Smackdown
Date: February 8, 2008
Location: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Attendance: 6,500
Commentators: Jonathan Coachman, Michael Cole

We are getting close to No Way Out and the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match. That should be enough to carry the show, though there is also a Royal Rumble rematch between Edge and Rey Mysterio for the Smackdown World Title. Tonight is likely going to be about building towards those matches so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Michael Cole brings out Batista for a chat to start. Batista says his experience in the Chamber is his strength because he knows what it is like. There is going to be a ton of monsters in that Chamber but here is MVP to interrupt. MVP says Batista has never been in the Chamber with him but Batista promises violence, especially for what MVP did to Ric Flair. Now it’s Big Daddy V, with Matt Striker, to interrupt.

V feels differently about who is going to win the Chamber with Striker promising violence. Yeah yeah V is big and heavy in case you didn’t get the idea. Then Great Khali, with Runjin Singh, comes out with the latter saying Khali will win. Then Finlay, with Hornswoggle, comes in to say he’s here to fight. Then Undertaker pops up and the good guys clear the ring, likely setting up a six man tag. As soon as MVP came out, you knew what the next eight or so minutes was going to be, especially if you watched Raw where they did the same thing.

Wrestlemania is coming.

Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin

Rematch from ECW where Kane won by countout. Before the match, Shelton says there ain’t no stopping him now. Kane hammers him down in the corner and hits a basement dropkick to keep Benjamin in trouble. A missed charge sends Kane into the corner though and Benjamin hits a Blockbuster for a delayed one.

The chinlock doesn’t last long as Kane is back up with some shots to the face to start the comeback. The top rope clothesline sends Benjamin outside where Kane gets posted. They head up to the apron with Shelton going up top. Kane uppercuts him back to the mat….and doesn’t beat the count to give Shelton the win.

Rating: C. That’s definitely a creative ending but it came after a pretty standard match. Kane vs. Benjamin sounded like a match that should have been rather good but for some reason neither of their tries have gone very far. It also doesn’t help that they don’t have much going on at the moment so they’re just matches for the sake of filling in time on various shows.

Chuck Palumbo vs. Jamie Noble

Yes, again, but this time Michelle McCool is here with Jamie. Palumbo kicks him in the face to start and hammers away, only to miss a top rope elbow. Noble knocks him outside but Michelle isn’t sure about having Noble stomp away. A dropkick knocks Palumbo off the apron again but sends a diving Noble into the motorcycle (OUCH). Back in and Full Throttle finishes Noble.

Rating: C-. That crash onto the motorcycle looked good but my goodness it is hard to care about this story in any other way. Palumbo just isn’t that interested but Noble continues to do everything he can to make this work. They need to move on though, as this match has been done to death already.

Post match Palumbo destroys Noble even more, with commentary getting into their serious voices over the brutality. Palumbo even teases running a downed over with his motorcycle as this segment goes on FAR longer than a Chuck Palumbo and Jamie Noble segment needed to last.

WWE has an office in Shanghai!

Jesse and Festus vs. Deuce N Domino

Cherry is here too. This is the new improved Festus, who comes to the ring with a bag over his head. The bag comes off and Festus looks the same, only to go nuts as usual when the bell rings. Deuce N Domino are cleared out but Deuce comes back in to get armdragged by Jesse. Festus keeps rocking back and forth on the apron as Jesse misses a charge in the corner to put him in trouble for a change. A distraction brings Festus in so the chinlock can go on, only to be broken up just as quickly. The hot tag brings in Festus to clean house and a pump kick into a splash knocks Domino silly. The fireman’s carry flapjack gives Festus the pin.

Rating: C. So yeah it’s the same Jesse and Festus, meaning they’re fun for a bit before before you realize how little Jesse brings to the team. Festus did his thing well enough and is great as a wrecking ball, but the charm wears off soon. Kind of like anything involving Deuce N Domino mattering, as they have completely collapsed after a great start.

