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Post by darbicus on Feb 11, 2023 4:21:51 GMT 1
WWE Unforgiven September 21, 2003 Giant Center Hershey, PA
*Chris Jericho, Christian & Ric Flair d. Booker T, Rob Van Dam & Scott Steiner by Pinfall Booker T and Rob Van Dam had renewed their partnership from earlier in the year, targeting former World Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho and Christian in another case of jockeying for position. Meanwhile Evolution's Ric Flair had entered a feud with Scott Steiner, stemming from Steiner's failure to capture the World Heavyweight Title earlier in the year. The heels teamed up in a six man tag, however they quickly were overcome by the teamwork from the face team. Steiner controlled the early part of the match with his power moves, only to be sidelinded by a knee injury after Jericho clipped his knee. This made the match a 3 on 2 handicap match for a while, as Booker was isolated by the heels and worn out. As Booker tried to make a hot tag, Steiner made his way back to ringside and got in, suplexing everyone on the heel team. However he was again taken out by Jericho, as Christian caught Booker with a Killswitch and pinned him for the victory.
*Rosey w/The Hurricane d. Test by Pinfall Despite sustaining a beatdown at the hands of Kane at Summerslam, The Hurricane had returned to Raw little the worse for wear. His perserverence had inspired Rosey, the former member of the Island Crue, to begin to emulate The Hurricane. Taking up the title of "Super Hero in Training", Rosey challenged "nefarious evildoer" Test to a match at Unforgiven. Test didn't take the would-be crime fighter seriously, but this was to his detriment, as Rosey caught Test off guard with a huge Samoan Drop early on. Test turned the tide after hitting a second rope clothesline, setting up for the big boot. He missed with the kill shot though, and Rosey countered with a body slam, following up with a big splash to pick up the win.
*Gail Kim d. Jazz by Disqualification to Retain the Women's Title At Summerslam, both Gail Kim and Jazz had dominated the championship scramble match for the Women's Title. After Kim regained the title from Molly Holly the next night on Raw, Jazz immediately targeted the new champion, trying to take her out and leading to this match at Unforgiven. The two superstars had a lengthy battle, but neither could gain a lengthy advantage. Jazz finally became frustrated and pulled out a steel chair, smashing it across the face of Kim, resulting in a disqualification. Jazz looked to finish off the champion once and for all. However, Kim was saved by a returning Lita, who chased away Jazz and stopped the champion from suffering a terrible fate.
*The Basham Brothers [Doug & Danny Basham] w/Shaniqua d. The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The Basham Brothers had finally managed to win the World Tag Team Titles on an episode of Raw in a Fatal Fourway match. Their feud with the Dudley Boyz had continued however, leading to this title match. The veteran Dudleys controlled the opening parts of the match, which continued until Shaniqua interjected herself. However, this earned her being put through a table by Bubba Ray at ringside. The Bashams took advantage of the distraction and laid out D-Von with a double team move before focusing on Bubba Ray, eventually hitting a Double Brainbuster on Bubba to pick up the surprise win.
*Shawn Michaels d. Kevin Nash by Pinfall After their tag team title loss at Summerslam, Kevin Nash had inexplicably turned heel on his best friend Shawn Michaels. As Nash later explained, it was Michaels who had got him to come back to the WWE to begin with, and since then his life had been through hell. He called HBK a parasite and said the last favor he could do the wrestling business is "get Shawn out of it permanently." Shawn came back saying he only invited Nash back because he wanted to do a favor to a friend that had helped him through hard times, and regretted that action. The two had a near brawl at the start of the match, with little of the athletic moves that Michaels was known for. Nash assumed control in the fist fight, slowing the match down with his powerful offense before Michaels was able to counter with a surprise Sweet Chin Music that stunned the big man. Michaels then hit several big offensive moves before polishing off Big Sexy with a second thunderous superkick that put him down for the pinfall.
*Randy Orton d. Maven by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title On the go-home episode of Raw, Maven had shocked everyone by defeating the long-running Intercontinental Champion with a clean pinfall in a non-title contest. And in this match, Maven made the most of his opportunity, nearly pulling off the upset early on. He was aided by the fact that Mick Foley had been named Special Guest Referee by Steve Austin. Foley and Orton had been having a war of words on Raw recently, mainly centered around Orton's lack of respect for the hardcore legend. Despite this, Foley called the match down the middle as Orton kicked out of Maven's best shot, and eventually hit an RKO to pick up the victory.
*Goldberg d. Kane by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship Kane had continued to run roughshod over the whole of the WWE, eventually being placatedby Raw co-general manager Eric Bischoff with a World Heavyweight Title shot against Goldberg. Meanwhile, Da Man was dealing with his ongoing feud with Evolution, in which Triple H (who was medically unfit to compete) had put a $100,000 bounty on Goldberg. Kane, not really caring about the money, stepped up to collect just so he could "hurt someone." Goldberg faced a foe that was seemingly immune to much of his offense, as Kane kept coming after him like a force of nature. The two behemoths traded blows several times, before Goldberg was finally able to put down the Big Red Machine long enough with a Spear and Jackhammer to retain the title. After the match, Kane attacked Goldberg again, and proceeded to grab a gas can as if he was going to set Goldberg on fire. Kane was confronted by the other co-general manager of Raw, Stone Cold Steve Austin. This led to Kane attacking Austin and dousing him in gasoline instead, setting him on fire. The general manager was quickly put out as the show closed on Kane's twisted face, smiling at the carnage he had wrought.
Off-Camera Title Change:
September 25: La Resistance d. Los Guerreros to win the WWE Tag Team Titles
October 2: Kurt Angle d. Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship
October 9: Vince McMahon stripped Kurt Angle of the WWE Championship due to controversial title finish |
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Post by darbicus on Feb 13, 2023 14:50:21 GMT 1
WWE No Mercy October 19, 2003 1st Mariner Arena Baltimore, MD SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*Rey Mysterio, Kidman & Ultimo Dragon d. Tajiri, Akio & Sakoda by Pinfall The Yakuza trio known as Kyo Dai faced off with three of the biggest stars in the Cruiserweight Division on Mysterio, Kidman and Ultimo Dragon, a continuation of Tajiri's feud with the latter of these three. Tajiri and his cronies targeted Kidman for the most part, isolating the former champion and taking turns trying to put him away, only for Kidman to nail a Kid Crusher on Akio to break up the advantage, before tagging in Mysterio. Mysterio and Dragon then took out the other three men, with Dragon eventually picking up the pinfall on the champion himself by hitting an Asai DDT.
*Sean O'Haire d. Rikishi by Pinfall to Retain the United States Title The former member of The Prophecy had made his return to singles action in the summer, winning the United States title in September from Chris Benoit. Since then the Man of Conscience had issued an open challenge for the title, one that was answered by former IC Champion Rikishi. While O'Haire had difficulty managing the large Samoan at first, in the end the champion was able to slam the 400 pounder and then lift him up for his finisher, pinning him after a thunderous Widowmaker in the center of the ring.
*The World's Greatest Tag Team [Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin] d. Paul London & Brian Kendrick by Submission After losing the Tag Team Titles to Los Guerreros, the self-professed World's Greatest Tag Team had entered something of a losing streak, losing tag matches to both La Resistance and The APA in consecutive weeks. This led to some tension between Benjamin and Haas, made worse by each losing respective singles matches to the new upstart team of Paul London and Brian Kendrick. The former Team Angle however were finally able to set aside their differences in this tag match and get back to their winning ways, with Haas getting Kendrick to submit after locking him in the Haas of Pain submission hold.
