I really liked the Swagger thing. Would this have been an internet show or a segment on a show? Liked the dissing of a Liverpool accent too. One thing thogh, I'd have a different, more catchy name to the show. If I think of one I'll let you know...
Thanks, I'm doing it as a WWE.com thing for now, and it will probably become an ECW thing once I or you or anyone who wants to, thinks up a good name. Once it's debuted on ECW I want it to have a set format and name.
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Are these attacks that are being carried out on Jeff secret? Sorry I didn't read the last Smackdown. If so, Jeff's attacker is either Matt or Christian. That's for sure, but something tells me you're going to do the opposite to what the WWE does. I know how you feel, it's annoying having to try and be different from the WWE. Matt Hardy vs. Umaga seems a bit of a weak main event though, I have to say.
Actually no. Edge attacked him this week, Triple H last week, and Edge again the week before. All of it in the ring, no secrets. It was just a coincidence that the same happened on Smackdown with the mystery attacker.
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Not to let who go to the ring? I'm confused... typo or... I'll find out I guess... who's returned?
It was Jeff.
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I don't see the point of the Show/Benjamin match at all really. I mean yes you need to establish Big Show, but there's MVP there for him to squash, or someone, but the US Champ? Not a great decision.
Actually, this match was moreso to establish Shelton than Big Show. I don't think it ended up as a squash, but was similar to the Taker - Shelton match on Smackdown. Btw, MVP cut a promo on the last smackdown saying he is leaving the WWE for a while because of the way he was being treated, that's why he wasn't there.
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Weekly Recap (28th Dec - 3rd Jan)
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William Regal w/Layla def. Santino Marella w/Beth Phoenix
Mickie James* & Kelly Kelly* def. Melina & Candice Michelle
Kane def. JBL (DQ)
John Cena wins a 10-man Battle Royale
Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho vs CM Punk vs Randy Orton declared No-Contest**
* Qualified for #1 Contender's Match for Undisputed Women's Title
** Interference from 5 different superstars led to the match being stopped, a rematch has been set for next week, Orton has been taken out of the match
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Chavo Guerrero* def. Ricky Ortiz
Jack Swagger* def. DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox
Evan Bourne* def. The Miz
John Morrison* def. Finlay (No-Show)
John Morrison def. Matt Hardy**
Tommy Dreamer* def. The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh
Vladimir Kozlov* def. Mark Henry w/Tony Atlas**
* Qualified for next week's #1 Contender's Match for ECW Title
** Kozlov & Matt Hardy interfered in each other's match and attacked one another
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R-Truth def. Jimmy Wang Yang
The Edgeheads def. The Brian Kendrick & Ezekiel Jackson, Jesse & Festus
Natalya* (& Maryse) def. Mickie James & Kelly Kelly
Mr. Kennedy def. Hurricane Helms
Big Show def. Shelton Benjamin
Umaga def. Matt Hardy** (DQ)
* Became #1 Contender for Undisputed Women's Title
** Jeff Hardy interfered in the match and was later speared by Edge
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Weekly Top 25
December 28th - January 3rd
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This Week – Last Week – Superstar
1 – (4) – John Cena - Returning to the top spot, John Cena’s Battle Royal win builds his momentum to the Royal Rumble.
2 – (1) – Jeff Hardy - Jeff had no match to speak of this week, and his only participation was helping his brother out and getting speared by Edge and so he relinquishes the top spot.
3 – (3) – Chris Jericho - Jericho fought hard in Raw’s Fatal 4-Way, but the match was stopped. Will he win the rematch and face Cena at the Rumble for the 3rd time in a row?
4 – (2) – Matt Hardy - A loss to Morrison and another to Umaga, although both due to outside intervention leave Matt in the fourth spot.
5 – (7) - Vladimir Kozlov - Kozlov has the chance next week to get an actual shot at Matt’s title, will he stop his underhanded tactics if that happens?
6 – (6) – CM Punk - Like Jericho, we will never know if Punk would’ve won last week’s match, but the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title has the chance to become the #1 Contender for yet another title next week.
7 – (5) – Batista - The Animal might’ve lost his match this week, but there’s no shame in that after seeing his performance. Batista might be out of the title picture for now, but we’re sure that he’ll be in it in no time.
8 – (8) –Edge - Neither champion nor challenger had a match this week, but Edge has the upper hand with La Familia on his side and with his relentless attacks leaving Jeff Hardy vulnerable.
9 – (9) – Triple H - Triple H ran his mouth about Jeff Hardy and the WWE fans this week, but he paid the price when Undertaker attacked him. He will get his hands on Jeff next week, but we’re wondering if he wouldn’t rather facing The Phenom instead.