Here is Edge for the Cutting Edge. He doesn’t want to do it, but he shows us a clip from the Royal Rumble where Vickie Guerrero was taken out by an errant 619. That brings out Vickie, with Teddy Long at her side, as this week’s guest. After the EDDIE chants die down, Edge sends Teddy to the back so he can be alone with his “Vickiekins.”

Edge knows that next week is Valentine’s Day and Edge has a special question to ask her. That’s next week though, but for now, Rey Mysterio needs to come out here and apologize right now. Cue Rey, who tries to explain but gets slapped by Vickie. Berating ensues, followed by Edge beating Rey down. Rey is ready for the Conchairto though and hits a quick 619 to send Edge bailing. With Rey and Vickie alone, Rey apologizes to her. Fine enough segment with the challenger standing…well not quite tall but close enough.

No Way Out rundown.

Raw Rebound.

Edge won’t say what he is asking Vickie next week.

Edgeheads vs. Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore

Yang dropkicks Ryder down to start but it’s quickly off to Hawkins for a forearm to the chest. The villains start taking turns working on Yang’s arm but he gets a boot up in the corner to cut off a charging Hawkins. Moore comes in for a quick legdrop on Ryder, who is right back up with a reverse inverted DDT for the pin.

Rating: D+. This is a match that never had a chance to go anywhere and it seems that Yang and Moore’s completely out of nowhere run is finished. They were a fun enough team, who had no chance to actually do anything because the tag division is that weak. Hawkins and Ryder work well together though and it makes sense to give them a win like this to establish them as something more serious than just Edge’s goons.

Great Khali/MVP/Big Daddy V vs. Batista/Finlay/Undertaker

Matt Striker, Runjin Singh and Hornswoggle are here too. We’re joined in progress with Khali hammering on Finlay before MVP comes in to do the same. Finlay fights out of trouble and hands it off to Batista to start on the arm. V comes in and misses the huge charge into the corner, allowing Batista to hit the shoulders in the corner. Undertaker gets to come in and unload with right hands and headbutts before cranking the arm around the top.

Old School is broken up but the second attempt works just fine. An MVP distraction lets V drop Undertaker with a clothesline though and we take a break. Back with MVP hammering on Undertaker but Batista comes in for a suplex. Finlay gets a chance to stomp on MVP, who manages to send him over the top and outside. Everything breaks down and Undertaker grabs a chair, which can’t possibly end well.

We settle down to Khali coming in and stomping on Finlay before stopping to pose. For once that isn’t a bad idea as it’s off to V for a rather easy slam. MVP’s chinlock doesn’t last long and he misses the running boot in the corner, allowing the tag off to Undertaker. Snake Eyes into the big boot (that’s always smooth) gets two and everything breaks down. The parade of secondary finishes sets up Undertaker’s chokeslam to MVP as the match is thrown out.

Rating: C+. Well good for them for not having Undertaker pin MVP, the US Champion. The result was pretty definitive but they didn’t have someone take an unnecessary fall. It’s almost like WWE was thinking about this for a change. Anyway, you know that the Chamber has two possible winners so the match is going to be a lot of filler before the finish, but at least they did something smart here.

Post match Undertaker, Finlay and Batista stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. We are firmly at the point where No Way Out is set and there isn’t much left to do. WWE has done a decent enough job with half of pay per view that isn’t so interesting so this was about as good as they can do. Hopefully they can come up with something good for next week, because that could be quite the lame show. For now though, this was just barely ok enough, but there is nothing you need to see.

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

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

Here is the Royal Rumble if you need a recap.

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

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

MVP vs. Ric Flair

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

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

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

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

Post break, Flair’s leg is in trouble.

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

Rey Mysterio/CM Punk vs. Edge/Chavo Guerrero

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

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

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

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

Finlay/Hornswoggle vs. Deuce N Domino

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

Dancing ensues post match.

Raw Rebound.

