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Post by darbicus on Mar 9, 2023 10:44:29 GMT 1
Note: Changing the venue from Puerto Rico to the UK, just for the sake of the main event match I run here.
WWE New Year's RevolutionJanuary 9, 2005 Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England RAW Exclusive Event
*Batista d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall During his week as general manager, Chris Jericho had booked himself in a World Title match against Triple H, only to be attacked backstage by The Animal Batista before the match, ensuring that Triple H would have an easy title defense. This led to Jericho challenging Batista to a match at New Year's Revolution. Y2J took advantage of The Animal's apparent knee injury early on, focusing on the knee and attempting to lock in the Walls of Jericho on Batista. However the power of The Animal was too much to overcome, with The Animal pinning the former WWE champion clean after hitting a Batista Bomb.
*Shelton Benjamin d. Edge by Disqualification to Retain the Intercontinental Championship Edge had targeted Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin in an attempt to gain that title, challenging him for the belt at this event. The match was made more interesting when Shawn Michaels was added as the Special Guest Referee, after Edge attacked both Michaels and Benjamin during a non-title match between the two on an episode of Raw. Edge continuously argued with the Special Guest Referee throughout the match as he attempted to cheat in order to gain an advantage, which gave the champion openings for several near falls. The end came after Benjamin inadvertantly hit Michaels with a spin kick, allowing Edge to drill him with the Intercontinental Title belt. HBK initially counted the fall for Edge, crowning him the new champion, only to see the belt lying in the ring. Figuring out what happened, he then reversed his decision, disqualifying Edge and returning the title to Benjamin. As Edge complained, Michaels was tired of hearing it and KO'ed the Opportunist with Sweet Chin Music to finally shut him up.
*Garrison Cade & Trevor Murdoch d. The Hurricane & Rosey by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The newly formed team of Cade and Murdoch had upset the super hero tandem of The Hurricane and Rosey for the World Tag Team Titles a few weeks prior to New Year's Revolution, leading to a rematch at the Pay Per View. Despite Rosey's strength and power, Cade and Murdoch were able to double team The Hurricane with impunity, with Murdoch eventually finishing off The Hurricane with his Tumbleweed finisher to pick up the win and retain the belts.
*Christian & Candice Michelle w/Tyson Tomko d. Kane & Christy Hemme by Pinfall in a Mixed Tag Match The relationship between Kane and Christy Hemme had continued to be one of the more odd ball pairings in WWE history, as Hemme had become more enthralled with the Devil Incarnate and Kane had become more "human" in the wake of her presence. This notion was commented on both by Christian and by one of the women Hemme had defeated in the Divas Search in newcomer Candice Michelle, leading to this mixed tag match. Christian and Kane handled the bulk of the match, with Hemme and Michelle only engaging in short bouts involving hair pulling and the like. The end came when Kane was fighting with Tomko on the outside, leaving Hemme to the mercy of Christian, who delivered the Killswitch to her, allowing Candice to pin her. Kane immediately checked on Hemme as Christian and company high tailed it out of the arena, while medical officials took Hemme away in an ambulance.
*Trish Stratus d. Lita in a Steel Cage Match to Retain the Divas Championship The two chief rivals for the Divas championship did battle once more, this time in a Steel Cage. Their match here was not much different than the matches they had throughout the year, though one memorable spot happened when Lita attempted a moonsault from the top of the cage, only for Trish to roll out of the way, resulting in Lita crashing and burning. Trish then staggered her way out of the cage to retain her title.
*Randy Orton d. Chris Benoit in a Submissions Match Both Randy Orton and Chris Benoit were laying claim to being the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship heading into the new year. Upon his return from vacation, Raw GM Eric Bischoff set up a match between the two at this event, with a coin flip determining who would select the stipulation for the match. Benoit won the coin toss, electing to make the match a Submission match. Orton was at a clear disadvantage heading into the match, as Benoit was a submissions expert. But surprisingly Orton was more than able to hold his own, eventually locking in a Keylock submission that Orton called the O-Lock and forcing Benoit to tap out, earning a title shot for the Royal Rumble.
*Triple H w/Ric Flair d. William Regal by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship William Regal had earned a World Heavyweight Championship mnatch, pinning Triple H in a non-title match when filling in for the injured Rob Van Dam on an episode of Raw. Given that New Year's Revolution was happening in Manchester, just a short drive away from Regal's hometown of Blackpool, the Gentleman Villain was clearly had a homefield advantage over The Game. The two put on a wrestling exhibition in the early going, with Regal getting the better of Triple H early on. Triple H however turned the tide after hitting a spinebuster on Regal and then wearing down the challenger. Regal refused to give up however, countering the Pedigree at every turn and eventually hitting a butterfly suplex that inadvertantly took out the referee. Ric Flair attempted to get involved, only to be nailed with the Power of the Punch (brass knuckles) and KO'ed on the outside. The distraction allowed Triple H to hit a Pedigree, but the ref was still down. Regal then used the brass knucs on Triple H and got a near fall when the ref came too. Regal attempted to lock on the Regal Stretch to finish off Triple H, but Flair was able to come to and place the Game's foot on the rope. Regal chased after Flair again, but Triple H took advantage of the distraction and hit a second Pedigree to pick up the win and retain the title.
Off-Camera Title Change:
January 20: Nunzio d. Brian Kendrick for the Cruiserweight Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 10, 2023 15:19:05 GMT 1
WWE Royal Rumble January 30, 2005 Save Mart Center Fresno, CA
*PRE-SHOW: The Fabulous Rico d. Johnny Nitro by Pinfall in an Interpromotional Match In a standard match, The Fabulous Rico defeated Johnny Nitro after hitting him with a spinning heel kick.
*Christian w/Tyson Tomko d. Shelton Benjamin by Pinfall to Win the WWE Intercontinental Title Shelton Benjamin attempted to keep his dominant run as Intercontinental Champion going by defending against the man he had defeated for the title in the first place in Captain Charisma, Christian. Christian's problem solver Tyson Tomko attempted to get involved early, which earned him an ejection from ringside by the referee. The distraction almost cost Christian the match, as Benjamin rolled him up from behind and got a near fall. The IC Champ stayed on Christian, until Captain Charisma was able to dodge a dive to the outside, causing Benjamin to go flying into the barricade instead. Christian then methodically tried to pick apart Benjamin, getting several near falls before Shelton countered with an enziguiri to by him time. Benjamin hit a big splash in the corner, setting up for the T-Bone suplex, when Tomko tried to run in and interfere again. Benjamin dove to the outside and took him out, and when he came back in the ring with the referee distracted, Christian drilled him with the IC title belt and then delivered a Killswitch onto the gold. Christian then kicked away the evidence and pinned the champion to become the new Intercontinental Champion.
