Solid opening promo, getting AJ out there to all the folks who may not know who he is. He was the Rumble winner so I feel it was the right decision to have him out there and once he starts talking about going to WrestleMania, here comes the Big Show. Those two go back and forth with some weak insults, and then Edge comes out to save the promo. He basically says that he's taking the belt back, and he tells Show he's not getting a title shot...even though he's confirmed for one at NWO...odd. Did like the little AJ/Show staredown at the end, maybe we see those two go at it at NWO and Edge steals a title shot somehow?
Shelton vs. Kennedy could be an explosive match and it was a good way to kick off the night, regardless of the fact that both men were heels. I would assume that this ends the fued as Shelton retains the belt?
I like the semi-diva fued you got going on between Natayla and Maryse. Or at least the seeds have been planted for a fued. Nice to see them pick up a win over the Bella Twins because they don't do much, but some nice steam already for this fued.
Vicky laying down the law it seems by giving Big Show the title match that he was promised and it's kind of odd to not have seen Hardy yet as he has a beef with all of these men, except for Styles who he may have a beef with soon.
Glorified squash but I'm fine with it as it contendes the Game for the huge Elimination Chamber at No Way Out, and I don't see a Smackdown superstar winning it with Jeff vs. AJ almost all but booked in my mind.
Pretty good, pretty funny promo. It was a slight mix of both as they both obviously state that they want the title. Although when Kennedy breaks out the fact that Benjamin is gonna face AJ next week, I laughed at the creativeness behind that, so I must give you props there, that's how real heels fued.
After HHH picked up his win earlier in the night, it was all but sealed the fact that 'Taker would be entering that match as well. Another squash, but it was a meaningful squash so I can't kill you for that. His promo afterwards was decent, although it was pretty hard to envision 'Taker on a mic in his Deadman character, but I guess that shows how much he hates HHH and I can see these two taking each other out at NWO.
One of the weirdest booked main events I have ever seen. Again, you get an A+ for originality, but Hardy actually have some chance moments seemed unrealistic. I did like Styles coming down for the save, but not against 10 dudes. Not to mention he only really got a piece of Show and Edge, and then Taker is here and he only gets HHH. I would have liked to see them get some of everybody. Either way, solid main event which builds into next week.
Overall, the show started off really well, but then it seemed to speed up really quick and finish. Styles is obviously going to be pushed through the roof it seems and the HHH/Taker fued is still going strong. The show did seem like a lot of Edge overkill, but it was still relatively good. I'll be checking out RAW.
Dolph Ziggler def. JTG w/Shad
Santino Marella w/Beth Phoenix def. Charlie Haas
CM Punk* w/Kelly Kelly def. William Regal w/Layla
Rey Mysterio** def. Snitsky***
Shawn Michaels** def. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho**** def. Shawn Michaels
* Intercontinental Title Match
** Qualified for NWO's Elimination Chamber Match
*** Representing JBL
**** JBL restarted the match as HBK's employer, with the Elimination Chamber spot on the line
Quote:
Kaval def. Bam Neely
Mark Henry w/Tony Atlas def. Teddy Long w/Ranjin Singh & The Great Khali
Jack Swagger def. Ricky Ortiz
Evan Bourne* def. John Morrison, The Miz & Chavo Guerrero
Vladimir Kozlov** def. Matt Hardy
* Became the #1 Contender for the ECW Title
** ECW Title Match
Quote:
Shelton Benjamin* def. Mr. Kennedy
Maryse & Natalya def. The Bella Twins
Triple H** def. Hurricane Helms
The Undertaker** def. The Brian Kendrick w/Ezekiel Jackson
Jeff Hardy def. 10 Men (DQ)
* U.S Title Match
** Qualified for NWO's Elimination Chamber Match
In the Raw after the Rumble The Rock made his long-awaited return and said that he had come back to restore order and balance to the WWE. After The Legacy attacked him and John Cena, the duo stood tall as Orton and his cohorts made their escape. As a result of his failure, Manu was ejected from the group. Will Orton exact his revenge? What next for Manu? Will The Rock make his in-ring return?
After being attacked by JBL at the Royal Rumble, stopping him from winning the World Heavyweight Title, Shawn Michaels went head-to-head with Chris Jericho and won, granting him a spot at the Main Event at No Way Out. But JBL, who announced that he was still Michaels' employer, restarted the match, costing Michaels his spot at the Elimination Chamber Match. As Michaels' luck seems to be running out, will JBL use his position as his boss to destroy Mr. Wrestlemania and his legacy?