10 – (10) – The Undertaker - Not seen since his Steel Cage Match with Big Show, Undertaker returned by chokeslamming Triple H. The Game explained his actions this week, will The Deadman do the same next Friday?
11 – (11) – Mark Henry - Despite getting help from Tony Atlas and even from his rival Matt Hardy, Henry was defeated by the debuting Moscow Mauler and is out of the ECW Title picture for now.
12 – (12) – Finlay - Finlay was not at ECW this week, too preoccupied with Randy Orton and his cohorts. Will the Irishman exact revenge, or will the slithering snake that is Orton escape his clutches?
13 – (18) – Big Show - Big Show managed to shut the Gold Standard up this week, and skyrockets up the list as a result.
14 – (14) – Beth Phoenix - Inactive this week, Phoenix will have her hands full at the Royal Rumble when she’ll face Natalya Neidhart for her title.
15 – (15) – Shawn Michaels - HBK is partly responded for Raw’s Main Event being stopped, what with his employer interfering in the match. Will he rectify that next week by becoming the #1 Contender?
16 – (13) –Kofi Kingston - Kofi did his best in the 10-Man Battle Royal, but in the end was eliminated, and slips three spots.
17 – (17) – Randy Orton - Orton’s hospitalization of Hornswoggle led to him being attacked by Finlay last week, and is largely at fault for the match being stopped. He has paid for his mistakes by being withdrawn from the Main Event next week.
18 – (16) – The Great Khali - Despite having Teddy Long’s support, Khali wasn’t able to withstand Dreamer’s hardcore onslaught, and is not a part of next week’s #1 Contender’s Match.
19 – (20) – Kane - Kane did not get his hands on JBL this week, but a No-DQ match on Raw ensures that the Big Red Machine will take his revenge on the Self-Made Millionaire.
20 – (23) – The Miz & John Morrison - The Miz lost his match to Chavo, but Morrison’s big win over current ECW Champ Matt Hardy makes him the one to watch next week at ECW’s Main Event.
21 – (22) – Jack Swagger - A big week for the All-American American sees him leveling Ricky Ortiz in the locker room, DJ Gabriel in the ring, and an Englishman in Liverpool.
22 – (25) – Umaga - Umaga is on a roll. Last week he ended Kozlov’s undefeated streak, and this week he defeats ECW Champion Matt Hardy, who will he face next week?
23 – (19) – Cody Rhodes & Manu- Both members of Orton’s Legacy were impressive on Raw, but they were both eliminated in the 10-Man Battle Royal. Question is, was that enough for their leader?
24 – (24) – Shelton Benjamin - Shelton Benjamin might’ve lost his match against Big Show, but his fantastic showing was enough to keep him where he is on the Power 25.
25 – (NR) – Natalya - Natalya breaks into the Power 25 with her win on Smackdown which named her #1 Contender for Beth Phoenix’s title, will she ride this momentum all the way to the Rumble?
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Farewell
Primo & Carlito Colon - The WWE Tag Team champions weren’t in action this week, but if they manage to defend their titles whoever impressed Vicky Guerrero the most, they will find themselves right back here.
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Earning Votes
Mr. Kennedy – Mr. Kennedy’s return with a win over Hurricane Helsm isn’t enough to place him on the list, but if he keeps it up, he might even find himself topping it.
William Regal – The Intercontinental has only just left the Power 25, and a win over Santino is a step towards making his return.
Evan Bourne, Chavo Guerrero & Tommy Dreamer – All 3 superstars one their first match on their way to get a title shot at the Rumble, but only one can actually get there, will it be one of them?
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Raw Preview (January 5th)
This week we were supposed to find out who will face John Cena for the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble. Instead, a plethora of interferences had the match stopped by Raw GM Stephanie McMahon. Tomorrow night we will see the rematch between CM Punk, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho. Randy Orton has been withdrawn from the match as a way to stop interference from occurring, what with him being the reason for Finlay, Cody Rhodes and Manu making an appearance in the Main Event.
Orton's attack on Hornswoggle two weeks ago placed the diminutive wrestler in a coma, and brought out a color we have never seen in his father, Finlay. The Irishman is looking for revenge, and with the Legend Killer out of tomorrow's #1 Contender's Match, he might just get it sooner rather than later.
As a way to stop interference from JBL and Kane, who also had a hand in bringing about Stephanie's decision, the two will face each other tomorrow night. JBL attacked Kane two weeks ago, costing him the spot in last week's Main Event. The two were placed in a match on Raw, but the devious JBL disqualified himself by attacking Kane with a chair. That's why tomorrow, the two superstars will face off in a No-DQ match.