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

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

Edgeheads vs. Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore

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

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

Brothers of Destruction vs. Mark Henry/Big Daddy V

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

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

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

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

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: January 25, 2008
Location: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, Virginia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman

It’s the go home show for the Royal Rumble and that means we are probably going to get one last big push towards the show. Edge defending the World Title against Rey Mysterio is already set so there is just the Rumble itself to get the build. I’m not sure how much there is to be done, but the road to this show ran out of steam a good while ago. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Rey Mysterio vs. Edgeheads

Hawkins starts for the team so Rey goes with the dodging. Rey tries to grab him but gets driven into the corner for the tag to Ryder and a standoff. The attempted wheelbarrow bulldog is countered into a faceplant and Hawkins cranks on both arms. Mysterio enziguris his way out of trouble and snaps off a headscissors as Edge is watching in the back. Ryder tries a sunset flip and gets kicked in the head for his troubles. A splash gives Rey two as everything breaks down, including the slingshot dive to Ryder on the floor. Ryder has enough and brings in a chair for the DQ.

Rating: C-. This could have been a bit better but the ending did protect both of them. That being said, they really couldn’t have Rey get a quick rollup to pin one of Edge’s goons? It gave Rey a bit of momentum on his way to a title match he isn’t going to win, even if the match wasn’t exactly good.

Post match Rey clears the ring without much trouble.

Jesse is here with some pictures of Festus, which explains Festus’ two sides. It is clear that Festus needs help so he is currently getting the medical help that he needs.

Jimmy Wang Yang vs. Domino

Shannon Moore, Deuce and Cherry are here too. Feeling out process to start with Domino forearming him down but getting caught with a quick hurricanrana. Domino is back with a front facelock before dropping him ribs first across the top. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Domino switches to a sleeper for a change of pace. Yang slips out of that as well and hits a running spinwheel kick in the corner. The high crossbody gets two so Deuce goes after Yang, earning himself a beating from Moore. Yang is back up with the top rope moonsault press for the pin.

Rating: C. Yang continues his rather nice run, even if it is going to go absolutely nowhere. The match was about as basic as you could have gotten but it might have set up a rematch so Yang and Moore can beat Deuce N Domino further into the ground. It’s still not a division, but it is better than what we have had for a long time now.

Dancing ensues post match.

Jamie Noble and Chuck Palumbo argue in the back again but agree to be calm for Michelle McCool’s sake.

Video on Jeff Hardy.

Chuck Palumbo/Jamie Noble/Michelle McCool vs. Layla/Miz/John Morrison

For some reason the villains are introduced as John Morrison and the team of Miz and Layla. Miz and Layla are still a thing on ECW? Anyway Morrison front facelocks Noble to start before Miz comes in and gets forearmed in the face. Palumbo tags himself in so the argument is on, leaving Michelle to slap Layla. Michelle gets knocked off the apron though and we stop the match to check on her. Palumbo beats up Noble and I guess this is a no contest.

Post match Michelle grabs Palumbo to stop him from being on Noble and gets accidentally thrown off. That’s enough for a stretcher job as the show stops fast. How in the world is this story STILL GOING???

Here is MVP for a chat. He is sick of hearing about Ric Flair because he is the future of this business, so Flair is done on Sunday. After the Royal Rumble, the headlines will read MVP retires Flair, while Flair is playing golf and shuffleboard. And yes, we have funny photos. Cue Flair to say this golf ball hitting, shuffleboard playing man isn’t ready to retire. Flair promises to win on Sunday and that’s it. Not much from Flair here.

Great Khali vs. Finlay

Belfast Brawl, meaning street fight and Runjin Singh/Hornswoggle are both here too. Khali knocks the shillelagh out of Finlay’s hand to start and hammers away in the corner, while looking down at Hornswoggle. The chokebomb drops Finlay again and Khali throws him outside to load up the announcers’ table. Khali goes for Hornswoggle though and Finlay ERUPTS on him with shillelagh shots to leave Khali laying. Some chair shots make it even worse for the busted open Khali. That’s enough for Finlay, who walks out with Hornswoggle.