*The Firm [Matt Morgan & Luther Reigns] d. The FBI [Chuck Palumbo & Big Vito] w/Nunzio & Paul London and Brian Kendrick in a Triple Threat match to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The FBI and the team of London and Kendrick had been feuding with each other for the better part of a month, mostly over Nunzio's acquisition of the Cruiserweight Title. However the two teams had a common enemy in The Firm in this triple threat match for the WWE Tag Team Titles. The Firm and The FBI actually teamed up to take out London and Kendrick at the start, before wrestling a slow match between themselves. London and Kendrick came back from the early attack, hitting high flying moves on both teams for near falls. It appeared that Kendrick had Palumbo pinned after hitting Sliced Bread #2, but a running Carbon Boot from Morgan KO'ed Kendrick and allowed the Firm to pick up the win and retain their titles.
*Trish Stratus d. Candice Michelle in an Evening Gown Match to Retain the Divas Title Newcomer Diva Candice Michelle had appeared on an episode of Raw and insulted Divas Champion Trish Stratus, stating that she was far more of a "sex symbol" than the multiple time champion and, comically, a better athlete than Trish. While Stratus challenged Candice to prove herself in the ring, Candice instead went to Raw GM Eric Bischoff and offered some "special persuasion" to make her match with Trish at the Royal Rumble an Evening Gown match, where the only way to win was to strip your opponents evening gown off of her. Trish was in an environment she wasn't used to competing in, but still held her own against the inexperienced diva, eventually stripping off her dress and winning the match.
*The Big Show d. Eddie Guerrero by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship Eddie Guerrero had lost the WWE Championship on the final Smackdown of 2004, losing in a title match to The Big Show after suffering a knee injury at the hands of JBL earlier in the night. With Eddie now fully recovered, he challenged The Giant in an attempt to regain his title. Prior to the match, Eddie received a pep talk from, of all people, Shawn Michaels, as HBK and Guerrero had similar pasts of defeating the "demons of their past" and redeeming themselves in recent years. Against The Big Show, Eddie tried to keep a quick pace, but The Giant overwhelmed the former champion in a dominant showing. Looking as good as he had ever looked, Big Show overcame a late rally from the challenger, getting his knees up to block a Frogsplash attempt and then finishing off Guerrero with a thunderous Chokeslam to pick up the clean win and retain the title.
*Triple H d. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship Randy Orton had earned a championship rematch with his former mentor at the Royal Rumble by virtue of his win over Chris Benoit at New Year's Revolution. He also earned the right to pick the stipulation for the match, agreeing to a Last Man Standing match in an effort to exact revenge on Triple H for the hell he had been put through since being kicked out of Evolution the previous September. Both men attacked each other with extreme violence, using chairs, kendo sticks and sledge hammers in an effort to knock the other man out for the 10 count. Triple H attempted a Sledge Hammer shot to the head, before being got with an RKO that nearly gave Orton the win. Orton then tried to KO Triple H with the World Title belt, before The Game ducked and then delivered a Pedigree onto a Steel Chair, which put Orton down for the 10 count and allowed a bloody Triple H to retain his title.
*Batista Won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match With Smackdown having won the previous 2 Royal Rumble matches, Eric Bischoff had made it clear he wanted a Raw star to win the match and main event Wrestlemania for the first time since the Brand Extension began. Despite this over-arching demand, the Rumble match went off without a hitch. Shawn Michaels started the match against Kenzo Suzuki, but would see his day come to an early end at the hands of Eddie Guerrero, who in his frustration apparently blamed Michaels for his loss earlier in the night and cost him the Rumble match. JBL, who had been wheeling and dealing all night for a better number, entered the Rumble match at #27. However, he quickly found himself eliminated by The Undertaker who entered at #28, though he gained some retribution for helping to eliminate the Phenom shortly thereafter, as Undertaker chased him to the back. The match came down to Batista and John Cena, who had an even match between them, before The Animal tossed the Doctor of Thuganomics out of the ring to pick up the Rumble victory.
Royal Rumble Entry/Exit Order (2 Minute Intervals between entries)
1. Shawn Michaels
2. Kenzo Suzuki
3. Rob Conway
4. Nunzio
- Rob Conway Eliminated #1 by Shawn Michaels
5. Edge
6. William Regal
7. Carlito
- Kenzo Suzuki Eliminated #2 by Edge
8. Maven
9. Ric Flair
- Shawn Michaels Eliminated #3 by Edge
10. Kane
- Nunzio Eliminated #4 by Kane
11. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
12. Chavo Guerrero
13. Muhammad Hassan
- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan Eliminated #5 by Muhammad Hassan
- Maven Eliminated #6 by Carlito
14. Tyson Tomko
15. Stevie Ray
- Tyson Tomko Eliminated #7 by Kane
16. Booker T
17. Val Venis
- Ric Flair Eliminated #8 by Carlito
- Muhammad Hassan Eliminated #9 by Booker T
18. Rob Van Dam
19. John Cena
- Chavo Guerrero Eliminated #10 by John Cena
20. Orlando Jordan
- Kane Eliminated #11 by Edge
21. Chris Jericho
- William Regal Eliminated #12 by Edge
22. Sgt. Slaughter
23. Batista
- Rob Van Dam Eliminated #13 by Batista
- Stevie Ray Eliminated #14 by Batista
24. Kidman
- Sgt. Slaughter Eliminated #15 by Booker T
- Val Venis Eliminated #16 by John Cena
25. Rey Mysterio
26. Chris Benoit
- Orlando Jordan Eliminated #17 by Rey Mysterio
27. John Bradshaw Leyfield
- Rey Mysterio Eliminated #18 by John Bradshaw Leyfield
28. The Undertaker
- John Bradshaw Leyfield Eliminated #19 by The Undertaker
- The Undertaker Eliminated #20 by Edge
29. The Hurricane
30. Kurt Angle
- The Hurricane Eliminated #21 by Chris Jericho
- Carlito Eliminated #22 by John Cena
- Booker T Eliminated #23 by Kurt Angle
- Kidman Eliminated #24 by Kurt Angle
- Chris Jericho Eliminated #25 by Batista
- Chris Benoit Eliminated #26 by Kurt Angle
- Kurt Angle Eliminated #27 by Edge
- Edge Eliminated #28 by Batista
- John Cena Eliminated #29 by Batista
Off-Camera Title Changes:
February 17: Muhammad Hassan d. John Cena to Win the US Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 13, 2023 0:15:12 GMT 1
WWE No Way Out February 20, 2005 Mellon Arena Pittsburgh, PA SMACKDOWN Exclusvie Event
*Charlie Haas d. Kenzo Suzuki w/Hiroko by Submission Both Charlie Haas and Kenzo Suzuki had sustained a string of losses on Smackdown in recent weeks, and both men were looking to right the ship in this opening match. Despite the size advantage that Suzuki possessed, Haas was able to out wrestle the Japanese star and eventually score the submission win by locking Kenzo in the Haas of Pain.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. The FBI [Nunzio & Chuck Palumbo] w/Big Vito by Pinfall The feud between London and Kendrick and the FBI reached its crescendo, as Nunzio teamed with Chuck Palumbo to take on the former WWE Tag Team Champions. The presence of Big Vito on the outside hurt the chances of the high flyers, especially after he hit a huge Impaler DDT on London on the outside behind the referee's back that nearly got him counted out. Kendrick managed to get the hot tag to his partner eventually, hitting Sliced Bread #2 on Nunzio to pick up the pinfall victory and gain some measure of revenge on the Cruiserweight Champion.
