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Post by darbicus on Feb 23, 2023 13:44:53 GMT 1
WWE Judgment Day May 16, 2004 Thomas & Mack Center Las Vegas, NV SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*"The Fabulous" Rico w/Miss Jackie d. Al Snow by Pinfall Former Golden Greeks member Rico Constantino had been repackaged as a more flamboyant character known as "The Fabulous" Rico, paired up with his valet/hairdresser Miss Jackie. Taking on the recently drafted Al Snow, Rico's unique offense threw Snow off his game, and Rico eventually won the match with a high angle spin kick to the face of Al Snow following a distraction from Miss Jackie.
*Funaki d. Chavo Guerrero w/Chavo Classic by Pinfall to Win the WWE Cruiserweight Title Chavo Guerrero had regained the WWE Cruiserweight Title from Rey Mysterio (mostly thanks to a distraction from Kidman, who had turned heel on the luchadore in recent weeks). However, he wouldn't be able to rest on his laurels for long, as Chavo was forced to defend the title against Funaki a few days later. While Funaki had never provided a huge challenge to those who faced him, Chavo's dismissal of him would prove to be his downfall, as Funaki came out fists flying, and catching Chavo off guard. Guerrero's father, Chavo Classic, attempted to even the odds, but accidentally tripped his son instead of Funaki. This led the challenger to climb to the top and hit a top rope cross body after Chavo was distracted, pinning the champion and scoring the huge upset win.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] d. Too Cool [Grandmaster Sexay & Scotty 2 Hotty] by Pinfall Since being drafted to Smackdown, The Dudley Boyz had immediately set their sights on becoming WWE Tag Team Champions, one of the few tag team accolades they hadn't achieved in their lengthy careers. Their first big test was an old Attitude Era foe in the form of Too Cool. Despite a respectful beginning to the match, the Dudleys quickly established a more aggressive tone as they took apart the former tag champions, eventually hitting a 3-D on Scotty 2 Hotty to pick up the victory and bolster their resume for a future title shot.
*Booker T d. John Bradshaw Leyfield by Disqualification Booker T had entered Smackdown and had begun a feud with would-be Wall Street tycoon John Bradshaw Leyfield, after JBL had made derogatory comments concerning him that could be construed as racist. Bradshaw didn't help his case when he summoned his "black friend" Ron Simmons and referred to him as "one of the good ones." The match between the two was a bit one-sided at the start, as Booker angrily went after the Texas Tycoon, who had to back off several times. JBL did eventually take advantage of Booker's anger, causing him to make a mistake and seemingly injuring his knee. JBL targeted the knee for a time, but Booker was able to fight back and nearly pull off the win, before he was attacked by Matt Morgan and the debuting Luther Reigns, who would later be revealed as Bradshaw's hired muscle. This resulted in a DQ victory for Booker. Before they could do anymore damage to Booker, however, he was saved by Ron Simmons, who came to the ring with a steel chair to chase off the three men.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. Kyo Dai [Akio & Tajiri] w/Sakoda by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles In a sort of rematch from their highly acclaimed match at No Way Out, London & Kendrick defended their tag titles against two of the three members of Kyo Dai in Akio and Tajiri. The contest was similar to their confrontation in February, with several high flying moves throughout. The end came as London hit a top rope DDT on Akio as a counter to an attempted hurancanrana, picking up the pinfall victory afterwards to retain the title.
*The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer d. Charlie Haas by Pinfall With Charlie Haas' tag partner Shelton Benjamin succeeding on Raw, Haas was left without direction on Smackdown. Taking inspiration from Benjamin's upset victory over Triple H, Haas decided to target the biggest dog in the yard on Smackdown, challenging The Undertaker to a match at Judgment Day. This would prove to be the wrong step to make, as despite Haas' best efforts, the Phenom had little difficulty taking on the former tag champion, defeating him with a Tombstone Piledriver. After the match though, a masked figure came out of the crowd and assaulted the Undertaker with a crowbar. With the Phenom down, the masked man revealed himself to be former United States Champion Sean O'Haire, who smiled as he stalked off with the bloody Undertaker left in the ring.
*John Cena d. Renee Dupree w/Sylvain Grenier by Pinfall to Retain the WWE United States Title Former Tag Team Champions La Resistance had begun trying to one up each other, with both men attempting to defeat US Champion John Cena and bring home the gold to their native Canada. Dupree would be the first to challenge Cena for the title, after winning a battle royal on Smackdown to crown a new #1 contender. Cena faced the challenger head on, but was faced with the prospect of a 2 on 1 match with Sylvain on the outside. However Grenier's interference would wind up costing Dupree, as he distracted the referee while the French Phenom seemingly had Cena pinned for the victory following a low blow and a swinging neckbreaker behind the ref's back. Cena however survived the pinfall attempt and countered another swinging neckbreaker into an FU to pick up the win and retain his title.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Kurt Angle by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship With Brock Lesnar having been granted a "leave of absence" from the WWE to pursue a football career, Eddie Guerrero was set to defend his title against a man who had earned a title shot just prior to Wrestlemania in the form of Kurt Angle. For his part, the Olympic hero gave the impression of being happy for Eddie for finally achieving "his moment", but also criticized Guerrero for his "lying, cheating and stealing" as being a bad role model for children, earning him boos from the crowd. The two had a highly competitive match, with Angle targeting the ankle of the champion in an attempt to get him to tap out. The end came when Guerrero feigned injury and, unbeknownst to Angle, had loosened the strings on his boot. When Angle went for the Ankle Lock, the boot came off, leaving Angle confused and vulnerable to a roll up from the champion, which gave Guerrero the win. This duplicity caused Angle to snap, and he drilled Eddie with the title belt before locking him in the Ankle Lock for real. Officials came down to try and break up the fight, but Angle continued to put pressure on the Ankle, before finally seemingly snapping it in one final twist of the move. The show closed on the image of Guerrero clutching his ankle, screaming in pain that his "leg was broken."
Off-Camera Title Changes:
May 17: Gail Kim d. Trish Stratus to Win the Diva's Title
May 24: Christian & Tyson Tomko d. Matt Hardy & Hardcore Holly to Win the World Tag Team Titles
May 27: Kidman d. Funaki to Win the Cruiserweight Title |
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Post by darbicus on Feb 25, 2023 1:10:58 GMT 1
WWE Bad Blood June 13, 2004 Nationwide Arena Columbus, OH RAW Exclusive Event
*The Basham Brothers [Doug & Danny Basham] d. The Hurricane & Rosey by Pinfall The winner of this match was set to receive a World Tag Team Title shot the following night on Raw. Despite having fired their manager Shaniqua for lack of recent success, The Bashams had seemingly found a new life and defeated the super hero tandem of The Hurricane and Rosey to get back on the winning track.
*Batista w/Ric Flair d. Edge by Pinfall At Backlash, Edge and Shelton Benjamin had prevented Evolution from aiding Triple H in regaining the World Heavyweight Championship from Chris Benoit. This led to Evolution targeting the two superstars, including a feud between the Animal and Edge. The powerhouse Batista tried to focus his attacks on the injured head and neck area of Edge, which had been surgically repaired the year before. For his part Edge tried to play rope-a-dope, hoping for the big man to wear himself out. In the end it was Ric Flair's interference, providing a timely distraction against Edge as he was setting up for a Spear to Batista, that proved the difference. Off the distraction Batista hit a spinebuster on Edge and then followed up with a Batista Bomb to pick up the win.