*The Big Show & The Undertaker Wrestled to a No Contest Since the Elimination Chamber match at Summerslam, The Undertaker and The Big Show had begun feuding with each other over who the true Phenom of the WWE was, with The Big Show claiming it was him due to his status as the "World's Largest Athlete". The two giants had come to blows several times, and this match was no exception, as neither man was going to give an inch against the other. The match wound up being a No Contest, as both men were counted out as the brawled all the way to the back.
*La Resistance [Sylvain Grenier & Renee Dupree] d. John Cena & Chris Benoit by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The self-professed "Doctor of Thuganomics" John Cena had entered a brief feud with the Rabid Wolverine Chris Benoit. The two were left to try and coexist by Smackdown owner Vince McMahon (after Vince had deposed his son Shane as General Manager), putting them in a tag team title match against La Resistance to generate "healthy competition." Surprisingly Cena and Benoit made a decent team, and they almost managed to pull off the upset against the Quebecers. But a miscommunication between the two challengers cost them, as Cena decked Benoit with his lock and chain, KO'ing him and allowing Dupree to pick up the win and retain the titles.
*Chavo Guerrero d. Eddie Guerrero by Pinfall Shortly after Unforgiven, the tag team of Los Guerreros had suddenly imploded when Chavo turned on his uncle Eddie, abandoning him in a title defense against La Resistance. Chavo later explained that he was tired of living in Eddie's shadow, and he wanted to prove that he was the superior Guerrero. The two had a stellar match, with each countering the others moveset quickly and efficiently, with neither man gaining an advantage for very long. The end came after Eddie had missed a Frogsplash, but had countered Chavo's Tornado DDT into a bridging suplex. Eddie then set up for the Three Amigos, delivering two snap suplexes, only for Chavo to surprise Eddie with a rollup on the third, scoring the sudden and surprise pinfall and the huge upset victory.
*Brock Lesnar d. Kurt Angle in a 60 Minute Iron Man Match to Win the Vacant WWE Championship At Summerslam, Smackdown owner Vince McMahon had returned from his long health-related hiatus and had immediately interjected himself into the WWE Title picture, helping Brock Lesnar regain the title and turning the Next Big Thing heel in the process. After dispatching his son Shane as General Manager in an I Quit match on Smackdown, Vince's plans for the blue brand ran into a difficulty when Kurt Angle defeated Lesnar on that same episode of Smackdown. Vince would strip Angle of the title the following week due to the fact that Lesnar's foot was under the bottom rope when the referee counted the pinfall, vacating the title and, upon the advice of the new Smackdown General Manager (a returning Paul Heyman) made a 60-Minute Iron Man match for No Mercy. The two rivals started off with an amateur wrestling match briefly, which Angle got the better of, scoring the first fall on a takedown and small package pin. Lesnar then lost his temper and proceeded to F5 Angle through an announce table, costing himself a dq fall but hurting Angle badly. Lesnar then pinned Angle to make it 2-1, before wearing down the Olympic champion more and pinning him with a second F5 to even the score. Angle nearly pulled ahead with a surprise Angle Slam, but Lesnar countered into a rollup of his own to go up 3-2. Lesnar then relied on Heyman, whom he had reunited with in recent weeks, to distract the referee when Angle had the Ankle Lock on, preventing the ref from reacting to the tap out. Angle pushed the referee when he saw this, leading to Heyman ordering a dq fall against Angle, putting Lesnar up 4-2. Angle would pull closer with an Angle Slam off the top rope, pinning the Next Big Thing with 8 minutes left to go. Lesnar attempted to run out the clock, but Angle hooked him in another Ankle Lock with 30 seconds left, as Heyman was KO'ed on the outside. However, time expired on Angle before Lesnar could tap out, leaving Lesnar to sneak away with a victory 4 falls to 3 and regaining the WWE Title to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
October 20: Jazz d. Gail Kim by Pinfall to Win the Women's Title
October 23: Ultimo Dragon d. Tajiri to Win the Cruiserweight Title
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Post by darbicus on Feb 14, 2023 20:27:38 GMT 1
Survivor Series November 16, 2003 American Airlines Center Dallas, TX
*The Hurricane & Rosey d. The Basham Brothers [Doug & Danny Basham] w/Shaniqua by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles The heroic duo of The Hurricane and his "Super Hero in Training", Rosey, challenged The Bashams for the World Tag Team Titles, after Rosey had defeated both Doug and Danny in singles matches leading up to Survivor Series. The Bashams decided to force the issue early on, attacking the challengers as they came down the entryway and seemingly injuring Rosey and leaving The Hurricane alone in a 2 on 1 situation. The self-professed hero did as best he could, but was quickly overwhelmed by the champions. When Hurricane did manage to get a breather, Rosey limped back down to ringside and made the tag to his partner, cleaning house despite the bad ankle. Shaniqua attempted to get involved, only to take a Samoan Drop from Rosey for her trouble. The end came after the Hurricane landed a high cross body, jumping off the shoulders of Rosey, pinning Danny and winning the World Tag Team Championship.
*The Big Show d. The Undertaker in a Last Ride Match The feud between The Undertaker and The Big Show over who the true phenom of the WWE was had continued, with The Big Show challenging the Deadman to a Last Ride match, where the only way to win was to stuff your opponent inside a Hearse. Both of the big men brawled with each other in and around the ring, with neither man gaining a true advantage for very long. It appeared that The Undertaker would win the match after he hit a thunderous chokeslam off the top of the Hearse to the concrete floor below. However, to the surprise of everyone, The Undertaker was then attacked by his own brother Kane. The Big Red Machine Tombstoned The Undertaker on the concrete and then tossed him in the hearse, giving the victory to the Big Show. Kane then drove off with the Hearse to Parts Unknown outside Dallas.
*La Resistance [Renee Dupree & Sylvain Grenier] d. The APA [Bradshaw & Faarooq], The World's Greatest Tag Team [Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin] and Paul London & Brian Kendrick by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The WWE Tag Team Champions had entered a feud with the APA over the belts and were set to defend them against the veteran team at Survivor Series, with the addition of Haas & Benjamin as well as London & Kendrick to make it a Fatal Fourway match. As it was with many matches of this type, chaos eventually reigned. All four teams battled with each other as the referee struggled to keep control of the match. The end came after Bradshaw hit Benjamin with a Clothesline from Hell, seemingly to win the match, only for Grenier to pull the Texan off the fallen opponent and pin him himself, thus retaining the titles for the militant Canadians.
*Lita d. Jazz and Gail Kim by Pinfall to Win the WWE Women's Title The feud between Jazz and Gail Kim had continued for the Women's Title throughout the fall, with Lita being added to the mix once she had been medically cleared for full competition. A Triple Threat match was set up for Survivor Series, with Jazz faced with the prospect of a 2 on 1 for much of the match, but the Women's Champion was open to the task, eliminating Lita from the equation and focusing much of her efforts on Kim. Jazz and the former champion had a decent match that nearly ended when Jazz hit the Jazz Stinger on Kim, only for Lita to break up the pinfall with a Moonsault from the top rope. Lita and Jazz then had a competitive match, which Lita won with a Twist of Fate, scoring the pinfall just before Kim could break it up, giving Lita her third Women's Championship.
