Smackdown
Date: June 27, 2008
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 14,748
Commentators: Jim Ross, Mick Foley

The Draft has come and gone and now we have a new lineup around here. Some of the moves should make for some nice changes, though this is also the go home show for Sunday’s Night Of Champions. It should be interesting to see what happens with the new stars and the old stories, though Night Of Champions could be quite the endpoint for a lot of stuff. Let’s get to it.

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

Draft recap.

Vickie Guerrero is rather sad as we hear about Vince McMahon nearly being crushed during Million Dollar Mania. She hopes Vince isn’t confined to a wheelchair like she is. That moves us on to how great Smackdown is, because she and Edge are getting married soon. With that out of the way, here’s new broadcaster Jim Ross!

Here is HHH to get things going. He talks about how crazy Vince McMahon is and makes jokes about how everything came crashing down on him. Anyway, for the first time in six years, he’s part of Smackdown and he sees the familiar faces of Mick Foley and Jim Ross. HHH says jr would be the one person he would pick to bring here with him (JR: “Thank you.”) so he’s home.

HHH gets in the self described sucking up to the fans before getting to the self described shilling of Sunday’s pay per view. The title is what matters so here is Edge to interrupt. Edge says this is special and big because the two best around are in the ring. He’s heard rumors that they can’t get along but Edge thinks they can make it work. HHH says they both have massive egos and he can see that his is way bigger than Edge’s.

The other difference: HHH will still be champion after Night Of Champions. Edge points out that he can actually beat Batista, unlike HHH. This is Edge’s house and show, so HHH needs to show him some respect. Cue Batista to interrupt and spear Edge down without much trouble. Batista even steals the title for a bonus. That was kind of a cool segment, with the mini Evolution reunion working.

Kane/Big Show vs. MVP/Mark Henry

Henry has been added to the ECW Title match at Night Of Champions after beating Kane on ECW. Kane and MVP start things off with the latter kicking away at the legs until an uppercut drops MVP. It’s off to Show to unload in the corner and knock MVP down without much effort. Henry comes in to cut off the power advantage so it’s right back to Kane. It doesn’t go so well this time around as Henry takes him into the corner for a boot to the head from MVP. Kane fights up so MVP tells Henry to do this himself and leaves…but Henry throws him back inside. The chokeslam gives Kane the fast pin.

Rating: C. Not a bad match here and Kane continuing his dominance of MVP is amusing for some reason. It makes sense to keep everyone but MVP strong as MVP doesn’t exactly have much going on at the moment. This was more about letting Kane get some heat back after his loss to Henry on ECW and it worked just fine all things considered.

Vickie Guerrero discusses wedding plans with Alicia Fox but Edge interrupts. Vickie tells him to not worry about Batista because he’ll be gone. He’ll even get the title back tonight.

Video on Umaga.

Finlay/Hornswoggle vs. Curt Hawkins/Zack Ryder

Ryder drives Finlay into the corner to start but an atomic drop breaks that up in a hurry. Hawkins comes in and misses a baseball slide, allowing Finlay to unload with forearms. Back up and Finlay sends Hawkins outside, setting up the Celtic Cross to Ryder. The Tadpole Splash finishes for Hornswoggle.

Post match Miz and John Morrison come out for the staredown.

Matt Hardy vs. Edge

Non-title. They fight over wrist control to start until Edge grabs a drop toehold to continue to technical opening. Back up and Matt hits the running corner clothesline into the bulldog for two as commentary isn’t sure if that would be an upset (yes, it would be). We take a break and come back with Matt blocking the Edge-O-Matic. Edge gets sent outside and Matt nails a clothesline off the apron but a cheap shot cuts Matt off back inside.

Choking on the ropes sets up a running crotch attack to the back of the neck and Edge kicks him in the chest. The cravate has Matt in more trouble but he fights up and grabs the Side Effect for two. That lets Foley get in a Get Smart reference, making him all the more swell. A DDT gives Matt two but he misses the moonsault. Edge misses the spear but gets two off a backslide with his feet on his rope. Back up and the Twist of Fate is countered into the spear to give Edge the pin.

Rating: B-. These two always work well together and the ending sequence was good. I’m not wild on seeing the US Champion losing but at least it was to someone higher up on the food chain. Edge gets some momentum heading into his title match on Sunday while Matt…eh he’s defending against Chavo Guerrero so he’ll be fine.

Night Of Champions rundown.

Kelly Kelly/Michelle McCool/Cherry vs. Victoria/Natalya Neidhart/Maryse

Michelle and Maryse start things off with Michelle cranking on the arm. Maryse immediately bails out to bring Victoria in, with Kelly coming in as well. Foley remembers wearing chaps like Kelly and JR backs away as fast as he can. Cherry comes in and bulldogs Kelly for two as they’re rapid firing through the tags. It’s back to Michelle for a basement dropkick on Natalya, who is right back with the a wheelbarrow hot shot. The surfboard has Michelle in more trouble, followed by the chinlock.

That’s broken up with a chinlock but Victoria comes in to cut Michelle off again. The standing moonsault gives Victoria two as Foley wants to see more of Kelly’s chaps. Foley: “I’m just trying to give you a little Jerry The King Lawler JR.” Kelly gets in a kick to the ribs, setting up one of the most freezing cold tags I’ve ever seen as Cherry comes in. A neckbreaker gets two on Maryse but Natalya gets in a cheap shot from the apron. Everything breaks down and Maryse rolls Cherry up for the pin.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t exactly good and I have no idea why they haven’t just announced Michelle for the title match yet. She’s the most obvious pick they could have but they’re still playing the “who is it going to be” nonsense. Am I supposed to believe that Cherry is getting a title shot? Anyway, this match was pretty lame, as it was almost Michelle in a handicap match.

Vladimir Kozlov vs. Domino

Kozlov powers him into the corner to start and works on the arm. A shot to the chest sets up an overhead belly to belly suplex but Domino manages to drop him with a jumping elbow. Back up and Kozlov kicks him in the face, setting up the reverse DDT for the pin, though he had to work a bit more here.

Rey Mysterio, on the way to the ring for his final Smackdown appearance, runs into Hornswoggle for some odd…uh, looking at each other.

Here is Rey Mysterio for his final Smackdown appearance. He came to Smackdown six years ago with a heart full of dreams. Thanks to the fans, he became Cruiserweight Champion, Tag Team Champion and the World Heavyweight Champion. Smackdown will always have a place in his heart but now he is heading to Raw. The fans are offered to come along with him and we get some nice words in Spanish to wrap things up.

Batista vs. Umaga

Umaga runs him over to start and then breaks up an early Batista Bomb attempt. A splash gives Umaga two and there’s a hard kick to the back of Batista’s head. Batista gets whipped hard into the corner and we hit the nerve hold. Umaga cuts off the comeback with a kick to the face and a jumping headbutt puts him down again. We’re off to another nerve hold but Batista fights up. A slam attempt doesn’t work so Umaga knocks him back into the corner to hammer away some more. Umaga misses a splash and hits the ring post though and there’s the spinebuster. Cue La Familia to jump Batista for the DQ.

Rating: C-. Not the most exciting match here as Umaga almost squashed him until the run-in ending. Umaga needed the boost after spinning his wheels for a long time, though having him do this to the #1 contender was a little strange. The bigger problem here was the match being rather slow though as these two have never had much chemistry together.

Post match the big beatdown is on but HHH makes the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. There were some good parts here but it wasn’t their best show. The problem is they were trying to build to the show with the old lineup but then had to introduce the new wrestlers. That made for a weird balance and they only kind o pulled it off. Things will be in their new normal next week though and that should make things a lot better.

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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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: June 24, 2008
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 14,748
Commentators: Mike Adamle, Tazz

It’s the night after the Draft and ECW didn’t exactly do well. Not only did they lose the ECW Champion, but Mr. Money In The Bank is gone as well. With Kane and CM Punk gone, they now have Matt Hardy back as well, but we are still on for Kane defending the ECW Title against Big Show at Night Of Champions. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Million Dollar Mania, with Vince McMahon nearly dying at the end.

Teddy Long is in the ring to start things off and say that everyone in ECW has McMahon in their thoughts tonight. He can’t give out any information about McMahon’s status, but the show must go on. Therefore, here is the newest member of ECW, United States Champion Matt Hardy!

Matt Hardy/CM Punk vs. John Morrison/The Miz

Non-title. Matt armdrags Morrison down to start before it’s off to Punk. Miz comes in and gets kicked in the ribs so Matt can take over in the corner. Morrison manages to take Matt into the corner so Miz can take over and grab the chinlock. With that broken up, everything breaks down and Miz and Morrison get caught with running knees in the corner. Punk’s springboard clothesline is broken up for a crash out to the floor though and we take a break.

Back with Morrison hitting the slingshot elbow to Punk, whose back was bent over Miz’s knees. Morrison kicks Punk in the head but Punk manages a takedown on Miz. That’s still not enough for the tag though as Morrison is right there to cut it off and grab the chinlock. Punk fights up again and hands it back to Matt for the real house cleaning. The middle rope elbow to the back of the head gets two on Morrison and everything breaks down. Morrison blocks the Twist Of Fate and kicks Matt in the face for two. Cue Hornswoggle to distract Miz though and the Twist Of Fate finishes Morrison.

Rating: C+. The match got some time and thankfully it wasn’t another clean loss for the champs. They’ve had a rocky time with the titles so far and losing to a thrown together team wouldn’t have helped things in the slightest. At the very least though, the ending helps with Sunday’s title match, which could use the help.