*Trish Stratus, Lita & Victoria d. Gail Kim, Molly Holly & Jazz by Pinfall. As a Result, Victoria wins the Divas Championship Gail Kim had won the Divas Championship from Trish Stratus, largely down to help from her allies Molly Holly and Jazz. However when Kim and company refused to compete in "demeaning bikini contests", Raw General Manager set up a six woman tag match for Bad Blood, with the additional stipulation that if anyone from Trish's team scored a pinfall, they would become Divas Champion. Jazz controlled much of the match for Gail's team, but ultimately the match would descend into a brawl for the title, eventually leading to Trish hitting the Stratusfaction on Molly Holly. Gail Kim broke up that pinfall, but before she could save her team, Victoria snuck in and scored the pinfall, winning the Divas title in the process.
*Chris Jericho & Rob Van Dam d. Christian & Tyson Tomko by Disqualification [Christian & Tomko Retain the World Tag Team Titles] The feud between Chris Jericho and Christian continued, with an added dimension of the World Tag Team Titles being involved after Captain Charisma and his Problem Solver won the belts on an episode of Raw. The Intercontinental Champion teamed with former tag champion Rob Van Dam in order to try and win the tag belts. The makeshift tandem forced Christian into the match early, controlling the contest as a result. This changed when the Problem Solver, Tomko, got in the ring and nearly KO'ed Jericho with a huge lariat. Tomko and Christian then isolated the IC Champion and nearly won the match with a Rocket Launcher from the top rope onto Jericho. Y2J hit a springboard back elbow to Christian to buy sometime though, tagging RVD in and allowing him to make a comeback. Van Dam hit Rolling Thunder on Christian, causing him to roll to the outside, and then beat down Tomko with a series of kicks to the head. After downing the Problem Solver, Van Dam hit the 5 Star Frogsplash, and would have won the match except for Christian jumping in at the last minute with a steel chair, smashing Van Dam across the back and causing the disqualification. Tomko and Christian then beat down the challengers and stood tall afterwards, despite the loss.
*Shelton Benjamin d. William Regal w/Johnny Nitro by Pinfall Shelton Benjamin had entered a brief feud with William Regal, following Benjamin's victory over Regal's assigned protege, Johnny Nitro. The rising star was initially attacked by both Nitro and Regal prior to the match beginning, putting him at a distinct disadvantage early on, but was eventually able to overcome it, hitting Regal with a step over Enziguiri and following that up with a T-Bone Suplex to pick up the win.
*Shawn Michaels d. Kane in a Last Man Standing match The feud between Kane and Shawn Michaels continued to be personal and somewhat controversial, as Kane sought to "break the faith" of HBK by putting him through hell. This came to a crescendo when Kane attacked Shawn's own wife, plucking her out of the crowd at ringside and attempting to Tombstone her on the concrete. Luckily Michaels was able to save her, and issued a challenge to Kane for a Last Man Standing match at Bad Blood. Michaels attacked Kane with a ferocity that he hadn't shown as much since his full time return a year earlier, but it seemed virtually impossible to stop the Devil Incarnate for long. Kane chokeslammed Michaels through a stack of tables from the ring apron, and nearly got the ten count victory, but Michaels managed to stand up. As Kane was again flummoxed by Michaels faith driving him, he was caught unawares by a sudden Sweet Chin Music from HBK. Michaels followed up with two more superkicks, the final one blasting a chair into the face of Kane, which finally put the Big Red Machine down for good. Michaels left with his wife on his arm, but Kane sat up quickly and pursued after them, the feud seemingly not over.
*Randy Orton d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall to Win the World Heavyweight Championship With Triple H having lost his final opportunity at the World Heavyweight Title at Backlash (and also kayfabe not being medically cleared to compete), others were left to challenge the Wolverine for the title. A Gold Rush tournament was held on Raw, which was to the surprise of many won by Evolution member and former IC Champion Randy Orton. Despite Triple H seemingly being annoyed with one of his stablemates holding his championship, he gave Orton his blessing before the match to "bring the title home to Evolution". Orton and Benoit had a highly competitive match, and with Evolution banned from ringside, the match would prove to be fair as well. Benoit nearly locked the Crossface on at one point, but Orton was able to counter into the ropes to avoid the dreaded submission move. To the surprise of many, Orton countered Benoit's Hat Trick of German Suplexes, turning it around and hitting an RKO out of nowhere, that he then pinned Benoit with, scoring the upset and winning the title. Orton looked on somewhat surprised, but celebrated with Batista and Flair in the entryway to close out the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
June 14: The Basham Brothers d. Christian & Tyson Tomko for the World Tag Team Titles
June 21: Christian d. Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Title
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Post by darbicus on Feb 26, 2023 23:00:12 GMT 1
WWE The Great American Bash June 27, 2004 Norfolk Scope Norfolk, VA SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*Kidman d. Rey Mysterio by Pinfall to Retain the Cruiserweight Title Kidman had turned heel in recent months, adopting a more aggressive style en route to capturing his fourth Cruiserweight Title. In the process of turning heel, he had entered a feud with Rey Mysterio over the belt. The two cruiserweight titans had a trademark good match between them, filled with several high spots, and it looked as if Rey would pull out the victory after setting up for the 619. Kidman was able to dodge out of the way of the move though and nearly unmasked Mysterio in a swift move. As Rey tried to cover his face, Kidman hit the Kid Krusher on Mysterio and then picked up the quick win to retain the title.
*Kenzo Suzuki w/Hiroko d. Scotty 2 Hotty w/Grandmaster Sexay by Pinfall For several weeks vignettes had aired for the debut of Kenzo Suzuki on Smackdown. Making his debut in this match here, Suzuki easily bested Scotty 2 Hotty, hitting a move he called the Rising Sun (a Claw Hold STO) to pick up the victory.
*John Bradshaw Leyfield, Matt Morgan & Luther Reigns d. Booker T, Ron Simmons & Maven by Pinfall Matt Morgan and Luther Reigns had debuted at Judgment Day as John Bradshaw Leyfield's personal heads of security, with the trio forming a group known as The Firm. Booker T found aide in his feud with the three in the form of Bradshaw's former tag partner Ron Simmons, as well as the recently drafted from Raw Maven, leading to this six man tag match. The Firm isolated Ron Simmons for much of the match, with Reigns and Morgan doing most of the heavy lifting while Bradshaw merely picked his shots. Booker came in late in the match and cleaned house of JBL's muscle, before accidentally hitting the referee with a sidekick that knocked him down. Booker then hit the Book End on JBL and went for a cover, only to be hit in the back with a chair by Maven, who turned on his partners. Maven hit Booker with the chair a second time, followed by taking out Simmons with the same weapon. Maven then picked up the fallen Booker, and propped him up for JBL to hit a Clothesline from Hell, which picked up the victory after The Firm revived the referee.
*John Cena d. Charlie Haas by Submission to Retain the United States Title Despite his loss to the Undertaker, Charlie Haas continued to insist that he was the better half of the former World's Greatest Tag Team and that he could take down anyone in the WWE. To that end, he targeted US Champion John Cena, insisting that the fan favorite champion wasn't a real wrestler and challenging him to a submission match at The Great American Bash. He further solidified this by attacking Cena and locking him in his Haas of Pain submission hold. For his part, Cena was surprisingly able to match holds with the challenger, eventually winning by locking Haas in his own modified submission hold that Cena called the STFU.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] by Disqualification to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The Dudleys had finally gained a WWE Tag Title match by virtue of their winning streak since coming to Smackdown in the WWE Draft. However against the high flying duo of London and Kendrick they were thrown off their game and unable to put the champions away, despite their years of experience as a team. Eventually this frustration won out, as Bubba refused to quit beating down London in the corner, leading to a disqualification of the Dudleys. The two Dudleys continued their beatdown after the bell, putting both champions through tables before leaving to a chorus of boos.