Rating: C. This wasn’t much of a match but DANG it did a great job of making Finlay look like a killer in the end. He left Khali laying on the floor and busted open, which isn’t something you see outside of maybe Undertaker. It was more of an angle than a match but dang it was fun to see Finlay rise up like that.

Vince McMahon checks on Hornswoggle and threatens him with pain at the Royal Rumble. He can’t even trust Finlay in the match!

Here is Batista for a chat. He wishes Rey Mysterio luck and puts everyone else in the Rumble on notice. 2005 is going to repeat himself though and he’s going to win again. Another short and simple promo here.

We look back at Michelle McCool being taken out again.

Undertaker vs. Big Daddy V

Matt Striker is here with V. Undertaker punches away to start but gets clotheslined down without much effort. Back up and a headbutt drops Undertaker again, setting up the beating in the corner. There’s the required splash but Undertaker is right back with the running DDT for two. The driving shoulders look to set up Old School but V pulls him down and out to the floor.

Striker gets in a cheap shot of his own and V follows them outside, with Undertaker sending him into the steps. Back in and a big boot into the legdrop gets two and the chokeslam connects for the same. A swinging Boss Man Slam drops Undertaker and V mounts him, thankfully without any thrusting. Not that it matters as Undertaker pulls him into the debuting…..whatever you call a hold where Undertaker pulls V’s throat across a shin for the tap.

Rating: D+. It’s kind of weird to see Undertaker debut a new submission hold right before a match that has nothing to do with submissions but it does look better than the triangle choke. Other than that, this was every Undertaker vs. V match you’ve seen, as there just isn’t much else for V to do once he has been beaten. After that, he is little more than a hill for Undertaker to climb and there is no doubt that he can do just that without much trouble.

Post match Mark Henry has to come help V out of the ring as V coughs up blood.

Rumble By The Numbers time!

569 wrestlers eliminated
36 wrestlers eliminated by Steve Austin
11 appearances by Shawn Michaels
11 wrestlers eliminated by Kane in 2001
3 Mick Foley personae to appear in the same Royal Rumble
2 feet that have to touch the ground
1 woman to enter the match, with Chyna
62:12 that Rey Mysterio lasted in 2006
2 seconds that Warlord lasted in 1990
3 Steve Austin wins
2 wins for the #1 spot, compared to 1 win for #30
#27 produces the most winners
73% of winners have gone on to win the title at Wrestlemania since 1993

Royal Rumble rundown.

Edge vs. CM Punk

Non-title, Rey Mysterio is on commentary, the Edgeheads are here too and this is fallout from Edge costing CM Punk the ECW World Title earlier this week. Punk starts fast by sending Edge shoulder first into the buckle, setting up a basement dropkick to the back. The armbar goes on and Rey is interested in Edge having a weakened shoulder. Edge comes back with a big boot and chokes on the ropes before sending Punk outside for a crash.

We take a break and come back with Punk spinwheel kicking him out of the air. The springboard clothesline is powerslammed out of the air but Punk counters the implant DDT. The GTS is countered into the Edge O Matic for two but the spear is blocked with a kick to the head. For some reason Punk tries a super GTS, which is escaped without much trouble, setting up the spear to give Edge the pin.

Rating: C+. It’s weird seeing Punk get pinned clean but he lost to the World Champion so it isn’t like this is some devastating defeat. The good thing is that Edge gets some momentum heading into the pay per view, but you can almost guarantee that Punk is going to be coming up to the big shows sooner rather than later. The match was the best of the night, even if Punk isn’t at this level yet.

Mysterio chases Edge off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. As has been the case for the last few weeks, there isn’t much left to set up for the Rumble. That was on display this week, as the stuff that has already been set up was done weeks ago, leaving a good bit of finishing touches to be added over the last few shows. The Rumble should be good and that’s all you can ask for, but it’s going to be nice to freshen things up a bit and move on to something else.

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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AND

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finlay vs. Great Khali

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

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

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

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

Raw Rebound.

Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore vs. Deuce N Domino

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

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

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

Batista vs. Mark Henry

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

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

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

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

Michelle McCool vs. Layla

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

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

Video on Eve Torres.

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

Royal Rumble rundown.

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

Edge/Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio/CM Punk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

Miz/Morrison – 1
Yang/Moore – 0

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

Miz/Morrison – 1
Yang/Moore – 1

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

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

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

Kofi Kingston is still coming.

Colin Delaney is here to try his luck again.

Colin Delaney vs. Mark Henry

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

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

WWE HD is coming.

Shelton Benjamin enters the Royal Rumble and talks about gold.

Chavo Guerrero vs. CM Punk

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

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

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

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

Punk seems relieved to end the show.

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

Beat The Clock Challenge: Finlay vs. MVP

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

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

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

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

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

Kenny Dykstra/Victoria vs. Michelle McCool/Chuck Palumbo

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

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

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

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

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

Beat The Clock Challenge: Chavo Guerrero vs. Funaki

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

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

Beat The Clock Challenge: Batista vs. Curt Hawkins

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

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

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

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

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

Raw Rebound.

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

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

Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore vs. Deuce N Domino

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

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

Beat The Clock Challenge: Undertaker vs. Matt Striker

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

Beat The Clock Challenge: Undertaker vs. Mark Henry

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

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

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

Post match Undertaker slams and chokeslams Henry.

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

Royal Rumble rundown.

Beat The Clock Challenge: Rey Mysterio vs. Edge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

Post match, square dancing ensues.

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

Big Daddy V vs. Colin Delaney

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

Shelton Benjamin vs. James Curtis

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

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

Raw Rebound.

CM Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero

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

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

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

Chavo is frustrated to end the show.

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

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: December 18, 2007
Location: Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, New York
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

We’re done with Armageddon and ECW World Champion CM Punk has his hands full with Big Daddy V, who pinned him in a tag match at the pay per view. Other than that, there is a good chance that this week’s show is going to be a bit lighter ala Raw, which isn’t a bad thing given the holiday season. Let’s get to it.

Here is Armageddon if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

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

Non-title and a rematch from last week’s surprisingly rather good match. Moore rolls Miz up a few times to start and Miz knows he’s in a bit of trouble. Morrison takes his place but Moore punches at both champions to keep up the fast start. Yang comes in for a running basement dropkick to Morrison, followed by a suplex into Moore’s slingshot hilo. It’s back to Miz, who can’t even take over with a Morrison distraction. The champs are knocked outside, where stereo baseball slides are blocked and we take a break.

We come back with Yang kicking Morrison away and bringing Moore back in to pick up the pace again. Morrison knocks Moore down though and Miz catapults him throat first into the bottom rope. The cravate keeps Moore in trouble and Morrison’s slingshot elbow gets two. Morrison goes up but gets kicked out of the air, allowing the hot tag to Yang (there’s one you don’t hear very often). Everything breaks down and Moore dives off the top onto Morrison. Back in and Morrison accidentally kicks Miz in the head, setting up the top rope moonsault press to give Yang the upset pin.

Rating: C+. These guys work well together and while I’m not big on the champs taking a pin, it’s not like they have any other challengers to come after the titles at the moment. The two match series has worked far better than I would have expected and now they have what should be a showdown trilogy match waiting on them. Somehow this is as good as the tag division gets these days, so I’ll take what I can get.

We look back at CM Punk getting pinned by Big Daddy V at the pay per view.

Colin Delaney vs. Shelton Benjamin

Before the match, Tazz is in the ring for a quick chat with Delaney, who is the hometown boy in his first match. No pressure there of course. A t-bone suplex and big boot set up a buckle bomb to drop Delaney over and over. The jumping Downward Spiral finishes for Shelton fast.

Post match, Shelton declares there AIN’T NO STOPPING ME NOW!

Kofi Kingston deals with a bully in Jamaica.

