Smackdown
Date: February 15, 2008
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 14,307
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman

It’s the go home show for No Way Out and that probably means we are going to be seeing more between the people involved in the Elimination Chamber. Other than that, Edge vs. Rey Mysterio II needs more of a build, though I’m not sure how much more there is to do with the feud. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Batista vs. MVP

Non-title. MVP gets backed into the corner to start before Batista drops him with a shoulder. That’s enough for a breather on the floor as MVP needs a break. Back in and some slams send MVP right back to the floor, followed by a running boot to the head back inside. Batista switches things up a bit by going after the leg, with commentary debating if that is a callback to MVP going after Ric Flair’s leg or just, you know, trying to hurt MVP before the Chamber. The Figure Four would suggest it’s a bit of both but MVP makes it to the rope as we take a break.

Back with Batista driving the shoulders to the ribs in the corner but MVP sends him shoulder first into the post. MVP stomps him down in the corner before getting smart by staying on the arm. The kick to the head gives MVP two and we hit the armbar. They head outside with Batista being sent into the steps but Batista is back with a ram into the apron. Back in and MVP gets smart by sending him shoulder first into the post again. That’s fine with Batista, who uses the good shoulder for a spear. The Batista Bomb puts MVP away.

Rating: C+. I liked the match layout as they had MVP try to wear Batista down for Sunday, which makes sense, but my goodness can we stop having the US Champion get pinned? It’s one of the most annoying things in all of wrestling and it feels like it has been happening on a pretty regular basis as of late. You couldn’t have had him walk out of get disqualified here? That shouldn’t be too much to ask.

Edge gives the Edgeheads a quick and mostly useless pep talk.

Deuce N Domino/Edgeheads vs. Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore/Jesse and Festus

The bell rings and Festus cleans house, as he is known to do. Jesse knocks Ryder down for two and it’s off to Moore, who gets taken into the wrong corner. The beatdown is on and the villains start taking turns beating Moore up. Moore kicks Domino away though and the hot tag brings in Yang to clean house. Everything breaks down and Yang’s moonsault press finishes Domino fast.

Post match the bell rings and the villains beat everyone down….until Jesse rings the bell and Festus gets to wreck everyone again. Another bell rings calms things right back down.

Vickie Guerrero gets her makeup done in the hopes that Edge pops the question later.

Michelle McCool vs. Victoria

Hold on though as here is Chuck Palumbo to watch and Michelle is shaken. Palumbo revs his motorcycle a lot and Victoria chokes in the corner. Michelle’s superplex attempt is broken up as she is distracted again, allowing Victoria to punch her in the face a few times. They crash out to the floor as the revving continues/grows even louder. Back in and Michelle hits a clothesline but more revving lets Victoria hit the Widow’s Peak for the pin.

Post match Palumbo threatens McCool and Jamie Noble some more.

We recap Undertaker choking people, namely Big Daddy V, out in recent weeks.

Undertaker vs. Big Daddy V

Matt Striker is here with V, who shoves Undertaker into the corner to start. It works so well that V does it again but Undertaker starts striking away. Undertaker goes to the arm until a Striker distraction lets V get in the rather large clothesline. With Undertaker down on the floor, Striker gets in a kick to the back and V sends Undertaker face first into the steps. After the weird mounting thing, V misses a charge in the corner and gets clotheslined down. Old School connects and a running DDT gives Undertaker the pin.

Rating: D. How many times can Undertaker beat this guy? I think we’ve gotten the point by now, as the video package before the match showed you just how dominant Undertaker has been in this mini feud. I’m not sure why they needed to have V lose clean again here, but it’s not like anyone was buying him as a threat in the Chamber anyway.

Post match Striker yells a lot so Undertaker chokes him out.

Edge is rather nervous.

Video on the Elimination Chamber.

No Way Out rundown.

Kane/CM Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero/Shelton Benjamin

Kane and Chavo start things off and it’s a gorilla press to get things going. I’ll let you figure out who pressed who as Punk comes in to stomp Chavo down in the corner. It’s off to Benjamin, who gets dropkicked down but manages to come right back with a t-bone suplex. Chavo gets launched into a splash on Punk for two and the villains take over. That doesn’t last long either though as it’s back to Kane for the house cleaning. Benjamin saves Chavo from a near fall and gets choked for his efforts, with Chavo having to make his own save. Everything breaks down and the GTS finishes Chavo.

Rating: C. Just a way to get Chavo and Punk in the ring again as that feud continues to exist for reasons of….I guess necessity? There isn’t anyone else for Chavo to defend against at the moment so this is about as good as WWE can do for him. That works for a bit, but the impact falls off when they have fought roughly 184 times so far.

Raw Rebound.

Video on Finlay/Hornswoggle vs. Vince McMahon.

Great Khali vs. Finlay

Khali wastes no time in taking him down into the corner for some choking but a neck snap across the rope gives Finlay a breather. Not that it matters as Khali takes him outside and keeps up the beating. Back in and Khali grabs a slam and then a nerve hold, which lasts slightly less long than average. Back up and Finlay avoids a charge in the corner but Khali drops him again. Hornswoggle offers a distraction though and Finlay gets in some shillelagh shots for the pin.

Rating: D+. You can only get so much out of a short match like this one and they didn’t exactly do anything good with it. Finlay beating up Khali with the shillelagh is something that has been done more than once and much like V, there was no reason to believe that Khali was going to win in the Chamber. Finlay isn’t likely going to get much higher than this, but I can go for him being a solid midcard hand who gets a win like this every now and then.

The ring is geared up for the potential proposal. There are balloons, flowers, a string quartet and….well nothing more but do you need anything else? Here is Edge, to some nice string music, and he is looking nervous. Edge talks about how he has never been nervous before but he is really in love. He invites Vickie out here, with Teddy Long getting to push the wheelchair again.

With Teddy gone, Edge says the World Title meant a lot to him, but there is something more important. Edge proposes and gives her the ring, which gets him a yes. Cue Rey Mysterio to interrupt and say he hopes that Vickie drops the Guerrero name. Edge threatens to put Rey in the wheelchair if he doesn’t apologize right now so Rey gets in the ring and apologizes in Spanish. Oh and he’ll win the title on Sunday. The fight is on and the springboard seated sent hits Vickie by mistake. Rey is….sorry? Maybe? Eh Vickie getting humiliated is always worth a look.

Overall Rating: C. Oh yeah they need to get past No Way Out fast because this isn’t exactly working. There is only so much that you can do with the same people doing the same stuff over and over, even if it does at least build things up for the Elimination Chamber. Rey vs. Edge is rapidly turning into Rey vs. Vickie and that is only going to get them so far. It wasn’t a bad show, but it’s a show that is going to need a pit stop really soon.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: February 12, 2008
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 14,307
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

The now seemingly never ending feud between Chavo Guerrero and CM Punk continues after Punk knocked Guerrero into the Gulf of Mexico last week. We are still on the way to their next match at No Way Out and odds are Guerrero is going to do something to get back at Punk this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

The opening recap looks at last week’s Gulf Of Mexico match.

Opening sequence.

Here is Chavo Guerrero to get things going. He stands before you, lucky to be alive, as CM Punk threw him into the Gulf Of Mexico and he can’t even swim! Now he has a HORRIBLE sinus infection, plus some pink spots on his throat. He’s had migraines too and these TV lights are making it worse. When he was in the water, he was stung by a jellyfish!