*Sean O'Haire d. The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer by Pinfall Sean O'Haire had made his return at Judgment Day, attacking the Undertaker after the Phenom's victory at that show. O'Haire then made clear that he considered himself the new Phenom of the WWE and that regardless of the Deadman's "rebranding", he had far outlived his shelf life in the company. In the early going of the match, it seemed as if The Undertaker was going to prove O'Haire wrong, hitting all of his signature moves and keeping the former US Champion down. This changed though after the referee went down and The Undertaker was attacked from behind by, of all people, Paul Bearer, who turned on his protege and drilled him from behind with the urn. The Undertaker then stalked after Paul, only to be hit from behind with a steel chair by O'Haire, who then delivered the Widowmaker onto said chair. He got rid of the evidence as the referee came to, counting the pinfall and giving the upset to the Advocate. O'Haire and Paul Bearer then left together.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Kurt Angle in a Ladder Match to Retain the WWE Championship Following Kurt Angle's explosion at Judgment Day, it was a question as to whether or not Eddie Guerrero would be medically cleared to defend his title in the future. On the following episode of Smackdown, it appeared that Eddie would be forced to vacate the WWE Championship, only to have fooled Angle again and showing that his ankle was healed (not 100%, but healed.) This led Smackdown's new general manager, Theodore Long, to make a rematch for the Great American Bash, this time with the stipulation of a Ladder Match to determine a definitive winner between the two men. Angle was brutal in his use of the ladder against the champion, targeting Guerrero's ankle to try and cripple the champion to keep him from climbing and retrieving his belt. But Guerrero's perserverence and his own unique offense with the ladder kept him in the game, making this a highly competitive title match. The match ended with both men atop the ladder, trading right hands. Angle attempted an Angle Slam off the ladder, but Guerrero was able to counter and send the Olympic Hero crashing from the top of the ladder to the ring below instead. Eddie then grabbed his title belt, retaining the championship yet again, celebrating to end the show.
Off-Camera Title Change
July 1: Matt Morgan & Luther Reigns d. Paul London & Brian Kendrick for the WWE Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Feb 28, 2023 3:34:56 GMT 1
WWE Vengeance July 11, 2004 Hartford Civic Center Hartford, CT RAW Exclusive Event
*Matt Hardy w/Lita d. Garrison Cade by Pinfall The relationship between Matt Hardy and Lita had reignited in recent weeks, largely due to the unwarranted advances by would-be cowboy Garrison Cade on the former Diva's Champion. Hardy challenged Cade in this opening match, and while the youngster availed himself well, he relied a little too heavily on showboating for the unimpressed Lita, and was caught with a Side Effect for his trouble. Hardy then followed up with a Twist of Fate to pick up the win.
*Shawn Michaels d. Kane by Pinfall in a Ring of Fire Match The feud between Shawn Michaels and Kane finally reached its crescendo in a first-ever Ring of Fire match. While the match was similar in construct to an Inferno match, the object wasn't to set your opponent on fire. Rather the match was a normal match that took place in a ring surrounded by flames. This of course didn't stop the Devil Incarnate from trying to set Michaels on fire, promising to "drag him through hell" and end him once and for all. However Michaels was able to perservere, and used Kane's own fear of the flames against him, catching him off guard and delivering a Sweet Chin Music to once and for all silence the Big Red Machine.
*The Basham Brothers [Doug & Danny Basham] d. Edge & Rob Van Dam by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The makeshift team of Edge and Rob Van Dam had recently become a danger to the World Tag Team Champions, The Basham Brothers, with each man scoring a fall in singles competition over one of the champions in the leadup to Vengeance. Despite seemingly presenting a united front, however, the team would quickly and inexplicably implode during the course of the match, as Van Dam attempted to make a tag to Edge, only for Edge to abandon him midway through the match, apparently due to Van Dam inadvertantly hitting him with a spin kick earlier on in the match. This left RVD at the mercy of the Bashams, who finished him off with a double brainbuster to retain the titles. After the match, Edge got back in the ring as RVD struggled to his feet, and then speared him to the mat, a look of inexplicable rage in his eyes before he left to a chorus of boos.
*Christian w/Tyson Tomko d. Chris Jericho by Disqualification to Retain the Intercontinental Title The feud between Chris Jericho and Christian had continued following Bad Blood, with Jericho costing Christian and Tomko the World Tag Team Titles, and then Tomko costing Jericho the IC Title, leading to this title match at Vengeance. Jericho had the advantage throughout the match, as Christian struggled to keep up with the former WWE Champion. It would be Christian's Problem Solver, Tomko, who would provide the backup necessary for the champion to retain, as he attacked Jericho in full view of the referee after Y2J had locked Captain Charisma in the Walls of Jericho, resulting in a DQ victory for Jericho but keeping the IC Title on his employer.
*Victoria d. Gail Kim w/Molly Holly in a Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match to Retain the Divas Championship Gail Kim attempted to regain the Divas Championship from Victoria, relying on help from her "bestie" Molly Holly in order to do so. Molly's help would prove beneficial in the first fall, as she drilled Victoria with the Divas Title Belt behind the referee's back, allowing Kim to pick up the pinfall. Victoria would even things up after reversing a cross body block into a pinning combination of her own. Victoria would then luck out from miscommunication between the challengers, as Molly accidentally tripped Gail Kim off an Irish Whip into the ropes. This led to Victoria hitting the Widow's Peak to pick up the third and decisive fall.
*Randy Orton w/Batista d. Shelton Benjamin by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship Having shocked the world the previous month by winning the World Heavyweight Championship (and becoming the youngest person to win that title), Randy Orton's first Pay Per View title defense would be against another young man in Shelton Benjamin. The former Team Angle member had been a thorn in the side of Evolution ever since being drafted to Raw, having beaten all the other members of the group at one point or another. The Animal Batista accompanied Orton to ringside, despite the Champion saying he could go it alone. Batista's interference or lack thereof would prove irrelevant though, as Orton was able to match Benjamin's athleticism, and eventually beat the challenger with an RKO out of nowhere as Benjamin attempted a springboard splash.
*Triple H w/Ric Flair d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall in a Steel Cage Match Triple H had been initially granted a title match by the new champion Randy Orton the night following Bad Blood, but The Game was still medically unfit to compete at that time. Rather than receive a title shot, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff ordered Triple H to try and put his problems with former World Champion Chris Benoit behind him, booking him in a Steel Cage match, with the winner automatically qualified for a title shot at Summerslam. The Game struggled with the mat based Benoit in the early going, with Benoit focusing on the kayfabe injured ribs of The Game. Triple H took control though after hitting a counter knee to the face of Benoit, and used the cage to bust his opponent open. The match was evenly paced down the stretch, with Benoit hitting a diving headbutt from halfway up the cage, seemingly knocking out the Game. However, before Benoit could exit the cage through the door, Randy Orton showed up to help his teammate, slamming the door on the head of Benoit. Triple H then followed up with the Pedigree to pick up the win. Evolution celebrated to end the night, with Triple H still eyeing Orton with suspicion to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
July 15: Maven d. John Cena to Win the United States Title
August 2: The Hurricane & Rosey d. The Basham Brothers to Win the World Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 1, 2023 1:35:44 GMT 1
WWE Summerslam August 15, 2004 Air Canada Centre Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*PRE-SHOW: Matt Cappotelli & "The Fabulous" Rico w/Miss Jackie d. The Basham Brothers [Doug & Danny Basham] by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Tag Match Tough Enough winner Matt Cappotelli had begun teaming with "The Fabulous" Rico and Miss Jackie on Smackdown, and the two had developed a bit of oddball chemistry as a tandem. They were obviously the underdogs in the match against former World Tag Team Champions The Basham Brothers, yet to the surprise of many Rico was able to hold his own against Doug and Danny long enough for Cappotelli to surprise them with a Missile Dropkick to pick up the win.