*Team Bischoff [Chris Jericho, Christian, Batista, Mark Henry & Randy Orton] w/Ric Flair & Theodore Long d. Team Austin [Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley] in a Survivor Series Match At Unforgiven, Kane had set Raw Co-General Manager Stone Cold Steve Austin on fire as part of one of his rampages. When Austin returned to the job a few weeks later, he immediately targeted the Big Red Machine and attempted to book himself in a match against the Devil Incarnate. The other General Manager of Raw, Eric Bischoff, refused to sanction the match, citing Raw owner Linda McMahon's edicts against Austin competing in anymore contests following Wrestlemania. However, as part of a "business negotiation", Bischoff agreed to rescind his complaints if a team of Austin's choosing beat a team of his choosing at Survivor Series, though Austin would have to resign as General Manager if Bischoff's team won. Austin's team consisted of Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Booker T and the Dudley Boyz, while Bischoff recruited Evolution's Batista and Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Christian and the World's Strongest Man Mark Henry for his team. - Chris Jericho d. D-Von Dudley by Pinfall - Shawn Michaels d. Mark Henry by Pinfall - Rob Van Dam d. Christian by Pinfall - Randy Orton d. Rob Van Dam by Pinfall - Batista d. Bubba Ray Dudley by Pinfall - Booker T d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall - Batista d. Booker T by Pinfall - Shawn Michaels d. Batista by Pinfall - Randy Orton d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall Sole Survivor: Randy Orton
*Team Angle [Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, John Cena, Eddie Guerrero & Hardcore Holly] d. Team Lesnar [Brock Lesnar, A-Train, Sean O'Haire, Chavo Guerrero & "The Blueprint" Matt Morgan] in a Survivor Series Match Paul Heyman had returned as Smackdown General Manager after Smackdown Owner Vince McMahon forced his son Shane to quit in early October. Despite their past, Heyman and his former client Brock Lesnar had reunited, helping Lesnar recapture the WWE Championship at No Mercy. As a favor to Brock, Heyman gave him a "vacation" from having to defend the WWE Title at Survivor Series, which led to Angle instead challenging Brock to a Survivor Series match with each of them as captains. Angle's team consisted of Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and a returning Hardcore Holly, while Lesnar recruited the A-Train, US Champ Sean O'Haire and Chavo Guerrero for his. The 5th spot on Team Lesnar was offered to John Cena, but the Doctor of Thuganomics turned it down, turning face in the process. After Cena was attacked by the debuting "Blueprint" Matt Morgan, Cena agreed to team with Angle's group instead. - Hardcore Holly was Disqualified - Chris Benoit d. A-Train by Submission - Kurt Angle d. Sean O'Haire by Pinfall - Brock Lesnar d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall - Kurt Angle was Counted Out - Eddie Guerrero d. "The Blueprint" Matt Morgan by Pinfall - John Cena d. Brock Lesnar by Pinfall - John Cena was Counted Out - Eddie Guerrero d. Chavo Guerrero by Pinfall Sole Survivor: Eddie Guerrero
*Triple H w/Ric Flair d. Goldberg by Pinfall to Win the World Heavyweight Championship Ever since losing the World Heavyweight Championship at Summerslam, Triple H had done everything in his power to take out Goldberg and regain the title. After Kane failed to defeat Da Man at Unforgiven, Goldberg was viciously assaulted by a returning Batista, who collected on a $100,000 bounty that The Game had offered to put Goldberg on the shelf. When Eric Bischoff was about to strip Goldberg of the World Title and award it to Triple H, however, Goldberg returned and cleaned house, challenging the Game to a title match at Survivor Series. Throughout the match Triple H targeted Goldberg's injured ankle and knee, grounding the champion's powerful moveset and preventing him from using explosive moves. The tide turned quickly after Goldberg hit a Spear out of nowhere, but was unable to capitalize given the nature of his injury. Eventually Goldberg started to get the adrenaline flowing, hitting a second spear on the challenger and setting him up for a third. Ric Flair attempted to intervene, but got a spear himself for his troubles. As the referee cleared Flair out of the ring though, Triple H clipped the knee of Goldberg with a sledge hammer. He then hit the Pedigree and scored the pinfall, regaining the title.
After the main event, cameras cut to an undisclosed location outside of Dallas, where the Hearse that Kane had stolen, containing the Undertaker locked inside, was resting by a cliffside. Kane yelled that there was only room for one Brother of Destruction and that he would "finish what he had started years ago," before rigging the Hearse to drive off the cliff into a ravine below, exploding in a fireball and seemingly ending the Undertaker, Kane laughing to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
November 20: Chavo Guerrero d. Ultimo Dragon for the Cruiserweight Title |
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Post by darbicus on Feb 16, 2023 12:57:35 GMT 1
WWE Armageddon December 14, 2003 TD Waterhouse Centre Orlando, FL RAW Exclusive Event
*Booker T d. Scott Steiner by Pinfall The two former WCW rivals squared off in the opening match of the event, each jockeying for position on the Raw roster to start off 2004. Both men knew each other well, countering their respective offenses repeatedly, with the end coming after Booker was actually able to power out of a Steiner Recliner and then hit a Book End for the pinfall victory over Big Poppa Pump.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] d. Chris Jericho & Christian by Pinfall This match between these two teams would earn the winner a future shot at the World Tag Team Championship. Jericho and Christian had earned favor with Raw General manager by being part of the Survivor Series team which banished Steve Austin as co-general manager of Raw, but despite this they had been seemingly having some tension between themselves. They still worked well as a team, isolating Bubba Ray and taking advantage of some illegal double teams to try and put away the tag team specialist. But a Bubba Bomb on Christian gave the Dudleys time to make a tag, and D-Von came in to clear house of Jericho. After a brief 2 on 1, Bubba came back and tossed Jericho out of the ring, before hitting 3-D on Christian to pick up the pinfall and earn a future title shot.
*Batista & Ric Flair d. The Hurricane & Rosey by Submission to Win the World Tag Team Titles The tag team champions were faced with former champions who, as Batista argued, never truly lost the belts on account of Batista's injury earlier in the year. Hence, Evolution was granted a title match at Armageddon. The super hero tag team cleaned house in the early going when it was matched up with Flair, but quickly the two powerhouses in Batista and Rosey managed to square off, with neither big man giving an inch. Flair made a blind tag to Batista, and then clipped the knee of Rosey, getting the big man onto the ground. Evolution then worked over the Super Hero in Training, using a distraction to prevent his tag into the Hurricane at one point. Rosey was able to out manuver Flair into making the tag, but Hurricane quickly ran into the brick wall of The Animal Batista. As Batista power bombed Hurricane on the outside, Rosey valiantly tried to make a return effort, but succumbed to the Figure-4 Leglock from the Nature Boy, giving Evolution the World Tag Titles once again.