Kofi Kingston vs. Shelton Benjamin

Extreme Rules. Kofi fights out of the corner to start but Benjamin runs him over with an elbow to the face. A suplex doesn’t work for Benjamin so Kofi hits a dropkick to put him outside. Naturally that means a dive to take Benjamin down again and they need a breather. Back up and Benjamin grabs the microphone to stagger Kofi, meaning it’s a whip into the steps to put him down again.

It’s time to bring in some weapons and a few shots put Kofi in more trouble. A trashcan to the head is blocked at first but Shelton just unloads on him with said can. Benjamin suplexes him onto the can and we hit the waistlock to stay on the ribs. Back up and Benjamin’s Stinger Splash is knocked HARD out of the air with a trashcan lid. More lid shots rock Benjamin even harder and Trouble In Paradise finishes for Kingston.

Rating: C+. It wasn’t a classic but it should serve as the big finale to their feud. These two have fought for a few months now and it’s nice to see Kofi getting the big win to end things. At the end of the day, Kingston feels like he could be moving up the ranks and it’s always nice to see some fresh blood. Benjamin knows how to make people look good in defeat and that was the case here.

We look at Mark Henry laying out Kane on Smackdown.

Raw Rebound.

Night Of Champions rundown.

Kane laughs a lot.

Mike Knox vs. Evan Bourne

Knox forearms him in the back to start but falls down, allowing Bourne to pick up the pace. Some kicks stagger Knox but he comes back with one heck of a clothesline. Knox grabs an abdominal stretch while pulling on Bourne’s leg to draw some nice screaming. Bourne fights out and hits a springboard kick before knocking Knox into the corner. A running spinwheel kick is cut off with a backbreaker though and Bourne is done.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to get very far but the hard clothesline made up for Knox’s weird start. I’m not sure I get the point in having Knox go over a newcomer like Bourne clean but there is a good chance we’ll be seeing a rematch. For now though, Bourne’s comeback worked well enough and he should be fine with that kind of speed and high flying.

Kane vs. Mark Henry

Non-title and Big Show is on commentary. Henry powers him around to start and hammers away in the corner, which Show seems to like. A clothesline drops Kane rather quickly and a bearhug cuts off an uppercut comeback. Kane fights out and slugs away, setting up a running enziguri of all things. That lets Kane go up but he stops to look at Show, allowing Henry to crotch him down. The World’s Strongest Slam finishes Kane fast.

Rating: C. The bad night for champions continues as Kane gets beaten by a guest star. That being said, WWE has been pushing Henry in recent weeks and Kane is on his way out of ECW so this isn’t the worst thing. It wouldn’t shock me to see Henry wind up here with the title sooner than later, as they certainly had Kane put him over on the way out.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a bit of a weird show as they were wrapping up a bunch of stuff but didn’t have many people on hand to replace them. Instead we got Miz and Morrison and Kane losing, though at least Hardy got a win on his first night. Kofi got a nice win as well so we’ll say the good outweighs the bad, but this show is going to need some help soon.

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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Monday Night Raw
Date: June 23, 2008
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 15,183
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Mick Foley, Mike Adamle, Tazz

It’s a big night as we have three things going on at once. We have a three hour show with the major focus being the annual Draft, with the focal point being that EVERYONE is available to be drafted. Other than that, Million Dollar Mania is still going so expect a lot of Vince McMahon. Finally, it’s also the last Raw before Night Of Champions. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Commentary welcomes us to the show and hype up the idea of everyone being switched around.

HHH (Raw) vs. Mark Henry (Smackdown)

Non-title and it seems that the winning brand gets a Draft pick. Henry yells a lot and HHH looks nervous, with Henry running him over to make it worse. The headbutts rock HHH some more and Henry runs him over for an early two. A Vader Bomb gets two more and Henry grabs the neck crank. HHH finally slips out and tries some running forearms to stagger Henry. The facebuster sets up more right hands and the jumping knee finally puts Henry down. The Pedigree is countered into the World’s Strongest Slam for two but Henry misses the splash. That’s enough for the Pedigree to give HHH the pin.

Rating: C. There was only so much that HHH could do here and he made it work as well as possible. Henry is a big monster and the Pedigree was only going to look so good, but HHH trying to knock him down was a nice sequence. For a quick match, they did about as well as they could have, with Henry being a fine monster.

Drafted to Raw: Rey Mysterio.

Here is Vince McMahon to announce that tonight, five people will win $100,000 and one will win $500,000. Vince brings out Kelly Kelly to help him and they call a woman….who Vince says gives the wrong password. Kelly says it’s right though and gives us a celebratory dance.

HHH welcomes Rey Mysterio to Raw when John Cena comes in. Rey leaves so HHH can say he’s not losing to Cena again at Night Of Champions. HHH says nothing Cena has done matters until Cena beats him for the title.

Finlay/Hornswoggle (Smackdown) vs. Carlito/Santino Marella (Raw)

For a draft pick. Santino wants Hornswoggle to start and gets Stunned for his efforts. Finlay comes in and ties Santino up in the ring skirt for the beating. A Carlito cheap shot puts Finlay down though and the villains take over. Santino gets caught with the shillelagh and it’s the Celtic Cross into the Tadpole Splash for the pin.

Drafted to Smackdown: Jeff Hardy.

Hardy comes out to pose and we see the still injured Randy Orton watching backstage.

Vince McMahon brings out Randy Orton to help give away more money. First though, Orton warns HHH and John Cena that he’s coming back for the WWE Title. Actually that’s it for Orton, who isn’t in the mood to help give away money. Vince is in the mood to do that, but he’ll also give us a great main event tonight: Cena vs. Edge.

Hardcore Holly/Cody Rhodes (Raw) vs. Chavo Guerrero/Bam Neely (ECW)

For a draft pick and Ted DiBiase Jr. is on commentary to promote his dad’s book. Neely jumps Cody to start and the stomping is on in the corner. Chavo comes in but Cody escapes a belly to back suplex and hands it off to Holly as the crowd is almost eerily silent. Holly hits the hanging kick to the ribs but the Alabama Slam is broken up. Chavo headscissors Cody to the floor, only to walk into the Alabama Slam for the fast pin.

Drafted to Raw: CM Punk. It’s about time.

Here is Chris Jericho for a chat. Jericho is used to fans throwing trash at him, but he’s just waiting for Shawn Michaels to turn on the fans like he does with everyone else. We see a highlight package of Shawn turning on people over the years, including Marty Jannetty, Diesel, Hulk Hogan and John Cena.

Then we move into Shawn faking his knee injury, which has Jericho talking about all of Shawn’s lies. Jericho hates lies more than anyone else, save for maybe one person: the man who helped Jericho against HHH last week, Lance Cade. We see Cade on the Titantron, where he talks about how he was trained by Shawn Michaels and wasn’t going to give Shawn the chance to turn on him.

Jericho never lied to him, but now Jericho needs a person to face for the Intercontinental Title at Night Of Champions. It would have been Shawn, but we see Jericho massacring him. Cue Shawn, with his eye taped up, to go after Jericho. Shawn slugs away, until Jericho sends him eye first into the announcers’ table to cut him off immediately. That match is going to have some crazy heat.

We recap the Draft picks to date.

John Morrison/Miz (ECW) vs. Curt Hawkins/Zack Ryder (Smackdown)

Vickie Guerrero introduces Hawkins and Ryder, but recent developments have made her change her mind. Here’s the new match:

John Morrison/Miz (ECW) vs. Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy (Smackdown)

Non-title but for a Draft pick. Matt and Miz start things off as Cole talks about how great this was from Vickie Guerrero. Matt’s wristlock and headlock don’t get very far as Miz takes him into the corner for the left hands. That’s broken up as well so Matt hits a clothesline and hands it off to Jeff for Poetry In Motion. The slingshot dropkick hits Miz in the corner but Morrison gets in a cheap shot to take over.

Morrison grabs a chinlock and then it’s off to Miz for, uh, another chinlock actually. Jeff fights up but Miz runs him over again for two. A legdrop gives Miz two more and we hit a crossface chickenwing. Jeff fights up and nails a quick Whisper In The Wind to put them both down. The diving tag brings in Matt to clean house, including the Side Effect for two on Morrison. The middle rope legdrop connects but Morrison is right back up with a rollup (and tights) for the pin.

Rating: C. This felt like it was supposed to be a low level dream match but it was pretty dull for the most part. There were some good moments with Matt’s comeback working well, but you’re only going to be able to get so far with an eight minute match and a pretty abrupt ending. At least ECW got something though.

Drafted to ECW: Matt Hardy (with the US Title).

Vince McMahon recaps Million Dollar Mania and brings out Ric Flair to help him give away $100,000. Flair calls and the fan wins the money, plus a bonus WOO!

We look at Mickie James participating in the Dreams Take Flight charity event.

Mickie James/Melina (Raw) vs. Natalya Neidhart/Victoria (Smackdown)

For a Draft pick, but only announcers/interviewers are eligible. Natalya grabs a front facelock on Melina to start before a powerslam gets two. Victoria comes in and drives Melina into the corner but Melina rolls her up for two more. Back up and Victoria sends her off the top for a crash to the floor, where Melina looks banged up. Mickie goes over to check on her but the brawl is on for the double DQ.

Drafted to Smackdown: Jim Ross. To say he does not look happy with this would be an understatement.

Drafted to Monday Night Raw: Michael Cole.

Post break we see Melina being taken out of the arena as she seems to have suffered a rather bad leg injury.

Vince McMahon brings out Great Khali to plug his new movie Get Smart, which also features Dwayne Johnson. Khali calls someone who says “wrong number” and hangs up. Someone else answers, tells Vince to hang on and brings on someone else to give the password (Khali looks mad and yells a lot) but the guy wins (and sounds bored).