*Edge d. Rob Van Dam by Pinfall Edge had turned on Rob Van Dam at Vengeance the previous month, largely down to jealousy. He claimed that in the year that he was gone, everyone in WWE had forgotten that he was the future of the company, and that he was going to take down all of the superstars he felt had attempted to "replace" him, starting with RVD. This continued when Edge cost Van Dam an attempt to earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship. The calculating Edge remained on the outside for much of the early part of the match, trying to throw Van Dam off his game. RVD eventually had enough of Edge's stall tactics and dove to the outside after him, with th two brawling at ringside for a bit. Edge caught Van Dam coming back in and targeted his knee, trying to ground the high flyer. RVD countered with a sudden Van Daminator kick right to the face of Edge, following it up with Rolling Thunder for a near fall. However Edge had RVD well scouted, and when Van Dam went for the 5 Star Frogsplash, Edge got his knees up, causing Van Dam to crash and burn. Edge then finished off Van Dam with a Spear to pick up the win.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray, D-Von & Spike Dudley] d. Paul London, Brian Kendrick & Billy Gunn by Pinfall Since turning heel The Dudley Boyz had reunited with their little brother Spike, who had adopted the moniker of the "boss" of the family. The trio teamed up to take on the Dudleys enemies London and Kendrick, as well as a returning Billy Gunn. While London and Kendrick attempted to keep a high paced offense to throw the Dudleys off their game, but the veterans eventually hit Gunn with a 3-D followed by a top rope splash from Spike to pick up the victory.
*Chris Jericho d. Tyson Tomko by Submission At Vengeance, Chris Jericho was cost the IC Title by the interfering Problem Solver Tyson Tomko, winning the match against Christian via disqualification. This same scenario played out on an episode of Raw, only this time with Tomko costing Jericho a spot in the World Heavyweight Title Elimination Chamber. This led to Jericho trying solver his own problem with the problem solver. Tomko's strength and power controlled the match early on, as he took advantage of a mistimed dropkick from Jericho to deliver a huge powerslam to Y2J. However Tomko was unable to put Jericho away, and the former WWE Champion began using a hit and run offense to take out the legs of Tomko. Eventually Jericho locked him in the Walls of Jericho to score the submission victory.
*John Cena d. Maven w/Matt Morgan & Luther Reigns by Disqualification [Maven Retains the US Title] After turning on Ron Simmons and Booker T at the Great American Bash, Maven had accepted the job as John Bradshaw Leyfield's "Chief of Staff" within his stable, The Firm. This move paid near immediate dividends for the former Tough Enough winner, as he defeated John Cena for the US Title on an episode of Smackdown, albeit with help from WWE Tag Champions Matt Morgan and Luther Reigns. In Cena's rematch, he was once again faced with a virtual 3 on 1 affair against the new champion. Despite the odds, it looked as if Cena would perservere and regain his title. But a timely intervention from Reigns as Cena held Maven in the STFU, resulting in a DQ finish.
*Kane d. Matt Hardy w/Lita in an I Quit Match The relationship between Matt Hardy and Lita had reblossomed on Raw, to the point where Hardy actually proposed to Lita on an episode of the red brand. Before Lita could say yes, however, the pair were accosted by the Big Red Machine Kane. At first it appeared as if Kane were interested in Lita himself, before he simply stated that he was out to "destroy happiness" anywhere he could find it. This led to him viciously assaulting Hardy and chokeslamming him through a table, while also delivering a Tombstone Piledriver to Lita. This led Matt to challenge Kane to an I Quit match at Summerslam, though this was clearly not a good idea on his part. Kane virtually destroyed Matt Hardy, not even giving him a chance to say I Quit. While Hardy put up a fight early on, Kane's repeated blows to the head essentially knocked him out. Just as Kane set out to Tombstone Hardy on Steel Steps, Lita grabbed the microphone and quit on Hardy's behalf. This caused Kane to look at her with a bewildered look in his eyes, before he stalked away as medical personnel tended to the broken Hardy brother.
*Rey Mysterio d. Kidman by Pinfall in a Title vs. Mask Match to Win the WWE Cruiserweight Title The feud between Rey Mysterio and Kidman over the Cruiserweight Title had become far more personal, as Kidman had made it his missionto unmask the luchadore. Mysterio was forced to put his mask on the line to get another shot at the Cruiserweight Championship. Despite the stipulation, Kidman wasn't content to just beat Rey in order to get him to unmask, rather wanting to embarras Mysterio in the course of the match. It was this lack of focus that led to Kidman's undoing, as Rey took advantage of his recklessness and hit Kidman with a 619 followed by a West Coast Pop for the title victory, keeping his identity in tact.
*The Undertaker d. Sean O'Haire w/Paul Bearer in a Casket Match Paul Bearer had turned on The Undertaker at The Great American Bash, claiming that the Phenom had "gone soft" in the years since he had last been in the WWE, and claiming that Sean O'Haire was the new face of fear in the WWE. This led to The Undertaker challenging O'Haire to a Casket match at Summerslam. The Prophet controlled the match early on, but everything he tried to do to The Undertaker ultimately had little effect, as the Phenom kept coming after him with his usual offense. The end came after The Undertaker was able to reverse a Widowmaker into a Tombstone Piledriver. After rolling O'Haire into the Casket, Paul Bearer attempted to stop the lid from being closed. All that did was cause The Undertaker to grab Paul Bearer and then chokeslam him into the casket with O'Haire, before shutting the lid and winning the match.
*The Hurricane & Rosey d. William Regal & Johnny Nitro by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The teacher-mentor tandem of William Regal and Johnny Nitro were overconfident heading into their title match for the World Tag Team Titles with Nitro in particular underestimating the super heroes. He did so at his peril though, as Rosey caught Nitro with a huge Samoan Drop before hitting a big splash. With Regal cut off by The Hurricane, the champs pinned the challengers in less than a minute to retain their titles. After the match, Regal tried to coach Nitro, but the ungrateful youth kicked Regal low before flattening him with a clothesline and storming off.
*John Bradshaw Leyfield d. Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Kenzo Suzuki & Charlie Haas in an Elimination Chamber Match to Win the WWE Championship In order to not be outdone, both brands had established an Elimination Chamber match for Summerslam, with the top title on both Raw and Smackdown on the line in their respective matches. On Smackdown, Eddie Guerrero was set to defend the title against Kurt Angle, as well as the feuding JBL and Booker T, with Charlie Haas and the undefeated Kenzo Suzuki being added into the mix. JBL earned the final spot of the match by virtue of winning a Beat the Clock challenge on Smackdown. The end came down to Guerrero, Angle, and JBL, with the champion eliminating Angle with a rollup. This continued the months of frustration that Angle had suffered at the hands of Guerrero, eventually leading to Kurt snapping and attacking Eddie after he had been eliminated, smashing his ankle into one of the sliding doors to one of the Chamber Pods repeatedly. This left Guerrero easy pickings for JBL. The champion tried to rally, but lost his footing when he attempted a Frogsplash, leaving him open for Bradshaw to hit a Clothesline from Hell and shockingly win the WWE Title. - Kurt Angle and Charlie Haas started at numbers 1 and 2 respectively. - Booker T entered the match at number 3. - Eddie Guerrero entered the match at number 4. - Booker T d. Charlie Haas by Pinfall with a Book End. - Kenzo Suzuki entered the match at number 5. - JBL entered the match at number 6. - Eddie Guerrero d. Kenzo Suzuki with a Frogsplash - JBL d. Booker T by Pinfall with a Clothesline from Hell. - Eddie Guerrero d. Kurt Angle by Pinfall with a Small Package rollup. - JBL d. Eddie Guerrero by Pinfall with a Clothesline from Hell to Win.