But he is a Mexican warrior so he’ll defend the ECW Title against Punk TONIGHT. Cue Armando Alejandro Estrada to say that while he is proud of Chavo, he can’t let that match happen. Chavo is still sick, but Punk can have a warmup match tonight….against Mark Henry. Works for Chavo!

We look at Stevie Richards’ sitdown interview last week where he talks about wanting to come back from his latest surgery. This was a great way to build sympathy for him and it worked well.

Stevie Richards vs. Rory Fox

Richards grabs a headlock to start before taking Fox down for a kick to the chest/back each. A big boot and a double underhook DDT finishes Fox in a hurry, leaving Richards looking very pleased.

Video on Mark Henry.

Kelly Kelly vs. Layla

Lena Yada is here with Layla, who takes Kelly down with a headscissors to start. Kelly fights up but gets knocked into the corner as Tazz tries to talk about their looks without sounding creepy and not quite making it work. Layla starts in on the arm, including legdrops and an armbar to mix things up a bit. Kelly breaks it up and manages a high crossbody for two, followed by a Fameasser for the pin.

Rating: C-. I don’t think it’s anys ecret that this crop of women weren’t exactly great in the ring but they did seem to be trying. Having a match that was just under four minutes and could have been far worse isn’t the worst result and they do seem to be getting more comfortable in the ring. Keep working on that and see just how far they can take things.

Kofi Kingston vs. Mike Knox

Kofi picks up the pace to start but can’t quite take the much bigger Knox down. He can however monkey flip Knox, who comes back with a shot to the face. Knox stomps him down in the corner as we do get a KOFI chant, though I’m not sure if enough people seem to be cheering it to reach that volume level. Kofi fights up and hits a kick to the face and the double legdrop. The spinning kick to the head finishes Knox off.

Rating: C. Another basic but effective match here as Kofi is starting to establish more of a style. He has a long way to go, but beating some slightly more difficult competition like Knox is a good thing. Knox hasn’t been a big deal in awhile, but beating someone who used to be a bigger deal is better than beating someone who has never been anything.

No Way Out rundown.

John Morrison vs. Tommy Dreamer

Miz and Colin Delaney are the seconds and the villains handle Dreamer and Delaney’s entrances in a rather negative way. Dreamer takes him down to start and sends things outside to keep up the beating. Miz grabs the foot though and Dreamer gets to crash out to the floor.

Back in and Morrison grabs a seated abdominal stretch before switching to the classic idea of punching him in the face. Dreamer avoids a charge though and Morrison crotches himself on the rope. After knocking Miz off the apron, Dreamer walks into Morrison’s springboard spinning kick to the face. The flipping neckbreaker is broken up though and Dreamer’s DDT finishes Morrison off.

Rating: C. It’s still low level stuff, but Delaney having any kind of a friend is a good thing and gives his story a better future. Sometimes that’s all you need and is has given the story a new life. Delaney takes a good beating and that can get him pretty far, with the obvious tag match being the big endgame from here.

Post match Miz and Morrison beat down Delaney and Dreamer.

Mark Henry says this is going to be a funeral.

CM Punk vs. Mark Henry

Chavo Guerrero comes out to watch. Punk slugs away and is promptly run over with a hard shoulder. The big elbow drop misses but Henry throws him down without any trouble. Henry posts him hard and then chokes inside for the DQ.

Post match Punk kicks Henry to the floor and gives Chavo the GTS to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. You can see the stories that they are putting together around here and while that is a good thing, it would be nice if the stories were a bit more interesting. The nothing women’s feud and a Tommy Dreamer mentor story are only going to get so far. At the same time it’s still CM Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero as the top feud. How far is that supposed to get you? Watchable enough show, but they still need something interesting.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: February 5, 2008
Location: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Attendance: 3,500
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

We’re in the Chavo Guerrero era and last week saw a rather obvious mariachi reveal (there’s a weird statement) as CM Punk is still trying to get his title back. Other than that, we have Tommy Dreamer standing up to help the eternally injured Colin Delaney, which could go in a few directions. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is CM Punk to get things going. Punk talks about Chavo Guerrero’s fiesta last week and we see a clip of Mariachi Punk hitting him with a guitar. Back in the arena, Punk says he is invoking his rematch clause right now and wants Chavo out here in this ring. Cue Chavo, who doesn’t think that rematch is happening tonight. Punk can have his rematch, but it’s going to be at No Way Out.

Last week, Punk embarrassed him so tonight, he is embarrassing Punk. We cut to Armando Alejandro Estrada, who is outside the arena, next to the Gulf of Mexico. Tonight, it’s Chavo vs. Punk in the first ever Gulf of Mexico match, where anything goes and you win by throwing your opponent into the Gulf. Well that’s unique.

Victoria/Layla vs. Michelle McCool/Kelly Kelly

Lena Yada is here with Victoria/Layla. Kelly flips out of Layla’s wristlock to start before pretty badly mistiming a handspring elbow in the corner. Michelle comes in for a Hennig necksnap so it’s off to Victoria, who gets forearmed in the face. A shot in the corner slows Michelle down though and Victoria takes out her knee. That doesn’t last long as Michelle gets over to Kelly, who high crossbodies Victoria down. There’s a headscissors to make it worse but as everything breaks down, Lena grabs Kelly’s leg so the Widow’s Peak can give Victoria the pin.

Rating: C-. Kelly is trying to get better but you can only get so far with her timing issues. That can come with work and time but it isn’t there yet. Michelle is getting better as her size and athleticism helps, but you can only get so far wrestling Victoria so many times. Not a terrible match, though keeping the match this short was the only way to go.

We look back at Shelton Benjamin walking out on a match with Kane last week. Their rematch is on Smackdown.

Wrestlemania video, set to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Weird that this is included here but was missing on Raw.

John Morrison vs. Tommy Dreamer

Miz and Colin Delaney are here too. Dreamer hits a shoulder block to start and armdrags him into an armbar. Back up and Morrison gets in a shot of his own and chokes on the apron to send Dreamer outside. Dreamer has to save the heavily bandaged Delaney, allowing Morrison to get in another shot to take over again.

The chinlock goes on before something close to Miz’s old Mizard of Oz gets two. Morrison misses a corkscrew moonsault though and the comeback is on, including a flapjack to give Dreamer two. There’s the reverse DDT to drop Morrison but Delaney has to cut off an invading Miz. That’s enough of a distraction that Morrison can neckbreaker Dreamer for the pin.

Rating: C. Dreamer is still fine in this role and it isn’t like he is going to be in any major story for the time being. Having him act as Delaney’s protector makes sense and could turn into something down the line. Miz and Morrison need some challengers anyway so let someone be built up for a change.

We get a sitdown interview with Stevie Richards, who talks about his latest throat surgery. His neck was hurt back in 1997 when Terry Funk dropped a barricade on him (and yes we see a clip), which somehow hurt his vocal chords. He has had nine throat surgeries since then but he’ll be back in the ring next week. Richards has been a heck of a surprise in this ECW and I’m glad to see him back.

Kofi Kingston vs. James Curtis

Kofi takes him down into an armbar to start and then twists Curtis down by the wrist. Curtis is back up with his own armbar and works on his own wristlock as the fans do not sound overly interested. Thankfully they pick up the pace a bit with some chops and a jumping elbow dropping Curtis. There’s the jumping double leg and the spinning kick to the face gives Kofi the pin.

Rating: C-. Kofi is one of the more unique looking stars in a good while and it is cool to watch him do his stuff, but spending more than half of the match working on the arms is only going to get you so far. I still wonder if Curtis could have been something, as he had a decent look and could wrestle a competent enough match.