Stephanie McMahon announced last week that the Main Event at No Way Out will be a 10-Man Elimination Chamber, with the winner receiving a title match at Wrestlemania. 3 superstars from Smackdown and ECW and 4 from Raw will make battle for the opportunity. Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio have already qualified, who will be next? Santino Marella has already made his intentions clear of competing in the match, but will Stephanie McMahon give him that chance?
The answers to these questions and more, tomorrow on Raw!
Raw kicked off this week with JBL's music blaring and him stepping out of his limousine with Snitsky. The two made their way to the ring, where the Self-Made Millionaire grabbed a mic and addressed the crowd.
JBL: Poor, poor Shawn. Doesn't his story just make your heart swell up more than twice its original size? Didn't you all, you pathetic pieces of humanity, shed a tear when you saw him look at me with those puppy-dog eyes when I took his Slammy from him? That is without a doubt the single, most appropriate thing I could compare Shawn to. A dog. A disobeying dog, a dog that needs to be put down, and that is what I will do to your Icon, to your Mr. Wrestlemania, to your Headliner, your Showstopper, your aging fool, Shawn Michaels.
I offered Shawn the chance to erase all of his debts, and all in return for his services. All he had to do was hand over his No. 1 Contender's spot, and he not only would've been debt-ridden, but richer than ever before. Now, Shawn is still in debt, he doesn't have his bonus, he isn't the No. 1 Contender, and he isn't the World Heavyweight Champion. Nor will he be. You seen, Shawn won't be becoming the No. 1 Contender again at No Way Out, nor will he appear in it. As a matter of fact, Shawn can kiss Wrestlemania good-bye. Instead, Shawn will now act as a training dummy for myself and the rest of my employees. (JBL points to the Wrestlemania logo) Wave good-bye to it Shawn. The Main Event, The Icon, The Showstopper, The Headliner, Mr. Wrestlemania... no more.
JBL drops the mic onto the mat and glares at the fans haughtily before making an exit, engulfed by boos, as we cut to commercials.
Too Far?
When we come back, Charlie Haas is in the ring, dressed in his regular wrestling attire, and Dolph Ziggler makes his entrance. After the ball rings Dolph introduces himself to Haas, who looks at him for a moment before shaking his hand, but he doesn't let go and places Ziggler in an armbar. From this point on it was clear that Haas had pushed Ziggler's buttons, and ina fast-paced match in which both men showed what they were capable of, Haas got the victory, although not the way he would've wanted. Ziggler refused to stop pummeling him in the corner, leading to a DQ.
Winner: Charlie Haas (DQ)
Despite the ref trying to separate them, Ziggler continued his assault. It seemed like Haas might start bleeding at any moment, but Ziggler's attack was stopped by Kofi Kingston, who had rushed to the ring to make the save. As Ziggler escaped the ring and made his way backstage, Kofi helped Haas up, who shook his hand in gratitude.
You Sure You Want This?
Backstage, Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix are yet again in Stephanie McMahon's office, who enters soon enough, and immediately reacts unfavorably.
Stephanie: What is it now, Santino?
Santino: Calm-a down, a-Stephs. Yoo see, I was a-lookin' at the card earlier, and I didn't a-see my names anywheres.
Stephanie: You're not scheduled for a match tonight, Santino, of course you're not on the card.
Santino: But-a Stephs, last week we agreed that I would be in a match for a spot at the Eliminayshan Chamber.
Stephanie: No, Santino, I would remember if that were the case.
Santino: But this is an outrage-a! Who is more capable than-a the great Santino Marella to be a part of the Main Event at No Way-a Out?!
As if on cue, CM Punk entered Steph's office, smirking at the sight of a flushed Santino.
Santino: What are you-a laughin' at S&M Punk?!
CM Punk: (Ignoring Marella, still smiling) You wanted to see me, Steph?
Stephanie: Well, as Intercontinental Champion I was going to offer you a spot at the Elimination Chamber. But I think I've got a better idea.
Everyone in the room catches on to what Steph is going to do except for Santino, who is still red in the face and staring at Punk with jealousy and disgust.
Santino: Why does-a this emo boy get a chance and-a not Santino Marella?!
