Smackdown
Date: May 4, 2007
Location: BJCC, Birmingham, Alabama
Attendance: 5,000
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

We’re done with Backlash but it does not seem like we are done with Batista vs. Undertaker. The two of them went to a draw in a Last Man Standing match at the pay per view and that probably means we get another match between the two of them, which is not a bad thing. I’m not sure what that is going to mean, but hopefully WWE can keep up their roll. Let’s get to it.

Here is Backlash if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

William Regal vs. Boogeyman

This isn’t quite the normal start, but Little Boogeyman is back. Dave Taylor is here too but he doesn’t have quite the merchandising potential. Grappling doesn’t quite work for Regal so Boogeyman gyrates a bit. Regal gets a bit more violent by sending him shoulder first into the post and kicking the arm. Some forearms have Boogeyman in trouble as Cole calls him a “must see character”. The chinlock doesn’t last long as the fans bring Boogeyman back to life. The chokebomb connects but Taylor comes in for the DQ.

Rating: C-. This was short and to the point, likely for the sake of setting up another match of some kind. They went a bit more technical than I was expecting here but Regal got better once he turned into the brawler. Keeping this short was probably better for Boogeyman, as he isn’t exactly the best thing to see in the ring most of the time.

Post match the beatdown is on, with Little Boogeyman taking a beating of his own. Kane runs in for the save, chasing the Brits into the crowd.

We look at Vince McMahon becoming ECW World Champion.

Dusty Rhodes is in Teddy Long’s office but Teddy doesn’t think he would be a good choice for an assistant’s role. Rhodes thought it was for the GM’s job and leaves (Dusty: “See ya playa!”). MVP comes in (MVP: “Was that the American Dream?”) and isn’t happy with what happened to him at Backlash. If he doesn’t get another US Title shot, he’s sitting out the rest of his contract. Long says he can have the title shot if he wins tonight….against Kane. Yelling ensues so MVP leaves, running into Sgt. Slaughter, the Brooklyn Brawler and the Miz, all of whom want to be Long’s assistant. Miz even throws in a HOO RAH.

Brian Kendrick vs. Domino

It really would be nice to think that WWE knows another way to present a tag team feud but that seems to be false hope. Deuce, Cherry and the injured Paul London are here too as Domino grabs an early headlock. Kendrick sends him outside and hits a heck of a suicide dive, only to have Domino come back with a knee to the face.

Back in and another knee, this time in the form of a drop, gives Domino two and we hit the chinlock. Kendrick raises a boot to cut off a middle rope unidentified flying….thing and hits a running forearm in the corner. Deuce takes out London but Kendrick kicks Deuce off the apron as he hits Sliced Bread for the pin.

Rating: C. Kendrick was flying all over the place here and it made for a good enough match, even if this feud has gone so far beyond stale that it’s barely worth caring about. The tag division really is that weak at the moment, or at least the face side of it is, because there has been nothing suggesting even one other team coming after the titles.

Here is Mr. Kennedy, complete with a graphic counting down to his Wrestlemania XXIV countdown. It’s 331 days until there is a new champion and his name is…..a catchphrase.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Matt Hardy

JBL thinks that Hardy could be in the main event of Wrestlemania as well, because JBL isn’t a great analyst. Hardy headlocks Kennedy down to start as JBL thinks next year’s Wrestlemania is in Tampa. Back up and Kennedy works on a headlock of his own to little avail. Cole uses this opportunity to hype up an upcoming clip of the end of Batista and Undertaker for approximately the 193rd time tonight.

Kennedy starts working on the arm before elbowing Hardy in the face. A backdrop sends Kennedy over the top though and we take a break, with Kennedy possibly having a busted nose. Back with Hardy hitting a middle rope elbow to the back of the head, only to have Kennedy take him down by the arm. The chinlock goes on again, meaning Cole can get in his 194th reference to the Batista/Undertaker clip.

Back up and they collide coming out of the corner until Kennedy is sent outside. He comes up favoring his shoulder but is still fine enough to kick Hardy hard into the steps. They head back inside with Kennedy grabbing a cravate to keep Hardy down. A clothesline gives Kennedy two and let’s hit that chinlock again. That’s broken up but Hardy’s bulldog out of the corner is broken up.

The second attempt connects to give Hardy two but Kennedy pulls him throat first across the top. The Side Effect drops Kennedy for two more and a double clothesline gives them two each. Kennedy counters the Twist of Fate into a Regal Roll for two but the Kenton Bomb only hits raised knees. Hardy’s middle rope legdrop gets yet another near fall so Kennedy shoves him at the referee. That doesn’t seem to bother Hardy, who comes back with the Twist of Fate for the pin.

Rating: B. This got some time and really picked up the pace in the last few minutes as they were trading a lot of near falls. That is not something you get to see very often in a free TV match and they made it work for the better part of twenty minutes. Nice stuff here, though Mr. Money in the Bank losing again holds it back a bit.

Video on Batista and Undertaker in the Last Man Standing match at Backlash. It was rather good, but not quite the epic showdown Cole made it out to be.

Teddy Long announces that next week, it’s Batista vs. Undertaker in a cage match to finish everything once and for all.

Maryse welcomes us back to the show.

Jimmy Wang Yang vs. Gregory Helms

Yang shoulders him down for a headlock to start, setting up an armdrag into an armbar. Back up and Helms blocks another armdrag and sends him outside. Helms tosses Yang back inside and grabs most of a half crab (minus stepping over), followed by a waistlock. Yang fights up again and hits a dropkick into a hurricanrana for a breather. Helms slams him out of the corner for two but a superplex is broken up. The top rope moonsault press finishes for Yang.

Rating: C. This was two people having a match for a few minutes with some nice moves thrown in. It had nothing as far as interest goes, as it’s not like the Cruiserweight Title means much of anything at the moment. The fact that it took me a little while to remember who the champion was should tell you all you need to know about the division right now, and that isn’t likely to get any better anytime soon.

Here is a serious Batista for a chat. He talks about what he and Undertaker put each other through at Backlash before going over the limit. After they crashed through everything, Batista was laying there asking himself it this was all worth it. Of course it was and he wanted to step out of his body and slap himself for asking such a stupid question. He’s ready to do it all over again because he has promised himself to win the title back, even if it means getting inside a cage next week.

Mark Henry is still coming back.

Finlay vs. Miz

Feeling out process to start until Miz actually manages to knock him outside. Even JBL is impressed, though Finlay nailing Miz in the head cuts that off in a hurry. Hornswoggle pops out for a cheap shot, sending JBL into a rant about how we have Little Boogeyman, Hornswoggle and Tazz around here. They head back in and Finlay takes off the turnbuckle pad, allowing him to throw Hornswoggle at Miz behind the referee’s back. Miz sends him shoulder first into the post for two though and the running corner clothesline hits Finlay again.

Cue Hornswoggle again (three times in a four minute match is a bit much), this time with a Shillelagh shot to Miz. The distraction lets Finlay run Miz over but Miz sends him into the apron. Hornswoggle pulls Miz underneath the ring this time but he’s right back out….wearing Hornswoggle’s hat. That’s too much for Miz, who takes the countout.

Rating: D+. This was basically Miz vs. Hornswoggle and that got a little tiring in a hurry. That being said, Miz is also starting to get a lot more comfortable in the ring and you can see a star starting to emerge. He has always been able to talk but if he can survive in the ring, he becomes even more valuable. Now someone get me Hornswoggle’s hat.

Undertaker promises to make Batista rest in peace next week. Short and to the point here.

We look at Vince McMahon winning the ECW World Title (they’re REALLY high on this story, as they should be).

Kane vs. MVP

The winner challenges Chris Benoit for the US Title at Judgment Day. Kane powers him into the corner to start and then throws him back out, setting up an early bearhug. A powerslam out of the corner gives Kane two and it’s off to a chinlock with a knee in MVP’s back. Kane knocks him down again and we take a break. Back with MVP sending him shoulder first into the post and hammering away to get a breather. The armbar makes it worse for Kane and a forearm to the shoulder gets two.

The referee breaks up something in the ropes so Kane is back with a clothesline. MVP is sent into the corner for the running clothesline but another shot to the arm gets him out of trouble. Kane uses the good arm to hit a side slam for two but MVP’s swinging neckbreaker is good for the same. A slam puts MVP down though and Kane hits the top rope clothesline. Cue William Regal and Dave Taylor though, with the latter distracting the referee so Regal can get in a brass knuckles shot. The Playmaker gives MVP the pin and the title shot.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure how much drama there was to this but it was nice to see things tied back into the opening segment to wrap this up. MVP continues to look like he could be a big deal on the show, but egads he has to win that title at the pay per view. It was a pretty nice match though, and Regal’s knuckles shot looked painful to make it better.

Overall Rating: C+. Overall, this was a solid enough week with Hardy vs. Kennedy being the highlight, but I think you can tell that something is a little off. Undertaker appearing in a pre-tape and a sudden World Title match being booked for TV isn’t the most encouraging sign, as it would suggest that something was wrong (which it turns out there was). Still though, good show, despite what felt like some stuff being thrown together at the last minute.

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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Smackdown
Date: April 27, 2007
Location: Earl’s Court, London, England
Attendance: 11,000
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

We’re overseas for the go home show for Backlash and that has all the makings for a pretty dull show. I’m sure the big names will be around, but how much are they actually going to do in this situation? This doesn’t feel like a spot for a bunch of top level stuff, though I would have said something similar for this week’s Raw. Let’s get to it.

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

We open in the back with Batista beating up Mr. Kennedy. A rake to the eyes gives Kennedy a quick breather until someone who might have been Finlay makes the save, taking the cameraman out in the process. Batista and Finlay brawl into the arena until Kennedy comes in to go after Batista’s taped up thigh. Then the gong hits and the lights go out, with Undertaker appearing in the ring. Batista turns to yell at the villains and Undertaker disappears.

