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Post by darbicus on Mar 25, 2023 0:14:12 GMT 1
WWE Unforgiven September 18, 2005 Ford Center Oklahoma City, OK A RAW Exclusive Event
*Ric Flair d. Carlito by Submission to Retain the Intercontinental Title Ric Flair was out to prove that his Intercontinental Title win at Summerslam wasn't a fluke caused by the returning Matt Hardy, though to do so he would have a tough time fighting through former United States Champion Carlito. The Caribbeam Star had arrogantly dismissed Flair as a one note champion, promising to spit in the face of the 16 time world champion. This proved to be his downfall though, as when he attempted to spit a piece of apple into Flair's face, a right hand from the Nature Boy caused him to choke on the fruit. Flair then locked in the Figure 4 on the choking Carlito for the win. After the match, Flair dedicated the victory to his best friend Triple H, who would be returning from injury in two weeks time.
*Ashley Massaro d. Mickie James by Pinfall The feud between Ashley Massaro and Mickie James had arisen over the latter's jealousy over Ashley's friendship with Divas Champion Trish Stratus. This led to Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff to make a match between the two warring divas, with Trish acting as the Special Guest Referee. The match was far from a technical classic, given Ashleys lack of experience, but the end came after Mickie argued with Trish, allowing Ashley to roll her up from behind and score the upset as Trish stormed off to the back.
*"The Masterpiece" Chris Masters d. Chavo Guerrero by Submission In a standard match, "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters defeated Chavo Guerrero by locking in The Master Lock, after Chavo made a mental error when it looked like he had Masters beaten with a Tornado DDT. After the match, Chavo was interviewed by Jonathan Coachman, and the despondent Guerrero said he had to take some time away to rethink his future in the business.
*The World's Strongest Tag Team [Shelton Benjamin & Mark Henry] d. MNM [Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury] w/Melina by Disqualification to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The duo of Shelton Benjamin and Mark Henry had quickly formed a cohesive pairing after winning the World Tag Team Titles from Cade and Murdoch the previous month at Summerslam. Having beaten every challenger thus far, the self-declared World's Strongest Tag Team took on former champions MNM at Unforgiven. Mercury and Nitro attempted to isolate Henry, focusing on his surgically repaired knee. Shelton could only watch for much of the match, as MNM successfully cut the ring in half for much of the contest, before Benjamin finally got the hot tag. He hit several suplexes on the challengers, leading to Melina interjecting herself in an attempt to save her team. Henry intercepted her and appeared ready to deliver the World's Strongest Slam to the manager, only for Mercury to grab the World Tag Title belt and drill Henry in the back of the head with it, resulting in the DQ. MNM then delivered the Snapshot to both Benjamin and Henry onto the belts for good measure before walking away.
*"Pirate" Paul Burchill d. William Regal by Pinfall In late June William Regal had introduced a new protege into the WWE in the form of Paul Burchill. However, quickly Burchill moved away from Regal's tutelage, embracing his own genealogical heritage and adopting a Pirate persona. Regal attempted to "steer the young man right", but to no avail, leading to this Special Challenge match. If Regal won, Burchill would cease being a pirate. If Burchill won, then Regal would become his "buxom wench" for the next 30 days. Much to Regal's dismay, he eventually lost the match to Burchill when the Pirate hit his Walk the Plank finisher to pick up the win.
*Edge w/Lita d. Matt Hardy by Pinfall in a No Disqualification Match The feud between Edge and Matt Hardy had come about as a result of real life, when Lita began having an off-screen affair with Edge while still dating Hardy in real life. On a WWE podcast, Hardy confronted Lita with this fact, airing their dirty laundry online. This directly led to Hardy's temporary release from the company. However at Summerslam, Hardy had made his return by coming through the crowd and attacking Edge during his IC Title match with Ric Flair, costing him the title. This led to a No DQ match between the two former real life friends. Both men battled each other within an inch of their lives, with Edge pulling out a victory after Lita sacrificed herself when Hardy attempted a chair shot to the head of Edge. When Hardy looked down at Lita, Edge turned around and speared Hardy into a nearby table, picking up the victory.
*John Cena d. Chris Jericho & Kane by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship After defeating Chris Jericho at Summerslam, Y2J was determined to upstage the upstart WWE Champion, relying on help from Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff to do so. Adding to the Champ's problems was the addition of the Big Red Machine Kane to the match after Kane defeated Cena on Raw in a non-title match (albeit with help from Jericho). A final wrinkle was added when Bischoff put the stipulation that whoever was pinned in the Triple Threat match at Unforgiven would be fired from the WWE. With this additional motivation, all three men fought with everything they had. Hard pressed, Cena managed to take out Kane with an FU through the announce table, only to nearly be caught in the Walls of Jericho when he came back in the ring. Cena reversed the move though and then hit an FU on Jericho, resulting in Y2J being banished from the WWE in kayfabe for a period of time (in reality, his contract had expired) as Cena retained his title once more.
*Kurt Angle d. John Cena by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship After Cena had won the match, though, Eric Bischoff came out and revealed that Cena would have to wrestle a second match that night against the final Raw Draft pick, who heretofore hadn't been named. The draft pick was revealed as the Olympic Hero Kurt Angle, who took on the exhausted Cena. Despite Cena kicking out of one Angle Slam, he couldn't survive a second one as Angle pinned the tired champion and achieved Eric Bischoff's goal of taking the WWE Title off the Doctor of Thuganomics to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Change:
September 26: Carlito d. Ric Flair by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title. |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 26, 2023 22:21:17 GMT 1
Note: Christian and Tomko remain employed with WWE through Wrestlemania 22, rather than departing to TNA at this point.WWE No Mercy October 9, 2005 Toyota Center Houston, TX SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*The Pitbulls [Kid Kash & Jamie Noble] d. The Mexicools [Super Crazy & Psychosis] by Pinfall Cruiserweight Champion Kid Kash had formed an unlikely partnership with former cruiserweight champion Jamie Noble, and both had decided to challenge for the WWE Tag Team Titles in the near future. This put them into conflict with the Mexicools (Sans Juventud, who had been released from the company), who were also looking for another crack at the champions London and Kendrick. With the champs sitting at ringside, a #1 contenders match was held at No Mercy to determine who would get the next shot at the belts. While the Mexicools used their high flying offense to offset the Pitbulls, they eventually were beaten when Kash hit Super Crazy with the Dead Metal Brainbuster to pick up the win.
*Bobby Lashley d. Christian w/Tyson Tomko by Pinfall Rookie sensation Bobby Lashley had been undefeated since his debut on Smackdown, something that had perplexed Captain Charisma to no end. Christian challenged the young powerhouse to a match at No Mercy and, despite utilizing his Problem Solver Tyson Tomko, was steam rolled by Lashley the same way as everyone else had been, with Lashley pinning Christian following a Spear and the Dominator.
*Finlay d. Charlie Haas by Pinfall In a standard match, Finlay pinned Charlie Haas following hitting him with his Celtic Cross finisher.
*Booker T w/Sharmell d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall to Win the Best of Seven Series and Win the Vacant United States Title The Best of Seven Series had continued unabated throughout the month of September, with both men one upping each other by trading victories and neither man gaining a clear advantage. Benoit had defeated Booker in match 6 in order to force the seventh and decisive match, after Sharmell had inadvertantly gotten her husband disqualified after Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long reversed the referee's initial decision. Furthermore, after Sharmell accompanied Booker to ringside for this match, she was ordered to vacate the premises by the referee to ensure that there would be no outside interference and that there would be a winner in the match. After a lengthy back and forth, Booker managed to escape the Crossface by sneaking his foot underneath the bottom rope, while simultaneously shoving the referee to one side. Amidst the confusion, Booker kicked Benoit below the belt as they both came to their feet, which led to Booker hitting the Scissor Kick to the back of Benoit's head and picking up the decisive win, and becoming undisputed United States Champion.