*Booker T w/Stevie Ray d. Muhammad Hassan w/Daivari by Disqualification [Hassan Retains the US Title] The context of this match was changed on the Smackdown prior to No Way Out when Muhammad Hassan had upset John Cena to become the United States champion (albeit with help from Carlito), leading to Hassan defending the title against Booker T in his previously scheduled match. With Stevie Ray in his corner to counter the presence of Daivari on the outside, it seemed as if Booker would make Hassan's title reign a short one, as he easily countered the rookie's offense at every turn. However Hassan had tricks up his sleeve, using a fight between Booker's brother and Daivari on the outside as a distraction to kick Booker T below the belt in an attempt to cheat to win. The referee however saw it out of the corner of his eye and disqualified Hassan, giving Booker the win but allowing the US Title to remain with Muhammad.
*The Undertaker d. Maven by Pinfall There had been ongoing issues between John Bradshaw Leyfield and The Undertaker, stemming back as far as Survivor Series when Undertaker had been the substitute partner on Team Guerrero, inadvertantly leading to JBL losing the WWE Title at that show. Simultaneously, Maven was looking to prove his worth as the Chief of Staff to JBL, challenging the Undertaker and hoping to recreate the magic that led to his upset of the Deadman three years earlier. Unfortunately for Maven, that magic was not forthcoming, as The Phenom rather easily bested the Chief of Staff, pinning him with a Tombstone Piledriver.
*The Firm [Luther Reigns & Matt Morgan] d. Shawn Michaels & Eddie Guerrero by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles When Eddie Guerrero lost his WWE Championship rematch to the Big Show at the Royal Rumble, in his mind he blamed Shawn Michaels for the "pre-match pep talk" that seemingly psyched him out, going so far as to cost Michaels the Royal Rumble match that night. The next night on Raw Eddie appeared and apologized to HBK, trying to make amends with him. Guerrero then began feuding with The Firm, reuniting with his Los Guerreros tag partner Chavo to challenge them for the belts, only for Chavo to be mysteriously attacked on an episode of Smackdown, taking him out of the match. Eddie then pleaded with Michaels to be his replacement partner, which HBK agreed to. The superstar team appeared like they would easily beat Reigns and Morgan, but the Firm managed to isolate Michaels to control the match. After HBK finally got the chance to make a hot tag to Eddie, Guerrero abandoned him and simply dropped to ringside, watching as Reigns and Morgan finished off Michaels, with Reigns pinning him following a huge tilt a whirl slam. After the match, Eddie hit Michaels with a Frogsplash for good measure before walking off, still angered.
*The Big Show d. Rey Mysterio by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship The World's Largest Athlete was on a mission to make it to Wrestlemania, but was almost undermined by Rey Mysterio when the former Cruiserweight champion pinned the Giant in a six-man tag match on Smackdown, earning this championship opportunity. Mysterio attempted to play Giant Killer, getting tantalizingly close to upsetting the Big Show on one or two occasions. But the champion was able to survive Mysterio's best shot, snatching him out of the air and delivering a powerful Chokeslam to win and retain the title.
*John Cena d. John Bradshaw Leyfield, Kurt Angle & Carlito in a Fatal Fourway Match to Become #1 Contender to the WWE Title With their still being a question about whether or not Batista would jump to Smackdown to challenge for the WWE Championship, Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long made sure he would have a championship match for Wrestlemania, arranging this Fatal Fourway match to crown an official #1 contender. All four men controlled the match at various points, with Angle nearly winning when he had Carlito in the Ankle Lock, only for JBL to break up the submission before Carlito could tap out. The end came when Bradshaw attempted a Clothesline from Hell on Cena, only for Cena to duck and hit an FU on JBL. Cena then got the pinfall before Angle could make the save, thus punching his ticket to Wrestlemania to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Change:
March 10: Shannon Moore d. Nunzio to Win the Cruiserweight Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 14, 2023 19:22:13 GMT 1
Note: Due to Wrestlemania 20 taking place in two different locations (one of them being Los Angeles), Wrestlemania 21 moves to Jacksonville, FL instead of LA. WWE Wrestlemania 21 April 3, 2005 Alltell Stadium Jacksonville, FL
PRE-SHOW: "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters d. Rob Van Dam by Submission In late January "The Masterpiece" had debuted on Monday Night Raw to much fanfare, and had been undefeated since then. On the go home episode of Raw, Masters had demanded an opponent for Wrestlemania, a challenge which was answered by Rob Van Dam. RVD ran circles around the youngster, showcasing his high flying offense, but the tide turned after Masters caught RVD in midair with a powerslam, seemingly injuring RVD's ribs in the process. Masters then controlled much of the match and, despite a late rally by Van Dam, locked RVD in the Master Lock and caused him to pass out to pick up the huge upset win and remain undefeated.
PRE-SHOW: Shannon Moore d. Nunzio w/The FBI by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Cruiserweight Title Shannon Moore had shocked the leader of the Full Blooded Italians earlier in March to win the Cruiserweight Championship, setting up this rematch in the Wrestlemania Pre-Show. Nunzio controlled the match early on, outpacing the high flying Prince of Punk. Moore however refused to be beaten, leading to an eventual comeback as Nunzio was frustrated. In the end, Vito distracted the referee while Palumbo tried to hit Moore with the Cruiserweight Title belt, only to accidentally hit Nunzio instead. Moore then covered the challenger and picked up the win to retain the title.
*Kane w/Christy Hemme d. Christian w/Tyson Tomko by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title At New Year's Revolution, Christian had intentionally injured Kane's girlfriend Christy Hemme by nailing her with the Killswitch, giving her a Concussion and injured neck. Since that time Kane had been on a rampage trying to get his hands on the Intercontinental Champion, even being arrested on one occasion when he tried to run over the champion and his problem solver. When Hemme returned to Raw, Kane found new meaning and challenged Christian for his title, leading to this match. Christian's Problem Solver Tomko attempted to distract Kane by going after Hemme at ringside, but Kane was able to dispatch Tomko with a Tombstone on the outside, leading to him being sent away. Christian tried to take advantage of the momentary distraction, but Kane eventually hit Captain Charisma with a thunderous chokeslam to pick up the win and the Intercontinental Championship.
