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Post by darbicus on Jun 19, 2023 12:38:22 GMT 1
WWE Royal Rumble January 25, 2009 Joe Louis Arena Detroit, MI
*CM Punk d. William Regal w/Drew McIntyre by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title Having won the King of the Ring tournament, the newly crowned "King" Regal elected to use his power as Raw General Manager to further punish the Intercontinental Champion CM Punk, putting him through several title defenses en route to a match with him at the Royal Rumble. Adding to this was the presence of Drew McIntyre in Regal's corner as his protege, making Punk's title retention an unlikely outcome. Despite this, Punk persevered and countered Regal's attempts at rule breaking, causing Regal to accidentally hit McIntyre with the Power of the Punch behind the referee's back. Punk then hit Regal with the Go to Sleep to pick up the win and retain his title.
*Tommy Dreamer d. Ray Jay Gordy by Pinfall to Retain the ECW World Title After finally gaining the ECW World Title at Armageddon, Tommy Dreamer's first big challenge was former WWE Tag Team Champion and second generation star Ray Jay Gordy. In a competitive match, Dreamer managed to counter the young upstart and hit him with a Dreamer DDT to pick up the win and retain his title.
*Cryme Tyme [JTG & Shad Gaspard] d. Legacy [Ted DiBiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes] w/Manu by Disqualification [Legacy Retains the World Tag Team Titles] The Legacy tag team of DiBiase and Rhodes renewed their rivalry with former tag team champions Cryme Tyme, who were trying to get back into the tag team winner's circle after several months outside of it. JTG and Gaspard controlled the early part of the match, with the former's high flying abilities able to quicken the pace and keep Rhodes and DiBiase on their toes. Manu would get involved, however, turning the tide for the champions. Shad eventually made the hot tag and cleared house with a series of big boots to the faces of the champions. It looked as if Legacy was set to be beaten, as Shad hit DiBiase with the Drive By and JTG set up the 2nd generation star for the Brooklyn Blockbuster, only for Manu to again get involved and shove JTG off the top rope to the outside. The three men then attacked Shad, giving Cryme Tyme the DQ win.
*Gail Kim d. Maryse by Pinfall to Retain the Divas Title Gail Kim had made her surprise return at Armageddon, defeating Melina for the Divas Title on her first night back with the company. Her title defense against former champion Maryse was marred by the appearance of Beth Phoenix at ringside, who had made clear her intention to challenge the winner at a future date. Despite the distraction, Kim pinned Maryse with the Kim-Slice, getting the victory. After the match though, she was attacked by the Glamazon, who hit her with the Glam Slam to state her dominance.
*Batista d. The Big Show & The Undertaker to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship The Big Show and The Undertaker had been feuding with each other since Survivor Series, but both men had also targeted World Heavyweight Champion Batista in subsequent weeks, leading to acting GM Stephanie McMahon to make a triple threat match at the Royal Rumble. True to his more heelish persona, Batista laid off and let the Phenom and the Giant work each other over in an attempt to wear each other down, only interjecting when it appeared that his title was in significant danger. This nearly backfired on The Animal, as he fell victim to a Right Hand of Doom from Big Show which nearly knocked him out, only for the Show to fall victim to the Hell's Gate submission hold. Just as Big Show was about to tap out, Batista was barely able to break the pinfall. He then hit a running spear on Undertaker to take him out before delivering a spinebuster to Big Show, pinning the Giant to retain the title.
*John Cena Won a 30-Man Royal Rumble Match The annual Royal Rumble match began to a surprise as Rob Van Dam made his return at the #2 position, squaring off against John Morrison. This return was the first of three, as Goldust and Christian (the latter returning at the #30 spot) would also make an appearance in the Rumble match. The storyline with Shawn Michaels and JBL (where Bradshaw had essentially paid Michaels to be a hired goon) continued, as HBK helped JBL eliminate his best friend Triple H, only for Randy Orton to chuck out Michaels (with the heavy implication that Michaels allowed himself to be eliminated) right after. The final four came down to Legacy members Randy Orton and Manu teaming against CM Punk and John Cena, with Punk being the first tossed out and leaving a 2 on 1 disadvantage for Cena. However the defending Royal Rumble champion was able to successfully defend his crown, overcoming the odds and eliminating both Manu and Orton at once to win the match and punch his ticket to Wrestlemania.
*Edge d. Jeff Hardy by Pinfall to Win the WWE Championship WWE Champion Jeff Hardy had entered a feud with an old nemesis in the form of the Rated R Superstar Edge, when Edge had made the outrageous claim that it was Jeff's own brother who had attacked him several months earlier at Unforgiven, due to Matt's jealousy over Jeff's success and being the "star" of the Hardy Boyz. Matt steadfastly denied the allegation, and promised to be in Jeff's corner for his match at the Royal Rumble, however a series of miscues on Smackdown led to Jeff asking Matt to stay in the back during the contest. Edge and Hardy had a highly competitive match, with Jeff gaining the upper hand in the early going until Edge was able to roll out of the way of an attempted Swanton, taking control. Edge and Hardy continued to go back and forth, with Edge lining up for a Spear near the end of the match. Hardy was able to leapfrog Edge, causing the Rated R superstar to accidentally hit the referee. Hardy then went on a comeback, hitting several big moves and culminating with a Twist of Fate that got a visible three count, only with no referee. As Hardy went over to revive the ref, Edge hit a low blow, taking the champion down. Edge then went to the outside and got the WWE Title belt, preparing to hit Hardy with it. This brought out Matt, who intercepted Edge and fought with him, taking the title belt from Edge. A brief pause followed before Matt turned around and drilled Jeff in the head with the belt, knocking him out. Matt then left through the stunned crowd as Edge scrambled over and made the pinfall as the ref came too, regaining the WWE Championship to the shock of everyone to close the show.
