Raw kicked off this time around with Santino Marella making his way to the ring, accompanied by Beth Phoenix. He expressed his shock over being left out of yet another high-profile match, this time being the Rumble. He declared that if he wasn't entered into the match, Beth would not perform at the Rumble, much to the surprise and denial of The Glamazon. Stephanie McMahon appeared on the tron, and told Santino that it was his lucky day, because he would now be participating in a Rumble Qualifier with the man who pinned him last week.
Dolph Ziggler and Santino fought another highly-technical match, with several impressive spots which actually led to cheers and pops from the crowd, but in the end, both wrestlers refused to stop hitting each others and it led to a double DQ when they both hit the ref when he tried separating them.
Winner: None
The Office & The Battlefield
Backstage in her office, Stephanie McMahon said that both Ziggler and Marella will be entered in the Royal Rumble match. But she had even bigger news. Sunday's PPV will be extended by half an hour, and depending on its success, that might become a yearly tradition which might be repeated at Summerslam and Survivor Series.
After the announcements, Cryme Tyme made their way to the ring. Following their handicap loss last week to Chris Jericho, the two faced three opponents tonight in a reversal of roles, with Cody Rhodes, Manu and Ted DiBiase Jr. as their opponents.
Despite bursts of dominance, Cryme Tyme were destroyed by The Legacy, until at one point it seemed as if they were merely being played with. After Rhodes and Manu KOed Shad with their finishers outside of the ring, Ted made JTG submit with his, refusing to let go until he made him black out.
Winners: The Legacy (Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr. & Manu)
Interesting Developments
Backstage, JBL was livid as he talked to Stephanie who refused to reinstate him in the Rumble match following his pulling out of it last week. She told him to be satisfied with new employee, Sntisky, being given a place in the match. As JBL stormed off in came Chris Jericho.
He told the Raw GM that if last week proved anything, it was that the pinnacle of the Monday Night Brand, and should be appreciated and admired for his talents, and not punished for them. He added that besides carrying the brand with his in-ring performances, he also had an interesting idea for the Rumble. Tonight, why don't he and three other Rumble participants face off, with the winner getting one of the last number entries at the Rumble. Stephanie conceded that it was a good idea, but went a step further, informing Jericho that whoever was pinned out of him, Rey Mysterio, Kane and Batista, would enter the Rumble early, causing Y2J's self-righteous smirk to be wiped off as worry etched across his face.
IC Title Match
CM Punk had every reason to want to cause Intercontinental Champion William Regal pain, and he planned on doing so by taking that very same title away from him. After badmouthing him and his girlfriend Kelly Kelly, Regal attacked and pinned the Blond Bombshell last week, catalyzing the ire of the Straight-Edge superstar.
Accompanied to the ring by their female valets, the two made battle. Regal quickly got the upperhand, evading Punk's fury-fueled attacks and doing whatever it took to get an advantage, including having Layla interfere in the match whenever the ref wasn't looking.
Punk finally turned the tables, hitting a flurry of stiff hits and his bulldog combination, but as he placed Regal on his shoulder for the GTS, Layla pulled her partner off, resulting in Kelly attacking her and taking her out of the equation, hitting the K2 on the outside. But the distraction allowed Regal to get an advantage, as Punk, unlike the Champ, was distracted by his girl's well-being. Yet again Punk finally mounted a come-back, and hit the GTS for the win.
Winner: New Intercontinental Champion CM Punk w/ Kelly Kelly
As Regal trudged off, leaving Layla to limp backstage on her own, Punk and Kelly celebrated the win enthusiastically in the ring, much to the woos and cheers of the live crowd.
Nicely Done
In the locker room, Randy Orton praised his stable-mates for their wins over the past two weeks, and told them that they were on their way to become legends. But their true test would be Sunday, when they take on 27 other superstars on the quest to headline Wrestlemania. He told them that he expected them to shine at the match, because that was where legends were spawned and morphed.
Cody Rhodes told his mentor that despite the match, they would be at ringside to help him in his match, but Orton rejected their help. He reiterated his intent on them succeeding in the Main Event, and added that he didn't need or want their help in defeating a has-been of a wrestler like Finlay.
Odd Couples
Following HBK's attack last week, his alliance with JBL seems to be all but over, and it will be he, and not his former employee, who heads into the World Heavyweight Match Sunday. Tonight, the Rumble opponents faced off against the Self-Made Millionaire and his newest employee Snitsky.