John Cena (Raw) vs. Edge (Smackdown)

Non-title but for a Draft pick. Jim Ross isn’t sure why he’s calling a match involving a Raw competitor (oh yeah this isn’t going well) as they fight over a lockup to start. Cena sends him into the corner but misses a running bulldog, allowing Edge to score with a big boot. Edge slugs away as Foley is handling most of the commentary. A hard clothesline drops Cena again as JR talks about how he didn’t expect to leave Raw tonight but that’s how the cards were dealt.

Cena comes back with a shot of his own for two but it’s a double clothesline to put them both down. It’s Cena up first to start the comeback until Edge escapes the FU into the Edgecution for two. The spear is countered into the STFU, sending Edge over to the ropes rather quickly. Edge goes up top but has to escape a super FU, allowing him to knock Cena outside. Cena catches him diving off the apron though and decks Edge, who takes the countout.

Rating: C+. These two always have good chemistry together and anything they do is at least worth a look. At the same time, the result was one of the only options they had, as you don’t want either of them losing heading into a World Title match on Sunday. They didn’t have much time here, but what they did was pretty nice while it lasted.

Post match Batista throws Edge inside for a beating.

Drafted to Raw: Batista. Well that’s convenient timing.

Post break Edge and Vickie Guerrero are glad with their win because Batista is out of their hair. Vince McMahon comes in to say the title match is still on for Night Of Champions. This might have had a bigger impact if Michael Cole hadn’t said the same thing before the break. Vince suggests Vickie and Edge could be split up and panic ensues.

MVP (Smackdown) vs. Tommy Dreamer (ECW)

For a Draft pick.  Colin Delaney is here with Dreamer, who gets punched in the ribs and kicked in the head to start. They trade right hands as commentary seems way off here, with Mick Foley joining in and talking about a Playboy Playmate. Tazz: “You know there is a match going on.” MVP misses a charge in the corner and gets hit with a bulldog. Not that it matters as MVP hits a running boot in the corner for the pin.

Drafted to Smackdown: Umaga. Cue Umaga to beat up Dreamer and Delaney.

Draft recap.

John Bradshaw Layfield (Raw) vs. Kofi Kingston (ECW)

For a Draft pick. JBL grabs a headlock to start but Kofi is back up with the jumping back elbow. With the jumping getting on JBL’s nerves, he kicks Kofi in the face to take over. Something close to a cobra clutch keeps Kofi in trouble and the clubbing forearms to the back make it even worse. The bearhug goes on but Kofi sends him into the corner to escape. A dropkick looks to set up the Boom Drop but the Clothesline From JBL finishes Kofi.

Rating: C+. This took some time to get going but there was something good about having Kofi using his weird style and JBL just hitting him in the face over and over. Kofi is still someone who is on his way up and needs to be in there against bigger competition. Fun little match here, and Kofi feels like he is on the way up.

Drafted to Raw: ECW Champion Kane.

Vince McMahon gives away more money…..and the fan happens to be here in the arena.

Night Of Champions rundown.

Battle Royal

Raw: CM Punk, HHH, Kane, John Cena, Batista

ECW: Matt Hardy, John Morrison, Miz, Chavo Guerrero, Shelton Benjamin

Smackdown: Big Show, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Great Khali, MVP

For two Draft picks and that’s one heck of a lineup. We’re joined in progress after a break and a bunch of people get together to toss Khali. Everyone looks at Show who tells them to bring it and then knocks a bunch of them down. Miz can’t get rid of Edge but Batista can get rid of Miz and Morrison at the same time.

Show and MVP send Punk over the top but not out as this is not the most thrilling stuff despite the names involved. Edge fires off some spears and we take a break. Back with Punk having been eliminated and HHH hitting a facebuster on Show. Matt gets the same thing and Jeff enziguris Chavo out. That leaves Matt as the sole ECW star as Benjamin seems to have been tossed during the break as well.

There goes MVP and we get the Hardys showdown. Jeff gets the better of things and kicks Matt out to officially finish off ECW. Edge and Batista both try spears and they’re both down in a heap. Jeff misses Whisper In The Wind and HHH knocks him out and it’s HHH, Cena, Batista (very bloody), Kane, Show and Edge left.

Batista spears Edge but gets punched out by Show. Kane is knocked out as well and it’s two vs. two. Show manages to suplex Edge and Cena at the same time, leaving everyone down. HHH and Cena get back up and dump Show but Edge knocks Cena into HHH to get rid of him. Cena is so shocked that Edge is able to toss him for the win.

Rating: C. The ending got better, but there were some long stretches with pretty much nothing going on here. That isn’t the best way to draw up interest in the match but at least the star power was on display. I was expecting ECW to win to finally get a little something else, though that would imply WWE cares about ECW in any meaningful way.

Drafted to Smackdown: Mr. Kennedy and HHH (Raw World Champion).

We go up to Vince McMahon, who gives away $500,000…..and then the stage collapses. Vince is crushed under a part of the set and yells for Paul because he can’t feel his legs to end the show.

Raw
Rey Mysterio
CM Punk
Michael Cole
Kane
Batista

Smackdown
Jeff Hardy
Jim Ross
Umaga
Mr. Kennedy
HHH

ECW
Matt Hardy

Overall Rating: C+. As you might have guessed, this wasn’t the most traditional show, as they were trying to do a lot of things at once. Between the Draft and the money and hyping up Sunday’s show, this was a bit too all over the place. The Draft was the big focus and some of the moves should shake things up a bit, though ECW is gutted even more than before. Above all else though, I feel sorry for Jim Ross, who gets treated badly again, because Vince McMahon enjoys it or something.

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

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

Smackdown
Date: June 20, 2008
Location: HP Pavilion, San Jose, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Mick Foley

We’re coming up on Night Of Champions and Edge vs. Batista for the Smackdown World Title is already set. That alone should cover the Smackdown side of things but there are still a few other matches that could be added to the show. In addition, we are coming up on the Draft next week so things are going to be shaken up again. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with MVP in the VIP Lounge. MVP gets straight to the point by talking about the Draft, where EVERYONE can be sent to another show. He’s cool with going anywhere because he gets paid anywhere he goes. Maybe the people around here just don’t pay attention to his talents because they’re too busy getting married.

Cue Vickie Guerrero and the Edgeheads, with Vickie saying she doesn’t need this kind of treatment before her wedding. Last week, MVP beat CM Punk like he was supposed to but Vickie says that he didn’t take Punk out. Not that it matters, as Vickie backed out of their contract negotiations. Maybe MVP just doesn’t want to be here, but Vickie doesn’t have time for this. Therefore, tonight MVP can face Kane.

Matt Hardy vs. Bam Neely

Non-title and Chavo Guerrero is here with Neely. The bigger Neely knocks him into the corner to start as Cole says Neely calls himself the One Man Fence. With that stupid name out of the way, Matt gets dropped throat first across the top for two and we hit the chinlock. This lets Cole hype Million Dollar Mania and brag about the ratings success.

Matt fights up but can’t get the Side Effect, instead allowing Neely to kick him in the face for two. The chinlock with a bodyscissors goes on but Matt jawbreaks his way to freedom. Neely charges into a raised boot in the corner and a middle rope bulldog gives Matt two. Chavo offers a distraction though, only to be ejected almost immediately. Matt grabs the Twist of Fate for the fast pin.

Rating: C. This was a good example of why Neely wasn’t put in the ring very often, as this wasn’t exactly a great match. Neely is just a big guy with a slightly intimidating bald head but that’s about all there is for his strong points. Matt vs. Chavo should at least be better, but Chavo is only so interesting in the first place.

Video on Edge vs. Batista.

Post break Chavo Guerrero yells about the referee to Edge but Edge needs him to do something tonight: face Batista.

Michelle McCool vs. Layla

Foley reads a song he wrote about Michelle, which sounds a lot like Sweet Child Of Mine. Layla knocks her down to start and we’re off to the early chinlock. A legdrop gives Layla two and we’re back to the chinlock as Natalya comes out to watch. Michelle kicks her way out of trouble and hits a clothesline into a dropkick. A belly to belly gives Michelle two before a heel hook makes Layla tap.

Rating: C. Michelle continues to get better in the ring and has clearly put in the effort to become a more well rounded star. You might as well pencil her in for the Night Of Champions match against Natalya, as at least these women will have something to fight over after all this time. Layla continues to have the attitude, but there isn’t anything to back that up in the ring.

Edge comes in to Vickie Guerrero’s office and asks Alicia Fox to leave so they can talk about the wedding. Referee Charles Robinson comes in and Vickie yells at him for biased officiating, including ejecting Chavo Guerrero earlier tonight. That’s why he’ll be in the ring later. As a wrestler.

Vladimir Kozlov vs. Jamie Noble

Noble’s single leg doesn’t work as Kozlov wrestles him down without much trouble. Kozlov throws him around again as Foley gives us a history of Sambo, following Kozlov forcing him to read a book about it. A Guillotine choke slows Kozlov down for a change but he drives Noble into the corner for the break. Noble fights up but Kozlov headbutts him out of the air without much effort for the win.

Rating: C. They’re bringing Kozlov along slowly but logically, as he gets to beat a slightly bigger name, which should mean he wants some bigger competition soon. That should open up some more interesting doors for him, though he still isn’t exactly the most interesting monster villain in the world. That headbutt does look good though.