No Way Out rundown.

Chavo Guerrero vs. CM Punk

Non-title Gulf of Mexico match, meaning you win by throwing the other person into the Gulf. They’re both in jeans (and their respective t-shirts of course) to start before the brawl goes outside rather quickly. Chavo knocks him over the barricade and into some chairs but Punk is back with some strikes of his own. Punk gets dropped ribs first onto a wall but fight back and they fight out into the concourse. It’s time to go outside where Punk punches in him the face, earning himself a whip onto the hood of a well timed car.

We take a break and come back with Punk slamming him onto the hood of another car. A backdrop sends Chavo into the windshield but he’s right back with some kicks to the ribs. They go over towards the water, where they scare off some very confused fishermen. Chavo chucks the fishermen’s cooler at Punk but can’t manage to throw him into the Gulf. An attempt at a suplex into the Gulf is blocked and Punk GTS’s him into the water for the win.

Rating: C+. This worked in a weird way, partially due to the lack of commentary when they came back from the break and partially due to letting them have a unique fight. Punk vs. Chavo has been done to death in the ring so let them get out of the ring and mix it up a bit. The next title match is already set up and Punk getting to pose against the night sky after throwing Chavo into the Gulf of Mexico is certainly a way to make things more interesting.

Overall Rating: C. The main event was the best part of the show but it wasn’t enough to carry the rest. There were too many things on here that just weren’t very good and it dragged things down a bit. ECW is still a one to two story show at best and while it is only an hour a week, it isn’t the most interesting hour as the dull parts are really hurting the good pieces.

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Smackdown
Date: February 1, 2008
Location: Sovereign Center, Reading, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman

We’re done with the Royal Rumble and Edge is still the World Champion. Other than that, John Cena from Raw won the Royal Rumble so that means Edge is going to need another challenger for the title at Wrestlemania. That is what No Way Out, in just over two weeks, is for so let’s get to it.

Here is the Royal Rumble if you need a recap.

Teddy Long is in the ring to start and since Vickie Guerrero was injured at the Royal Rumble, Vince McMahon has put him in charge tonight! Teddy throws us to a video on the Edge vs. Rey Mysterio title match on Sunday, with Rey hitting the 619 to Vickie, who jumped out of the wheelchair to save Edge.

That was enough to help Vickie retain the title so Teddy announces a #1 contenders match at No Way Out: the ELIMINATION CHAMBER (the second at No Way Out) so we see a video on the match’s history. The participants are Batista, Great Khali, Finlay, MVP, Big Daddy V and Undertaker. That’s not it though, as Teddy makes Edge vs. Rey Mysterio II for No Way Out. Cue Edge to protest, saying that he’ll fight ANYONE but Mysterio. Teddy doesn’t really care what happened to Vickie, so the match is still on.

MVP vs. Ric Flair

Again non-title and again Flair’s career is on the line. MVP charges into a hiptoss to start and the quick form strut is on. That’s enough to start some frustration, setting off the exchange of strikes in the corner. A running kick to the head drops Flair for two and it’s time to start in on the arm.

Flair gets caught in a backslide for two so the annoyed MVP suplexes him over for the same. Back up and Flair starts in on the leg as he is known to do but it’s too early for the Figure Four. Another attempt works but MVP turns it over IMMEDIATELY, sending them into the ropes. MVP refuses to break the hold though and that’s a DQ.

Rating: C. I was only so into the first match at the Royal Rumble and then this one was only so much better. That being said, it’s better to do this than to give Flair the title as there is no reason to keep having MVP get beaten over and over. Then again the ending would suggest the feud is continuing, even though MVP is off to the Chamber and Flair is ready for Mr. Kennedy. Either way, nothing but a basic match here.

Post match MVP stays on the leg and crushes it with the steps.

Post break, Flair’s leg is in trouble.

Here is Chuck Palumbo for a chat. Palumbo blames what happened to Michelle McCool last week on Jamie Noble, who got in the way and deserved that beating. We look at the clip of Michelle getting taken out, which Palumbo again calls an accident. Palumbo has been fined $10,000 but it was worth it to see Noble get taken out. As for Michelle, Palumbo wants to apologize to her in person. Cue Michelle, who doesn’t buy what Palumbo is saying and isn’t accepting the apology. She slaps him in the face so Palumbo blames her for all of his recent losses. Now he is going to beat up Noble and Michelle has to watch.

Rey Mysterio/CM Punk vs. Edge/Chavo Guerrero

Chavo takes Rey down to start but Rey is right back up with some flips into an armbar. It’s off to Edge, who misses a shot to Punk in the corner and gets headlock takeovered. That’s broken up so it’s back to Chavo, who avoids a running knee to send Punk outside. We take a break and come back with Edge faceplanting Punk and handing it back to Chavo for the abdominal stretch.

Punk fights out and enziguris his way to freedom, allowing the hot tag back to Rey. That means a high crossbody to drop Edge for two but a Chavo distraction lets Edge get in a cheap shot. A big boot gives Edge two but Rey hurricanranas Chavo down. The second hot tag brings in Rey and everything breaks down. The 619 hits Chavo and Rey dives onto Edge outside. That leaves Punk to GTS Chavo for the pin for quite the nice reaction from the crowd.

Rating: B-. They had the time here and the talent was certainly there so this was quite the fun match. Smackdown has a history of putting people out there and letting them have matches like this and that is quite the feature of any wrestling show. Rey was flying well and the fans wanted to see Punk get a big win. Good stuff.

Vince McMahon yells at Finlay for helping Hornswoggle and costing himself a chance at the Royal Rumble. Finlay calls it loyalty, which Vince says doesn’t exist so what Finlay did was stupid.

Finlay/Hornswoggle vs. Deuce N Domino

Cherry is here with Deuce N Domino. Finlay and Domino start things off but we pause for Hornswoggle to go after Cherry. That earns Cherry a trip to the floor and Finlay beats up Domino. The Celtic Cross sets up the Tadpole splash for the fast pin. Little more than a squash with the Cherry stuff thrown in.

Dancing ensues post match.

Raw Rebound.

New interviewer Eve Torres brings out Batista for a chat. After calling Smackdown the biggest sports entertainment show in the world (Batista: “Yeah I said it.”), Batista says he came up short in the Royal Rumble. Now it is off to the Elimination Chamber though and he is the only entrant who has been in it before. Five men are eliminated and he won’t be one of them because he is going to Wrestlemania. End of another short Batista interview, which I’m kind of digging.

Jesse talks about how Festus has gotten some medical help and they’ll be back next week! Uh, great.

Edgeheads vs. Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore

Hawkins and Yang lock up to start with Hawkins being very pleased by an armdrag. Yang gets taken into the corner for some chopping and it’s Ryder coming in for a neck crank. The front facelock keeps Yang in trouble, at least until he backdrops his way to freedom. Ryder takes Moore out though, meaning Hawkins can come back in with a cravate to keep Yang down. Yang finally fights out of trouble and gets over to Moore for the hot tag as everything breaks down. Yang dives onto Ryder on the floor but Moore misses a Whisper In The Wind. That’s enough for Hawkins to hit a reverse implant DDT for the pin.

Rating: C. This felt a bit longer than it was and unfortunately it seems to be the end of the line for Moore and Yang as a team that mattered. Then again, I’m not sure how much value they really had when they already lost their Tag Team Title shot, but it was nice to see a team thrown together to give them something to do. Try that more often and see what you might find.