Nunzio vs. Kenny Dykstra

Dykstra has Victoria with him and I keep forgetting he hasn’t been let go yet. Nunzio is dressed as an elf to hand out candy canes to the crowd. That doesn’t work for Dykstra, who runs him over to start and stomps on the canes (what a Grinch) before we hit the chinlock. A comeback is cut off with a backdrop and the top rope legdrop gives Dykstra the pin.

Video on MVP.

Raw Rebound.

MVP vs. CM Punk

Non-title. Before the match, MVP brags about himself and wants MVP out here now. We’re joined in progress with Punk fighting out of a headlock but getting taken back down into an armbar. That’s reversed into a headscissors but they stay on the mat with MVP going back to the armbar. Punk grabs a headscissors before dropkicking him in the back of the head for two as things pick up a bit. MVP is right back with a running boot to the head and the armbar goes on.

We’ll make that a cravate, with MVP firing off some knees to the face for a nasty bonus. There’s a kick to the face to put Punk down again and we hit ANOTHER armbar. MVP switches to a reverse chinlock until Punk drops him down onto his back for a break. Punk hits a running knee lift and the springboard clothesline gets two. Back up and MVP avoids a charge in the corner, where Punk gets tied in the Tree of Woe. A bunch of stomps in the corner are enough to get MVP disqualified.

Rating: C-. Oh yeah this was about what I would have expected from a holiday week show, as they didn’t bother trying to do anything here. You don’t want either champion losing but this was a match designed to get by on name only. Neither was interested in trying here and then they have an ending to save face. Not much to this one, but it could work on a bigger stage.

Post match MVP hits the running boot in the corner and leaves. Cue Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a surprise return to brainbuster Punk. The frog splash crushes Punk to end the show. I’m not sure why they have a new villain in here, especially when Big Daddy V and possibly MVP are right there now, but why do that when you can have Chavo Guerrero?

Overall Rating: D+. The opening match is all that is worth seeing here and there is nothing else to see whatsoever. The rest of the show was pretty uninteresting and they did little more than put people in the ring and fill in time. I wasn’t feeling this one, but it’s the holiday season so it isn’t like many people are going to be paying attention anyway.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: December 11, 2007
Location: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 6,000
Commentators: Tazz, Joey Styles

It’s the go home show for Armageddon and for once that means we have four ECW wrestlers on the show. Granted it is for a tag match rather than two singles match but I guess this is progress. CM Punk and Kane are probably going to have to deal with Big Daddy V and Mark Henry this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

CM Punk/Kane vs. Deuce N Domino

Cherry is here too. Punk kicks away at Domino to start so it’s off to Kane for two off an elbow. The running knee in the corner into the running bulldog gives Punk two but Domino gets in his own knee to take over. Deuce hammers away and Punk gets bent over Domino’s knee. Punk low bridges Domino to the floor though and it’s back to Kane to clean house. The top rope clothesline drops Domino and it’s the chokeslam (as Punk hits the GTS on Deuce) for the easy pin.

Rating: C. This was just a warmup match for Punk and Kane and that’s all it needed to be, as they beat up a team who has the slightest bit of credibility left. I know Deuce N Domino might not have had a gimmick with the longest legs but they could have been around a bit longer than they were. Then again, it isn’t like the tag division has ever meant much of anything around here so their downward spiral shouldn’t be that big of a surprise.

Shelton Benjamin talks to us about gold, with people back in 1849 digging as much gold as they could. Those people only found fool’s gold though, while he gathers gold. Benjamin has won more than a few titles around here, and now he’s here in ECW and “there’s gold in them there hills.” He is going to grab his pick and shovel and dig and dig and dig because he is the new Gold Standard. That was about as bad of a promo as it could have been and I’d like to believe that Benjamin got a raise for trying to make it work.

John Morrison/The Miz vs. Jimmy Wang Yang/Shannon Moore

Non-title. Miz knocks Moore down to start and some left hands knock him up against the ropes. Moore manages a quick swinging neckbreaker and it’s off to Yang for a dropkick. Morrison comes in and gets his legs swept out, allowing Moore to come back in and work on the arm. A double suplex gets two on Morrison so he and Miz bail to the floor, where stereo Asai moonsaults drop them again.