The others in the room stare incredulously at Santino, with Stephanie appearing to be on the verge of a migraine, Punk clearly amused by the Italian, and even Beth seems embarrassed by her boyfriend's idiocy.
After a promo hyping No Way Out, Marella and Beth are in the ring as Punk makes his way there (accompanied by Kelly) to loud cheers. He is still visibly entertained by his opponent, and was smiling for most of the match. However, Marella, idiot or not, was not to be underestimated, as he proved last week by defeating Charlie Haas, and put up a good fight. Still, as was expected from the very moment Punk entered Stephanie's office, he got the victory, hitting Marella with the GTS and getting the pin.
Winner: CM Punk[ w/Kelly Kelly
An Offer & A Win
Backstage, Manu is seen walking, suitcase in hand. He stops when two men are seen to be in his path, these men are Snitsky and JBL. They stare at each other for a few moments before JBL finally takes out an envelope from his suit-pocket and hands it to Manu. Without saying a word, the two men walk past Orton's former cohort, leaving him staring at the envelope looking perplexed.
In the ring, William Regal and Kane do battle for the final Elimination Chamber spot, as announced by Lilian. Despite the size difference, Regal puts up a fairly good fight, cheered on by (and only by) Layla. A distraction from the diva occupies the ref's attention, and Regal takes out some brass knuckles. His attempt at cheating backfires when Kane turns around just in time and grabs his arm, forcing Regal to hit himself with the weapon, before casting it aside and hitting the former IC Champ with a Chokeslam for the win.
Winner: Kane
After the match Layla tries to console Regal, who snaps and yells at her for not doing as she was told, and leaves her in the ring, marching off up the ramp.
Level Field
We're backstage where Todd Grisham is standing with John Cena.
Grisham: I am here with World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena. John, last Sunday Randy Orton defeated Finlay and became the No. 1 Contender for your title, any thoughts on the matter?
Cena: Listen, Todd, you're a nice guy and all, so why do you have to ask me dumb questions every time we talk? Randy Orton, I'll admit, is a tough opponent, but the fact of the matter is that he has never beaten cleanly one on one. He never has and he never will.
Grisham: Still, with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. on his side, we has a distinct advantage. Do you think they will interfere on his behalf in the match?
Cena: Again with the dumb questions. Of course they're going to interfere. Randy knows he can't defeat me cleanly, which is why he needs their help. But you see, Randy's greatest fault is that he thinks he's better and smarter than everyone else. He probably thinks that I'm just going to allow him to steal my title from me at No Way Out. What he doesn't know is that I've had a word with Stephanie McMahon, and she agreed that we need to balance out the 'Orton's Minions Factor'. That's why, at No Way Out, it will be John Cena against Randy Orton, in a Special Guest Referee Match!
Grisham: And who will be acting as referee?
Cena: (Cena looks at Todd incredulously) Who? Who?! Why the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment, the Great One, the People's Champ, The Rock!
Not Level Field
Back in the ring, Shawn Michaels tentatively makes his way there. After a few moments of silence, JBL's music blares, but he comes out in the same suit he wore earlier, although flanked by Snitsky and Manu, both of whom make their way to the ring, as JBL announces that Michaels will be competing in a Handicap Match next. HBK fights valiantly, but the combined strength of his opponents is too much for him, and after a Samoan Drop from Manu, Snitsky hits him with the Big Boot for the win, in a match that must have taken a heavy toll on the crowd favorite.
Winners: Snitsky & Manu
An Encounter
After a commercial break we return to see Chris Jericho cross paths with Kane, and the two men who had the Royal Rumble win within their grasp stare at each other silently.
Jericho: (Stretching his hand) If you and I had worked as a unit last Sunday, instead of against each other, we could have been headlining Wrestlemania. (Kane doesn't respond, and Jericho is growing frustrated of his hand not being shaken) We should learn from our mistakes, Kane, and at No Way Out, I will have your back so long as you have mine. Once it's down to the two of us, then all bets are off, but I don't see why we should let someone as second-rate, unworthy and ignoble as Punk or Rey Mysterio get an opportunity that we clearly deserve.
Kane just looks at Jericho's hand, but doesn't shake it, and walks past him, bumping shoulder with shoulder, leaving Jericho beyond pissed.
Finally, The Rock has Come Back to the Ring!