The colossal brawlers did their best to inflict as much pain as possible on Michaels and Cena, being borderline torturous in their attacks. But the Champ and No. 1 were not to be messed with, and as Michaels tuned up the band, JBL went in for the Clothesline from Hell, but missed and found himself on the receiving end of an FU when HBK ducked, and Snitsky was pinned following Sweet Chin Music, giving the good guys a win and giving them momentum before their Rumble encounter.
Winners: John Cena & Shawn Michaels
Orton's Words
Randy Orton made his way to the ring, mic in hand, and talked to the WWE Universe about the Royal Rumble. He said it was unfortunate that he couldn't participate in the Rumble match, and therefor get a contract to headline Wrestlemania, but he would not be missing out on a chance to headline 'Mania. That was why one of the stipulations for his Royal Rumble match would be a World title match at No Way Out should he win.
What was most unfortunate about missing out on the Rumble main event was the fact that he had to waste his time on a disgrace of a wrestler like Finlay. In order to make sure it wouldn't happen again, the final stipulation in their match would be that should Finlay lose, he would be forbidden from ever performing on the same brand as Orton.
The Return
A short promo airs: a man shrouded in darkness is walking along a sinister hallway, his footsteps echoing, the shot pans up over his body. You can only make out the outline of the man who extends his hand to a scrawny figure on the floor, helping the man stand up. A flash of lightning ends the promo, but the identity of the man is not revealed by the flash of light.
Main Event
It was time for the final match of the night. Rey Mysterio, Batista, Kane and Chris Jericho made their way to the ring, and fought to determine who would have enter the Rumble late, and who would do so early. At first Kane and Rey went head to head, as Jericho and Batista did the same, and both fights went back and forth for most of the match.
With Rey and Jericho laid out, Kane and Batista went at it, with Kane proving the victor by delivering a chokeslam, but the pin attempt was stopped by Jericho, who went at it with Kane, before Rey came to, and the two lightweights double-team him, hitting a 619 & Codebreaker combo, with Rey being forced to stop the pin attempt.
Jericho finally hit the Enziguri on the masked wrestler and placed him in the Walls of Jericho, but Rey was saved from submitting by a tremendous spear from the recuperated Batista, who pummeled Jericho repeatedly before letting him be, and signaling the coming of a Batista Bomb. Before that could happen though, Rey tried to roll him up, leaving him astounded, but before they could settle the matter, Kane clotheslined Rey over the rope and out of the ring, him going with him, and Batista turned around into a Codebreaker and a pin.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Jericho celebrated in the ring as Kane and Mysterio looked on. Y2J would be going into the Royal Rumble with a distinct advantage, while The Animal was in the exact opposite situation.
Find out that and more next week on Raw! Don't forget to tune in to ECW tomorrow night for more WWE action!
Quote:
Dolph Ziggler vs Santino Marella w/Beth Phoenix - Double DQ
The Legacy (Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr. & Manu) def. Cryme Tyme
CM Punk w/Kelly Kelly def. William Regal w/Layla
John Cena & Shawn Michaels def. JBL & Snitsky
Chris Jericho def. Batista, Kane & Rey Mysterio
Confirmed Matches: - 30-Man Royal Rumble Match - (Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, DJ Gabriel, Dolph Ziggler, Hurricane Helms, Jack Swagger, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Manu, Mr. Kennedy, Rey Mysterio, Ricky Ortiz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky, Ted DiBiase Jr., The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker, William Regal) - WWE Title Match - (Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge) - World Heavyweight Title Match - (John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels) - ECW Title Match - (Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov) - Undisputed Women's Title Match - (Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart) - Belfast Brawl Match - (Finlay vs. Randy Orton) - Dreamer's Fate Match - (The Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer)
Santino Marella opening a show? What the hell, lol. That's interesting to say the least. Marella leads into a match with Ziggler, and it ends in a Double DQ. Again, confused as to where both guys after this match. Marella opening the show
Alright, both men are in there then, that works. Three and a half hours? That could work for me. Onto the Handicap Match, not bad storyline with Cryme Time now fighting under the handicap. Back to back losses, and their not looking strong in either, but the Legacy looks great here, absolutely destroying Cryme Time.
Short little mention of JBL isn't bad. Man, that Jericho is always a genius. Really like the sound of that match, but an "early" entrant doesn't do it for me, might as well make the loser enter first. Either way, big time Main Event, or at least it is I assume.
