way to give a rest on like every ppv having Benoit and Booker. Awesome man. Maybe have Jordan get a title shot in the near future

Taker and JBL: Nice way to heat this feud. Hope it continues and maybe this could be headlining Wrestlemania as you stated JBL having a push, would be awesome.

Six Man Tag: Nice segment and then the match. Good for the youngsters to get a win over some veterans. Gives them some credits.

Batista and Henry: Glad you let Batista win and Orton at Batista at Mania is pretty awesome as they both got out of evolution and a feud with them would be great and maybe start a tag team after that. Saying that they are the faces of Smackdown or the WWE.

Love to see how Mania comes out and RVD and Taker seems pretty good, maybe a hardcore match like you stated having ECW as a new brand, would be alright.
 
#158 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

First of all, before i begin with my review, i have to say, good job with this. I enjoyed every match except one, and even that one wasn't half bad because of the ending result. Ok, now, i will began.

Tag Team Match: Pretty solid. I like how MNM, Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury came ontop because i believe that was the better team, between the two. Now, i am not taking anything away from Moore and Matt Hardy, but MNM won, and they deserved it.

Brent vs The Boogeyman:Typical, sqaush match in which i am kind of iffy about, however, did like you pushed Brent in the hell, but injuring Boogeyman as it seems. Good Job here, and hopefully he gets the right push


Bobby Lashley, Brian Kendrick, and Paul London vs Finlay and the BlueBloods:
Entertainment match, and i am glad you put over the team of the new guys. Pretty Soild.

Chris Benwah vs Orlando Jordan : Yeah, Chris Benoit winning is good, therefore, The United States Championship could be on the line at 'Mania. Good Job there.

Kid Kash vs Juventud:My favorite match TBH. It had me excited, and i actually pictured in my mine, of this match. Kid Kash coming out with the victory is good, but i do like Juventud.

Mr. Kennedy Vs Rey Mysterio:Now this, is what i am kind of iffy about. I mean, Kennedy going over with the win could have been awesome, but that didn't happen. However, he did go over, in ring wise, and for that, i am not mad.


JBL vs Undertaker:
I can see why you put JBL over in this match, to continue the "Feud" into 'Mania.

Batista vs Mark Henry:Glad you didn't pick Mark Hnery to win. Yes, i'll love to see him win a championship, but him facing Orton and 'Mania would be so fucked. I mean, no backgroud, no nothing. So having Batista retain, job well done.
 
#160 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Nige’s No Way Out Feedback

No pressure or anything, but I’m expecting a quality show!

I’m not a believer in opening videos for pay-per-views. They don’t really do anything for me, but I would say that I was glad you mentioned the all important upcoming WrestleMania in there. Obviously a lot is riding on several outcomes tonight and we’ll see the WrestleMania card come together somewhat. That’s also something to look forward to. The video was very clear and formatted well so we knew what was being said and what we were supposed to see. That particular format as good as I have seen for any similar video package.

The intro was good, and I think you did the right thing in spending most time hyping up Randy Orton’s role in the main event. I don’t think I’ve seen a WrestleMania challenger referee a No Way Out title match, and there’s a lot of intrigue in to how he interacts with Batista. The only problem is, the outcome of the match is all too predictable, so that takes some of the excitement away as we all know Orton’s not going to screw him out of the title.

Damn, I should’ve known the tag title match would open the show. I think I went with Benoit/Jordan in my predictions, and that was a bad move, just like picking Essendon last weekend against the Eagles in my accumulator. Bad times! Anyway, the hype from Cole about Matt & Moore’s history and comparing their bond to MNM’s was a good idea to talk up their chances. I thought the early going was good booking in terms of getting Moore over and make him look good despite the crowd’s pleas for Matt, as well as getting MNM even angrier by slapping them both. That was a good move to get some serious heat in to the match right off the bat. Moore’s early offence was good for him but it made Hardy look a bit stupid when Nitro quickly took away his momentum. It was a good momentum changer though as it captured Nitro’s anger well and allowed him to stomp the holy hell out of Matt, and then choking him to get that point across. I was surprised that Moore was put on a stretcher so early in to the match, but it was a decent idea to put a lot of heat on MNM and help the crowd really get behind Matt in the hope of a major upset. As we got to the closing stages, Matt’s comeback was good and realistic, and Nitro’s super kick to bring it to a halt just when it looked like the upset was on the cards was the ultimate moment killer. It was a great way to turn it back round in favour of the champions and to ultimately win them the match. It was a decent opener, and even though you did a good job with Matt sucking it up and looking in with a shot at the end, the inevitability of MNM retaining became all too obvious when Moore was stretchered out. I was waiting for him to tough it out and come back to make a contest of it, but that obviously didn’t happen.

Nice little teaser by showing Orton arrive in the arena. Getting everyone thinking about him and what he could do so early in the show is a smart move.

Kid Kash’s interview was very good and did a good job of getting his reaction to the possibility of him losing the title on a count out or DQ. I liked the comment about Teddy Long having his buddies as it certainly showed that Kash isn’t worried about mincing his words. In the first line from Matthews, “Kid Kash, after last month attacking Juventud and putting him on the sidelines with a concussion, you’re finally forced to face him one on one in a match where if you get counted out or disqualified, you will lose your Cruiserweight Title to Juventud.” I don’t think you needed to say the last couple of words as you already mentioned Juve and it didn’t sound right. Anyway, Kash came over really well and the history being brought up definitely helped us see the heat between the two men.

Wow, I can honestly say I never expected Albright to make Boogeyman tap and win within minutes. Putting aside the fact Albright was made to look awesome here, it was something that I wouldn’t want to see on a pay-per-view. It was kind of a cop out, and if I was watching this having ordered it, I wouldn’t be too happy. It was great for Albright against a big guy like Boogeyman, no doubt about that, but I don’t think this would have been popular in real life.