Orton led his cohorts to the ring, surrounded by deafening boos which instantaneously turned into deafening cheers when The Rock's music hit, and the very man made his way to the ring, posing for the crowd before John Cena, to similar support, entered the squared circle, and the tag match could begin. Despite matching up against two of the best ever in the business, The Legacy did surprisingly well for themselves.
Starting out against Cena, the duo stopped any attempt of his from tagging in his partner, hitting him with several double-team moves, as well as a Snap Scoop Powerslam from Rhodes and a Cobra Clutch Slam from DiBiase Jr. Finally, after a failed Moonsault from Rhodes, Cena dragged himself across the ring and tagged in The Rock, who destroyed both of his opponents as Orton looked on. Rocky showed no ring-rust, hitting a huge Spinebuster. But when he went for the People's Elbow, he was tripped by DiBiase, who dragged him out of the ring, which instigated a full-on brawl, as Cena entered the ring and Orton did too, with all 3 men attacking the Champ.
Winners: John Cena & The Rock (DQ)
After the ref called for the bell because of Orton's interference, the fans booed the men in the ring, because they had paid to see The Rock make his in-ring return, and not a 3 minute appearance. Nevertheless, that was all they got because as soon as The Rock started to rise on the outside, Orton signaled for his men to retreat, and the 3 made their exit, leaving, yet again, Cena and Rocky standing tall (although worse off than last week) in the ring.
Quote:
Charlie Haas def. Dolph Ziggler (DQ)
CM Punk w/Kelly Kelly def. Santino Marella w/Beth Phoenix
Kane def. William Regal w/Layla
Snitsky & Manu def. Shawn Michaels
John Cena & The Rock def. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase Jr. w/Randy Orton (DQ)
Don't miss Raw next week to catch up and don't forget to tune in to ECW tomorrow night for more WWE action!
Confirmed Matches: - 10-Man Elimination Chamber Match - (Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Kane, Rey Mysterio, Triple H, Undertaker) - WWE Title Match - (Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Big Show) - World Heavyweight Title Match - (John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton w/Special Guest Referee The Rock) - ECW Title Match - (Vladimir Kozlov (c) vs. Evan Bourne)
It's official, Evan Bourne will face Vladimir Kozlov at No Way Out for the ECW Title. The high-flying sensation defeated four other superstars in Chavo Guerrero, John Morrison and The Miz to gain his tatus as No. 1 Contender, but as Kozlov has proved ever since coming to ECW, he is not an easy opponent and will not give up his newly-won title with ease.
Last week on Raw Stephanie McMahon announced that a 10-Man Elimination Chamber would take place at No Way Out, with 3 superstars from ECW to compete and vie for a world title match at Wrestlemania. Tomorrow night, two qualifying matches will take place. Who will get the chance to headline No Way Out, and possibly Wrestlemania?
Paul Burchill has challenged DJ Gabriel for a match this week as a result of his lack of patriotism, which Brit will triumph? After punishing Long last week for his cruelty as General Manager by placing him in a match against Mark Henry, Dreamer is not through yet, and has suggested that Long is yet to pay for his 'crimes'.
Solid start to the night with JBL. Although I can't really see Snitsky being with him, because Snitsky is not as "high class" as JBL it seems. I feel like he could have a better lackey. I'm sure that Michaels is going to find his way around JBL and maybe even face him at WrestleMania I would think.
Basic match between Ziggler and Haas here, nothing too special, didn't do it for me. Kofi coming down to help out Haas at the end, could be the start of a friendship possibly. Like to see what comes out of this.
I do like the semi push that you have given Marella recently as he is worthy of it, and it's something I haven't seen done. Liked Punk coming in, and he seemed like a shoe in for that match at NWO, he should fit in well, but don't see him winning it while he still has possession of the IC Title. Good to see that Marella put up a fight as it was not a total squash.
The Manu part was interesting as it seems that JBL is going to try and buy everyone off. The Kane match was solid and I thought you had Regal set to pick up the win until I read that it was for the Chamber spot, at that I knew Kane was in, with his history with Chamber's and all. Seems like Regal and Leyla have split, I wonder if your going to announce it, or have it be one of those things that just fades off.
Ahhh, I like it, I think I know where your going with this one!!! Instead of my Handicap Match idea, you go with The Rock as the guest ref. Now, your going to go one of two ways in my opinion. Either, your going to have Cena pin Orton and have the Rock fend everyone off and have the Rock go on and face Orton at Mania, or you will have the Rock screw over Cena and give Orton the belt. Personally, the Rock just came back, so I can't see him going heel yet.