Stephanie McMahon has also stated on WWE.com that some of Raw's Royal Rumble participants will be revealed tomorrow night, but before then, she has some news about the night's Main Event. Will we see yet another twist in relation to the #1 Contender's Match? Find out tomorrow night on Raw!
The Jack Swagger thing is a pretty cool way to get him some exposure. Raw looks pretty good and I reckon Finlay will be getting his hands on Orton. And the announcement of some Rumble participants is always interesting lol. I'm liking the triple threat for the no.1 contender spot too. I'll be checking in to see who wins that one. The layout of this BTB is definitely different but your making it work which is all that matter really. Good stuff!
Raw started with none other than ECW Superstar Finlay walking into the ring. Having lost most of the warmth that made him such a popular wrestler alongside his son Hornswoggle, the Irishman took the mic and called Randy Orton out. Finlay said that it was about time that he got his hands on the Legend Killer, quite like how it was about time for Orton to be taught a lesson of a lifetime.
In response to Finlay's words, Orton, Cody Rhodes and Manu appeared at the top of the ramp. Orton told Finlay that he barely deserved to be in the same profession as him, much less in the same ring, he claimed that he had accomplished more in the WWE than Finlay ever did, and that while Orton's legacy will be revered and studied, Finlay will soon be engulfed by oblivion, quite like his bastard son. The Irishman responded with a challenge, inviting Orton, legacy or no legacy, to a match tonight.
Orton accepted the challenge, adding that tonight Finlay will face a true legacy, and will soon join his son in the hospital ward.
Did you know he's Dolph Ziggler?
Dolph Ziggler entered the ring with Kofi Kingston already in it, but did not allow Lilian Garcia to introduce him. Yelling at her to stop as he walked down the ramp, he climbed the turnbuckle and introduced himself to the crowd before the match began. It seemed that his introduction did not help him in the match, as Kofi Kingston's relentless offense was too much for him. Despite getting a near-fall, Ziggler finally succumbed to the Trouble in Paradise, and was pinned for the 3 count.
Announcements
After the match, Stephanie McMahon appeared on the titantron from her office. She told the WWE Universe that although she knew she was in the right by ejecting Orton from the Main Event, it was unfair for the fans to make due with a Triple Threat match when she had hyped a Fatal 4-Way match which didn't deliver last week. That was why she was placing Rey Mysterio and Batista in a match tonight, with the winner being included in the Main Event.
With that out of the way, she added that she was going to follow Vicky Guerrero's footsteps, and handpick who will participate in the Royal Rumble. The following Raw superstars have already had their place secured in the Rumble: Kane, Randy Orton, John Bradshaw Layfield and William Regal. Excluding whoever becomes the #1 Contender for Cena's title, the rest of the participants in the Main Event as well as the loser of the Batista - Rey Mysterio match will also be added to the match.
He who Laughs Last
Backstage, William Regal and Layla were being interviewed by Todd Grisham. Todd asked Regal whether he thought Punk's involvement in the world title picture would give him an advantage in their IC Title match. Regal responded by laughing at the mere suggestion that he even needed an advantage to defeat Punk. With Layla joining in with some Punk-bashing, Kelly Kelly appeared, telling the arrogant duo that Punk will trample Regal, just like she will do to Layla later tonight.
It's Nothing Personal
The two ex-world champions and ex-tag team champions with one another, Batista and Rey Mysterio, entered the ring one after the other, ready to get Orton's spot in the Main Event for the #1 Contendership for Cena's title. Both wrestlers shook hands before the the match began, and both gave it their best.
At one point Rey seemed to have a distinct advantage, having gained momentum with several high-flying maneuvers. However, a spear by Batista changed the tides in his favor. Batista dominated Rey for most of what was left of the match, and finally delivered a spinebuster. He got ready to deliver a Batista Bomb, but when he had Rey on his shoulders, the masked superstar reversed the move into a hurricanrana which sent the Animal to the ropes, followed by a 619. It looked like the underdog would get the win, when he sprigboarded himself towards Batista, but it was the big dog who won, using Rey's momentum to deliver a Batista Bomb to the soaring Mysterio. A 3 count later, Batista had acquired Orton's place in the Main Event.
Cowardly Cowboy v.2
Last week JBL got out of having to brawl with Kane by disqualifying himself. Unfortunately for him, the No-DQ stipulation this week made that impossible, and so he had to find a different way to avoid facing the Big Red Machine. Backstage, JBL offered Snitsky money if he were to incapacitate Kane before their match. Snitsky asked why he wasn't asking his employee to do the job, and he replied by saying that his employee had a bigger job to worry about tonight.