Finlay’s interview was really good. He came over as being very focused and incredibly determined, really selling his rivalry with Lashley. His character was great and matched Finlay when he was at his best. Having him not just address Lashley but Londrick was important as it was all about him & Lashley, and with the Bluebloods not talking, it would just reinforce the question as to why they & Londrick are even in the match. Good hype for the match and a damn good interview from Finlay.

Saturday Night’s Main Event getting some hype is always good. The main event between two champs is big, but we’ve seen the WWE go down the same road and make the show look like a waste. Make sure you don’t put on a show just for the sake of it.

I was sceptical as you know about the decision to make the six man tag team match, and I have to say that I didn’t like Finlay backing away from starting the match with Lashley. It’s something you would associate with a cowardly heel, certainly not Finlay, and even more so when you think back to his interview moments ago where he was describing what he was going to do Lashley. Getting Lashley off to a strong start was important as the match in essence was all about him, and when it did come to a halt, it was a nice resourceful and effective counter from Burchill. The flow of the match worked well, but I was amazed at the ending. I honestly didn’t see Lashley winning this by beating Finlay. I thought we’d have to wait a while and that you’d make it a big deal in a singles match. Given the fact he pinned Finlay clean, it surprises me even more that this wasn’t a singles match.

CM Punk coming to Smackdown is going to be huge, I feel it. It looks like you’re going down the usual route of The ‘Straight Edge’ Superstar for his debut and competition is his only addiction. It’s a good gimmick and I’m very much looking forward to seeing his debut, and to seeing if he will be a face or a heel.

JBL’s promo was very short but the point was made. I thought maybe you could’ve included Albright in this to make it longer and justify it a bit more, or have JBL talk about how he’s dominated Taker as of late because that’s a big deal going in to this. It was something different to just another interview like TNA do and some bookers do though.

The video package for the Benoit/Jordan match was again very clear, and you included all the right things. You didn’t overdo it and put a lot in to it like you could have, and it hyped the match up well. I have to ask why Jordan came out to Booker’s music, especially considering Booker & Sharmell weren’t there. I don’t understand why Booker wouldn’t be there either as there’s a hell of a lot riding on it, and Jordan is his protégé. I loved that you teased a quick win for Benoit again, but with Albright already getting one earlier, this was never an option. It was still funny though! Benoit’s fight back was intense, and you could really feel each chop. That was the best way to bring him back in to it. I never thought that I’d get in to this match, but I did. Jordan looked like a legit threat, and no more so than when he hung in the cross face at the end for ages. Before that, I thought the ref bump was well done in its execution and purpose. Some bumps are overdone, but this allowed Booker & Sharmell to get involved. It all led to a nervy and exciting finish, and gave Benoit the chance to take the world record for most german suplexes ever done by one man in one match. Seriously, there were loads of them! I began to question whether Benoit would win, and I liked that you used pretty much everything you could in the crutch and the belt, and it helped as Benoit defied them all to come out victorious. It was a great fighting display from him, and Jordan too. Jordan came a long way in this match, but Benoit’s win was the most important thing before, after and during. I also liked the show of respect afterwards too, and bring on Benoit/Jordan at Mania. This was by far the best match of the night so far.

Again, some good little segments backstage to hype their respective matches.

The Kash/Juventud promo also did a good job like it did on Smackdown to highlight their feud, and again it was very clear and easy to follow.

It was a good way to start the match off with Juventud letting everyone know just how angry he is, and it also showed us that Kash was taken by surprise. It gave him something to think about too, and you made the match a must see even before the bell started. I also thought it was good that you put Kash in that situation from him being so confident as we knew it was going to be tough for him with Super Crazy & Psychosis at ringside too. Kash’s quick reaction to take advantage was good and made it a real contest with them then battering the shit out of each other. The elbow and then the Air Juvi was a great spot too. I really liked that. Kash’s aggression throughout when he had the initiative was good, none more so than he was slapping the hell out of Juve and battered his head in to the turnbuckle, and the description was well detailed too. When Kash was dictating the match for so long, I felt he could maybe have been a tad more frustrated than he was. I always enjoy it when you think the face is about to turn it round, and the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker from Kash sure as hell had a lot of impact. When Juve did get back in to it with the sit out facebuster, it was a shame that they were both down for so long as I would have liked Juve to come back flying and put Kash on the back foot. The fight you had Juve put up was amazing at times. The german to the back of his head was sickening and I was expecting lights out for not just the challenger to the match there and then, and that created even more tension, making it an exciting finish when Kash missed the double jump moonsault. The super kick out of nowhere came as a shock, as did the fact Kash stayed on his feet, but it was a great set up for the Liger Bomb. I thought that might well of been that, but I’m glad you had Juve take that extra risk like he surely would, only to crash and burn. I think maybe you went over the top with the finish from Kash despite it fitting his sadistic character. Juve was dead to the world anyway and Kash had it wrapped up without having to resort to the drastic measures that he did. Another good match, but I think the Benoit/Jordan one had the edge.

Kennedy’s promo before the match set the tone well, and the “former midget champion” was funny. The start of the match was the classic Rey scenario, take some shit and catch his opponent half guard. There’s nothing wrong with that as it shows you straight away that you can’t underestimate Mysterio. The flow of the match was good throughout with Kennedy pretty much dictating and Rey hanging on. Kennedy dominated for longer than I thought, and when Rey got back in to it, it wasn’t for all that long. The step up enziguri was a good move to put in there, and the counter from the tornado DDT to put Kennedy back in charge and generate heat was clever. The build up to the finish was fast and furious, very entertaining to read, and Kennedy showed the frustration that I thought Kash should have when he told Rey to stop being a hero. The counter to the West Coast Pop was really good, and I thought that you could’ve wrapped it up there and then with The Mic Check instead of a roundhouse kick. I didn’t expect a few more of the momentum changes, and I definitely didn’t see the finish coming. I’m amazed Rey pulled it off, but if anyone could, it was Rey. He pulled off the underdog gimmick perfectly here, but I can’t help but wonder how Kennedy is going to react to this. They surely can’t have a rematch at Mania. Also, a near 30 minute match that isn’t a main event on a show where there are eight matches is a bit much. Still, a good match that really kicked in to life in the closing stages and a jaw dropping finish.