Royal Rumble Entry/Exit Order
1. John Morrison 2. Rob Van Dam 3. The Miz 4. Yoshi Tatsu 5. MVP 6. Mark Henry - Yoshi Tatsu Eliminated #1 by Mark Henry 7. Vladimir Kozlov - Mark Henry Eliminated #2 by Vladimir Kozlov 8. Mr. Kennedy 9. Triple H - The Miz Eliminated #3 by Triple H 10. Shelton Benjamin 11. Dolph Ziggler - Vladimir Kozlov Eliminated #4 by Triple H 12. Kane - Dolph Ziggler Eliminated #5 by Kane - Rob Van Dam Eliminated #6 by Shelton Benjamin 13. Shawn Michaels 14. Sheamus - Mr. Kennedy Eliminated #7 by Sheamus 15. The Brian Kendrick - MVP Eliminated #8 by The Brian Kendrick 16. CM Punk - Kane Eliminated #9 by Sheamus 17. Chavo Guerrero 18. Goldust 19. Randy Orton - John Morrison Eliminated #10 by Randy Orton 20. John Bradshaw Leyfield - Triple H Eliminated #11 by John Bradshaw Leyfield - Shawn Michaels Eliminated #12 by Randy Orton 21. Colt Cabana - Goldust Eliminated #13 by Sheamus 22. John Cena - Sheamus Eliminated #14 by John Cena 23. Carlito 24. R-Truth - Chavo Guerrero Eliminated #15 by John Cena 25. Chris Jericho - The Brian Kendrick Eliminated #16 by Chris Jericho - Colt Cabana Eliminated #17 by CM Punk 26. William Regal 27. Manu - Shelton Benjamin Eliminated #18 by Randy Orton 28. Primo - William Regal Eliminated #19 by CM Punk 29. Kofi Kingston - Carlito Eliminated #20 by Manu 30. Christian - Primo Eliminated #21 by Chris Jericho - Chris Jericho Eliminated #22 by Christian - R-Truth Eliminated #23 by John Bradshaw Leyfield - John Bradshaw Leyfield Eliminated #24 by John Cena - Kofi Kingston Eliminated #25 by Randy Orton - Christian Eliminated #26 by CM Punk - CM Punk Eliminated #27 by Randy Orton - Manu Eliminated #28 by John Cena - Randy Orton Eliminated #29 by John Cena
Off-Camera Title Change:
January 27: RSX [Heath Slater & Johnny De-Lish] d. Yoshi Tatsu & Colt Cabana for the ECW World Tag Team Titles
Predictions:
asaemon- 2/7 |
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Post by darbicus on Jun 19, 2023 19:41:48 GMT 1
WWE No Way Out February 15, 2009 Key Arena Seattle, WA
*Edge d. Christian, Randy Orton, Triple H, Chris Jericho & CM Punk in an Elimination Chamber Match to Retain the WWE Championship Both the WWE Champion Edge and the World Heavyweight Champion Batista were set to defend their respective world titles in separate Elimination Chamber Matches, with Royal Rumble winner John Cena performing guest commentary on both matches as he "scouted" his prospective Wrestlemania opponents. The main stories heading into the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber were the brewing feuds between Jericho and Punk and the one between longtime allies Christian and Edge, as well as the explosive ongoing issues between Randy Orton and Triple H. In the former case, Christian had returned at the Royal Rumble and made no secret about his desire to win the WWE Title, something that put him at odds with his former ally. In the latter case, Orton and Legacy had confronted Stephanie McMahon on an episode of Smackdown, with Orton wanting to deliver a message to Triple H. This ended with Randy RKO'ing Stephanie and leaving her lying in the ring. After the match, Cena stared down Edge from ringside and then made his way to the back, contemplating his options. - Randy Orton and Christian entered the Chamber at #1 and #2 respectively. - CM Punk entered the Chamber at #3. - Triple H entered the Chamber at #4. - Chris Jericho entered the Chamber at #5. - Edge entered the Chamber at #6. - Randy Orton d. Triple H via Pinfall with the Punt Kick - CM Punk d. Chris Jericho via Submission with the Anaconda Vise. - Christian d. Randy Orton via Pinfall with the Killswitch. - Edge d. CM Punk via Pinfall with a Spear following a Killswitch from Christian. - Edge d. Christian via Rollup with Christian distracted by reinstalled Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero to Retain the WWE Championship.
*The Hart Dynasty [DH Smith & Tyson Kidd] w/Natalya d. John Morrison & The Miz by Countout [Morrison & Miz Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles] The newest iteration of the Hart Family Legacy had debuted shortly after the first of the year, featuring David Hart Smith (the son of The British Bulldog) and Tyson Kidd, who was one of the last students to graduate the famed Hart Dungeon). As a team, the Dynasty had been undefeated, and each man had earned individual wins over John Morrison and The Miz leading into this tag team title match. The Hart Dynasty also outclassed the champions in the course of their title match as well, and seemingly were on the way to winning the tag belts. However eventually Miz and Morrison tired of the match and abandoned the match, getting themselves intentionally counted out so that they retained the titles.
*Dolph Ziggler d. R-Truth by Pinfall to Win the United States Title A feud had broken out between Dolph Ziggler and R-Truth over the United States Championship in recent weeks, as the Show-Off had made a point to target the champion following the Royal Rumble. After an evenly paced matchup between the two, Ziggler took advantage of an R-Truth miscue where he missed a missile dropkick from the top rope in order to nail a Superkick followed by the Zig Zag in order to pick up the win and take the United States Championship.
*Beth Phoenix & Gail Kim Wrestled to a No Contest [Gail Kim Retains the Divas Title] Following their confrontation at the Royal Rumble, a title match was set between Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim over the Divas Championship. Before the match began though, Mickie James made her way to ringside to "watch" the proceedings. Phoenix and Kim had a highly competitive matchup that sadly ended when Phoenix got in the face of James, antagonizing her. James then went to hit Phoenix with a Mick Kick, but accidentally hit Kim instead. All three women then began to brawl on the outside, the referee throwing the match out.
*Sheamus d. Kane by Pinfall Former ECW champion Sheamus had made his WWE debut in the Royal Rumble match and had immediately made an impact, eliminating the Big Red Machine from the battle royal and establishing himself on night one in the company. Kane had naturally taken exception to this and attacked Sheamus afterwards, setting up this one on one hoss fight. While Sheamus was able to take it to the former WWE Champion, Kane was more than a match for the Irishman, and seemingly had the match set up to win. However, with the ref down, Kane was suddenly attacked by King Regal and Drew McIntyre, which provided the distraction necessary for Sheamus to hit Kane with the Brogue Kick as the referee came too and gave Sheamus the huge upset. After the match, Sheamus left with McIntyre and Regal, a new alliance having seemingly been formed.
*Matt Hardy d. Jeff Hardy by Pinfall in an Extreme Rules, Falls Count Anywhere Match Matt Hardy had shocked the world by turning on his brother at the Royal Rumble, costing him the WWE title in the main event against Edge. The following week on Smackdown, Matt revealed that he had been the one who had attacked Jeff at Unforgiven, costing him a chance at the WWE Title earlier in the year. Matt tried to explain his actions, but Jeff interrupted him and merely attacked him, leading to an Extreme Rules match being made at No Way Out. Both men tore the house down with the various weapons at their disposal, busting each other open and performing death defying feats. The end came when Jeff positioned Matt on some electrical equipment off the side of the stage at the entryway. Jeff then attempted a Swanton Bomb, only for Matt to move out of the way. This caused Jeff to crash and burn, with explosions of electricity coming from the damaged equipment. Matt quickly rolled in for the cover and got the three count, escaping with a win.
*Shawn Michaels d. John Bradshaw Leyfield by Pinfall Since late 2008, Shawn Michaels had become financially dependent on employment from John Bradshaw Leyfield, due to the financial crisis causing most of Shawn's life savings to evaporate. This had resulted in Michaels throwing a match against JBL in December and attempting to help JBL win the Royal Rumble match (though failing at this latter accomplishment.) When Bradshaw demanded that Michaels help him earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber match in a match against Triple H, Michaels finally snapped and attacked JBL. A match was set up where if Michaels won, he would be free and clear of JBL's contract and paid all the money he was owed. If Bradshaw won, Michaels would retire from WWE. With Michaels career on the line, HBK pulled out all the stops and eventually beat Bradshaw with Sweet Chin Music, keeping his career in tact once again.