We take a break and come back with Morrison chinlocking Yang, who suplexes his way to freedom. Moore comes back in but gets slammed down for a crash. Miz’s chinlock doesn’t last long so it’s a double belly to back faceplant to put Moore down again. Moore backdrops Morrison down though and the diving tag brings Yang back in to clean house. The moonsault misses so Morrison rolls Yang up with his feet on the ropes but Moore makes the save. Yang rolls Morrison up for two but the flipping neckbreaker is enough to give Morrison the pin.

Rating: C+. Well that was about a mile better than it had any right to be as Moore and Yang were making the most out of the TV time that they had. These guys were working hard and they had a far better match than I would have bet on them pulling off. Yang and Moore aren’t going to be the next big thing, but at least they had a chance to do something here. Pretty sweet match while it lasted.

We go to a beach where a muscular guy is kicking sand on a less muscular guy. A bystander doesn’t thing much of this and buries the bully in the sand. The bystander says that sometimes there is trouble in paradise. His name is Kofi Kingston, and he’s coming soon.

Layla/Victoria vs. Kelly Kelly

As we continue Miz tormenting Kelly for daring to date Balls Mahoney. Kelly tries to start fast but gets forearmed down by Victoria. A headscissors sends Victoria into the corner but she runs Kelly over without much trouble. Layla comes in to stomp away and put on an armbar before Victoria lifts her up for a splash, ala Edge with Sable at Summerslam 1998. Back up and Kelly sends them into each other but Victoria is done with lowering herself to this and hits a faceplant. A spinning kick to the head gives Layla the pin.

Rating: D+. Well they kept it short, and that’s about as good as something like this is going to be. The match wasn’t much of anything because Layla and Kelly aren’t exactly good in the ring and there is only so much Victoria can do. I can appreciate them trying to do something new though, as it isn’t like anything else is working.

Matt Striker is really happy with the idea of Mark Henry and Big Daddy V. hurting Kane and CM Punk. I think V wants to eat them.

Raw Rebound.

Armageddon rundown.

Elijah Burke vs. Batista

Non-title. Before the match, Burke goes on a rant about how this is his yard and he is the new face of extreme. Batista isn’t wasting time here and runs Burke over to send him outside. Burke manages a posting and sends him back inside to stomp away, setting up a short DDT for two. An STO gets the same but Batista fights out of a chinlock and hits the spinebuster. Burke manages to knock him into the corner and tries the Elijah Express but gets speared (more like a running headbutt to the gut) out of the air. The Batista Bomb is good for the pin.

Rating: C. This wasn’t exactly a match designed to be a major test for Batista but rather a way to get him on TV here. In other words, it felt like one of those matches from the very early days of ECW where a guest star would pop up for no reason other than stirring some interest. It helps that Burke isn’t going to be hurt by the loss so this was just a simple main event with a big name.

Overall Rating: C. That tag match alone was enough to make this an ok show and the Batista appearance helped as well. I like the whole mini merge between ECW and Smackdown, as ECW couldn’t do it on their own and Smackdown gets to focus on some different people on its own show. Not a blow away week here, but they’re getting some variety and that’s a great thing to see after so many similar weeks.

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: December 6, 2007
Location: Civic Center, Florence, South Carolina
Attendance: 3,000
Commentators: Joey Styles, Tazz

We’re on Thursday here, probably due to some kind of a scheduling conflict, and that means a grand total of nothing. The big story coming out of last week saw Mark Henry attacking Kane and seemingly joining forces with Big Daddy V. Kane is going to need some help and maybe he can get that this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Matt Striker is in the back with Big Daddy V and Mark Henry, saying that CM Punk now has no other choice. Punk can pick one of them to face and they will take his title. Isn’t that a choice?

Opening sequence.