Kane vs. MVP

Non-title. Kane uppercuts him down to start and drops a fast elbow but gets caught in a headscissors of all things. Back up and Kane hits another uppercut and a powerslam gets two. MVP’s running boot in the corner gets the same and we hit the neck crank. Kane gets up and hits a side slam into the top rope clothesline but it’s too early for the chokeslam. Instead Kane shoves him out to the floor….where MVP just takes the countout.

Rating: C+. Somehow that might be the best match of the night here as Kane continues his dominance of MVP in a long running story. Other than that though, there wasn’t much to be seen here as they mainly stayed on the mat until Kane got fired up near the end. MVP seems to be stepping up a bit though and it’s nice to see that include a countout instead of taking a pin.

Post match Mark Henry comes in to lay out Kane.

Chavo Guerrero wishes a confused Charles Robinson luck.

Video on WWE’s work with Make-A-Wish.

Charles Robinson vs. Great Khali

Robinson tries to run but the Edgeheads throw him back inside for the bell. There’s the chop but Khali picks him up at two. Then he does it a few more times before finishing with the vice.

Robinson does a stretcher job.

Deuce N Domino vs. Jesse And Festus

Yes again. Festus wrecks them at the bell so Deuce N Domino brawl with each other on the floor. Deuce sends Domino back inside so the destruction can be completed. The fireman’s carry flapjack finishes Domino in a hurry.

Post match Deuce lays Domino out again.

We look at Hornswoggle and Finlay getting a Tag Team Title shot on ECW and Finlay laying out Miz.

Finlay vs. Miz

Hornswoggle and John Morrison are here too, with the latter joining commentary. Finlay grabs a headlock takeover to start and then runs him over with a clothesline for two. Back up and Miz manages to get in a kick to the ribs before knocking Finlay outside for a change. Miz stomps away back inside and we hit the cravate. That doesn’t last long as Finlay fights back and hits the running seated senton. Morrison goes after Hornswoggle, but it distracts Miz by mistake. That’s enough for Finlay to hit the Celtic Cross for the pin.

Rating: C. This hasn’t been a banner night for in-ring action and that was the case again here, with a mostly boring match to set up a Tag Team Title match that is only so interesting in the first place. Hornswoggle and Finlay are certainly fresh challengers though and that is one of the best things that could happen to the titles at the moment.

Mission Dollar Mania recap.

Night Of Champions rundown.

Chavo Guerrero vs. Batista

Bam Neely is here with Chavo. Hold on though as here is Vickie Guerrero to make Edge the guest referee and if Batista touches him, there’s no title match. Chavo’s headlock doesn’t get him very far as Batista shoulders him down without much effort. Batista cranks on the arm in the corner and grabs a Jackhammer for a very delayed two.

Edge even trips Batista down as they’re not bothering with the subtle stuff here. Neely gets in some choking but Chavo gets pulled out of the air. That earns Batista another trip from Edge so Chavo can get two and the chinlock goes on. Batista fires up and hits a backdrop into a powerslam, only to have Neely pull him outside for a one second countout.

Rating: C+. This was more a storyline advancement than much of a match and that’s the best way to go with something like this one. Batista continues to have to work to finally get his hands on Edge at the end of the road and that can take some time. They’re doing well enough here, and now Batista is going to be furious with just one Smackdown left before Night Of Champions.

Post match La Familia comes in to beat Batista down. Edge hits a spear to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Not much of a show here, as Night Of Champions has one noteworthy Smackdown match and that is all but set. Other than that, there isn’t much to do here and the wrestling wasn’t much better. Hopefully things change a bit next week, because another show like this one sounds very, very tiring. Not a bad show, but a completely skippable one.

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Smackdown
Date: June 13, 2008
Location: Save Mart Center, Fresno, California
Attendance: 6,000
Commentators: Mick Foley, Michael Cole

We’re well on the way to Night Of Champions and Batista is the new #1 contender to Edge’s Smackdown World Title. That alone should make for a good build towards the show, but we’re going to need more than that. Smackdown’s midcard might not be the strongest, but I’m sure we’ll have some Chuck Palumbo involved. Let’s get to it.

Vickie Guerrero is in the ring and we’re starting big with a contract signing. Batista comes out first but won’t sit down, even after Vickie offers him the chance. Vickie hypes up Edge a bit but since he has already signed the contract, he won’t be needed at the moment. She signs as well and tells Batista he needs to, but then won’t hand it over. Apparently Batista has to beat Great Khali tonight to really become #1 contender. That’s fine with Batista, who calls Vickie ugly and leaves. Hold on though as Vickie says if Batista loses tonight, he’s out of WWE. Vickie: “You’re dismissed.”

Finlay vs. John Morrison

Hornswoggle and Miz are here and this is a rather unique match. Finlay runs him over with a shoulder to start so Morrison heads to the floor. A legsweep takes Finlay down for a change but he ties Morrison up in the ring skirt. Hornswoggle is thrown at Miz to break up some interference but Morrison scores with a kick to take over. We hit the chinlock back inside before a neckbreaker gives Morrison two more. Finlay comes back with some clotheslines but Miz goes after Hornswoggle again. That’s enough of a distraction for Morrison to grab a rollup for the pin.

Rating: C. I could go for more of these two but this was more about setting things up for later. Finlay and Hornswoggle are at least a fresh team but I’m not sure I’d get behind the idea of them as serious challengers. Granted that might not be the case anytime soon as Finlay lost here, though I do like seeing a fresh match.

We’ll be looking at some classic Batista moments, like winning the 2005 Royal Rumble.

Edge likes the idea of honoring Batista before he’s gone from WWE, just like he did with Undertaker. Cue CM Punk to hint at cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase at Edge’s wedding next month.

Mark Henry vs. Tommy Dreamer

Before the match, we see a clip of Henry promising to give Big Show another black eye at Night Of Champions. Henry shoves him into the corner without much trouble to start and knocks him down for a kick to the back. There’s another slam to set up a headbutt in the corner as this is total destruction. Dreamer gets a boot up in the corner and slugs away but the DDT is blocked. The World’s Strongest Slam finishes Dreamer without much trouble.

Edge comes in to see Vickie Guerrero, who is planning her wedding with wedding planner Alicia Fox. He’s worried about the threat of a CM Punk cash-in but here is MVP to interrupt. MVP wants to renegotiate his contract because his talents are being underutilized. Edge doesn’t want to hear it so MVP says he could take the title. Anyway, he wants a new contract but Vickie points out that Teddy Long gave him the original. She’ll consider it…if he takes care of this CM Punk issue. Works for MVP.

Cherry vs. Maryse

Cherry takes her down and hammers away to start so Maryse bails into the corner. Back up and Maryse kicks the leg out to take over and we hit the cravate. Cherry fights up and slugs away, setting up a hammerlock DDT for the fast pin. Not much to this one.

Video on the Great Khali.

MVP vs. CM Punk

Punk wrestles him to the mat to start before grabbing a headlock. MVP reverses into one of his own for a bit, only to have Punk pop up. A spinwheel kick drops MVP and we hit the chinlock again. MVP slips out and grabs an armbar and cranks away for a bit. Punk is able to fight out with his good arm as they’re certainly not breaking out of second gear so far.

A missed charge sends Punk’s bad arm into the post and MVP sends it in twice more. We take a break and come back with MVP hammering away and grabbing a Fujiwara armbar. Punk fights out so MVP puts on another armbar. Back up again and Punk is able to hit a kick to the head for two and a hurricanrana gets the same.

Punk goes up top but the elbow only hits raised knees. With nothing else working, MVP pulls off a turnbuckle pad and uses the distraction to grab the Money In The Bank briefcase. Punk scores with the jumping knee to the head and takes the briefcase back (it’s his after all) but the referee sees it and calls the DQ.

Rating: C+. This was the wrestling match of the show and it got a lot of time, but the armbars took up a good bit of the time. They made sense given what MVP was tasked with doing but that didn’t make for an interesting match. At least Punk didn’t get pinned again, as they seem to be getting close to the cash-in, or certainly teasing the heck out of the thing.

Video on Edge winning the World Title by beating Undertaker in a TLC match.

Here is Chavo Guerrero, with Bam Neely, to announce that he will be Edge’s best man. In addition, at Night Of Champions, he’ll beat Matt Hardy for the US Title!

Matt Hardy vs. Chuck Palumbo

Non-title. Palumbo powers him into the corner to start and kicks Matt outside. Back in and Palumbo hits a belly to back suplex into a chinlock as the pace stays slow. Palumbo misses a top rope legdrop for two and Matt grabs the Side Effect for two. The Twist of Fate finishes Palumbo soon after.

Rating: C. Palumbo continues to hang around and he’s oddly starting to grow on me. At the end of the day, he’s never going to be a big star but he’s someone who can handle a middle of the road spot like this and do just fine. That’s a role that you need to have on any show and Palumbo, while not great, is doing it well enough.

Video on Batista winning his first World Title at Wrestlemania XXI.

Video on the first week of Million Dollar Mania.

Vladimir Kozlov is asked about better competition and answers in Russian.

Video on Batista winning the World Title at Survivor Series 2006.

Jesse & Festus vs. Deuce N Domino

Festus runs both of them outside to start before Jesse drop toeholds Deuce down to start. Jesse gets taken into the corner though and the double teaming is on quickly. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Jesse kicks his way out. Festus comes back in to clean house, including an uppercut to Domino. A sitdown splash gives Festus the pin.

Rating: C-. These teams feel like they have been fighting each other in circles for months and neither has shown any signs of moving up the ladder. At some point you need to do something that actually matters or otherwise this is just filler. The Festus Is A Monster deal has gone about as far as it can and it’s not getting any better. In other words, it’s a WWE tag team problem, as they continue to prove why there isn’t enough depth for two sets of titles.