*Edge d. Shelton Benjamin, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, Carlito, Rey Mysterio & Booker T in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match Chris Jericho had pitched the idea of the Money in the Bank Ladder match to Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff, where the winner would receive a briefcase containing an open contract good for a World Championship match anytime or any place between Wrestlemanias 21 and 22. Not to be outdone, Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long went to Vince McMahon and obtained special permission to have 4 Smackdown names in addition to the 4 Raw superstars in the match. Qualifying matches were held leading into Wrestlemania, resulting in the 8 stars competing for the briefcase. The ladder match was controlled chaos, with several high spots between the competitors as they all tried to climb the ladder and receive the golden opportunity. The end came when Randy Orton caught Kurt Angle at the top of the ladder, the two men trading blows repeatedly, only for Orton to hit an RKO off the top of the ladder to the Olympic Hero. This opened the door for Edge to quickly sneak up the ladder and retrieve the briefcase, becoming the first ever Mr. Money in the Bank.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. The Firm [Luther Reigns & Matt Morgan] & Maven in a 3 on 2 Handicap Match to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles In recent weeks the chief of staff to JBL's Firm had been falling short in his attempts to help his teammates, losing to the Undertaker on Smackdown in under a minute during the Phenom's approach to Wrestlemania as well as failing to qualify for the Money in the Bank briefcase. To prove his worth, Maven arranged for a 3 on 2 Handicap Match where he would team with Luther Reigns and Matt Morgan to defend the WWE Tag Team Titles against their old enemies London and Kendrick. At first the man advantage seemed to work to the benefit of the champions, as they were able to trade in and out quickly and isolate Kendrick from his partner. London eventually made the hot tag and took out all three men, eventually isolating Maven who got caught in a 2 on 1 briefly. Reigns came back in to back up his partner, but Maven missed a dropkick and took out Reigns, allowing Kendrick to hit Sliced Bread #2 and London to follow up with a Shooting Star Press on Maven to pick up the win and regain the tag team titles.
*Shawn Michaels d. Eddie Guerrero by Pinfall Since the Royal Rumble, Eddie Guerrero had been blaming Shawn Michaels for a lot of his misfortunes. This largely irrational belief had Eddie costing Michaels the Royal Rumble match, while also tricking him into forming a tag team at No Way Out in which Eddie left him high and dry. Michaels returned the favor by showing up on Smackdown and costing Eddie a match against Kurt Angle that would have put Eddie in the Money in the Bank ladder match, leading to this interpromotional contest. In a stellar match, Guerrero controlled most of the action, working over the famously injured back of Michaels and trying to keep him grounded. But HBK came on fire towards the end, hitting several quick strike moves and countering Guerrero's Three Amigos with a near fall roll up. The end came when Eddie attempted a Frogsplash, only for Michaels to get the knees up at the last possible second. Michaels then kipped up and hit Guerrero with Sweet Chin Music to score the pinfall.
*Garrison Cade & Trevor Murdoch d. The Hurricane & Rosey, Val Venis & Viscera and The Basham Brothers [Doug & Danny Basham] by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The duo of Cade and Murdoch issued an open challenge for a tag title match at Wrestlemania, a challenge which was answered by all three teams. When a triple threat match to crown a #1 contender ended in a No Contest on Raw, GM Eric Bischoff ordered a Fatal Fourway match to determine the champions. Despite being at a significant disadvantage, the champions were able to retain after Viscera hit a huge Samoan Drop on Doug Basham. Cade then broke up the fall and tossed Viscera out of the ring, allowing Murdoch to sneak in and pick up the victory.
*Laila Ali w/Lita d. Trish Stratus in a Wrestler vs. Boxer Match On an episode of Raw, Trish Stratus appeared to say that she had beaten every single Diva on the roster and that no one was left to challenge her as the most dominant female athlete in the world. At that particular episode of Raw, female boxing champion Laila Ali happened to be in the crowd. Trish invited her into the ring and compared the two's athletic prowess, while at the same time insulting Laila's father the legendary Muhammad Ali. When Ali insulted Trish in a retort, Stratus tried to slap her, only for Ali to KO her with a right hand. This led to a challenge for a wrestler vs. boxer match at Wrestlemania 21, with no championship on the line. Making things more interesting was the presence of Trish's rival Lita in the corner of the boxing champion. In the match, it was clear that Trish wasn't taking Ali seriously, right up until Ali body slammed the Divas Champion. Trish then began fighting with renewed vigor, taking control of the match. She looked to finish off Ali with Stratusfaction, but was distracted by Lita at ringside, whom she pointed to, insulting in the process. The distraction allowed Ali to rally her reserves and hit several body blows to the Divas Champion, before hitting a huge German Suplex with a bridge for the pin to score the upset win.
*Piper's Pit Segment With Muhammad Hassan Newly minted Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was set to hold a special segment of his interview show, Piper's Pit, with special guest Stone Cold Steve Austin. However this was interrupted by the arrival of United States Champion Muhammad Hassan and his associate Daivari. Hassan called the WWE racist for not having a US Title match on the show, demanding that he have the opportunity to make a Wrestlemania moment. This brought out Austin, who had a dueling promo with Hassan (complete with customary "What?" chants), only for Daivari to blindside the Rattlesnake and for the two to put the boots to Austin. Stone Cold was saved by another returning Hall of Famer in Hulk Hogan, who came out to even the odds, but a steel chair from Daivari stopped Hogan briefly. The heels were finally undone by the shock of a returning "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who appeared and helped Austin, Piper and Hogan clear out the heels and stand tall.
*The Undertaker d. John Bradshaw Leyfield by Pinfall The feud between JBL and the Undertaker had continued on from the Royal Rumble, with the Deadman eventually growing tired of JBL's antics and challenging him to a match at Wrestlemania. JBL initially refused, telling the Undertaker he would have to go through all three members of the Firm in order to face him at Mania. The Phenom easily accomplished this, forcing JBL's hand. Bradshaw had attempted to use the gauntlet to wear down the Deadman, so that he would be more susceptible to being beaten at the Showcase of the Immortals, and that JBL would gain the notoriety of ending the Undertaker's streak. However, it would not be for the former WWE Champion, as despite his best efforts The Undertaker retained his streak after hitting a Tombstone Piledriver on JBL and picking up the win.
*John Cena d. The Big Show by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship John Cena had earned the right to challenge The Big Show for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania per his victory in a Fatal Fourway at No Way Out. After successfully defending that title shot against JBL on Smackdown (thanks to some help from The Undertaker), though, Cena was attacked by the champion and put through the announce table with a Chokeslam, injuring his ribs and putting Cena's Wrestlemania dreams in limbo. Cena was able to gain medical clearance to compete, and on the go home show attacked the Giant champion with a steel chain to try and even the odds. In the match itself the Big Show dominated, working over Cena's injured ribs and back to try and finish off the challenger. Cena was able to persevere and even attempted to lift the Big Show off the ground for an FU, but his ribs gave out, nearly getting a three count for the champion. After a Chokeslam failed to put Cena away, Big Show unexpectedly climbed to the top rope in an effort to finish off the challenger. Cena however got to his feet and used the top rope as additional leverage to hoist Big Show to his shoulders, planting him with an FU and picking up the victory to win the WWE Title.