*Randy & "Cowboy" Bob Orton d. The Undertaker in a Casket Match At Summerslam, Randy Orton had shocked the world by defeating The Undertaker, albeit with help from his own father Cowboy Bob Orton. The elder legend had begun accompanying his Legend Killer son to ringside, and the two had been harrased by the Phenom ever since the victory, leading to Smackdown General Manager making a Handicap Casket Match between the Ortons and The Phenom. Cowboy Bob was taken out early, as the Undertaker focused on Randy exclusively. The two on one advantage came into play again though, and both men used every weapon they could to try and end the Undertaker once and for all. In the end they managed to close the lid on the Undertaker in the casket, winning the match, before Randy managed to padlock the casket shut. They then wheeled it up near the entrance and set the casket on fire, effectively trying to end The Undertaker's career.
*Eddie Guerrero d. Rey Mysterio in a Ladder Match to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship Rey Mysterio had earned a title shot against his former best friend Eddie Guerrero by defeating JBL in a #1 contenders match on Smackdown (albeit with help from a retuning Batista). Eddie had attempted to psyche out Rey by pretending to have reverted back to his old fun-loving ways as opposed to the angry man gimmick he had been portraying since the Royal Rumble earlier in the year, but Rey was seemingly unfazed by Eddie's antics. Eddie even allowed Rey to choose the stipulation for the match as a "sign of good faith" which led Rey to make the match a Ladder match. A fantastic match would follow, with Eddie and Rey each utilizing the ladder in innovative ways in a quest for the gold. The end would be sullied though as a recent "Smackdown signee" named El Flama Azul (who was clearly Chavo Guerrero in a mask) intervened on behalf of Eddie, costing Rey the match and allowing Latino Heat to walk out still the World Heavyweight Champion.
*Batista d. John Bradshaw Leyfield in a Texas Bullrope Match At Summerslam, JBL had garnered revenge against Batista by costing him the World Heavyweight Championship in a match against Eddie Guerrero. This led The Animal to attack JBL on the following Smackdown, nearly sending him to the hospital and forcing Theodore Long to suspend Batista briefly. Eventually The Animal was reinstated, costing JBL a #1 contenders match against Rey Mysterio upon his return. This led to a final confrontation between the two behemoths, with Batista challenging JBL to a Texas Bull Rope Match. The two men battered each other with the bullrope, each trying to be the first to hit the four turnbuckles in a row to pick up the win. Eventually Batista ducked a Clothesline from Hell and hit a huge spinebuster on Bradshaw, before finishing him with a Batista Bomb while also touching the 4 corners to get a victory and earn a future World Title Match. After the match, Guerrero came out and confronted The Animal, celebrating with his "friend" Batista to close the show. |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 27, 2023 23:57:50 GMT 1
WWE Halloween Havoc October 30, 2005 iPay One Center San Diego, CA RAW Exclusive Event
*MNM [Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury] w/Melina d. The World Strongest Tag Team [Shelton Benjamin & Mark Henry], The Blue World Order [Stevie Richards & Nova] w/The Blue Meanie and Garrison Cade & Trevor Murdoch in a Fatal Fourway to Win the World Tag Team Titles Several matches had taken place in the weeks leading into Halloween Havoc over the World Tag Team Titles, with Shelton Benjamin and Mark Henry barely fending off their challengers. A Fatal Fourway match was set up to crown definitive champions, and it looked as if the World's Strongest Tag Team would escape again with their titles in tact, as Henry hit the World's Strongest Slam on Stevie Richards. However Cade and Murodch broke up the pin, only to be taken out by Shelton Benjamin. This left MNM to come in and intercept Henry, rolling him up from behind with Nitro holding the tights for added leverage to pick up the win and regain the World Tag Team Titles.
*"The Masterpiece" Chris Masters d. "Pirate" Paul Burchill w/Wilhemina Regal by Submission After defeating William Regal at Unforgiven, "Pirate" Paul Burchill had forced the stodgy Brit to dress up as a "buxom wench" for a period of time. This time was made inderminant after Regal lost a second match to Burchill on Raw. However "Wilhemina Regal" enlisted the aide of "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters to try and win his freedom from Pirate Paul. Masters was able to defeat the WWE's resident Pirate, locking him in the Master Lock to pick up the win.
*Trish Stratus & Lita Ended in a No Contest [Trish Retains the Divas Title] Longtime rivals Trish Stratus and Lita reengaged their old battle for the Diva's Championship, after Lita managed to eliminate Trish in a special "Fulfill Your Fantasy" Battle Royal put on by Eric Bischoff for Raw's return to the USA network. This match however would not see a victor, as both Trish and Lita were attacked during the match by Trish's "jilted friend" Mickie James, who attacked both women with a Steel Chair and then posed with the Diva's Title afterwards.
*Triple H d. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair by Referee Stoppage When Triple H returned to the WWE from injury on the first Raw of October, when it moved back to the USA network on television, he shocked the world by turning on his longtime manager/friend Ric Flair, costing him the Intercontinental Title in the process. The Game explained that he considered Flair to have been "diminished" in recent years, and that he wanted to end Flair's career to prevent it from tarnishing the memories of Flair of old. The match at Halloween Havoc was short and brutal, as Triple H attempted to make good on the threat to end Flair's career. The Nature Boy fought valiantly, but lost a lot of blood, eventually forcing the referee to stop the match to protect Flair from any further damage. After the match though, Triple H continued his assault and took the gurney Flair had been strapped to and tossed it off the stage to the concrete floor below, a final shot to try and end Flair's legendary career.
*Matt Hardy d. Edge w/Lita by Pinfall in a Steel Cage Match The blood feud between Edge and Matt Hardy reached a breaking point at Halloween Havoc, when Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff ordered both men to settle their differences in a Steel Cage Match to try and end the feud. Both men battered each other within an inch of their careers, with Matt Hardy winning after hitting a Jumping Twist of Fate off the side of the cage, which nearly knocked both men out. After the match, both men had to be helped to the back for medical attention.
*Rob Van Dam d. Carlito by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title After defeating Ric Flair (albeit with help from Triple H) to win the Intercontinental Championship, Carlito began referring to himself as the greatest IC Champion of all time. He issued an open challenge for Halloween Havoc, which was answered by former IC Champion Rob Van Dam, who pinned Carlito in a surprisingly short amount of time to win the title.
*Kurt Angle d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship After Eric Bischoff had virtually hand picked Kurt Angle to be the WWE Champion at Unforgiven (by ordering John Cena to defend the title against him right after defending the title in a triple threat match earlier), Bischoff literally rolled out the red carpet for Angle on Raw. After refusing to grant Cena a rematch beyond his contractually ordered one (and screwing Cena out of the title match via a Montreal-inspired tactic), Bischoff ordered a battle royal to crown a new #1 contender for the title, which was won by Shawn Michaels. What followed at the Pay Per View was a near 20 minute match between Angle and Michaels, with both men scoring several near falls. In the end, Angle won after catching Michaels with a roll up and using the ropes for additional leverage in order to retain his title.