*Chris Benoit d. Randy Orton by Disqualification [Orton Retains the IC Title] Randy Orton had been engaged in a War of Words with WWE Legend Mick Foley for several months, leading to Orton eventually challenging Foley to an Intercontinental Title match at Armageddon. However, Foley turned down the opportunity, leading to a scene where Orton called him a coward to his face and spat in it. Orton came out to accept a forefit victory, but a replacement for Foley was found by Raw Owner Linda McMahon, who revealed Chris Benoit as the new challenger. Benoit had recently lost a "Loser Leaves Smackdown" match to Eddie Guerrero, leading to his transferral to the Red Brand. Orton was clearly unprepared for the Wolverine, and his year long title reign was in the greatest jeopardy it had been in during this historic run. Orton had to resort to a blatant low blow in order to save his championship, giving Benoit the win but with Orton keeping the title.
*Kane d. Rob Van Dam by Pinfall After Kane had seemingly ended The Undertaker at Survivor Series, he was quickly arrested the next night on Raw, only for the charges to be dropped after "no body was found" amidst the wreckage of the Hearse. Reinstated, Kane continued his one man wrecking crew operation of the Raw roster, targeting RVD as his newest enemy, jealous of his popularity. Van Dam fought valiantly against a man he had once tagged with, but was unable to overcome the power advantage that Kane possessed, as the Big Red Machine snatched him out of midair after one of Van Dam's high flying move attempts and chokeslammed him for the victory.
*Lita d. Gail Kim by Pinfall to Retain the Women's Title Newly crowned Women's Champion Lita was immediately tasked with facing former champion Gail Kim in a title match at Armageddon. The match was devoid of Jazz's involvement, after Jazz had been defeated in a #1 contenders match with Kim on Raw. The two divas delivered a highly athletic match, filled with a good number of high spots, but Lita was able to pull out the hard fought win with a Moonsault to retain the title.
*Triple H d. Goldberg, Shawn Michaels & Mark Henry w/Theodore Long by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship After defeating Goldberg at Survivor Series, Triple H was seemingly content to rest on his laurels and not defend his title at Armageddon. That would be shelved by Eric Bischoff (at the behest of Raw owner Linda McMahon) who ordered a Fatal Fourway match for Armageddon, ensuring that the Game would have to work to defend his title. Goldberg, Shawn Michaels and The World's Strongest Man Mark Henry earned spots in the Fatal Fourway through qualifying matches on Raw. Michaels and Triple H renewed their long standing rivalry while Goldberg and Henry engaged in a hoss match. There were several near falls from all involved, and it appeared that Goldberg would come the closest to victory with a Spear on Henry, however Kane suddenly returned and attacked all involved. Amidst the chaos, Triple H was able to sneak a pinfall in on the World's Strongest Man to escape with his title as Kane laid waste to the other three competitors. Kane was confronted both by Bischoff and Linda McMahon, with the latter nearly being Tombstoned before Kane was attacked by Goldberg, who drove off the Big Red Machine as Evolution stood in the entryway, once again holding all the gold.
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Post by darbicus on Feb 17, 2023 1:37:56 GMT 1
WWE Royal Rumble January 25, 2004 Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA
*Kickoff Show: Maven d. Tajiri w/Akio & Sakoda by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Royal Rumble Qualifier Match In a standard match, Maven was able to qualify for the Royal Rumble match by defeating Tajiri despite the interference of Kyo Dai with a Falcon Arrow slam to score the pinfall.
*La Resistance [Sylvain Grenier & Renee Dupree] d. The APA [Bradshaw & Faarooq] by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Championship The Canadian tag team champions had been feuding with the APA over several weeks, with Grenier and Dupree managing to thwart the veteran tag team at every turn. This match was set up as the last chance for the APA to win the WWE Tag Team Titles, as the team agreed to split up if they failed to defeat La Resistance. Bradshaw and Faarooq fought hard against the modern day Quebecers, but Sylvain and Renee continuously cheated as they did everything to isolate Faarooq. Bradshaw cleaned house towards the end of the match, but a mistimed clothesline from Faarooq knocked him down, setting up the Acolyte to be hit by the Au Revoir from La Resistance, who pinned Faarooq to pick up the win. After the match, as the audience applauded the APA for their careers together and they seemingly looked to take a bow, Bradshaw delivered a Clothesline from Hell to his tag partner and left in frustration.
*Goldberg d. Kane by Pinfall in a Hell in a Cell Match The feud between the Devil Incarnate Kane and Da Man Goldberg had been going on in spurts throughout the fall, first centered around the World Heavyweight Championship and then centered around Kane's wanton destruction of the Raw roster. To settle the affair once and for all, a Hell in a Cell match was made between the two titans. Both men beat each other senseless, including a spot where Goldberg Speared Kane through the cell wall, followed by Kane chokeslamming Goldberg through an announce table. In the end, Kane looked to finish off Goldberg when he was suddenly distracted by flickering lights and a bolt of lightning striking the stage. A tell-tale gong sounded, signifying the possible arrival of the Undertaker, whom Kane had seemingly destroyed at Survivor Series. A dumbfounded Kane could only watch in shock before turning around into a third Spear from Goldberg, which ultimately put down the Big Red Machine.
*Rey Mysterio d. Chavo Guerrero by Pinfall to Win the WWE Cruiserweight Title The nephew of Eddie Guerrero had been riding a winning streak at the start of 2004, having defeated his uncle at No Mercy in a huge upset and then winning the Cruiserweight Title shortly after Survivor Series for the 2nd time in his career. However the winning streak came to a sudden halt when he came up against Rey Mysterio with his title on the line. Though Chavo attempted to use the Guerrero mantra of "Lie, Cheat and Steal" to earn a victory, Rey was quite familiar with Chavo's bag of tricks and eventually pinned the champion with a West Coast Pop following a 619 to take the title.
*Lita & Trish Stratus Wrestled to a Double Countout [Lita Retains the Women's Title] The two longtime rivals of the Women's Division met once again for the Women's Title, as Trish looked for her record increasing 6th championship. Both women were able to counter the others offense in a highly competitive matchup, but unfortunately the good work was undone by the arrival of Jazz, who took out both women while the referee was down. As the ref came too, he counted both women out, leading to the match being declared a draw and giving the victory to Lita.
*Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman d. John Cena by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship John Cena had been enjoying a win streak since turning face just before Survivor Series, which included a huge upset by pinning the WWE Champion in the Team Angle vs. Team Lesnar Survivor Series match. Cena had continued to seemingly have the champ's number, pinning him in a six man tag on the Smackdown just prior to Christmas. This led to Cena receiving a title shot at the Royal Rumble, reluctantly granted by Smackdown GM Paul Heyman. Cena struck at the champion early and often, trying to end the match quickly and prevent Lesnar from building up a head of steam. Brock was able to withstand the initial onslaught and slowed the match down, hitting a huge top rope power bomb that got a two count. Cena came back and nearly hit Lesnar with the FU, but a momentary distraction from Heyman pulled Cena from the task at hand, which gave Lesnar time to recover. The champ then lifted Cena into the air and delivered an F5 to the challenger, delivering a second one for good measure afterwards to secure the win and retain his title.