Post match Deuce N Domino go at it, with Domino getting the better of things and walking off. And the depth lowers again.

Video on Batista vs. Great Khali from 2007.

Batista vs. Great Khali

If Batista wins he gets a Night Of Champions title shot but if he loses, he’s fired. Edge and Vickie Guerrero come out to watch as Khali chops away in the corner. Batista tries to fight back and we take a break. Back with Khali headbutting him to the floor before dropping the leg. Khali hits the elbow in the corner but Batista reverses for the shoulders to the ribs. The chokebomb gets two and we hit the nerve hold. Batista fights up and blocks the chop, setting up the sear for the fast pin.

Rating: C. As usual, keeping things short is the right way to go for Khali and Batista gets the win to set up the title match. It wasn’t the most interesting drama but they were in and out of there in about five minutes. They built it up over one night but it worked out well enough for a single night main event.

Overall Rating: C-. This show was almost all about setting up the Batista vs. Edge match and it went well enough. That being said, they needed something else to make things interesting and that was lacking pretty badly. Smackdown doesn’t have the most depth in the storyline department at the moment and as has been the case for a long time now, they need to work on that.

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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Rampage
Date: September 8, 2023
Location: Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho

We actually have a pretty stacked show this week as the #1 contenders tournament continues here. There are two first round matches here as things are starting to feel a lot bigger in a hurry. Grand Slam is in less than a month and AEW is going to have to start setting things up for the show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Grand Slam #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Jay Lethal vs. Penta El Zero Miedo

Alex Abrahantes and all of Lethal’s associates are at ringside. Feeling out process to start with Lethal offering a handshake but opting for a strut instead. Penta hits him in the face and struts a bit as well, setting up the exchange of chops. Penta chops him in the corner and a double stomp gets one. More strutting ensues so Jeff Jarrett goes for Penta’s foot. That just earns him a stomp onto the hand and Penta teases a dive onto Lethal.

Instead he superkicks Lethal to the floor but the numbers game catches up to Penta. Karen ties the mask to the ropes, which is described as genius, assuming you ignore that Lethal can’t win if Penta is in the ropes. Everyone but Abrahantes gets ejected and we take a break. Back with Penta hitting a big flip dive tot he floor, setting up his third strut. The top rope double stomp gets two on Lethal but he’s back with a knockdown of his own. Lethal goes for the guitar but Abrahantes pulls it away. The Lethal Injection is countered into a Backstabber and Penta snaps the arm. The Fear Factor finishes Lethal at 11:37.

Rating: B-. I can go for more of Penta on his own as he has never really had the chance to shine without his brother in AEW. There is a grand total of no chance of him winning the tournament but getting a win before he gets to lose in the second round works well for him. Lethal is the definition of a good hand and he can do his thing even better without all of the interference going on. Nice opener with some stakes here.

We look at the issues between Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara from Dynamite.

Here is Sammy to interrupt Jericho talking at the commentary desk. They know they’re getting on each other’s nerves and now they want to hit each other in the face. They’re on the way to being Tag Team Champions but they need to get this out of their systems. They’ll do that at Grand Slam.

Video on Samoa Joe/MJF from Dynamite.

The Bunny/Anna Jay/Taya Valkyrie vs. Hikaru Shida/Skye Blue/Britt Baker

Penelope Ford is here with the villains. Bunny and Blue start things off with the former blocking an armdrag. Blue rolls her up for two and waves before it’s off to Taya for a change. Taya gets in a heck of a forearm to take over and we take a break. Back with Shida coming in to forearm away at Anna but Taya breaks up the torture rack drop. Everything breaks down and Baker clears the ring but Shida misses a top rope double stomp. Baker and Shida are sent into each other, leaving Bunny to hit a running knee lift for two. Not that it matters as Baker pulls her into Lockjaw for the tap at 7:31.

Rating: C. This was the latest “here’s a bunch of the women’s division in a nothing tag match” of the week. Things have picked up a bit in the title pictures but the rest of the division is one random match after another. It wasn’t a bad match or anything, but you had six women in about seven and a half minutes with a break included. What were they supposed to get out of this?

Post match Baker and Shida argue over the collision but things seem cool.

Video on Hook.

Young Bucks vs. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker

For the sake of simplicity, I’ll only call Matt Jackson “Matt” and Matt Menard will be “Menard”. Jake Hager is here with Menard and Parker. Nick and Parker start things off but the Bucks quickly start the double teaming and clean house. We settle down to the Bucks working on Parker’s arm but a quick trip from the floor puts Matt in trouble. Menard comes in for a snap suplex and the villains get to take turns with the beating. Matt fights out of the corner and then does it again, allowing the tag off to Nick. Everything breaks down and superkicks abound, setting up the BTE Trigger to finish Menard at 5:07.

Rating: C+. This was a good use of the Bucks, as the team knows how to do this match like few others today. Sometimes you need a quick showcase for a team and it’s not like there was much doubt over who was winning here. The fans still respond to them so giving them five minutes out there is a smart way to go.

Mike Santana talks about how he came to a fork in the world. People have been asking questions and now they’ll get answers. He has to travel on his own though and he’s here to be the guy. Deal with it.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy.

Grand Slam #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe

Joe’s ROH TV Title isn’t on the line. Jeff kicks the leg out to start and adds a basement dropkick to the back. A middle rope clothesline gets two but Joe goes basic by biting Jeff’s head. We take a break and come back with Jeff jawbreaking his way to freedom to leave them both down for a bit. Joe snaps off the jabs in the corner but Jeff manages a quick Whisper In The Wind. Jeff makes the comeback with his usual sequence but the Twist of Fate is pulled into the Koquina Clutch to knock him out at 8:33.

Rating: B-. You can point out all of the issues that Hardy has but dang he has more charisma than he knows what to do with a lot of the time. He just has that presence to him and it feels like you’re watching something special when he’s out there. That being said, Joe is going to the finals at least and they didn’t really hide it after showing that video on him vs. MJF. Still though, this felt like a match between two legends and that’s why it was taking place.

Overall Rating: B. The important thing here is that it felt like there were some stakes to this. You had the two tournament matches plus the Bucks making a short cameo, which makes for a pretty big edition of Rampage. I still don’t see much for the future of this show, but it’s nice to have something feel like it matters for a change around here.

Results
Penta El Zero Miedo b. Jay Lethal – Fear Factor
Britt Baker/Skye Blue/Hikaru Shida b. The Bunny/Anna Jay/Taya Valkyrie – Lockjaw to Bunny
Young Bucks b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker – BTE Trigger to Menard
Samoa Joe b. Jeff Hardy – Koquina Clutch

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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Dynamite
Date: August 16, 2023
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s another special show with Fight For The Fallen, with proceeds going towards a Hawaii food bank helping with the fallout from the wildfires. There’s not a thing wrong with that and it’s great that AEW is doing something. Other than that, we are eleven days away from All In and we might get some more announcements for the show tonight. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Wheeler Yuta

Cassidy is defending against his former student. Feeling out process to start and they slug it out with neither getting very far. They trade belly to back suplexes and then kick each other down. Cassidy is sent to the floor and gets taken down with a dive but he reverses a suplex into one of his own. Yuta piledrives him on the ram and Cassidy rolls back towards the ring. Back in and a quick Beach Break gives Cassidy two as we take a break.

We come back with Yuta working on the hand but he has to catch Cassidy on top. The top rope superplex sends Cassidy crashing back down and a top rope splash gives Yuta two more. Cassidy is back up with a Michinoku Driver into a PK but here is the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club to offer a distraction. A fake out lets Cassidy hit his own double arm Paradigm Shift, setting up the Orange Punch. Cassidy can’t cover so Yuta gets the Seatbelt for two, only to have Cassidy roll him up for the pin at 11:50.

Rating: C+. This was in fact an Orange Cassidy match, and that has been the case for a long time now. Cassidy is all banged up and injured but manages to do all of his stuff and win in the end. Yuta wasn’t feeling like much of a threat to the title in the first place, but it then went with as “we’ve seen this already” ending it could have had.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Best Friends, and then the Lucha Bros, make the save. The Club grab chairs but Eddie Kingston is back to go after Claudio Castagnoli. That’s enough for the Club to run off, leaving Kingston to issue a challenge for Wembley Stadium in a Stadium Stampede match.

We get a sitdown interview with Jim Ross talking to Kenny Omega. It turns out that Don Callis was friends with Omega’s uncle and helped him get whatever he wanted…and here is Callis for a distraction. Bullet Club Gold and Konosuke Takeshita jump Omega from behind and the big beatdown is on. That should set up another pay per view match, though hopefully JR can get some sleep before then. He looked incredibly rough here.

Omega was taken to a hospital, where Hangman Page was waiting. Page wants to finish this at All In, though here is a security guard to tell Page he can’t drink a beer here. That’s fine with Page, who downs it.

Here is Don Callis, with another painting under a blanket, to get Chris Jericho’s answer. Cue Jericho to give his answer, and while he’s the one who starts factions…..he’ll join the Don Callis family! Callis is stunned and happy so let’s go celebrate. Jericho wants to see the picture though, with Callis getting nervous. The blanket comes off, and it’s a painting of Callis holding Jericho’s decapitated head.

Callis backpedals really fast and tries to talk his way out of it but Jericho says just tell him the truth. It’s true that Callis didn’t expect Jericho to say yes….because of his massive ego. Callis goes on a rant about how Jericho has the biggest ego ever but Jericho says Callis is a nobody who wasn’t in wrestling a few years ago. Callis slaps him and here is Konosuke Takeshita to go after Jericho. Cue Will Ospreay to jump Jericho as well and the big beatdown is on, with Jericho being busted open. The painting is broken over Jericho’s head but here is Sammy Guevara with a baseball bad for the save.