*Batista d. Triple H w/Ric Flair by Pinfall to Win the World Heavyweight Championship Since winning the Royal Rumble, Batista had been faced with the heretofor unheard of decision of challenging for either the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw or the WWE Championship on Smackdown. Triple H, his Evolution teammate, was heavily trying to convince The Animal to do the latter, even going so far as to set up an apparent confrontation between The Big Show and the Royal Rumble winner. On the episode of Raw immediately following No Way Out, it appeared that Batista had decided to go to Smackdown to challenge for the WWE Title. However this was a ruse, as he gave the significant thumbs down to Triple H and then attacked him and Ric Flair, signing the contract for a World Title match on Raw instead and powerbombing The Game through a table. In response, Triple H and Flair attempted to run over The Animal to take him out before Wrestlemania. The Game used every dirty trick in the book to try and take out The Animal, but Batista's power and strength was too much to match, as Batista hit Triple H with the Batista Bomb and picked up the win and the World Heavyweight Championship, celebrating to close out Wrestlemania 21.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
April 4: Val Venis & Viscera d. Garrison Cade & Trevor Murdoch to Win the World Tag Team Titles
April 21: Chris Benoit d. Muhammad Hassan to Win the United States Title
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Post by darbicus on Mar 17, 2023 1:32:10 GMT 1
WWE Backlash May 1, 2005 Verizon Wireless Arena Manchester, NH
*Val Venis & Viscera d. Garrison Cade & Trevor Murdoch and The Heartthrobs [Antonio & Romeo] by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The night after Wrestlemania saw the team of Val Venis and "The World's Largest Love Machine" Viscera win the World Tag Team Titles from the duo of Cade and Murdoch. The duo was set to defend the titles at Backlash in a rematch, only for the rematch to be altered to a Triple Threat including the new team of The Heartthrobs, after Antonio and Romeo defeated the champions in a non-title match (thanks to interference from Cade and Murdoch). The two challenging teams targeted Big Vis, trying to take out the larger man before focusing on each other. However, they ignored Val Venis, and The Big Valbowski took full advantage, buying enough time for Viscera to recover and to run through the challengers, with the match ending after Viscera and Venis hit dueling splashes (Viscera off the second rope) to both Antonio and Romeo to pick up the win and retain their titles.
*Rob Van Dam d. "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters by Pinfall in a Falls Count Anywhere Match Following their match at the Wrestlemania pre-show, the feud between Rob Van Dam and Chris Masters continued into the following month, with RVD becoming the first man to pin Masters in a Wrestlemania rematch the following week on Raw. Masters then returned the favor by costing RVD a match with Edge on Raw, leading to this Falls Count Anywhere match. Van Dam went back to his ECW roots with this match, eventually beating the Masterpiece after hitting a Five Star Frogsplash to the concrete floor off a balcony for the win.
*Edge d. Randy Orton by Pinfall to Retain his Money in the Bank Briefcase The night after Wrestlemania, Edge made clear that he was not going to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase anytime soon. After Randy Orton defeated him that very same night, Orton managed to convince Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff that Edge should have to put the Money in the Bank briefcase up for grabs if he was just going to sit on it, leading to this match. The red-hot Orton tried to keep his winning streak going, but Edge was able to pull out the win by nailing Orton with the briefcase with the referee knocked down, picking up the victory.
*Shelton Benjamin d. Christian, Shawn Michaels & Ric Flair by Pinfall Raw GM Eric Bischoff set up a Fatal Fourway match at Backlash, with the winner receiving a World Heavyweight Championship match the following night on Raw, pitting Shawn Michaels against Christian, Shelton Benjamin and the Nature Boy Ric Flair. All four men had runs where they might have won the match, but in the end Benjamin was able to pull off the upset after hitting Flair with the T-Bone Suplex and picking up the pinfall.
*Kane w/Christy Hemme d. Tyson Tomko by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title With Christian challenging for a World Heavyweight Title Shot, his Problem Solver Tomko was free to challenge the Big Red Machine for the Intercontinental Championship. Kane made short work of Tomko, despite the big man's attempts to attack Kane's girlfriend Christy Hemme. After the match, Kane got down on one knee and proposed to Hemme, to which Christy said yes, much to the Devil Incarnate's happiness.
*Trish Stratus d. Melina w/Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury by Disqualification to Retain the WWE Divas Title The night after Wrestlemania saw the debut of Johnny Nitro's new faction, as he found a new tag team partner in Joey Mercury and a new manager in Melina Perez, resulting in the group being called MNM. With Nitro temporarily on the shelf, Melina attempted to be the first person to win a title for the group, attacking Divas Champion Trish Stratus. Trish and Melina had an even match that ended in a disqualification when Mercury and Nitro got involved, attacking Trish. However, Trish was saved by a fan from the audience who came into the ring wielding a steel pipe.
*Batista d. Triple H by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship Triple H made the claim after Wrestlemania that Batista's World Heavyweight Title win was a fluke, and that The Animal wouldn't be able to duplicate it, claiming that one Pedigree would put Batista down for good. The match between the two was similar to their Wrestlemania affair, only slightly more violent, as both men battled out into the audience for a period of time. The end came after Triple H finally hit the Pedigree, only for Batista to kick out at two. This incensed The Game, who grabbed a sledge hammer to put Batista down for good. The Animal countered that however and hit Triple H with a Batista Bomb to pick up the win and retain his title. |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 18, 2023 19:39:47 GMT 1
WWE Judgment Day May 22, 2005 Target Center Minneapolis, MN
*Chavo Guerrero d. Charlie Haas by Pinfall In a standard match, Chavo Guerrero managed to score something of an upset win over Charlie Haas, when he pinned the submission specialist with a Gory Bomb, in deference to his grandfather the late Gory Guerrero.
*Chris Benoit d. Muhammad Hassan w/Daivari by Submission to Retain the United States Title On an episode of Smackdown, the United States Champion Muhammad Hassan had come out and said that he was tired of being disrespected as champion and he demanded a challenger "worthy" of his championship. Since his previously scheduled challenger, Booker T, had been taken out by Kurt Angle in the back earlier in the night, the challenge became an open one. It was answered to the shock of many by Chris Benoit. The Raw Superstar had recently requested a transfer back to Smackdown behind the scenes, and was granted this by Eric Bischoff. Benoit's arrival caught Hassan by surprise, and Benoit quickly defeated the Arab American to win the US Title for a third time. In this rematch, Hassan was definitely more prepared than he had been, and controlled the early part of the match thanks to a distraction from Daivari on the outside. However Benoit countered with his hat trick of German Suplexes, before catching Hassan with the Crossface to force the submission and retain the title.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. Carlito & Matt Morgan by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles With JBL having fired his corporate stooges in The Firm, Matt Morgan was left directionless. He took his frustrations out on his old tag team rivals of Paul London and Brian Kendrick, teaming with former US Champion Carlito to challenge for the tag team titles. The makeshift team surprisingly worked well together for the first part of the match, but the high flying champions were more than a match for them, picking up the win after London hit a sunset flip off the top rope on Morgan, followed by a dropkick from Kendrick to send him over for the pin.
*Juventud Guerrera w/The Mexicools d. Shannon Moore by Pinfall to Win the WWE Cruiserweight Title Recently on Smackdown, luchadores Juventud Guerrera, Psychosis and Super Crazy had made their debut on the Blue Brand as the stable the "Mexicools". The group had decried the current state of the light heavyweight division, and had vowed to make it better by claiming the title for themselves. Juventud, acting as stable leader, stepped up to challenge the current champion Shannon Moore. The unlikely champion put up a good fight, but Juvi used a distraction from Psychosis on the outside to hit a low blow and then hit Moore with the Juvi Driver, before following up with the 450 splash to pick up the win.