While it's good to see the team with the advantage in a Handicap Match pick up the win for once, I don't think this was the match to do it. Michaels losing to Snitsky, who is relatively weak, and Manu, a guy that just got booted out of Orton's group makes him seem kinda weak, after all the odds Michaels has faced and beaten before.
Jericho playing some backstage mind games with Kane. Not a bad idea to try and team up with Kane though.
I really do like this match-up here, although I feel that a week's worth of build up could have done wonders for it. Especially the fact that The Rock was making his in ring return tonight. There should have been some hype with that. The DQ ending is good, as it all ties in and makes sense.
Overall, the show was pretty good. Like I said, not to sure on all the decisions, such as HBK going down to Snitsky and Manu, as well as having that huge tag team main event without any build up, unless I missed it being announced. I did like the Chamber qualifiers and Marella was gold as always. Looking forward to the Tommy Dreamer era part 2.
Raw Review: Great promo from JBL to open up the show. I think you had his character down pretty well and you used plenty of words I can see JBL saying. Overall this was a good way to hype the feud and by the looks of things a potential Wrestlemania match.
Nice opening match between Ziggler and Haas. It's cool to see you are using Haas as a singles wrestler without the dressing up gimmick and it looks like Ziggler is going to go into a feud with Kingston after Kingston made the save for Haas.
Santino's character seemed pretty spot on here, reading the promo was as if he was actually talking. It was obvious Punk was going to win, also it is cool to see Punk getting a spot in the elimination chamber.
Not sure what the whole envelope thing is about, should be interesting to see how it pans out.
Kane v Regal was a decent match and I think you made the right choice having Kane go over considering it was for a spot in the elimination chamber. The only thing wrong with this match is it is hard to see Kane reversing Regal's punch into Regal hitting himself in the head. Other then that this was pretty good.
Cena's interview was alright except in some parts he may have seemed a bit out of character. The Rock refereeing the match between Orton and Cena should be a good way to even out the playing fields in terms of the Legacy.
The envelope thing makes sense now, it appears JBL is paying people to fight Shawn Michaels. It was obvious Snitsky and Manu would dominate this match and it still makes me think JBL and Michaels are going to face off at some point in the future.
Looks like Jericho is trying to get Kane to form an alliance but Kane doesn't seem to interested. Jericho maybe seemed a bit out of character but it was short so it didn't really matter.
It looks like the Rock and John Cena are back on the same page and although Orton will have the Legacy at his side at No Way Out it seems like the Rock will obviously favor Cena. Good match here and Cena and The Rock winning by DQ allows the Legacy to keep their heat and it gives the faces the victory.
Overall this was a good show and featured plenty of good build towards No Way Out.
Opening: Not a bad promo but a few things. I thought it was too much like the real life fued, the way he was going on, although he was in character well which is good. also i thought it was a bit short, i know you do recap but even for the amount you wrote i thought there could have been more information or soemthing from Shawn or something but as i said it wasn't bad, it was decent enough.
Too Far: Ok, not alot to say here, you didnt give much info but you clearly wanted to get it across that Ziggler doesn't take kindly to Hass. Kingston making the save was a good way to end.
You Sure You Want This: Good use of Santino and i liked the way punk came into the room. But you never stated that they would have a match in anyway, i know you implied it but still. Punk not taking him seriously is something i could imagaine so good job and obviously he would win.
An Offer and A Win: Interesting with the Manu and JBL thing, i really have no idea what it could be. Kane being in the chamber is good and Regal and Layla having problems is another good development.
Level Field: A big announcemant. This will be a brilliant match but i can see The Rock screwing Cena maybe, either way it is going to be interesting to see what happens.
Not Level Field: For me this was just too short, i have seen you do much longer then this, you are capable of it. I thought Shawn would have found a way to win but he didn't, surley he will get some back. Anyway the storyline is still going strong enough.
An Encounter: I like the way you did this. Jericho appearing that he needs help and Kane not having any of it, good booking.
Main Event: Again too short but you made the good choice of not having a clean finish because it didnt set anyone back this way.
Overall: This was not one of your better shows, it was ok but i dont think it would have reached two hours, some of your other shwos were twice as long. Still the storylines are going along well so keep it up.
Last edited by TheIrishProdigy™ : 03-05-2009 at 06:27 PM.