I think you had to include some sort of promo to get Orton’s thoughts about his role in the main event as that’s the main talking point of the night. It was clever in the sense that he didn’t rule anything out but implied that he would leave it to destiny. “I have a feeling that tonight, regardless of whether or not I do my job, destiny, will do its.” I don’t know why the “its” was in there at the end?

Where the other matches started fairly quickly, this didn’t, and with the way JBL’s been getting over on Taker, I’d have expected the dead man not to be so patient. I did have a chuckle at the feigned right hand and JBL hitting the mat. That was funny and got the reaction you would expect from JBL, and that finally got the match going. It was typical of JBL and believable that he would go for the Clothesline From Hell so early when he got the chance, but he was never going to hit it and rightfully so. I thought the counter to the old school was very effective in that it allowed him to take charge of the match from there. The viciousness of JBL where he drew blood from Taker seemed a bit random being that it came quite late in the match and had no real relevance. To be fair, the match then went on longer than I expected. There were some great counters, and the stand out was the running DDT from the dead man. You’ve clearly got a good imagination when it comes to the counters. The ref bump was fine, and I don’t particularly mind seeing a couple in one night as they’re an effective tool. Any more than two is overkill, but two’s fine. I have to say this is why I both love and hate being unfamiliar with threads as I have no idea why RVD screwed The Undertaker. I can’t wait to find out though, which is the good thing as I have no idea what to expect. What a brave man Mr. Van Dam is. Taker/RVD at Mania sounds good to me. Nice touch with the quick Teddy Long interview too. Offering him the spot on Smackdown to explain is sensible and announcing it now already makes us want to see Smackdown so much.

Like most of the matches, I loved the fast and ferocious start. With the rivalry that I’ve seen between Henry & Batista, and given what’s at stake, it makes sense for them to go at it before the bell. That immediately made everyone sit up and take note as well as making the point that Batista is in for one hell of a fight, just in case they somehow forgot about that. Henry really was dominant for a long time, and that made Batista’s comeback all the more impressive and exciting for the crowd. With the table looming, it was vital and more effective when he managed to avoid it. The brutality definitely helped the match and it sure as hell helped Batista get back in to it, and the steel steps in particular. When Henry took control again and got the two count after the shot with the chain, I was glad that you had him & Orton have an exchange to tease the possibility that it wouldn’t just be one sided between Orton & Batista. The spinebuster as a counter through the announce table was a great spot too, and sure would get the crowd going. HOLY HELL! The chair shot on Orton was awesome and I didn’t see that coming. By having Batista knock Orton out with the chair, you brilliantly teased the possibility further of Orton screwing him over. When Henry only got a two count later and told Orton to do his job, you’d have expected more of a reaction from Orton. The ending came out of nowhere but it was brilliant. You found a way to have Batista hit the Batista Bomb without having to lift Henry, which he wouldn’t have been able to do had Henry not been on the ropes. It was a great finish, although the aftermath was a bit of a let down. With Batista in such a bad way, Orton had the perfect chance to hit the RKO and send him a defiant message, even after they fought over the title.

Overall, the show was written very well. The format was clear and very easy to read, especially the recaps. I thought the show only got going from the Benoit/Jordan match, although I'm less bothered now than I was last night about Moore’s presence or lack of it in the opener. The Albright/Boogeyman match was something I just wouldn’t expect or want to see on a PPV. The ending to the six man tag team match further confused me as to why it wasn’t just Finlay & Lashley one on one. I’m not bothered as some may be with Rey beating Kennedy as it gives you the chance to book an angry and now undefeated Kennedy. I’m not all that fussed by the ref bumps either. Benoit/Jordan was the highlight for me as it wasn’t just a damn good match, it surprised me and made Jordan look very credible. The RVD run in also stands out as something that is going to be big heading in to Mania. With Taker/RVD, Batista/Orton & Benoit/Booker all pretty much nailed on, it looks like being one hell of a show. Judging by the quality of the writing of this show, I think you’re going to blow people away with Mania. Great job my man.

 
#161 ·
Re: WWE: The Platinum Era

Melvisboy's No Way Out Feedback

Hey man. Sorry I'm late with this, I've just been so overloaded with work atm.

A good video package to start. Nothing special, but it addressed all the ongoing situations and hyped it all up that little bit more.

A very enjoyable opener, I thought. MNM winning was entirely the right decision, imo, but you certainly did a good job of making Hardy look very strong by lasting so long on his own. The Moore spot with the Superkick to the back of the head was just sick, I love it. I wish I could have seen it in real life, tbh, it was brutal to read, amazing to see, no doubt. Plus, you had MNM retain by basically flat out cheating with Nitro's Superkick, which really gets them over as the cheating bastards which they played so well. I would say that I thought your ALL-CAPS were a bit weird in places, tbh - I think you had 'Hardy THROWS some punches', or something to that effect. Just a bit strange to have that capitalised. I had no real qualms with the match content other than the plethora of eager pinfalls Nitro had to kick out of at the beginning. I get the feeling that Moore would really want to pay back Nitro for the hell he's put him through, and winning the match might have moved to the back of his mind a bit more, tbh. Other than that, the match itself would have been an entertaining watch. There were a few minor spelling errors, and a couple of long-winded sentences, but nothing that we haven't all done in the past. A strong start...