*Randy Orton d. Triple H, Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, Christian & Shelton Benjamin in an Elimination Chamber Match to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship On the Raw side of things, Triple H had finally qualified to earn a title shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, though things were complicated both by the champion being Evolution teammate Randy Orton as well as Raw GM making the match an Elimination Chamber match in response to Smackdown GM Theodore Long doing the same. Shawn Michaels, Christian, Chris Benoit and Shelton Benjamin all earned places in the chamber along side the Evolution teammates, with Christian and Benjamin set to begin the chamber first. The match came down to Orton, Michaels & Triple H, with Michaels hitting The Game with a Sweet Chin Music late in the match. Orton appeared as if he could save The Game from elimination, but he either couldn't or chose not to (Depending on which commentator you listened to.) In the end, Orton was victorious over HBK with an RKO, becoming the first man to successfully retain his title inside the Chamber. After the match, a seemingly irate Triple H confronted Orton with Evolution, but Triple H handed the title to Randy before clapping approvingly, seemingly putting any issues between the two to bed. - Shelton Benjamin and Christian entered the match at numbers 1 and 2 respectively. - Randy Orton entered the match at number 3. - Shawn Michaels entered the match at number 4. - Triple H entered the match at number 5. - Chris Benoit entered the match at number 6. - Shelton Benjamin d. Christian by Pinfall with a T-Bone Suplex - Randy Orton d. Shelton Benjamin by Pinfall with an RKO - Triple H d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall with a Pedigree - Shawn Michaels d. Triple H by Pinfall with Sweet Chin Music - Randy Orton d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall with an RKO to Win.
Off-Camera Title Change:
August 23: Shelton Benjamin d. Christian to Win the Intercontinental Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 3, 2023 1:06:56 GMT 1
WWE Unforgiven September 12, 2004 Rose Garden Portland, OR RAW Exclusive Event
*Batista w/Ric Flair d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall in a No Disqualification Match Since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton in June, Chris Benoit had made several attempts to regain the title, only to be foiled by Evolution's Batista in the process (prior to Orton being kicked out of Evolution the night after Summerslam). While Batista and Benoit had faced off before, it had always ended in controversial fashion. This led to Benoit challenging The Animal to a No Disqualification match to settle the issue once and for all. While this stipulation would appear to benefit Batista due to the presence of Ric Flair on the outside, the Wolverine took out the Nature Boy fairly quickly with a Steel Chair shot to the head, KO'ing Flair and making the match one on one. Benoit tried to wear out the head and neck of the powerful Batista, but The Animal fought off the attempts at the Crossface, and hit a Batista Bomb through a table to pick up the victory.
*The Hurricane & Rosey d. Steven Richards & "The Conman" Rob Conway by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles Perennial "enhancement talent" Steven Richards and Rob Conway had formed an unlikely pairing on the Raw B-Show Sunday Night Heat, and had earned a World Tag Team Title Shot through unlikely winning a Gauntlet match on Raw. Unfortunately for them, their winning streak came to an end against the actual tag team champions, as The Hurricane pinned Conway with an Eye of the Storm followed by a Big Splash from Rosey.
*Simon Dean d. Orlando Jordan by Pinfall Orlando Jordan had made his debut over the summer with a street-wise fighter gimmick, and had achieved a minor winning streak in his debut. He had entered a feud with Raw's "new sponsor", the fitness guru Simon Dean and his Simon System. The fitness guru was overwhelmed by Jordan's offense early on, but took advantage of a missed plancha to the outside by Orlando to take advantage. Jordan mounted a comeback towards the end, but Simon took advantage of a distracted referee to hit a low blow and then follow up with the Simon Slam to pick up the win.
*Shawn Michaels d. Johnny Nitro by Pinfall The brash and arrogant Johnny Nitro had abandoned his mentor, William Regal, after a loss at Summerslam in a World Tag Team Title match. Thus Nitro was looking to make a name for himself, targeting Shawn Michaels to do so. The veteran HBK tried to look out for the brash youth, telling him from experience not to burn so many bridges that he would regret later, but Nitro attacked Michaels when he was trying to give him advice on an episode of Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel. The match between the two showcased Nitro's natural athletic ability, but the youngster was quickly outmatched by Michaels' veteran savvy, as he defeated Nitro relatively easily via Sweet Chin Music.
*Shelton Benjamin d. Chris Jericho & Christian in a Ladder Match to Retain the Intercontinental Title Shelton Benjamin had continued his meteoric rise as a singles star in WWE by winning the Intercontinental Title from Christian in the weeks following Summerslam. A rematch was set for Unforgiven, which was expanded to include Chris Jericho after Y2J beat Christian in a match on Raw to make the title match a triple threat. Benjamin requested that the match be made a Ladder Match as well. What followed was a highly competitive ladder match in which all three men had a legitimate shot of winning. Jericho locked Christian in the Walls of Jericho on top of the ladder, essentially eliminating him from the match, but Jericho was then caught by the champion who delivered an overhead belly to belly from the top of the ladder. Benjamin recovered long enough to climb the ladder and reclaim his championship, winning the highly competitive match.
*Edge d. Rob Van Dam in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match Though Edge had defeated Rob Van Dam the previous month at Summerslam, RVD had gained a measure of revenge the following night on Raw, pinning the Mastermind in a Summerslam rematch. This led Raw GM Eric Bischoff to make a rubber match between the two at Unforgiven, with a best 2 out of 3 Falls stipulation. Edge attempted to gain an early advantage, attacking RVD with a steel chair before the bell rang, but Van Dam countered with a Van Daminator chairshot to the face, before following up with an early 5-Star Frogsplash to go up in the first fall quickly. Edge was able to come back and roll up Van Dam for the second fall, using the ropes for leverage. Van Dam attempted a springboard dropkick late in the match, only to be caught in midair with a Spear from Edge, who then scored the third and final fall in the hard fought match.
*Triple H w/Ric Flair d. Randy Orton by Pinfall to Win the World Heavyweight Title Despite losing in the Elimination Chamber, Triple H apparently held no hard feelings towards his protege Randy Orton, declaring the night after Summerslam to be "Randy Orton Appreciation Night". During a celebration in the closing moments of that show though, Triple H turned on Orton and led Evolution in a beatdown of the World Heavyweight Champion. The next week, he demanded that Orton surrender the World Title to him, saying if he did he would "spare Orton" any further harm. It appeared that the self-professed Legend Killer would do just that, but Orton duped Triple H, spitting in his face and then KO'ing him with the title belt, leading to this title defense. The student outpaced the master in the opening parts of the match, and Triple H nearly suffered an early defeat with an early RKO. Triple H though had the numbers advantage, especially after the referee suffered a knockdown, leading to Ric Flair and Batista attacking the champion. Batista delivered a chair shot to Orton, while Triple H Pedigreed the champion on said chair as the ref came too, leading to The Game picking up the pinfall victory and regaining the World Heavyweight Title, Evolution celebrating to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
September 16: Spike Dudley d. Rey Mysterio to Win the Cruiserweight Title
September 16: Matt Cappotelli & The Fabulous Rico d. The Firm to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 4, 2023 2:01:17 GMT 1
WWE No Mercy October 3, 2004 Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, NJ SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*Matt Cappotelli & The Fabulous Rico w/Miss Jackie d. The Firm [Luther Reigns & Matt Morgan] by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The unlikely duo of Matt Cappotelli and The Fabulous Rico had been a surprisingly effective tandem since their debut together a few months prior, culminating in them beating Reigns and Morgan for the WWE Tag Team Titles in an upset. A rematch was made for No Mercy, and it was clear that The Firm was hell bent on recapturing the gold that they had lost. The two big men isolated Rico and beat him down heartily, but Rico's educated feet were able to give the champions a second life, hot tagging in Cappotelli who delivered repeated dropkicks to the challengers. A double team from Reigns and Morgan reestablished dominance, but a distraction from Miss Jackie on the outside allowed Rico to hit a spin kick on Reigns to knock him out of the ring as Cappotelli rolled up Morgan for the victory and title retention.
