|
|
Post by darbicus on May 28, 2023 7:13:44 GMT 1
WWE Backlash April 27, 2008 1st Mariner Arena Baltimore, MD
*Umaga d. Mark Henry by Pinfall to Retain the United States Title The United States champion Umaga and the World's Strongest Man Mark Henry had met in the Money in the Bank Ladder match. The two of them had taken each other out of the running for the Money in the Bank briefcase. On Smackdown in the week's following, Henry had been targeted by the US Champion (as Umaga had switched brands due to winning the title.) This led to Smackdown co-GM making a US Title match between the two. The two hoss fighters had a huge brawl that was light on the technical execution. Mark Henry attempted to hit the World's Strongest Slam on Umaga, but the Samoan fought out of the hold and then proceeded to bodyslam the 400 pounder. Umaga then delivered two straight Samoan Spikes to Henry to finish him off and retain the title.
*Vladimir Kozlov w/Maryse d. Santino Marella by Submission For several weeks we had seen vignettes of the "Moscow Mauler" Vladimir Kozlov and that he would be debuting on Smackdown soon. Along with his English translator, Maryse, Kozlov made his Pay Per View debut against Santino Marella. Kozlov dominated the Milan Miracle Man, tossing him around the ring with little difficulty. In the end he locked Marella in a modified rear naked choke that knocked Marella out, earning the submission victory.
*Cody Rhodes d. Hardcore Holly by Pinfall Following his loss to John Morrison at Wrestlemania, Cody Rhodes had attacked his mentor Hardcore Holly in frustration. Rhodes initially appeared on the following Tuesday's episode of ECW to be apologetic towards the former ECW champion, but that proved to be a ruse as he then attacked Holly again and hit him with the Cross Rhodes, leading to this match at Backlash. Holly attacked the cocky Rhodes before the bell, hitting him with several hard moves in the early going. However Cody eventually took advantage and countered an attempted Alabama Slam into a sunset flip that nearly got him a two count. Rhodes then controlled the rest of the match and, despite a comeback attempt from Holly, hit him with the Cross Rhodes again to pick up the victory.
*Kane & The Big Show d. Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Chavo Guerrero & Bam Neely in a 4-2 Handicap Match to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles La Familia was determined to regain the WWE Tag Team Titles, with Smackdown Co-GM Vickie Guerrero ordering a 4 on 2 handicap match against Kane & The Big Show, following that team's embarrasing beatdown of Hawkins and Ryder and Wrestlemania. The numbers game worked to the challenger's benefit in the early going, especially after Bam Neely smashed Big Show's hand into the ringpost, taking out the Right Hand of Doom. However eventually the two giants were able to resume dominance, and despite the Big Show's injury, the two men hit a double chokeslam on each of their opponents, pinning La Familia definitively to retain the titles.
*Beth Phoenix w/Natalya d. Michelle McCool w/Layla El by Disqualification [McCool Retains the Divas Title] Beth Phoenix had won a Fatal Fourway on Raw to crown herself as the new #1 contender for the Divas Championship. Despite being one of the divas that Phoenix had defeated, Natalya was in her corner for the match to counter the presence of Layla El. The former Divas champion controlled much of the match, and seemingly had the match won with the Glam Slam when Layla sprayed mace in Natalya's face, causing a distraction at ringside that drew Beth's attention. McCool attempted to use the distraction to her advantage by hitting Beth with the Divas Title belt, but Mickie James came out from the back and stopped her. Mickie then hit McCool with the title belt, but the referee turned back around and saw it, disqualifying the Glamazon. Phoenix and James then got into a fight in the ring that had to be broken up after the match.
*Batista d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall Following his victory over Ric Flair at Wrestlemania, which ended the Nature Boy's career, Shawn Michaels was confronted by The Animal Batista on an episode of Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel. Batista told Michaels he should have laid down for Flair to keep his career alive. When Shawn explained that would be insulting to Flair, Batista wouldn't hear it, attacking Michaels and setting up this match. Because the incursion happened on his show, Jericho volunteered to serve as the Special Guest Referee for the match. At first Batista argued with Jericho during the match, when it appeared that Y2J was favoring Michaels. However, as the match dragged on and Batista took control, his complaints faded. Michaels suddenly caught Batista with a weak superkick towards the end of the match, getting only a two count as a result of the glancing blow. As Michaels hit several more moves on a comeback, he inadvertently hit Jericho with a back elbow amidst all of his blows. Michaels then countered a Batista Bomb attempt and hit Batista with another Sweet Chin Music to take him down. However, Jericho was seemingly still trying to clear something out of his eye, drawing Michaels away from the pin to argue with Jericho. Jericho and Michaels had a heated exchange, only for Batista to get back to his feet and catch HBK with a Batista Bomb when he turned back around. Jericho then seemingly fast counted Michaels shoulders on the mat and ran to the back as Batista celebrated the win.