After the opening theme, Tommy Dreamer stepped into the ring with the mic, accompanied by loud cheers, but with the novelty of his new position slightly abated, they were not as loud as they were last week..
Dreamer: Welcome back to the land of Extreme! Last week Stephanie McMahon announced that 3 ECW Extremists would be competing in the Elimination Chamber. First name to come to my mind was Kaval. I know he's only been here for a week, but he has the attitude, the drive, the thirst to be one of the greats, which is why I hired him. However, it would be unfair to the rest of the roster if I just gave my favorites these opportunities, which is why two qualifying matches will take place tonight, the first between Jack Swagger and Matt Hardy! And the second, between Mark Henry and John Morrison! And before the night is over I will be making yet another big announcement concerning ECW. I'm sure you're gonna love this one. Now, to start us off, get ready to witness one of the top performers in our business, Kaval!
Crossing paths with Dreamer, Kaval stalked to the ring like he did last week, with more of the crowd seemingly behind him, but the general response still being average at best. After destroying Bam Neely lat week, it was Chavo Guerrero's turn, and the Mexican Warrior made his way to the ring, not threatened by Kaval. The match was a good starter, with both men working together to put on a good show, which saw Kaval gain more and more support for his extremely stiff kicks (which catalysed a reaction from the crowd every time) and high-flying moves. To continue his roll, although not in a squashing manner like last week, Kaval got the victory after hitting the Tidal Wave followed by a Warrior's Way.
Winner: Kaval
You Must be Joking
Backstage, Teddy Long quickens his pace to catch up with Tommy Dreamer, Ranjin Singh by his side.
Long: Excuse me playah, but what's this I been hearing about me being in another match tonight?
Dreamer: You didn't think you were done with that little taster did you? Oh no, Teddy, I've got big plans for you, big plans.
Long: Now come on, dawg, you know I'm not a wrestler. I treated you bad, I admit that, the power just went straight to my head, but come on, my man, I was never that harsh on you.
Dreamer: Never that harsh? If I recall correctly I faced Mark Henry a mere week before you did the same thing. You're going to go through what I went through and you're going to like it. And if you don't... well, I'm sure I can think of something to do with you. (Dreamer looks behind Long's shoulder, and both the camera and Long follow his eyes to see that he's looking at a folded chair propped against the wall)
Long: Aight, aight, calm down, playah. So who am I gonna be facing, anyway?
Dreamer: Well, I faced Henry and you faced Henry. I think it's only fair I offer you the same experience that you offered me, so tonight, it's Teddy Long against The Great Khali! Have fun, Teddy. Oh, and you, Severus Snape (talking to Singh), you tell Khali that he tries to get himself disqualified like he did on Smackdown, there'll be hell to pay.
Dreamer starts walking away, leaving Long and Singh looking at each other, with Long looking quite pale.
English Honor
Each man accompanied by his valet, DJ Gabriel and Paul Burchill made their way to the ring. Although DJ seemed to enjoy himself, Burchill looked like he was only there to punish his opponent for the 'unpatriotic' behavior he exhibited two weeks ago. Burchill had the upper-hand for a while, but Gabriel gradually realised that he needed to be serious about this and came back with his own offense. The match went back and forth, with Paul hitting a Shoulderbreaker after DJ hits a Gutbuster Drop, and a Flying European Uppercut from DJ followed up by a Curb Stomp from Paul.
Towards the end of the match DJ hit the Giant Swing, sending Paul through the ropes. When he stood up, Paul took his anger out on Alicia Fox, who was encouraging the smiling DJ, and floored her with a huge lariat. DJ snapped and went for Paul, with the two getting into a huge brawl, which finally returned to the ring, after both men hit each other with the ringpost, steel steps, and barrier. The livid DJ went for Paul, who reversed the clothesline and seemed about to hit the C-4, only DJ loosened Burchill's grip just in time, and locked his arms around his opponent's torso, flipped him over to a piledriver and jumped, spinning in the air, landing in a sitting position, thus hitting his finisher, the Dancing Cradle Piledriver, to an ecstatic reaction from the crowd.
Winner: DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox
After the match DJ seemed to snap back to reality and went to look after Alicia, who just getting back up. Backstage, Dreamer is in his office, and yet again, a wrestler wants to have a chat with him, two in fact, Miz and Morrison.
Morrison: Dreamer, do you know who we are?
Miz: I'm not sure he does.