Brothers of Destruction vs. Mark Henry/Big Daddy V

Matt Striker is here with the villains. We’re joined in progress with Kane working over Henry’s leg in the corner before Kane goes up. The top rope clothesline is….almost caught but Kane turns it into a high crossbody, allowing the tag off to Undertaker. The driving shoulders have Henry rocked so it’s back to Kane. A Striker distraction lets Henry hit a running splash in the corner though and V comes in for the chops.

Kane gets over for the tag to Undertaker, who gets clotheslined down in a hurry. The slow power offense continues, including V hitting a running splash in the corner. Henry grabs a bearhug but Kane fights out of it and brings Undertaker back in to clean house. The running DDT hits Henry and it’s a double chokeslam to V. Undertaker chokeslams Henry and puts on the still to be named choke for the win.

Rating: D. A few weeks ago, we saw Undertaker beat Henry and V in a handicap match in about five minutes. Why in the world did the Brothers need almost fifteen minutes to beat them here? It didn’t help that there is only so much that you can get from Henry and V’s slow, plodding offense and it got old fast. Seeing Undertaker and Kane together is cool, but my goodness this was a dull match that lost me fast.

Overall Rating: C-. They flew threw the build to the Chamber here, which is one of the perks of having such a match. All you have to do is announce the participants and what they’re fighting for and everything is set. Throw in Edge vs. Rey II and the important parts of the Smackdown side of the card is ready. Kind of a weak show with a dreadful main event, but it got some stuff done for the pay per view.

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Smackdown
Date: January 18, 2008
Location: Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman

We are less than two weeks away from the Royal Rumble and odds are we are going to get some focus on that show this week. With Edge vs. Rey Mysterio for the Smackdown World Title all set up, it is time to build on the rest of the card, which is mainly going to focus on the Royal Rumble itself. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the end of last year’s Royal Rumble, with Undertaker beating Shawn Michaels in a classic final five minutes.

Here is Undertaker to get thing going. Undertaker says it is not often that he has a microphone in his hand because he doesn’t have much to say. He doesn’t talk about taking souls because he just does it. In nine days, he is entering the Royal Rumble, which he won last year. This is a warning to the other 29 men: if you stand before him, you will fall before him and Rest In Peace. Cue Matt Striker and Big Daddy V, because this is still a feud they’re trying to push. Undertaker stares V down and the fight is on, with V being sent into the steps. That’s enough for Striker to get him out of here after another nothing brawl between them.

We recap the issues between Rey Mysterio, Vickie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero and Edge. As tends to be the case, this resulted in Rey being beaten down to end the show.

Finlay vs. Great Khali

Hornswoggle and Runjin Singh are here and get in a chase on the floor at the bell. We take a break less than thirty seconds in and come back with Khali stomping Finlay down in the corner. A right hand drops Finlay again and they head outside until Khali misses a chop. Finlay kicks away but Finlay gets chopped right back.

We hit the nerve hold (of course) before Khali hits a slam to keep Finlay in trouble. Hornswoggle offers a distraction though and Finlay gets in a low blow but it’s time to beat up Singh. That’s enough of a distraction for Khali to hit the chokebomb and the Vice Grip finishes Finlay off.

Rating: D+. You know what you’re going to get from Khali and you know what you’re going to get from this match as it has already happened more than once. The good thing is that they gave Khali a win to get some of his momentum back. You can only have him taken out by the shillelagh so many times before it stops mattering so this was the right way to go. It wasn’t a good match of course, but it did its job.

Edge tells Vickie Guerrero that he will always be here for her. They mean everything they have said to each other, with Vickie suggesting they have a kid. The camera pans over to Teddy Long, who reminds them that he’s still here. Vickie sends him on a food run but Chavo Guerrero interrupts to say he was wrong about the two of them. Chavo says Edge is a good guy and Vickie takes both of their hands.

Raw Rebound.

Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore vs. Deuce N Domino

Cherry is here with the entrance-less Deuce N Domino. Jimmy and Deuce start things off with Jimmy taking him to the mat without much effort. Cherry offers a distraction so Jimmy can be sent outside and it’s Moore coming in, only to be taken down in a hurry. Domino grabs the chinlock, which goes as well as the average chinlock, meaning Moore fights up and brings Yang back in. Everything breaks down and a missile dropkick gets two on Domino. The moonsault press finishes for Jimmy.

Rating: C. Again: take two guys who have nothing else going on and put them into a team. It isn’t the best way to go and it isn’t going to light the company on fire, but Yang and Moore are having fun matches and adding the slightest bit of depth to the division. If WWE can do it with them, why can’t they do it with even more people?

Vince McMahon comes into the dressing room to yell at Finlay for letting Great Khali hurt Hornswoggle. Next week it’s Finlay vs. Great Khali in a Belfast Brawl.

Batista vs. Mark Henry

After a clip of Batista winning the 2005 Royal Rumble, they fight over a lockup with neither being able to get very far. A running shoulder doesn’t get Batista anywhere so it’s time to yell at each other instead. Henry is knocked outside so Batista follows and sends him into the barricade. That earns him a knockdown and a whip into the steps before the beating heads back inside. Henry’s Vader Bomb hits raised knees and a spear gives Batista two. The Batista Bomb is broken up so Batista goes with the spinebuster for the pin.

Rating: C-. Yeah you know what you’re getting here, as once Batista has beaten him one time, there is no real reason to be interested in seeing it happen again. We know he can’t hit the Batista Bomb so it was either going to be the spear or the spinebuster. Batista still feels like he gets a bit of a rub, but that isn’t exactly a big deal from Henry.

We look at Edge helping Chavo Guerrero become #1 contender to the ECW World Title.

It’s time for the VIP Lounge with Ric Flair as this week’s guest. Flair talks about wanting to dance all night long in a lounge like this and says he closed VIP lounges before MVP was born. MVP talks about how he beat Flair last year and promises to do it again. Flair lists off some legends he has beaten and says he likes MVP a lot. He reminds Flair of himself but knows that MVP is nothing like him. MVP says he’s better and Flair is ready to fight but we’ll save that for the Royal Rumble. After hitting the catchphrases, MVP gets punched out to the floor.

Michelle McCool vs. Layla

McCool grabs some headlock takeovers to start and shoulders her down for a basement dropkick. Back up and Layla goes after the knee to take over. That doesn’t last long as Michelle is up with some kicks, setting up a double underhook facebuster (Christopher Daniels’ Angel’s Wings) for the pin.

Rating: C-. They’re both trying and this was far from an embarrassing match, but you can only get so far with these women fighting over whatever catty issue they have. There isn’t room for a Women’s Title around here, but they have come a long way since the dark days. Michelle is getting more and more polished in the ring and that is nice to see as the effort is working out.

Video on Eve Torres.

Jamie Noble checks on Michelle McCool when a delivery man has flowers for her. They’re not from Jamie, but rather Chuck Palumbo, who apologizes profusely. Michelle accepts his apology but Noble doesn’t buy any of this. She tells them to get along for her sake. Sure.

Royal Rumble rundown.

Vickie Guerrero wishes Rey Mysterio good luck in the main event but he doesn’t buy it.

Edge/Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio/CM Punk

Punk works on Chavo’s arm to start and then shoulders him down. Rey comes in with a springboard seated senton for something like a Hart Attack to Chavo, meaning it’s off to Edge. Everything breaks down and the villains are sent outside for stereo dives as we take a break.