Post break Mr. Kennedy and Finlay want to see Undertaker vs. Batista tonight but Teddy Long puts them in the tag match instead. Let’s make that No DQ too. You would think the bad guys would learn one day.

Kane/Boogeyman vs. Dave Taylor/William Regal

Kane unloads on Regal in the corner and it’s still weird to hear the fans cheering for Regal for once. Taylor comes in and gets choked in the corner as well so it’s back to Regal to actually punch Kane down. As JBL wonders how Boogeyman gets through customs, Kane hits a side slam into the top rope clothesline for two on Regal. Taylor gets knocked outside and we take a break.

Back with Taylor taking over on Regal’s arm and grabbing a crossface chickenwing. It’s back to Regal to hammer away some more as JBL is still going on about the customs. Kane belly to bellies his way to freedom but Taylor cuts him off again. There’s a double suplex to keep Kane in trouble but Taylor misses a middle rope spinning crossbody. Everything breaks down and Kane kicks Regal into a chokebomb for the pin.

Rating: C-. Nothing to see here other than the freak show appeal, which is perfectly fine for a one off team. Despite commentary hyping up the idea that Kane and Boogeyman could go after the Tag Team Titles, it doesn’t feel like anything more than a quick one off match to blow off Kane vs. Regal/Taylor for good.

Post match Regal and Taylor bail from the threat of worms.

The Condemned opens today. Now get it onto DVD and then out of people’s minds so we can get away from it for good.

Deuce vs. Brian Kendrick

Domino, Cherry and Paul London are here too. Kendrick avoids some shots to the face to start and grabs a headlock. The headlock takeover lets Kendrick grind away a bit but Deuce fights up and puts on a headlock of his own. That’s broken up and Kendrick dropkicks him into the corner, only to get taken down again.

An elbow drop gives Deuce two and he punches Kendrick in the face to break up a sunset flip attempt. The double arm crank goes on but Kendrick is back up with a headscissors into an enziguri. Sliced Bread connects but Cherry offers a distraction, allowing Domino to go after the injured London. Deuce kicks Kendrick in the face for the pin.

Rating: C. Basic tag match here as it is clear that London and Kendrick’s time is over. They held the titles for the better part of ever so it is time to let someone else do something for the time being. There is nothing wrong with that either, as it isn’t like there is anyone else to challenge for the titles at the moment.

We look back at the opening brawl to set up tonight’s main event.

Deuce and Domino don’t feel like answering questions so they make like a banana and split.

Here is MVP with another of his international challenges. This week, he is facing two champions, both of whom are better than Chris Benoit. First up is a guy like Braveheart: the Scottish Champion, Hamlet Macbeth!

MVP vs. Hamlet Macbeth

Non-title and Macbeth (What bloody man is that?) has Braveheart face paint and a kilt to go with what looks like a bad fitting white sweater. MVP elbows and clotheslines him down to start the stomping. A neckbreaker lets MVP stomp away (as he makes assurance double sure) but the comeback is on, even as Macbeth loses his wig (this is a sorry sight). MVP takes his head off with a clothesline and hits the running boot in the corner, knocking him silly with one fell swoop. The Playmaker wraps Macbeth up, and what’s done cannot be undone. Hopefully he can bear a charmed life.

Post match MVP wants his second competitor, but gets a surprise challenger.

Chris Benoit vs. MVP

Non-title. Benoit suplexes him down for an early two and sends MVP hard into the corner. The charge hits boots though and MVP kicks him outside as we take a break. We come back with Benoit fighting out of a chinlock but getting knocked right back down. A suplex gives Benoit two and the chinlock goes on.

Back up and Benoit snaps off a German suplex into the Crossface, sending MVP straight to the rope. A superplex gets some delayed near falls and the Sharpshooter goes on, with MVP going to the rope again. Another Crossface sets up a third rope break so Benoit rolls some German suplexes. MVP rolls outside before the headbutt can launch though and takes the countout.

Rating: C+. It was intense while it lasted and MVP walking out makes the most sense. There is no need for him to get banged up when he has a title match coming up in two days so why take the beating here? MVP should win the title on Sunday as there is little for him to do if he doesn’t finally step up.

Teddy Long and Kristal are kissing in his office and declare their love for each other. They would love to spend some more time with each other so maybe Teddy could find someone to help him with his work around here. Kristal seems to approve.

Mark Henry is still on his way back.

Jillian Hall comes out to sing a song for the newly single Prince William until someone cuts her off (edited off of Peacock).

Jillian Hall vs. Michelle McCool

Some hair takedowns have Michelle in trouble to start but a cartwheel splash hits raised knees. Michelle slugs away and gets in an elbow to the face, setting up a Russian legsweep ala Brad Armstrong. Not that it mattes as Jillian hits an X Factor for the fast pin.

Post match Jillian goes to sing again but Michelle beats her up.

Backlash rundown.

Mr. Kennedy/Finlay vs. Batista/Undertaker

No DQ. Before the match, Kennedy talks about being a REAL American, where they play REAL football. Undertaker and Batista jump them before the bell and we start fast. Batista knees away at Finlay in the corner before it’s off to Undertaker and Kennedy. Undertaker actually gets caught in the corner so Kennedy can hammer away, only to get clotheslined down for two. Batista comes back in and catches Finlay on top before clearing the ring as we take a break.

Back with Batista hammering on Kennedy and handing it off to Undertaker. Old School is broken up but Undertaker is right back up with a boot to the face. Back to back Old Schools connect for two and Batista sends Finlay into the steps. Undertaker throws Kennedy outside and hits the big boot to the side of the head. Finlay gets thrown over the announcers’ table and we lose Cole for a bit.

Back in and Batista gets to beat up Kennedy, who eventually goes after the leg. The Shillelagh to the knee takes Batista down again and Undertaker is content to let Batista get beaten up. A spear gives Batista a breather but Finlay makes the save. Undertaker gets knocked off the apron and that’s enough to bring him back inside to clean house. Chokeslams plant both villains but Batista comes back in for the spinebuster to finish Kennedy, much to Undertaker’s annoyance.

Rating: C+. This was just a way to have Undertaker and Batista in the same ring before Backlash, with Undertaker being pleased at Batista’s pain. Kennedy and Finlay could have been any two good enough heels to fill in these spots and it would have worked out fine, so it isn’t like there is much to complain about.

Post match Batista says no one keeps him down for ten and he’s taking his title back. Undertaker says he’s coming for Batista’s soul to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. For a two hour commercial for half of Backlash, this worked out pretty well. You shouldn’t have been expecting much from this show and while what we got was good enough, it isn’t like there is anything worth seeing. Backlash has been ready to go for a few weeks now and this was about not screwing up on the way there. Good enough show, but just get us to the pay per view already.

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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Smackdown
Date: April 20, 2007
Location: Datchforum, Milan, Italy
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

The Italian trip continues with the blue show and that could make for a good Smackdown. Last week saw the announcement of Undertaker vs. Batista II in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash, complete with some wacky bad partnering. I’m curious to see what else they have on tap around here as Smackdown has been pretty good as of late. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

It’s the 400th episode for a nice milestone.

Batista vs. Finlay

The referee warns Finlay about the shillelagh to start and Batista shoves him down to make it even worse. Back up and Batista works on the arm, including an armdrag into an armbar for a little variety. With that broken up, Finlay backs into the corner but comes back with a cheap shot to the face. That just annoys Batista so he takes Finlay down, sending Finlay to the ropes with complaints of something in his eye.

They head outside with Batista nailing a big boot to keep Finlay in trouble. We hit the chinlock back inside as we look at the third replay of the big boot. Finlay fights up and gets knocked over the top in a heap as we take a break. Back with Batista beating on Finlay on the floor but Mr. Kennedy runs in for the DQ. The post break part was maybe fifteen seconds.

Rating: C. This was a weird one as Batista basically squashed him throughout. They’ve done a good job of making Batista feel like that much more of a monster heading into Backlash though it’s weird to see Finlay taking this kind of a beating. It wasn’t a bad match or anything, but it was a strange way to go.

Post match the double beatdown is on and Batista is left laying with the Celtic Cross.

Smackdown is in an Italian newspaper.

Here’s your weekly Condemned video.

Here is Jillian Hall for a chat. Hall asks if the fans remember her and we see a clip of her attacking Ashley last week. Since Ashley can’t be here tonight, Hall has a special operatic song for us. The song is about eating a pizza so here is Michelle McCool to say Hall is horrible (in Italian for a twist). The brawl is on and Hall bails in a hurry.

Hardys/Chris Benoit vs. MVP/Gregory Helms/Chavo Guerrero

When did Chavo and Helms become the new midcard heel team? Benoit and Guerrero get things going with Benoit shouldering him down. Guerrero grabs him by the leg and hands it off to MVP to stomp away. Helms comes in just as fast and gets taken into the corner so Matt can come in with the middle rope elbow to the head.

Matt gets hit in the face a few times though and Helms is back with a running clothesline. That just earns him a trip into the corner so it’s off to Jeff for a hiptoss. The Whisper in the Wind misses though and Helms gets him into the corner to set up the triple teaming. MVP’s big boot gets a Masahiro Chono reference from JBL (in case you thought it came from Cole) and it’s back to Helms to hammer away on the ropes.

Chavo’s basement dropkick gets two and we hit the front facelock. A dropkick gets two on Jeff and it’s a Demolition Decapitator of all things for two more. MVP’s kick to the back sets up a suplex for two but he makes the mistake of going after Benoit. The distraction lets Jeff get over for the hot tag to Benoit as everything breaks down. The Twist of Fate into the Swanton into the Swan Dive crushes Helms and a weird looking Sharpshooter is enough for the tap.

Rating: C+. I can always go for a good six man tag, if nothing else just for the sake of keeping things a little more fresh. Helms has fallen a few miles over the last few months and taking a fall here doesn’t change anything for him. It’s a perfectly good match and a fine way to use some TV time.