Josh Matthews:
Kid Kash, after last month attacking Juventud and putting him on the sidelines with a concussion, you’re finally forced to face him one on one in a match where if you get counted out or disqualified, you will lose your Cruiserweight Title to Juventud. Your thoughts?
Wasn't particularly necessary to add that bit, but tbh, I doubt it was intentional. I re-read through my Armageddon the other day, and I'd made dozens of similar mistakes. I was surprised no-one picked up on them, tbh. This segment was beautifully written, excellent characterization of the cocky Kid Kash. I love it. Especially loved the line about the 'dictatorship' on SD, nice touch. Great promo.

The Bottomless Pit? I'm going there on holiday this year. I hear it's nice. I felt we could have used a bit of description on the crowd reaction for Boogeyman, if I'm honest, so I could get a feel for just how the crowd is reacting to him. Frankly, I don't envy you one bit for the writing of this match. It's not an easy one to write, tbh.

Oh yes. Oh fuck yes. I love it. Albright SQUASHES the Boogeyman. I damn love it. Brilliant booking. Really gets Albright over as a total badass, and writes Boogey so far out of action, you never have to use him again if you don't want to. Really makes Brent's Crowbar looks like a beast, too. Well done.

I'm not high on Finlay physically admitting that he lost, especially as it didn't really lead anywhere. Being the tough heel he is, I kinda feel he shouldn't be admitting he was ever beaten in combat, it takes away from his badassness.

The only difference between all of those other times an’ tonight is that tonight, he’s bringin’ two of his little friends to the party, an’ this time, I’m not just shootin’ to knock the kid out ... I’m shootin’ to win.
I think you're looking for 'playing to win', tbh, unless you do it differently in Australia. If that's the case, apologies, I've never been there. Other than that, a decent promo, nothing mind-blowing, but it served its purpose with hyping the feud up. Fair enough.

Haha, oops. I thought it was a 'Mania ad, it was SNME. Dear me. Anyway, that should be a good'un. Batista vs Edge should be good. Henry vs Edge seems somewhat unlikely, I think.

Cole running through Lashley was helpful. Thanks. A fair few people use him in their threads, I get mixed up. :$ Lashley eliminating Show and Kane was pretty beastly, no two ways about it. Certainly interesting that Finlay would decide not to fight Lashley after the previous interview, but it does show how wily he is, waiting for the right moment to try to capitalise and do one over on Lashley again. Nice to see you acknowledge Regal's striking power with that left arm, it goes without saying he's got some real power in it. Shame he wasn't in for longer, tbh, but again, it shows how much Finlay is a heel by the fact he's only ready to fight on his terms, which is a nice touch on your part. Very nice to see you following the usual tag team formula, with a bit of entertaining offence at the beginning for the faces, prior to the inevitable isolation. I'm glad you followed that. It would have been nice to have a bit of description about the referee admonishing the men who came in illegally, because he would have done that, surely. Certainly a crowd-pleasing finish, with Finlay getting his comeuppance, not just for trying to use the shillelagh, but for how he's been playing Lashley about, too. Makes me think you have different plans for both men heading into Mania. Ooh, I'm imaging Lashley with a very shiny briefcase, but he seems a bit above that. Hm. Time will tell. Good match, btw, I enjoyed reading it.

Well, it's taken me forever to get back to it, but it's time to get going again. Massive apologies for my huge lateness. Sorry! :D Anyway, let's get back to business. Punk vignette was pretty good, should be good to see him on SmackDown. Looking forward to it.

JBL's promo was short, but it's fair to say it got the point across, about how he's really quite cocky and relaxed regarding his match - the fact that he can be so relaxed when he has to face Taker himself later speaks volumes for his character, so nice job there. Might have been nice for him to talk a bit about how he's done Undertaker a treat a lot recently, just to get over just how much JBL's been on top, and to get over a bit more that JBL's a real cocky bastard. Still, served its purpose, and the massages were a nice touch.

See, I know you've said I don't have to finish this, but I feel that I really should, plus the fact that it's an enjoyable read. So tough. I'm finishing it. It's about time I repayed the numerous reviews you've given me.

The Benoit-Booker video package did a terrific job of getting across to me what's happened so far in the rivalry. Good stuff.

You showed some great knowledge of the likely in-ring psychology at the beginning of the match here with the submission attempts - you showed how Benoit was almost taking OJ lightly cause of the previous victories, plus having OJ quite wary of them, because he doesn't want to suffer the same fate as the last three times. Very nicely done here to play on their history. The rest of the match was also good, especially the Booker-ference, which felt very smooth and I could see it happening. OJ's struggle in the Crossface was fantastic to read - the emotion in it was brilliant. You made OJ seriously credible here by getting across his will and desire to not tap out to Benoit again, and it really stood out. Nice one.

*sigh* Taking it one match at a time. :p I'll get there. And btw, can't believe I got beaten by Stoj in the predo's. I demand a recount, tbh, this isn't possible.
 
#163 ·
I don't really comment much around these parts anymore, kind of lost my passion for BTB, yet this is one of the threads that I've always tried my best to keep up with.

News and notes looked pretty good, although regarding No Way Out, I think you made a few mistakes, as me not getting first in predictions contest is a travesty.

Anyway, good to see this back, hurry with the preview, thanks.

Collingwood > Geelong to.
 
#166 ·
Nice name you got there 8*D -- Sometimes the simplest of names are the most effective such as Wolfie's "Be the Booker"... can't be any more simpler or broad then that but it works. And to be honest, never really digged the whole Platnium thing but that's just me.

You're thread is now on it's home stretch to Wrestlemania where you have to really step it up, the weeks leading into it making new feuds and making others more personal- It's not the easiest few weeks to write, I can tell you that from experience but it's a lot of fun.