Catfight
Kelly Kelly might've missed her chance to challenge for Beth Phoenix's title, but that didn't mean that she was going to go down easy against her bitter rival Layla. In a match with few highlights other than Regal's commentary at ringside, and a few high-flying maneuvers from Kelly, she also emerged victorious. Backstage, CM Punk congratulated Kelly with a kiss, before getting back to warming up for his match later.
This is-a an outrage-a!
Not bothering to knock on her office door, Santino Marella, accompanied by Beth Phoenix, stormed into Stephanie McMahon's office, yelling about how he is at disbelief over not being included in the match between Rey Mysterio and Batista. He believes that he would have not only won that match, but also the Main Event and the following Royal Rumble match, but Steph's prejudice against hunky Italian men cost him a few months as a world champion. Not even bothering to deal with the Italian Stallion, Stephanie addressed the Glamazon instead, telling her that they were just talking about her. Natalya comes into the shot, and the two divas stare each other down, with Santino still running his mouth in the background, unnoticed by the females.
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.
Did you Really Think you were Going to Face him?
Finlay was already in the ring when the music started to play, but it wasn't Randy Orton's theme, but Cody Rhodes'. Cody entered the ring with Manu and told Finlay that he didn't merit a match against the Legend Killer, and instead, they would be the ones to teach him a lesson. Before the handicap match could begin, however, John Cena's theme resounded throughout the arena, and the champ came to Finlay's aid.
Quite outmatched, the Legacy did their best in the tag match against two of the top superstars in the business. It started with Cena against Cody, and although Cody did not allow Cena to fully dominate, the former's experience was too much for the young wrestler. Eventually, both guys tagged in their partners, with Finlay absolutely destroying Manu. He then attacked the illegal man, Rhodes, and refused to tag Cena in when the Legacy turned the tables, trying to go it alone.
Cena managed to get back in the match when he tagged a reluctant Finlay out, and FUed Manu. Cena got the pin and the win, but just as he did so, Finlay knocked Cody Rhodes out with his shillelagh , stopping the former tag team champion from breaking the pin. Cena tried to calm Finlay down, but nearly got a faceful of shillelagh as well from the out-of-control Irishman, who left a perplexed Cena in the ring with their downed opponents.
You Can't Escape
Backstage, Snitsky attempted to catch Kane off-guard, launching at his target with a ferocity only he could emanate. However, his desire to injure Kane was outweighed by Kane's desire to do the same to JBL, and within a minute, Snitsky found knocked out on the floor.
JBL entered the ring without the swagger and confidence he had last time, and when Kane's theme played and he made his way to the ring, the panic etched on JBL's face told the world that he didn't have a backup plan for this one. Nevertheless, the self-proclaimed Wrestling God was not about to lie down, and put up a good fight against the Big Red Machine.
Kane, more motivated for this match and seemingly better prepared, took control in the early going, hitting stiff punches to the head of JBL, as well as a big boot that sent the Self-made Millionaire halfway across the ring. But JBL was an experienced wrestler, and a he soon turned the tables in his favor, attempting to stop Kane from even standing up unless he was fully ready to attack him.
The match spilled to the outside, with the barricades, steel steps, and even the ring itself being used as weapons. JBL finally decided to resort to last week's method, and floored Kane with a chair shot. However, Kane got up with disturbing swiftness, and delivered punch after punch, causing JBL to bleed. Finally, the match ended when a missed Clothesline from Hell sent JBL to the ropes and back into a spectacular chokeslam, which allowed Kane to get the win. After the match, Kane stared at JBL for a bit before deciding he had done enough, and left the ring.
Not Good Enough
Backstage, Orton talked to his aching cohorts, Cody Rhodes and Manu. He told them that they had disappointed him. He gave them a chance to prove themselves by winning last week's Battle Royal, and they failed. They failed to protect him in his match last week, and it is their fault that he isn't in the Main Event this week. They also failed to finish off the 'elderly leprechaun' in their match earlier. That was why Orton felt he had no choice but go and seek other help, and their new associates will join them soon enough.
Contender Emerged
All four aspiring #1 Contender's stood in the ring, ready to finish what was started last week, and decide who among them would challenge John Cena at the Rumble. Batista attempted to end things as soon as possible, quickly pouncing on Jericho and attacking him, while Punk and HBK brawled at the other side of the ring.
Batista's quick attack might have worked with Jericho, but Punk and HBK were ready when the Animal came rushing towards them, and between the two, laid Batista out, sending him out of the ring with a double-clothesline. the match went on, with both Jericho and Batista recuperating and getting back into the match. In fact, it was Jericho who got the first near-fall, hitting HBK with a Codebreaker after a swift Enziguri. The pin was broken by Batista before the 3 count was over. The next near-fall went to the Animal who took advantage of Jericho and Punk's earlier brawl by picking on the weakened Straight Edge, and hitting some of his strongest moves, including a spear and the Batista Bomb. It was Y2J who low-dropkicked the two to stop the pin.