Jack Perry is going to retire the FTW Title next week.

Gates Of Agony vs. Darby Allin/Nick Wayne

The Gates jump them from behind to start fast and the beatdown is on outside. We take an early break and come back with Allin getting the hot tag to roll Kaun up for two as the Mogul Embassy is watching from the ramp. Everything breaks down and Wayne takes Kaun down before diving onto Toa at ringside. Allin adds the Coffin Drop to finish Kaun at 6:26.

Rating: C. So after the Gates start winning some matches, they go right back down here to Allin and Wayne, who aren’t the most experienced team. Allin winning a match is fine enough but it’s another match that runs about six minutes and has a break in the middle. I’m sure it’s a television deal, but my goodness it gets old fast.

Post match Sting pops up on screen to say we’re coming up on the biggest show in AEW history. It seems that he has kidnapped Prince Nana and says it’s showtime as the Embassy goes to the back. Sting screams at Nana and he runs off. This was wacky Sting and that’s a great thing.

Adam Cole and MJF go to Outback Steakhouse to plan for Aussie Open. After eating, MJF knows they’re done because that was the best food he’s ever had so how can they beat an Aussie team? Later, at the arena, Cole has a DVD of Crocodile Dundee 1 and 2. MJF has a better idea: kangaroo fighting style! Cole isn’t convinced, so they put on Australian hats (and accents, ala Steve Irwin) and double clothesline a guy holding an inflatable crocodile.

Then Tony Khan summons them into his office (Thunder Rosa not included) and yells about hitting double clotheslines backstage. Leave it to the ring. The team leaves and MJF says Khan will regret that come contract time. Khan comes out and yells some more, but MJF is suddenly cool with him. Was that TK “responding” to people who say he doesn’t have a backbone after the Punk ordeals? Either way, this whole thing was hilarious. Again. They absolutely have something great with these two and I want to see a lot more.

MJF and Cole arrive in MJF’s car and head inside, leaving Roderick Strong to limp up and kick the tire, hurting himself in the process of course.

Here are MJF and Cole for a chat. They’re ready for All In but first they have to win the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles. MJF: “WITH THE KANGAROO KICK!” Cole talks about how important the World Title match will be, because it’s all about solidifying his legacy here in AEW. Not just by being in it, but by winning it. MJF doesn’t buy it and has a story of his own.

When he first got into the wrestling world, he was told to write down his dream opponents. He wrote down Cody Rhodes and Adam Cole. Then he had been working so hard to get ahead on the independent circuit, when he heard about a special show called All In. He messaged Cody Rhodes and somehow got a spot in the opening match, despite having no business being on.

It was enough to get him a contract with AEW, so without All In, there wouldn’t be an MJF. He has worked his way to the top and now he is going to be facing his best friend in the biggest show ever. Now all that matters is the World Title, because he has given everything to earn it. He’ll win because no one is on his level, so Cole says may the best man win. MJF says he will, because he’s better than Cole, even if Cole disagrees.

Cue Aussie Open to jump them from being before quickly being dispatched. Cole teases a superkick to MJF but then stands up…with MJF having seen him crouched. They hug anyway. This was a really good segment and did a lot to make the title match feel a heck of a lot more important.

Chris Jericho is getting cleaned up before saying this match with Will Ospreay (which is apparently happening) has been ready since 2021 and would have happened without the pandemic. Ospreay doesn’t know what he’s getting into because the Ocho is coming for him. So the British fans are supposed to book the incredibly athletic British wrestler in front of the biggest crowd in British wrestling history. Got it.

Jeff Hardy vs. Jeff Jarrett

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Death Match (tie-in with a video game release) and you can only win by pinfall. Hardy goes through the crowd and into the back to start, where Satnam Jarrett and Satnam Singh (I believe dressed like someone from the movie) jumps him. Ethan Page, Brother Zay and Matt Hardy make the save and pour something on Jarrett (Jeff and Karen). The two of them stagger through a dimly lit hallway as we take a break.

Back with the fight still going on in the back with Jeff Hardy diving onto the Jarretts and company. They fight into the arena (with about ten people involved) and Jeff Hardy Swantons him through a table for two with Jay Lethal making the save. The guitar is taken away from Jarrett and cracked over his head but cue Leatherface with a chainsaw. Singh can’t chokebomb Jeff Hardy but Lethal is back in with a hammer to Jeff Hardy’s head. The chokeslam lets Jarrett get the pin at 9:56.

Rating: D+. I don’t even begin to know where to go on this, but at the end of the day, I can accept that AEW was given a big check to do something with the game and this is the best they could do. Fair enough and the match was certainly memorable, even if it was for the bad reasons. That being said, Jarrett winning here is uh, a bit strange I would say.

And yes, Jarrett does get a special belt for winning.

Women’s Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Britt Baker vs. The Bunny

The winner is in the Women’s Title match at All In. Baker grabs a rollup to start but it’s too early for the Lockjaw. Instead Baker misses a stomp, allowing Bunny to miss Down The Rabbit Hole. Bunny sends her into the Corner and we take a break. Back with Baker hitting a Sling Blade and getting two off a rollup. That’s enough for Baker, who hits the Stomp for the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C-. Baker is getting weaker and weaker week to week and there isn’t much of a way to hide it anymore. It didn’t help that there was almost no reason to believe Bunny had a chance in this, especially after just coming back from an injury. Not a good match here, but at least they went with the only logical option.

All In rundown.

Acclaimed vs. ???/???

Hold on though as the lights go out before the bell and come up to reveal the House Of Black. The big beatdown is on and Caster is left busted open. The House walks off with Billy Gunn’s boots. No match.

The Gunns vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks jump them during the entrance and the fight heads down to the ring for the opening bell. A double dropkick sends the Gunns to the floor for the dives but the Gunns take over on Matt. Back in and a knee lift into a lariat gives Austin two and we take a break. We come back Matt getting hit with a dropkick for two but managing to roll over both of them for the hot tag.

Nick hits the slingshot X Factor and the apron moonsault. An assisted standing Sliced Bread drops Austin but the BTE Trigger is broken up. 3:10 To Yuma connects but Nick dives in with a top rope double stomp for the save. The Gunns try an assisted rollup but the Bucks break it up and use one of their own to pin Colten at 9:25.

Rating: C+. The Bucks did their high flying and get a win to give them some momentum on the way to the FTR match. That’s all you really need for them to do here but at least the Gunns are starting to figure out their thing. They’re a midcard heel team and work well together, which is a valuable role to fill.

Post match Bullet Club Gold runs in to help with the beatdown on the Bucks but FTR make the save. FTR teases taking out the Bucks but don’t do it to end the show (worked better when Cole and MJF did it earlier tonight).

Overall Rating: B-. This was a weird show for AEW as the wrestling was decent to mostly not that good for the most part. Instead, this was FAR more about the storyline stuff and building up the matches for All In and beyond. That is something AEW needed and the parts that worked here were very, very good. There were some weak parts to go with it though, and that dragged some of the positives back down. Overall, All In got a heck of a build here and while not all of it was great, it’s what the show was needing.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Wheeler Yuta – Rollup
Darby Allin/Nick Wayne b. Gates of Agony – Coffin Drop to Kaun
Jeff Jarrett b. Jeff Hardy – Chokeslam from Satnam Singh
Britt Baker b. The Bunny – Stomp
Young Bucks b. The Gunns – Assisted rollup to Colten

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ECW On Sci Fi
Date: June 3, 2008
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 10,000
Commentators: Mike Adamle, Tazz

We have a new #1 contender to the ECW Title as Big Show gets to revive his feud against Kane, a mere nine years after they had such a terrible feud in the first place. Normally I would say other than that, but it isn’t like there is much going on here other than Colin Delaney vs. Armando Estrada. Let’s get to it.

Here is One Night Stand if you need a recap.

Teddy Long takes over Armando Estrada’s office and is apparently the new GM.

Opening sequence.

CM Punk vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. John Morrison vs. Chavo Guerrero

The winner gets Kane (not said to be a title match) later tonight. Dreamer and Morrison pair off while Punk knees Chavo in the corner. Morrison misses the break dancing legdrop and Dreamer drops an elbow (on Tommy Morrison, according to Adamle) before Punk takes Dreamer into the corner. A clothesline puts Morrison on the floor and Adamle catches himself before getting the name wrong again (that’s a step). Chavo goes outside as well so Punk hits the big dive to take them out.

Back in and Morrison’s Flying Chuck gets two on Punk with Dreamer making the save. Dreamer gets Morrison in the Texas Cloverleaf so Chavo comes in with Three Amigos to put Dreamer down. Morrison catches Chavo on top but Punk knocks them both down, with Morrison getting tied in the Tree of Woe. Dreamer (who Adamle ALSO calls Tommy Morrison) hits a running basement dropkick but Chavo comes off the top with the frog splash. Punk is right there with the GTS to finish Chavo (of the Chavo Morrison’s I believe) and get the match with Kane.

Rating: C+. Usual fast paced action here with Punk winning to set up what could be an interesting Punk vs. Kane match. That being said, it was a five minute match and I’m not sure how Adamle can be this bad at his job. He’s been doing this for a bit now and it shouldn’t be hard to keep track of basic names. Adamle just doesn’t seem cut out for this job and that is becoming more obvious every week.