*The Undertaker d. Edge by Submission to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship Smackdown co-GM Vickie Guerrero immediately ordered a rematch for her beau Edge after the Rated R Superstar lost the title to the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. However, Vickie later announced that she was banning the Hell's Gate Submission Hold that the Phenom had used to win the match at Wrestlemania. The rematch between the two superstars went much like their original Mania match went, back and forth with neither man gaining a full advantage. The difference was Guerrero consistently changing the rules mid match. When Edge used a steel chair to gain an advantage, the referee disqualified him, only for Guerrero to change the match to No DQ. This stipulation would backfire on Guererro, though, as Undertaker locked in the Hell's Gate on Edge, getting a submission despite the move having been banned. When Vickie ordered the match restarted, she was overruled by the other GM Theodore Long. The two left arguing as Undertaker celebrated his retention.
*John Cena d. Randy Orton & Triple H by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship After Wrestlemania, former WWE Champion Randy Orton had immediately demanded his rematch for the title. However his challenge was interrupted by Triple H, who claimed that his victory over Batista made him the #1 contender. A match between The Game and The Legend Killer ended in a double countout brawl, leading to Raw GM William Regal ordering a Triple Threat match for Backlash. All three men battled it out, but it would be Orton's henchmen in The Samoan Fight Club and Ted DiBiase Jr. that would nearly win the match for him, as the three attacked both The Game and The Champ with impunity. However Cena and Triple H teamed up to fend off the henchmen, only for Triple H to eat an RKO on the outside from Orton. Cena then caught Orton as he rolled Triple H back into the ring, hitting him with an FU and then chaining together a second FU for good measure to pin Orton again and retain the title, celebrating to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
May 2: The Undertaker Is Stripped of the World Heavyweight Title by Order of Mr. McMahon through Vickie Guerrero |
|
|
|
Post by darbicus on May 28, 2023 21:42:51 GMT 1
WWE Judgment Day 2008 May 18, 2008 Qwest Center Omaha, NE
*John Cena d. John Bradshaw Leyfield by Submission to Retain the WWE Championship Bradshaw had won a #1 contenders match in a triple threat against Orton and Triple H (which would play in to their match later in the night), earning a shot at Cena for the title. The match kicked off Judgment Day per JBL's request (if he wasn't in the main event, he demanded to be on first so he could beat Cena and beat the traffic out of a hellhole like Omaha, or so he said.) The two resumed their feud from years ago, with Bradshaw trying every underhanded tactic in his arsenal to defeat Cena. In the end, Cena ducked a Clothesline from Hell and delivered a drop toe hold to Bradshaw. He then locked him in the STF in the center of the ring and got a Submission victory out of him.
*Randy Orton d. John Cena by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship While John Cena was celebrating, Raw General Manager William Regal came out to the stage and announced that Cena would have another match this evening for the WWE Championship, against a man who never received his one on one rematch for the title in Randy Orton. Before the Legend Killer could make his way to the ring, Cena was jumped by Ted DiBiase Jr and The Samoan Fight Club, laid out by Orton's posse. Orton then sauntered his way to ringside and Regal ordered the bell rung. Cena struggled to his feet, only to eat a Punt Kick from Orton, who then pinned Cena to win the WWE Championship in tainted fashion.
*Matt Hardy d. John Morrison w/The Miz by Pinfall to Win the ECW World Title On ECW, John Morrison had offered an open challenge to any WWE or ECW superstar to challenge for the ECW World Title. This open challenge was answered by Matt Hardy. That match ended in a countout victory for Hardy, leading to the "player/coach" of ECW, Tommy Dreamer, to make a rematch between the two men at Judgment Day. Morrison heavily relied on interference from his tag team partner, The Miz, in an attempt to retain the title. However Miz was ejected from ringside after the referee caught him mid-antics. Morrison still took control off the distraction, and eventually went for Starship Pain, but Matt was able to roll out of the way to start his comeback. Hardy then countered every move Morrison attempted, before eventually hitting the Twist of Fate to pick up the win and the ECW World Title.
*MVP w/Armando Estrada d. Jeff Hardy by Pinfall to Win the Money in the Bank Briefcase Jeff Hardy had won the Money in the Bank briefcase at Wrestlemania, and had hinted that he would wait until Wrestlemania XXV the following year to cash in the guaranteed title shot. However Hardy was attacked by MVP and The Brian Kendrick on an episode of Raw, leading to the Charismatic Enigma eventually demanding a match against Porter, one that would only be granted if Hardy put the Money in the Bank briefcase on the line. Hardy controlled much of the match, though MVP's agent Armando Estrada consistently tried to interfere. This distraction would provide ample opportunity for Estrada's other client, Brian Kendrick, to interfere in the match, pushing Hardy off the top rope and to the outside where he seemingly injured his knee. Hardy was barely able to crawl his way back into the ring where MVP was waiting for him, as he hit the Playmaker and won the MITB briefcase to a chorus of boos.