*Batista d. The Undertaker, The Big Show, Vladimir Kozlov, Shelton Benjamin & Mr. Kennedy in an Elimination Chamber Match to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship The second Elimination Chamber match of the night saw Batista defend the World Heavyweight Title against several former rivals and contenders. The match largely came down to old rivals Batista and The Undertaker, as they largely dispatched the rest of the field before settling on fighting each other. In the end, Batista was able to pull out another victory with 2 Batista Bombs on the Phenom, picking up a win. After the match, Cena climbed into the Chamber and stared down Batista. Cena then pointed to the Wrestlemania sign, signaling that he had made his choice. Batista smiled and then attempted to hit Cena with the World Title belt. Cena ducked and hit an FU on The Animal before posing with the World Title to close the show. - Shelton Benjamin and Mr. Kennedy started the match #1 and #2 respectively. - Batista Entered the match at #3 - Vladimir Kozlov Entered the Match at #4 - The Big Show entered the match at #5 - The Undertaker entered the match at #6 - Batista d. Vladimir Kozlov by Pinfall with the Batista Bomb - The Big Show d. Mr. Kennedy by Pinfall with a Chokeslam - The Undertaker d. Shelton Benjamin by Pinfall with the Last Ride - The Undertaker d. The Big Show by Submission with the Hell's Gate - Batista d. The Undertaker by Pinfall with 2 Batista Bombs.
Off-Camera Title Change:
February 16: Chris Jericho d. CM Punk to Win the Intercontinental Title |
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Post by darbicus on Jun 20, 2023 0:34:35 GMT 1
Predictions for those who might be interested... Wrestlemania 25
April 5, 2009
Reliant Stadium
Houston, TX
First Time Ever
World Heavyweight Championship Match
"The Animal" Batista (c) vs. John Cena
Four Corners Elimination Match for the WWE Championship
"The Rated R Superstar" Edge (c) vs. Christian vs. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy
"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker
Texas Death Match
Triple H vs. "The Legend Killer" Randy Orton
Triple Threat Match for the Divas Championship
Gail Kim (c) vs. Mickie James vs. "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix
8 Man Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kofi Kingston vs. "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. MVP
ECW World Championship Match
Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. Jack Swagger
Six Man Tag Team Match
"King" William Regal, Sheamus & Drew McIntyre vs. Kane & Cryme Tyme
WWE Tag Team Title Match- No Championship Advantage
John Morrison & The Miz (c) vs. The Hart Dynasty w/Natalya
WWE United States Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. R-Truth
John Bradshaw Leyfield vs. Rey Mysterio
Wrestlemania 25th Anniversary Battle Royal
The Big Show, The Brian Kendrick, Carlito, Charlie Haas, Chavo Guerrero, "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters, Curt Hawkins, Evan Bourne, Ezekiel Jackson, Finlay, Goldust, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jimmy Wang Yang, Manu, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry, Owen Hart, "Pirate" Paul Burchill, Primo, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Santino Marella, Sgt. Slaughter, Ted DiBiase Jr., Vladimir Kozlov, Zack Ryder
PRE-SHOW
Fatal Fourway for the ECW World Tag Team Titles
RSX (c) vs. Los Diablos del Corazon vs. The Dudebusters w/Tyler Reks vs. Yoshi Tatsu & Colt Cabana
8-Divas Tag Team Match
Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes & Melina vs. Michelle McCool, Layla, Maryse & Eve Torres |
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Post by Asaemon on Jun 20, 2023 19:13:34 GMT 1
First Time Ever
World Heavyweight Championship Match
"The Animal" Batista (c) vs. John Cena
Four Corners Elimination Match for the WWE Championship
"The Rated R Superstar" Edge (c) vs. Christian vs. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy
"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker
Texas Death Match
Triple H vs. "The Legend Killer" Randy Orton
Triple Threat Match for the Divas Championship
Gail Kim (c) vs. Mickie James vs. "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix
8 Man Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kofi Kingston vs. "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. MVP
ECW World Championship Match
Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. Jack Swagger
Six Man Tag Team Match
"King" William Regal, Sheamus & Drew McIntyre vs. Kane & Cryme Tyme
WWE Tag Team Title Match- No Championship Advantage
John Morrison & The Miz (c) vs. The Hart Dynasty w/Natalya
WWE United States Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. R-Truth
John Bradshaw Leyfield vs. Rey Mysterio
Wrestlemania 25th Anniversary Battle Royal
The Big Show, The Brian Kendrick, Carlito, Charlie Haas, Chavo Guerrero, "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters, Curt Hawkins, Evan Bourne, Ezekiel Jackson, Finlay, Goldust, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jimmy Wang Yang, Manu, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry, Owen Hart, "Pirate" Paul Burchill, Primo, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Santino Marella, Sgt. Slaughter, Ted DiBiase Jr., Vladimir Kozlov, Zack Ryder
PRE-SHOW
Fatal Fourway for the ECW World Tag Team Titles
RSX (c) vs. Los Diablos del Corazon vs. The Dudebusters w/Tyler Reks vs. Yoshi Tatsu & Colt Cabana
8-Divas Tag Team Match
Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes & Melina vs. Michelle McCool, Layla, Maryse & Eve Torres
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Post by darbicus on Jun 23, 2023 19:26:49 GMT 1
WWE Wrestlemania 25 April 5, 2009 Reliant Stadium Houston, TX
*PRE-SHOW: Nikki & Brie Bella, Rosa Mendes & Melina d. Michelle McCool, Layla, Maryse & Eve Torres by Pinfall In a standard 8 Divas Tag Match, The Bella Twins and there allies were able to get the drop on LayCool and their allies, with Melina pinning Eve Torres following a counter to a victory roll.
*PRE-SHOW: RSX [Heath Slater & Johnny De-Lish] d. The Dudebusters [Trent Baretta & Caylen Croft] w/Tyler Reks, Los Diablos Del Corazon [Eric Escobar & Ricky Ortiz] and Yoshi Tatsu & Colt Cabana in a Fatal Fourway Match to Retain the ECW World Tag Team Titles The team of RSX (short for Rock Star eXperience) had won the ECW World Tag Team Titles back in February. This initially set up a title match between the champs and former champs, but quickly evolved into a Fatal Fourway when the Dudebusters and Los Diablos del Corazon gained pinfall victories over the other two teams on respective episodes of ECW. The Fatal Fourway match turned into a complete maelstrom that saw Los Diablos nearly regain the titles, only for the pin to be broken up at the last moment by Colt Cabana. The distraction though allowed Heath Slater to hit a running bulldog on Cabana followed by a second rope legdrop from Johnny De-Lish to pick up the win and retain the titles.
*CM Punk d. Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, Shelton Benjamin, Rob Van Dam, Mr. Kennedy & MVP in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match The annual Money in the Bank Ladder match kicked things off, with a guaranteed world title match contract hanging in the balance. The end came down to CM Punk and Chris Jericho, after Rob Van Dam had hit a huge dive from the top of the ladder that took out everyone on the outside of the ring. Both men fought for the briefcase atop two ladders, before Punk grabbed Jericho and hit a GTS on top of the two ladders, sending Jericho hurdling to the ground. The Straight Edge Superstar then grabbed the briefcase and punched his ticket as Mr. Money in the Bank.
