Oct 26 2008
The big news is that Batista is the new World Champion after defeating Chris Jericho as Stone Cold Steve Austin was voted in as special guest referee. That’s an unnecessary title change, but oh well.
HHH wrestled Jeff Hardy, even though they tried hard to influence the fans to make it a three way with Koslov. HHH pinned Hardy again in the middle of the ring.
Dave Meltzer has the results up at F4W/Wrestling Observer.
Photo by Department of Defense
Oct 03 2008
I wouldn’t usually blog about Raw or Smackdown, but this is the biggest Raw or Smackdown show in a very long time. They’ve done a great job publicizing the event, and you could say they’ve done a better job than promoting the PPV. There are many champion versus champion matches.
But it looks like we’re opening up with an 8 man tag.
(Photo by Jjron)
1. Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Fit Finlay, and Batista vs. MVP, JBL, The Brian Kendrick, and Kane
I’m already tired of Gregory Helms’ “I’m just saying,” gimmick by the way.
Let’s hope there’s a lot of MVP and Kendrick for the heel side.
The match wasn’t as exciting as I thought it’d be and it was really long. But the last two minutes were great. Rey Rey made the hot tag to Jeff which lead to everyone getting in the ring and kicking each other out of the ring. Rey hit MVP with the 619 and Jeff hit the swanton for the pin.
Winner: Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Fit Finlay, and Batista
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Sep 16 2008
Save for SummerSlam, which I always buy, I wouldn’t have bought the past few WWE PPVs if not for the Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho feud. It’s been one of the best things I’ve seen in wrestling in years, and because of it, I’ve wanted to see everything. It’s very similar to the Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley feud from several years ago in that it hasn’t been the main event feud, but it’s been the must see feud. I couldn’t care less about Batista vs. JBL vs. Kane vs. CM Punk, or any mix of the “top” guys. And even though I hated the way Jericho won the World Belt earlier this month, at least with him on top now, their feud can be at the forefront like it deserves. And with their recently announced ladder match at No Mercy, it look like I’m buying another WWE PPV.
Triple H is also defending against Jeff Hardy. While it’s going to be a good match, I have to wonder how Triple H will treat him. If Edge made Smackdown over the summer, Triple H is literally killing it this fall. The show has become his play toy with his insider remarks, his burial of his challengers, and just his general malaise. He’s tired and bored. You’d think that it’d be in him to make someone right now and that guy could be Jeff Hardy. I think Hardy needs to win the belt to freshen up that brand, but I’d bet against it. I’m not sure they’re comfortable giving Hardy the championship considering that he’s failed them before with drug test failures, but also, I’m not sure Triple H thinks Hardy is at his level. If it were Orton, Michaels, Undertaker, or Batista, I don’t think he’d have a problem dropping the title. I’m just not sure he will to Jeff Hardy.
As it is, WWE has me with at least one more PPV this year (I’ll probably get Survivor Series) and I’m excited to see Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho have a match of the year candidate.
Here’s the YouTube version of a Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels ladder match from many years ago.
Aug 20 2008
I was alerted yesterday by our own Big D that in addition to the Raw Heavyweight Championship Scramble match, according to the Smackdown spoilers (don’t worry, I won’t spoil the actual matches), we will have another scramble for the other championship belt. What?
You don’t have to look very far back to when WWE did something similarly. Let’s go back to February of this year. They had a great idea for a yearly stipulation that made sense. John Cena won the Royal Rumble and because of that win was scheduled for the Wrestlemania title shot. The question always becomes, “What happens with the other title?” They had an awesome solution. Put six of your top guys in the Elimination Chamber match, and the winner would get the other title shot. You could do that every year at No Way Out and you have two special pay per views back to back with the first being the Royal Rumble.
Of course, they screwed it up. Cena decided to take his title shot at No Way Out even though he said the only reason he came back to win the Royal Rumble was because he wanted to main event Wrestlemania. And thus, instead of only doing one Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out, they did two. Imagine if at last week’s pay per view, in addition to the Undertaker and Edge Hell In A Cell match, they decided that John Cena and Dave Batista would be decided in similar fashion. Stupid right?