Jericho was back on top, placing Batista in the Walls of Jericho. Just as the Animal was about the tap, a rapid kick to Jericho's head on behalf of Punk caused the 'Savior' to loosen the hold, and allowed Punk to deliver the GTS. Before Punk could even drop the ground for the pin, an opportunistic HBK returned to the ring and hit him with the Sweet Chin Music and got the win.
HBK celebrated in the ring, as a dual image of Cena and JBL watching the monitor appeared. The question everyone is asking is, what will happen now with JBL's employee has become the #1 Contender?
Find out that and more next week on Raw! Don't forget to tune in to ECW tomorrow night for more WWE action!
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Kofi Kingston def. Dolph Ziggler
Batista def. Rey Mysterio
Kelly Kelly def. Layla
John Cena & Finlay def. Cody Rhodes & Manu
Kane def. John Bradshaw Layfield
Shawn Michaels def. CM Punk, Chris Jericho & Batista
Confirmed Matches: - 30-Man Royal Rumble Match - (Batista, Big Show, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Hurricane Helms, John Bradshaw Layfield, Kane, Mr. Kennedy, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, Shelton Benjamin, The Brian Kendrick, Triple H, Umaga, William Regal) - WWE Title Match - (Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge) - World Heavyweight Title Match - (John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels) - Undisputed Women's Title Match - (Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Natalya Neidhart)
Location: From Downtown, outta nowhere, in a heartbeat!
Posts: 4,810
Re: Diverging Paths - A Current WWE BTB
- Finlay challenging Orton was cool and I see you using Finlay to put over The Legacy
- Dolph Ziggler getting some match time was cool and is a surefire heel by his ways with lillian. Glad see Kofi win though as he is clearly the better and most over superstar in the match.
- Its make do not make "due" just helpin you grammar out there . Steph making a huge match, Batista and Rey is going be terrfic.
- Kelly getting in Layla and Regals face was a ballsy move to say the least. I am glad you are making K2 more confident.
- The handshake at the start was a nice touch. I liked the ending from the Mysterio in midair into the BatistaBomb.
- Intresting see what HBK's role is tonight. JBL trying pay off Snitsky was good, but I hope we don't see a Snitsky/Kane fued again.
- Kelly won, yeah good man and I like how you gave Kelly/Punk their romance that was never built on back in ECW
- Santino was fun and its always good see him angry. The staredown between Beth and Nattie would be immense to see.
- Isn't it The Rock though
- This was well cool making Orton unreachable. I loved it. and WOW CENA! Great swerve there. The Champs wins as he should and Finlay gets some revenge. Good booking.
- Snitsky is jobbed out to Kane. Great!. and then after a sick battle Kane wins. Fantastic. I am glad you are giving Kane some wins I hope he gets some direction from here.
- Not quite sure what Orton was saying. Was he saying that Rhodes and Manu are gone? Or that more will join the Legacy?
- Batista is not fresh so I don't see him winning, although this maybe his RAW. Great ending I could really see that coming off on TV really well. Punk is the weakest in the match so it was logcial for him to take the fall.
- The cut clip of JBL and Cena was a great way to go off the air.
Overall: Good Show Just at times it seemed that it wasn't much different than what has happened on RAW in real life.
- Orton was saying that the Legacy would be getting more members in the future because of Manu and Cody's incompetence. They are not out of the stable, though.
- Not sure if your comment about the real life similarity was positive or not, but, I'll say that it is something that frustrates me a tad, but, it's inevitable because I'm continuing some of their storylines in the BTB. Once we get to the Rumble I'm sure my BTB will go in a different direction than theirs... I hope so anyway.
Last week on ECW, 12 men battled to decide which 6 would face each other in a match to decide who will face Matt Hardy at the Royal Rumble for his ECW Title. Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Chavo Guerrero, Tommy Dreamer, John Morrison and newcomer Vladimir Kozlov all beat their opponents in stipulation matches to get their place in tomorrow's special Main Event, but who will come out on top? In order to make the match even more unique, WWE.com reports that the 6-way match will be a never-before-seen match type. With none of the participants able to prepare to what the Main Event will throw at them, it will truly be a contest of skill.
One person who ECW Champion Matt Hardy won't want to see at the Rumble is Vladimir Kozlov. Ever since costing him his chance at facing Edge for the WWE Title, the two have been at each other's throats, costing one another matches and constantly attacking and blindsiding each other. The animosity between the two has already seen the two face at Armageddon, and now that they are on the same brand, the only thing that is certain is that Kozlov will do whatever it takes to punish Hardy completely, by taking his most prized possession away from him, the ECW Title.