*The Hart Dynasty [DH Smith & Tyson Kidd] w/Natalya d. John Morrison & The Miz by Pinfall to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles After The Hart Dynasty had essentially been cheated out of the WWE Tag Team Titles the previous month at No Way Out, the team of Miz and Morrison thought they were in the clear. However, Smackdown GM Vicki Guerrero ordered the two to defend the titles again at Wrestlemania (as a way of showing her non-bias as part of an ongoing job interview), this time without the benefit of a Championship advantage, meaning they could lose the titles on a countout or disqualification. Morrison and Miz attacked The Hart Dynasty before the bell began as a way of trying to head off this stipulation, but this tactic eventually backfired, as the Dynasty took control after a couple of minutes and didn't surrender control for the rest of the match, with Kidd eventually pinning The Miz following a Hart Attack to win the tag team titles.
*Evan Bourne Won a 25 Man Battle Royal A special 25th Anniversary battle royal (ignoring the fact that it was technically the 24th anniversary of Wrestlemania, chronologically) in honor of the special occasion for Wrestlemania. The favorite going in was clearly The Big Show, as he was the largest man in the match and the comparisons had been made between him and Andre the Giant. However that was undone when Mark Henry managed to impressively lift the Big Show out of the ring on a deadlift and simply deposit him over the top rope. Henry himself was then eliminated shortly thereafter, with the match then coming down to Ted DiBiase Jr. and Manu of Legacy against upstart rookie Evan Bourne. Legacy appeared to be heading to a victory, when Manu accidentally hit a kick to DiBiase, knocking him out of the ring. Bourne then followed up with an elimination of the Samoan to pick up the huge upset win.
*"King" William Regal, Sheamus & Drew McIntyre d. Kane & Cryme Tyme [JTG & Shad Gaspard] by Pinfall The trio of William Regal, his protege Drew McIntyre, and former ECW champion Sheamus had formed a group known as The Commonwealth in recent weeks, mostly in response to the Irishman's feud with Kane. The Big Red Machine teamed with former tag team champions in an attempt to get some revenge on The Commonwealth, but it was to no avail. In the end, Regal used his Power of the Punch, using the brass knuckles to knock out JTG and pick up the victory for his team.
*Jack Swagger d. Tommy Dreamer by Pinfall to Win the ECW World Title The self-professed All-American American had been clamoring for a challenge to sentimental favorite ECW champion Tommy Dreamer, leading to a match made at Wrestlemania 25. Dreamer put up a hell of a fight, but his run as champion finally came to an end after Swagger hit him with a low blow behind the referee's back and then delivered a gutwrench powerbomb for the victory.
*Dolph Ziggler d. R-Truth by Pinfall to Retain the US Title In a rematch from the previous month at No Way Out, Dolph Ziggler put his newly won US Title on the line against former champion R-Truth. Similar to their previous encounter, Ziggler used every move in his arsenal to try and put Truth away, but R-Truth refused to give up. In the end, R-Truth attempted a cross body from the top rope, only for Ziggler to hit a Superkick on the way down, KO'ing R-Truth. Ziggler then followed up with a Zig Zag for good measure to pick up the victory and retain the title.
*Rey Mysterio d. John Bradshaw Leyfield by Pinfall JBL came out unannounced, lamenting the fact that he didn't have a match for Wrestlemania's 25th anniversary. He announced he was issuing an open challenge to make history at the biggest show of the year. This open challenge was answered by Rey Mysterio. JBL attacked Mysterio before the bell, but once the bell rang Mysterio hit an enziguri and a dropkick and followed it up with a quick 619 followed by a splash to pick up the win in roughly 30 seconds. After the match, a bewildered JBL told the Texas crowd "I Quit!" and left to a mixture of cheers and boos.
*Beth Phoenix d. Mickie James & Gail Kim by Pinfall to Win the Divas Title Since Gail Kim's return to WWE and subsequent win of the Divas Title, she had been embroiled in a feud with the Glamazon Beth Phoenix. Former Divas Champion Mickie James had also interjected herself into the feud, leading to a Triple Threat Match at Wrestlemania for the Divas Title. All three women found themsleves with opportunities to win, but in the end it would come down to Beth Phoenix pulling out the victory, hitting both James and Kim with a Glam Slam individually before picking up the pinfall and winning the Divas Title.
*Triple H d. Randy Orton in a Texas Death Match The bitter feud between Triple H and Randy Orton reached its apex at Wrestlemania in the unique Texas Death Match, where participants had to answer a 20 count after being pinned in order to avoid losing the anything goes match. The feud had reignited in January/February, when Orton had attacked both Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley and Vince McMahon on separate episodes of Smackdown and Raw respectively. In response, Triple H had invaded Orton's home and destroyed it with a sledge hammer, looking for Orton. Their match was a bloody affair with both men busting the other open with various weapons. Legacy attempted to get involved, with Manu and Ted DiBiase each attacking Triple H, only to be intercepted by Shane McMahon who came to Triple H's aide and knocked both men out. In the end, Triple H hit a Pedigree on the stage at the top of the entryway and then tossed Orton through a waiting table, before pinning him. Orton then failed to answer the 20 count, giving Triple H the cathartic victory.
*Jeff Hardy d. Edge, Christian & Matt Hardy in a Four Corners Elimination Match to Win the WWE Championship After Edge won the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble, he had entered a growing feud with his former tag partner Christian over the title that culminated in the two coming to blows inside the Elimination Chamber the previous month. At the same time, the feud between Matt and Jeff Hardy had continued unabated, even after their Extreme Rules match at No Way Out saw Matt simply outlast Jeff. Aspiring Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long (as he was also auditioning for the job heading into Wrestlemania) would make a Four Corners Elimination Match for Wrestlemania, with Edge defending against both Hardys and Christian. Matt was the first man eliminated, pinned after Jeff hit him with a Swanton after Christian hit him with the Kill Switch. Edge then eliminated Christian, taking out both he and Jeff with a Double Spear, but only able to get a pinfall on the former. With the match down to Edge and Jeff, the Rated R Superstar pulled out all the stops to try and retain his title. However Jeff was able to pull it out and gain some measure of revenge on Edge, hitting a second Swanton to score the win and regain the WWE Title.
*The Undertaker d. Shawn Michaels by Pinfall After defeating JBL, The Big Show and Vladimir Kozlov in a Fatal Fourway for the right to face the Undertaker at Wrestlemania and have an opportunity to end the Phenom's vaunted Wrestlemania streak, Michaels gauged the match as a battle between "light vs. dark", with the respective entrances even showcasing that theme (Michaels descending from heaven bathed in light, while The Undertaker rose up from the depths, fire erupting from the entryway.) The two longtime veterans had a highly athletic match that saw Michaels kick out of a Tombstone Piledriver and saw The Undertaker kick out of Sweet Chin Music. Much like their real life encounter, the match ended with Michaels attempting a moonsault only to get caught and hit with a second Tombstone, giving The Undertaker yet another win at Wrestlemania.
*John Cena d. Batista by Submission to Win the World Heavyweight Championship The first ever meeting between the two "icons of the decade" was heavily hyped, with the match being made after John Cena chose to face The Animal for the World Heavyweight Championship in the closing moments of No Way Out. Parallels between the two men were drawn, with both having debuted in the WWE in 2002 and both men having won their first World Titles 4 years prior at Wrestlemania 21. The actual match between them saw Batista take control early on, using his power to toss Cena around the ring with little difficulty. Cena was able to counter an early attempt at a Batista Bomb and attempted to lift up Batista for an FU, only for the Animal to backdrop him out of the ring, seemingly hurting his back as he landed awkwardly. Batista then worked over Cena's back for several minutes, before Cena attempted a comeback, hitting most of his 5 moves of Doom but being unable to lift Batista for the FU. Batista then countered with a spinebuster followed by a Batista Bomb for a near fall to the Animal's shock. Cena then countered a second attempt at the finisher by locking Batista in the STF. Batista was able to get to the ropes, but Cena doggedly pursued the hold, dragging Batista back to the center of the ring and hooking in the submission a second time, eventually getting Batista to tap out and giving Cena the huge victory and his first World Heavyweight Championship to close the show.