*Eddie Guerrero Won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match 15 Raw superstars and 15 Smackdown superstars were set to compete in the 2004 Royal Rumble match. With Smackdown stars drawing the odd numbers, Smackdown GM ensured that his current nemesis, Kurt Angle, would be in the least likely position to challenge Brock Lesnar, assigning him the number 1 entry into the match. On the Raw side, Christian had been given the #30 spot, on account of using the favor owed to him by Eric Bischoff from the Survivor Series (which annoyed tag partner Chris Jericho, who had used his favor to see their team added to a World Tag Title match on Raw). One notable spot saw Randy Orton come face to face with Mick Foley, who had been the target of Orton's accusations of cowardice for a number of weeks, as Foley took out Steven Richards and entered himself into the Rumble match, taking out Orton and himself at once. The end came down to Big Show and Eddie Guerrero, both vying for a championship match against Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Big Show looked to toss the smaller Guerrero out of the ring, but Eddie caught himself and skinned the cat after Big Show tossed him and prematurely began celebrating. Eddie then dropkicked Big Show into the ropes, before hitting a running clothesline to finish him off, slaying the Giant and winning the Rumble match to the delight of the crowd, punching his ticket to Wrestlemania.
*Chris Benoit d. Triple H w/Ric Flair by Submission to Win the World Heavyweight Championship At Armageddon, Chris Benoit had made his debut for Raw in an impressive effort against Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton. Benoit was then entered into an 8 Man Tournament to crown the new #1 contender for Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship, which Benoit won with victories over Mark Henry, Batista and Shawn Michaels in order. Despite this impressive winning streak, Triple H didn't take Benoit seriously as a challenger, underestimating him due to his size. Benoit quickly changed the champ's tune, nearly winning in the early going by locking him in the Crippler Crossface, which Triple H narrowly avoided by getting to the ropes. Triple H was put off by Benoit's high intensity offense, but slowed the match down after a Ric Flair distraction (though this would cause the referee to eject the Nature Boy from ringside.) Hunter then controlled the match with various rest holds, trying to wear down Benoit for a chance to put him away. Benoit was able to turn the tide again, hitting a Hat Trick of German Suplexes on the Game before trying to deliver a Diving Headbutt, only for The Game to move out of the way. With Benoit down, Triple H confidently put him in position for The Pedigree, but Benoit countered and locked Triple H in the Crossface. The Game pulled himself close to the ropes, his fingertips inches away from grabbing them, before Benoit was able to reposition the Champion back near the center of the ring. With nowhere else to go, Triple H was forced to Tap Out, causing the huge upset victory for the Rabid Wolverine and making him World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. Benoit was then approached by his longtime friend Eddie Guerrero, as the two celebrated Benoit's long awaited victory to close out the show.
Royal Rumble Entry/Exit Order
1. Kurt Angle 2. Randy Orton 3. Brian Kendrick 4. Val Venis 5. Chuck Palumbo - Val Venis Eliminated 1st by Randy Orton 6. Maven - Chuck Palumbo Eliminated 2nd by Kurt Angle - Brian Kendrick Eliminated 3rd by Randy Orton 7. Shelton Benjamin 8. Mick Foley - Randy Orton Eliminated 4th by Mick Foley - Mick Foley Eliminated Himself 5th 9. Ultimo Dragon 10. Doug Basham - Maven Eliminated 6th by Kurt Angle 11. Scotty 2 Hotty - Ultimo Dragon Eliminated 7th by Shelton Benjamin 12. Danny Basham 13. "The Blueprint" Matt Morgan 14. Rob Van Dam - "The Blueprint" Matt Morgan Eliminated 8th by Rob Van Dam - Doug Basham Eliminated 9th by Kurt Angle 15. Sean O'Haire - Danny Basham Eliminated 10th by Shelton Benjamin 16. Scott Steiner - Scott Steiner Eliminated 11th by Sean O'Haire 17. Billy Kidman 18. Chris Jericho - Scotty 2 Hotty Eliminated 12th by Chris Jericho 19. Eddie Guerrero 20. Mark Henry - Billy Kidman Eliminated 13th by Chris Jericho 21. Hardcore Holly 22. Batista 23. Paul London - Paul London Eliminated 14th by Batista 24. Shawn Michaels - Mark Henry Eliminated 15th by Shawn Michaels 25. Charlie Haas - Hardcore Holly Eliminated 16th by Batista 26. Booker T - Sean O'Haire Eliminated 17th by Eddie Guerrero 27. The Big Show - Kurt Angle Eliminated 18th by The Big Show 28. Mark Jindrak 29. A-Train - Rob Van Dam Eliminated 19th by The Big Show 30. Christian - Mark Jindrak Eliminated 20th by Batista - Chris Jericho Eliminated 21st by Shawn Michaels - Charlie Haas Eliminated 22nd by Batista - Shelton Benjamin Eliminated 23rd by Booker T - Booker T Eliminated 24th by Christian - Christian Eliminated 25th by Eddie Guerrero - A-Train Eliminated 26th by Eddie Guerrero - Shawn Michaels Eliminated 27th by Batista - Batista Eliminated 28th by The Big Show - The Big Show Eliminated 29th by Eddie Guerrero
Off-Camera Title Changes:
February 2: The Women's Title is Vacated Due to Controversial Title Matches between Lita and Trish Stratus |
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Post by problemeliminator84 on Feb 17, 2023 15:55:07 GMT 1
Eddie Guerrero winning the Royal Rumble = an inspired choice. Regarding the order of entry and exit, do you stick with 2 minutes or 90 seconds to enter?
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Post by darbicus on Feb 18, 2023 2:01:54 GMT 1
WWE No Way Out February 15, 2004 Cow Palace San Francisco, CA SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*John Bradshaw Leyfield d. Faarooq by Pinfall At the Royal Rumble, the APA had lost a tag match for the WWE Tag Team Championships that had a stipulation which caused the team to split up permanently. Rather than celebrate with his longtime partner one last time, Bradshaw attacked Faarooq instead. The following episode of Smackdown, Bradshaw recast himself as a financial guru, beginning to call himself John Bradshaw Leyfield or JBL for short. Faarooq, for his part, was out for revenge against his former partner. The two former Acolytes went back and forth with a display of power, but JBL finished off Faarooq with a Power Bomb in the center of the ring to pick up the victory.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. Akio & Sakoda w/Tajiri by Pinfall The exciting cruiserweight tag team of Paul London and Brian Kendrick had been on a winning streak since the start of the year, but had entered a brief feud with Kyo Dai members Akio and Sakoda. The two martial artists immediately attacked London and Kendrick before the bell, trying to keep the high flyers off balance. What followed was a highly athletic spotfest with all four men flying around the ring with acrobatic, impressive moves. In the end, Tajiri accidentally sprayed the Green Mist into the eyes of Sakoda behind the referee's back, blinding him, and leaving him open for Kendrick to hit Sliced Bread #2 and pick up the victory.
*Sean O'Haire d. Hardcore Holly by Pinfall to Retain the United States Title Since his return to action in November, veteran Hardcore Holly had enjoyed something of a career renaissance, but he ran right into the dominating US Champion Sean O'Haire at No Way Out. The Devil's Advocate had managed to best the veteran at almost every turn, though Holly did manage to score a near fall when he hit an Alabama Slam out of nowhere. O'Haire came back and hit a massive clothesline to shut down Holly's offense before finishing him off with the Widowmaker to retain the title.