Punk is the new champ!!! Very nice, as the IC Title needed some freshen up, and Punk w/Kelly is definitely the tandem to do it. Hopefully it's over between Punk and Regal so that Punk can move onto other contenders.
Good to see the Legacy getting a really nice push. A good showing in the Rumble by all three men would be huge for them. I still see them getting involved in the match between Finlay and Orton, regardless of Orton wanting to do it on his own.
Cena & HBK on the same page at the start of the match and kind of suprised that they stayed on the same page throughout the match, eventually picking up the win. Some tension between the two would have been nice, since they are fighting for Cena's title in about two weeks, we need some interaction.
A whole hell lot of stuff announced in Orton's interview, which was interesting since he wasn't accompained by the Legacy. First off, Orton getting a shot at NWO seems logical, so I can definitely see him picking up the win at the Rumble since Orton is more worthy than Finlay at WM. But then at the same time, Orton and Finlay NEVER on the same brand might be difficult, even though they are on different brands. It could be a tough call when it comes down to it.
It...is...The...Rock. That is all I have to say on this topic.
Y2J picks up the win in the Main Event, which was a pretty solid match, with some nice star power. Too bad he enters "late" and not a determined number. Batista now entering early eliminates all of his chances, if he did have any in the beginning, as I cannot see him going the length. Y2J might be a dark horse come Rumble time.
Overall, the show seemed reallllly short. There was only one big time promo on the whole show, and the action didn't seem to be terribly long. Not quite sure that it could have filled in a two hour time slot, but it was an entertaining show, just more good build towards the Rumble. Still got ECW and SD for more hype, will be reading and reviewing both, as well as the Royal Rumble.
Demands Met: Not a bad way to open the show but it probably wasn't strong enough for an opener at the same time. Santino claiming Beth wouldnt wrestle at The Rumble had the makings off a good stoyline, it was good thinking, maybe you should have went with that. Im not suprised that they ahd a good match because beyond Santino's gimmick he can wrestle but i dont know what will happen now that you amde them both lose?
The Office and The Battlefield: Ok both in thats good. Three and a half hours??? lol we will see how it goes. Random Match with no real reason specified for it but a good win for Legacy to push them.
Interesting Developments: Would have tough JBL would have put up more of a fight about his spot but ok. Jericho coming up with a good idea, its hard to see Steph agreeing with him but it makes for a good match.
IC Title Match: Following what the WWE did eh? lol Its good that you gave Punk the belt he will be a good champion. The match was ok aswel and i dont know wether its realistic or unrealistic for Regal to walk off on Layla because he is ment to be a gentleman but i dont know.
Nicely Done: On their way to becoming Legends? Its very early to be stating that lol. Orton rejecting the help is something i like as it shows that he is confident because after all he is the best around.
Odd Couples: Snitsky and JBL, i dont see lasting for long. The two winning when they have their match on Sunday is good but you could have described the chemistry a bit more so we get a feel for it. They were the right choice to win though.
Ortons Words: LOL the stipulations are brilliant man, aswel as its a Belfast Brawl. Orton giving out is a good touch on it. The Return: I hope its at The rumble.
Main Event: A good way to end the show. Jericho coming up with the idea and winning is a bit of a suprise but i think Batista will get a good run in the Rumble.
Overall: Not much to say overall, show felt a bit short but it was the same quality as the past ones.
Less than a week away from the Royal Rumble and things are getting hot here at ECW! Vladimir Kozlov, transferred to the Extreme Brand a few weeks ago has already established his credentials by coming the No. 1 Contender for Matt Hardy's title, whom he will face on Sunday. Last week Kozlov defeated Jack Swagger and John Morrison to cement his place in the match, while Matt Hardy defeated Mike Knox, in an attempt to garner momentum for the PPV. What will tonight bring for these two?
Finlay will not be at ECW tonight due to him being called to the hospital to fill in some paperwork concerning his son, Hornswoggle, who was placed in a coma by Randy Orton more than a month ago. These two will face each other on Sunday in what will certainly be an emotional encounter. WWE.com reports that Evan Bourne has volunteered to go with Finlay to the hospital, and will not be performing tonight.
Last week Tommy Dreamer was deprived of a chance to participate in the Royal Rumble by Teddy Long, who instead placed him in a match with The Great Khali, with his existence in the brand on the line. Word backstage suggests Dreamer has an announce of his own tonight. What will he have to say to the General Manager and the WWE Universe?