Off-Camera Title Change:
April 10: MVP d. Dolph Ziggler for the United States Title |
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Post by darbicus on Jun 26, 2023 0:33:07 GMT 1
WWE Backlash April 26, 2009 Dunkin Donuts Center Providence, RI
*The Hart Dynasty [David Hart Smith & Tyson Kidd] w/Natalya d. The Brian Kendrick & Ezekiel Jackson w/Armando Estrada by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Tag Team Titles The first challenge to The Hart Dynasty's tag titles were Armando Estrada's remaining clients of The Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson. Despite the pair having difficulties with their manager, they had managed to put up a decent fight against the champions. In the end though, Kidd and Smith pulled out the victory, hitting Kendrick with a Hart Attack after Kendrick was inadvertantly hit by a shot from Estrada. After the match, Kendrick and Jackson took out Armando Estrada, leaving him lying in the middle of the ring, firing him as their manager.
*Beth Phoenix & Maryse d. Mickie James & Gail Kim by Pinfall Newly crowned Divas Champion Beth Phoenix was forced to team with a former rival in Maryse to take on the equally unlikely duo of Mickie James and Gail Kim. Neither team could truly co-exist for very long, and the whole thing nearly ended in a 4 way shmozz with neither team gaining an advantage. In the end, Maryse was able to roll up Gail Kim to pick up the win for her team.
*MVP d. Dolph Ziggler & R-Truth by Pinfall to Retain the United States Title Shortly after Wrestlemania, MVP surprised many people by regaining the United States Championship for a third time, defeating Dolph Ziggler on an episode of Smackdown (albeit with help from an interfering R-Truth.) This set up a triple threat match for the belt at Backlash, in which Ziggler and Truth's rivalry took center stage and MVP simply struggled to hold on to his title. In the end though, MVP was able to pick his spot and dodge an attempted superkick from Ziggler and then hit him with a headlock driver to the ground that MVP called the Spot Foul to pick up the win.
*Jack Swagger d. Tyler Reks by Pinfall to Retain the ECW World Title In a standard match, Jack Swagger successfully retained his ECW World Title over Tyler Reks, despite the presence of the Dudebusters at ringside. Swagger was able to put Reks away with the Gutwrench Powerbomb that he had used to win the title in the first place. After the match however, Swagger was attacked by a returning Tommy Dreamer, who was seeking revenge for his title loss at Wrestlemania.
*CM Punk d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall to Retain the MITB Briefcase and Win the Intercontinental Title After narrowly missing out on the Money in the Bank briefcase, Chris Jericho became obsessed with trying to capture the guaranteed title shot, so much so that he challenged CM Punk to a match with both the briefcase and Jericho's Intercontinental Title on the line, which Punk accepted. In a back and forth matchup between the two athletic competitors, Jericho nearly got the win when he locked Punk in the Walls of Jericho, only for Punk to be able to crawl to the ropes and force a break. Jericho then went after the ref, shoving him down from behind and grabbing the MITB briefcase out of anger and spite. He tried to hit Punk with the briefcase, but Punk countered with an enziguiri to the back of the head, knocking Jericho loopy. Punk tossed the briefcase out of the ring and then hit the Go 2 Sleep for the pinfall, becoming IC Champion and retaining his briefcase.
*Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase Jr. d. Triple H, Shane McMahon & Batista by Pinfall The feud between Legacy and the McMahon family had continued despite Orton's loss to Triple H at Wrestlemania, as the trio (with Orton and company having beaten down Manu following the group's losses at Mania, exiling him from the group) targeted both The Game and Shane McMahon in separate beatdowns the night after Mania. This left Triple H at a distinct disadvantage, but the odds were put back in his favor with the unexpected help of former Evolution teammate Batista, who turned face and joined with Triple H and McMahon to face Legacy in a six man tag. However it would prove not to be enough as Orton would pin The Game following an RKO onto a steel chair, earning a victory for his faction and a WWE Championship match for himself the following night on Raw.
*Jeff Hardy d. William Regal w/Sheamus & Drew McIntyre by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship The night after Wrestlemania, Raw General Manager William Regal took it upon himself to name...himself as #1 contender to Jeff Hardy's newly rewon WWE Championship. Over the next several weeks, both Drew McIntyre and Sheamus took turns attacking the champion in an effort to soften him up for the leader of the Commonwealth. Things looked grim for the Charismatic Enigma, as Regal worked over Hardy's injured ribs and even made the match No Disqualification midway through to give himself more of an advantage. This stipulation would backfire though, as Hardy dodged an attempted Brogue Kick from Sheamus, who drilled Regal instead. Hardy then used the WWE Title belt to take out both of the other members of the Commonwealth before finishing off the GM with a Swanton Bomb for the win.
*Edge d. John Cena & Christian in a Triple Threat Match to Win the World Heavyweight Title After winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania, John Cena resumed his old feud with the Rated R Superstar Edge, as well as engaing in one with Edge's former best friend Christian, leading to this triple threat match at Backlash. However despite being champion in the match, Cena wouldn't factor into the decision, as Edge renewed his partnership with old ally The Big Show. The Giant came out of the back and took out Cena, first hitting him with the Right Hand of Doom and then delivering a massive chokeslam through a spotlight that left Cena unconscious and in a heap. Edge took advantage of the distraction to hit Christian with a Spear and pick up the win to regain the World Heavyweight Title.
Off-Camera Title Changes:
April 27: Randy Orton d. Jeff Hardy to Win the WWE Championship
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Post by darbicus on Jun 27, 2023 7:16:58 GMT 1
WWE Judgment Day May 17, 2009 Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL
*Evan Bourne d. John Morrison w/The Miz by Pinfall After winning the 25th Anniversary Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 25, Evan Bourne had been on a winning streak on both Raw and Smackdown. He had also entered a feud with former WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz and John Morrison, after beating Miz on an episode of Smackdown, which Morrison had made fun of his tag partner for, planning to show him "how it was done." However Morrison's hubris would be his undoing, as Bourne bested the Prince of Parkour, eventually hitting a Shooting Star Press for another huge victory in his run.
*Jack Swagger d. Goldust by Disqualification to Retain the ECW World Title Goldust had returned to the WWE at the Royal Rumble in January, and had eventually made his way to the ECW brand to challenge for the World Championship there. Standing in his way was the All-American champion Jack Swagger, who seemed to recoil from Goldust's usual mind games and antics. The two had a fairly simple match with Swagger cheating in an attempt to win. This drew Goldust's ire, and eventually the veteran set up and hit Swagger with Shattered Dreams. This got Goldust a moral victory, but handed a DQ victory to the ECW Champion.