Back with Punk whipping Edge into the corner and raining down some right hands. A Chavo distraction lets Edge take over though and it’s the villains taking turns on Punk. Edge slides Punk shoulder first into the post and Chavo grabs an armbar. A backbreaker gives Chavo two but Punk kicks him down for a much needed breather. It’s still too early for the hot tag as Edge comes back in, only to miss a charge into the buckle. Rey comes back in to clean house but Edge chairs Rey down to break up the 619 and draw the DQ.

Rating: C+. Lame ending aside, this is a case where the talent alone is going to carry things. There were four good wrestlers in there and they got to do a completely passable story during their match. Good enough for a main event here as we barrel towards a pair of title matches next week.

Post match the brawl stays on the Edgeheads come in and help with the beatdown on Punk and Rey to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. As has been the case for a few weeks now, there is only so much that can be done for the Royal Rumble build. The World Title match is set, meaning this was more about setting up the ECW World Title match on next week’s TV rather than anything for the pay per view. Not a bad show, but the Rumble needs to get here already.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: January 15, 2008
Location: Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

We’re coming up on the Royal Rumble, which isn’t likely to mean much around here. This show is more concerned with Chavo Guerrero getting another shot at a title shot against ECW World Champion CM Punk, because two times wasn’t enough yet. We do have a guest star this week though, as Smackdown World Champion Edge is here. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Edge for the Cutting Edge to get things going. He is excited to be here, just like he is excited to defend the Smackdown World Title against Rey Mysterio at the Royal Rumble. The fans chant 619 but Edge says that isn’t going to happen to him. We see a clip of Rey beating Chavo Guerrero on Smackdown and getting beaten down by Edge after the fact. That brings Edge to his guest for the week: CM Punk, who Edge knows has his hands full with Chavo Guerrero.

Edge praises Punk and says he sees a lot of Punk in him. Punk laughs that off and says he would love to face Chavo again, anytime. On top of that though, Punk knows that he can beat Edge too. Cue Chavo to put in another challenge, but Punk says they both know what happens when he beats Chavo again. Edge pops up and helps Chavo double team Punk down, including sending him shoulder first into the post.

Post break, Edge leaves. Forgive me for not believing him.

Miz/John Morrison vs. Highlanders

Non-title. Morrison takes Rory down to start and walks over his back, only to have Rory grab a flapjack for two. That earns Rory a knockdown so Miz comes in to pull on the leg. Back up and Rory gets over for the tag to Robbie, who hits a fast powerslam. Everything breaks down and the Reality Check gives Miz the pin. The Highlanders were no Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore.

Kofi Kingston is still coming and still doesn’t like bullies. He debuts next week.

Here is Kelly Kelly in a robe to challenge Lena Yada and Layla to a best body contest next week, when ECW goes HD. The robe comes off and the fans approve.

As Kelly leaves, Colin Delaney, now with both arms and ribs taped up, is in the ring to say he’s going to try this one more time.

Kane vs. Colin Delaney

Chokeslam finishes in about a minute.

CM Punk is still in for his match against Chavo Guerrero tonight.

Raw Rebound.

Jeff Hardy is out of the hospital after diving onto Randy Orton on Raw.

Royal Rumble rundown.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Nunzio

Benjamin throws him down without much trouble to start and snaps off a t-bone suplex. A shot to the face cuts off Nunzio’s comeback attempt and Benjamin hits a buckle bomb. The jumping Downward Spiral finishes Nunzio off.

Rating: D+. Benjamin’s roll continues and that shouldn’t be a surprise. It makes sense for WWE to push someone with his credentials as a bigger star on a show like this. If nothing else, Benjamin can be built up for someone else to defeat and get a big rub out of later, which is one of the reasons to go in this direction.

CM Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero

Non-title again and again if Chavo wins, he gets a future title shot. Hold on though as here is Edge to join commentary. Chavo goes after him to start but gets kicked away without much effort. Back up and Chavo pulls him to the mat by the arm and cranks away as we take a break.

We come back with Punk fighting out of the corner but getting his arm wrapped around the ropes again. The armbar is broken up and Punk hits an enziguri, only to get dropkicked in the shoulder. It’s back to another arm crank, with Chavo bridging over with a hammerlock. Punk fights up again and gets taken down again, this time with a flip dive onto the arm.

We’re right back to the armbar but Punk manages to get to his feet for a spinning backfist. Punk goes to the top but gets pulled down by the arm. That’s enough for Edge to hit him in the back of the head with the title, giving Chavo the countout win, earning him a title shot in the process.

Rating: C. The match finally set up the title showdown but it wasn’t exactly a thrilling fight. Chavo worked on the arm for a rather long time and then Edge interfered to cause the DQ. This showed you about how much you can get out of Chavo working on an arm for ten minutes and the fact that it was their third match didn’t make things much better.

Overall Rating: C-. Not much to this one but the main event did set up Chavo vs. Punk IV if you’re rather obsessed with this feud. Other than that, Punk vs. Edge might have been teased for the future and that could be a nice way to go. The show didn’t exactly get heavy on the wrestling, but with the Royal Rumble coming up, does it really make that much of a difference?

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Smackdown
Date: January 11, 2008
Location: Wachovia Arena, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 7,000
Commentators: Jonathan Coachman, Michael Cole

We are well on the way to the Royal Rumble and Edge is set to defend the Smackdown World Title against Rey Mysterio after last week’s Beat The Clock Challenge. Other than that, we have an angry Undertaker and Batista, which should make for some rather violent problems around here. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of last week’s Beat The Clock Challenge with Rey Mysterio pinning Edge to earn the title shot.

Vickie Guerrero and Teddy Long are in the ring to get things going. Vickie gets right to the point by bringing out Rey Mysterio for a chat. After an exchange of pleasantries, Rey says it’s weird to have Vickie on his opponent’s side. Rey still cares about the Guerreros though, even with Vickie having a relationship with Edge. Vickie doesn’t like her private life being talked about, but Rey doesn’t quite see national TV as private. Rey dates to ask what about Eddie, sending Vickie into an explanation of how she could still have another kid with Edge. That has Rey almost cringing before he says Edge doesn’t love her.

Cue Edge to say Rey knows nothing about their relationship and to promise that he’ll still love Vickie after the Royal Rumble. That’s cool with Rey, but Edge won’t be champion. Cue Chavo Guerrero to say Rey will never be a Guerrero. As for Vickie, the entire family is disgusted with her, which is enough to send Vickie over the edge. The two of them are wrestlers, so they can fight tonight. Just in case you hadn’t seen that match enough over the years.

Chuck Palumbo vs. Jamie Noble

Yes, again, and Michelle McCool is here with Palumbo again, though apparently he has apologized to her. Palumbo forearms him down to start and hits a slam for a fast two. Noble gets sent hard into the corner but comes back with something like a neckbreaker. A crucifix gives Noble the fast pin as the Palumbo frustration continues.

Rating: D+. Anytime they want to GET ON WITH THIS STORY and move on to something else for everyone involved, I would certainly appreciate it. We got the point weeks ago and now we’re back where we were instead of going somewhere with Noble and McCool. The matches aren’t good and the story isn’t going anywhere, but odds are it is going to continue for whatever reason.

Edge consoles Vickie Guerrero over what Chavo Guerrero said to her. A massage ensues.

Batista vs. MVP

Non-title. Before the match, MVP promises to retire Ric Flair at the Royal Rumble. Batista shoves him down to start but MVP is back up with some quick left jabs. A headlock takeover actually works on Batista but he’s right back up with a leapfrog (ok then) into a hard shoulder. The shoulders to the ribs in the corner keep MVP in trouble as we hear about Batista and Undertaker being added to the Royal Rumble.