*Umaga & Kane w/The Big Show Wrestled to a Double Countout [Umaga Retains the US Title.] The Samoan Savage Umaga defended the US Title against co-holder of the WWE Tag Team Titles in Kane, in a brutal match. Neither man could gain an advantage, and the two men brawled up the entryway to a double countout finish.
*The Samoan Fight Club [Manu & Sim Snuka] & Ted DiBiase Jr. d. Cryme Tyme [JTG & Shad Gaspard] & CM Punk by Pinfall Randy Orton's associates, The Samoan Fight Club and Ted DiBiase Jr, had formed a faction of sorts together on Raw (though they wouldn't be named as such until the following night on Raw). With the tag titles still around the waist of Cryme Tyme, the Samoans teamed with DiBiase to face them in a six man tag, as JTG and Shad Gaspard teamed with Intercontinental Champion CM Punk. The heels took control of the match as they isolated JTG, targeting the smaller tag champions arm and working it over for much of the match. Punk eventually made the hot tag and cleared the ring of the trio, standing tall briefly before targeting DiBiase as the legal man. Manu stopped Punk from hitting the GTS, only to take a Drive By from Gaspard as JTG dived onto Snuka on the outside. With the referee trying to deal with the action on the outside, a masked man came from the crowd and hit a low blow on Punk before scurrying out of the ring. DiBiase then pinned Punk to get the win.
*Michelle McCool & Layla El d. Beth Phoenix & Mickie James by Pinfall Despite the two former Divas champions getting into a fight at Backlash, Raw GM William Regal ordered them to team together against Michelle McCool and Layla El. The two divas were clearly not on the same page, forcefully tagging each other in and out even as they controlled the match. This eventually broke down into a fight between the two women, as Phoenix left James at ringside, making her easy pickings for the Divas Champion and Layla, as they hit a double front suplex to pick up the wn.
*Shawn Michaels d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall After Chris Jericho's actions had seemingly cost Michaels the match against Batista at Backlash, HBK challenged Jericho to a match at Judgment Day three weeks later. Jericho insisted that he had acted in a fair manner, though admitted he thought Michaels "got what he deserved." The match between Michaels and Jericho was a standard one for the first six or seven minutes, until Jericho lifted Michaels for a suplex, which Michaels squirmed his way out of. HBK appeared to land awkwardly, injuring his knee. Jericho held back at the referee's request, and appeared concerned at Michaels injury. He came closer to check on Michaels as Michaels limped up to one leg, only for Michaels to suddenly catch Jericho with Sweet Chin Music. Michaels then got the pinfall and limped away to the back as Doctor's checked on him en route, while Jericho stayed in the ring with a perplexed look on his face.
*MVP d. Edge & The Undertaker in a Ladder Match Via Money in the Bank Briefcase Cash-In to Win the World Heavyweight Championship The Smackdown after Judgment Day, Smackdown Co-GM Vickie Guerrero had stripped The Undertaker of the World Heavyweight Championship, due to his use of the Hell's Gate submission hold. She wished to award the title to her beau Edge, only for the other Smackdown GM Theodore Long to nullify the title switch. While he said that Vince McMahon had ruled the title to be vacated, Long was authorizing that a Ladder match be held at Judgment Day for the vacant title. In another classic rematch from their Wrestlemania encounter, both men fought tooth and nail to try and climb the ladder to claim the vacant belt hanging from the ceiling. In the closing moments, Undertaker appeared to have the advantage as he delivered a jumping Last Ride from the top of the ladder, slamming Edge through a table to the outside and landing in a heap on the concrete floor himself. Amidst the chaos, MVP and Armando Estrada made their way to ringside with the Money in the Bank briefcase in toe. MVP cashed in his newly won title shot, making the ladder match an immediate triple threat. MVP then climbed the ladder and grabbed the World Heavyweight Title, winning the championship to the shock of everyone.
*Triple H d. Randy Orton by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship The feud between Triple H and Randy Orton had continued following Backlash, as the two men had brawled in the midst of a #1 contenders triple threat on Raw that JBL eventually won. The two were scheduled to have a normal match at Judgment Day, but that changed when Randy Orton conspired with William Regal to get a title match against a weakened John Cena earlier in the night. As Orton and his crew were celebrating in the back, they were confronted by Triple H's wife, Stephanie McMahon, who informed them that not only would the match take place, it would now be for the WWE title, and all of Orton's cronies were barred from ringside. Triple H attacked Orton with reckless abandon, nearly getting himself disqualified in the early going. Cooler heads prevailed though, and The Game and The Legend Killer had an evenly paced match, which Orton took control of after a snap powerslam to Triple H. Eventually Triple H made a comeback, countering an RKO with a Spinebuster for a near fall. With both men down, the masked man from the six man tag match made an appearance again, only to be taken out and chased through the crowd by an irate John Cena. With no one to help him, Orton aimed for an RKO against Triple H, only for the Game to slip out of the move and hit a Pedigree to pick up the win, and win his first world title in three years, celebrating with Stephanie to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
May 19: The Samoan Fight Club d. Cryme Tyme for the World Tag Team Titles
May 20: Los Diablos del Corazon [Ricky Ortiz & Eric Escobar] d. The Boom Squad [Kofi Kingston & Colt Cabana] by Pinfall to win the ECW World Tag Team Titles.