*Booker T d. Kurt Angle by Disqualification Since losing the Money in the Bank match, Kurt Angle had adopted a far more aggressive stance towards his opponents, resolving to be more ruthless and vicious and bring out "the wrestling machine" that was the Olympic Hero. The first person to face the ire of this was Booker T, as Angle attacked him backstage during a perceived slight, costing Booker a US Title match later that night. Booker returned the favor the following week, costing Angle a match with Rey Mysterio, leading to this confrontation. Angle's aggressive nature was on full display, as he could barely contain or control his anger. He ruthlessly targeted Booker T, to the point where he refused to let go of the Ankle Lock after Booker had managed to make it to the ropes. Failure to answer the 5 count resulted in the disqualification. Angle finally let the move go after WWE officials came to Booker's aid, and Angle looked down with satisfaction when he saw Booker T's wife Sharmell come out to his aide from the crowd, as medical officials tended to his leg.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Rey Mysterio by Pinfall Eddie Guerrero had continued his "blame tour", despite losing to Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania, seeking to find someone to blame for his change in fortunes in 2005. His latest target was his former friend and rival Rey Mysterio, as Guerrero viciously attacked the former Light Heavyweight Champion on an episode of Smackdown when Rey Attempted to get Guerrero to go back to his fun loving ways. Rey put up a good fight in this match, as the highly athletic pace between the two men went back and forth repeatedly. The end came after Mysterio hit a 619 on Eddie and was setting up for a West Coast Pop, only for Eddie to pull the referee in the way, leading to Mysterio having to pull out of the move at the last moment. In the confusion, Eddie hit Rey with a low blow followed by a brainbuster before delivering a Frogsplash to pick up the win.
*John Cena d. John Bradshaw Leyfield in an I Quit Match to Retain the WWE Championship After Wrestlemania, John Bradshaw Leyfield won a Battle Royal to become #1 contender for the WWE Championship. JBL decried Cena's "thug" lifestyle and demanded that the WWE title be stripped from him for various offenses ranging from promoting violence (through his use of rap music) to indecent exposure (for wearing jean shorts without a belt). The two men came to blows several times, leading to Smackdown GM Theodore Long making the title match between the two an I Quit match. The match was an incredibly violent affair, as both men busted each other open in an effort to get the other to say I Quit. In the end it would be JBL who gave up, as Cena chased him up with ramp with a crazed look in his eyes and a steel chain in tow. JBL eventually dropped to his knees and pled with him to stop the match, saying the words "I Quit." This gave Cena the win in the excessively brutal contest.
Off-Camera Title Changes
May 23: MNM d. Val Venis & Viscera for the World Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 19, 2023 1:04:07 GMT 1
Note: Like the first One Night Stand in real life...there is no storyline progression at this event, except to say that the Draft takes place the following week, beginning on June 13th, though not every pick would be revealed immediately (there is storyline behind that.) As such, One Night Stand 2005 will just have very basic results, since it is essentially a reunion show taking place with no bearing on the rest of the WWE, at least this year.ECW One Night StandJune 12, 2005Hammerstein BallroomNew York City, NY*Lance Storm w/Dawn Marie d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall
*The Mexicools [Super Crazy & Juventud Guerrera] d. The F.B.I. [Nunzio & Tony Mamaluke] w/JT Smith, Tracy Smothers & Big Guido and Danny Doring & Roadkill in a Triple Threat Match
*Rey Mysterio d. Psychosis by Pinfall
*Shane Douglas d. Justin Credible by Pinfall
*Sabu w/Bill Alfonso d. Rhyno by Pinfall
*Mike Awesome d. Masato Tanaka
*The Unholy Alliance [Tajiri & Mikey Whipwreck] w/The Sinister Minister d. The Blue World Order {Big Stevie Cool & Hollywood Nova} w/The Blue Meanie by Pinfall
*Rob Van Dam w/Bill Alfonso d. Jerry Lynn by Pinfall
*Chris Benoit d. Eddie Guerrero by Pinfall
*Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman w/Beulah d. The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley] w/Joel Gertner by Pinfall
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Post by darbicus on Mar 20, 2023 17:05:22 GMT 1
WWE Vengeance June 26, 2005 Thomas & Mack Center Las Vegas, NV RAW Exclusive Event
*MNM [Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury] w/Melina d. The Hurricane & Rosey w/Mighty Molly by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles Recently the super hero team of The Hurricane and Rosey had been having difficulties working together. Rosey recruited The Hurricane's former sidekick in Mighty Molly in an attempt to "cheer up" his partner, but it only served to highlight the frustrations that The Hurricane was feeling. In this title match, though, it seemed as if the former champions were back to their winning form, as they controlled much of the match throughout. In the end though, MNM utilizied underhanded tactics, as a distraction from a fight between Mighty Molly and Melina on the outside led to Mercury hitting a lowblow on The Hurricane. He and Nitro then hit their Snapshot finisher to pick up the win and retain the titles. After the match, The Hurricane brushed off the overtures of Molly and Rosey as he threw down his mask and walked out of the ring.
*"Nature Boy" Ric Flair d. Trevor Murdoch w/Garrison Cade by Submission In recent weeks the former 16 time World Champion had been engaged in something of a career renaissance, winning several matches on Heat and Raw. He entered into a brief feud with former World Tag Team Champions Trevor Murdoch and Garrison Cade, both of whom called Flair over the hill and "well past his prime." Flair however proved that he still had more than a few tricks up his sleeve, as he defeated Murdoch in singles action by locking him in the Figure-4 Leglock.
*Carlito d. Shelton Benjamin by Pinfall The night after ECW's One Night Stand had seen the results of the annual WWE brand extension draft begin to be announced, with three of Raw's 4 picks (Carlito, Chavo Guerrero, and most importantly WWE Champion John Cena) having been announced on that show. Carlito had immediately run afoul of former Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin, costing him an opportunity to earn a title shot the night Carlito was drafted, leading to this match. Benjamin controlled most of the match with his athleticism, but eventually lost out to Carlito's shenanigans, when the Caribbean star spit an apple into his face and then hit him with the Backstabber to pick up the win.
*Edge w/Lita d. Kane by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title Shortly after winning a match against Tyson Tomko at Backlash, Kane had proposed to his girlfriend Christy Hemme, which the Diva had accepted. In the leadup to their unique wedding, Hemme had a Bachelorette party thrown by all of the Divas, which Lita helped plan. During the actual wedding, the nuptuials were crashed by Edge, with whom Kane was feuding at the time. Edge showed the groom to be photos of a drunken Hemme and Lita engaging in a three way with Edge in a hotel room. This drove the Devil Incarnate to madness, and he chokeslammed his own bride out of anger at the alter. It would eventually come out that Hemme had been set up by Edge and his new girlfriend Lita, leading to this IC Title match at Vengeance. Kane made it his personal mission to destroy Edge, but the crafty opportunist seemingly psyched Kane out, leading to Edge controlling much of the match. In the end, Hemme came back out and confronted Lita, providing a distraction to Kane, as Edge hit him with a thunderous spear and pinned him to win the IC Title.