*Chris Jericho d. Rey Mysterio On an episode of the Highlight Reel, Chris Jericho had confronted Rey Mysterio on their shared history in WCW and the fact that their paths hadn't really crossed since they had both been in WCW. Mysterio challenged Jericho to a "battle for respect" at Judgment Day, which the surprisingly affable Jericho agreed to. The two had a highly athletic match that ended in controversy, as Jericho removed Mysterio's mask suddenly, forcing him to try and conceal his identity. Jericho then rolled up Mysterio for the cheap win.
*Legacy [Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase Jr.] d. CM Punk & Kofi Kingston by Pinfall to Retain the World Tag Team Titles CM Punk had entered a short term feud with Legacy shortly after Backlash, when he threatened to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase against newly crowned WWE Champion Randy Orton. In response, Orton had Rhodes and DiBiase attack Punk backstage, only for the Straight Edge Superstar to be saved by Kofi Kingston, leading to this tag title match at Judgment Day. The makeshift team surprisingly worked well, nearly pulling off the upset after Kingston caught Rhodes with Trouble in Paradise. However Legacy was able to use a referee distraction and duplicity to hit Kingston with the Tag Title belt, before Rhodes finished off Kingston with the Cross Rhodes to pick up the win.
*Batista d. Randy Orton by Disqualification [Orton Retains the WWE Title] The night after Backlash, Randy Orton won the WWE Championship from Jeff Hardy (courtesy of outside help from Matt Hardy). His growing feud with The Animal Batista led to a title match at Judgment Day. Orton's stablemates, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr., remained at ringside for the title match, which would prove instrumental in the outcome. Batista dominated the champion for the majority of the match. However before he could finish off Orton, Rhodes and DiBiase swarmed the ring, attacking the Animal and launching into a 3 on 1 beatdown. This resulted in Batista winning via disqualification. Afterwards, Legacy continued the beatdown, with Orton hitting a Punt Kick to Batista with a steel chair next to his head, resulting in EMT's helping him out of the ring.
*Jeff Hardy d. Matt Hardy in an I Quit Match The night after Backlash, Jeff Hardy was on the verge of successfully defending his WWE Championship against Randy Orton, when a camera man on the apron blinded Hardy with an exploding flash on his camera. This allowed Orton to hit an RKO to pick up the win and the title. The cameraman was later revealed to be Matt Hardy, making his first appearance since losing to Jeff in the Four Corners match at Wrestlemania. This led the brothers to face each other in a brutal I Quit match, where the only way to win was to utter the words I Quit. In a hard fought battle reminiscent of their battle in February, Jeff eventually locked Matt in a modified version of the Rings of Saturn, adding a crossface to the move and forcing Matt to say I Quit to get the victory.
*The Big Show d. John Cena by Pinfall John Cena was looking for revenge against The Big Show, following the Giant's attack on the former World Heavyweight Champion at Backlash. However, it was clear that Cena wasn't medically fit to compete, attempting to come back early from the injuries he sustained in The Big Show's attack. Cena came out with taped ribs, which were easily exploited by the 500 pounder. Cena attempted to fight back, trying to hit an FU on The Big Show, but his ribs gave out on him, collapsing to the ground. Big Show then hit the Right Hand of Doom on Cena to knock him out and pick up the victory.
*Edge d. Christian by Pinfall in a Hell in a Cell Match to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship After regaining the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash, Edge faced his former best friend Christian one more time, this time in a Hell in a Cell match, with Captain Charisma attempting to escape Edge's shadow once and for all. Edge and Christian battled each other in the hard fought match, which saw Edge's kayfabe wife (and newly reinstalled Smackdown GM) Vicki Guerrero attempt to get involved, unlocking the Cell and throwing herself on Edge's prone body when Christian looked like he was about to hit a Con-Chair-To on the champion. Christian then tossed away the chair and cornered Vicki, setting her up for the Killswitch, only to be caught with a Spear from Edge which sent all three tumbling to the outside. The match continued back and forth until Edge hit a Spear on Christian that sent him through a table set up in the corner, eventually picking up the hard fought pinfall victory as the show went off the air.
Off-Camera Title Changes
May 18: Drew McIntyre d. CM Punk for the Intercontinental Title
May 22: Brie Bella d. Beth Phoenix for the Divas Title |
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Post by darbicus on Jun 27, 2023 17:51:17 GMT 1
WWE Extreme Rules June 7, 2009 New Orleans Arena New orleans, LA
*Matt Hardy & Dolph Ziggler d. Cryme Tyme, The Colons & The Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson in a Fatal Fourway Match to Earn a Future Tag Title Shot A Fatal Fourway match was held to kick off Extreme Rules, with the makeshift team of Matt Hardy and Dolph Ziggler teaming up to face Kendrick & Jackson as well as Cryme Tyme and The Colons. The three established teams controlled much of the match, but to the surprise of many Matt Hardy and Dolph Ziggler were able to partner well together, with Hardy eventually picking up the win after hitting Primo with a Twist of Fate for the pinfall victory, earning a future title shot at The Hart Dynasty.
*Chris Jericho d. MVP by Submission for the United States Title Chris Jericho was initially set to face Rey Mysterio in a Hair vs. Mask match following their initial encounter at Judgment Day. However, before the match could happen, Mysterio was attacked backstage by Jericho, who was seeking to steal his mask again. Mysterio was saved by United States Champion MVP from the beatdown, leading to Jericho challenging MVP to a Title vs. Hair match instead, which MVP accepted. MVP came close to embarrasing Jericho early on, rolling him up from behind in the first 30 seconds and nearly getting a pinfall win. However MVP would later land awkwardly on a dive to the outside, seemingly injuring his knee. Jericho worked over the knee and, despite MVP trying to fight through the pain, would lock in the Walls of Jericho in the center of the ring, later turning it into the Lion Tamer to pick up the win and the US Title.
*Drew McIntyre w/Sheamus & William Regal d. Evan Bourne by Pinfall to Retain the Intercontinental Title Drew McIntyre had won the Intercontinental Title from CM Punk on the Raw after Judgment Day, utilizing help from his stablemates in the Commonwealth to do so. With Punk unable to receive a rematch per the ruling of Raw GM William Regal, McIntyre would instead defend the title against the red hot Evan Bourne, who had been virtually unbeaten since Wrestlemania. However Bourne's hot streak finally came to an end at the hands of McIntyre, with more than a little help from Sheamus, who hit Bourne with a Brogue Kick behind the referee's back. McIntyre than hit the Futureshock DDT to retain the title.
*Brie Bella w/Nikki Bella d. Beth Phoenix by Pinfall to Retain the Divas Title Brie Bella had shocked many individuals by winning the Divas title from Beth Phoenix, utilizing some "twin magic" where she switched places with her sister Nikki in order to secure the title. This would be the case in the title rematch, as Brie started the match and was easily overpowered by the Glamazon. However Brie would switch places with Nikki, who nearly scored a rollup victory on Phoenix. Beth kicked out though and the referee quickly caught on that it was Nikki in the ring. While ushering her out though, Brie took the opportunity to hit Beth from behind with the Divas Title belt, before scoring the pin for the surprise title retention.