Batista misses a charge in the corner and gets kicked out to the floor. Something like a hanging Nightmare On Helm Street gives MVP two and a drop toehold cuts off a comeback attempt. Another running boot to the head gives MVP another near fall and we hit a double underhook crank. The cravate stays on the neck and even hangs on when Batista slams him.

Batista breaks it up with straight power and hits the swinging Boss Man Slam for two. The spinebuster connects but MVP bails to the floor before the Batista Bomb. MVP kicks him in the head again before avoiding a clothesline to send Batista into the post. They both get to the apron, where Batista knocks him off the apron and beats the count back in for the win.

Rating: C. At least MVP didn’t get pinned for the second week in a row so this could have been a lot worse. Losing to Batista via countout isn’t the worst idea but it would be nice to have someone go after the title. Batista gets some momentum on the way to the Rumble and he’s enough of a threat to win the thing so this was a good enough idea.

Post match MVP grabs a chair but gets speared down.

Undertaker vs. Mark Henry/Matt Striker

Fallout from last week when Undertaker had Henry beat in the Beat The Clock Challenge but guest referee Striker cheated him out of the win. Striker bails to the floor to start so Undertaker starts working on the arm. Said arm is wrapped around the top rope but Old School is broken up. Undertaker is right back with a chokeslam attempt but has to boot down an invading Striker. Snake Eyes into the big boot drops Striker and there’s Old School to Henry. That’s enough to throw Henry over the top and the Tombstone finishes Striker in short order.

Post match Big Daddy V comes out to start the double teaming but Undertaker beats up both monsters without much effort.

Vince McMahon gives Hornswoggle a pep talk before his arm wrestling match with Runjin Singh. Hornswoggle leaves and Finlay comes in, saying Vince isn’t holding up his end of their deal. Vince warns him to NEVER mention that deal but Finlay doesn’t like being talked to like that. Somehow this earns Finlay a spot in the Royal Rumble.

Raw Rebound.

It’s time for arm wrestling between Runjin Singh and Hornswoggle, with Great Khali and Finlay here too. Before the match, Singh promises to win because of Great Khali’s workout regimen. They tease getting started, then Hornswoggle stands on a chair to make it even….then Finlay uses a remote control to electrocute Singh so Hornswoggle can win. Violence from Great Khali is teased but Finlay uses a chair to make the save. That was certainly a different way to go.

Kane vs. Domino

Cherry and Deuce are here with Domino. The uppercut and assorted right hands set up a corner clothesline and Domino is in trouble. A sideslam into the top rope clothesline into the chokeslam finishes for Kane in a hurry. Total dominance.

Video on Eve Torres.

Royal Rumble rundown.

Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero

Hold on though as here is Edge to join commentary. Chavo takes him into the corner to start and it’s an early standoff. A running headscissors drops Chavo but he’s back with some quick uppercuts. Rey ties him in the ropes though and a kick sends Chavo outside. That’s reversed without much effort though and Rey gets dropped hard on the floor as we take a break.

Back with Rey fighting out of a chinlock but getting faceplanted for two. Chavo stomps away in the corner and a belly to back suplex gets two more. A hammerlock, with Chavo flipping over, has Rey’s arm in trouble as Edge is losing his patience with Cole and Coach. Rey fights up again and snaps off another headscissors before sending him outside. A slingshot springboard Arabian press gives Rey two back inside but he has to break up the Three Amigos. The 619 sets up a top rope splash to give Rey the pin.

Rating: C+. They do well together but there is a firm limit on the interest level from anything involving Chavo and it isn’t that high in the first place. Rey does get another win and the action was fine, but trying to put this over as some big match didn’t exactly work. At the same time, it doesn’t make Chavo look great as he goes after the ECW World Title.

Post match Edge comes in but gets beaten down, only to have the Edgeheads come in and help Edge with the big beating to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. We’re in a weird period here as the main Smackdown match is set for the Royal Rumble and the show’s main event is going to sell itself without much effort. That leaves you with stuff like Noble/Palumbo, squashes and Chavo Guerrero. We could be in for some long shows before the Rumble, but hopefully they can be upgrades over this one.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: January 8, 2008
Location: Wachovia Arena, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 7,000
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

We’re still in the CM Punk Era and this time that means he has to deal with Chavo Guerrero. I’m not sure why either, but given how many challengers have just been dropped, Guerrero could at least offer some stability. Other than that, Miz and John Morrison are continuing their pretty sweet feud with Jimmy Wang Yang and Shannon Moore. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Joey Styles runs down the card and sounds a bit depressed to be doing so.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: John Morrison/Miz vs. Shannon Moore/Jimmy Wang Yang

Miz and Morrison are defending and this is a Fifteen Minutes Of Fame match, meaning a fifteen minute Iron Man match. Moore backslides Miz for some early near falls to start before it’s off to Morrison to unload in the corner. A running knee the head rocks Moore again but the chinlock doesn’t last long. Instead Moore kicks Morrison away and brings Yang in to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Morrison gets monkey flipped onto his face. Yang’s running spinwheel kick gets no count as the referee is distracted, allowing Morrison to grab a rollup for the first fall with 11:17 to go.

Miz/Morrison – 1
Yang/Moore – 0

We take a break and come back with the same score at 7:30 to go. Yang fights out of another chinlock (Morrison’s chinlock game is pretty weak tonight) but gets crotched on top to cut him off again. Miz ties Yang in the Tree of Woe, as a villain should, and hammers on the knee but Yang fights out anyway. A quick moonsault press (which didn’t make a ton of contact) finishes Morrison at 6:16 to go to tie us up.

Miz/Morrison – 1
Yang/Moore – 1

Miz comes right in and goes after the knee, including a half crab to keep him down. It’s back to Morrison to stay on the knee with a cannonball and some cranking. The leg is wrapped around the post and another leglock goes on to burn off more of the clock. Yang slips out though and starts the comeback, including a top rope dive (erg) to drop Morrison on the floor.

Moore comes back in with a minute left and hits something like a Whisper in the Wind for two on Miz. A Samoan drop/running neckbreaker combination connects for the same with 24 seconds left. Yang hits another moonsault press (or at least his leg hits Morrison in the head) for two as time expires, meaning Miz and Morrison retain.

Rating: B-. These teams work well together and the ending should give them a chance to have one more match, which wouldn’t be the worst thing to see. It’s nice to see a new team getting put together for something like this, even if I have no reason to believe that Moore and Yang are going to get the titles or have much of a future, but at least they are giving us something fresh for a change.

Kofi Kingston is still coming.

Colin Delaney is here to try his luck again.

Colin Delaney vs. Mark Henry

The bad luck continues as Delaney is thrown into the air for a crash, setting up a powerslam for the easy pin.

Lena Yada is in the ring to host a Diva Dance Off between Layla and Kelly Kelly. Layla dances, Kelly dances, the fans cheer for Kelly, Lena announces that she is in too, dances, and declares herself the winner.

WWE HD is coming.

Shelton Benjamin enters the Royal Rumble and talks about gold.

Chavo Guerrero vs. CM Punk

Non-title but, just like last week, if Chavo wins, he gets a future title shot. They fight over a lockup to start and that’s good for an early standoff. Chavo shoulders him down but gets pulled into a headlock as the slow start continues. That’s reversed into a headscissors, which is countered into a basement dropkick for two but Chavo is right back up with uppercuts in the corner. Punk gets slammed down hard and we take a break.