*Trish Stratus & Mickie James d. Melina & Victoria by Pinfall During the aftermath of a match at Backlash, Trish Stratus had been helped by a seemingly random fan out of the audience. This woman would later be identified as Trish Stratus superfan Mickie James, who had recently signed a talent contract with WWE. Mickie and Trish teamed up to take on Melina and Victoria at Vengeance, and the duo worked surprisingly well together, with Mickie pinning Melina following her own version of Stratusfaction to pick up the win.
*John Cena d. Christian w/Tyson Tomko by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship The biggest name in the WWE draft coming to Raw was WWE Champion John Cena, who made his debut on the highlight reel with Chris Jericho the night after One Night Stand. Cena was immediately approached by Christian on that episode of Raw for a title shot, but Raw GM Eric Bischoff instead made a tag match between Christian & Tomko against Jericho & Cena. After Jericho turned on Cena, costing him the match and allowing Christian to earn a title shot at Vengeance, Christian revealed that he and Tomko (along with, it would be revealed, Randy Orton and Batista, though the last one would not be revealed till after Vengeance) were draft picks going to Smackdown, as Christian vowed to bring the WWE title back to the blue brand. However despite the outside interference of the Problem Solver, Captain Charisma was pinned by Cena clean with an FU, keeping the WWE Title on Raw.
*Batista d. Triple H by Pinfall in a Hell in a Cell Match to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship The feud between Triple H and Batista over the World Heavyweight Championship reached its final paces with this match, taking place inside Hell in a Cell with the title on the line. The Game pulled out all the stops to try and take out the former Evolution member, but to the surprise of many The Animal was able to withstand all of the vicious shots that Triple H could muster. In the end, Triple H was done in by a Batista Bomb on a set of ring steps, as that did enough damage to put the Game down for the three count (and would write him off TV until after Summerslam). Batista celebrated to end the show, and on the following Smackdown would be revealed as the final draft lottery pick for Smackdown (Raw's final pick would be revealed several months later as part of a storyline.)
Off-Camera Title Change:
July 4: The Blue World Order d. MNM for the World Tag Team Titles
July 14: Booker T d. Chris Benoit for the United States Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 22, 2023 0:40:56 GMT 1
WWE The Great American Bash July 24, 2005 HSBC Arena Buffalo, NY SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. The Blonde Squad [Chad & Brad Toland] w/Jillian Hall by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles On an episode of Smackdown recently, the brother duo of Chad and Brad had used the ole switcheroo (where one partner takes the other partner's place behind the referee and opponent's backs for the quick pinfall) to upset the WWE Tag Team Champions in their debut match. Together with their valet, Jillian Hall, the Blonde Squad challenged the champions for the belts in a rematch. The challengers attempted to use the same tactic to gain an advantage on the champions once again, utilizing a distraction from Jillian Hall to pull off the switch. However London and Kendrick were wise to their ruse and didn't fall for the small package attempt, with Kendrick rolling through and eventually hitting Sliced Bread #2 on Brad to pick up the win and retain the titles.
*Charlie Haas d. Finlay by Disqualification In early June Smackdown had seen the debut of Finlay, an Irishman who "loves to fight." The former WCW Television Champion had developed a reputation for being overly aggressive in his matches, which had led him losing some matches by disqualification. This was the case in his match with Charlie Haas, which saw Finlay take offense to the youngster's antics during the match and led to Finlay beating him down in the corner, not answering the referee's instructions for a break. After the match, Finlay continued his assault, hitting Haas with his Shellaileigh.
*Rey Mysterio d. Juventud Guerrera w/The Mexicools by Disqualification [Guerrera Retains the Cruiserweight Title] Since winning the Cruiserweight Title, Juventud Guerrera and the rest of the Mexicools were out to prove themselves the "greatest luchadores of all time." This led to a confrontation with another all time great in the form of Rey Mysterio. The two former rivals from WCW had a brief but highly athletic match that nearly saw Rey recapture the Cruiserweight Title, only for Psychosis and Super Crazy to get involved, attacking Mysterio and forcing the disqualification victory, but allowing their leader to keep the Cruiserweight Title.
*Christian w/Tyson Tomko d. Kidman by Pinfall Christian and Tyson Tomko had been revealed as two of the 4 draft picks that Smackdown received in the Draft Lottery of 2005 (the other two being Randy Orton and World Champion Batista), but had an inauspicious debut on the blue brand when he lost in under 30 seconds to former Cruiserweight Champion Kidman. Captain Charisma had immediately tried to rectify this embarrasment, leading to him challenging the high flyer to a rematch at the Great American Bash. Christian was seemingly more prepared for Kidman in this go around, but the master of the Shooting Star Press was still able to hold his own. Christian eventually had help from his Problem Solver in Tyson Tomko to catch Kidman off guard, allowing Captain Charisma to hit the Killswitch and pick up the win.
*Chris Benoit d. Booker T w/Sharmell by Submission to Win the United States Title Booker T had managed to defeat Chris Benoit for the United States championship on an episode of Smackdown, though he did so with help from a fan jumping the guard rail to distract the Rabid Wolverine. This fan would later be revealed to be Sharmell, Booker T's own wife, who had become his valet. A rematch was set for the Great American Bash, and the two old rivals had another classic encounter, with both men countering the other's offense to great effect. However the match ended in controversial fashion again. As Benoit had Booker locked into the Crossface, Booker managed to get his foot on the bottom rope, which should have broken the hold. However the referee missed this, only seeing Booker tap out at the same time, awarding the match and the title to Benoit under a cloud of uncertainty.
*Eddie Guerrero d. The Undertaker, Randy Orton & The Big Show in a Fatal Fourway Match The #1 contendership to the World Heavyweight Championship was at stake, with all four men staking a claim to the position. Eddie Guerrero had been the last man eliminated in a six-pack challenge to crown a "Smackdown Champion" before it was revealed that Batista would be coming to the blue brand and bringing the World Heavyweight Title with him. The Undertaker had challenged Guerrero to a #1 contenders match, only to be interrupted by Randy Orton, who had turned heel and adopted the moniker of a "Legend Killer", as he sought to end the legend of the Phenom. Adding into the mix was the returning former WWE Champion The Big Show, who laid out all three men upon his return, setting up this Fatal Fourway. The chaos was barely contained in this match, which saw The Undertaker nearly win after hitting a thunderous Chokeslam on The Big Show. However that pinfall was broken up by Orton, who pulled the Phenom out of the ring before a three could be counted. This opened up the way for Guerrero to hit a Frogsplash on the fallen Big Show and pick up the quick win to become #1 contender.
*Batista d. John Bradshaw Leyfield by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Title JBL had shocked a lot of people by becoming the new "Smackdown Champion" after John Cena had been drafted to Raw, taking the WWE Title with him. However the need for a Smackdown Champion was alleviated by Smackdown GM Theodore Long, who informed JBL after his win that he would instead become #1 contender to the newly drafted World Heavyweight Champion in Batista. The Animal and JBL confronted each other on an episode of Smackdown in a "beer drinking contest" that quickly devolved into a brawl between the two. In their match, the two powerhouses through haymakers at each other endlessly with the intention of landing the one proverbial knockout blow to win. Bradshaw thought he had made that KO when he hit a Clothesline from Hell, only for Batista to shock him by kicking out of the move. Batista countered a second attempt with a spinebuster and then followed up with a Batista Bomb to pick up the win and retain his title to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes
July 25: Garrison Cade & Trevor Murdoch d. The Blue World Order to Win the World Tag Team Titles
August 4: Booker T d. Chris Benoit to Win the United States Title
August 11: The US Title is Vacated due to several controversial title defenses, setting up a Best of Seven Series between Booker T and Benoit for the vacant title.