*Renee Dupree d. Sylvain Grenier by Pinfall The former tag team of La Resistance had seemingly reunited just after Summerslam, but their reunion was short lived, as a loss to the new WWE Tag Team Champions caused the former champions to break apart again, leading to this fight between them. In a standard match, Dupree won with a swinging neckbreaker in order to pick up the victory.
*Muhammad Hassan w/Daivari d. Scotty 2 Hotty by Submission Arab American Muhammad Hassan was making his debut with this match. He had entered the WWE in order to fight against the stereotypes against other Arab Americans following 9/11, though he himself was seemingly perpetuating those stereotypes unknowingly with his actions. Against former tag champion Scotty 2 Hotty, Hassan was clearly the dominant fighter, as he defeated Scotty with a Camel Clutch to pick up the submission victory.
*The Undertaker d. Kenzo Suzuki w/Hiroko by Pinfall Kenzo Suzuki had been dominant since his debut, having only lost a handfull of matches since arriving in the summer. However this streak of dominance ran headlong into the Phenom, who was able to withstand the hard strikes of Suzuki and counter with hard punches of his own. The Undertaker eventually won the match after hitting Suzuki with the Tombstone Piledriver.
*Spike Dudley w/The Dudley Boyz d. Paul London w/Brian Kendrick by Disqualification to Retain the Cruiserweight Title Spike Dudley had won the Cruiserweight Title from Rey Mysterio on a September episode of Smackdown, albeit with help from The Dudley Boyz. Rather than face Rey in a title rematch, Spike was set to defend the title against Paul London due to a knee injury Rey suffered at a house show. The Dudleys attempted to interfere on behalf of "The Boss", but the referee saw them getting involved and ejected both them and Brian Kendrick from ringside to ensure the match would be one on one. However, that didn't stop Rey from coming out of the crowd to attack Spike, costing London the match and keeping the title on Spike. Afterwards, London and Kendrick argued with Rey as Spike and the Dudleys left the area, holding the cruiserweight title.
*John Cena d. Maven by Pinfall to Win the WWE United States Title. After the Chief of Staff had defeated John Cena for the US Title, Cena had been thwarted in his attempts to regain the championship due to interference from The Firm. For the match at No Mercy, Smackdown GM Theodore Long stated that if Maven were disqualified or counted out, he would lose the title. Without the championship advantage, Maven was left without a way to save his title reign, as Cena pinned him with an FU to regain the title.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Kurt Angle in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match 3 Falls to 2 The feud between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle reached its final conclusion in this 30 Minute Iron Man match, with the winner going on to Survivor Series to earn a WWE Championship match. Angle won the first fall via submission with the Ankle Lock, and then went up 2 nothing with a top rope angle slam after catching Eddie going for a Frogsplash. Eddie quickly won the third fall with a rollup, while hitting an Angle Slam of his own to pick up a tying 4th fall. Eddie won the decisive fall after hitting a frogsplash and pinning the Olympic Hero with 15 seconds left in the match to pick up the win. After the match, Angle shook hands with Eddie, having finally earned each other's respect.
*Booker T d. John Bradshaw Leyfield by Disqualification [JBL Retains the WWE Championship] Booker T had won a triple threat match on Smackdown to earn a title shot at JBL at No Mercy, continuing their feud from the summer. The unlikely champion had seemingly met his match against Booker, as Booker had pinned the champion in non-title tag contests leading into this match. Prior to their match beginning tonight though, Booker was ambushed by Morgan and Reigns in the entryway, giving JBL the advantage in the start of the match. Booker eventually fought from underneath and nearly picked up the win after hitting a Book End on JBL, but only getting a two count. Before Booker could continue the match though, he was attacked by a returning Big Show, resulting in a disqualification. It was clear that the Big Show was JBL's "insurance policy" that he had mentioned in earlier promos. The Firm came down to further injure Booker, only for Booker to be saved by the trio of Eddie, Angle and Cena, leading to JBL and The Firm vacating the arena to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Change:
October 7: Carlito d. John Cena for the US Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 6, 2023 1:35:12 GMT 1
Note: Halloween Havoc replaces Taboo Tuesday. It also moves from a Tuesday to the following Sunday, though the venue stays the same.WWE Halloween Havoc October 24, 2004 Bradley Center Milwaukee, WI
*Trish Stratus d. Gail Kim, Molly Holly & Jazz by Pinfall Four of the top Divas in the company competed for the opportunity to compete for the Divas title in the near future in this opening match. At first the trio of Kim, Holly & Jazz were seemingly out to gain up on the former 6-time champion, considering her to be the greatest threat in the match. All too quickly though the alliance disbanded as all three women attempted to gain a pinfall victory over Trish, and then took to fighting amongst themselves. Trish laid low and eventually came back to fight off all three of the challengers, hitting Kim with Stratusfaction in order to pick up the win and earn a future Divas Title Shot.
*William Regal d. Johnny Nitro by Submission The pairing of William Regal and Johnny Nitro had imploded at Summerslam when the duo failed to capture the World Tag Team Titles. Nitro viewed himself as "above" Regal's coaching and viciously attacked the Gentleman Villain, turning him face for the first time in his WWE career. In this contest, Nitro quickly found himself outpaced by his mentor, as Regal picked up the victory via submission with his Regal Stretch.
*Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit Wrestled to a No Contest In the quest to jockey for position against Triple H for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, former champion Chris Benoit and former WWE Champion Chris Jericho were set to face each other in a renewal of their long standing rivalry, with Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff promising the winner a shot at the title the following night on Raw. While the match between the two was highly competitive, as per usual, it was unfortunately interrupted by the untimely arrival of Batista and Ric Flair, both of whom attacked Benoit and Jericho on the outside, leading to the match being thrown out by the referee.
*Shelton Benjamin d. Orlando Jordan by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title In a standard title defense, the street fighting Orlando Jordan put up a good fight against the Intercontinental Champion, but Shelton Benjamin was able to hold on to his title, defeating Jordan with a T-Bone Suplex to pick up the victory.
*Lita d. Victoria by Pinfall to Win the Divas Title Lita had won a 7-woman battle royal in order to crown a new #1 contender to the Divas Championship on Raw. With her engagement to Matt Hardy quietly having been quashed in storyline (due to a real-life affair between her and Edge), Lita was seemingly in a dark place heading into this match. She attacked Victoria before the bell, laying into her with a meanstreak she hadn't shown in recent years. The champion could never really get into rhythm, and Lita eventually finished off Victoria with a Litasault to win the title.
*Kane w/Christy Hemme d. Tyson Tomko w/Christian by Pinfall To the surprise of many, Kane had recently become enamored with the newest addition to the Divas roster, Christy Hemme. The Devil Incarnate had at first stalked the Divas Search winner, but Christy quickly showed she wasn't afraid of Kane and actually "found him kind of cute." This was used to humorous effect by Christian, who propositioned Hemme on an episode of Raw. When Christy slapped the taste out of Captain Charisma's mouth, she was grabbed by the Problem Solver Tyson Tomko, leading to Kane coming out to make the save. The match was originally scheduled to be Christian versus Kane, but Christian came out with his arm in a cast and a Doctor's Note saying he couldn't compete, replacing himself with Tomko instead. Kane and Tomko had a quick even match, that almost ended in DQ after Christian attacked Kane from behind with his cast. Kane no sold the attack and proceeded to chokeslam Christian, while then Tombstoning Tomko to pick up the win.