Miz/John Morrison vs. Major Brothers

Non-title. Brett wastes no time in dropkicking Miz to the floor for a slingshot dive before Brian does the same thing to Morrison. A cheap shot takes Brett down on the floor though and it’s a double faceplant to drop Brett back inside. Morrison’s running knee to the face gets two but Brett slips out of a double belly to back, allowing the hot tag off to Brian for the house cleaning. Everything breaks down and Brian takes Miz to the floor, leaving Brett to get dropped throat first on top. The flipping neckbreaker gives Morrison the pin.

Rating: C. I like Miz and Morrison getting somewhere with the wins, but there are only so many teams for them to run over one after another. It makes sense to have Smackdown and ECW work together and it has helped, but as usual, the double Tag Team Champions deal doesn’t quite work in WWE. Normally I would say you would hope they could learn, but I don’t think I’m that gullible.

CM Punk doesn’t care if he’s facing Big Daddy V or Mark Henry because he loses either way. Armando Alejandro Estrada or Matt Striker can choose, because he’ll fight either of them.

Balls Mahoney/Kelly Kelly vs. Victoria/Kenny Dykstra

The guys start things off with Dykstra hitting a dropkick for an early two. That earns him the snap jabs from Mahoney so it’s off to the women. A very spinning headscissors drops Victoria for two and Kelly slaps Dykstra for a bonus. Victoria knocks her down and grabs a choke to keep things slow. Kelly fights up and brings Mahoney back in to roll Dykstra up for the pin.

Rating: C-. This would be your feel good win of the week as Kelly and Mahoney continue to have nothing to do together but they’re stuck here for the time being. The oddball thing was fun while it lasted but how far can you really go with something like this? Nothing match as you might have guessed, though what else could they have done?

Here is Shelton Benjamin to talk about promises. People are promised all kinds of good things, including him. He was promised that one day he would get his big break, because he is the Gold Standard.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Jimmy Wang Yang

Benjamin takes him down to start but a crucifix gives Yang two. Back up and a heck of a buckle bomb drops Yang again, setting up a neck crank to put Yang in more trouble. That’s broken up but Yang’s high crossbody is countered into a gutbuster. The jumping Downward Spiral gives Benjamin the pin.

Rating: C. The series of Benjamin squashes continues as they still need to come up with a name for that finisher. The gutbuster out of the air was pretty awesome, but there is only so much that can be gotten out of Benjamin with that goofy looking gold hair. It’s an idea that might have worked on paper but it isn’t quite clicking otherwise.

Here’s the opening video again.

Armageddon rundown.

Kevin Thorn v. Jeff Lewis

Thorn is just a guy in trunks this time. Lewis grabs the arm to start and gets planted with a quick backbreaker, followed by a heck of a clothesline. A torture rack backbreaker finishes Lewis in a hurry.

Here is Matt Striker to toss a coin to determine CM Punk’s opponent for tonight.

CM Punk vs. Mark Henry

Non-title and Punk’s early kick to the chest has no effect. A waistlock is quickly countered with straight power so Punk goes with the required choke on the back. Henry doesn’t seem to mind as he walks Punk out to the floor for a posting to break it up. Back in and Henry steps on the ribs but has to shrug off Punk’s rapid fire kicks. The nerve hold goes on, though the fans stay right there behind Punk. The charge in the corner misses though and Punk hits the running knee, only to have Big Daddy V come in for the DQ.

Rating: D. What else were you expecting here? Henry is the better of the two options, but it isn’t like he can do that much at the moment. Punk is still in need of some challengers though and these two could do well in the role, assuming you don’t expect too much from them. Like a good match here for instance.

Post match the beating is on until Kane makes the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. They have things going on here, but that doesn’t mean they are the most interesting. Punk and Kane vs. the monsters feels like something that is done to fill time until Punk is ready for his next real match ad that is only going to get them so far. The rest of the show is pretty skippable, but they certainly get points for putting in some kind of effort to build stories and people up. Just execute it better.

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