*Too Cool [Grandmaster Sexay & Scotty 2 Hotty] d. La Resistance [Sylvan Grenier & Renee Dupree] by Pinfall to win the WWE Tag Team Titles Scotty 2 Hotty had defeated Sylvan Grenier in a singles match on an episode of Smackdown, which led to him being beaten down by both members of the WWE Tag Team Champions. The Canadian duo pointed out that Scotty's normal tag partner (Rikishi) was busy in a few with A-Train and John Cena for a shot at the United States Title. Scotty responded by bringing back his old Too Cool tag partner, Grandmaster Sexay, leading to this title match. The veteran team looked like they hadn't missed a beat early on, but a low blow behind the referee's back by Renee Dupree turned the tide of the match. The champs were unable to put away the challengers though, and when Scotty made a hot tag the challengers again took control. Scotty hit the Worm on Grenier, only to be intercepted by Dupree. The two battled to the outside while Grandmaster Sexay hit Sylvain with the Hip Hop Drop, picking up the victory and the titles.
*Rey Mysterio d. Nunzio w/Chuck Palumbo by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Cruiserweight Title In a standard title defense, Rey Mysterio managed to defeat Nunzio despite outside interference from fellow FBI member Chuck Palumbo, hitting a top rope splash following a 619 to retain the title.
*John Cena d. A-Train & Rikishi by Pinfall A-Train and Rikishi had engaged in a mini-feud since the Royal Rumble, which expanded to include John Cena following Cena's victory over the A-Train on Smackdown. All three men fought in a triple threat match with the winner going on to Wrestlemania to challenge for the United States title. The end came when Cena hit an FU on Rikishi out of nowhere, and then similarly hitting one on A-Train, pinning both of them at once to secure the win and earn his title shot.
*Kurt Angle d. The Big Show by Submission Kurt Angle had entered the Royal Rumble to try and earn a rematch with Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania, being forced to enter at #1 by Smackdown GM Paul Heyman. However, Angle's Iron Man performance was ended unceremoniously by The Big Show, setting up this future #1 contenders match. Angle would finally earn a future title shot at Lesnar, after he survived the Giant's offense, making him submit to the Ankle Lock.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Chavo Guerrero w/Chavo Classic by Pinfall to Retain His Wrestlemania Title Shot Eddie Guerrero had shocked a lot of people by winning the 2004 Royal Rumble match, securing his title shot at Wrestlemania. However, Eddie was preoccupied with avenging a loss he had sustained at the hands of his nephew Chavo Guerrero the previous October, eventually being enticed to put his Wrestlemania Title Shot on the line to secure another chance at beating Chavo, this time in a Steel Cage match. Added to the mix, Eddie's older brother Chavo Sr. (calling himself Chavo Classic) had allied himself with his son, Chavo Jr. The two Guerreros had a hard hitting match within the Cage, with Eddie eventually pulling off the victory after hitting a Frogsplash from the top of the cage. After the match though, Eddie was attacked by Brock Lesnar, who hit him with an F5 and left him lying in the center of the ring to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Change:
February 16: Booker T & Rob Van Dam d. Ric Flair & Batista to Win the World Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Feb 21, 2023 7:46:14 GMT 1
Note: A few things to point out. Some characters (Sean O'Haire most notably) will be sticking around longer than they did in real life. Two of those names who will not be sticking around are Goldberg and Brock Lesnar. However their departures are handled differently. Goldberg is "suspended" in kayfabe for reasons that will become clear in his match. Lesnar's desire to enter the NFL grants him a kayfabe "leave of absence" and the departure is hopefully less acrimonious than it was in real life. The Lesnar/Goldberg match isn't happening on this card, as should have been clear going in.
Also another change to the venue for this Wrestlemania...sort of. Since this is largely the height of the brand split, each brand will have their own Wrestlemania card...in two separate locations. Raw will take place in MSG, like in real life, while Smackdown's will take place in Staples Center in Los Angeles.
WWE Wrestlemania XX March 14, 2004 Madison Square Garden/Staples Center New York City, NY/Los Angeles, CA
*KICKOFF SHOW (New York): John Bradshaw Leyfield Won a 14 Man Interpromotional Battle Royal The opening match saw the newly rechristened Wall Street tycoon John Bradshaw Leyfield won a Battle Royal, last eliminating both of the Dudley Boyz in the process.
*(Los Angeles): John Cena d. Sean O'Haire by Pinfall to Win the WWE United States Title Teo of Smackdown's biggest young stars competed for the US Title, a result of Cena winning a #1 contender's triple threat the previous month. The champion, for his part, attempted to goad the hot headed challenger into getting disqualified throughout the match, playing Mindgames with Cena and trying to get under his skin. There was a brief moment when Cena considered using the padlock and chain that he wore around his neck as a weapon, but he thought better of it, discarding the weapon. O'Haire used to distraction to set Cena up for the Widowmaker, but Cena was able to fight out of the move, eventually reversing into the FU and hitting it to score the pinfall and win his first singles championship in WWE.
*(New York): Booker T & Rob Van Dam d. Ric Flair & Batista by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The on-again, off-again team of Booker T & Rob Van Dam had regained the World Tag Team Titles from Evolution's Ric Flair and Batista, setting up this rematch for the belts in the opening match of the New York portion of Wrestlemania. Flair attempted to play mind games with the champions, playing to the New York crowd at MSG repeatedly, until his antics finally wore Rob Van Dam the wrong way, leading to RVD taking control. The Animal hit a blind tag on Flair, coming in and dismantling the champions almost single handedly for a period of time, before a Booker T sidekick allowed the momentum to shift again. Van Dam came in and battled Flair again and, with Booker cutting Batista off at the pass, RVD hit the 5 Star Frogsplash on the Nature Boy to pick up the victory.
*(Los Angeles): "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry w/Theodore Long d. The Big Show by Pinfall in an interpromotional match. Mark Henry had taken offense to the Big Show referring to himself as the strongest man in the WWE, confronting The Big Show on Smackdown and challenging him to a series of strongman contests. One of these, an arm wrestling match, ended when Henry attacked the Giant and slammed him through the table they were using for the contest, leading to this interpromotional match. It was very much a case of an immovable object meeting an irresistable force, with neither man giving an inch to the other. The end came when Theodore Long distracted The Big Show, leading to the Giant KO'ing him with a Knockout Punch, only to turn around into a World's Strongest Slam from Mark Henry, which he used to pick up the victory.
*(Los Angeles): Kurt Angle w/Eric Bischoff d. Goldberg w/Paul Heyman by Submission in an interpromotional match. As a result, Paul Heyman is Fired. In a segment on Raw, Vince McMahon revealed that he and his wife Linda had reconciled after their two year separation, leaving him back in charge of both Raw and Smackdown. He also said that he was dissatisfied with the performance of both Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff as GM's of their respective shows. He set up this match as a challenge, with Bischoff managing one random Smackdown star and Heyman managing one random Raw star, with the losing manager being fired. Goldberg tried to end the match early, hitting a spear on Angle. However a second spear was countered into a headlock, as Angle began chain wrestling with Da Man. Golberg was able to match his submission style briefly, and the two were evenly paced throughout the match. At one point the referee was distracted by Bischoff and Heyman getting into a fight at ringside, leading to him missing a pin by Goldberg on Angle. As Goldberg argued with the ref, Angle hit an Angle Slam on Goldberg and then followed into an Ankle Lock, eventually forcing Goldberg to tap out. After the match, Heyman got in the ring and argued with the injured Goldberg, which led to Heyman getting speared out of his shoes. This brought out Vince McMahon, who then as promised publicly fired Heyman as Smackdown General Manager. When Vince made a deriding comment to Goldberg after the fact, the Chairman was also speared to pop the crowd (which would kayfabe lead to Goldberg's indefinite suspension, an explanation for him leaving after his contract expired.)