Ricky Ortiz and Jack Swagger have not been getting along lately, especially with Swagger's interest in Tiffany being more than noticeable. Last week Ortiz persuaded Paul Burchill to face Swagger, after the All-American American made derogatory comments about his homeland. Will Ortiz get on up on Swagger tonight?
After the opening theme, Tommy Dreamer stepped into the ring with the mic. The last few weeks had not been easy for him. He had to watch as Teddy Long was burying ECW with some terrible decisions, such as sabotaging his ECW career by having The Great Khali interfere in his No. 1 Contender's match, and placing him in a match with him at the Rumble, instead of the Royal Rumble match itself.
But Dreamer had made his peace with it. With Long in charge it would be impossible for him to be ECW Champion again. That was why he had a talk with the board of directors, who, yet again, happened to agree with him. It would be unfair for only Dreamer to be risking his career at the Rumble, which was why should Khali lose, Dreamer would be taking Long's place as General Manager of ECW. And in order to make things even, the match will be an Extreme Rules Match!
This is Bad
Accompanied by Alicia Fox, DJ Gabriel stepped into the ring, ready for his match against World Tag Team Champion The Miz, who has been experiencing some bad luck recently. The Miz did not give DJ any space, pounding on him repeatedly, doing his best to weaken him to finally get a win. But Gabriel was not one to be pushed around, and he ducked Miz's innovated corner clothesline attempt, and hit the Tag Team Champion with a Gutbuster Drop, before hitting him with the Diving European Uppercut, but The Miz kicked out of it, showing tremendous will and resiliency. This forced DJ to bring out the big guns, and he landed the Dancing Piledriver (Spinning Cradle Piledriver) for the win. After the match Morrison tried consoling his partner, only for him to storm off.
Winner: DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox
Backstage, Mark Henry stormed into Long's office, demanding to be included in the Royal Rumble. Long informed him that there wouldn't be a point, because even if he somehow managed to win, he still wouldn't get an ECW Title shot at Wrestlemania. Henry told Long that when he wins the Rumble, he will transfer to either Raw or Smackdown and challenge for their titles, if that's the case. Reluctant to just give the place to The World's Strongest Man, Long decided to put a use to him, and told him that he must defeat Tommy Dreamer tonight if he wishes to be included in the match.
This is Good
Unlike his partner, John Morrison was on a good roll, impressing the WWE Universe with excellent performances in recent weeks. Tonight he went headed to head with Ricky Ortiz, whose rivalry with Jack Swagger gradually consumed him. Although Ortiz did his best to get a win, Morrison's roll was extended when he hit the Moonlight Driver on his opponent, much to the frustration of The Miz backstage, and got the pin.
Winner: John Morrison
Teddy Long entered the locker room where The Great Khali was sitting. He told him he was letting him rest tonight in preparation for Sunday's bout. Through Singh, Khali expressed his worries about the match's stipulations, but Long told him not to worry. So long as he does whatever it takes to win, he will be handsomely rewarded. Dreamer is a has-been, nothing more, and Khali should be able to destroy him, extreme rules or not.
Doctor of Love
A few floating hearts soar across the screen, fairy-dust trailing them. As they do so, the dust settles, forming the words: Love Doctor, as Colt Cabana walks into the black screen and spreads his arms, smiling.
U.S vs U.K
Persuaded by Ricky Ortiz, Paul Burchill was prepared to not only defeat Jack Swagger, but maim him in the process. With Katie Lea at ringside, he leered at The All-American American as he sauntered to the ring, undisturbed by Purchill's reputation. The two made battle, with The British Nightmare more disposed to brawl than wrestle. He pummeled Swagger, but the cocky youngster was not about to lose to a foreigner and turned the tables, hitting Burchill with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex and nearly making him submit with a sleeper-hold.
The match continued to go back and forth, until a distraction from Katie seemed to give him the edge, but as he bent forward, about to hit the C-4, Swagger elbowed him in the back of the head, and hit him with the Gutwrench Bomb for the pin, thus ruining Ortiz's plans to punish his rival.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Match Preparation
Backstage Tiffany interviewed Vladimir Kozlov (to the best of her abilities) about his Royal Rumble ECW Title match. Kozlov stated, in what was only vaguely English, that Matt Hardy had not yet experienced the ire of the Russian, and that Armageddon and the attacks over recent weeks were nothing compared to what he was going to do to him on Sunday.
In the ring, ECW Champion Matt Hardy was about to face Chavo Guerrero, having requested another match so he would be in the top of his form for his match.