May 23: Kane d. Umaga by Pinfall to Win the United States Title |
|
|
|
Post by darbicus on May 31, 2023 20:55:24 GMT 1
WWE Extreme Rules June 1, 2008 San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, CA
*Kane d. Umaga by Pinfall in a Falls Count Anywhere Match to Retain the United States Title The Big Red Machine and the Samoan Savage had continued their feud following on from Judgment Day, with Kane defeating Umaga on Smackdown to win his first US title. In the title rematch, given that their brawls had gone all over the arena everywhere, the match was made Falls Count Anywhere. It didn't take long for the match to spill away from ringside and make its way to outside, where both men continued to brawl out into the streets. The camera would follow, cutting away from the match to focus on other action in the event. Later on the two monsters would wind up on Mission Beach, fighting on the edge of the Pacific. Kane eventually chokeslammed Umaga on the beach and pinned him to retain the title, before tossing the Samoan into the ocean and standing triumphant.
*Los Diablos del Corazon [Eric Escobar & Ricky Ortiz] d. The Boom Squad [Kofi Kingston & Colt Cabana] in a Texas Tornado Rules Match to Retain the ECW Tag Team Titles The unlikely duo of Kofi Kingston and Colt Cabana had controlled the ECW World Tag Team Titles, only do enter a feud with a new alliance of Eric Escobar and Ricky Ortiz. Collectively known in Spanish as "The Devils of the Heart", the two would-be Lotharios had won the titles on an episode of ECW. The rematch between the two teams was conducted under Texas Tornado rules, in which all four men would be in the ring at the same time. After a competitive match, Ortiz was able to dodge a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston, providing a distraction for Escobar to hit the Latin Leap Dropkick from the top rope to pick up the win and title retention.
*John Cena d. John Bradshaw Leyfield in an Iron Circle Match Following his loss of the WWE Title at Judgment Day, John Cena sought to regain the belt from Triple H, initially challenging him to a match at Extreme Rules. However this quest was challenged by JBL, who attacked The Champ in a parking lot the following night on Raw. This would lead to the two men having an Iron Circle match, which would take place in a parking garage surrounded by cars, with the goal of knocking your opponent out to a ten count. Both men beat each other to a near bloody pulp, with Cena eventually winning definitively by delivering an FU to JBL onto the top of a car, slamming him through the roof and leaving him unable to answer the ten count.
*MVP d. Jeff Hardy by Pinfall in a Match which had Armando Estrada Suspended in a Shark Cage to Retain the World Heavyweight Title MVP had managed to cheat his way into winning the Money in the Bank briefcase the previous month at Judgment Day, and then had promptly cashed it in to add himself into the Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship and win it out from under Edge and The Undertaker. Rather than The Phenom or the Rated R superstar challenging for the title, Jeff Hardy was put "on loan" from Raw, and given the opportunity to challenge for the World Title by Smackdown Co-GM Theodore Long. Furthermore, Armando Estrada was to be locked in a shark cage, ensuring that the match would be a fair fight. Hardy outwrestled MVP from the get go, and seemed primed to get his first ever World Championship with the crowd firmly on his side. Not even attempted interference from Estrada's other client, The Brian Kendrick, could make a difference. In the end though, it was the debuting Ezekiel Jackson that made the difference, attacking Hardy behind the referee's back and knocking him off the top rope, allowing MVP to eventually hit the Playmaker and retain the title.
*Batista d. Shawn Michaels in an Ambulance Match After Shawn Michaels had seemingly feigned a knee injury in his match with Chris Jericho, he confronted Y2J on an episode of the Highlight Reel to address the controversy. However this arrival was interrupted by the returning Batista, who attacked Michaels in a continuation of their feud from the month previous. Batista challenged HBK to an Ambulance match, where the only way to win was to stuff your opponent in an Ambulance and shut the door. Both men beat each other to a pulp, with Michaels eventually hitting Batista with Sweet Chin Music close to the ambulance. As he struggled to lift the Animal to his feet and get him in the door of the vehicle, Michaels was blindsided by Chris Jericho with a steel chair shot to the head, knocking him out. Batista then stirred and grabbed Michaels, shoving him into the ambulance for the win.
*Mickie James d. Beth Phoenix in an I Quit Match After their tag team match the previous month fell apart, former allies Beth Phoenix and Mickie James met in an I Quit match to determine which woman would get a shot at Michelle McCool's Diva's Championship. Though Phoenix was the more accomplished submission wrestler, James refused to give up against her stronger adversary. Eventually Mickie locked Beth in a crossface, using a crowbar against Beth's forehead for additional leverage, which eventually got the Glamazon to yell out I Quit to give James the match.