Morrison: Me neither. You see, if he knew that I was John Morrison, Slammy winner, World Tag Team Champion, pure aphrodisiac, he would not have put me in a match against Mark Henry.
Miz: No, he wouldn't have.
Morrison: Exactly, instead he would put me straight in the Elimination Chamber match, or better yet, hand me Kozlov's title right here right now.
Miz: You know what else? I'm pretty sure he doesn't know who I am either. You see, if he knew who I am: The Miz, the chick magnet, World Tag Team Champion, Slammy winner, the only man in the world to test positive for A.W.E.someness, he would have done the same with me. But where am I on the card? Nowhere. Has he gone insane?
Morrison: He must be.
Miz: There's just no other explanation.
Dreamer: (Up 'till now Tommy had followed their banter like a tennis match, and their incessant gibberish has had its effect on him) Wha?
Miz: Why aren't I in a match tonight, Dreamer? Every week I'm being overlooked and-
Dreamer: You were in a No. 1 Contender's match last week. You have lost pretty much every match you've been a part of since Armageddon.
Miz: Don't change the subject! Give me a match tonight, it's about time I prove everyone wrong and change my streak around.
Dreamer: You want a match? You want a match? Alright, I'll give you a match. (The Miz smiles) I'll even put you in the main event. (The Miz smiles broadly) It'll be The Miz... against Vladimir Kozlov. (The Miz isn't smiling) I'm not jealous.
Oh Crap
Teddy Long made his way to the ring slowly, clearly wanting to be anywhere but in that ring, but soon enough Khali made his way as well, accompanied by a conflicted Singh. Khali, too, seemed conflicted, although not nearly as much as his manager, having never liked Long that much, despite Long's great liking for him. The two men circled each other in the ring after the bell run, but the match was over before it even begun, when Khali was about to lay his hands on Long, the former GM dropped to his knees and punch him where it hurts, leading to a DQ.
Winner: The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh
Despite his size, there was no way Khali was going to take that without feeling anything, and as Singh looked after him, Long made a quick escape.
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.
Extremist in da House(Chamber)!
Accompanied by Tony Atlas, Mark Henry made his way to the ring, followed by John Morrison, who came in with The Miz. Although the Shaman of Sexy managed to avoid Henry's grasp and land some of his high-flying moves in the process, it didn't take too long for the World's Strongest Man to ground his opponent, and gain the upper hand. Both men admirably, with each getting their moments of domination, their intent on qualifying for the Rumble evident. Finally, despite gaining some momentum by hitting an Enziguri and Springboard Roundhouse Kick, it was Henry who got the win, feigning to be hurt worse than he actually was, and when Morrison when for the Moonlight Driver, he got hit himself with the World's Strongest Slam.
Winner: Mark Henry w/Tony Atlas
The Miz, funnily enough, did not seem disaffected by his partner's loss, though.
A Job? I'll Give you a Job...
In a scene where you know something is about to happen, Ricky Ortiz is talking to Tiffany in the locker room.
Tiffany: ... and he said he wouldn't need me.
Ortiz: Wouldn't need you? Why? You're the best damn secretary in the WWE.
Tiffany: Well, he said he wouldn't be needing a secretary at all, he's keeping his cards close to his chest, apparently.
Ortiz: Well, don't worry, we'll think of something.
As expected, Jack Swagger comes in, already sweaty in preparation for the upcoming match, and sits in between Ortiz and Tiffany, leaving practically no room between them, his back turned to Ortiz.
Swagger: What's wrong, Tit- I mean Tiff? Why the frowning? Is it the smell? Do you want me to throw Ricky here out of the room?
Ortiz: Is that the best you can come up with, Jack?
Swagger: (ignoring Ortiz) Well, what is it?
Tiffany: Dreamer fired me, he said he doesn't want a secretary.
Swagger: Why would you want to be a secretary, anyway? I've got a better job for you, how about be my assistant?
Ortiz: Whoa, whoa, whoa. If she's gonna be working for anyone, it'd be me!
Swagger: Who said anything about working? I just thought Tiff here would like to help me with my show, travel the world, you know, have fun.
Tiffany: Really?! You mean that, Jack?
Ortiz: Alright, I've had enough of you undermining my relationship with Tiffany. You and me, one on one again, winner gets Tiffany's services.
Swagger: Excuse me? 'Winner gets her services'? I will let you know that Tiffany Terrel is an intelligent, beautiful woman, who is not an object for you to wager!