The two went back and forth repeatedly, and at times it seemed like fighting Chavo was a bed decision on Matt's part, with Chavo coming off a good win over Dreamer last week. But Hardy could defy all odds, and a Side-Effect and Twist of Fate gave him the win and proper momentum heading into the Royal Rumble.
Winner: Matt Hardy
Prepared to cut down Hardy's wings, Kozlov marched to the ring, only to be met with an invigorated Hardy, who matched his brawling with his own succession of punches, and laid his Rumble opponent out with a Twist of Fate, giving him a considerable advantage come Sunday.
It's Just Embarrassing now...
An irate Ortiz was inconsolable backstage, yelling at Tiffany to leave him alone, having seen Swagger beat Burchill as well as being defeated himself. Much the opportunist, in came Swagger, telling Ortiz to calm down, it wasn't his fault he had no talent. The two wrestlers got in each other's faces yet again, only for Tiffany, this time from a distance, to ask them to stop fighting. Ortiz refused and attacked Swagger, only to be knocked out with a tremendous right hand. Swagger extended his hand to Tiffany, offering himself as a man who knew how to treat a woman, grabbing her ass in the process.
In or Out?
Both Henry and Dreamer had something to gain from this match, with Dreamer needing the momentum going into the Royal Rumble, and Henry needing a ticket to the Rumble match itself. Dreamer started out strong, pounding on Henry and refusing to back down, but was soon weakened by The World's Strongest Man, who dominated a lot of the match. Finally, Henry locked in the Bearhug, and although Dreamer freed himself from it, he was too weakened to keep going, and The World's Strongest Slam soon put him out of his misery.
Winner: Mark Henry w/Tony Atlas
But the night wasn't over for Dreamer, as soon Mark Henry and Tony Atlas left, out came Teddy Long, Ranjin Singh and The Great Khali. Long instructed Khali to pick Tommy up, and smacked him across the face in a manner that resounded throughout the arena. Next, although hesitating at first, Khali hit the Khali Bomb on Dreamer, slamming him through the announce tables, after Long vehemently insisted he take the Hardcore Legend out.
Quote:
DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox def. The Miz
John Morrison def. Ricky Ortiz
Jack Swagger def. Paul Burchill w/Katie Lea
Matt Hardy def. Chavo Guerrero
Mark Henry def. Tommy Dreamer
Tune in next week for the Royal Rumble aftermatch, and don't forget to watch the actual Rumble! Also, don't miss yet another edition of 'America and the World' on WWE.com.
Confirmed Matches: - 30-Man Royal Rumble Match - (Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, DJ Gabriel, Dolph Ziggler, Hurricane Helms, Jack Swagger, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Manu, Mark Henry, Mr. Kennedy, Rey Mysterio, Ricky Ortiz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky, Ted DiBiase Jr., The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker, William Regal) - WWE Title Match - (Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge) - World Heavyweight Title Match - (John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels) - ECW Title Match - (Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov) - Undisputed Women's Title Match - (Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart) - Belfast Brawl Match - (Finlay vs. Randy Orton) - Extreme Rules Match - (The Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer)
Nice start to the evening with a quick, yet effective promo from Dreamer. You've been using Dreamer on the mic a lot lately, and he has had a great push, which is why there is no way that I can see him losing come time for the Royal Rumble, regardless that his opponent is the Great Khali. Extreme Rules, is a predictable, yet nice addition.
Decent little match with Miz and Gabriel. Uh oh, trouble in paradise here, with Miz & Morrison not really on the same page. Having Morrison win a match next week, or even this week would just add fuel to the fire and we might even see a break up between these two.
Poor Mark Henry, he is actually a credible contender here, and he can't get the shot at Mania, not that anyone would ever consider giving him the Royal Rumble victory. It was also pretty logical agreeing to give him the spot, but only if he can pick up the win over Dreamer tonight, which is a good way to weaken up Dreamer before the Rumble.
I bite my tongue it seems. Morrison picks up the win over Ortiz, which is going to cause a huge rift between the champs I assume. Maybe see this continue with a tag match next week, the question is, when will they drop the belts?
Long reassuring Khali that he will be beating Dreamer. I still feel like Dreamer can overcome the 3 men and pick up the win, because I just can't see him leaving the brand because he is such a necessity.
Cabana as the love doctor? ahah
Swagger/Burchill had some pretty good build for it with Ortiz looking for some revenge on Swagger. Burchill goes for the brawl, which is not a surprise, as Swagger is the more technical of the two. Good little match, and Swagger picks up the win, making him look strong in the process.