Teddy Long shows Armando Estrada a letter from the Board Of Directors, saying he is no longer ECW GM. He’s also no longer going to be so highly paid, but he can have a match tonight….against Matt Hardy.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Matt Sydal

Kofi Kingston is on commentary. Benjamin powers Sydal around to start but Sydal is right back up with a running headscissors. A top rope Meteora gives Sydal two as commentary is rather impressed. Benjamin isn’t having that and hits a rather hard snapmare into the corner, setting up an armbar. A clothesline cuts off Sydal’s comeback and Benjamin tosses him hard to the floor. That’s not enough for Benjamin, who throws Sydal into Kofi and gets the countout.

Rating: C. If that wasn’t a tryout for Sydal, he probably got at least another look as a result. Sydal got in some offense here and looked rather smooth in doing so. Benjamin vs. Kingston continues and is probably building to what could be a nice main event. For now though, points for a bit of a unique finish, with Sydal not even getting pinned.

Post match Kofi charges in for the fight with Benjamin, who manages to send him into the steps and escape.

Matt Hardy vs. Armando Estrada

Non-title. Hardy blocks a kick and sends him down but Estrada gets in a few right hands in the corner. Not that it matters, as Hardy shrugs them off and hits the Twist Of Fate to finish in about a minute.

Post match here is Teddy Long to say not so fast because Estrada has one more chance to prove he is worth all that money in his contract.

Colin Delaney vs. Armando Estrada

Delaney Oklahoma rolls him for two at the bell, followed by an O’Connor roll for the pin in less than thirty seconds.

Post break Estrada yells at Long, who says Estrada can wrestle here, but not with a contract. He can be like Delaney used to be! Ron Simmons comes in for the catchphrase.

Video on a press conference today in Los Angeles to promote Million Dollar Mania (with HHH getting in the required Dr. Evil impression).

Kane vs. CM Punk

Non-title. Kane shoves him down to start and Punk might need a different strategy. Punk works on the arm for a change but Kane powers him down again. Back up and Punk knocks him outside, only to get dropped with a heck of a right hand. Kane chokes Punk over his back but Punk fires off some knees. Not that they make much of a difference as Kane hits a big boot to send us to a break.

Back with Kane holding an abdominal stretch before kicking him down again. Some forearms to the back set up a bodyscissors to make Punk scream a bit more. Punk fights up and manages a sunset flip for two, only to get his head take off by a clothesline. The bodyscissors goes on again but Punk fights up for the fourth or so time.

A bunch of running knees in the corner look to set up the running bulldog but Kane reverses into a belly to back for two. Punk grabs a springboard bulldog for two of his own, only to get dropped with a side slam. There’s the top rope clothesline for two more but the chokeslam is countered. Punk’s ribs are too banged up for the GTS though and Kane chokeslams him for the pin.

Rating: B-. This took time to get going but it picked up a lot once it stopped being a squash. I’m not sure why Kane needed to beat him up this badly, though Punk does have an out by wrestling three times in two days as opposed to Kane’s one. Still though, this was a bit more one sided than it needed to be, as Punk is hardly some loser who should be getting crushed.

Post match Miz and John Morrison come in to take out Kane.

A bunch of replays end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event helped a lot and Punk opening and closing the show was a good idea, but my goodness the Draft cannot come soon enough around here. They just need some fresh blood and this show proved it badly. You can only rearrange people so many different ways before you run out of ideas and they reached that point a good while ago. Punk and Kane can’t do everything forever and that is going to have to change sooner than later.

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Smackdown
Date: May 30, 2008
Location: World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Commentators: Mick Foley, Michael Cole

It’s the final show before One Night Stand and as was the case last week, the show is completely set up. There isn’t much more than needs to be said around here as Edge vs. Undertaker in a TLC match sells itself. Other than that, Batista vs. Shawn Michaels in a stretcher match is already there so it should be time for the big final push towards Sunday. Let’s get to it.

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

Edge joins us to start and says he will be introducing a series of clips of the Undertaker throughout the night, because this will be Undertaker’s last night on Smackdown. It will also be his first time on the Cutting Edge, which could be fascinating. Ok more like moderately interesting but fascinating sounds better.

Opening sequence.

Here is Batista to get things going and the fans seem rather happy to see him. Batista doesn’t have much to say because the time for talking is LONG gone. If nothing else, he is a man of his word and on Sunday he is going to hurt Shawn Michaels. Some people will have a problem with that but he hopes they can find it in their hearts to forgive him. After that, the winner of the TLC match between Batista and Undertaker….and here is Vickie Guerrero, with the Edgeheads, to cut him off.

Vickie says that it’s great for Batista to be looking at the future, but maybe he’ll be drafted to Raw. On top of that, what if he loses to Shawn Michaels and his bag of trick (Bag of tricks?)? He would humiliate all of Smackdown and VICKIE WOULD LOOK BAD! Batista cuts off whatever she is demanding and says this has nothing to do with her. This is about Batista vs. Shawn Michaels so go worry about Edge. The Edgeheads are ready to fight, but Vickie makes a tag match later, with Batista getting to pick his partner.

We look at Undertaker debuting at Survivor Series 1990.

Matt Hardy vs. Elijah Burke

Non-title. Burke knocks him into the corner to start but Hardy slugs his way out of trouble. That earns Hardy the Four Up before Burke rains down more right hands. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Hardy fights up. Burke drops him with a clothesline for two and we hit the chinlock with a knee in Hardy’s back. Hardy finally suplexes his way to freedom but it’s too early for the middle rope elbow. Instead Hardy settles for two off a Side Effect but Burke blocks the bulldog out of the corner. Not that it matters as Hardy grabs the Twist of Fate for the pin.

Rating: C. Not much to see here as they only had so much time and a lot of it was spent on punches. This felt like a way to get Hardy on the show but it would have been nice if the match had been a bit better. Burke has been pretty much nothing for a good while now so the title not being on the line here made a bit more sense.

MVP says no one cares about Matt Hardy but Jamie Noble interrupts. Noble thinks they’re a lot alike but MVP doesn’t want to hear it. A match is made for later.

Finlay vs. Chuck Palumbo

Hornswoggle is here with Finlay. Palumbo kicks away to start and hits a heck of a right hand in the corner. Finlay ducks a charge though and Palumbo goes shoulder first into the post. Some arm cranking ensues and they head outside with Finlay sending him arm first into the steps. Back in and Palumbo hits one heck of a big boot for two, with Finlay’s arms rolling back into his head. Finlay’s eyes are fine enough to see Palumbo going to the floor off a running clothesline. That means it’s time to go after Hornswoggle, followed by a chain to Finlay’s face for the DQ.

Rating: C. Well they’re certainly trying with Palumbo and having him take it to Finlay like this was a good way to go. They’re having a nice enough mini feud and even though I don’t think it’s going to be some big breakthrough for Palumbo, I can go for some fresh feuds like this one. Just throw some people out there and see what happens.

Jamie Nobel comes into Vickie Guerrero’s office and is granted a match with MVP without much trouble. He thinks its too simple so Vickie and the Edgeheads tell him to get out.

We look at Undertaker throwing Mankind off of the Cell. Foley being on commentary to talk about how important that was helps a bit.

John Morrison vs. CM Punk

The Miz is here with Morrison. Well in theory at least as the referee ejects him before the bell. Punk grabs a fast rollup for two before kicking Morrison down. Back up and Morrison hits a running shoulder, setting up a kick to the head for two. A seated full nelson goes on but Punk is right back up with the running knee into the corner. The bulldog back out of the corner gets two but Morrison cuts him off again. Punk is fine enough to reverse a suplex though and the GTS is good for the fast pin.

Batista/??? vs. Edgeheads

Batista…doesn’t need a partner so here is Vickie to say this can be a handicap match. Actually scratch that, as Batista said he doesn’t need a partner, but he does have one.

Batista/Big Show vs. Edgeheads

Show wheels Vickie to the back before heading to the ring. Hawkins slugs away at Batista to start and is quickly run over. Batista drives him into the corner for the shoulders to the ribs and Show adds the chop. It’s off to Ryder, who is pulled in (by the head, off the floor) for one heck of a chop. Batista easily fights out of the corner and a cheap shot just earn Hawkins a spinebuster. The chokeslam finishes as Show chokeslams Ryder for a bonus.

Rating: C-. Total squash here, and what els were you expecting it to be? Batista winning this on his own wouldn’t have been a stretch so bringing in a fellow monster like Show made it some entertaining destruction. I’m not sure how much it helps get them ready for their One Night Stand matches, but at least they got to do this first.

We look at Undertaker winning the 2007 Royal Rumble after an incredible finish with Shawn Michaels.

Cherry is rather banged up after Maryse kicked her in the face last week. Maryse comes into the trainer’s room and says she hurt her ankle…when she kicked Cherry.

One Night Stand rundown.

MVP vs. Jamie Noble

MVP stomps him down in the corner to start but Noble grabs a leglock. A shot to the ribs and a faceplant bangs up said ribs even more. Noble gets whipped hard into the corner and we hit the abdominal stretch. The big kick to the head is cut of with a kick to MVP’s knee though and a Cannonball (“Throwing your body at your opponent” according to Cole or “upside down back spasm” according to Mick.) rocks him again. A high crossbody hits Noble but MVP drops him ribs first across the top. The big boot finishes Noble.

Rating: C+. I liked this more than I was expecting as Noble was working (as usual) and they even had something of a story between the ribs vs. knee. This was a match that got more effort than it probably needed but it wound up being pretty nice. MVP needs something to do, though I’m not sure what that could be at the moment.

Undertaker beat Batista at Wrestlemania XXIII.