*John Cena d. Vader, Lex Luger, Buff Bagwell & Eric Bischoff in a Gauntlet Match Since his arrival on Raw, John Cena had been feuding with Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff. After Bischoff finally succeeded at getting the WWE Championship off of Cena at Unforgiven, he proceeded to screw Cena out of his contractually obligated title rematch on Raw, ordering the bell run after Angle had Cena in the Ankle Lock, but without Cena actually giving up. This led Cena to challenge Bischoff himself to a fight, which Bischoff eventually agreed to, only to change the match to a Gauntlet match, forcing Cena to go through a cavalcade of former WCW stars before he could get to him. Cena easily dispatched of Buff Bagwell as the opening match, before taking a few minutes to defeat the former Narcissist Lex Luger. His toughest opponent by far was former WWE Champion Vader, who wore down the Doctor of Thuganomics before being felled by an FU. Before Cena could get his hands on Bischoff though, Vader continued his assault, hitting a massive powerbomb on Cena that left him lying, seemingly easy pickings for Bischoff. However Cena was able to survive the assault, then proceeding to beat three sheets off of the Raw GM, before locking him in an STF and forcing him to tap out for a measure of revenge to end the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes
November 13: The World Heavyweight Title is Vacated Due to the Death of Eddie Guerrero |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 30, 2023 1:53:07 GMT 1
WWE Survivor Series November 27, 2005 Joe Louis Arena Detroit, MI
*Booker T w/Sharmell d. Rob Van Dam by Pinfall in a Champion vs. Champion Interpromotional Match The bulk of Survivor Series was set around the brand warfare between Raw and Smackdown, brought about by Raw GM Eric Bischoff having been placed on probation by Mr. McMahon following his loss to John Cena at Halloween Havoc (and subsequent attempt to fire Cena the next night on Raw). Bischoff and Smackdown GM Theodore Long made a series of matches between each other, including having the US Champion face the Intercontinental Champion in a non-title match. Former Tag partners Booker T and Rob Van Dam squared off, with Van Dam taking control in the early part of the match, looking to end it with a Five Star Frogsplash. Interference from Sharmell turned the tide, allowing Booker to take control for a bit. RVD countered this for another change in momentum, going for the 5 Star Frogsplash. However he was then distracted by Carlito at ringside, leading to Booker getting the knees up on the Frogsplash. Booker then hit the Book End to pick up the victory.
*Psychosis w/Super Crazy d. Kid Kash w/Jamie Noble by Pinfall to Win the Cruiserweight Title The feud between The Pitbulls and The Mexicools had continued following No Mercy, this time with the Cruiserweight Title being included in the mix. In this title match, miscommunication between Noble and Kid Kash led to the champion getting drilled with his own title belt off an inadvertent distraction from Super Crazy, which led to Psychosis hitting the Guillotine Leg Drop to pick up the win and the title.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. MNM [Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury] w/Melina by Pinfall in a Champions vs. Champions Interpromotional Match The two respective tag team champions of their brands fought in the second interpromotional match of the night. MNM took control early on, isolating Kendrick and keeping Paul London out of the match by distracting the referee with Melina, preventing the hot tag from Kendrick from counting. London eventually made his way into the match, hitting a dropsault on both Mercury and Nitro. But with Kendrick incapcitated, London was the victim of a 2 on 1, as MNM set up for the Snapshot finisher. Kendrick was able to come back and counter the move though, leading to London to roll up Mercury and pick up the shock win, giving Smackdown another victory on the night.
*Mickie James d. Trish Stratus by Pinfall to Win the Divas Championship The long standing friendship-turned-feud between Mickie James and Trish Stratus finally reached a breaking point at Survivor Series, as the former "Psycho Fan" took on her former idol for the Divas Title. Trish certainly didn't underestimate Mickie's abilities, but Mickie James' antics kept Trish off her own game. In the end, Mickie hit her own version of the Chick Kick followed by a mimicked Stratusfaction to pin Trish clean and win the Divas title.
*Theodore Long w/The Boogeyman d. Eric Bischoff w/Garrison Cade by Pinfall in a GM vs. GM Match Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff attempted to take matters into his own hands by taking out Smackdown GM Theodore Long. Bischoff even came armed with his own second in the form of former tag team champion Garrison Cade. However, Bischoff's efforts were stymied again by the sudden appearance of The Boogeyman, the distraction of which allowed Long to roll up Bischoff for the win. After the match, the Boogeyman took out Cade with a Pump Handle Slam and then forced Bischoff to eat a mouth full of worms.
*Team Smackdown [Randy Orton, Tyson Tomko, The Big Show, Mr. Kennedy, Chavo Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Finlay & Bobby Lashley] d. Team Raw [Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Edge, Kane, "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters, Trevor Murdoch, Shelton Benjamin & Mark Henry] in a Interpromotional Survivor Series Match The final interpromotional match was an 8 on 8 Survivor Series Tag Match pitting stars from Raw against stars from Smackdown. Eric Bischoff claimed to have a mole on Team Smackdown, which turned out to be The Big Show, who turned on his partners, though not to the point of leading Team Raw to victory. - Rey Mysterio d. Trevor Murdoch by Pinfall - Bobby Lashley d. Kane by Pinfall - Shawn Michaels d. Finlay by Pinfall - Triple H d. Bobby Lashley by Pinfall - Mark Henry & Tyson Tomko were both counted out - Randy Orton d. Shelton Benjamin by Pinfall - Mr. Kennedy d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall - Triple H Was Disqualified - Edge d. Mr. Kennedy by Pinfall - "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters d. Randy Orton by Pinfall - The Big Show Was Counted Out - Edge d. Chavo Guerrero by Pinfall - Rey Mysterio d. "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters by Pinfall - Rey Mysterio d. Edge by Pinfall SOLE SURVIVOR: Rey Mysterio
*John Cena d. Kurt Angle by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship After John Cena had defeated Eric Bischoff at Halloween Havoc, he had earned a rematch against Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship. Unlike their previous encounters, this one was made a No Disqualification match by Mr. McMahon, to ensure that there would be a winner. Angle controlled the match early on, targeting the ankle that he had damaged in the build to the match in the hopes of getting Cena to quit. However Cena was able to roll out of an attempted Ankle Lock, throwing Angle shoulder first into the steel ring post in the process. Cena took advantage and hit an FU, but only garnered a two count. Angle reasserted control, before attempting a top rope moonsault after an Angle Slam only got a two count. Cena however caught Angle on the top rope and readjusted him to hit a top rope FU to pin the Olympic Hero and regain the WWE title.
*Chris Benoit d. John Bradshaw Leyfield, Batista & Christian in a Four Corners Match for the Vacant World Heavyweight Championship Following the tragic premature death of Eddie Guerrero, the World Heavyweight Championship was declared vacant, forcing Smackdown GM Theodore Long to make a Four Corners Elimination Match for the championship. Batista was the first man eliminated after JBL and Christian teamed up on The Animal, with JBL pinning him following a Clothesline from Hell. Benoit then caught Christian with a Tiger Suplex into a bridging pin, leading to a match between he and Bradshaw. JBL nearly got the win going for another Clothesline from Hell, but Benoit caught him instead and locked in the Crossface, getting JBL to tap out and winning his 2nd World Heavyweight Title in the name of his best friend Eddie Guerrero to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
November 28: Carlito d. Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental Title
December 9: Paul London d. Psychosis for the Cruiserweight Title
December 16: Kid Kash d. Paul London for the Cruiserweight Title |
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Post by darbicus on Mar 31, 2023 14:01:50 GMT 1
WWE Armageddon December 18, 2005 Dunkin Donuts Center Providence, RI SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*Finlay d. The Blonde Squad [Chad & Brad Toland] w/Jillian Hall by Pinfall in a Handicap Match The Fighting Irishman Finlay had continued to pick a fight with anyone on the Smackdown roster who so much as looked at him wrong. Thusly, he found himself facing The Blonde Squad, after the two invited the blonde Irishman to join them as their "third wheel." Despite facing a 2 on 1 disadvantage, Finlay was able to overcome the odds and defeat the Blondes with a Celtic Cross on both of them for the pin.