*The Big Show w/Edge d. The Undertaker by Pinfall in a "Losing GM Leaves Smackdown" Match After months of Vickie Guerrero and Theodore Long being co-General Managers of Smackdown, Vince McMahon had enough of their bickering and overruling of each other's decrees. He set a No Disqualification match for Extreme Rules between The Undertaker (representing Long) and Edge (representing Guerrero), with the losing superstar's GM being banished from Smackdown. Guerrero went one step further, announcing that she would fire The Undertaker from WWE if Edge won, with Long also agreeing fire Edge if Taker won. On the date of the show, though, Edge claimed to have suffered an arm injury and that he couldn't wrestle. However he claimed to have a substitute in the form of The Big Show (much to the surprise of The Undertaker, who's brother Kane was co-holder of the WWE Tag Team Titles with The Giant.) Big Show and Undertaker had a short match that looked like the Deadman would win, but Edge then revealed he had faked his injury and hit Undertaker with a Spear. Big Show then followed up with a Right Hand of DOom, banishing Long from Smackdown with the win. After the match, Vickie got in the ring and said The Undertaker was fired, before directing Edge to hit a One-Man Conchairto on The Undertaker. Kane, having returned from his Falls Count Anywhere match with Umaga, tried to intervene, only to be taken out with a Chokeslam by his own tag partner, as Edge delivered the chair shot to Undertaker, writing him off TV for now.
*Triple H d. Randy Orton in a Steel Cage Match to Retain the WWE Championship Randy Orton had cashed in his automatic rematch for the WWE Title at Extreme Rules, with Triple H defeating Manu of the newly minted Legacy stable in order to be able to name the stipulation of the match. The Game chose a Steel Cage match, to ensure that Orton remained away from his compatriots for the duration of the contest. This did not stop Legacy (specifically Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, the latter of whom was revealed to have been the one who attacked CM Punk at the previous PPV) from trying, as late in the match Rhodes climbed the outside of the cage and then dived in on Triple H with a cross body to try and take out The Game. Triple H was able to survive the interference though, thanks to John Cena coming to his aide, taking out DiBiase, Manu and Snuka with a steel pipe to ensure they weren't available to stop The Game from exiting the cage. Triple H reversed an attempted RKO into a Pedigree, climbing out of the cage to win the match and retain the title.
Off-Camera Title Change:
June 2: Mickie James d. Michelle McCool for the Divas Title
June 6: The WWE Tag Titles Are Vacated When a Title Match Featuring Big Show and Kane with New Partners Ends in No Contest |
|
|
|
Post by darbicus on Jun 2, 2023 0:58:24 GMT 1
WWE Night of Champions June 29, 2008 American Airlines Center Dallas, TX
*The Colons [Carlito & Primo] d. The Samoan Fight Club [Manu & Sim Snuka] by Pinfall to Win the World Tag Team Titles Two of the members of Legacy, The Samoan Fight Club, defended the World Tag Team Titles against the Colons, after the sons of legendary Caribbean wrestler Carlos Colon opposed the two second generation champions, pointing out that they were not going to use their father's name to get ahead in the world of wrestling. The Legacy representatives controlled the early part of the match, isolating Primo and keeping him away from his older brother, also utilizing a distraction from Cody Rhodes to block a hot tag to Carlito at one point. The former US and IC Champion however eventually made the tag with his brother and cleaned house, getting a near fall after a huge cross body from the top rope on Sim Snuka. Manu and Snuka then tried a double team move after working over Carlito briefly, only for Primo to interrupt it and take out Manu to the outside, leaving Snuka flummoxed briefly. Carlito took advantage of the momentary miscommunication and hit the Backstabber on Snuka to pick up the win and get the titles.
*Matt Hardy d. Paul Burchill w/Katie Lea Burchill by Pinfall to Retain the ECW Title Paul Burchill had won a battle royal on an episode of ECW in order to earn a shot at the ECW World title at Night of Champions, outlasting 12 other individuals for the right. The former Pirate took advantage of his sister, Katie Lea, providing a distraction to Matt Hardy, and nearly won the match by hitting the C-4 on Matt Hardy out of nowhere. Hardy was able to kick out, however, and he eventually hit the Twist of Fate to pick up the win and retain his title.
*John Morrison & The Miz d. Santino Marella & R-Truth by Pinfall to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles The WWE Tag Team Titles had been vacated following The Big Show's turn on his partner Kane at Extreme Rules, leading to a short tournament to crown new champions. The makeshift team of Santino Marella and R-Truth (the latter of whom was formerly known as K-Kwik in the WWE several years earlier) took on former ECW standouts John Morrison and The Miz, who had come to Smackdown to achieve the same level of domination they had once held over the Evolved brand. The tag team experience of Miz and Morrison had served them well in the tournament, but the pure athleticism of R-Truth nearly won the day for the inexperienced challengers, until interference came from an unlikely source as The Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson of 3E (Estrada Entertainment Enterprises) attacked Marella behind the ref's back, leaving R-Truth to fend off the opponent's in a 2 on 1 situation. In the end, Miz hit R-Truth with his Skull Crushing Finale while Morrison executed Starship Pain as a follow up, giving Miz and Morrison the tag title win.