*(New York): Christian d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall Two former best friends collided in Chris Jericho and Christian, as Captain Charisma's jealousy led to him attacking Y2J on an episode of Raw in February after the Christian cost Jericho a match against Shawn Michaels in a title contenders tournament. Christian attempted every underhanded tactic he could manage to avoid Jericho, but the former WWE Champion eventually caught up to his former friend and punished him, whipping him with a leather belt off of Christian's entrance attire. Christian was able to counter with a low blow behind the referee's back, taking control of the match for a significant portion, before Jericho hit a springboard dropkick to even things up. In the midst of Jericho's comeback, he inadvertantly hit a referee, before locking Christian in the Walls of Jericho, causing him to tap out. However out of the crowd came a bearded muscle man later revealed to be Tyson Tomko. The man hit a big boot to the back of Jericho's head before following up with a huge spinebuster. He then placed Christian on the fallen Y2J and awoke the referee, who made the count of three to give Christian the underhanded win.
*(Los Angeles): Rey Mysterio d. Ultimo Dragon by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Cruiserweight Title In a highly athletic cruiserweight match, two of the best in the business squared off for the title. The Ultimo Dragon took advantage of an early apparent knee injury suffered by the champion, hooking Mysterio in a modified Figure-4 in an attempt for a submission victory. Mysterio recovered however and hit a huge springboard splash for a near two count. The match went back and forth until the Dragon attempted an Asai DDT. Mysterio fought out of the move and hit a dropkick that knocked Dragon into the ropes. Mysterio then hit a 619 and followed with a West Coast Pop to pick up the win and retain the title.
*(Los Angeles): Edge d. Chavo Guerrero w/Chavo Classic by Pinfall In an impromptu segment/match, Chavo Guerrero came out and complained about not having a Wrestlemania match. He was then confronted by a returning Edge, who had been out injured for over a year with a broken neck. Edge came out, speared both Chavo and Chavo Classic, and pinned the younger Guerrero inside of 15 seconds, a near Wrestlemania record.
*(New York): Trish Stratus d. Lita by Pinfall in the Best of Seven Finale to Win the WWE Divas Title Trish and Lita had a series of controversial matches around the Royal Rumble on, leading to the Women's Title being vacated. Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff established a best of seven series for the vacant championship. Trish won the first match with a Stratusfaction, while Lita won th 2nd with a Twist of Fate. Trish then won matches 3 and 4 in a row, putting Lita down 3-1. Lita fought back, winning the 5th match with a moonsault, and then winning the 6th off a distraction from Jazz, leading to a decisive 7th match for the newly renamed Divas Championship. Lita took advantage early on and went for her Moonsault in an effort to end the match quickly, but Trish moved out of the way, giving her the advantage. Stratus wore down her rival with restholds, before nearly scoring a fall with a Chick Kick out of nowhere. Lita fought back with a huge German suplex, leading to the two women trading blows out of exhaustion. Lita went for a Twist of Fate, which Trish countered into a Stratusfaction, which finally put Lita away, giving Trish the title.
*(New York): Randy Orton d. Mick Foley in a No Disqualification Match to Retain the Intercontinental Title For months Randy Orton had been feuding with Mick Foley in a War of Words, insulting the hardcore legend at every turn. This led to a spot at the Royal Rumble when Foley entered himself into the match and caused Orton to be eliminated. The two men continued their feud despite Raw GM Eric Bischoff banning Foley from WWE events, with the former champion crashing through security to get his hands on the Intercontinental champion. Eventually Bischoff acquiesced and made a No Disqualification Match for Wrestlemania. Foley and Orton battled in a bloody affair, involving barbed wire, thumbtacks and even flaming tables. In the end, Orton surprised a lot of people by hitting an RKO onto a barbed wire covered 2x4, pinning the Hardcore Legend in his hometown, continuing his record setting IC Title reign.
*(Los Angeles): Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. Too Cool [Grandmaster Sexay & Scotty 2 Hotty], La Resistance [Sylvain Grenier & Renee Dupree] & The World's Greatest Tag Team [Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas] by Pinfall to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles The reunited team of Too Cool was originally set to face La Resistance in a rematch for the WWE Tag Team Titles at Wrestlemania XX, but that was later amended to include both the teams of London & Kendrick as well as Benjamin & Haas, after both of them gained victories over the other teams involved in the match. Despite being the favorites going in, La Resistance was taken out early by a Paul London Shooting Star Press to the outside. Too Cool and the World's Greatest Tag Team fought briefly, but in the end it would be Brian Kendrick hitting Grandmaster Sexay with Sliced Bread #2 that earned the team of London and Kendrick their first tag team championship.
*(New York): The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer d. Kane by Pinfall At the Survivor Series, the Devil Incarnate Kane had seemingly ended the career of his brother The Undertaker, causing him to crash off of a cliff into a ravine outside of Dallas Texas. At the Royal Rumble though in a Hell in a Cell match against Goldberg, images related to the Undertaker appeared on the Titantron, haunting Kane and costing him the match. This pattern would continue for the next several weeks, leading to Kane challenging his brother to show up at Wrestlemania. Kane denied that the Undertaker would return but, true to form, The Phenom returned in his Deadman persona, even flanked by his old manager Paul Bearer. Undertaker made short work of his gobsmacked brother, pinning him with a Tombstone Piledriver to extend his Wrestlemania streak.
*(New York): Chris Benoit d. Triple H & Shawn Michaels by Submission to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship After losing the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble, Triple H attempted to pull all the strings he could to bully Eric Bischoff into granting him another title match at Wrestlemania. However, due in part to comments made by Vince McMahon, Bischoff attempted to be a little more even-handed in how he dealt with Evolution, instead entering Triple H in a tournament to crown a new #1 contender, which was won by Shawn Michaels over The Game in the finals. Undeterred, Triple H crashed the contract signing between Benoit and Michaels on Raw, signing his own name on the dotted line and leading Benoit and Michaels to agree to a triple threat match. The match that followed was similar to the match that they had in real life, with several near falls for each man. The end came when Benoit locked Michaels in the Sharpshooter, getting a tap out just before Triple H could break up the hold to retain the title.