Lots of good matches already confirmed and will be made, such as Orton and Batista with the whole who really was the Evolution star can be used will be great along with RVD and Undertaker which imo should be held in some sort of gimmick match where RVD can showcase his high flying and old ECW\Hardcore maneuvers for a fun match along with MITB which is always good. I'm not to fond though of it being 8 people, too much of a clusterfuck imo and it's difficult to write let alone picture in your head, six is the most effective but that's me. Booker T and Benoit also have lots of history seeing as you can use the fact that they also did a best of series' in the old WCW (I can't remember who won that though) and that could be used in promos.

JBL should slide away from the whole Undertaker and RVD scenario and get into his own feud heading into mania and his own match, imo him facing Albright or Henry should be a good idea. And the whole Kid Kash thing can be used well to debut a cruiserweight of your'e chosing- Kash can use the whole "I am the best, I beat ever cruiser' there is around Smackdown! and anyone in the world that wants to take me on can" (makes an open challenge) and you bring someone in. debuting them. (AJ Styles imo would be epic)

Other then that, best of luck and I'll pop in again once shows are up.
 
#175 ·
Raw Feedback​

Nice video package to open the show, reminded me of exactly what happened on the last Raw.

Vinnie Mac wasn’t bad to start off with, pretty in character, although this whole DX thing doesn’t interest me in the slightest, atm, therefore I didn’t find it that entertaining. One thing I didn’t get is Vince claims that DX are just like the people, because the people only wish that they could do stuff to their boss, yet then, a moment later, he says last week DX did stuff to him. A bit dodgy, tbh. The Coach as GM, even if only for one night is awesome, I’m expecting good shit.

I really couldn’t picture Vinnie Mac telling Coach that he’s the boss either. McMahon loves the power.

Coach was pretty good on the mic, all cocky and arrogant like his usual self. :lmao at him owning Styles to, good shit. Simon Dean on commentary? Definitely wasn’t expected, however I do love the choice, as Dean has the perfect character to be an annoying prick.

The rest of Coach’s promo was pretty good to, I can’t really complain with anything you’ve done here. Angle and ‘the best thing in this thread’ Helms being in action is only going to make the show even better.

Ugggh, DX. Typical face Triple H promo, which in translation means I really didn’t enjoy it.

Shawn was the same as Trips, boring.

Handicap match? Oh boy, this never happened IRL in 2006. Please end this soon.

Honestly, the match seemed like it was dominated by Triple H, which was not a good thing for your tag division, unless you just glossed over the parts where the RWC were dominating. Anyway, glad you didn’t have Trips win.

If Dean’s just going to relate every superstar to the Simon System he’s going to get boring pretty fast.

:lmao at Venis getting his own locker room. Benji/Haas situation continues to intrigue me, this segment was pretty good.

I love the way you write Flair. Honestly, first time you wrote Flair, probably wasn’t that great, you’ve improved immensely. As for Chavo, “oh we’re friends” blah blah blah, pretty much same shit he said the other week, so seemed pointless. Flair carried this though, so definitely still a decent enough segment.

The tag title match up was a little dull to read, although it was to be expected. RWC need to get involved with your titles some time soon.

RVD. This is a man I want to hear from.

Coach was fairly epic again, trying to hit on Torrie and the horse. Shelton coming was alright, and well, really, Benji in MITB is always good with his athleticism, so I’d expect it.

Helms is ‘da fuckin man’. Great interview, I love his attitude. If he’s not headlining next years ‘Mania, you’ve fucked up somewhere.

Good win for ‘da man’ to, made him look like a million bucks.

Trish seemed way to much like a face here for my liking. It’s obvious the slow turn is coming for her, yet you had hints of it, but I think there should have been a little more arrogance here. It was still to nice for my liking.

RVD still playing the face for now? Okay, cool. I’m sure when he heads to SD that will change. Another good segment here.

I don’t like your ‘Mania poster. :p

Oh hey, just as the show is getting good, will throw a pointless little DX segment in there. Terrible, imo. I really hope you have some kind of twist planned, because I don’t think I can handle this stuff until ‘Mania.

Good win for the WGTT, although I don’t understand how Haas could pick up the victory if he wasn’t the legal man. I know they fuck up like that IRL, but in btb, I expect better. :p

The Bashams? Okay. The juries out on them in this thread, hopefully they are just temporary though.

Eddie in HOF is most obvious choice. (Y)

Angle’s intensity was portrayed beautifully here, which is good, because I’d felt as if you’d over done it a couple of times in the past. This triple threat situation has been awesome so far, and continues to do so.

‘lito/Masters interview was nothing special, but did its job.

I predict Mickie is going to murder Trish’s friend.

Match write up of the night here, so I’m happy you’re giving your Divas some appreciation. A big win for Trish, and now she’s done with Vickie, I’m hoping she turns heel. As for Vickie, please don’t forget about her.

Crazy Mickie. Oh boy!

Big attack with the heels at the end, yet it’s the same crap with DX all the time, and it just doesn’t interest me.

Michaels facing both the McMahon’s in time makes things even worse for me. :(

Overall, minus the DX stuff, Raw is looking pretty damn good at the moment. I really enjoyed all aspects of the show, I feel as if your writing has really improved, which is good since ‘Mania is coming soon, yet I will say this show lacked that one big promo (opener doesn’t count because it bored me). Would have loved to have heard more from RVD, and I guess Cena/Edge could have had an interview or something, but besides those minor issues, DX is the only big one, it was a good/great show. Keep it up, brah.
 
#176 · (Edited)
Nice little preview in the begining. Sets the scene nicely for those who need to catch up with past shows :eek:

tbh, Styles shouldn't really say "Hi, I'm Joey Styles and I'm the voice of ECW..." Didn't Lawler hate him and ECW at that time, when they brought it in later in the year and Styles quit his job one a Raw show... then Coach came in... Anywho, no big deal.