Maryse welcomes us back to the show.

Tag Team Titles: Brian Kendrick/Paul London vs. Deuce N Domino

Deuce N Domino are challenging (again) and have Cherry with them. Kendrick and Deuce start things off with Kendrick running the ropes for a forearm to the face. London comes in to work on the arm with Kendrick coming back in with the elbow to the shoulder. A top rope stomp to the arm sets up another kick to said arm but Cherry offers a distraction. Domino is knocked outside and London loads up a moonsault…which only hits mat. The referee goes to check on London and the double teaming is on back inside.

Cue the trainers to check on London and he is taken to the back, leaving Kendrick to get double pummeled. The chinlock goes on and Domino hits a clothesline for two. Deuce grabs the front facelock before choking with a knee in the corner. It’s back to Domino for another two off another clothesline but Kendrick fights out of the corner. The attempt at a tag lets Kendrick know there is no London available and Crack Em In Da Mouth FINALLY gives Deuce N Domino the titles.

Rating: C. This was all about the last three seconds as London and Kendrick finally, and I do mean finally, lost the titles. It probably should have come a few weeks earlier as this is probably the fifth match between these teams. The fact that it was a handicap match for a good chunk of time at least made it a little different, though the ending was a little flat after Kendrick had been beaten up for awhile.

Raw Rebound.

Backlash rundown.

Mark Henry is still coming back.

Kane vs. William Regal/Dave Taylor

Regal starts for the knee and fires off the knees. That earns him a big toss into the corner as the fans are a bit silent here. Cole gets to list off various shows that don’t have as many episodes as Smackdown as Kane works on Regal’s arm. A shot to the face allows Regal to bring Taylor in, where Kane elbows him in the face. We get what sounds like an EDDIE chant as Regal sends Kane into the steps to take over.

Back in and the slow beating begins, including a variety of forearms from Regal. That earns him a heck of a right hand to knock Regal across the ring so it’s back to Taylor for a cravate. Regal comes back in and gets backdropped to give Kane a breather. Taylor grabs a crossface chickenwing (with Taylor insisting that HE’S GOT KANE NOW) and a jumping ax handle to the back gets two.

A double suplex gives Regal two more and the frustration begins to sit in. Taylor hits a dropkick into a chinlock, setting up Regal’s knee drop. A running knee to the face knocks Kane out of a fireman’s carry for two more but Kane is back with the double clothesline. Taylor is sent outside, leaving Regal to get side slammed. There’s the top rope clothesline to send Regal outside and the villains walk for the countout.

Rating: C. Everyone was working and the heels know how to do this style to perfection, but it isn’t the most interesting stuff to watch in a longer form. It also doesn’t help that they did all this stuff and then it went to a countout. These guys have been feuding for a few weeks now and it still hasn’t gotten beyond just kind of there.

The Condemned is getting media AND it has STUNTS!

William Regal and Dave Taylor complain to Teddy Long about Kane. That’s fine with Long, who puts them in a tag match (Regal: “I just told you we wanted to get AWAY from him!”) against Kane and the Boogeyman. The two of them leave so here is Kristal, who just finished a shopping spree. Various things were purchased on Teddy’s dime but he thinks she’s worth it. Kissing ensues.

We look at Mr. Kennedy and Finlay taking out Batista earlier.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Undertaker

Non-title. Before the match, Kennedy talks about how he has been called a lot of things over the years, but now he is being called Mr. Money in the Bank. Kennedy ducks a right hand in the corner to start and gets punched in the face for his efforts. More quick shots from Kennedy don’t do him much good as Undertaker knocks him down again.

A big boot gets two but Kennedy slugs his way out of Old School. The superplex brings Undertaker back down for two and Kennedy unloads as well as he can in the corner. That’s broken up with a clothesline and now Old School can connect for two. We take a break and come back with Undertaker sending Kennedy’s arm into the buckle and slapping on a Kimura. The running big boot in the corner misses though and Kennedy gets to stomp away for a change.

The kicks to the ribs and knee keep Undertaker in trouble and a running boot to the face makes it worse. We hit the chinlock as we get the second Chono reference of the night. Undertaker manages to dump him outside and the bad leg connects for the apron legdrop. They slug it out, allowing Cole to get in the best pure striker line. Snake Eyes and the big boot set up the chokeslam but Finlay runs in for the DQ.

Rating: C+. The ending was lacking a bit but at least they had a hard hitting fight on the way there. Kennedy is still good in the ring but he has yet to have that big match which takes him to the next level. This was better than some of the matches he has had before, which probably had something to do with being in there with Undertaker.

Post match the beatdown, including the briefcase to the head, puts Undertaker down and there’s the Celtic Cross to make it worse. The fans want Batista but the villains just leave, because Kennedy doesn’t seem to get how the Money in the Bank briefcase works.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a rather sandwiched edition of the show as you had the main event angle to open and close things, but not much in the middle. The Tag Team Title change meant a little something, but is anyone really going to be interested in those changing hands? It’s a fairly good show with nothing bad, though it was another show that was just a bridge to the pay per view next weekend.

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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Smackdown
Date: April 13, 2007
Location: Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Attendance: 8,000
Commentators: John Bradshaw Layfield, Michael Cole

We’re on the way to whatever the next Smackdown pay per view is and Batista wants his rematch with Undertaker for the World Title. That’s fine with Undertaker, but he isn’t cool with King Booker jumping him to end last week’s show. It sounds like something he is going to deal with sooner than later and that isn’t likely to go well for Booker. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Teddy Long is in the ring to get things going. He isn’t wasting time tonight and announces Batista vs. Undertaker for the Smackdown World Title at Backlash in a Last Man Standing match. That’s a big upgrade but a violent match like that makes sense for guys who are going to beat on each other than hard.

Finlay/Hornswoggle vs. Mr. Kennedy

Fallout from Kennedy attacking Hornswoggle at Wrestlemania. That being said, there is no Hornswoggle to start, meaning this isn’t much of a handicap match. Before the match, Kennedy gets quite the positive reception and tells Finlay that they don’t have to do this. Things got out of hand in Money in the Bank at Wrestlemania and tension was high.

Kennedy apologizes but Finlay says he has never met anyone who whimpers and grovels like Kennedy does. He’ll give Kennedy the benefit of the doubt though so apology accepted. Just don’t touch Hornswoggle again. Hold on though as that isn’t cool with Teddy Long, who wants these two to wrestle tonight. They can do it as a team….against Batista and Undertaker. Anger ensues, possibly because Hornswoggle never appeared.

Michelle McCool is in the back and hears a suspicious sound (from like five rooms away). It’s Jillian Hall attacking Ashley because she wants to be in the Timbaland video instead of her. Michelle chases Jillian off as Paul London and Brian Kendrick come in too late.

Tag Team Titles: Deuce N Domino vs. Paul London/Brian Kendrick

Deuce N Domino, with Cherry are challenging. London’s waistlock doesn’t get very far on Deuce but a small package gets two. London kicks at Deuce’s leg to get on his nerves so Domino comes in. Kendrick joins him for an armdrag and then another one into an armbar. It’s back to London and the champs clear the ring in a hurry, setting up London’s big dive onto Domino.

We take a break and come back with Kendrick armbarring Deuce but a distraction lets Domino get in a cheap shot. A suplex gives Domino two and it’s off to the chinlock. Back up and some choking on the ropes ensues, as the camera angles show you how small the building really is. The slow beating continues until Kendrick rolls away and dives over to London for the hot tag. House is cleaned in a hurry, including a top rope double stomp to the back for two on Domino. Deuce comes back in and sends Kendrick outside, setting up Crack Em In Da Mouth…but the referee DQ’s them for being in the ring too long.

Rating: C+. These teams have chemistry but I’m sick of seeing them fight. Either change the titles already or move on to something else because this is getting really repetitive. The ending leaves the door open for another rematch and I’m sure we’ll get that sooner than later, but they need to get somewhere with this already.

Teddy Long tells Kristal about how awesome next week’s 400th show will be in Milan, Italy. Deuce N Domino and Cherry come in and aren’t happy with the result. They get tossed out anyway.

The Condemned.

MVP vs. Chris Benoit

Non-title. MVP drives Benoit into the corner to start to show off a bit of power. An armdrag sends MVP into another corner though and it’s time for a standoff. That’s fine with Benoit, who takes him to the mat for an armbar without much trouble. The threat of the Crossface sends MVP bailing to the floor but he’s right back in with some forearms to the face. A running boot in the corner gives MVP two but Benoit snaps off a suplex.

Benoit hits a backbreaker and kicks away but MVP gets in a shot of his own to take back over. We hit the chinlock for a bit but Benoit gets to the apron and teases the German suplex to the floor. That’s broken up as expected and MVP posts him to send us to a break. Back with Benoit fighting out of another chinlock but charging into a belly to belly. A hard whip sends Benoit into the corner and MVP starts in on Benoit’s banged up arm.

Three straight elbows give MVP two but a snap northern lights suplex gives Benoit the same. The Crossface goes on, with MVP getting his foot on the ropes in a hurry. Some rolling German suplexes have MVP in trouble but he avoids the Swan Dive. MVP hammers away and kicks Benoit in the head but can’t German suplex him to the floor. Instead Benoit tries a rollup but MVP grabs the rope for the pin.

Rating: C+. These guys work well together and the cheating pin moves MVP back into the title match while also protecting Benoit. I’m sure they’ll be set up for Backlash as a result and that should be another good one. MVP has been ready to win the title for a long time now so Benoit dropping it is the right move in the near future.

Post break, MVP says he told us so and promises to win the title.

We recap King Booker attacking Undertaker last week and being slaughtered. He has suffered neck, knee and elbow injuries, meaning he’s out of action indefinitely. That’s a heck of at Tombstone to injure his knee.

Raw Rebound.