*Jeff Hardy d. Edge w/Vickie Guerrero in a Ladder Match to Win the World Heavyweight Title After Edge successfully defended his World Heavyweight Title against Christian, he was looking to take "a few weeks off" to have some alone time with his wife Vickie. Vickie however had other ideas for their time off, announcing that she and Edge were going to try and have a baby. Edge, clearly unwilling to...commit...to that particular act, then instead issued an open challenge for Extreme Rules, which was answered by his old foe, former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy. As retribution for canceling their vacation, Guerrero made the match a Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Title. Vickie and Edge had seemingly reconciled by the time of the match, as Vickie was ringside with Edge for the title defense. After a grueling match, she attempted to help Edge by trying to push Jeff off a Ladder, but Jeff kicked her away, causing her to stumble into another ladder Edge was also climbing up and knocking him off. This gave Jeff the time to climb the Ladder and capture the World Heavyweight Title. However, he would not be able to rest on his laurels as champion for long.
*CM Punk d. Jeff Hardy Via Money In the Bank Cash-In to Win the World Heavyweight Title Seizing the opportunity of a weakened champion, CM Punk came down to ringside with his Money in the Bank briefcase, cashing in on Jeff Hardy to set up an immediate World Heavyweight Title match. Hardy tried to fight valiantly, but was too exhausted from his match with Edge, leading to Punk pinning Jeff to a chorus of boos after hitting the Go to Sleep on the new champion.
*John Cena d. The Big Show in a Last Man Standing Match After John Cena was soundly defeated the previous month, he promised that he wasn't finished with the Big Show, and that he wouldn't give up until there wasn't an ounce of breath in his body. The Giant took him up on that offer, challenging Cena to a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules. With Cena still damaged from the repeated attacks from The Big Show, it appeared that this match would be a repeat of their Judgment Day encounter, with Big Show toying with the damaged Cena. The Champ perservered though and eventually gutted out a performance, heaving Big Show onto his shoulders and executing an FU off the stage and through a shipping container on the floor below, smashing it to pieces. This knocked out the Big Show for the ten count and gave Cena the hard earned victory.
*Batista d. Randy Orton in a Steel Cage Match to Win the WWE Championship Mr. McMahon issued a special order to WWE Champion Randy Orton (in part a retaliation for the attacks on the McMahon family earlier in the year) that he would have to defend the WWE Championship against The Animal Batista again, this time inside a steel cage to ensure that Legacy wouldn't get involved. That didn't stop Rhodes and DiBiase from trying to get involved, mind you, as at one point Rhodes dived into the ring from the top of the cage in an attempt to take out the Animal. Despite Orton's best efforts though, Batista was eventually able to hit the Batista Bomb and crawl out of the cage, securing the WWE Championship (though the celebration would be short lived, as a real life bicep tear would force Batista to vacate the title the next night on Raw.)
Off-Camera Title Changes:
June 8: Batista Vacates WWE Title Due to Injury
June 16: Curt Hawkins & Alex Riley d. RSX for the ECW World Tag Team Titles |
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Post by darbicus on Jun 29, 2023 19:54:26 GMT 1
WWE The Bash June 28, 2009 ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA
*Goldust d. Jack Swagger by Pinfall in an Extreme Rules Match to Win the ECW World Title The feud between ECW Champion Jack Swagger and veteran Goldust had escalated leading into the Bash pay per view, leading to an Extreme Rules match for the ECW title. While Swagger was more used to amateur wrestling, he hadn't been above using weapons where necessary, and both he and the veteran had a rather brutal match. In the end, Swagger went for his gutwrench powerbomb, only for Goldust to counter and eventually hit the Curtain Call onto a steel chair to pick up the win and the ECW title.
*Los Diablos del Corazon [Eric Escobar & Ricky Ortiz] w/Rosa Mendes d. John Morrison & The Miz by Pinfall The duo of John Morrison and The Miz had been having difficulties working together since losing the WWE Tag Team Titles at Wrestlemania, and were looking to get back to their winning ways. They issued an open challenge to any team in the WWE, which was answered by former ECW Tag Team Champions Los Diablos del Corazon. The former tag team champions had the advantage early on, but another bit of miscommunication saw Miz accidentally hit Morrison with a clothesline, which led to Ortiz rolling up Morrison for the win. After the match, Morrison and Miz argued amongst each other, before breaking out into a brawl that security needed to break up.
*Kofi Kingston d. Christian by Pinfall Since losing the Hell in a Cell Match at Judgment Day, Christian had been on a losing streak on both Raw and Smackdown. He sought to right the ship against Kofi Kingston, citing Kingston's "personal respect" for the veteran. The two had a highly competitive match, which Kingston won with a rollup following a missed moonsault from Christian in which he landed funny on his knee. After the match, Kofi offered his hand to Christian in friendship, which Christian took, albeit seemingly reluctantly.
*Gail Kim d. Nikki Bella by Pinfall Gail Kim was the latest to challenge Brie Bella for the WWE Divas Title, but at the time of her match Brie came out with her arm in a sling, complaining that she had suffered an injured shoulder at a house show. As a contention, Brie offered her sister Nikki as a substitute opponent for Kim. As soon as the bell rang though, Nikki was quickly hit by a running knee to the face before quickly hitting Nikki with the Kim Slice and picking up the win. After the match though, Brie slammed the Divas Title into the back of Gail Kim's head, removing her sling and showing the whole injury was a ruse.
*The Hart Dynasty [Tyson Kidd & David Hart Smith] & Natalya d. Dolph Ziggler, Matt Hardy & Eve Torres by Pinfall After defeating Dolph Ziggler and Matt Hardy on an episode of Raw, The Hart Dynasty was attacked by the would be challengers and laid out with steel chair shots. Simultaneously, Natalya had entered a brief feud with Eve Torres ove ran insult to the former's father, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, leading to this intergender six person tag. After the match devolved into a quick melee, the end came when Smith countered a Matt Hardy Twist of Fate attempt into a running powerslam, getting the pinfall afterwards.
*Rey Mysterio d. Chris Jericho by Pinfall in a Title vs. Mask Match to Win the United States Title The feud between Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho had continued following Jericho's continued attacks on both Mysterio and his family (including threatening Mysterio's wife Angie at ringside), leading to another match between the two. In a change from the match they were scheduled to have at Extreme Rules, Jericho would put his newly won United States Title on the line instead of his hair against Mysterio's mask. The end came when Jericho again attempted to rip off Mysterio's mask, only for the luchadore to be wearing another one underneath. Mysterio then used the confusion to eventually hit the 619 on the champion and follow it up with a frogsplash to win the United States championship and preserve his identity.
*CM Punk d. Edge & Jeff Hardy by Pinfall to Retain the World Heavyweight Championship CM Punk had cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win the World Heavyweight Title from a tired and damaged Jeff Hardy at Extreme Rules, following the latter's victory over Edge in a Ladder Match. Punk was chastized for his actions, which he took exception to, beginning a heel turn that would last for the rest of 2009. After being confronted by both Edge and Jeff Hardy regarding the means by which he won the title, a triple threat match was made for the belt at The Bash. Edge nearly wasn't included after dumping Vickie Guerrero following her resignation as Smackdown GM (and subsequent temporary installment until her replacement was found), but he won his way back into the match via a victory over Punk in a one on one contest. All three men came close to winning the championship, but in the end Punk stole another win after Hardy hit a Swanton on the Rated R Superstar, tossing Hardy out of the ring and picking up the quick pinfall victory.