Another duo with an ongoing struggle are Tommy Dreamer and Teddy Long. The ECW General Manager and ECW Original have been a thorn in each other's side, with Dreamer undermining Long's control over the company, and causing the WWE board to force Long to make changes to his brand. Long has since acquired the services of The Great Khali, and has done his best to punish Dreamer for his disrespect. Although Khali was outdone by Dreamer last week in their match, it seems as if the only way Dreamer will have the ECW Title belt around his waist would be over Long's dead body, a factor the Hardcore Legend might not object to.
Finlay has been absent from ECW for two weeks now, and understandably so. Randy Orton's attack on his son has left him seeking revenge, and the Irishman is unlikely to relent from his chase after the Legend Killer, who will do his best to wriggle out of any altercation with Finlay if he can. But Teddy Long, who is slowly seeing himself becoming redundant at ECW, has told Finlay that he most compete tomorrow, even if Orton attacks his entire family.
Will Finlay win his match when his mind is clearly focused on other matters? Will Long regain control on his brand? Who will face Matt Hardy at the Rumble? The answers to these questions and more, tomorrow, on ECW!
Backstage, Teddy Long had a word with Finlay. He told him that he understands what he's going through, but the most important thing for a superstar should always be capturing the world title, and last week, he didn't even show up to his match. It was about time for Finlay to stop chasing Randy Orton, and focus on ECW. Evan Bourne encouraged Finlay, telling him that there's truth in Long's words, and that he should stay the course.
The Dancer and the Beast
Mike Knox had a short stint on Raw, but failed to impress Stephanie McMahon during his trial period, and tonight returns to face one of ECW's newest stars, DJ Gabriel. Knox battered Gabriel, but his opponent soon gained the upper hand, throwing Knox out of the ring with a Giant Swing, and when Knox returned to the ring, a Flying European Uppercut sealed the win for the British dancing sensation.
Winner: DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox
Complaints
Mark Henry's loss last week left a bad taste in his mouth, and backstage he entered Long's office, determined to get another opportunity to become #1 Contender. Henry told Long that Matt Hardy cost him the match last week, and that he should be inserted in the night's main event. Long told the World's Strongest Man hat if anything, Hardy actually helped him in his match. Henry's insistence finally led the ECW General Manager to set up a match between Henry and the ECW Champion, and should Henry win, Long would allow him to face the winner of the Main Event next week. Should he lose, Henry would not get another chance at the title until after Wrestlemania.
This Brit ain't so Nice
Paul Burchill's ECW debut was against Chavo Guerrero's former bodyguard, Bam Neely. Accompanied to the ring by his sister Katie Lea, Paul showed off his talent, dominating his larger opponent, and evading most of his attacks. A resurgence from Neely was enough to make him overconfident, and Paul got the victory on his debut, hitting the C-4.
Winner: Paul Burchill w/Katie Lea
Coming Out on Top
In the locker room, Tiffany was helping Ricky Ortiz psyche up for his match with Finlay when none other than Jack Swagger came in, hoping to rattle his fellow wrestler. The All-American American laughed at the idea of Ortiz having to face a 50-year-old who requires a weapon to win his matches, while he would main-eventing the show, making history by becoming the #1 Contender. Once again the two superstars got in each others' faces, with Tiffany trying to separate them. Swagger asked her why she was even bothering to help someone who would hit her like Ortiz did the previous week, especially when said someone was a loser. Giving her a chauvinistic slap on the ass, Swagger headed out of the room, leaving Ortiz as close to breaking point as he'd ever been.
Not a Balanced Match
Teddy Long accompanied his new favorite superstar The Great Khali, along with Ranjin Singh, to the ring for his match against The Miz. The World Tag Team Champion did his best to tire out his mammoth of an opponent, but his skirmish-like attacks were soon ended by Khali, who followed up a vicious brain chop with the Vice Grip. The Miz endured for as long as he could, but in the end Khali's gigantic hands were causing him too much pain, and he submitted, granting Khali the victory.
After the match, The Miz was talking to John Morrison, who was preparing for his match later tonight. The Tuesday Night Delight told his partner not to worry, because he was going to win tonight and launch them to stardom, a statement that did not console the bruised Miz in the slightest.
Winner: The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh & Teddy Long
Overreaction
Shillelagh in hand, Finlay entered the ring without his usual cheery theatrics, instead walking determinedly to the ring, and waiting for his opponent. Ricky Ortiz made his way to the ring, equally determined to prove his worth against one of the best in the brand. Although both wrestlers had their minds elsewhere, Ortiz was the more centered one, gaining the early advantage, laying blow after blow to the Irishman. Finlay finally couldn't take it anymore, and exploded, mounting an offensive and completely destroying his opponent.