*Mr. Kennedy d. Chavo Guerrero by Pinfall Since coming back to Smackdown following the untimely death of his uncle Eddie, Chavo Guerrero had been on something of a win streak. However that came to an end at the hands of Mr. Kennedy, as Kennedy pinned Chavo with the Green Bay Plunge followed by a Mic Check for the win.
*The Boogeyman d. "The French Phenom" Renee Dupree by Pinfall In a standard match, The Boogeyman bested "The French Phenom" through his rather unique offense, finishing him with a Pump Handle Slam before giving him a worm bath afterwards.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. The Mexicools [Psychosis & Super Crazy] & The Pitbulls [Kid Kash & Jamie Noble] in a TLC Match to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The three top tag teams on Smackdown had been feuding over the WWE Tag Team Titles (as well as the Cruiserweight Title) for several months, leading to Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long making a TLC match to try and determine who the top tag team was once and for all. Early on London and Kendrick were taken out by The Pitbulls, making it look like their lengthy title reign would finally come to an end. Kash and Noble took out The Mexicools next and nearly won the belts, but London stopped them from grabbing the titles, pushing them off the ladder to the concrete floor below. Later, Kendrick managed to hit Sliced Bread #2 on Super Crazy to take him out while London secured the belts, keeping their title reign in tact.
*Bobby Lashley & The Big Show Fought to a Double Countout At the Survivor Series, The Big Show had proved to be Eric Bischoff's mole on Team Smackdown, turning on them midmatch and nearly costing them their victory. In the course of this he made an enemy of Bobby Lashley, leading to this interpromotional grudge match (as Show had defected to Raw in the process of turning on Smackdown). Lashley and The Big Show pummeled each other repeatedly, eventually leading to a double countout between the two as they brawled up the entryway to the top of the ramp.
*Christian w/Tyson Tomko d. JBL, Batista, Rey Mysterio & Randy Orton in a Five-Man Scramble Match to become #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Title Following Chris Benoit's victory at Survivor Series, all of the other men in the Fatal Fourway (along with Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton) were put into a followup match by Theodore Long to determine who the new #1 contender for the World Heavyweight championship would be. Batista seemingly had the match won after hitting JBL with a Batista Bomb, but his former Evolution teammate in Randy Orton interrupted, fighting with him to the outside. This left Mysterio and Christian to fight it out, with Mysterio's attempt at a West Coast Pop broken up by Tyson Tomko on the outside. This led to Christian hitting the Kill Switch to pick up the win and earn a title shot at the Royal Rumble.
*Chris Benoit d. Booker T w/Sharmell by Submission to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship [Booker's US Title Was Not On the Line] Newly crowned World Champion Chris Benoit had picked up his feud with United States Champion Booker T, facing his old nemesis in a champion vs. champion match, but with only the World Heavyweight Title on the line. Booker nearly had the match won, hitting the Book End on a dazed Benoit after the champion missed a Diving Headbutt. But Benoit kicked out at two and eventually locked Booker in the Sharpshooter to pick up the victory. Benoit celebrated, pointing to the heavens as a sign of support for the late Eddie Guerrero as the show came to a close. |
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Post by darbicus on Apr 3, 2023 19:57:17 GMT 1
WWE New Year's Revolution January 8, 2006 Pepsi Arena Albany, NY RAW Exclusive Event
*Rob Van Dam d. Carlito in a Caribbean Strap Match to Win the Intercontinental Title The night after Survivor Series, Carlito had defeated Rob Van Dam to regain the Intercontinental Title as a continuation of the feud between the two that had been ongoing for several weeks. RVD cashed in his rematch at New Year's Revolution, also defeating an opponent of Carlito's choosing (namely Chris Masters) to choose the stipulation for their rematch. RVD made the match a Caribbean Strap Match, with No Disqualifications. With the leather strap keeping Carlito from running away, RVD was able to control much of their rematch, with Van Dam picking up the win with a Split Legged Moonsault to regain the title.
*William Regal d. Viscera w/Lillian Garcia by Pinfall Since surviving his stint as the "saucy winch" of Pirate Paul Burchill, William Regal had adopted a negative attitude towards the women of WWE. This had settled on ring announcer Lillian Garcia, as Regal propositioned Garcia in an insulting fashion. This raised the ire of Garcia's admirer, the World's Largest Love Machine Viscera, who challenged Regal to a match. Despite being outweighed by a massive amount, Regal was able to pull off the victory following a referee's distraction, knocking out Viscera with his Power of the Punch for the three count.
*Gregory Helms d. Rosey by Pinfall Several months earlier The Hurricane had abandoned his partner Rosey and seemingly left behind his super hero persona as well. Adopting the more serious persona of Gregory Helms, the former super hero had been feuding on and off again with his former Super Hero in Training in Rosey, leading to this final match between the two. Despite Rosey using his size to try and defeat Helms, the more heelish veteran snuck away with a win, hitting a low blow behind the referee's back and then hitting Rosey with a Reverse DDT for the win.
*MNM [Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury] w/Melina d. The World's Strongest Tag Team [Shelton Benjamin & Mark Henry] by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles The tag team combination of Mark Henry and Shelton Benjamin attempted to regain the World Tag Team Titles, after having beaten each of the individual champions in singles matches in the weeks leading up to New Year's Revolution. The champions isolated Benjamin early on, but the athletic former IC Champ withstood the onslaught and eventually made the hot tag to Mark Henry. The World's Strongest Man came in like a House of Fire, taking out both Nitro and Mercury in short order. When Melina jumped in in an attempt to interfere, Henry grabbed her and seemingly was ready to deliver the World's Strongest Slam to her, but was deterred by Benjamin. However the distraction allowed Mercury to drill Henry with the tag title belt as Nitro then hit the Moonlight Drive for the win. After the match, a frustrated Henry turned on Benjamin, hitting the World's Strongest Slam on his partner and storming off.
*Ashely Massaro & Trish Stratus d. Victoria & Mickie James by Pinfall At Survivor Series, Mickie James had fulfilled her desire to one-up her "former bestie" Trish Stratus and won the Divas title. She looked to continue that dominance in this tag match, teaming with Victoria against Trish and her "new bestie" Ashley Massaro. Trish however would manage to get some revenge on Mickie, hitting the Stratusfaction on her after a miscommunication between Victoria and Jame, while Ashley then hit the Starstruck on the champion to pick up the win.
*Triple H d. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in a Last Man Standing Match The feud between former allies Triple H and Ric Flair finally reached its end as Flair challenged Triple H to a Last Man Standing match. After their match had ended in referee stoppage at Halloween Havoc, Flair had managed to get one over on the Game on an episode of Raw, pinning him with a small package combination. This left Triple H bound and determined to finish off the Nature Boy once and for all. Despite a valiant effort, Flair was overpowered by the self-professed King of Kings, as Triple H hit a Pedigree through a table on the outside, causing Flair to finally be down for a ten count and winning the match.