SHADDAP! 8*D I love it. I could really picture Vince saying it in that sort of accent. Vince's promo so far to oepn the show is a very good one, everything he is saying is too character.

Guess the inmates aren't running the Asylm after all? Coach... Seems interesting.

Da-fuck is Simon Dean doing commentary for? I am sure it wasn't just something random that you thought of on the spot to fill up some show time.. Kowing you, you'll make something out of this worthwhile.

Mentioning the Attitude Era? I thought us IWC made that term up... hmmm... not sure how kayfabe/realism that sentence was.

Overal, decent promo. Got it's point across.

I must applaud your decision on making the ******* Wrecking Crew win the opening match, the fact that they won meant that they are a real team and Vince's word means something and Triple H isn't just walking over him in this feud like he is nothing. It did two things, whereas if Triple H won, it would make them look weak as a team and Vince look weak. So props to you.

Simon Dean in commentary isn't all that bad. He may become a regular until JR comes back.

Please do push Benjamin, it looks like he may turn heel on Hass and attack him. I may not be thinking in the same booking direction you are but I see you making tension between the two so they cuold have a match against eahc other at Wrestlemania which will probably steal the show.

Surprised this wasn't a squash match. tbh, too many tag team/ handicap/multi man matches booked for tonight.

The match itself was decent, could have gone a bit longer though. I hope you do, do something in the single's department with Chavo and not a jobber.

:roflmao: strawberry.

I'm not sure if it was a typo but "Noice Guy" made me chuckle.

Looks like Benjamin/Hass might happen in the MITB match. Please don't do a WM 26 and have 10 people going in all directions and a huge clusterfuck. Keep it at six.

This ammount of Benjamin air time might mean you are planning on doing something with him, just please don't bring in his mumma' 8*D

I've heard your a huge Helms fan. I see great things for him. Maybe the MITB itself.

RVD should have gotten some more air time, I thought you would have him talk in the ring abotu why he did what he did to the Undertaker and that he wants to prove himself etc. But he may appear on Smackdown and do that.

Basham Brothers? Now that is interesting. Two awesome tag teams. Maybe they will jump Benjamin in his MITB qualifier next week, and Benjamin and Hass HAVE to organise things between them and make it happen again to get revenge. Their encounter which will most likely be at Mania will be epic.

Woo~! Eddie. Just please don't give Rey a "Feel sorry for me I was his best friend" push like the E' did. Do something different or nothing at all...

Divas... Yawn. (no offense, but I always skip them in any thread)

Nice Masters and Carlito prep talk'- however unlike the HHH match I feel something fishy may come about this and Vince may screw Shawn as he is about to win or send more people down to beat him up before HHH makes the save. Let's see how this pans out.

Once again Divas... I'll just skip this... Carrying on...

Wait what happened to the main event... Grrr ... Seriously though, Shawn/Shane should be a good match, SHane can actually go in the ring and I am sure the match won't go off without run ins and tons of interfeerances. About the jumping from behind, it was quite obvious, either during the match or before the match something was going to happen, but it was good that it did because it sets the scene for next week and makes things interesting as Bischoff returns. Who ia m sure isn't going to be pleased about everything, and may make a huge 8 man tag match .. something like DX + Kane/Big Show (or a face team) against the four that jumped them. Or heck a four on two handicap match for that matter may work too.

Overal an above average show, the Road to Wrestlemania looks to be a great one. With only a few kinks and bumps along the way that I mentioned in this post, and that Edge/Cena should have done a promo. it was still a great show. 7.5/10. Keep it up, and thanks for reviewing me the other day. 8*D
 
#177 ·
Raw Feedback

Nice recap of past events at the start of the show.

Kicking off with McMahon? Ok, McMahon was totally in character with the whole “I’ll fire whoever is responsible for this”. Coachman as the interim general manager for one night should be interesting, I guess. Don’t really think McMahon would refer to coach as boss but whatever. Simon Dean should be a decent replacement, he has the character that everyone will love to hate so I can see him being a real asshole throughout the night. Triple H coming out was to be expected and I’m not totally convinced that DX rejoining is good at this time, hopefully you have either Michaels or Trips turn heel which leads to a match at Mania. This was a decent opening promo, managed to set up two matches, although I don’t enjoy handicap matches all that much. Okay start to the show.

Thank god you had The ******* Wrecking Crew win because I’ve seen too many times Triple H winning handicap matches. Triple H looked good in defeat because he got pretty good amount of offense in and Wrecking Crew got a good win over a main event player; even if it was a handicap match.

Gotta’ say, I really liked this backstage segment with Benjamin and Haas. Venis getting his own locker room was pretty lolworthy, while Benjamin has to share with Charlie. Was a good segment which moved this whole Charlie wanting to team but Benjamin not wanting to storyline along. Liking what your doing with Haas and Benjamin so far.

Ric and Chavo interview was decent. I don’t think Kane and Big Show will lose the straps just yet. Perhaps a Championship match at Mania between the two teams? Ric was seemingly in good character in the interview.
The match was decent for what it’s worth. For some reason I can see Chavo turning heel soon and challenging Ric for the Intercontinental Title. Hopefully you can get some other teams involved in the tag team title picture as Kane and Show need some other challengers apart from Ric and Chavo.

Coach getting the special treatment with the strawberries was pretty funny. I’m really liking the way your using Shelton in this thread and I hope this Charlie/Benjamin storyline has a good pay off. Shelton in money in the bank would be pretty good, it’d make for some really entertaining spots as he’s so athletic.
Pretty great interview from Helms. I love how he’s became a main talking point in this thread. He’s already my pick to win Money in the Bank, and there’s not even anybody else in the match yet.

Squash match? I don’t really like matches where some unknown jobber is involved, would’ve been better if you booked him against someone on the roster.