Kane vs. Daivari

Kane unloads on him to start like he’s Kane unloading on Daivari, including a hard shot to the face in the corner. There’s the side slam into the top rope clothesline, followed by Daivari’s ribs being bent around the post. The chokeslam finishes Daivari in a hurry.

Post match here are William Regal and Dave Taylor to go after Kane but they can’t even get him off his feet. Eventually they give up and run off.

Mark Henry is coming back.

Undertaker/Batista vs. Mr. Kennedy/Finlay

Finlay ducks away from Undertaker to start and hands it off to Kennedy, who gets taken into the corner for the pummeling. Undertaker charges into a boot though and the villains take over as Batista looks like he’s trying to remember where he parked. That’s broken up and Undertaker launches Kennedy into the corner to start throwing more right hands. Snake Eyes has Finlay in trouble but Batista tags himself in, allowing Kennedy to jump Undertaker. Batista tosses Finlay and spinebusters Kennedy but this time it’s Undertaker tagging himself in.

We take a break and come back with Undertaker rather forcibly tagging Batista. Kennedy gets stomped down and this time it’s Batista slapping Undertaker in the chest for the next tag. A Finlay distraction breaks up Old School but Undertaker shrugs off anything Kennedy throws at him. Batista comes back in for two off a suplex with Finlay making the save. Finlay comes in and is thrown right back into the corner for some right hands to the face.

There’s a heck of a clothesline to give Batista two and it’s back to Undertaker to keep pounding. This has been almost completely one sided so far as Undertaker drops the apron leg to Finlay. Old School is broken up by another blind tag and that’s not cool with Undertaker. The distraction lets Finlay jump Batista, with Undertaker just glaring instead of helping. Kennedy comes back in to start on Batista’s knee and a chop block cuts him down again. Finlay grabs the leg part of an STF and Kennedy sits down on the bad leg.

A Shillelagh shot to the leg makes it worse and Kennedy drives Batista’s back into the apron. The Indian Deathlock doesn’t work for Kennedy so he goes with some right hands to the face instead. It’s back to Finlay to pull on the leg a bit more, including a half crab. That’s finally enough to turn Undertaker into an unenthusiastic cheerleader, which seems to work as Batista is back with a spinebuster. Undertaker comes back in to clean house but Batista tags himself in again. As Undertaker beats on Finlay on the floor, the Batista Bomb finishes Kennedy.

Rating: B-. This was a different kind of match as it was much more about the storytelling than the action itself. Undertaker and Batista toyed with the two of them here and it was an effective way to build things up. They don’t like each other but they had to work together here. Granted it wasn’t the best teamwork, but the story was advanced and that’s what they were shooting for here. Nicely done, in a different way.

The staredown and title gesturing finishes the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what to think of this show but I liked enough of it. Backlash is already starting to take shape, though you can tell that they’re still in a bit of the post Wrestlemania zone. That can fade away even more next week, but for now it is just a good show instead of anything great. WWE continues to be on a roll though, and that is getting more impressive the further they are removed from Wrestlemania.

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Smackdown
Date: April 6, 2007
Location: Allen County War Memorial, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Attendance: 4,500
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

We are done with Wrestlemania and that means it is time to back in the glory of a pretty awesome show. I’m not sure what that is going to entail, but this time around we should be in for at least an appearance from Undertaker, who won the Smackdown World Title on Sunday. Let’s get to it.

Here is Wrestlemania if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Mr. Money in the Bank/Kennedy to get things going. Kennedy brags about the briefcase’s power and promises that the Kennedy Era will have begun. Begun.

Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Kennedy

They fight over a lockup to start and go up against the ropes with neither being able to get very far. Jeff shoulders him down and grabs an armdrag into an armbar. Kennedy gets sent outside for the slingshot dropkick through the ropes into the big dive. We take a break and come back with Jeff hitting the sitout gordbuster.

The Swanton is broken up though and Kennedy bends him around the post to work on the ribs, setting up a seated abdominal stretch. Back up and Kennedy knees him in the ribs to cut off a comeback attempt and there’s a backbreaker to make it worse. The regular abdominal stretch goes on but Hardy hiptosses his way to freedom. Whisper in the Wind drops Kennedy again but a REALLY far Swanton only hits mat. The DDT finishes Hardy, which Cole calls cashing in on victory. It’s going to be a long contract holding time.

Rating: C. Pretty standard match here with Kennedy getting a nice win as he gets ready to move forward with the briefcase. That’s the right thing for him to do and the kind of win that he needs. Kennedy has cheated to beat a bunch of top names, but he needs to prove that he can get some clean pins like this one.

Post match, Hornswoggle charges at Kennedy but it’s Finlay jumping Kennedy from behind and promising violence if Kennedy ever hurts Hornswoggle again.

Wrestlemania got a lot of press.

Krystal is in Teddy Long’s office and they had a great time at Wrestlemania, plus AFTER the show. Teddy gets a card to open later but Mr. Kennedy comes in to say he wants him in the ring. After some clarification, Teddy figures out that he means Hornswoggle and the match is on for next week. Oh and we’ll make it a handicap match with Finlay involved too. Kennedy leaves upset and Long opens the card, which he says is amazing.

Ashley runs into Timbaland (music producer) and praises his music. Jillian Hall comes in to audition for him and Ashley/Timbaland aren’t impressed.

Wrestlemania music video.

Chris Benoit vs. The Miz

Non-title and Miz is looking fiery here. They fight over a lockup to start and Miz grabs a headlock. You don’t do that to Benoit, who snaps off a belly to back suplex for the break. A backdrop has Miz in more trouble and a snap suplex gives Benoit two. The chops put Miz into the corner and Benoit sends him out to the apron. That means a heck of a chop to stop him cold but Miz manages to snap the throat across the top rope.

Miz hammers and stomps away and the cravate puts Benoit in more trouble. Benoit can’t even roll out of it so Miz knocks him into the corner for the running clothesline. Some elbows to the head give Miz two and it’s off to another chinlock. That’s broken up as well and Benoit starts striking away to take over.

The release German suplex sends Miz flying so Benoit loads up the Swanton, only to have MVP pull Miz away at the last second. It might not sound like much, but factor in that Miz was probably 75% of the way across the ring and Benoit would have connected. That’s one of the longest top rope jumps I’ve ever seen and the crash landing lets Miz steal the pin. JBL sounding crushed at the fact that Miz just beat Benoit is great.

Rating: C-. Not the most thrilling match here but good night that jump was a sight to behold. You don’t see someone get that kind of distance most of the time and unfortunately it didn’t get the credit it deserved. MVP vs. Benoit continues and odds are we’ll get a rematch at Backlash, or whatever the next Smackdown pay per view is. Works for me, as long as MVP keeps facing international champions.

We look at Matt Hardy going after Sharmell in Money in the Bank to distract King Booker. JBL: “He made the wrong choice.”

Booker and Sharmell aren’t happy and swear revenge.

King Booker vs. Matt Hardy

Queen Sharmell is here with Booker. Matt punches him into the corner to start, setting up the clothesline in to the bulldog for two. Booker is back up with a kick to the face and Sharmell adds some choking from the floor. A spinebuster plants Matt, who is bleeding from the mouth, for no cover. Instead it’s a quickly broken chinlock, followed by an elbow to the face.

Matt is right back up with a neckbreaker and Matt’s own elbow gets two. Booker isn’t having any of that and kicks Matt in the face for two more. We hit the abdominal stretch and Booker throws in some elbows to the ribs. That’s shifted into an armbar but Matt fights up again and hits the Side Effect. Matt’s rollup gets two but Booker superkicks him hard. Back up and Booker tries a backslide, only to have Hardy grab a small package for the quick pin.

Rating: C. I don’t think there is any surprise tot he fact that these two could have a fine enough match if they were given time. The amount of holds wasn’t quite interesting but at least they got to do a little bit here and tie it back in to what happened at Wrestlemania. Sharmell seems to be getting some more focus though and that might not be the most thrilling concept.

Post match Sharmell yells about Matt violating her at Wrestlemania and then Booker LOSES. Sharmell walks out on him, leaving Booker upset.

Kane vs. Dave Taylor

William Regal is here too and jumps Kane before the match. Kane beats both of them up without much trouble and leaves them laying. No match.

Booker apologizes to Sharmell and things seem to be better. Then she slaps him.

Mark Henry is coming back.

Brian Kendrick/Paul London vs. Chavo Guerrero/Gregory Helms

Non-title and here are Deuce & Domino and Cherry to watch from their car. Helms takes London down to start and drops an early leg for two. Chavo comes in for an armbar followed by a dropkick for a quick two. The champs are right back up with running headscissors to put Guerrero and Helms on the floor, setting up the big dives.

We take a break and come back with Helms’ swinging Rock Bottom backbreaker getting two on Kendrick. The alternating beating in the corner is on, setting up Chavo’s front facelock. That doesn’t last long though as the hot tag brings in London to clean house in a hurry. A Nightmare on Helm Street gives Helms two as everything breaks down. Chavo’s superplex is broken up though and he gets sent outside. A Sliced Bread/sitout powerbomb combination gives Kendrick the pin.

Rating: C+. As JBL keeps saying, London and Kendrick are fun to watch. That’s exactly the case and it’s hard not to like them. To have held the titles this long and still be so entertaining is quite the trick that they have pulled off. It is probably time to drop the titles though, and it actually makes me a bit sad because these guys really are that good.

Deuce & Domino want the titles.

The Condemned had a big premiere in Detroit.

Booker is upset about Sharmell.

Hall of Fame video.