*John Cena d. The Big Show, Kurt Angle, Matt Hardy, Shawn Michaels & "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters in an Elimination Chamber Match to Retain the WWE Championship At Survivor Series, Raw GM Eric Bischoff had failed to accomplish a single goal that he had set out to accomplish, a "miserable failure" during the probationary period put on him by Vince McMahon. As a result there was a "trial of Eric Bischoff" held on an episode of Raw. In an effort to try and save his job, Bischoff booked John Cena in an Elimination Chamber match to defend the WWE Title. Though this failed to save his position (as Bischoff was literally fired and thrown in a trash truck by McMahon on the same episode), Cena would still have to defend the title against 5 other men inside the demonic structure. The end came down to Michaels, Angle and Cena, with Angle eliminating Michaels following a Top Rope Angle Slam as HBK attempted a moonsault onto Cena. Cena and Angle went back and forth for several minutes, before Cena defied the odds and locked Angle in the STF and garnered a submission victory to retain the title. - Matt Hardy and Shawn Michaels entered the match at numbers 1 and 2 respectively. - John Cena entered the match at number 3. - "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters entered the match at number 4. - Kurt Angle entered the match at number 5. - "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters d. Matt Hardy by Submission with the Master Lock. - The Big Show entered the match at number 6. - John Cena d. The Big Show by Pinfall with an FU. - Shawn Michaels d. "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters by Pinfall with Sweet Chin Music. - Kurt Angle d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall with a Top Rope Angle Slam - John Cena d. Kurt Angle by Submission with an STF to Win.
*Edge w/Lita d. John Cena by Pinfall in a Money in the Bank Cash-In to Win the WWE Championship After the Elimination Chamber match was over, though, Vince McMahon appeared at the entryway and informed Cena that his night was not over, as the Money in the Bank winner from Wrestlemania 21, Edge, had cashed in his briefcase for a WWE Championship match right then and there. Despite surviving one Spear, Cena could not survive a 2nd, as The Rated R Superstar shocked the world and won his first WWE Championship to close out the night.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
January 9: "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters d. Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental Title
January 13: Chavo Guerrero d. Booker T for the United States Title
January 13: Gregory Helms d. Kid Kash in a Cruiserweight Invitational to Win the Cruiserweight Title
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Post by darbicus on Apr 4, 2023 21:58:59 GMT 1
Note: Jeff Hardy makes his return at this event, a full 6 months early. As he was suspended by TNA in December of 05, his contract simply ends early.
WWE Royal RumbleJanuary 29, 2006 American Airlines Arena Miami, FL
*Shawn Michaels d. Kurt Angle by Pinfall in a Feast or Famine Royal Rumble Qualifier Match The feud between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle had been ongoing since Halloween Havoc, when Angle had cheated to defeat Michaels to retain the WWE Title. At the Elimination Chamber, Michaels had been eliminated by Angle as well. Raw Interim GM Mick Foley, however, announced that a second one on one match between the two would take place at the Royal Rumble, with the winner being named #30 in the Rumble match and the loser being named #1. The contest was similar to their October clash, filled with counters and near falls. Angle attempted to sneak his way to a win again, but the referee saw Angle attempting to gain leverage on the ropes and broke the pin. Angle turned to argue with the ref briefly, but this gave Michaels the opening he needed to hit Sweet Chin Music and score the pinfall victory.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. The Pitbulls [Kid Kash & Jamie Noble] in a Dog Collar Match to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles After their recent failure to win the WWE Tag Team Titles, The Pitbulls stole the tag belts from the long-running champions of London and Kendrick and held them hostage, demanding a rematch for the belts. London and Kendrick agreed, with the title match being made a Dog Collar Match by Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long. Moreover, the match woudl have Texas Tornado rules, so all four men would be in the ring at the same time. In a particularly brutal match, London and Kendrick bested their challengers yet again, as London hit a Shooting Star Press on Noble with the chain draped across his chest, picking up the win and regaining physical custody of their belts.
*"The Masterpiece" Chris Masters d. "Pirate" Paul Burchill by Submission to Retain the Intercontinental Title The night after New Year's Revolution, "The Masterpiece" pulled off an upset by defeating Rob Van Dam to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Interim GM Mick Foley had held a battle royal amongst ten stars who had not recently had title opportunities, which was won by "Pirate" Paul Burchill, who then later pinned the champion in a tag team match. In their actual title match though, Masters was able to withstand Burchill's unique offense, wearing down his neck and then placing him in the Master Lock to pick up the win via submission.
*Mickie James d. Ashley Massaro w/Trish Stratus by Pinfall to Retain the Divas Title Following gaining a pinfall victory over the champion at New Year's Revolution, Ashley Massaro continued her meteoric rise by pinning James in a non-title contest on Raw. This led to the Divas Search winner receiving a title shot at the Royal Rumble. Trish's time at ringside was short-lived, as Mickie James feigned her interfering, causing the referee to eject her to the locker room. James was then able to relatively easily take care of the rookie Ashley, pinning her following a Mick Kick for the victory.
*Christian w/Tyson Tomko d. Chris Benoit by Pinfall to Win the World Heavyweight Title Christian had surprisingly won a 5 Man Match at Armageddon the previous month to become the #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, leading to this contest between he and Chris Benoit at the Royal Rumble. Christian got cheap heat from Benoit, insinuating that the late Eddie Guerrero (whom Benoit had dedicated his title victory to) was not in heaven, but rather was in hell. Benoit however was not amused and attacked Christian before the bell even rang for their match, looking to end it quickly. Christian's Problem Solver, Tyson Tomko, would interfere on his employer's behalf, getting ejected but turning the tide of the match. Benoit was able to make a comeback, and seemingly had the match won with the Crossface, but a ref bump earlier in the match caused him to miss the tap out. As Benoit checked on the ref, Tomko came back out, tossing the World Title to Christian and confronting Benoit. For his troubles the Problem Solver got a hat trick of German Suplexes, only for Christian to drill him in the back of the head with the Big Gold Belt. Christian then made the pin for the upset to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
*Triple H Won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match With the two finalists from the previous year out of the Rumble (Cena challenging Edge for the WWE Title and Batista out for an extended period with an injury), the Rumble was wide open. Sentimental favorite Rey Mysterio would enter the match at #5 and last near to the end, before being eliminated by Randy Orton. Angle started the match and lasted all the way to near the end as well, before being dumped out by Triple H. The final three were Orton, Triple H and Shawn Michaels (who entered at #30), with the former DX teammates putting aside their rivalry to eliminate the Legend Killer, leaving the match down to the Game and HBK. Despite Michaels turning back the clock by skinning the cat and nearly eliminating a celebrating Triple H (as he had done with Owen Hart several years earlier), The Game did not get eliminated as Owen had. Instead he turned the tables on Michaels, hitting a Pedigree and then tossing HBK out of the ring to punch his ticket to Wrestlemania.
*John Cena d. Edge w/Lita by Disqualification [Edge Retains the WWE Championship] At New Year's Revolution, Edge had shocked everyone by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract that he had won at Wrestlemania 21 on WWE Champion John Cena, after Cena had been through a grueling Elimination Chamber match. 2 Spears later and Edge had won his first WWE Championship. Cena immediately cashed in his rematch for the Royal Rumble, solidifying his feud with Edge after interrupting the "live sex celebration" between Edge and Lita on Raw. In their rematch, Cena controlled much of the match, with Edge unable to figure out Cena's offense. However, Lita got heavily involved in the match, culminating in pulling the referee out of the ring. Edge then took control and hit a Spear, getting a near fall on the challenger after a second referee came down. Cena turned the table and hit the FU on Edge, before locking in the STF. However before Edge could tap out, the original official came to and disqualified Edge, giving Cena the win but allowing the Rated R Superstar to sneak away with his championship to close the show.