Back with Chavo’s abdominal stretch being broken up but Punk’s splash just bangs up his ribs again. The double arm crank is reversed into a rollup for a quick reprieve so Chavo kicks him in the ribs again. We hit the logical bodyscissors until Punk fights up and catapults him over the top in a clever counter.

The suicide dive that you knew was coming connects and Punk hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker back inside. There’s the running knee in the corner to set up the bulldog for two more but Chavo is right back with the Three Amigos. An over the shoulder backbreaker gets another two and the frustrated Chavo pulls the turnbuckle pad off. With the referee distracted, Chavo goes for the title belt but gets caught again, which is enough for the referee to call for the DQ.

Rating: B-. Another nice effort from these two, but that really shouldn’t be a surprise. Chavo is not exactly interesting but he can have a good match with just about anyone. Put him in there with someone as talented as Punk and give them this kind of time and this was almost guaranteed to be at least pretty good. There’s a good chance that the ending sets up another rematch though, even if that might be more than a bit of overkill.

Punk seems relieved to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. You had a pair of good matches and that is enough to cut down on the negative impact from the dance off. They have figured things out a good bit better around here and the show has gotten better as a result. ECW still feels like little more than a holding pin for people who are going to be bigger stars down the line or who have nothing to do, but for an hour long show, it could be a lot worse.

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Smackdown
Date: January 4, 2008
Location: Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman

It’s the start of a new year and that means we are on the way to the Royal Rumble. This week will take a big step towards that show as we get to find out the new #1 contender to Edge’s Smackdown World Title. It’s Beat The Clock time, and that can make for a fun show. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Edge being rather grateful to Vickie Guerrero for winning the World Title. Last week she even saved the title, after Batista won a handicap match but didn’t beat Edge, meaning the title didn’t change hands. I’m still not sure I get why the match was restarted instead of Batista winning the match but not the title, but the post match beatdown made more sense.

Opening sequence.

Here is Vickie Guerrero, as pushed by Teddy Long, to welcome us to the new year on Smackdown. She gets right to the point: if Undertaker or Batista touch Edge, they have no chance to retain the title. In the spirit of competition, tonight is a Beat The Clock Challenge (which was announced last week) for a shot at Edge at the Royal Rumble. Participants include Finlay, Rey Mysterio, Batista and Undertaker. With that out of the way, Vickie brings out Jonathan Coachman to replace the departed JBL on commentary.

Beat The Clock Challenge: Finlay vs. MVP

Non-title and Hornswoggle is here with Finlay. Feeling out process to start and they go to the mat for some early grappling. With that going nowhere, they get back up with MVP nailing a kick to the face. Finlay is fine enough to send him outside to start the brawling, only to be sent into the barricade as we take a break.

Back with Finlay working on the leg, which doesn’t seem to be the brightest move. MVP punches his way out and gets Finlay on his back to drop some heavy right hands. The cravate keeps Finlay in trouble until he powers up and into the corner. That doesn’t go well either as MVP knocks him down and hammers away again, only to get pulled into an armbar (as the bad thinking continues).

Back up and Finlay misses a charge into the post, setting up MVP’s running boot to the face for another near fall. With nothing else working, Hornswoggle throws in a shillelagh, which MVP picks up. The referee will have none of that, allowing Finlay to use another one to knock MVP cold for the pin at 9:46.

Rating: C-. I expected a lot more logical style out of Finlay here, as it would make sense for him to go after as many pins as he could. As a match it worked well enough, but this was about one thing and they completely missed the point the whole way. Finlay winning is interesting, though I can’t imagine this going anywhere as far as the US Title is concerned.

Post match Vince McMahon comes out to hug Hornswoggle and hand him his hat, though Finlay doesn’t seem convinced.

Kenny Dykstra/Victoria vs. Michelle McCool/Chuck Palumbo

How are these two still a thing??? The guys start things off with Palumbo taking him down but getting hammered in the corner for his efforts. The women come in quickly and it’s a basement dropkick to Victoria. Back up and Victoria sends her shoulder first into the post though and the villains take over.

A legdrop on the arm sets up an armbar but McCool is out without much trouble. It’s already back to Palumbo, who powerslams Dykstra down but misses a big boot in the corner. Palumbo is fine enough to catch him on top with a superplex for a breather, meaning Michelle can come in to clothesline Victoria. Dykstra offers a distraction though, allowing Victoria to hit the Widow’s Peak for the pin.

Rating: D+. They are taking their sweet time with wrapping up this Palumbo/McCool stuff and I’m really not sure why they’re taking so long. It wasn’t exactly an interesting story in the first place as it’s just a biker with the blonde and the fact that it is designed to go somewhere with Palumbo makes it even worse. Bad match, as Dykstra and Victoria aren’t exactly much better.

Post match Palumbo blames McCool for the lost and leaves without her.

Vickie Guerrero doesn’t like the coffee that Teddy Long brought her. Teddy leaves and an angry Chavo Guerrero comes in. Chavo isn’t happy with what Vickie is doing to the Guerrero name with her relationship with Edge. Her solution: put him in Beat The Clock, but he still wants something he can’t have.

Beat The Clock Challenge: Chavo Guerrero vs. Funaki

The time is set at 9:46 and Chavo starts fast by stomping away in the corner. A slam gives Chavo two but Funaki is back with a running headscissors for two. Funaki small packages him for two but gets belly to back suplexed for the same. They trade some rollups for two each and Funaki gets the same off an enziguri. A middle rope crossbody gets two more but Chavo is back with a Gory Bomb for the pin, setting the new time at 6:02.

Rating: C. Now that’s more like it, as it felt like they were trying to win the match instead of just having a regular match which ended whenever. Chavo isn’t going to get the title shot, but it is nice to have him show some anger towards Vickie, just for the sake of setting up something for the future. Funaki is another good hand and putting him in there meant the match was going to be ok at worst. The clock was what mattered here though and they cut it down to something more interesting by shaving off three and a half minutes.

Beat The Clock Challenge: Batista vs. Curt Hawkins

Hold on though, as Vickie Guerrero pops up to have Teddy Long change things a bit.

Beat The Clock Challenge: Batista vs. Curt Hawkins/Zack Ryder

The clock is set at 6:02 and Batista goes after both of them to start. Some double teaming in the corner doesn’t do much to Batista, who clotheslines Hawkins and catapults Ryder back into the corner. The Batista Bomb is broken up with a high/low though and the double stomping is on. Batista gets taken outside where he punches his way out of trouble but gets taken down again back inside.

A legdrop sets up a Hennig necksnap as they do have a target. Another legdrop into a splash gives Ryder two so they load up a double DDT which is countered into….something that is so unclear that they try it again. This time Batista backdrops both of them down and starts the comeback, including a powerslam to Ryder and a spinebuster to Hawkins. The Batista Bomb is loaded up but time expires at 6:02.

Rating: C. This was angle advancement rather than a match as Hawkins and Ryder were trying to stretch the match out and hurt Batista where they could, but they were never trying to get a win. It wouldn’t have made sense for them to do so either, so they had the logic right here. Edge clears a major hurdle and Vickie did the smart thing, so this went about as well as it could have.

Raw Rebound.

MVP isn’t happy with his loss and is made even madder by the Raw Rebound being about Ric Flair’s career continuing. He’ll beat Flair to end his career and make himself feel better.

Rey Mysterio talks about how difficult a Beat The Clock Challenge can be as you don’t know what you’re doing and have to go as fast as you can. Lucky for him, that’s his style. True actually.

Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore vs. Deuce N Domino

Cherry is here with Deuce N Domino and Yang/Moore have been having a snappy little feud with Miz and John Morrison on ECW. Deuce elbows Yang in the face to start but his hiptoss doesn’t work so well. Instead Yang hits a jumping kick to the back of the head but Domino gets in a cheap shot to take over. The chinlock doesn’t last long and it’s off to Moore to clean house. A springboard spinning crossbody gets two (it might have helped that Domino was falling down before the contact), followed by a rollup to give Moore the fast pin.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here (a theme tonight) but Moore and Yang continue their roll. I don’t think they have much of a chance at winning the titles, but imagine this: taking two people with nothing to do, putting them together and seeing what happens. I’m still not sure why that isn’t done more often, as it seemed to work just fine with these guys.

Beat The Clock Challenge: Undertaker vs. Matt Striker

The clock is set at 6:02….but hang on as Striker is in a referee shirt. It seems we have a replacement.

Beat The Clock Challenge: Undertaker vs. Mark Henry

The clock is set at 6:02 and Matt Striker is the guest referee. Undertaker’s running shoulder doesn’t work to start so he hammers away in the corner instead. With that not working either, Henry runs him over with a shoulder but gets knocked outside to get to the required brawling.

Henry gets whipped hard into the steps and there’s the apron legdrop to keep Henry in trouble. Back in and Undertaker switches gears by wrapping the arm around the top rope but Old School is broken up. The running DDT plants Henry for two but he’s right back with the bearhug. That’s broken up and Undertaker slugs away, setting up the chokeslam for….two as Striker won’t count the three and then runs off as time expires.

Rating: C. The time is hurting some of these matches, but in this case it might have been better to have them get out of there so fast. Henry can only do so much with the extra time so going home quickly isn’t a bad idea. Much like Batista, this was story advancement to clear one of Edge’s big problems, but it also leaves a big spot open to add some….oh come on like they haven’t made it obvious yet.

Post match Undertaker slams and chokeslams Henry.

In the back, Striker mocks Undertaker for failing to beat the clock and doesn’t like being threatened. Big Daddy V pops in to add some menacing glares.

Royal Rumble rundown.

Beat The Clock Challenge: Rey Mysterio vs. Edge

Non-title, the Edgeheads are here with Edge and the clock is still set at 6:02 (with Cole getting in a good line by saying 619 is no good for Rey tonight). Edge gets smart by going straight to the ropes to start and then bails to the floor for a quick neck rub. Back in and Rey snaps off a hurricanrana, followed by a dropkick into the seated senton for two. Edge powers up and sends him to the floor but here is Batista to take out the Edgeheads.

That’s enough for Rey to grab a cradle for two but Edge sends him face first into the buckle. Cue Undertaker to make the lights go out and when they come back, Edge is in 619 position. Rey hits said 619 and adds the springboard splash for the pin at 4:32 (despite Cole saying REY’S GONNA DO IT, which is usually a dead giveaway in the opposite direction).

Rating: C. You would think that Edge vs. Mysterio would be good no matter what but it turns out that a match getting less than five minutes and having four other people get involved was a bit much. This was certainly a different way to go for them but they did what they need to do. Rey has beaten Edge with help and now he gets the chance to do it again on the big stage.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling might not have been great but what mattered here was having the one concept going throughout the show. That made for a very fast paced show, even if there wasn’t much of value until the very end. I can go for a show like this as it makes them focus, but it’s a prime example of a show that doesn’t need to be watched in full if a recap is available.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: January 1, 2008
Location: Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

We’ll start a new year right here and that means things are not going so well for ECW World Champion CM Punk. In addition to dealing with the monsters in Mark Henry and Big Daddy V, he has to deal with the heel that will never go away in Chavo Guerrero. That’s where we are after a week off to close out the previous year so let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of two weeks ago, with CM Punk escaping against MVP but getting laid out by Chavo Guerrero after the match.

Opening sequence.

Here is Armando Estrada to introduce Chavo Guerrero. People have been asking how he could do that but he has been stuck at home doing nothing but watching TV. During that time, he has seen the emergence of CM Punk, the future of WWE. Cue Punk, who doesn’t quite buy that. Chavo says he sees Punk as a stepping stone and promises to be a champion again in 2008. Punk says if Chavo wants a title shot, he’s right here. Estrada says Chavo can earn a title shot if he beats Punk tonight.

Miz/John Morrison/Layla vs. Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore/Kelly Kelly

Kelly and company have matching cowboy hats. The women start things off with Layla getting in a cheap shot to knock Kelly down, allowing Morrison to come in. Men can face women here so Kelly slaps Morrison and brings in Moore for a bit fairer fight. Miz’s clothesline from the apron puts Moore down though and the villains take over. A chinlock doesn’t last long for Morrison as Moore fights up and gets in a shot of his own for a double knockdown. Yang comes in off the hot tag and a missile dropkick hits Miz as everything breaks down. The top rope moonsault press gives Yang the fast pin.

Rating: C+. These guys work well together and the women didn’t bring it down that far. If nothing else, I like the idea of adding in the women to mix things up a bit, which is always appreciated when you have a bunch of non-title matches. Now just get to the actual title match and see where things go from there.

Post match, square dancing ensues.

Tazz is in the ring with Colin Delaney and we see him getting wrecked by Shelton Benjamin in his debut match. Delaney says he has been training even more and he wants to be a WWE superstar. Tazz wishes him luck.

Big Daddy V vs. Colin Delaney

Gorilla press drop, Samoan drop and elbow drop finish Delaney in short order.

Shelton Benjamin vs. James Curtis

Benjamin gets an inset promo promising to show how great he is this year. Curtis gets driven into the corner to start and a slightly delayed suplex gets two. Benjamin bends his back over a knee before switching to the chinlock. Some shots to the face set up a buckle bomb to rock Curtis again and the jumping Downward Spiral finishes for Benjamin.

Rating: C. Another total squash for Benjamin, who is turning into one of the better stars around here. Benjamin has always had the talent and abilities but he hasn’t had a chance in a rather long time. It was a good beating, and once Benjamin actually gets something to do, he should do well around here.

Raw Rebound.

CM Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero

Non-title but Chavo gets a future title shot if he wins here. Punk armdrags him down to start before Chavo rolls out of a waistlock. Back up and Punk has to flip out of a belly to back suplex but bangs up his knee on the landing. The knee is fine enough to hit a middle rope crossbody as we take a break. We come back with Chavo working on the knee in the corner and snapping it down ala Curt Hennig with a neck. The knee crank goes on before a dropkick takes the leg out again.

For some reason Chavo switches to an armbar so Punk fights out, earning himself a chop block to cut him off again. More leg cranking ensues but Punk is back up with a running knee in the corner and the bulldog for two. Chavo isn’t having that and rolls him into a half crab, sending Punk straight over to the ropes. Three Amigos are broken up so Chavo hits a running crossbody to put them both on the floor. Punk kicks him down though beats the count back in for the win.

Rating: C+. So are we just dropping everything with MVP, Big Daddy V and Mark Henry? And for the sake of Chavo Guerrero? That might be an upgrade in some cases but Chavo is still Chavo, and that means there is a pretty firm limit on what they are going to be able to do here. Punk winning early is a bit weird, but you can probably expect it to continue for at least a little while to come.

Chavo is frustrated to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was one of the better shows they have had in awhile and that is because they mixed things up rather well. There were good enough matches while also boosting up a few stars. Hopefully they can keep that going, but what matters the most here is that they had a nice show here. Now just keep something like that going and we should be in for a nice future as the new year begins.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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