We’ve got druids so I think you know what that means. Here’s the Undertaker, fresh off winning the Smackdown World Title at Wrestlemania. Before he can say anything though, cue Batista, who marches straight down to the ring. Batista says congratulations and he wants his rematch. Undertaker nods and Batista leaves but here is King Booker to jump Undertaker from behind. That doesn’t go well for Booker, as the Tombstone onto the announcers’ table leaves him laying to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. As has been the case with almost everything else this week, this was more about taking a breather rather than doing anything meaningful. Booker going after Undertaker and the rematch being set up are fine, but this was a show that didn’t really do much as far as setting up things. For the first show after the biggest night of the year, that is completely fine.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: April 2, 2007
Location: Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

Wrestlemania has come and gone and that means it is time for one of the other biggest shows of the year. Granted that is in theory at least as the tradition has only kind of been set so far. John Cena beat Shawn Michaels to retain the Raw World Title, but (possibly) more importantly, Vince McMahon is now bald. I sense fallout so let’s get to it.

Here is Wrestlemania if you need a recap.

We don’t even open with a recap as here is John Cena to get things going. The fans really don’t sound happy to see him, but he holds the title up because the champ is here. Before he can say anything else, here is Shawn Michaels to interrupt. Shawn says this is like reliving a bad dream because he’s right here again. Last night wasn’t about sportsmanship or mind games and politics (Shawn: “BROTHER!”) but about winning and losing.

Shawn lost, but he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like having to stick out his hand and tell someone that they are the better man. That isn’t happening this time anyway because Cena ISN’T the better man. Cena: “Anytime, anyplace.” Shawn isn’t busy right now so Dayton, Ohio sounds like a good place for him. Hold on though as here is Coach to say the Tag Team Titles need to be defended, so let’s have a ten team battle royal for those titles.

Tag Team Titles: Battle Royal

John Cena/Shawn Michaels, King Booker/Finlay, Kenny Dykstra/Chris Masters, Rob Van Dam/Sabu, Cryme Tyme, Deuce & Domino, Elijah Burke/Matt Striker, Eugene/Jim Duggan, Highlanders, Chavo Guerrero/Gregory Helms

Cena and Michaels are defending and only one member has to be eliminated. We’re joined in progress with Dykstra being tossed to clear the ring out a bit and the general brawling is on. Deuce gets rid of JTG and Burke dropkicks Eugene out as we’re already down to six. Er, five as Guerrero and Helms are missing too, though I don’t know if they were even in there when we came back from the break.

Anyway the Highlanders are tossed as well and Deuce & Domino go after Shawn, earning themselves an elimination from Cena. Striker is out as well and there goes Van Dam after him, leaving us with Finlay/Booker vs. Cena/Michaels. Finlay clotheslines Booker by mistake so Cena sends Finlay to the apron, where Shawn can superkick him out to retain.

Rating: D+. To paraphrase Statler and Waldorf, it was boring, it wasn’t very good, it was….short. That’s how you need to run something like this, as while Cena and Michaels can drop the titles, they probably aren’t dropping them to most of these teams. You have a bunch of jobbers, a few teams who have vanished in recent weeks and a few teams who might have teamed together on Heat at most. Where exactly was the drama here?

Hold on though as here is Coach again to say we need to do this again, with NINE MORE TEAMS!

Tag Team Titles: Battle Royal

John Cena/Shawn Michaels, Hardys, Paul London/Brian Kendrick, William Regal/Dave Taylor, Kevin Thorn/Marcus Cor Von, Gregory Helms/Chavo Guerrero, Sandman/Tommy Dreamer, Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch, Val Venis/Viscera, Johnny Nitro/The Miz,

Cena and Michaels are defending and either Guerrero/Helms are working a double or Lawler got confused when he mentioned them being in the first battle royal and there were only nine teams. Anyway, it’s a big brawl to start and the mob can’t get rid of Viscera. Growing brains at the same time though, they toss Venis in a hurry and we’re down to nine. Regal and Taylor are gone and Dreamer/Sandman join them as we take a break.

Back with JR’s voice going in a hurry and the champs getting rid of Miz and Nitro (in their first time teaming together for some trivia)….and then Shawn dumps Cena. Well that’s a curve ball. It’s smart, but it’s a curve ball. Kendrick and Chavo eliminate each other (with no mention of London and Kendrick possibly becoming double champions) so we’re down to the Hardys vs. Cade/Murdoch.

Jeff goes stupid (shocking I know) by hammering away with right hands in the corner on Murdoch but manages to get back down. An atomic drop/big boot combination knocks Jeff silly but Matt cuts off the toss attempt. The Hardys hit stereo middle rope legdrops, setting up Poetry In Motion to get rid of Murdoch for the win and the titles.

Rating: C-. The Hardys winning is completely fine as they are the veteran teams who can get the titles back and then drop them to someone in a bigger match. There is some value in one more run with the Hardys as champions so this is about as safe of a way to go for the titles as you can have. Cena and Michaels didn’t need the titles to continue their story so letting them go and be built back up again is the right move.

Timbaland (music producer) is here and does not want to be on camera.

Shawn Michaels did that because he wants the WWE Title and nothing more. Randy Orton comes in to say Cena can’t beat Shawn, but not him. We’ll see about that.

Wrestlemania highlight package set to Ladies And Gentlemen. That really is a heck of a show.

We go to the back to see Vince McMahon….or at least from his eyes (as in his eyes are serving as the camera) as he walks down the hallway. He takes off his hat to show Maria and Candice Michelle his hat. They, uh, like it, though Eugene and Cryme Tyme laugh. Ron Simmons can barely get his catchphrase out, so Vince is going to the ring so he can yell at the people. Vince: “I HATE TRUMP!”

Here is Vince, in a snappy hat, and he tells Lilian Garcia to stay in the ring. Vince talks about what a travesty of justice took place last night at the hands of Steve Austin. Had it not been for him, Donald Trump would be bald. Therefore, by his authority, Wrestlemania DID NOT HAPPEN for him, so Lilian gets to announce Vince as the winner of the Battle of the Billionaires.

To further prove his point about having authority, Bobby Lashley is defending the ECW World Title against Umaga tonight. As for Vince, you won’t be seeing him bald tonight (Vince: “You like the hat?”) because he has had his hat surgically attached to his head until his hair grows back. It’s going to be fast too, because his surgeon says Vince has more testosterone than an all male prison. He is happy to disappoint everyone and there is no chance in h*** that you will see his bald head.

Cue Lashley to rib the hat off (Lawler: “HIS HEAD’S POINTY!”) so Vince covers up with a towel. That’s covered up as well, so Vince hides under Lilian’s skirt. Lashley rips that off and Vince runs away. This was the good old fashioned humiliation segment and Vince excels at them like no other.

Ric Flair/Carlito vs. World’s Greatest Tag Team

Torrie Wilson is here with Flair and Carlito as JR’s voice is almost completely gone. Benjamin clotheslines Carlito to start but walks into a knee lift. A kick to the face drops Carlito and Haas drives him into the corner. More pounding sets up a Benjamin suplex for two but Carlito is back up with a springboard elbow to the face. The hot tag brings in Flair to start chopping away but Benjamin grabs a backdrop. Carlito breaks up the Broken Arrow though and it’s the chop block into the Figure Four to make Haas tap in a hurry.

Rating: C-. Totally basic tag match to get Flair and Carlito out there for a fast appearance. I know the team is just a short story to give Flair something to do but there is something nice about seeing him celebrating any kind of a win. Flair has won more titles than he knows what to do with, but he seemed happy to have won a nothing tag match on Raw. That’s kind of the point, and it is so often forgotten.

Video on the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Timbaland is here as a fan and wants to hear a WOO. Some of the Divas are going to be in his next video and he is making his picks soon. He seemed rather down to earth here and like he was having a good time.

Here’s Melina for a Special Photo Op. She thinks she should be in Timbaland’s video and he seems to approve. Last night she proved that Ashley was nothing more than a pretty face, and being Women’s Champion means more than posing in Playboy. Therefore, to commemorate her win last night, she is going to have a special photo op for the paparazzi. Cue Mickie James to lay Melina out, including with the jumping DDT.

Mick Foley talks about how much WWE does with Make-A-Wish. Next week, we are going to see a special wish granted. That’s always cool.

Great Khali vs. Super Crazy

Crazy goes right at him and hits a missile dropkick. That’s about it though as the double chokeslam finishes him in less than a minute.

Vince McMahon is mad about Bobby Lashley and adds Armando Alejandro Estrada to the Lashley vs. Umaga match. Estrada better not fail him.

We look at Shawn Michaels turning on John Cena, followed by the Hardys winning the Tag Team Titles.

The Hardys are happy to win their sixth Tag Team Titles.

JR’s voice is DONE as he introduces the video from the premiere of the Condemned.

Here is Edge on the stage, saying a lesser man would not be standing here tonight. It took everything he had to get himself out of bed this morning. Edge talks about how he knows he can beat John Cena, Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels. They can call themselves whatever they want, but he calls himself the best. Everyone else can get ready to call him champion.

ECW World Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga/Armando Alejandro Estrada

Lashley is defending but gets jumped before the bell and sent face first into the steps. Umaga charges into an elbow in the corner and Lashley drives Estrada into the corner with a shoulder. That’s broken up from behind though and Umaga sits on Lashley’s chest for two. Umaga chokes away on the rope and cuts off a comeback with the Samoan drop. A kick to the face gives Umaga two more but Lashley is able to chase Estrada outside.

Another slugout goes to Umaga and Estrada gets a quick two. A splash gives Umaga two more and he punches a charging Lashley down. Some choking puts Lashley down in the corner but Umaga has to cut him off again. The running hip attack connects in the corner and Umaga loads up the Spike. The shouting takes a bit too long though and Lashley knocks it away, setting up a spear to Umaga. Estrada makes the save but Umaga splashes him by mistake. Another spear sends Umaga outside and the running powerslam retains Lashley’s title.

Rating: D. House show style main event here with Lashley not doing much besides punching and the spears. I like that they didn’t do the same match two nights in a row and the Estrada factor let Umaga save some face. Not a good match or anything close to it, but what more could you want in a match like this one? If nothing else, it was interesting to hear Lawler call a match on his own as JR’s voice was completely gone.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling wasn’t the point here and a lot of the show felt like they were taking the night off. The big story was Shawn vs. Cena continuing and getting rid of the Tag Team Titles. It was a fast moving show, but you’re only getting so much when they’re more or less basking in the Wrestlemania glow. Not a great show, but an easy one to watch after the pressure over the previous weeks.