Royal Rumble Entry/Exit Order (2 Minutes Between Eliminations)
1. Kurt Angle
2. Chavo Guerrero
3. Gregory Helms
4. Super Crazy
5. Rey Mysterio
- Super Crazy Eliminated #1 by Kurt Angle
6. The Big Show
- Chavo Guerrero Eliminated #2 by The Big Show
7. Renee Dupree
8. Rob Van Dam
- Gregory Helms Eliminated #3 by The Big Show
9. Bobby Lashley
- The Big Show Eliminated #4 by Bobby Lashley
10. Mr. Kennedy
- Renee Dupree Eliminated #5 by Bobby Lashley
11. Joey Mercury
12. Ric Flair
13. Mark Henry
- Mr. Kennedy Eliminated #6 by Ric Flair
- Ric Flair Eliminated #7 by Kurt Angle
14. Matt Hardy
15. William Regal
16. Kane
- Kane Eliminated #8 by Mark Henry
17. Johnny Nitro
18. Jeff Hardy
- Joey Mercury Eliminated #9 by Jeff Hardy
- Mark Henry Eliminated #10 by Bobby Lashley
19. Trevor Murdoch
- Matt Hardy Eliminated #11 by Johnny Nitro
- Johnny Nitro Eliminated #12 by Jeff Hardy
20. Randy Orton
21. Booker T
22. Shelton Benjamin
- Trevor Murdoch Eliminated #13 by Rey Mysterio
23. Garrison Cade
24. Triple H
- Shelton Benjamin Eliminated #14 by Triple H
- Bobby Lashley Eliminated #15 by Triple H
25. Tommy Dreamer
- Rob Van Dam Eliminated #16 by Booker T
26. Carlito
27. Finlay
- Garrison Cade Eliminated #17 by Rey Mysterio
- Rey Mysterio Eliminated #18 by Randy Orton
28. Psychosis
- Booker T Eliminated #19 by Kurt Angle
29. John Bradshaw Leyfield
30. Shawn Michaels
- Tommy Dreamer Eliminated #20 by Carlito
- Psychosis Eliminated #21 by Randy Orton
- Finlay Eliminated #22 by Kurt Angle
- John Bradshaw Leyfield Eliminated #23 by Shawn Michaels
- William Regal Eliminated #24 by Triple H
- Carlito Eliminated #25 by Jeff Hardy
- Kurt Angle Eliminated #26 by Shawn Michaels
- Jeff Hardy Eliminated #27 by Randy Orton
- Randy Orton Eliminated #28 by Shawn Michaels
- Shawn Michaels Eliminated #29 by Triple H
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Post by darbicus on Apr 6, 2023 3:07:15 GMT 1
WWE No Way Out February 19, 2006 1st Mariner Arena Baltimore, MD SMACKDOWN Exclusive Event
*John Bradshaw Leyfield d. Chavo Guerrero by Pinfall to Win the United States Title The opening contest saw Chavo Guerrero attempt to continue his recent success by defending the US Title against former WWE Champion JBL. Bradshaw had denigrated Eddie's family (including his widow, Vickie, who appeared at ringside during one of Bradshaw's matches on an episode of Smackdown), leading to this title match. Chavo used his quickness and the fact that JBL completely disregarded him as a competitor to his advantage, nearly scoring several near falls before JBL was able to establish control. Eventually Chavo rallied and attempted a Frogsplash, but Bradshaw was able to get his knees up. He then hit a Clothesline from Hell to pin Chavo and win the US Title.
*Team Tazz [Kenny Kruise & Sim Snuka] d. The Mexicools [Psychosis & Super Crazy] by Pinfall Smackdown Color Commentator and former Intercontinental Champion Tazz had recently decided to enter the managerial game, recruiting two "elite athletes" from WWE's developmental system in Kenny Kruise (real life name Kenny Dykstra) and Sim Snuka (the son of Hall of Famer Jimmy Snuka). The team made their debut against The Mexicools as their first real test, and they passed with flying colors, beating the two luchadores relatively easily as Kruise hit a top rope legdrop on Super Crazy for the win.
*The Boogeyman d. Gregory Helms by Pinfall In an imprompty match, Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms came to the ring and demanded competition. The challenge was answered by The Boogeyman, who crushed the champion with a Pump Handle Slam followed by a Worm Bath in a short match.
*Paul London & Brian Kendrick d. Bobby Lashley & Mr. Kennedy by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles Two recent newcomers into the Smackdown roster, Bobby Lashley and Mr. Kennedy, had begun feuding in recent weeks. However, the two of them wouldn't face each other in a match at No Way Out, instead being forced to put their differences aside by Smackdown GM Theodore Long to challenge for the WWE Tag Team Titles against London and Kendrick. Lashley and Kennedy were able to coexist early on in the match, and it appeared that they had the match won after Lashley hit a thunderous spear on Kendrick. However, Kennedy had "inadvertantly" distracted the referee. Lashley and Kennedy then argued amongst themselves, leading to Lashley torpedoing the teams chances by hitting Kennedy with the Dominatior and then putting Kendrick on top of him, giving the champs the win.
*The Miz d. Finlay by Disqualification Mike Mizanin, a former Tough Enough competitor, had made several appearances on Smackdown as the Special "Fan Host" also known as The Miz. However, The Miz was treated as an annoyance at best by most of the Smackdown roster, particularly by the Irish fighter Finlay. After months of harrasment, The Miz finally challenged Finlay to a match at No Way Out. The Miz surprisingly was able to hold his own against Finlay, but the Irishman didn't take kindly to The Miz's antics, smashing him in the head with his shellaileigh, busting him open in the process. However, this led to a disqualification, giving The Miz his first official win in the WWE.
*Rey Mysterio d. Randy Orton by Pinfall to Earn the #1 Contendership to the World Heavyweight Title After Royal Rumble winner Triple H had declared his intentions to challenge for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania 22, Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long put together an 8 man tournament to crown a new #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Title. The tournament came down to Randy Orton against Rey Mysterio, with Orton being declared the "heavy favorite" due to his recent winning streak and Rey's dimunitive stature. Indeed, it looked as if Orton would have the match won near the end, after he hit an RKO on Rey (but only after Orton had taken out the referee in frustration earlier). However, before Orton could make a successful cover, the match was interrupted by the returning Undertaker, who emerged from a charred casket to confront the self-professed Legend Killer, who tried to end his career. Undertaker Tombstoned Orton, allowing Rey to hit a Frogsplash from the top as the referee came to and giving Rey the ticket to a World Title match at Wrestlemania 22.
*Christian d. Chris Benoit in a Steel Cage Match to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship After Christian had cheated to defeat Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble, Smackdown GM Theodore Long ordered Captain Charisma to defend the title against the former champion at No Way Out. After Benoit won a match against Tyson Tomko to earn the right to pick the stipulation, Benoit chose to make the match a Steel Cage match to keep all interference out of the match. The two men went back and forth over the belt, with Benoit nearly scoring the pinfall with a Diving Headbutt off the top rope. However Tomko would again get involved, as he tossed the World Heavyweight Title Belt into the cage, allowing Christian to hit the Killswitch on the belt. Still, the battered champion barely was able to crawl his way to the door to get out. Benoit grabbed him by his heels, trying to drag him back in, but Tomko was able to grab the champion and yank him out of the ring, allowing Christian to pick up the win and retain the title as the show closed. |
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Post by darbicus on Apr 7, 2023 1:02:42 GMT 1
Note: Wrestlemania 22 moves venues again, changing from Chicago to San Diego. With all future shows taking place in arenas, this should be the last Wrestlemania until the more recent ones to change venue.Wrestlemania 22 April 2, 2006 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA
*Team Tazz [Kenny Kruise & Sim Snuka] w/Tazz d. Paul London & Brian Kendrick by Pinfall to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles Since their debut a month earlier, Team Tazz had defeated every tag team put in front of them, putting them on a collision course with the long-running champions Paul London and Brian Kendrick. London and Kendrick proved to be the one team that could easily best Team Tazz, but interference from their manager changed the outcome, as Tazz suplexed London into the steel ring steps on the outside, leaving Kendrick in a handicap situation. Despite Kendrick's valiant efforts, the match ended when Sim Snuka hit a splash from the top rope to pick up the win and the titles.