I like how your giving the divas some mic time as if they don’t get mic time then people will stop caring. Kinda’ how things have gone in real life, right about now. Mickie Vs Trish at Mania seems a lock to happen and I don’t have any complaints about it. I just hope you don’t forgot about Victoria after Trish/Vickie match.

I didn’t really this backstage segment with RVD and Coach. The dialogue was fine but I wanted to see RVD have a promo in the ring to explain his actions tonight. So now, RVD can’t appear on Smackdown to give an explanation? I think you should’ve had RVD cut a promo in the ring on RAW, and not just have him in a backstage segment.

Was a decent match between WGTT and Snitsky & Tomko. Basham’s attacking and laying out both WGTT may be the thing that truly unites Shelton and Charlie. I’m not usually a big fan of the Bashams but I’ll wait and see what they can do in this thread.

I really, really enjoyed the hall of fame induction package for Eddie. Really great package that documented his success in Mexico, then Japan before the U.S. I’m the same as you in that Eddie was a character who was able to draw me into everything he did. Good job on the video.

So, Val Venis got his own locker room and he loses in ten seconds? Lol. I’m liking the way your booking the triple threat thing with Cena, Edge and Angle. Although I would’ve liked some mic time for Edge and Cena but that’ll probably happen next week.

Good to see a divas match get that amount of time and with two women who can flat out go, it didn’t seem like it was too much. I like how your making the divas division matter.

Mickie with blood on her top? I can totally picture that, crazy Mickie Vs Trish seems the way to go so far.
Well, I did not expect this as an ending to RAW. But nonetheless, I like how your putting attention on RWC and Masters/Carlito in this whole DX/McMahon thing. Michaels against Shane at SNME should be pretty good. We’ve seen Shane can work really well in street fights and Michaels should be a good opponent. Vince and Shawn main eventing RAW next week? I expect a screwy finish tbh.

Overall, I thought this was a good show. I enjoyed mostly everything on the show with one or two exceptions. I do think though, that this show was lacking something, that one big moment or something. Road to WrestleMania seems to be really heating up and I can’t wait to read more. Good luck and keep it up, man.
 
#179 ·
Raw Feedback

Cheers for the video package, I was a bit hazy. Would have looked lush, too - good description.

Coach not at the announce table is intriguing, but I'm guessing he'll turn up later for whatever reason. Styles and King's commentary flowed really nicely, it was just really smooth. Nice stuff. My only slight qualm is the mention of ECW when, tbh, it's not really called for on Raw.

I love the irony of having McMahon come out first on a show when there's supposedly no authority. You got over the impatient, grumpy edge to his character very nicely, and you did a fantastic job of the rest of his character, too, threatening the fans and whatnot. Really good stuff - and it continued, too, with the insults towards both the crowd and DX, which I thought worked very well, especially as McMahon's the kinda thing who uses that kind of insult, running down the crowd cause they're poor and spineless, etc, etc. Good stuff. Loved the 'oh no' from Joey Styles, what I would have given to see his face in real life at that moment as it slowly dawned on all of us.

Coach and McMahon worked well here together, I think, it was just as I would imagine it would be like on TV. I confess I don't know who Simon Dean is :)eek:), but I'm guessing it was just to get a heel presence at the announce table to cover for Coachman. Fair enough, though I feel like he could have just turned up after the break 'at the orders of the temporary GM', seeing as it's the kind of thing to cool down the crowd, a different announcer arriving. Still, it's not a massive issue. We already knew about the title matches and whatnot, tbh, it doesn't seem necessary to mention them again, and the rant on Angle seemed a bit out of the blue, which made all of Coach's announcements feel very separate to me, as if they were all just shoved in willy-nilly - it just didn't flow very well. Maybe I'm just nitpicking, ah well.

DX's involvement was very good here, and you got a genuine laugh out of me with the bit about Coach's head being stuck up Vince's ass. Plus, you certainly made HBK and HHH seem different with their separate bits, whereas someone else might have made them seem quite similar in the way they spoke - there was definitely two different characters there, and that was really good. Handicap matches should be ok, though not massively original, and it would have been nice to see a bit of description on how DX had reacted to this, tbh. Either way, this whole segment, from McMahon to Coach to DX to eventual match, flowed very well from speaker to speaker, so I applaud you. Although, it kinda sucks we have a GM for the night, seeing as no authority makes for some crazy superstars with free reign, i.e Angle/Cena/Edge. We shall see how you deliver on that.

Good match. You kept all three guys looking good, and by having Tripper come up short, you don't make the RWC look like jobbers, and the Game still looks like he can take guys out, seeing how well he performed in the match. As for the writing itself, you had the knowledge of how this kind of match would go, with HHH doing some good stuff early on, being isolated, countering a few double teams, losing unluckily... you had it down to a tee. Nice job. Couldn't have booked it better myself.

:lmao at Haas in general. Great segment, great character, very intriguing storyline. Can't wait to see where it goes eventually. I love it.

Characters of Flair and Guerrero were great here. I could imagine the whole thing in my head, and the interview served its purpose very well in hyping up the match for the tag team titles later. Couldn't have asked for more, nicely booked.

The commentary during Kane and Show's entrance was particularly good. Dean certainly livens it up, though I loved King's reply to him. Commentary has been excellent so far, tbh, which isn't something I normally pick up on at all, but I've enjoyed it in this show.

Kane and Show weren't gonna lose the titles on Raw, obviously, but considering their size, and how hard it is to make guys look good against them, Flair and Chavo looked pretty strong at the end, even in defeat. A bit of description might have been nice on how the referee reacted to Show's illegal entry, but whatever. A solid match, and I can only imagine Chavo will, at some point, turn heel on Flair and feud with him for the IC Title, but for now, they looked pretty solid as a face tag team. Good stuff.