Punch after punch slammed against Ortiz's head, and when Finlay didn't stop during the 5-count, the ref called for the bell, and a bloody Ortiz got the victory, although not in the way he would've wanted. Finlay refused to stop assaulting Ortiz, even knocking out the ref when he tried to intervene.
It was only when Evan Bourne rushed to the ring and tore Finlay off the now unconscious Ortiz that he snapped back to reality, and with several security guards accompanying them as medics treated Ortiz, the two walked up the ramp.
Winner: Ricky Ortiz
Backstage, Bourne tried talking to Finlay, who was completely unresponsive, until finally giving him some space and going to finish preparing for his match later. Finlay got up and headed to the toilet where he washed his hands, cleaning them from blood. There, a man's voice told him to bow down to the Legacy, and Ted DiBiase Jr attacked him from behind, hitting him with the Cobra Clutch Legsweep.
You Gotta Win This
Caught up in his own drama, Mark Henry headed to the ring, ready for the match that would decide his future for the next few months. To loud cheers, his opponent, ECW Champion Matt Hardy headed to the ring, where the two would come one-on-one yet again. Both superstars were acquainted with each others' moves, and it was difficult for either of them to get an advantage, but Henry was the one fighting for something, and it showed, with him flooring Hardy, and dominating for several minutes.
Unfortunately for him, Hardy was a man who never gave up, and he soon mounted a comeback, hitting Henry with some of his big moves, before a vicious clothesline gave Henry the edge back. The match went back and forth for a while before Hardy got the crowd behind him, and followed up the Side Effect with the Twist of Fate for the win, leaving a distraught, stunned and outraged Mark Henry in the ring with Tony Atlas.
Winner: Matt Hardy
Backstage, Hardy was interviewed by Tiffany who asked him about the Main Event. Hardy said that for once Vladimir Kozlov did not try to sabotage him in his match, which must mean that he was centered on the #1 Contender's Match. Kozlov was also one of the more resilient superstars in the match, and it was likely that he would come out with a win. Still, both Jack Swagger and John Morrison were very capable youngsters who might just get an upset, and Dreamer, Chavo and Bourne were all experienced wrestlers, any of whom would make a tough opponent. No matter who won the match, however, Hardy promised to come out on top against them, because at the end of the day, that's what he does best: persevere.
Making History
The 6 contenders for the spot at the Royal Rumble match against Matt Hardy all headed to the ring, ready to do battle, but anxious to see what hell they'll be forced to go through to reach the prize they yearn for. There was nothing dangling above the ring, no steel cage, no trash cans filled with weapons, and if they didn't know better, they would have thought that they were about to participate in a regular match. Teddy Long appeared on the tron just as 3 referees made their way to the ring. He said that tonight's match would involve no count-outs, no disqualifications, no pins, no submissions, and would be an elimination match. As the superstars and the fans wondered how anyone was supposed to win or lose such a match, Long added that the match was a Last Man Standing Match.
The match started with all 6 brawling at the center of the ring. Kozlov quickly floored several of his opponents, before focusing on Chavo Guerrero. Swagger and Dreamer fought outside of the ring while Bourne and Morrison participated in a very technical battle in the ring. The fight continued for nearly ten minutes before there was a single elimination. A Gory Bomb from Chavo on Dreamer floored Dreamer for a long count, but he finally stood up before the 10th was got to. Dreamer, who had rolled to the outside, returned to the ring with a steel chair, and attacked anything that moved, becoming the only man standing as the referees counted.
Slowly the five wrestlers got back to their fate when The Great Khali marched to the ring, took Dreamer's chair off of him, and hit him with a Double-handed chokeslam. One of the referees counted to 10 as Khali exited the ring, and Dreamer became the first to be eliminated. Next to fall was Chavo, who was hit with Morrison's Moonlight Driver. Bourne, too, was eliminated soon after when upon getting up from a Shooting Star Press on Kozlov, he was hit with the Red, White & Blue Thunder Bomb from Swagger.
The three remaining wrestlers fought valiantly, each of them rising from several long counts before Morrison leveled the cocky All-American American with another Moonlight Driver, only to be hit with an Inverted DDT from Kozlov. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... 10!
Swagger and Morrison did not get up by the ten count, and Vladimir Kozlov becomes the #1 Contender!