*Randy Orton d. Batista w/Ric Flair by Disqualification After losing the World Heavyweight Title to Triple H due to interference from Evolution, Orton set his sights on trying to take out Evolution's Animal, Batista. Orton told Dave that Triple H was "using him" and that he would only hold him back. Batista ignored Orton, and helped cost Orton a match on Raw that would have added him to the main event of Halloween Havoc. In this match, the power of Batista was on full display as he threw Orton around the ring, only for Randy to find counters to most of Batista's signature offense. Eventually Orton managed to hit an RKO out of nowhere, only for Flair to pull the referee out and deck him, resulting in the disqualification. Batista and Flair put the boots to Orton, until they were chased off by Jericho and Benoit making the save.
*Triple H d. Shawn Michaels & Edge by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship Triple H was initially set to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Edge alone after Edge had defeated Rob Van Dam at Unforgiven the previous month. However Shawn Michaels earned his way into the match by defeating Edge on an episode of Raw, making it a triple threat match. With Flair and Batista having been chased away by Jericho and Benoit earlier, The Game was on his own in the title match, made even more apparent when Randy Orton reappeared on the outside and delivered an RKO to the Game in an attempt to cost him the title. Michaels and Edge though fought between themselves, Michaels breaking up a pin attempt by Edge after he hit a Spear on the injured Triple H. In the end, The Game was able to come back after Michaels hit Edge with Sweet Chin Music, decking his former friend with a sledge hammer before hitting the Pedigree to pick up the win and retain his title.
Off-Camera Title Change:
November 4: The Dudley Boyz d. Matt Cappotelli & The Fabulous Rico for the WWE Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 7, 2023 2:31:00 GMT 1
WWE Survivor Series November 14, 2004 Gund Arena Cleveland, OH
*PRE-SHOW: Team Raw [William Regal, Val Venis, Steven Richards, Doug Basham & Danny Basham] d. Team Smackdown [Charlie Haas, Billy Gunn, Muhammad Hassan, Matt Cappotelli & The Fabulous Rico] in an Interpromotional Survivor Series Match - Billy Gunn d. Steven Richards by Pinfall - Doug Basham d. Matt Cappotelli by Pinfall - Muhammad Hassan Was Disqualified - The Fabulous Rico d. Danny Basham by Pinfall - William Regal d. Billy Gunn by Pinfall - Charlie Haas d. Val Venis by Submission - Charlie Haas d. Doug Basham by Pinfall - William Regal d. The Fabulous Rico by Pinfall - William Regal d. Charlie Haas by Submission Sole Survivor: William Regal
*Team Guerrero [Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Booker T & The Undertaker] d. The Firm [The Big Show, Matt Morgan, Luther Reigns & Maven] in a Survivor Series Match. WWE Champion John Bradshaw Leyfield had originally planned on having the night off for Survivor Series, given that he had no official #1 contender going into the event. Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long however rained on his parade, creating a unique Survivor Series match to crown up to 4 #1 contenders. Long made the match between The Firm (teaming with JBL's "business associate" The Big Show) against initially Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Booker T and John Cena. If The Firm won the match, then JBL would have no title defense at Survivor Series. If any member of Team Guerrero survived, then they would move on to challenge JBL later on in the night (with no championship advantage in that title match.) Prior to the event, it was announced that John Cena had been attacked in a Boston night club that weekend, and would be unable to compete (it would later be revealed that new US Champion Carlito was behind the attack). Much to the champion's chagrin, Cena was replaced by The Undertaker. - The Big Show eliminated Booker T by Pinfall - The Undertaker & The Big Show Wrestled to a Double Countout - Kurt Angle eliminated Maven by Submission - Luther Reigns eliminated Kurt Angle by Pinfall - Eddie Guerrero eliminated Luther Reigns by Pinfall - Eddie Guerrero eliminated Matt Morgan by Pinfall Sole Survivor: Eddie Guerrero
*Shelton Benjamin d. Carlito by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Match As a way of comparing the brands, both the Raw and Smackdown General Managers agreed to a series of Interpromotional matches (including a traditional Survivor Series match in the pre-show won by Team Raw). The other two matches pitted the two brands respective tag champions against one another, as well as the United States and Intercontinental Title Holders. Carlito had won the US Title on his debut match from John Cena, spitting an apple into the face of the champion behind the ref's back to help pick up the win. It looked as if the impressive debut for Carlito would continue as he controlled much of the match against the highly athletic IC Champion, but when Carlito seemingly had the match won, Cena's music suddenly played, startling him. This distraction allowed Benjamin to roll up Carlito from behind, picking up the surprise victory over the US Champ.
*The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] d. The Hurricane & Rosey by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Match The battle of the tag team champions of each respective brand was a contrast in experience, as the highly decorated Dudley Boyz took on the super hero tandem of The Hurricane and Rosey. Despite the latter throwing his weight around against the Dudleys, Bubba Ray and D-Von were able to successfully isolate the Hurricane for much of the match, and eventually picked up the victory hitting a 3-D on the World Tag Team Champion.
*Brian Kendrick Won the Cruiserweight Invitational Match to Win the Cruiserweight Title The Boss Spike Dudley was set to defend his Cruiserweight Title in a so-called Cruiserweight Invitational, where several superstars competed in a battle royal first with the winner immediately earning a title shot. Brian Kendrick last eliminated Nunzio in order to earn that title shot (after Spike had interceded to ensure that Rey Mysterio was eliminated early on). Spike immediately attacked Kendrick and went for the Dudley Dawg in an attempt to pick up the victory early on. Kendrick had Spike well scouted though and reversed the move into a rollup, picking up the quick surprise victory to win the Cruiserweight Title.
*Trish Stratus d. Lita by Disqualification [Lita Retains the Divas Title] The friendship/rivalry between Trish Stratus and Lita had taken a turn towards the personal when Trish Stratus revealed publicly about the affair that Lita had against her former boyfriend Matt Hardy on an episode of Raw, leading to Lita attacking Trish for "sticking her nose where it didn't belong." Lita then returned the favor, pointing out Trish's own past as a fitness model and insinuating that Trish had managed to "sleep" her way to the top. This led to several pull apart brawls between the two women as the friendship completely broke down in the face of the Divas Championship. This continued into their match at Survivor Series, which quickly descended into an all out brawl. Trish won the match via disqualification after Lita used the title belt as a weapon, but both women brawled to the back, having to be separated by security.
*Team Orton [Randy Orton, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit] w/Christy Hemme d. Team Flair [Ric Flair, Batista, Edge, Christian & Tyson Tomko] in a Survivor Series Match Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff had recently informed the Raw roster that he was taking a much deserved vacation in the weeks following Survivor Series, and that he would be turning Raw over to control of the winning Survivor Series team between Team Orton and Team Evolution, with each member serving as the guest general manager each week. - Edge d. Rob Van Dam by Pinfall - Kane d. Christian by Pinfall - Kane & Tyson Tomko Were Counted Out - Batista d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall - Randy Orton d. Ric Flair by Pinfall - Batista d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall - Edge was Disqualified - Randy Orton d. Batista by Pinfall Sole Survivor: Randy Orton
*Eddie Guerrero d. John Bradshaw Leyfield by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship Per the stipulation in the earlier Survivor Series match that opened the show, Eddie Guerrero would receive an opportunity at JBL's WWE Championship. Bradshaw attempted to end the match early, going for power moves that would capitalize on the weakened Guerrero. Eddie however was able to outsmart Mr. Wall Street, using his quickness and a rope-a-dope strategy to wear out the champion. Near the end of the match, the referee took a tumble, leaving Eddie to try and cheat his way to victory. He grabbed the WWE title belt and a steel chair, tossing both in the ring. JBL intercepted though, making to hit Eddie with the chair, only for the referee to come to and grab the chair from Bradshaw. While the ref was distracted with disposing of the chair, Eddie grabbed the title belt and KO'ed Bradshaw with it before disposing of the evidence. Eddie then hit the Frogsplash to pick up the victory and lie, cheat and steal his way to another WWE Title.