*"The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry d. Shelton Benjamin by Pinfall In December the World's Strongest Tag Team had imploded when Mark Henry turned on partner Shelton Benjamin, turning heel in the process. The two had been feuding on and off for several months, leading to this first one on one confrontation at Wrestlemania. Henry easily overpowered the athletic Benjamin, but Shelton's quickness kept the World's Strongest Man from taking full advantage throughout. Benjamin rallied towards the end of the match, hitting several quick strike moves that took the big man off his feet, before hitting a big splash in the corner that finally got a near fall. Benjamin went to the outside to hit a springboard move, but Henry caught him and hit the World's Strongest Slam, before finishing off Benjamin with a big splash from the second rope to pick up the win.
*Booker T d. Kane, Carlito, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, Chris Benoit, Chavo Guerrero & Finlay in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match For the second year in a row the Money in the Bank Ladder Match was held at Wrestlemania, with 4 Smackdown superstars and 4 Raw superstars all competing for a briefcase containing a guaranteed title shot at anytime, anywhere for one calendar year. Like the previous match it the contest was filled with highspots galore, including Benoit jumping off the top of the ladder with a diving headbutt to Carlito on the outside, and Kane chokeslamming Flair, Guerrero and Benoit through tables in quick succession. In the end it came down to RVD and Booker fighting over the briefcase at the top of the ladder. Kane came over to knock the ladder over, but Booker was able to leap from one ladder to another, catching himself. With Kane taken out by Finlay from behind, Booker was able to reach up and unhook the briefcase to become the 2nd ever Mr. Money in the Bank.
*"The Masterpiece" Chris Masters d. Tommy Dreamer w/The Blue World Order by Submission to Retain the Intercontinental Title For several months Tommy Dreamer had been trying to recapture his glory from his ECW days, with mixed results. However, since the Royal Rumble, Dreamer had been on a bit of a winning streak, including being a thorn in the side of Intercontinental Champion Chris Masters. Dreamer became the first man to officially break out of the Master Lock (which Masters chalked up to a "bad grip") on Raw and Dreamer had later pinned Masters in a non-title match following help from his fellow ECW alumnists the Blue World Order. The BWO was in his corner for his IC Title match against Masters, fought under Extreme Rules, giving Dreamer a sort of home field advantage. Dreamer came close to defeating Masters, but The Masterpiece was able to use the Extreme Rules stipulation to his own advantage, drilling Dreamer with several shots from an exercise bar that Masters brought with him to the ring. He took out the BWO and then locked Dreamer in the Master Lock, scoring a submission victory and retaining his title.
*John Bradshaw Leyfield d. Bobby Lashley & Mr. Kennedy by Pinfall to Retain the United States Title The feud between Bobby Lashley and Mr. Kennedy had grown to include United States Champion John Bradshaw Leyfield, after each man cost a title match against the other in the weeks leading to Wrestlemania. JBL was thus ordered to defend the title in a triple threat match by Smackdown GM Theodore Long. Lashley and Kennedy mostly focused on taking each other out, with the champion forced to sit back and interject as necessary to ensure that his title stayed in tact. This almost backfired on him, as Lashley was able to isolate JBL and hit him with a Spear that would have won the match, if not for Kennedy saving it at the last second. Kennedy then hit the Mic Check on Lashley out of nowhere, only to gloat too long and eat a Clothesline from Hell from JBL, resulting in Bradshaw retaining his title.
*The Hardy Boyz [Matt & Jeff Hardy] d. MNM [Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury] by Disqualification [MNM Retain the World Tag Team Titles] After several months of domination in the tag division on Raw, MNM were forced to face one of the legendary tag teams of yesteryear, as Matt and Jeff Hardy reunited to try and take the World Tag Team Titles from Nitro and Mercury (sans Melina, as she was challenging for the Divas Title later that night). The Hardys showed that they hadn't missed a step at all in the years since they last teamed together, and seemed poised to win the titles as Jeff hit Mercury with a Swanton Bomb after a Twist of Fate. However, Nitro interfered by pulling the referee out of the ring and drilling Matt with the tag title belt, resulting in a disqualification. After the match MNM attempted a beatdown on the Hardys, but the brothers countered back and kicked the tag champions out of the ring, leaving with the victory but sadly not with the titles.
*Kurt Angle d. Shawn Michaels in a Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match The feud between Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels reached its final mark as the two faced each other in a rubber match, this time 2 out of 3 falls. Angle scored the first fall with a rollup while holding Michaels tights, thus leaving HBK down 1-0 early on. However Michaels quickly evened the score with Sweet Chin Music, tying up the match. In the end, Michaels attempted Sweet Chin Music a second time, only for Angle to catch the kick and turn it into an Ankle Lock. After fighting the pain for several minutes and after Angle grapevined the leg, Michaels was left with no choice but to tap out, giving the victory to the Olympic Hero.
*The Undertaker d. Randy Orton by Pinfall in a Hell in a Cell Match At No Way Out, The Undertaker had made his return after several months away, following an attempt by Randy Orton and his father to end the Deadman's career by locking him in a Casket and setting him on fire. The Phenom's return coincided with a #1 contenders match between Orton and Rey Mysterio, as The Undertaker cost the Legend Killer a chance to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania. This led Orton to challenge the Undertaker to put his Wrestlemania undefeated streak on the line in a Hell in a Cell match. Orton had never been beaten by The Undertaker going into the match, leading some to believe that the Phenom's streak was in jeopardy. Indeed, Orton nearly scored a fall with an RKO onto steel stairs that had been brought into the ring by the Undertaker. In the end though, in a brutal Hell in a Cell match, The Undertaker pinned Orton after countering the Legend Killer's attempt to use the Undertaker's own Tombstone against him, pinning Orton after a Tombstone of his own to continue his legendary streak.
*Mickie James d. Trish Stratus, Ashley Massaro, Melina, Candace Michelle, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly & Jillian Hall in an 8 Diva Battle Royal to Retain the Divas Title Divas Champion Mickie James had recently made a boast that she could defeat the entire Divas roster with little effort, leading to Raw Interim GM Mick Foley to take her up on that offer proverbially, putting her in an 8 Diva Battle Royal for her title. Despite the women all gaining up on the champion, James was able to survive, retaining her title after last eliminating Kelly Kelly from the ring.
*Rey Mysterio d. Christian w/Tyson Tomko by Pinfall to win the World Heavyweight Championship Rey Mysterio had earned a World Heavyweight Championship Match against Christian by virtue of defeating Randy Orton at No Way Out (albeit with help from The Undertaker, inadvertantly). Rey dedicated his match to the late Eddie Guerrero, which cause Christian to come out and tell Rey that "sentimentality doesn't win championship matches, real men do." He ignored the fact that Rey had a "home field advantage" by competing in his home town of San Diego, instead using the Problem Solver Tyson Tomko to soften up Rey in the weeks leading into Wrestlemania. This wouldn't continue for the match however, as the referee ejected Tomko from the ringside area per the order of Smackdown GM Theodore Long. Mysterio and Christian had a fast paced match which saw Captain Charisma attempt to get disqualified several times in order to keep his title. Thankfully the referee didn't allow those shenanigans to take effect, using his discretion to keep the match going. In the end, Rey hit the 619 followed by a Frogsplash to score the win and the World Heavyweight Title, celebrating with Chris Benoit and Chavo Guerrero after the match in dedication to Eddie Guerrero.