:lmao big time for 'strawberry?' Genius. A good promo to get over how disgruntled Shelton is, and I fully expect him to get in MITB, seeing as his name is pretty much synonymous with that ladder match. :p Nicely written, and you really got across the cocky yet overly-relaxed nature that Coach would be sure to have in this situation, especially when he has power and women. If only he had his hair as well.

Helms' interview was pure gold. Need I say more? It was top-notch. You're pushing him beautifully, and I wouldn't be sad to see him with that briefcase at all. Lush interview. Oh, and 'It's time' was brilliantly placed, to match the perfect description in the line prior to it. Props to you, my friend. That's how you do it - take note, all.

Considering the amount of fantastic midcard talent you have who could easily walk away with the briefcase (Shelton, Helms, Haas, Lashley, Mysterio, Kennedy, the list goes on), MITB needs to be 8-man, so nice thinking there.

Haha, I love the announcement. Very clever, and Dean played on it perfectly. It would have been nice to see a bit of description on just how Helms went about destroying Delaney, I mean Olsen, but whatever, it doesn't really matter that much.

Trish probably needed to get on the stick to talk about the whole Mickie James situation and the title match, but apart from the last few lines of the interview, it wasn't special. It served its purpose, and there wasn't much else that could have been said, but it was very much your stock-standard interview that, minus the individual names, probably could have been anyone speaking. Could have used a bit of livening up, but at least it was in there. You're keeping the division relevant by giving it storylines and mic time, so that's a positive.

Ah, now this I didn't like. Tbh, the first time we saw Rob Van Dam after NWO should have been as he was coming out to the ring to talk about it. I don't really like him having a backstage segment of any kind, especially when he was just basically fed to Coach to have a paddy-fit about if he was in charge or not. RVD/Taker is a real money-maker to me, and as such, I get the feeling it needed an in-ring promo, probably on SmackDown, to kickstart it. If this promo somehow involves Coach or some other kind of authority in the feud (which it clearly doesn't need), then clearly you meant it. Otherwise, it kinda kills the atmosphere for me, this mystique around RVD until he finally explains why he did what he did. Ah well. I expect he'll turn up on SmackDown regardless.

The DX interaction gets a thumbs up from me here. Served a purpose to show that they stand side-by-side against Vinnie Mac, no matter what he throws at them. Nice.

I laughed at your massive verbal burial of Snitsky, btw. It's just so true. :D The clear point in this match was how Haas basically saved Shelton after the latter just figured he could do it without Charlie, only to get booted in the face. Haas going on a massive tear on both men was a mark-out session for me, tbh, was great fun to read. Plus, you maintained this sense of reluctance that Shelton clearly has, only for Haas to really show him up and prove that he's not messing around, you know. The ring psychology really spoke volumes here, and advanced the storyline nicely. It made this match NOT filler for me, tbh. Props to you. Again.

Not sure what to make of the thing with the Bashams, if I'm honest. I'm guessing you're going for a storyline where Shelton has to accept Haas' help to handle both guys, or something like that. Time will tell. For now, I'm impartial. No real opinion. Give me one next week, please.

SNME for the win. Should be good.

The Eddie tribute was touching. Fair play to you.

Ah, the second single match of the night... and the second squash. Meh, it fits Angle's crazy character right now, so I have no complaints. The brawl that followed was fine, though it made your WWE Champion look a bit weak, with the failed attack, then running away, then failing at escaping, then getting Angle Slammed. Shame we don't get to see Angle and Cena going apeshit on each other, that's what I was hoping for when I heard 'inmates running the asylum'. I think this served a purpose, but considering this was all we got for the entire show when it's your main feud, Shelton/Haas and the women's feud got more air time than this did. Actually, so did DX, but that's not so much of an issue. I think a lot more could have been done here with these three on the show - Cena or Edge could have at least talked a bit at some point, tbh.

Masters/Carlito interview was ok. It didn't jump out or anything, and it had no 'wow' factor, but it made them more than just nameless enforcers for McMahon and Coach, which is good.

Mickie's gonna murder Rebecca.

Great match. Really stood out as a fantastic contest, which really helps the women's division. Trish had to retain of course, as I'm guessing it's gonna be Trish/Mickie at 'Mania.

Called it. Crazy Mickie is back.

I really liked this ending. We didn't really need another handicap match, and this was a very creative thing to do, tbh. All four heels here look really strong, and it's easy to hate them, meaning the pay-off will be all the greater come 'Mania. Nice thinking here - I guess this means a Diva match was your Main Event! There's a first time for everything, and tbh, it makes for a very good last match of the show, if you think about it. Way to elevate the division, man.

I think the Shane thing is odd, tbh, mainly because he hasn't really been involved, at least not in this show. My memory's a bit hazy, so although I think he has been involved at some point, I found it very strange to have Vince announce Shane/Shawn at SNME, just because it seems very out-of-the-blue. Shane needs to talk next week, for sure. Vince/Shawn will undoubtably have Shawn getting screwed over - a la Montreal? That could be interesting. Anyhow, certainly an interesting line-up to come in the next few weeks then, as much as I thought the Shane announcement was strangely placed considering the overwhelming lack of Shane, but otherwise, a very solid end of the show.

Well, BkB, seems all that selfless feedback for various people has paid off quite nicely for you, considering the amount of responses you've received for this show alone, and I agree with the general consensus - a very good show. Good to see you following the WWE trend of saving their best material for the 'Mania build, and it makes for some find readin', that's for sure. Lots, if not all, of your storylines have me on the edge of my seat, though my main favourite is Shelton/Haas, I'm thinking. I think the WWE Title feud needed a bit more build, and the lack of a non-squash (male) singles match was a bit disappointing, though you did a great job with both title matches, and overall, this was a very strong showing. Oh, and so much for inmates running the asylum, but I think we got our fair share of chaos. :D Keep at it, man, I cannot wait for Wrestlemania. <3
 
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