Winner: Vladimir Kozlov
Quote:
DJ Gabriel w/Alicia Fox def. Mike Knox
Paul Burchill w/Katie Lea def. Bam Neely
The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh & Teddy Long def. The Miz
Ricky Ortiz def. Finlay (DQ)
Matt Hardy def. Mark Henry
Vladimir Kozlov def. John Morrison, Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Chavo Guerrero & Tommy Dreamer
Tune in next week when the plots thicken, and the Royal Rumble draws near! Also, don't forget to visit WWE.com for another edition of 'America and the World'.
Confirmed Matches: - 30-Man Royal Rumble Match - (Batista, Big Show, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Hurricane Helms, John Bradshaw Layfield, Kane, Mr. Kennedy, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, Shelton Benjamin, The Brian Kendrick, Triple H, Umaga, 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)
Good to see Long getting Finlay's head on straight, and I can't see Finlay taking a liking to Bourne kind of rubbing it in his face.
Wow, kinda surprised to see Knox go down here, especially after he just came off of RAW, maybe a push for Gabriel here?
Mark Henry kinda just pushed his way into that match, which I'm not a huge fan of. Not bad though, where if Henry can't win he stays out of the title picture for a real long time, which I can't see happening though.
The C-4. One of my favorite moves in the business and nice to see Burchill pick up a win. Katie Lea, woo, gonna enjoy her on ECW.
Swagger and Ortiz is getting intense. This is gonna boil over eventually, gonna like to see what you do when it does.
The Great Khali is a monster, and nice to see him go over a very credible opponent in the Miz. Hopefully Khali can get pushed here on ECW.
Wow, a whole lot of action happening right here. Finlay has finally snapped. In a way, it's good to see him kick the hell out of Ortiz. Bourne breaking it up, and again, I can't see Finlay being really happy with this. Again, with all the beatdowns, DiBiase attacking Finlay and I don't think he knows what's coming to him. Why would you attack a man who just did that, not smart on DiBiase's part.
Hardy beating Henry! That's huge as it takes a main contender out of the running on ECW for a ton of months. Nice promo from Hardy, talking about how he will perserve and other such stuff, very good stuff and a believeable promo.
Holy crap, a 6 man Last Man Standing Match!! Incredible that it was on free TV, as that is something insane that should have really been saved for a big time PPV. Nice to see Kozlov come out on top, as he can cause many problems for Hardy come PPV time. Great match, although it was TV short, so I can't really complain.
The card is shaping up great man, really looking forward to not only the next ECW, but Smackdown! and RAW as well, best of luck.
[Sorry this is so late, I work LOL. I'll try and get a RAW review up soon if I have time.]
>>> Nice opener. It was clever to keep Jeff off the show to sell his injuries. Vickie was in typical heel mode. I wasn’t surprised when she threatened to strip Jeff of the title if he didn’t show up next week. Umaga and Matt in the main event sounds off, I don’t know why though. HA. Nice to see you placing some importance on the tag team division. Good opening segment all around.
>>> Country versus Rap. Funny concept. I’d imagine this would be an okay opener full of high flying spots. I don’t like either man, but still a fun match.
>>> Yeah, Edgeheads win. That was the only logical outcome in my opinion. As for not having the first two matches separated by a promo or skit, well I don’t like it. Two matches back to back is never good IMO.
>>> Wow, Show vs. Shelton came out of nowhere. I liked how you set the match up, though I wonder how well these two can work together in the ring.
>>> Brilliantly done women’s match here. I likes the idea and how much thought you put into it. Natalya vs. Beth may not go over with the live crowd, but I for one want to see that match.
>>> The list of entrants in the Rumble was fun. Not sure about having Kennedy back in the ring so soon and I don’t think Helms should of done the job here. Both men needed a win and I wouldn’t of booked them against each other.
>>> Shelton looked good in defeat against show, you sold that very well in my opinion. My concern at the moment is the distinct lack of promos on the show.
>>> The HHH promo needed to accomplish more than it did. It fell flat. I liked the Taker tease, but I personally could do without seeing these two feud on SmackDown unless it’s before a match at Mania.
>>> I don’t think Jeff needed to show up. I mean he is out selling an injury and he was booked for a match. It makes it seem like Jeff was happy to get out of his match with Umaga and then fine with his brother taking his place. Not great booking here which is a shame. The match for next week looks great.
OVERALL: The product and style are to similar to the current product. You need to up the entertainment value and add more promos. The promos you do write are far to short. The show needs to be more detailed. The general booking throughout was good up until the main event. Oh and just a small thing, add the date to the top of the show.
WildeThing presents: Road to Wrestlemania XXV
Re: Diverging Paths - A Current WWE BTB
. Steph making a huge match, Batista and Rey is going be terrfic.
I hope he gets some direction from here.