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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Smackdown
Date: March 30, 2007
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Attendance: 5,500
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

It’s the final (of three) go home shows for Wrestlemania and I wouldn’t bet on seeing much in the way of important action here. That is perfectly fine in this case and they would be insane to try anything too complicated. We’re sure to get a lot of talking about Wrestlemania though and that should work out well. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Edge for a match with Matt Hardy, but first he wants to talk about Money in the Bank. Edge knows what it means to be in a match like this and what it can mean. He has cashed the briefcase in before and has won more ladder matches than everyone else in the match combined, so he’ll be winning again.

Edge vs. Matt Hardy

Actually hang on as Edge isn’t wrestling tonight, but he has a replacement.

Great Khali vs. Matt Hardy

Edge is at ringside as Matt hammers away to no avail to start. Khali kicks him down in the corner and the chokeslam is loaded up….but here is Kane. Well at least his pyro, so Khali goes up the ramp and Kane appears on screen. Kane holds up the hook and says two more days….and I guess the match just ends.

Teddy Long is making some dinner reservations when Krystal comes in. He has made dinner reservations for them, plus some dancing. Krystal shows off her ring gear and kisses him on the cheek before leaving. Long is rather pleased.

Finlay vs. Mr. Kennedy

There is a ladder at ringside and Kennedy points out the briefcase above the ring. They go with the hard lockup to start and fall out to the floor with neither being able to get an advantage. Back in and Finlay works on the hammerlock so Kennedy elbows his way to freedom. Kennedy nails a running boot in the corner for two but Finlay catches him trying to take off the turnbuckle pad. It’s too early to send Kennedy into the buckle though, as he reverses into a whip into said buckle.

The Regal Roll gives Kennedy two so it’s time for a ladder, which goes rather badly. Finlay goes shoulder first into the post and Kennedy rolls him up for two. Since pulling out a ladder didn’t work, Kennedy goes with the big ladder already set up at ringside. For some reason Kennedy throws it at Finlay, who ducks and hits a clothesline. Cue Hornswoggle with a two foot stepladder to Kenton Bomb Kennedy. Finlay grabs the Celtic Cross for the pin.

Rating: C-. This was a bit of a messy match as they didn’t exactly have chemistry. Heel vs. heel is always a bit weird and I wasn’t exactly getting into it. The match certainly wasn’t bad or anything, but I was more waiting on it to finish up than getting into it, which is never a good sign.

We look at Vince McMahon pinning Bobby Lashley, albeit with some help, on Raw.

Maryse welcomes us back from commercial. Her robe opening up is just an accident of course.

MVP vs. Vito Batomango

Batomango’s Ethiopian Heavyweight Title isn’t on the line. You might remember him from the earlier days of TNA as D-Ray 3000. MVP stomps him down and hits the running big boot in the corner. Some knees to the ribs set up some Chris Benoit style rolling German suplexes. The Playmaker finishes for MVP in a total squash. The gimmick is kind of funny actually.

Post match MVP says he has made 5 pay per view appearances. At Wrestlemania, he is facing the man who is “4 real” and the referee will count 3. In 2 days, there is 1 United States Champion. That wasn’t bad.

We look at Batista and Undertaker erupting last week.

Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy

They fight over a lockup to start until Jeff grabs a hammerlock. Orton fights up but gets caught in an armbar to mix up the cranking a bit. A rollup gives Jeff two and a sitout gordbuster drops Orton onto his head for the same. Jeff tries to jump over him in the corner but gets blasted with a clothesline to the floor. We take a break and come back with Orton grinding away on a chinlock.

Hardy fights up but walks into the backbreaker for two. The Garvin Stomp keeps Hardy in trouble and the dropkick sets up the choking on the ropes. Another chinlock has Hardy in trouble but he fights up again, this time with a Sling Blade. The slingshot dropkick in the corner gets two but Orton rolls away before the Swanton can launch. Cue Edge to go after Hardy so Orton yells at him, allowing Hardy to hook a sunset flip for the pin.

Rating: C+. This got some time and Hardy getting the pin on Orton isn’t the biggest upset in the world. The good thing here was keeping up Edge vs. Orton, which has potential to be a heck of an upper midcard feud if that is the way they go. It’s nice to have something other than building momentum for the ladder match and it has helped a lot over the last few weeks.

We look back at Undertaker and Batista fighting last week.

We look at Shawn Michaels superkicking John Cena on Raw.

Wrestlemania rundown.

Melina/Victoria/Jillian Hall/Michelle McCool/Krystal vs. Ashley/Torrie Wilson/Candice Michelle/Maria/Mickie James

Mickie snapmares Victoria down into a basement dropkick to start but a regular dropkick misses. Michelle comes in and starts kicking away, followed by the same from Melina. Jillian gets in the hair toss and a slam, meaning it’s time to pose. Victoria’s elbow misses though and it’s off to Candice for a slam of her own, plus the Go Daddy dance. Maria gets in the Bronco Buster on Victoria and Torrie throws in a Stink Face. It’s off to Ashley for the real work though and house is cleaned in a hurry. Melina runs away from a fight and Ashley reverses Jillian’s powerbomb into a hurricanrana for the pin.

Rating: D. I think you got the idea here and they weren’t exactly being subtle about everything they were doing. The match wasn’t any good because most of them aren’t really wrestlers, but Ashley looked a bit more competent so maybe there has been some coaching between her recent mess and this one.

King Booker vs. CM Punk

Booker has Queen Sharmell with him and backs Punk into the corner. Some right hands rock Punk but he snapmares Booker into a basement dropkick to the back of the head. Back up and Booker kicks him in the face, setting up the knees to the face to make it even worse. A pull of the hair cuts Punk off again and Booker elbows him in the face for two. The seated armbar doesn’t last long as Punk is back up with even more kicks to the head. An enziguri gets two but Booker takes him right back down for another chinlock. That’s too far for Punk, who pops up into a bridging rollup for the pin.

Rating: C-. Pretty dull match here, but it isn’t a surprise that they would want to keep things slow with two days to go before Wrestlemania. Just going six and a half minutes was surprising enough, but you can only get so far with a bunch of chinlocks and armbars. It’s nice to see Punk get a bigger win for once though.

We look at Shawn Michaels finally turning on John Cena on Raw.

Shawn Michaels is All Grown Up.

Video of the Wrestlemania press conference, where Donald Trump slapped Vince McMahon.

JBL gets in the ring for the big interview between Batista and Undertaker….but gets Steve Austin instead. Austin doesn’t waste time and Stuns JBL, allowing beer to be consumed.

Post break, Teddy Long brings out Batista and Undertaker for the real interview. Security keeps them apart, with Teddy saying this is Smackdown and not Wrestlemania. Batista says he doesn’t have as much respect for Undertaker, who has no response. Teddy asks what it is going to take to beat Undertaker. Batista: “48 hours.” The fight is on with security getting taken out. The spinebuster plants Undertaker, who sits up as Batista leaves. More staring and shouting ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They didn’t screw up, the ending was good, and we even got a long match. This was a fine go home show and that’s all it needed to be as they are on a roll heading into Detroit. I want to see the show as they have set everything up as well as possible. Good stuff here, which doesn’t surprise me at all after what they have done over the last month and a half or so.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: March 27, 2007
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Attendance: 5,500
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

It’s the go home show for Wrestlemania and this time, ECW actually matters quite a bit in the show. This time we have the ECW Originals vs. New Breed eight man tag, plus the ECW Champion in what is really the show’s main event. I’m curious to see how a go home show will go around here so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a quick look at Vince McMahon pinning Bobby Lashley on Raw, albeit via a lot of shenanigans.

Opening sequence.

Rob Van Dam vs. Elijah Burke

No seconds in a bit of a surprise. They go to the mat to start with Rob trying a backslide, only to have Burke drop down onto him for a creative counter. Rob simplifies things a bit by kicking him in the face and putting him on top top the top rope kick to the face. That means Rob van hit the big running flip dive to take Burke down again as we go to a break.

Back with Rolling Thunder hitting raised knees and a pair of suplexes giving Burke two. A Texas Cloverleaf of all things puts Rob in more trouble so he grabs a rope for the break. Burke grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back but Rob fights up and hits the spinwheel kick for two. The Elijah Express only hits buckle though and Rob nails the Five Star for the pin.

Rating: C+. This was another momentum building match towards Wrestlemania and that is perfectly fine in this situation. You need to keep Van Dam strong if you want the Originals to seem like they have any chance of winning on Sunday so this was a fine way to go. Burke continues to have some great charisma and he seems like he should be a bigger star than he already is.

Post match the New Breed runs in for the brawl but the ECW Originals make the save.

Extreme Expose.

Edge comes in to see CM Punk and the Hardys before their eight man tag tonight. They should work together to take out four other people in Money in the Bank. Punk and the Hardys don’t say no.

Snitsky vs. Balls Mahoney

Snitsky knocks him off the apron at the bell and sends Mahoney into the post for a bonus. Back in and another big boot finishes for Snitsky in a hurry.

We look at Vince McMahon (with some help) pinning Bobby Lashley on Raw.

King Booker suggests an alliance with Finlay tonight but Finlay isn’t interested.

We get a split screen sitdown interview with Vince McMahon and Bobby Lashley. Vince is looking forward to Wrestlemania being over because he beat Lashley last night. Sure Lashley has some credentials, but it’s a good thing Vince didn’t take his sweatshirt off last night. Vince follows the law of the jungle and it is going to come out at Wrestlemania when Umaga destroys Lashley for good. Then Donald Trump will be bald. Lashley: “Listen you old b******.” Vince will be bald at Wrestlemania. Lashley talked for about five seconds here.