The whole Kozlov/Hardy trifecta of scenes was decent. Hardy picking up an elementary victory of Chavo, making him look quite strong heading into the Rumble this Sunday. But wait, Kozlov is here, but Hardy fends him off, and lays him out with the Twist of Fate! Wow, that's surprising as Hardy is on a roll.
Ortiz/Swagger hit the fan finally so to speak. I find it slightly humorous that Ortiz attacks Swagger, but Swagger swats him away like a fly almost, by knocking him down with a right, and then taking Tiffany with him.
Dreamer/Henry in the main event was a surprising match in many ways. First off, there was no interference from either Long or Khali. Secondly, it seemed like Henry dominated the entire match. Putting him out of his misery, makes Dreamer seem weak, which isn't good heading into the biggest match of his life. There they are, Khali, and the rest. Khali being hesistant? Is the big guy having second thoughts over this? Maybe I'm reading to far into it, but the brutal beatdown on Dreamer leaves him in a bad way before the Rumble.
Overall, not a bad show. Not the best I've seen out of you, but it's understandable, I mean, it's the ECW before a big time PPV like the Rumble, and you had to get as many guys on the show as you could, as well as keeping fueds, like Ortiz and Swagger in tact. Looking forward to the Rumble, as well as Smackdown! Keep up the good work.
Jack Swagger presents: America and the World - Are we Better, or are we the Best?
((Just a note, in all of these segments, Swagger is walking around in wrestling gear. Unless otherwise specified, assume he's always wearing it.))
Before the video plays, there is a few seconds in which there is only a single picture of Jack Swagger, waving an American Flag, with other flags strewn on the floor. The segment starts just like it did last week, with Swagger sitting in a restaurant, eating BBQ ribs. He says that after a few days in Dublin, very few, him and his crew headed to Edinburgh to tape their next show, and this was the result:
Swagger is seen walking in a park in the Scottish capital. He says that he hopes this is the last time they do a segment in this impoverished American colony. A young, female fan suddenly starts shrieking in the distance and is running towards Swagger. The All-American American doesn't seem to know what to do as people around them are staring at the conspicuous lass yell out his name as she runs towards him. Swagger shrugs and opens up his arms, the camera man takes a few steps back to see the impending hug... SCOOP POWERSLAM! Swagger has powerslammed the incoming lass into the grass. He raises his arms in victory and takes out an American Flag Bumper Sticker from the inside of his boot and slaps it on her face. He smiles at the camera before it cuts.
We are now walking down a main street in Edinburgh. Swagger is listing everything that disgusts him about the city, in a manner that gradually resembles Mark Renton's speech (Trainspotting) more and more. He's talking about how everything in this city must be crappy: Crappy life, crappy job, crappy career, crappy family, crappy big freakin' television, etc. About halfway through, someone looking uncannily similar to Renton in the scene in the movie is seen running in the distance, towards the camera, coming from behind Swagger. As he's coming close, Swagger stops to look, and finally, when he's mere feet away... CLOTHESLINE! Swagger has downed another Scot!
Yet again he grins at the camera, slaps a sticker on the face of 'Renton' and the video cuts to Swagger sitting in the BBQ Restaurant. He says that he hopes the viewer enjoyed the show just as much as he enjoyed setting those copycats straight.
We are only a few days away from one of the biggest wrestling events of the year, and Smackdown is about to reach boiling point. Arguably undeserved No. 1 Contender Edge and La Familia have been making life a living hell for WWE Champion Jeff Hardy, who has been hospitalized and brutally attacked on a weekly basis on the Friday Night brand. At the Rumble it will be Edge vs. Hardy mano a mano, but surely Vicky Guerrero has something up her sleeve for the Champ tomorrow night.
The rivalry between those two had also sucked in Triple H, who was one of Hardy's aggressors after Hardy allegedly stabbed him in the back. The Game has recently seen his hands full of The Undertaker, who attacked The King of Kings, although his reasons behind the attack are currently unknown. Both men will step into the ring together at the Rumble, although Triple H with less luck than his enemy, seeing as he has been forced to enter first in the match, following his attack on The Phenom last week.
At the Royal Rumble Natalya will face Undisputed Women's Champion Beth Phoenix for her title, and tomorrow these two will come face to face in tag team action. A win here could make the difference between victory and defeat on Sunday. Will Natalya bring the title belt to Smackdown?