*JBL d. CM Punk by Disqualification [CM Punk Retains the Intercontinental Title] Intercontinental Champion CM Punk had rekindled a war of words with John Bradshaw Leyfield in the weeks leading up to Night of Champions, as JBL made fun of the fact that Punk was straight edge, challenging him to a beer drinking contest on an episode of Raw that ended with JBL power bombing Punk through a table and pouring beer all over him. Punk countered by nearly breaking JBL's arm with the Anaconda Vise. The two men had a highly competitive match, and no matter what Bradshaw did he couldn't find a way to beat Punk for the three count. JBL eventually used brass knuckles on Punk behind the ref's back and then hid the evidence in Punk's trunks. This only garnered a two count though, and eventually Punk surprised JBL with the GTS and seemingly won the match. Afterwards, however, Bradshaw told the ref of the brass knucks, and he found them on Punk's person, reversing his decision and awarding the match to JBL via disqualification. Punk however then lost his mind and locked JBL in the Anaconda Vise again, nearly breaking his arm as officials tried desperately to get him off of JBL.
*Kane d. The Big Show w/Chavo Guerrero by Pinfall to Retain the United States Title After The Big Show had joined with Edge's La Familia group, his partnership with Kane had fallen apart. After the WWE Tag Titles were stripped from the pair after a title match (in which both men had new partners) ended in a controversial finish, Big Show challenged Kane for the United States championship. Despite an attempt from Chavo Guerrero to interfere in the match on The Big Show's behalf, Kane was able to shock the big man and take him down with a huge flying clothesline from the top rope to pick up the victory.
*The Dudebusters [Trent Baretta & Caylen Croft] w/Tyler Reks d. Los Diablos del Corazon [Eric Escobar & Ricky Ortiz] by Pinfall to Win the ECW World Tag Team Titles The match was initially supposed to be a rematch for the ECW Tag Titles between The Boom Squad and Los Diablos del Corazon, only for Colt Cabana to be taken out backstage before the match. A substitute team was found in the Dudebusters of Trent Baretta and Caylen Croft, along with their "bro" Tyler Reks. Despite being called into action at the last minute, the Dudebusters proved to be the equals of the tag champions, and took advantage of Reks in their corner, as he hit Ortiz with a huge clothesline on the outside, taking him out of the match. This left Escobar at the mercy of Baretta and Croft, who hit a combination suplex cross body move to pick up the win and the upset title win.
*Mickie James d. Layla El w/Michelle McCool by Pinfall to Retain the Divas Title After defeating Michelle McCool for the Divas title on Raw, Mickie James was set to defend her title against McCool's tag partner, Layla El instead. This didn't deter the newly crowned champion, as she defeated Layla with little difficulty courtesy of a Mick-DT.
*Legacy [Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes] d. Triple H & John Cena in a 3 on 2 Handicap Match. Due to a Pre-Match Stipulation, Orton Wins the WWE Championship. Raw GM William Regal ordered a unique match for Night of Champions, in which Triple H and John Cena would have to co-exist to take on Randy Orton's trio of Legacy, which also consisted of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. The pre-match stipulation stated that whoever got the fall would win the WWE championship, establishing immediate tension between Cena and Triple H. The two attempted to set aside their differences, but quickly it fell apart when Cena attempted to get Rhodes to tap to the STF, which Triple H broke up. Both men then entered into a fight with the other, before eating a Dream Street from DiBiase and a RKO from Orton, with Orton pinning Cena to regain the WWE Championship.
*MVP w/Armando Estrada d. Edge & Batista by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship The Animal Batista had made his return to Smackdown following Extreme Rules, immediately targeting MVP for the World Heavyweight Championship now that his feud with Shawn Michaels was seemingly over. However, the Rated R superstar was also gunning for the title, due to having banished The Undertaker from Smackdown as well. This led to Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero making a triple threat match at Night of Champions, putting the champion at an extreme disadvantage. Batista and Edge were obviously more concerned with each other, with neither man paying much mind to MVP throughout the match. This gave the champion ample opportunity to survive, waiting until Edge hit a Spear on Batista following a Vickie Guerrero distraction and getting a near fall on The Animal. In the end, La Famila and E3 both went to war with each other, with The Big Show eventually taking out most of the other competitors with his Right Hand of Doom. Amidst the chaos though, MVP was able to sneak a pinfall on Batista and secure the victory, leaving through the crowd with the World Heavyweight Title in tact to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
July 4: Vladimir Kozlov d. Kane to win the US Title
July 8: Sheamus d. Matt Hardy to win the ECW Title |
|
|
|
Post by darbicus on Jun 4, 2023 0:40:45 GMT 1
WWE The Great American Bash July 20, 2008 Nassau Coliseum Uniondale, NY
*CM Punk d. JBL in a No Disqualification Match to Retain the Intercontinental Title Following on from their title match the previous month, CM Punk and JBL had a No Disqualification Match for the title at The Great American Bash, with Punk looking to definitively put JBL away once and for all. Bradshaw however used every weapon he could find to try and take out the IC Champion, busting him open with a chair shot straight to the head. Punk rallied however and eventually hit JBL with a Go To Sleep before locking him in the Anaconda Vise, causing JBL to eventually tap out to give Punk the title retention.