*John Cena d. Edge w/Lita & Triple H by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship After Edge had gotten disqualified at the Royal Rumble, it appeared that John Cena would be unable to challenge for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania 22. This was made even more apparent when the winner of the Royal Rumble match, Triple H, declared that he would challenge for Edge's title, stating that the "King of Kings will go back on his throne." Cena lobbied first Interim Raw GM Mick Foley, and then Mr. McMahon for another opportunity at the title. Eventually McMahon agreed, making a handicap match with Cena facing Edge & Triple H. If Cena won, he would be added to the main event, and if he lost, he would never compete at Wrestlemania again. Cena did win, but only after Edge inadvertantly screwed himself, deliberately spearing Triple H after he hit a Pedigree on Cena, only to be caught in an STF and forced to tap out. The triple threat match saw all three men have viable chances of winning, with Lita being taken out via Pedigree early on in the match. Edge came close to a victory with a Spear to Triple H, only for Cena to make the last minute save. Edge then fell to a Pedigree, but before The Game could make the cover, Cena locked him in the STF in the center of the ring, only for Lita to come back into play and break up the hold, earning an FU for her trouble. In the end, Edge attempted to Spear Triple H from the top rope, only to be caught by John Cena, who hit an Avalanche FU onto the champion. He then delivered an FU onto Triple H, pinning both men to score the definitive victory and regain his championship, closing out the night on a high note for John Cena.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
April 3: Shelton Benjamin d. "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters to Win the Intercontinental Title
April 14: "Mighty" Mike Mondo d. Gregory Helms to Win the Cruiserweight Title
April 28: Bobby Lashley d. John Bradshaw Leyfield to Win the United States Title |
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Post by darbicus on Apr 10, 2023 22:01:07 GMT 1
WWE Backlash April 30, 2006 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY RAW Exclusive Event
*Tommy Dreamer w/The Blue World Order d. Carlito by Pinfall After failing to win the Money in the Bank briefcase the previous month at Wrestlemania (and failing to recapture the IC Title from new champion Shelton Benjamin), The Master of Cool was looking to get back in the win column. He challenged Tommy Dreamer to a match, figuring that he was the "easiest opponent" on the Raw roster. The ECW alumn had other things in mind though, thanks to help from his friends in the Blue World Order, as Dreamer overwhelmed the overconfident Carlito, and then surprisingly pinned him following a Death Valley Driver onto a steel chair following a distraction from The Blue Meanie on the outside.
*Rob Van Dam d. Edge w/Lita by Pinfall After losing the WWE Championship to John Cena at Wrestlemania, the Rated R Superstar Edge was eager to try and regain his championship. However he was challenged by Rob Van Dam, who was also trying to earn a title shot, leading to Interim Raw General Manager Mick Foley to make a match between the two (one of the last official acts of Foley as GM, before being replaced by Shane McMahon). Edge and Van Dam had a high octane match filled with high spots, as Edge tried to ground the high flyer throughout. To the surprise of many though, Van Dam continued his hot streak he had been on, pinning Edge after hitting a 5 Star Frogsplash in the center of the ring.
*Kelly Kelly d. Mickie James by Disqualification [James Retains the Divas Title] Kelly Kelly had earned a shot at the Divas Championship, after she had nearly eliminated Mickie James during the Divas Battle Royal at Wrestlemania. To many people's surprise, she furthered her cause by pinning James the following night on Raw in a non-title match (albeit with a distraction from Trish Stratus). Kelly would have to go it on her own in the course of this match, as Trish had been restricted from ringside by order of newly installed Raw GM Shane McMahon. Despite this, Kelly still nearly won the match after a roll up from behind, leading to James losing her temper and choking out the challenger. After James refused to answer a 5 count, the referee was left with no choice but to disqualify her, giving Kelly Kelly the win but keeping the Divas title on Mickie James.
*Kane d. "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters by Pinfall In a standard match, Kane defeated The Masterpiece via a Chokeslam, after breaking out of the Master Lock Submission Hold.
*Shelton Benjamin d. Mark Henry by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title Despite losing to Mark Henry at Wrestlemania, Shelton Benjamin was able to rebound quickly by capturing his 2nd Intercontinental Title the night after Wrestlemania 22. In so doing, he was instantly faced with the challenge of the World's Strongest Man, who catapaulted to become #1 contender based on his earlier victory. Like their Wrestlemania encounter, Henry tried to use his bulk and strength to knock out the champion. However Benjamin was better scouted this time and avoided Henry's power game, using a rope a dope strategy and capitalizing on a missed Vader Bomb attempt from the World's Strongest Man to eventually hit a big top rope clothesline for the victory.
*The Hardy Boyz [Matt & Jeff Hardy] d. MNM [Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury] w/Melina in a Ladder Match to Win the World Tag Team Titles After MNM had been intentionally disqualified the previous month to retain the World Tag Team Titles, they were ordered by Shane McMahon to defend the titles in a stipulation match, which would be chosen by the winners in a 1 on 1 match. After Jeff Hardy defeated Joey Mercury to earn that right, they chose a ladder match for the gold. Despite facing two of the masters of the craft, MNM were able to hold their own for the most part, including a spectacular corkscrew like manuver from Nitro which took out both Hardy Boyz at once. In the end, Matt hit a Twist of Fate on Mercury while Jeff climbed the ladder, narrowly beating Nitro out in securing the titles and recapturing the World Tag Team Titles for the first time in several years.
*Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle & Triple H d. Shawn Michaels in a Gauntlet Match by Pinfall The night after Wrestlemania, in response to a poll on WWE.com that revealed that Bret "The Hitman" Hart was the man who fans wanted to see inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Mr. McMahon brought out his "cohort" in the Montreal Screwjob, Shawn Michaels. After Michaels suggested that it was time for McMahon to move on and try to bury the hatchet, McMahon took the suggestion personally, and sought to punish Michaels for his "impunity." McMahon booked Michaels in a 4 Man Gauntlet match in which he would have to go through Kurt Angle, Shane McMahon, Triple H and then finally himself, or else he would be fired. Michaels easily bested Shane McMahon, before having difficulty with Kurt Angle. HBK ultimately pinned the Olympic Hero with a jackknife pin, but Angle snapped afterwards and locked Michaels in the Ankle Lock. After several minutes, Angle finally released the hold as Triple H made his way out for his part of the Gauntlet. Mr. McMahon also made his way out to survey the carnage. Surprisingly, Triple H was reluctant to attack his longtime rival and former friend, as Michaels struggled to get to his feet. The Game pled with McMahon, who eventually threatened Helmsley's job if he didn't wrestle Michaels. HBK nodded his head towards Triple H, and The Game reluctantly hit the Pedigree and scored the pinfall, storming off as Mr. McMahon fired Shawn Michaels.
*John Cena d. The Big Show by Submission to Retain the WWE Championship The night after John Cena won the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 22, he was attacked by The Big Show, who proceeded to KO him with his massive right hand. Big Show claimed that Cena's victory over him the year prior at Wrestlemania 21 was a fluke, and that it had ruined his life, giving him desire for revenge. In this title match, Cena did everything he could to avoid the Knockout shot from the Giant, showcasing his own power in moving Big Show around the ring by lifting him off the ground. In the end, Cena picked up the victory (despite interference from Edge, who hit a Spear on the champion at one point) by hitting the FU on The Big Show and then locking in the STF for the Submission victory. |
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