Also, Mr. Kennedy and Shelton Benjamin will go head to head tomorrow, with a U.S Championship title shot on the line for Kennedy, and The Colons will enact their rematch clause, having lost the WWE Tag Team Belts last week to the Edgeheads.
This and more, tomorrow, on Friday Night Smackdown!
Good preview and there seems to be a ton going down on Smackdown! this week with the Colons rematch, and Kennedy vs. Benjamin is going to be off the hook. Going to be interesting to see how you advance both the HHH/Taker fued and who gets the advantage between Edge and Jeff going into the Rumble. Expect a review from me when you get that bad boy up.
Vicky Guerrero stepped into the ring, accompanied by La Familia: Edge, Chavo, the Edgeheads and Big Show. She said that in only two days a Smackdown superstar would be winning the Rumble, and her husband would be coming the new WWE Champion. But tonight was another matter. First off they had a WWE Tag Team match between the Edgeheads and The Colons, and later on in the night, 5 Smackdown superstars and 5 ECW superstars will do battle in a 10-man Over-the-Top-Rope Battle Royal, as preparation for Sunday. But the most important match of the night, the main event, will pit Triple H, The Undertaker and Jeff Hardy in a Triple Threat match, with Edge as guest commentator.
The crowd booed the suggestion that Edge would be allowed to rest while Jeff is placed in such a grueling match. Big Show seemed to thinking along the same lines, and so he grabbed the mic and told Vicky that maybe Edge should participate in the match, a notion met with cheers by the crowd. Edge tried getting out of it, but Vicky, although having her hubby's interest at heart, had to give the best show possible with the Rumble looming close, which was why she agreed. The Main Event will pit Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Edge and Undertaker against one another.
La Famila then left, except for the Edgeheads, who were soon joined in the ring by the uncooperative tandem of Primo and Carlito, and the title match began. Primo & Carlito had the match dominated from the get-go, with Primo appearing to be extremely motivated to get the win. But yet again, Carlito's ego got the best of him, and he started showboating, causing Primo to enter the ring and dropkick his brother, before leaving him alone in the ring. Carlito was promptly destroyed in what became a handicap match, and Zach Ryder got the pin, and the duo retained.
Winners: Still WWE Tag Team Champions 'The Edgeheads' (Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkings)
As the Champs celebrated in the ring, Carlito demanded to know why Primo had left him hanging there, with his little brother replying that it was obvious. He was sick and tired of Carlito making everything a silly game, and ruining their careers. They weren't even considered for the Rumble match because of him, and unless he got his act together, they were through.
Catfight
With Undisputed Women's Champion Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella on commentary, Natalya faced off against Michelle McCool as warm up for her match Sunday. Natalya was dominant throughout, although Michelle would not go down easy, and the No. 1 Contender had a tough time in getting the win, which finally came when McCool submitted to the Sharpshooter.
Winner: Natalya Neidhart
After the win, Beth lifted her title over her head and signaled that it will still be hers on Sunday, only for Natalya to laugh maniacally in the ring.
What the Hell?
In Vicky's office, Edge confronted Big Show, demanding to know what the hell he thinks he's doing. Big Show responded by saying that Edge didn't deserve to be No. 1 Contender, nor to have Vicky. The only thing stopping him from beating Edge to a bloody pulp is that he doesn't want to make Vicky miserable. Edge seemed about to snap, and furiously asked whether there was something going on between them, why was he coming out of Vicky's office last week? Show informed him that if there was something between them, he would have no reason to hide it from Edge, and that last week he had reminded Vicky of their deal. After Edge fails to capture the title on Sunday, he will be getting his shot against Jeff at No Way Out. Edge didn't believe Show, and stormed off soon after.
Your Chance
Mr. Kennedy entered the ring with his usual swagger, knowing full well that win here gave him a U.S Championship Title Shot. But his opponent was none other than the champ himself, and the Gold Standard was not about to lie down for him. The two went toe to toe in a fight that was equally matched from beginning to end. But after Shelton missed a Yakuza Kick, Mr. Kennedy hit the Mic Check out of nowhere and went for the pin. 1, 2, Benjamin lifted his shoulder up!
Kennedy was completely astonished, allowing Shelton to dominate from here on out. Finally he went for the Pay Dirt, but Kennedy pushed him away. He then seemed to be going for a Pedigree, but instead lifted Shelton so he was completely vertical, and dropped to his knees, hitting the Kendriver (double-underhook tombstone piledriver), and Benjamin didn't kick out this time.