*LayCool [Michelle McCool & Layla El] & Beth Phoenix d. Mickie James & The Bella Twins [Nikki & Brie Bella] by Pinfall The Glamazon Beth Phoenix set her differences with the duo of LayCool aside in order to face off against her longtime rival for the Divas Title Mickie James, who teamed with newcomers The Bella Twins. The perpetual rivalry of Phoenix and James dominated much of the contest, despite the brewing feud between The Bellas and LayCool as well. Ultimately, Phoenix picked up the win over her longtime rival, pinning her after a Glam Slam following a six way brawl.
*Triple H d. Ted DiBiase Jr. by Pinfall Triple H's ongoing WWE title feud with Randy Orton was sidelined by The Game being challenged by Orton's protege, Ted DiBiase Jr., who was determined to knock off The Game and establish a name for himself as a threat in the WWE. DiBiase did far better than most would have expected, though he had help in the form of Samoan Fight Club member Manu. In the end though, Triple H was able to pull out the victory via the Pedigree.
*Vladimir Kozlov w/Maryse d. Mark Henry by Technical Knockout to Retain the United States Championship Vladimir Kozlov had been undefeated on Smackdown since his debut in April, and had won the United States Championship from Kane (albeit with help from La Familia). His first title defense was against the World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry, and to the shock of many, Kozlov dominated the 400 pounder, able to withstand his offense and actually slam the behemoth at one point. The Moscow Mauler eventually hooked in his Rear Naked Choke (which he called Pridushyit) on Henry and forced him down to the mat, knocking him out and winning the match by technical submission.
*John Morrison & The Miz d. Cryme Tyme [JTG & Shad Gaspard] by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The team of John Morrison and The Miz had proclaimed themselves as the greatest tag team in WWE history since winning the WWE Tag Team Titles, promising to go through any team that wanted a shot at them. After disposing of a couple of legends (including a returning Nasty Boys team on an episode of Smackdown), Cryme Tyme became the latest team to challenge them. JTG and Shad Gaspard easily tossed The Miz around the ring, only stopping when Morrison clipped the knee of Gaspard and managed to work him over for a time. Eventually JTG made the comeback, only to be distracted by Morrison attempting to use the tag title belt on him. JTG however was eventually rolled up by Miz, who used leverage from the nearby ropes in order to steal the victory and retain the titles.
*Chris Jericho d. Shawn Michaels by Referee Stoppage The feud between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels had grown by leaps and bounds following Extreme Rules, with Jericho confronting Michaels on an episode of The Highlight Reel and then turning fully heel on him, attacking him and smashing his head into the "obscenely expensive" Jeritron 5000 television. Jericho then adopted a much more deliberate way of speaking as he claimed that he had come back to WWE not to save the fans, but to save himself from being associated with creatures like Michaels, challenging HBK to another match at The Great American Bash. Michaels accepted, but when he returned for the match (the first time he had been seen since the attack on the Highlight Reel), it was clear he was in no condition to fight, as he had an eyepatch covering his injured eye. Jericho showed no mercy and attack the eye ruthlessly, stripping away the eye patch and punching Michaels repeatedly, as well as delivering his own Sweet Chin Music on the open wound, busting open Michaels and causing him to bleed profusely. The referee, to his discretion, eventually stopped the match and awarded it to Jericho as EMT's dealt with Shawn's injuries, with Shawn's wife Rebecca standing over him as he was wheeled out.
*Kane & Rey Mysterio d. Edge & The Big Show w/Vickie Guerrero by Pinfall La Familia had continued their feud with the faces of Smackdown (namely Kane, Batista, and a returning Rey Mysterio) in advance of the wedding between Edge and Vickie Guerrero the following week on Smackdown, leading to this tag match between former partners Kane and Mysterio against Edge and Big Show. Kane and Mysterio were at a disadvantage early on after Edge speared Mysterio through the barricade on the outside, leaving the Big Red Machine by himself against La Familia (who also had aide from Hawkins and Ryder, who came through the crowd to attack Kane behind the ref's back). Mysterio eventually got back in the match and made a comeback, but inadvertantly took out the referee with a dropkick at one point. Edge then tried to spear Mysterio as Vickie Guerrero distracted him, but Mysterio leap frogged the oncoming Rated R superstar, causing him to accidentally Spear the GM of Smackdown. Kane then delivered a chokeslam to Edge as Mysterio dived onto Big Show for the pinfall victory.