Tiffany, who seemed shocked at Ortiz's proposal, nods and storms off, leaving Swagger, who yet again stared at her ass lasciviously, looked mighty satisfied.
Swagger: You're on, towel-boy. And by the way, first you need to have a relationship for it to be undermined.
With that, Swagger took his leave, his trademark plastered on his face, and headed to the ring, where his qualifying match with Matt Hardy was due to start after a brief No Way Out promo.
The match went back and forth for its entirety, and despite the crowd being firmly behind Hardy, the performance from Swagger forced some of them to cheer for him in spite of themselves. In a very good match with several near-falls and high-impact moves, the quick pace of it all, made the 10 minutes quite memorable, especially when the 2 were locked in a sequence where each man reversed the others' finisher into their own twice, before they were both down on the ground, and the ref calls for the bell!
Winner: No Contest
The camera pans back and it is revealed that Ortiz had attacked the two men, although a video play shows that he went to attack Swagger but tripped on the ropes and fell against the two of them, leading do the Double DQ. Ortiz once again tries to attack Swagger, as Hardy has his head in his hands, but Swagger fights him off and hits the Gutwrench Bomb, further tipping the scales of their rivalry in his favor. Hardy and Swagger stare at each other as the show goes to commercials.
An Announcement
For the final time of the match, and perhaps one too many time of the match, Dreamer appeared in a promo, although this time in his office, alone, and talking to the audience through the tron.
Dreamer: Before I make my announcement I would like to address what just happened. Since neither man lost their match, both Swagger and Hardy will now take part in No Way Out's Elimination Chamber Match! Also, next week, Jack Swagger and Ricky Ortiz will settle their differences once and for all, in a Steel Cage Match! This rivalry will not leave that cage, I can promise that.
And now onto better things. As you all know, the board of directors and myself are doing our best to rebuild ECW and bring back its former glory. A part of that has to do with the Hardcore Superstar Initiative, which will see men with the same drive and passion for this business as I had and have, become part of this great brand. And another part will have to do with this...
The camera pulls back and Dreamer moves back with his chair and stands up, revealing that the Hardcore Title Belt is strapped to his waist!
Dreamer: That's right. Under extreme rules this title will be defended and contested for only by those truly worthy, and next week, 6 men will do battle to determine which 3 of them will challenge for the title, and who will become the first Hardcore Champion of the new era!
As the crowd go into raptures and Dreamer smiles broadly, we cut to a Wrestlemania promo.
You Wanted This
Perhaps the Miz should've kept his mouth shut, and he must have been thinking something along those lines as he walked down the ramp, a battered Morrison by his side. Evan Bourne, who had come to announcing table with Striker and Grisham, commented on the fact that it's the Miz who is 'jealous' of his partner, despite all of his claims that it is he who is the subject of jealousy. Finally, ECW Champion Vladimir Kozlov arrived, more than willing to train on someone roughly Bourne's size.
The Miz tried his best, and at times it looked like he might even have a chance, but it was not meant to be. Kozlov finally reversed a clothesline and dominated the end of the match, hitting a series of headbutts, Sambo Suplex, and capping the match off with a Russian Chokeslam, as the Miz notched another loss.
Winner: Vladimir Kozlov
As Morrison helps his partner out of the ring, Kozlov signals for Bourne to come in and square off with him, but the No. 1 Contender signals that it's not the time. The two end another show with a stare-down, with Bourne signaling that the belt will be his, while Kozlov does the throat-slit gesture.
Quote:
Kaval def. Chavo Guerrero
DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox def. Paul Burchill w/Katie Lea
The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh def. Teddy Long (DQ)
Mark Henry def. John Morrison
Matt Hardy vs. Jack Swagger - No Contest
Vladimir Kozlov def. The Miz
Check out WWE.com tomorrow for another edition of Jack Swagger's webshow and don't miss next week's ECW when we will be only a few days away from No Way Out.
Confirmed Matches: - 10-Man Elimination Chamber Match - (Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Jack Swagger, Kane, Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Triple H, Undertaker) - WWE Title Match - (Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Big Show) - World Heavyweight Title Match - (John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton w/Special Guest Referee The Rock) - ECW Title Match - (Vladimir Kozlov (c) vs. Evan Bourne)
WildeThing presents: Road to Wrestlemania XXV
Re: Diverging Paths - A Current WWE BTB