August 11: Kid Kash d. Juventud Guerrera to Win the Cruiserweight Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 23, 2023 0:23:37 GMT 1
WWE Summerslam August 21, 2005 MCI Center Washington, D.C.
*KICK-OFF SHOW: Rey Mysterio, Charlie Haas & The Blonde Squad [Chad & Brad Toland] d. "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters, Carlito & MNM [John Morrison & Joey Mercury] by Pinfall in an Interpromotional 8-Man Tag Team Match On the kickoff show, an interpromotional 8 Man Tag Match was held pitting Raw vs Smackdown. Despite MNM hitting the Snapshot on one of the members of the Blonde Squad, Rey Mysterio was able to stop the pinfall and hit the 619 on all the members of the Raw team after getting them down into opposite ropes of the ring. Haas then picked up the win after hitting a German Suplex on Carlito for the victory.
*Ric Flair d. Edge w/Lita by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title Since winning the Intercontinental Title from Kane at Vengeance, Edge had entered a feud with former 16 time World Champion Ric Flair. The Self-professed Rated R Superstar had decried the Nature Boy as "old news" and made fun of his continuing issues with alcoholism over the years. Flair tried to prove that he still had something in the tank after years since his last singles championship. Edge controlled much of the match, methodically wearing down Flair throughout. While the Nature Boy did get some offense in, it was clear that the younger Edge had the advantage. However, when the referee was down Edge decided to make an example of Flair, grabbing two steel chairs and attempting a one man Con-Chair-To on the Nature Boy. However from out of the crowd to the shock of everyone came the fired Matt Hardy, who jumped in an attacked Edge with reckless abandon. Hardy hit a Twist of Fate on Edge onto the steel chair before running out of the ring, being chased by security. Flair then ditched the evidence and pinned Edge as the ref came too, leading to Flair becoming the new Intercontinental Champion in a shocking upset.
*Booker T w/Sharmell d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall in Match #1 of the Best of 7 Series Following several controversial title changes, Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long to vacate the United States Championship and declare a Best of 7 Series for the title between Chris Benoit and Booker T, with the first match set to take place at Summerslam. The match was actually surprisingly short, as Booker relied on a distraction from his wife Sharmell to put one over on Benoit, hitting him with the Book End and using the ropes for additional leverage to pick up the cheap win and go up 1 to nothing in the series.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. The Mexicools [Super Crazy & Psychosis] w/Juventud Guerrera by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles After Juventud Guerrera had shockingly lost the Cruiserweight Title to a debuting Kid Kash thanks in part to the Tag Team Champions, whom The Mexicools were feuding with, the three luchadores set their sights on claiming the WWE Tag Team Titles from London and Kendrick. All four men engaged in a high flying spotfest that saw the challengers nearly win after a high ranging moonsault from Super Crazy to the outside on Kendrick. In the end, London caused Psychosis to miss the Guillotine Leg Drop and then followed up with a Shooting Star Press to pick up the victory and retain the titles yet again.
*Trish Stratus w/Mickie James & Ashley Massaro d. Melina w/Victoria & Candace Michelle by Pinfall to Retain the Divas Title The feud between Trish Stratus and Melina reached its conclusion, with both women facing off in a No Disqualification match with two women in their respective corners. Melina had Victoria and Candace Michelle backing her up, while Trish had Mickie James and the newly crowned Diva's Search Winner Ashley Massaro in her corner. Trish's corner women were engaged in a bit of a cat fight between the two of them, with Mickie jealous of the attention Trish had given Ashley, but this didn't spill over into the greater match, as Trish retained her title again, defeating Melina with a Chick Kick.
*Shawn Michaels d. Muhammad Hassan w/Daivari by Pinfall Muhammad Hassan and Daivari had been sent to Raw independent of the Draft Lottery, largely due to Hassan demanding his release from the "disrespectful" Smackdown crowd. He didn't find much more of a receptive crowd on Raw, and quickly found himself running afoul of the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels. The Legend had cautioned Hassan on his controversial statements, only to be attacked by Hassan on Raw, leading to this match. The Arab American held his own against the legend, but in the end Michaels pulled out the victory with Sweet Chin Music, delivering a Superkick to Daivari for good measure.
*The World's Strongest Tag Team [Shelton Benjamin & Mark Henry] d. Garrison Cade & Trevor Murdoch by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles Shelton Benjamin had entered into a feud with the resurgent World Tag Team Champions in Garrison Cade and Trevor Murdoch, falling to each of the champions in singles matches due to outside interference from the other partner. This led Benjamin to have a mystery partner for a title match at Summerslam. This mystery partner turned out to be the returning World's Strongest Man Mark Henry. The newly christened World's Strongest Tag Team had no trouble teaming together, besting the champions and winning the titles after Mark Henry hit Murdoch with the World's Strongest Slam.
*Randy Orton d. The Undertaker by Pinfall Since coming onto Smackdown, Randy Orton had turned heel and adopted the moniker of "The Legend Killer", making it his goal to end every legend in the business that he could. At The Great American Bash, Orton came across the Legend of the Undertaker, costing the Phenom a #1 contenders match, which led to The Undertaker challenging Orton to a match at Summerslam. To the surprise of many Orton held his own against the Deadman right up till the end, when it looked as if The Undertaker was getting ready for a Tombstone Piledriver. However, a cameraman got up on the apron and distracted the Phenom, as his camera exploded in The Undertaker's face. This blinded him long enough for Orton to hit an RKO out of nowhere and pick up the huge upset win. It would later turn out that the "cameraman" was in fact Randy Orton's father, Cowboy Bob Orton, who provided the distraction.
*John Cena d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship Since debuting on Raw back in June, WWE Champion John Cena's thug lifestyle had run afoul of what Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff was looking for in a champion. This led to Bischoff attempting to do anything in his power to remove the title off Cena. The first major challenger would be former WWE Champion Chris Jericho, who had invited Cena onto his Highlight Reel show only to attack him a few weeks later. Jericho pulled out every dirty trick he knew to try and regain the WWE Title, only to fall victim to Cena and the FU, which he used to retain the championship.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Batista by Pinfall to Win the World Heavyweight Championship Eddie Guerrero had won a #1 contenders match at The Great American Bash, earning a shot at The Animal Batista at Summerslam. In the build, Guerrero attempted to worm his way into being a friend of the champion, even challenging him to take the tag titles together. Batista however didn't fall for his ruse, leading to Guerrero attacking him out of frustration. Eddie and The Animal had a very evenly paced matchup during the event, but the close was interrupted by JBL coming through the crowd and attacking Batista with the World Heavyweight Title belt. This led to Eddie hitting the Frogsplash and winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Batista in The Animal's own home town to close out the show. |
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