*William Regal d. Randy Orton, John Cena & The Big Show by Pinfall to Win the Vacant WWE Championship The night after Extreme Rules, Batista was forced to vacate the WWE Championship due to an injury he sustained in the Steel Cage match with Randy Orton the night earlier. This set up a n 8 Man tournament to qualify for a Fatal Fourway match at The Bash, with the winner getting the vacant title. Cena, Orton and Big Show were able to qualify the normal way, but Raw GM William Regal inserted himself into a qualification match, using Sheamus to beatdown Kofi Kingston and worm his way into the title picture. The fourway match saw Regal largely stay away from the fray while Orton and Big Show teamed up on Cena at varying points. However their alliance was shortlived, as Orton used Legacy to take out The Big Show with lead pipes, resulting in the Giant's removal from the match. Orton and Cena then had a slow burn fight with Regal interjecting at times, until a brawl broke out between all three men. Regal was taken out temporarily by an RKO out of nowhere, but Cena and Orton continued their match for a period of time. Cena locked Orton in the STF and, just as it appeared Orton would tap out, Regal got back into the mix and KO'ed Cena with the Power of the Punch. He then pinned Cena and got the upset victory, winning his first ever world title to close out the show.
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Post by darbicus on Jul 1, 2023 0:52:50 GMT 1
WWE Night of Champions July 26, 2009 Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA
*Kofi Kingston w/Christian d. Drew McIntyre w/Sheamus by Pinfall to Win the Intercontinental Title The opening match of the night saw Drew McIntyre defend the Intercontinental Title against Kofi Kingston. Kingston had formed something of a reluctant friendship with Christian following the two's competitive matchup the previous month, so much so that Captain Charisma was at ringside to counter the presence of McIntyre's stablemate Sheamus. Drew controlled much of the match and seemingly had it won when he set up Kingston for the Futureshock DDT. However Christian's antics with Sheamus at ringside distracted McIntyre long enough for Kofi to get his second wind, eventually hitting the Trouble in Paradise to pick up the win and the IC Title.
*RSX [ d. Curt Hawkins & Alex Riley by Pinfall to Win the ECW Tag Team Titles The Rock Star Experience had lost the ECW World Tag Team Titles to the makeshift team of Curt Hawkins and Alex Riley a few weeks prior, leading to this rematch at Night of Champions. The former champs Slater and Johnny De-Lish were able to regain their footing and pick up the victory, regaining the ECW Tag Titles.
*Wade Barrett d. Goldust, Jack Swagger, The Brian Kendrick & Tommy Dreamer in a Championship Scramble Match to Win the ECW World Title A 5 man Scramble match was held for the ECW World Title, with newly crowned champion Goldust defending against two former champions in Jack Swagger & Tommy Dreamer, as well as Brian Kendrick and relative newcomer Wade Barrett. In the end it would be the Bullhammer Brit who survived the three veterans and former champion, as he pinned Goldust to become interim champion early on in the match and then survived the rest of the scramble in order to remain champion, picking up the upset win.
*Jeri-Show [Chris Jericho & The Big Show] d. The Hart Dynasty [Tyson Kidd & DH Smith] w/Natalya by Pinfall to Win the WWE Tag Team Titles Chris Jericho had challenged The Hart Dynasty to a WWE Tag Team Title match, promising that he would find a partner to take them out. That partner would turn out to be the world's largest athlete, The Big Show, with the two forming the team of "Jeri-Show". Big Show and Chris Jericho easily dominated the Hart's and won the WWE Tag Team Titles courtesy of a Right Hand of Doom from The Giant to both Kidd and Smith.
*Brie & Nikk Bella d. Gail Kim, Mickie James and Beth Phoenix in a 3 on 2 Handicap Match [Brie Bella Retains the Divas Title] After Nikki and Brie Bella had used a number of tricks to retain the Divas Title, Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero (in a fit of anger over the Bellas apparently making fun of her behind her back) ordered them to defend the title in a 3 on 2 Handicap match, in which whoever got the pin would get the title. It was this stipulation that ultimately saved the title for the Bellas, as Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix and Mickie James were unable to coexist to get a pinfall on either of the twins. Brie eventually rolled up James for the victory to retain her title.
*Rey Mysterio d. The Miz by Pinfall to Retain the United States Title Since their partnership had broken up the previous month, both The Miz and John Morrison had been trying to beat Rey Mysterio to become United States Champion. The Miz was the first to receive a title shot, and was utilizing underhanded means in a rush to try and get the US Championship. However this would backfire, as Miz "inadvertantly" caused the referee to go down in order to cheat some more. However he would be taken out by John Morrison coming through the crowd, as he leveled Miz with a kendo stick shot to the ribs. Mysterio then hit the Frogsplash as the referee came to, picking up the win.
*The Commonwealth [Drew McIntyre & Sheamus] d. Legacy [Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase Jr.], Cryme Tyme [JTG & Shad Gaspard], The Colons [Carlito & Primo], Los Diablos del Corazon [Eric Escobar & Ricky Ortiz], Mark Henry and Zack Ryder & Dolph Ziggler and Matt Hardy in a Tag Team Gauntlet Match to Win the World Tag Team Titles Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase were defending their world tag team titles in a gauntlet match, and seemingly were on track to successfully defend those belts despite the odds against them. However, after dispatching 4 of the 5 advertised challengers in the match, they were then blindsided by the arrival of Drew McIntyre and Sheamus of the Commonwealth, who came through the crowd and laid out the champions. Per the ruling by Raw GM William Regal, the two had been added to the match at the last minute, and they were able to parlay that to a surprise elimination of the champions. The Commonwealth then beat The Colons as the final team to win the tag team titles.
*William Regal d. Triple H by Pinfall to Retain the WWE Championship After shocking the world and winning the WWE Championship at The Bash, most of the WWE universe felt it was only a matter of time before "King" William Regal would drop the title to another big star. Regal however had other ideas, using his position as GM to manipulate this title defense against Triple H by naming Randy Orton as the Special Guest Referee and John Cena as the Special Guest Enforcer. Their shenanigans both on the outside and inside the match gave enough of an opening for Regal to pin Triple H (with Orton administering a fast count, due to his long standing issues with the Game) and pick up another "legitimate" win. Regal then escaped as Triple H, Orton and Cena began fighting amongst themselves over the outcome of the match.
*Jeff Hardy d. CM Punk by Pinfall to Win the World Heavyweight Championship Jeff Hardy challenged the self-professed Straight Edge Savior to another title match, which Punk was initially reluctant to grant. He only did after humiliating Hardy by making him pass a "field sobriety test" on Smackdown that ended with Punk attacking Hardy and dumping a bottle of Jack Daniels over his body. The Charismatic Enigma attacked Punk in the early going and nearly got himself disqualified over the ferocity of the attacks, which gave Punk an opportunity to slow down the match and take control. Hardy rallied however and even kicked out of a GTS to the shock of everyone. Hardy countered a second attempt at the move, eventually hitting a Twist of Fate followed by a Swanton Bomb to get the pinfall and regain the World Heavyweight Title. After the match though, Hardy was assaulted by two masked men who helped Punk to the back, with CM Punk retaining possession of the actual World Championship belt, despite Hardy being the champion.
Off-Camera Title Change
July 28: The Usos d. RSX for the ECW World Tag Team Titles |
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