Winner: Mr. Kennedy
No Way
Backstage Edge was talking to Vicky, asking her why Show was getting a title shot? She told Edge not to worry, that would only happen if he lost on Sunday, and that just wasn't going to happen. Edge then added that it might happen if he's stuck in a Fatal 4-Way tonight, with every single man in the match just anxious to lay their hands on him. Vicky agreed that it was too dangerous, which was why she was changing it to a 3-on-1 handicap against Jeff Hardy. But Edge wasn't happy. Triple H and Undertaker would start fighting between themselves, leaving him vulnerable. After some thought, Vicky finally decided that the main event would pit Jeff Hardy and Undertaker against Triple H and Edge.
A Third's Worth of Dominance
Big Show, Umaga, The Brian Kendrick, Hurricane Helms, R-Truth, The Miz, John Morrison, Jack Swagger, DJ Gabriel and Chavo Guerrero all made their way to the ring, ready for the 10-man battle royal.
First to be eliminated was The Miz, who was tossed out of the ring by Umaga after Gabriel hit him with the Dancing Piledriver. Kendrick and Helms were both clotheslined out simultaneously by Big Show. Morrison hit an Enziguri on R-Truth, sending him out of the ring, but was the scrambled out by Swagger. DJ Gabriel and Swagger went head to head, while Umaga Samoan Spiked Chavo out of the ring. Swagger whipped Gabriel out of the ring, and with only 3 left, went straight for Umaga, who overpowered him and threw him out. Umaga and Show then brawled in the middle of the ring, with both of them nearly ejecting the other, but finally it was Show who triumphed, disposing of Umaga after a tremendous Knockout Punch.
Winner: Big Show
The Star
Last week saw the airing of a promo hyping the arrival of a superstar. This week, the same promo aired, with a bit added at the end, with a man's southern voice claiming that at the Royal Rumble, the star of sports entertainment will shine.
Boiling Pot
First to start the match were Jeff and Triple H. It took a while for the Game to get his head in it, despite still seeking retribution for Hardy's 'betrayal', the Undertaker's presence only metres away was disconcerting, and Hardy swiftly got the upper hand. But there's a reason for him being The Game, and he quickly proved it, turning the tables and hitting Hardy with a Spinebuster. Although not completely convinced, Triple H tagged Edge in, who took advantage of the WWE Champ having been weakened, and dominated for a while.
But Hardy's resiliency shone bright, and a Whisper in the Wind gave him enough space to tag in the Phenom, who vented his frustrations on Edge, before going for Triple H and knocking him off the mat. Edge and 'Taker then went at it, with The Deadman dominating throughout. The Undertaker tagged in Hardy, but he was sent over the ropes when Triple H returned, and the King of Kings assaulted The Undertaker, hitting him repeatedly with a closed fist. The two went to the outside and brawled, while Hardy returned to the ring, only to be speared by Edge, who got the pinfall.
Winners: Triple H & Edge
The Undertaker was now on top on the outside, but Edge hit him with a chair, and went to shake hands with his partner for the night. Triple H looked at his arm, and shook it, but then spat in Edge's hand, pushed him away, and hit 'Taker with a Pedigree before leaving the ring altogether. With Undertaker floored on the ramp, Triple H standing at the top of it, and Edge standing over the fallen Hardy, holding his title belt, Smackdown went off the air.
Quote:
The Edgeheads def. The Colon Brothers
Natalya def. Michelle McCool
Mr. Kennedy def. Shelton Benjamin
Big Show won a 10-Man Battle Royal
Triple H & Edge def. Jeff Hardy & The Undertaker
Don't forget to tune in for the Royal Rumble on Sunday, and watch Raw for the fallout!
Confirmed Matches: - 30-Man Royal Rumble Match - (Batista, Big Show, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, DJ Gabriel, Dolph Ziggler, Hurricane Helms, Jack Swagger, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Manu, Mark Henry, Mr. Kennedy, Rey Mysterio, Ricky Ortiz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Shelton Benjamin, Snitsky, Ted DiBiase Jr., The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Triple H, Umaga, Undertaker, William Regal) - WWE Title Match - (Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge) - World Heavyweight Title Match - (John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels) - ECW Title Match - (Matt Hardy (c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov) - Undisputed Women's Title Match - (Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart) - Belfast Brawl Match - (Finlay vs. Randy Orton) - Extreme Rules Match - (The Great Khali vs. Tommy Dreamer)
WildeThing presents: Road to Wrestlemania XXV
Re: Diverging Paths - A Current WWE BTB