Vladimir Kozlov vs. Shannon Moore

Kozlov chops him down without much trouble. Moore fights back but gets knocked out of the air. A belly to belly overhead suplex sets up the reverse DDT to keep Kozlov undefeated.

Vince McMahon is giving away money starting next week on Raw.

Michelle McCool vs. Maryse

Deuce N Domino are here with Maryse. McCool fireman’s carries her down, with Foley saying that’s the same thing he used to do. A sunset flip doesn’t work for Maryse as McCool rolls through and hits a basement dropkick. Back up and Maryse chokes in the corner but gets knocked down again. Deuce N Domino offer a distraction so Maryse can take out the let and grab a half crab. Cue Cherry for a distraction though, allowing McCool to switch into a heel hook for the fast tap. These matches still aren’t great, but you can see McCool getting better.

We look back at Edge cashing in Money In The Bank on Undertaker last year.

It’s time for the Cutting Edge, with the World Title above the ring, with a ladder set up. Edge is a little more serious than usual here and talks about his feud with the Undertaker over the last year. It all ends on Sunday because it has to, and Undertaker will be gone from WWE. And FOR REAL this time, not just a few months.

It comes down to experience in the match, and we see a video of the two of them in TLC matches. In other words, a blank screen for Undertaker’s half and a bunch for Edge (with an Indiana Jones theme for some reason). Edge finally brings out Undertaker, who makes his rather slow way to the ring and doesn’t seem overly happy. Edge knows that Undertaker isn’t comfortable about all these things, so here is La Familia with a casket to make him feel better.

Undertaker slugs Edge down and the fight is on, with Undertaker fighting through the numbers game. That just lets Edge chair Undertaker in the back, as well as the head, to put him down. More chair shots let them put Undertaker in the casket, leaving Edge to (slowly) climb the ladder. Before he can grab the belt though, the gong strikes and the lights go out. Undertaker is on top of the ladder and house is quickly cleaned. Hawkins is Last Rided through a table to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was mainly about Edge vs. Undertaker, which went better than I expected given that they’ve been feuding for months now. Other than that you didn’t get much of a build for Sunday, though there were a few decent enough matches. The Edge vs. Undertaker stuff was good enough, but this was a skippable show as you would be better off just going straight to the pay per view.

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Smackdown
Date: May 23, 2008
Location: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
Attendance: 6,300
Commentators: Michael Cole, Mick Foley

We’re on the way to One Night Stand but first of all, we have to deal with the fallout from Judgment Day. That shouldn’t be too hard, as there the show didn’t have much in the way of major developments. There is still no World Champion and that means we’ll probably need to set up another title match. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here are Vickie Guerrero and Edge to start things off. Vickie says none of the people here know what it’s like to have to run Smackdown. Everyone knows that a title can only change hands on a pinfall or a disqualification, so Undertaker couldn’t win the World Title on a countout. Therefore, at One Night Stand, it’s Undertaker vs. Edge for the title in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. Oh and if Undertaker loses: he’s gone from WWE FOREVER.

Jesse & Festus/Cherry vs. Deuce N Domino/Maryse

Festus powers Domino around to start and then slams Jesse down onto him for two. Deuce comes in and gets taken down so Jesse can hammer away as we hear about Deuce N Domino not winning a match since August. A springboard clothesline gets Deuce out of trouble as we hear about Mick Foley enjoying Maryse as the Daily Diva on WWE.com. We’ll move away from that rather quickly as Deuce N Domino take turns beating on Jesse, including a jumping fist drop for two.

This not so interesting match lets Cole point out that Vickie Guerrero said the World Title can only change hands on a pinfall or submission and then made the next title match Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. Jesse clotheslines his way to freedom, allowing the hot tag off to Cherry. This means Foley can recite a poem about her, which sounds quite Bruce Springsteenish. Everything breaks down and Festus kicks Domino into Cherry, allowing Maryse to get in a big kick for the pin.

Rating: C-. This was a rough sit, partially because Foley was transforming into something closer to Jerry Lawler with the women involved. That sounds like a Vince In His Ear transformation more than anything else, but it wasn’t going to help such a dull match anyway. It kept going and felt a lot longer than it was, which is one of the worst things that can happen in a match. Granted it doesn’t help when both teams feel like losers, with commentary pointing out how true that is for Deuce N Domino.

Chavo Guerrero comes in to see Edge and Vickie Guerrero, who he hopes aren’t mad at him. Vickie isn’t, but Chavo does happen to have a match with the Undertaker tonight. Don’t worry though as the rest of La Familia will be out there with him.

It’s time for the VIP Lounge, with MVP bringing out Teddy Long for a chat. MVP brings up their history, which doesn’t matter as much now that Teddy isn’t his boss. Teddy is JEALOUS of his money, looks, clothes and HAIR. Teddy is about to leave but cue Batista to interrupt. MVP doesn’t want Batista out here as the big hero, but Batista just wants to thank Teddy for everything and say goodbye. Oh and if MVP threatens Teddy again, Batista will put a fist through his face. MVP doesn’t like the disrespect, but Batista says he’ll show MVP disrespect. The set is promptly destroyed as MVP leaves.

Post break MVP goes in to see Vickie Guerrero and Edge to complain about Batista. Vickie makes MVP vs. Batista instead, which isn’t much of a heel decision.

Finlay vs. Chuck Palumbo

Hornswoggle is here too. Finlay gets in a quick elbow and takes him down by the leg for some cranking. Back up and Palumbo hits him in the face before hitting a hard clothesline for two. The chinlock goes on as it already feels like they’re filling in time. Hold on though as Hornswoggle whips out a water gun to spray Palumbo, allowing Finlay to run him over. The face/heel dynamics have been a bit off on this show. Back in and a side slam puts Finlay down but he pulls Palumbo into a Fujiwara armbar of all things.

Palumbo fights up and comes out of the corner with a heck of a clothesline for two, followed by the chinlock. A big boot gives Palumbo two and we’re already back in the chinlock. Finlay gets up this time and hits a crossbody for two of his own but Palumbo drops him again. This time Palumbo goes after Hornswoggle though, allowing Hornswoggle to bust out the Irish mist (which is apparently a thing). The shillelagh to the head gives Finlay the pin.

Rating: C-. Well I can certainly check the “Finlay vs. Chuck Palumbo for about ten minutes” match off my wish list. I’m not sure why this match needed this much time but the Irish mist certainly, uh, existed. Palumbo continues to be the relatively nothing midcard villain but there are worse choices out there. Not a good match here, and it felt like they were just killing time.

MVP vs. Batista

Feeling out process to start with Batista powering him into the corner without much effort. A headlock has MVP in trouble and Batista knocks him outside to make it worse. Back in and Batista leapfrogs (!) him before hitting a big boot to put MVP down again. MVP manages to send him into the corner though and a running boot to the face puts Batista on the floor for a change.

We take a break and come back with MVP grabbing a front facelock to keep him down. MVP hammers on the arm until Batista powers into the corner, meaning MVP needs to hammer him down even more. The armbar goes on for a bit until an armdrag gets Batista out of trouble. Another running boot is cut off by a spear but Batista can’t cover. A one armed spinebuster plants MVP and the Batista Bomb finishes him off.

Rating: C. This started off well but once it got to the arm work, the interest fell straight down. These two are capable of having a much better match and I’m not sure what happened here. As has been the case all night, the match just wasn’t very fun or exciting and that is disappointing given who was involved here.

Nunzio vs. Vladimir Kozlov

Kozlov starts in on the arm and gets two off a northern lights suplex. A headbutt to the chest sets up a kick to the ribs and the reverse DDT finishes for Kozlov in a hurry.

Matt Hardy/Kofi Kingston vs. Shelton Benjamin/Elijah Burke

Kingston and Burke start things off with Kofi taking him to the mat without much trouble. Matt comes in and starts cranking on the arm before punching the heck out of Burke. Another right hand knocks Benjamin off the apron but the distraction lets Burke knock Matt down for a change. Benjamin comes back in to work on a chinlock, only to dive into the Side Effect for a knockdown. It’s back to Kofi with the high crossbody for two as everything breaks down. Kofi’s spinning kick to the head finishes Benjamin.

Rating: C. This was pretty quick and to the point, but it’s interesting to see the ECW stars around here more often. Kingston has done well enough on ECW and use some better competition. Granted this was the same competition in a different place, but it does at least feel like an upgrade. Now just get Matt a nice challenger for the title and we could be getting somewhere.

Raw Rebound.

One Night Stand rundown.

Undertaker vs. Chavo Guerrero

The rest of La Familia is here too. Undertaker wastes no time in striking him into the corner for an elbow to the face. Old School connects but Undertaker misses a boot in the ropes. The beating is on outside….and La Familia (save for Bam Neely) is ejected. Chavo kicks away and a shot to the knee puts Undertaker down a bit. A hanging DDT puts Undertaker down but he sits up to scare Chavo away. Neely’s distraction breaks up a chokeslam so Undertaker punches him down. Chavo gets in a low blow but dives right into the Tombstone for the pin.

Rating: C. Yeah what were you expecting here? Undertaker beating Chavo even with the big advantage wasn’t out of the question and then the numbers game was mostly neutralized anyway. This gives Undertaker a bit of a boost going into the next title match with Edge and that’s all it was ever supposed to be.

Overall Rating: C-. This whole show just wasn’t very interesting, though that is probably due to the quick turnaround for One Night Stand. It’s a sequel to a show that was already a sequel so how much work do they need to do? This show didn’t make me want to watch One Night Stand though, as it was quite the chore to get through at times. Put in some effort next week and things should be better, but Smackdown needs something new and they need it soon.

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