*(Los Angeles): Eddie Guerrero d. Brock Lesnar by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship Having won the Royal Rumble match, Eddie Guerrero was set to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania. Early on in the build, Lesnar was dismissive of Latino Heat, given the size and strength advantage that the champion held. Yet Guerrero's veteran smarts and the backing from the crowd made Eddie a true underdog favorite. Gurrero continuously found ways to fight from underneath, escaping bad situations and avoiding Lesnar's F5 finisher. The champion however used brute strength to outmuscle the challenger, eventually catching Guerrero in midair and setting him up for the dreaded finisher. Guerrero however was able to counter, DDT'ing Lesnar on the title belt, which the Next Big Thing had brought into the match earlier on behind the referee's back. Guerrero then hit the Frogsplash on Lesnar and pinned him for the upset win, celebrating amidst the Los Angeles crowd and fireworks in the Staples Center to close out the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
March 22: World Tag Team Titles Declared Vacant When Booker T is Drafted to Smackdown
March 29: Chris Jericho d. Randy Orton to Win the IC Title |
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Post by darbicus on Feb 22, 2023 15:21:34 GMT 1
WWE Backlash April 18, 2004 Rexall Palace Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
*Matt Hardy & Hardcore Holly d. The Basham Brothers [Doug & Danny Basham] w/Shaniqua by Pinfall to Win the Vacant World Tag Team Titles Following a special Draft for the respective Raw and Smackdown brands, Booker T had been sent to Smackdown, breaking up the World Tag Team champions and necessitating a World Tag Team Title tournament. The makeshift team of Matt Hardy and Hardcore Holly (who had also both been drafted from Smackdown to Raw) had upset their way to the finals of the tournament, set to take on former champions The Basham Brothers. Doug and Danny controlled the match for the most part, taking out Holly and then double teaming Matt Hardy to great effect. Matt was able to counter with a Side Effect for a quick two count, before finally making the hot tag to Hardcore, who cleaned house. Shaniqua attempted to get involved, only to eat an Alabama Slam for her troubles. Holly was then double teamed by the Bashams, but Matt Hardy broke up their attempt at a double team move, leaving Doug to be hit by another Alabama Slam and giving the win and titles to the unlikely duo.
*Shelton Benjamin d. Ric Flair w/Batista by Pinfall Former member of the World's Greatest Tag Team Shelton Benjamin had also been one of the stars transferred from Smackdown to Raw, and had made an immediate impact the night of his transfer, upsetting Triple H in a huge singles match. This immediately put him on the radar of Evolution, and the Nature Boy Ric Flair had set out to avenge Triple H's loss. Benjamin was immediately attacked early on in the match by Batista, which got the Animal ejected from ringside. But it appeared that the damage had already been done, particularly to the knee of Benjamin. Flair zeroed in on the injury and almost won with the Figure-4 Leglock, only for Shelton to reverse the hold and eventually cause Flair to release it. Benjamin then fought through the pain and hit several high spot moves, before finishing off the Nature Boy with a T-Bone Suplex.
*Edge d. Mark Henry by Pinfall Edge had made his official return at Wrestlemania XX on the Smackdown brand, only to immediately be drafted to Raw during the WWE Draft. Looking to establish himself on the red brand, Edge defeated Rodney Mack on his first match on Raw, and then was attacked by the World's Strongest Man Mark Henry, who looked to continue a run of dominance that he had been on for several weeks (despite losing his manager Theodore Long, who became the new General Manager of Smackdown). Henry's strength and power made him hard to deal with, as Edge found it difficult to move the massive 400 pounder. Edge tried to use a high flying offense instead, and eventually wore down the World's Strongest Man. Rodney Mack attempted to interject himself when the referee was knocked down following a clothesline from Henry, but inadvertently hit Henry in the head with a steel chair, knocking him out. Edge then hit a Spear on Mack to send him away, before pinning Henry as the ref came too, winning the match.
*Johnny Nitro w/William Regal d. Rob Van Dam by Pinfall The man formerly known as John Hennigan had also been drafted from Smackdown to Raw and immediately tried to impress Eric Bischoff, taking the name Johnny Nitro and establishing himself as Bischoff's "assistant." For his part, the general manager appreciated the effort, and assigned a returning William Regal to act as Nitro's mentor, giving the youngster a match against Rob Van Dam at Backlash. Van Dam easily bested the young man, and would have won the match if not for the timely interference of Regal, who drilled Van Dam in the back of the head with some brass knuckles behind the ref's back, allowing Nitro to hit a standing shooting star press to pick up the victory.
*Trish Stratus d. Molly Holly by Pinfall in a Title vs. Hair Match to Retain the WWE Divas Championship After defeating Lita at Wrestlemania to win the undisputed Diva's Championship, Trish was attacked the following night on Raw by Molly Holly, who demanded a title shot from the new champion. After Trish beat her the following week, Molly went to Raw GM Eric Bischoff and demanded a rematch, which Bischoff made, but only if Molly's hair was on the line as well. Wary of being shaved bald, Molly fought against Trish with everything she had and very nearly had the match won. But Trish was able to beat back most of Molly's offense, and eventually countered an attempted Molly-Go-Round into a powerbomb pin to pick up the win. Before Molly could be shaved bald though, she was saved by Gail Kim and Jazz, both of whom attacked Trish and knocked her out, putting her in the Barber's Chair. Thankfully Trish was saved by Lita and, surprisingly enough, Victoria, chasing off the heels.
*Chris Jericho d. Christian w/Tyson Tomko & Randy Orton by Submission to Retain the Intercontinental Title Chris Jericho had ended the historic Intercontinental Title reign of Randy Orton at 470 days, winning his own record tying 5th reign as champion in the process. However, Jericho was still feuding with Christian following Captain Charisma's tainted victory over him at Wrestlemania thanks to Tyson Tomko's debut. This led to a triple threat match at Backlash. Tomko was taken out early by an RKO on the outside from Orton, leading to all three men having near falls over the others. The end came when Christian hit Orton with a Killswitch, only to be caught by Jericho and locked in the Walls of Jericho. This led to Christian being forced to tap out, keeping the belt with Y2J.
*Shawn Michaels d. Kane by Disqualification Despite losing to his brother The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, Kane had lost none of his ferocity in targeting the Raw roster. However the Big Red Machine found himself a target of Shawn Michaels, who attempted to calm the monster by helping him find his faith (as Shawn had become a born again Christian in his time away from the WWF). Kane was resistant to this line of thought, denying the power of "his God" and wanting to prove his own power against HBK at Backlash. Despite everything Kane threw at Michaels, Shawn refused to give up. Eventually this frustrated Kane to the point of Chokeslamming HBK through the announce table, losing by DQ but leaving Michaels in a heap. To Kane's shock as he left the ringside area, Michaels eventually stood up on his own, leaving Kane with a questioning look on his face as he walked off.
*Chris Benoit d. Triple H by Submission to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship Based on the fact that Triple H wasn't the man who submitted at Wrestlemania XX, The leader of Evolution demanded one final shot at Chris Benoit and the World Heavyweight Championship. At first Raw GM Eric Bischoff was reluctant to grant the title shot, but eventually did after Benoit added the stipulation that it would be Triple H's final shot at the title for as long as Benoit was champion. Thus Bischoff made the match, with the additional stipulation of it being No Disqualification. In front of Benoit's hometown crowd, Triple H pulled out all the stops to try and beat the Rabid Wolverine. Benoit however fed off the energy of the crowd and perservered, even surviving interference from Batista and Flair (who were chased off eventually by Edge and Shelton Benjamin). Benoit eventually hooked Triple H in the Crippler Crossface in the center of the ring, using the handle of Triple H's own sledge hammer to wrench back on the hold even more, eventually forcing Triple H to tap out again. Benoit celebrated his definitive victory over The Game in his own hometown to end the night.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
May 13: Chavo Guerrero d. Rey Mysterio to Win the Cruiserweight Title |
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Post by darbicus on Feb 23, 2023 10:19:28 GMT 1
Eddie Guerrero winning the Royal Rumble = an inspired choice. Regarding the order of entry and exit, do you stick with 2 minutes or 90 seconds to enter? 2:00. Every Rumble match follows that standard. |
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