*Batista d. MVP w/Armando Estrada by Disqualification [MVP Retains the World Heavyweight Title] Much to the Rated R Superstar's chagrin, Batista had earned the next title shot at MVP by virtue of winning a Gauntlet Match on Smackdown. MVP and his agent Armando Estrada (along with Estrada's other clients, The Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson) did their best to frustrate The Animal and keep him from making it to The Great American Bash, injuring his arm in the weeks leading up to the Pay Per View. However this arm injury proved to be pointless, as Batista's power game was unmatched by the champion. It seemed as if Batista was on track to win the World Heavyweight Championship again, when he was attacked on the outside by Edge, who had remained under the ring following the previous match. After spearing Batista and slamming his arm into the ring post, Edge tossed Batista back into the ring and left, giving MVP an opportunity to put The Animal away. Batista was able to recooperate with a spinebuster and appeared ready to put MVP away a second time with a Batista Bomb, when he was attacked by Kendrick and Jackson, resulting in a disqualification for the champion. After the match, Batista was saved by Rey Mysterio, who came running out with a steel chair to chase Estrada Entertainment Enterprises away.
*Randy Orton d. John Cena in a 60 Minute Iron Man Match to Retain the WWE Championship The feud between John Cena and Randy Orton which had been fomenting since before Wrestlemania came to a temporary conclusion with a 60 Minute Iron Man match to determine who the better man truly was. Orton went up 2 falls in the early going, largely down to a countout fall suffered by Cena thanks to an attack from Manu and Sim Snuka behind the ref's back. Cena scored his first fall at the 20 minute mark with a rollup, but Orton was able to go back up 3-1 after a quick RKO to the challenger. Cena scored with an FU off the top rope for a second fall, and then earned the third fall for a tie with 5 minutes left via an STF. Legacy came to ringside to interfere in the final minutes as the referee was down, but were chased off by Triple H who came to the ring with a sledge hammer. With 20 seconds left, Triple H used the hammer on Orton to try and help Cena, but just as the referee came too, resulting in a disqualification fall for Orton just as time expired, leading to Orton retaining the title as the show went off the air.
Off-Camera Title Change
August 4: Ted DiBiase Jr. d. CM Punk for the Intercontinental Title |
|
|
|
Post by Josh Spicer on Jun 4, 2023 0:47:24 GMT 1
Pridu-what now?
|
|
|
|
Post by darbicus on Jun 4, 2023 0:52:25 GMT 1
Type-O. There's supposed to be a y in there.  |
|
|
|
Post by darbicus on Jun 4, 2023 1:09:10 GMT 1
Predictions Ahoy WWE Summerslam
August 17, 2008
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, IN
Hell in a Cell Match
"The Rated R Superstar" Edge vs. The Undertaker
First Time Ever One on One
Triple H vs. John Cena
WWE Championship Match
"The Legend Killer" Randy Orton (c) vs. CM Punk
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Montel Vontavious Porter w/Armando Estrada (c) vs. Rey Mysterio w/Batista
World Tag Team Title Match
The Colons (c) vs. Cody Rhodes & Manu w/Sim Snuka
ECW World Title Triple Threat Match
Sheamus (c) vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay
Mixed Tag Team Match
Vladimir Kozlov & Maryse vs. Jeff Hardy & Mickie James
Inferno Match
"The Big Red Machine" Kane vs. The Big Show
Triple Threat Match for the ECW World Tag Team Titles
The Dudebusters w/Tyler Reks (c) vs. The Boom Squad vs. Los Diablos del Corazon |
|
|
|
Post by Asaemon on Jun 4, 2023 19:34:53 GMT 1
Hell in a Cell Match
"The Rated R Superstar" Edge vs. The Undertaker
First Time Ever One on One
Triple H vs. John Cena
WWE Championship Match
"The Legend Killer" Randy Orton (c) vs. CM Punk
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Montel Vontavious Porter w/Armando Estrada (c) vs. Rey Mysterio w/Batista
World Tag Team Title Match
The Colons (c) vs. Cody Rhodes & Manu w/Sim Snuka
ECW World Title Triple Threat Match
Sheamus (c) vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay
Mixed Tag Team Match
Vladimir Kozlov & Maryse vs. Jeff Hardy & Mickie James
Inferno Match
"The Big Red Machine" Kane vs. The Big Show
Triple Threat Match for the ECW World Tag Team Titles
The Dudebusters w/Tyler Reks (c) vs. The Boom Squad vs. Los Diablos del Corazon
|
|
|
|
Post by easydub on Jun 7, 2023 19:52:03 GMT 1
Undertaker
Cena
Orton
MVP
Legacy
Sheamus
Jeff and Mickie
Kane
The Dudebusters
|
|