Mr. Kennedy/Randy Orton/King Booker/Finlay vs. Matt Hardy/Jeff Hardy/Edge/CM Punk

Joined in progress with Matt hitting a Side Effect for two on Kennedy as we start fast. The Hardys take over on Kennedy but Jeff misses a charge, allowing Orton to come in and stomp away. A quick Whisper in the Wind gives Jeff two and Matt comes back in with the middle rope legdrop for two. Punk comes in but has to chase off Kennedy, allowing Finlay to come in and elbow him down.

It’s Booker coming in to hammer away with right hands and Finlay grabs the chinlock. Orton’s clothesline gets two and Booker grabs a front facelock. That’s broken up and Punk hits the running knee into the corner, setting up the bulldog. While that should be enough for the hot tag, Edge walks out and leaves instead as everything breaks down. Booker nails a quick ax kick to finish Punk.

Rating: C. This was as main event taggy as a main event tag can be and anyone could have gotten the pin. Edge walking out was completely expected of him and made all the sense in the world. I like that this match has gotten some more attention as of late, as it has a lot of people involved so many other things have gotten more attention.

The winning team brawls post match until the Hardys come in with a ladder (it is their nature) to clean house. Finlay is busted next to the eye and the Hardys go up the big ladder and grab the briefcase at the same time to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. There is something fun about a show where they just stop focusing on the main stories and shift everything over to the Wrestlemania build. It worked well here and that’s all they needed to do. The show was still fine enough and the main event gave us some nice build towards Money in the Bank. Another show you don’t need to watch, but it helped with the important stuff.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: March 26, 2007
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 15,146
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the go home show for Wrestlemania and that means we are not likely to see a lot of wrestling this time around. Instead, expect a heck of a lot of talking, plus some rather short matches to get everyone to Detroit as safely as possible. That being said, we have a heck of a double main event with Bobby Lashley vs. Vince McMahon and a No Way Out main event with Shawn Michaels/John Cena vs. Batista/Undertaker. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Coach in the ring to announce that Vince McMahon vs. Bobby Lashley is now No DQ, but any interference will result in a fine and suspension. Cue Steve Austin to another thunderous pop and he has a story to tell Coach. He was sitting down at the ranch and got a bunch of gifts, in the form of a new four wheeler, a rifle, a hunting knife and more. Every gift that he got was from Donald Trump and he thinks that Trump is trying to buy him off.

Coach thinks so to but Vince would never…..and Austin cuts him off, saying that he told the delivery driver to take them all back. It turns out that they came from Stamford, Connecticut and the offices of Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Does Vince think Austin is stupid enough to think that Trump is buying him off? Coach says no one thinks he is stupid and eventually admits that he was the one who sent the gifts.

Austin isn’t pleased but explains that he will beat up both Lashley and Umaga if they don’t listen to him at Wrestlemania. Coach understands the idea, but he does not understand why Vince and Trump are worried about being bald. Austin and Coach show that bald is beautiful….and there’s the Stunner. Beer is consumed and poured onto Coach.

Post break, Austin leaves in his truck but gets cut off by Vince McMahon’s limo. Vince comes out of the sun roof to yell but sees Austin, who flips him off for old times’ sake. With Austin gone, Vince gets out, pulls the driver out, beats him up, and fires him.

Jillian Hall/Victoria/Melina vs. Torrie Wilson/Ashley/Candice Michelle

Ashley rolls Melina up for an early near fall and it’s off to Candice to spinwheel kick Victoria. The Go Daddy dance takes too long and Victoria kicks Candice down. The Tree of Woe sets up a running Bronco Buster to the upside down Candice and Jillian comes in for the assortment of hair pulling. Candice avoids a flipping legdrop and crawls over (nearly crawling out of her shorts on the way there) for the hot tag to Ashley. Everything breaks down with Ashley snapping off some headscissors. The other four brawl, leaving Ashley to victory roll Hall for the pin.

Rating: D. I think you can figure out the reason behind this one and seeing Ashley’s house cleaning at the end was not exactly appealing. It isn’t Ashley’s fault that she can’t learn how to be a wrestler in the span of a few months. The title match isn’t going to be about the technical side and that wasn’t the case here either. Not good wrestling, but that wasn’t what this was for in the first place.

Video on Bobby Lashley.

CM Punk vs. Kenny Dykstra

Punk is the hometown boy and Dykstra jumps him on the way in. Dykstra hammers away and kicks Punk off the top before he has the chance to doing anything. The chinlock doesn’t last long but a jumping back elbow cuts Punk down again. Some clotheslines give Dykstra two and we hit another chinlock. Back up again and Punk knees his way out of a front facelock, setting up the springboard clothesline. More knees, including one in the corner, sets up the bulldog for two. The still yet to be named Go To Sleep finishes Dykstra.

Rating: C-. This was a nice way to have Punk get a come from behind win in his hometown while also building him up a bit for Wrestlemania. It isn’t hard to figure this one out and they did it well enough. They didn’t do anything flashy here as it was just a nice win with a guy beating someone beneath him. Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be.

Post match Edge pops up on screen to say Punk isn’t winning at Wrestlemania. Don’t worry though, because Punk is going to get his chance to respond in the first ever eight man edition of the Cutting Edge.

Clip of Bobby Lashley crashing through the cage wall to get to Umaga on ECW. That’s still great.

All of the Money in the Bank participants are in the ring as Edge comes out for the big interview. Edge brags about his success in ladder matches, which includes winning more ladder matches than everyone in here combined. Throw in that he has never lost at Wrestlemania and why should anyone else have a chance? How is Matt Hardy even on Wrestlemania?

Matt promises to be in Edge’s face but makes the mistake of mentioning Lita and gets cut off. King Booker talks about all of his success but mentions the word peasants, which is too far for Finlay. He is sick of all this nonsense because everyone else sounds like a bunch of old women. Finlay to Edge: “You didn’t like that chisel chin?” Randy Orton tells Finlay to not hurt Edge’s feelings because Edge needs an excuse to bail out of this match like he has done for the last month.

Mr. Kennedy cuts them off (big reaction) but Edge cuts that off as well and mocks Jeff Hardy’s pose. Jeff says this is going to be his first Wrestlemania in five years so he plans to steal the show. He’ll go through his own brother if it means winning Money in the Bank. The CM PUNK chants cut everyone off so Edge asks him about being straightedge.

Edge: “Well my addictions are sex, violence and championship gold around my waste.” Punk says Edge seems to be addicted to running his mouth and the fight is on. Edge slips out while everyone else fights, with the Hardys and Punk standing tall….until they realize Edge is on the ramp. The chase is on and we take a break.

John Cena explains how we are going to have Playboy bunnies, vampires, ladders, the Queen of Soul and MICHAEL COLE at Wrestlemania. Cena: “WHO KEEPS INVITING MICHAEL COLE???” We’re going to have a legend killer, the Deadman and a bald billionaire, but after all that, there will be John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels.

People will talk about it for years, even Maria when her grandkids are there and certain parts of her are hanging down to her knees. Maria isn’t convinced, but Cena gets serious and talks about how he is going to carve his name into the history books. One man will be left standing and he will proudly say THE CHAMP IS HERE. This was Cena’s hard sell at the end and it worked as always.

We look at Vince McMahon not being able to bribe Bobby Lashley. Then Lashley threatened violence against the boss.

Vince McMahon vs. Bobby Lashley

Non-title and No DQ, though interference is not allowed. Before the match, Vince says that he isn’t going to embarrass him with his physical dominance, because he’ll just pin Lashley instead. NOW you can ring the bell….and Vince drops to the floor. Cue Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch to go after Lashley, with limited success.

Now it’s Chris Masters coming in but he can’t get the Masterlock. John Morrison comes in and goes after Lashley, earning himself a running powerslam. Umaga and Armando Alejandro Estrada come in as well and the real fight is on. The numbers finally take Lashley down (Vince’s low blow helped) and Umaga’s pop up Samoan Drop lets Vince get the pin.

Post match the big beatdown is on, including the running hip attack in the corner and the Samoan Spike. That means Vince can get another pin to really prove himself, followed by one more Samoan Spike.

During the break, Vince promises to win on Sunday and then shave Donald Trump’s head. Cue Eugene in a Trump outfit, complete with wig, but Vince rips the wig off and leaves.

Randy Orton/Mr. Kennedy vs. Hardys

You would think this kind of a reunion would be built up a bit more. Orton jogs out to the stage for a weird visual. Matt headlocks Orton to start and hits a quick middle rope elbow to the back of the head for one. Jeff comes in but gets knocked into the corner by Kennedy so the stomping can begin. An anklescissors gets Jeff out of the corner but Kennedy sends him hard out to the floor.

Orton drops him onto the announcers’ table and we hit the chinlock back inside. Kennedy comes back in but his belly to back superplex is broken up, allowing Jeff to hit the Whisper in the Wind. The hot tag brings in Matt to clean house but he takes too long setting up the Twist of Fate on Orton. Kennedy makes the save but gets taken to the floor by Jeff. That’s fine with Orton, who grabs the RKO for the pin on Matt.

Rating: C-. This was the momentum building match, but it’s a little hard to buy that the Hardys are going to lose clean to a makeshift team in less than five minutes. I know the match doesn’t mean a thing going forward, but the Hardys losing to Orton and Kennedy? It isn’t a huge stretch, but it is a bit of a surprise.

The final inductee into the Hall of Fame class is…..Jim Ross. You can’t have Lawler go in without Ross so this is appropriate. The wrestlers imitating JR’s catchphrases is pretty awesome. JR gets a very emotional moment with the crowd, including a standing ovation.

Great Khali vs. Ric Flair

The destruction is on in a hurry and they head outside, with Khali loading up the chokeslam onto the steps. Cue Carlito for the fast DQ to save Flair.

Carlito gets destroyed for being nice but Kane comes in for the real save.

Ladies and Gentlemen by Saliva is the official theme song of the show. They let you know when they perform it in concert too.