*Triple H d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall in a Hell in a Cell Match to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship The lengthy on-again, off-again feud between former best friends Shawn Michaels and Triple H finally reached its final crescendo in a Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship, specifically coming about after Triple H had used a sledge hammer the previous month at Halloween Havoc to cost Michaels the chance to win said title in a triple threat match. Both men beat each other within an inch of their respective lives, with both men becoming a bloody mess by the end of the match. In the end, Michaels went for Sweet Chin Music, only for Triple H to duck and hit a low blow on Michaels, before deliver a Pedigree on a set of steel steps to finally put HBK away and retain the World Heavyweight Title.
Off-Camera Title Change
November 29: Trish Stratus d. Lita for the Divas Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 7, 2023 22:51:42 GMT 1
WWE Armageddon December 12, 2004 Phillips Arena Atlanta, GA SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*The Firm [Matt Morgan & Luther Reigns] d. The Fabulous Rico & Matt Cappotelli by Pinfall JBL's personal security team was looking to reinsert themselves in the tag title race, taking on the two men that had defeated them for the titles a few months prior in The Fabulous Rico and Matt Cappotelli. The two had formed an unlikely duo and had proven to be successful in their short time together, however The Firm were certainly not underestimating them this time. Despite the best efforts of the former champions, Morgan and Reigns would not be denied, and they pinned Cappotelli following a double spinebuster to pick up the win.
*Brian Kendrick & Paul London Wrestled to a No Contest [Kendrick Retains the Cruiserweight Title] Brian Kendrick had won the Cruiserweight Title at the Survivor Series after winning a battle royal and then defeating Spike Dudley just as quickly as he could. Despite his friendship and tag partnership with Paul London, this did not stop the latter from challenging Kendrick for the Cruiserweight Title at Armageddon. The two had a highly competitive match, filled with counter moves and high flying offense throughout. Unfortunately the match ended in a No Contest, as the two were suddenly attacked by Palumbo, Big Vito and Nunzio, the FBI. The trio laid out Kendrick and London, with Nunzio posing with the Cruiserweight Title after the fact.
*Muhammad Hassan w/Daivari d. Rey Mysterio by Pinfall Muhammad Hassan had continued his undefeated streak on Smackdown, while also condemning Americans for their "blatant hatred and racism" against Arab Americans. He also expanded that to include other ethnicities, approaching Rey Mysterio and claiming that Rey hid his identity under a mask due to American's prejudices of Latin Americans. Rey tried to educate Hassan on the culture of masked wrestling in Mexico, but he wouldn't hear it and simply tried to educate Rey on his "ignorance", attacking him and setting up this match for Armageddon. This was clearly the biggest match the young rookie had had up to that point, and the veteran Mysterio ran circles around Hassan. Daivari interjected himself towards the end of the match, distracting the referee after Rey had Hassan beat with a West Coast Pop. This led Rey to slingshot Daivari into the ring and then nail him with a 619, sending him packing. But Hassan recovered enough to hit a reverse DDT on Rey and then pin him with his feet in the ropes for additional leverage, cheating to score the huge upset.
*Daniel Puder d. Mike "The Miz" Mizanin by Knockout in a 5-Round Boxing Match to Win the Tough Enough Challenge The Million Dollar Tough Enough Challenge had come down to amateur MMA star Daniel Puder and lifelong fan Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, with the winner receiving a Million Dollar Contract. Despite his heart, The Miz was outclassed by Puder in the Boxing Match and knocked out in the 2nd round, giving Puder the official win (though Miz would also be signed to a contract afterwards.)
*Harlem Heat [Booker T & Stevie Ray] d. The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] by Pinfall to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles On an episode of Smackdown, Booker T had defeated Bubba Ray Dudley in a singles match, leading to the Dudleys attacking Booker and putting him through a table. Booker vowed to find a partner to take out the Dudleys and win the WWE Tag Team Titles in the process. To the shock of everyone, Booker's mystery partner turned out to be his brother and former tag team partner Stevie Ray, who came out of retirement to reform Harlem Heat. The two legendary tag teams battled each other in a hard fought match, with the Dudleys getting the advantage over the ring rust of Stevie Ray early on. Booker was able to make the hot tag and clear out the Dudleys from the ring, with Stevie Ray coming back to save Booker from a double team. Booker eventually hit the Book End on D-Von to pick up the win and give Harlem Heat their first tag team gold in WWE.
*The Big Show d. The Undertaker by Pinfall in a #1 Contenders Match For several months JBL and The Big Show had been involved in a business arrangement of mutual understanding, with Bradshaw paying the Giant to take out top contenders to the WWE title. This continued at Survivor Series, when Big Show was part of the team designed to protect the champion from having to defend his title. The Big Show's part in this was undermined when The Undertaker was brought in to replace to injured John Cena on the team, resulting in the Phenom and The Giant eliminating each other via double countout. Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long made a #1 contenders match between the two titans for Armageddon. Big Show called in his favors from JBL, demanding help in defeating the Deadman. Bradshaw was mum on the subject, not wanting to anger either man. The Undertaker controlled much of the match, hitting several of his signature moves and outstriking the Big Show for the majority of the contest. However, as The Big Show distracted the referee towards the end of the match arguing over something, Undertaker was assaulted at ringside by Luther Reigns and Matt Morgan, who KO'ed the Deadman with a chair shot straight to the head before scurrying out of the arena. Undertaker barely made it back in the ring to beat a 10 count, but quickly succumbed to a KO punch from the Big Show who picked up the win.
*John Cena d. Carlito by Submission to Win the United States Title Just prior to the Survivor Series, John Cena was attacked by several assailants in a Boston night club, which caused him to miss the Survivor Series match and a chance at the WWE Championship. It was later revealed that Carlito was the man behind the attack, trying to take the former US Champion out of action for good. Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long was prepared to strip Carlito of the US Title for his actions, but Cena convinced him otherwise, instead requesting a street fight against Carlito for the title. The Caribbean star came prepared, utilizing brass knuckles and other weapons to try and take out Cena. However Cena was prepared as well, and he won the match and his third US Title by choking out Carlito with a steel chain while he was locked in the STFU.
*Eddie Guerrero d. John Bradshaw Leyfield w/Maven in a Texas Bullrope Match to Retain the WWE Championship After losing the WWE Championship at Survivor Series, JBL immediately invoked his rematch clause against Eddie Guerrero, challenging the new champion to a Texas Bullrope match at Armageddon. Eddie was immediately targeted by The Firm (particularly chief of staff Maven) as they attempted to make sure that Guerrero didn't make it to Armageddon. The champ was able to make it medically cleared however, facing off against JBL in the match where the only way to win was to touch all four corners first while attached to a Bullrope on your opponent. Bradshaw's strength was the advantage in this match, as he was more easily able to carry Guerrero around. However, Eddie managed to stop Bradshaw from touching all four corners, rallying his reserves, hitting the Frogsplash and then touching all the corners himself to retain the title.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
December 13: Garrison Cade & Trevor Murdoch d. The Hurricane & Rosey for the World Tag Team Titles
December 30: The Big Show d. Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship
January 6: The Firm d. Harlem Heat for the WWE Tag Team Titles |
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