The Condemned is coming.

Wrestlemania rundown.

Shawn Michaels talks about facing John Cena before but this is different than ever before. Every legend, icon, immortal, New York Times bestseller and great have stood across the ring from him but none of them could get it done. Yet here he is, standing the test of time because he is the main event, the icon and the showstopper. On Sunday, Shawn is going to take Cena to the top of the mountain but first, Cena has to go through the valley. Shawn is walking out as WWE Champion, but he has his partner’s back tonight. This was a heck of a promo, which isn’t really Shawn’s strong suit most of the time.

Shawn Michaels/John Cena vs. Batista/Undertaker

Non-title. The entrances take the better part of ever until it’s Undertaker and Cena taking turns throwing the other into the corner for right hands. Snake Eyes drops Cena but the big boot is countered into a failed FU attempt. Shawn comes in but gets kicked in the face, leaving Cena to get clotheslined. Batista comes in to help clean house but Undertaker is ready to fight.

Cena breaks that up (he isn’t always that bright and is soundly booed) and Shawn comes in to get rid of the Smackdown guys. Shawn whips Undertaker into the steps, followed by a swinging neckbreaker for two back inside. It’s back to Cena, who gets dropped with the jumping clothesline. Batista is back in for the shoulders to the ribs but Cena bulldogs him down (again with the booing).

Everything breaks down and Undertaker boots Shawn in the face. There’s a spinebuster to Cena but Undertaker throws Shawn at Batista to break up the Batista Bomb (in a callback to Smackdown). That’s enough for Undertaker, who walks out, leaving Cena to initiate the finishing sequence on Batista. Shawn joins in on the double Shuffle…..and FINALLY superkicks Cena to give Batista the pin.

Rating: B. This was ALL about the storylines working on their own and the tag match was just happening at the same time. What makes it works is the two stories being so well built up that I wanted to see what happened. The fact that you had four people who can work a good match like this and they didn’t stop for the entire time they had. Good action, but better storytelling, which is more important anyway.

We actually take one more break and come back with….replays of the superkick to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The wrestling here was completely inconsequential. This show was about accomplishing one goal and it did just that: I want to watch Wrestlemania. This year’s build has been one of the best that I can remember and as long as Smackdown isn’t a total disaster, they have done an outstanding job of making me want to see the show. Good build to the pay per view, even if it would have been quite the miss as a regular show. It wasn’t a regular show though, and that’s what matters.

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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Smackdown
Date: March 23, 2007
Location: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

Much like Raw, things have been going well around here as of late as we head into Wrestlemania. That does lead to a bit of a problem though, as the show runs the risk of running out of things to do with Wrestlemania so soon. It feels like Smackdown can do no wrong at the moment though so let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Arnold Skaaland.

Opening sequence.

Here is Vince McMahon (in a rather gold coat) to get things going. Vince talks about how much fun he had on Monday and we see a clip of the destruction of Eugene. If you think Eugene was humiliated by having his head shaved, imagine what it is going to be like when Donald Trump is shaved bald. Vince recaps Steve Austin’s involvement and promises to shave everyone’s hair. Oh and he’ll beat Bobby Lashley 1-2-3 on Raw.

That was so much fun that Vince thinks Lashley should be in action tonight. Cue Lashley’s opponent for the night: Mr. Kennedy. Eh that’s not enough so we’ll throw in Randy Orton to make it a handicap match. And we’ll make it a tables match, just for fun. They’re certainly making Lashley go through adversity and that is a good way to make him feel important.

Tag Team Titles: Brian Kendrick/Paul London vs. MNM

MNM is challenging as their on/off team continues and Ashley/Melina are the thirds. It seems that something is wrong with JBL’s headset as Cole goes on solo for a long stretch during the entrances. It’s a brawl to start and a double forearm gets two on Mercury. Nitro offers a quick assist though and London misses a dropkick. London gets dropped ribs first onto the top rope and we hit the waistlock.

That’s broken up and London rolls over for the hot tag off to Kendrick. Mercury isn’t wasting time and cuts him off for two, with Melina screaming that it should have been three. The real hot tag brings in London as we talk about a Melina photo shoot. Melina grabs London’s foot on the top but Ashley cuts her off, setting up a high crossbody to retain the titles.

Rating: C. This was a commercial for Melina vs. Ashley disguised as a Tag Team Title match. To be fair, that’s the right call as the Ashley stuff is more important than the titles at the moment. London and Kendrick have held the titles for the better part of a year now and it is time they dropped them. Just not to MNM.

Kane scares Kristal and is very happy about what he did to Daivari last week. As for Khali, he is ready to go all the way at Wrestlemania and has the hook on a chain to help him. I’ll let you make your own comments.

Maryse welcomes us back to the show.

Chavo Guerrero vs. Jimmy Wang Yang

Non-title and JBL is right there saying Yang should be a cook in a noodle house. Yang fights out of the corner and hits a middle rope missile dropkick. Chavo is sent outside for a baseball slide into the announcers’ table but he’s fine enough to dropkick Yang out of the air back inside. We hit the armbar, followed by the double arm crank to keep Yang in trouble. Another armbar is broken up and Yang hits a jawbreaker, only to miss the spinwheel kick. Chavo hits Three Amigos (which Cole finds disrespectful) but Yang kicks him into the corner. The moonsault press gives Yang the upset pin.

Rating: C-. Gee I wonder what we are going to get out of this. I’m completely sick of the non-title losses and they are a reason why this title means so little. Chavo will come back and win the rematch and we’ll be right back where they started. That’s about as good as you’re going to get with the title and nothing is going to change because the cruiserweights don’t mean a thing.

Arnold Skaaland tribute video.

Trailer for the Condemned.

MVP vs. Cedric Von Haussen

Von Haussen’ Lichtenstein’s Title isn’t on the line and he looks like he stepped out of a Swiss clock. MVP clotheslines him down and hits a running boot in the corner. The Playmaker finishes for MVP in a hurry.

Post match, MVP brags about how he is going to win his first title at Wrestlemania and it is going to be a Wrestlemania Moment for both he and Chris Benoit. That’s going to make sure Benoit is on highlight reels and in documentaries forever. The same might be true for Von Haussen as well, who had a much better career when he changed his name to Johnny Gargano.

Celebrity Trump vs. McMahon picks.

Mr. Kennedy/Randy Orton vs. Bobby Lashley

Non-title tables match and Lashley has to put both of them through a table to win. Lashley starts fast and sends Orton outside, leaving Kennedy to take a beating. Orton tries to grab the foot from the floor and gets suplexed for his efforts. The double teaming gives the villains a chance though and Lashley is sent shoulder first into the post.

Cue Vince McMahon as Orton gets out the first table. Lashley fights off the table in the corner and beats on Orton as Kennedy gets another table. That takes too long and Lashley puts Kennedy through said table in the corner. Vince does his panicked face and Lashley powerslams Orton through the table for the win.

Rating: C. Those are quite the odds to overcome but it’s just a tables match so it is a little easier to accept. Lashley is getting a great rub out of this whole story and this was another impressive win. Vince’s stunned face as he realized what he had gotten himself into on Monday was great and it should make for a very shenaniganzy match.

Gregory Helms vs. Chris Benoit

Non-title and joined in progress with a lockup going into the corner. Helms forearms Benoit down until a hard chop cuts him off. A snap suplex drops Helms again but he sends Benoit outside for the slingshot dive. Back in and Helms grabs a guillotine choke, which draws Benoit back up with more chops. Helms neckbreakers him down but Benoit rolls the German suplexes. The Swan Dive into the Crossface finishes Helms in a hurry.

Rating: C. Quick but energetic match here and it’s amazing how much less annoying it is to see Helms lose now that he doesn’t have the Cruiserweight Title. If nothing else, seeing him still lose like this shows you how little the title meant, which isn’t even the case with the Tag Team Titles. Benoit is back on track after the loss on Raw and that’s a good idea on the way to Wrestlemania.

Batista isn’t happy with Undertaker throwing Finlay at him last week. It’s about getting even though and they’ll be fine as a team tonight….at least during the match.

The Wild Samoans are going into the Hall of Fame. How in the world were they not in there already?

JBL leaves to head to the back for something.

Battle of the Billionaires Tale of the Tape.

Teddy Long gives Kristal a rose when JBL comes in. He’d like to moderate an interview between Undertaker and Batista next week. “Captain Cialis” agrees.

Finlay and King Booker jump Batista in the back.

Undertaker vs. King Booker/Finlay

So much for the huge tag match. Booker runs away from Undertaker to start but Finlay’s cheap shot lets Booker take him into the corner. That doesn’t work as Undertaker loads up Old School, which is reversed with a pull off the ropes but Undertaker pulls it down into an armdrag (egads man). Finlay gets booted off the apron and we take a break.

Back with Booker breaking up the apron legdrop and hammering away on the floor. Finlay’s running seated senton gets two as things slow down a bit. The villains start taking turns on Undertaker, with Finlay grabbing a half crab. The comeback is cut off with a clothesline to give Finlay two more but Undertaker fights up. That includes the running DDT to take Finlay down and the real comeback is on. The running clotheslines in the corner connect but Finlay grabs the Shillelagh for the DQ.

Rating: C+. The armdrag alone was worth the look as you don’t see Undertaker do that most of the time. It was a good way to end the show and you know there is going to be something with Batista before we wrap it up. As usual, this has been a very well done setup for the title match and they took another nice step here.

Post match the beatdown is on but Batista runs in for the save. Stereo powerbombs are loaded up but Batista throws Booker at Undertaker to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was mostly in the middle here, but you don’t watch a show nine days before Wrestlemania and expect some great matches. Instead, you got the storyline reinforcements that make Wrestlemania feel bigger, which is what you should be getting here. I liked the show and I wanted to see Wrestlemania, with none of this being really bad. That’s all they need to do for the next week and they will hit the ground running in Detroit.

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.