Aug 17 2008
1. Jeff Hardy vs. MVP
MVP used a few submissions and Hardy sold for a lot of the match. Hardy made his comeback and hit the “Whisper In The Wind”. He went up top for the swanton, but saw Shelton Benjamin come out and jumped on him. He went back to the top and then missed the swanton. MVP hit the “Shining MVP” for the win. Pretty good opener.
Winner: MVP by pin fall
Santino and Beth Phoenix did an interview with Maria where the gist was that Maria couldn’t have Santino anymore because he was all Beth’s. Maria looks awesome.
Aug 16 2008
Tomorrow night, WWE celebrates 21 years of SummerSlam, the “biggest party of the summer” as they’ve been calling recently. There have been 20 SummerSlam Events since 1988. But were all of them really worthy of being called the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th best PPV of the year? Absolutely not. So today I’ve decided to take a look and list what I consider the Top 10 Greatest SummerSlam Pay-Per-Views of All Time! So sit back, relax, and enjoy.
10. SummerSlam 1988
So we begin with the very first SummerSlam in 1988, live on PPV from Madison Square Garden in New York. The whole purpose of the creation of this PPV was for the WWE to compete with NWA’s Great American Bash, hoping to convert wrestling fans to save their hard-earned cash and purchase their show at the end of the summer as opposed to the Bash. This soon became the last of the “Big Four” PPVs, alongside Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and of course, Wrestlemania. The main event was a highly-anticipated tag team match between Hulk Hogan and WWF Champion Randy Savage, collectively known as “The Mega Powers” against Ted Dibiase and Andre the Giant, collectively known as “The Mega Bucks”. Savage won a 16-Man Tournament at Wrestlemania IV, last defeating Dibiase to become champion. Hogan had teased prior to the show that Miss Elizabeth would showcase her “eenie, weenie bikini”, which is creepy in retrospect considering she is no longer with us.
Besides that huge match, the most memorable part of this Pay-Per-View was the Ultimate Warrior defeating the longest reigning WWF Intercontinental Champion in history - The Honky Tonk Man. Honky was scheduled to face Brutus Beefcake, but prior to the match, Beefcake was hospitalized by “The Outlaw” Ron Bass. Honky came out on the show and challenged anybody in the building to take the title and the undefeated Warrior came out and pinned him in thirty seconds to take the title, beginning the monster four year run that he would have in the WWF. Tag Team wrestling was definitely one of WWF’s high-points during this era, as Hart Foundation vs. Demolition was easily the best match on the show, followed slightly by the Rougeaus vs. The Bulldogs.
Aug 14 2008
If it weren’t for the fact that SummerSlam, by name, means the biggest summer wrestling PPV of the year, I’m not sure I would consider this weekend’s show all that big of a deal. JBL and the Great Khali are in title matches, neither Chris Jericho or Shawn Michaels are wrestling, and John Cena vs. Batista, a match that should be huge, isn’t all that interesting.
There is one big match and thankfully, Edge has been carrying his feud with the Undertaker. It’s not like the Undertaker has been around recently to help. And while it’s the match that will likely sell the most PPVs, I still feel as if I’ve seen them wrestle enough matches already to last a life time. I understand that this is the big one, a Hell In A Cell match, but I can’t wait for them to move on to other opponents.
Aug 02 2008
This was originally written for Epinions.com on July 10th, 2004.
Typically in World Wrestling Entertainment, tradition is usually kept intact, even though there are a few notably disgusting moments within the company’s history of violating tradition and it’s principles. However, one of the WWE’s most time-honered traditions have been the Royal Rumble match and event. Since 1988, the Royal Rumble match was a proving ground. The rules were simple. 30 Men would compete under the rules of a Battle Royale. The match begins with two men, and every two minutes or so (it changes year to year), a new wrestler will join the Rumble. This continues until all 30-Men have entered. A wrestler is eliminated if he is thrown over the top rope and both feet touch the floor. A winner is declared whenever all other participants are eliminated and one man remains.
Originally, the Royal Rumble event was just an idea to draw fans into seeing their favorite superstars within one match. The “every man for himself” motto that has been used since it’s inception brought about intruiging possibilities. Friends fighting friends. Enemies battling enemies. Even tag teams would sometimes battle it out (Demolition, the Hardy Boyz). Though most of the time, the Royal Rumble match is tiring and overly long, there have been a few notable Royal Rumbles which were very fun to watch and entertaining (1992, 1997, 1998, and 2001 are my personal favorites). In 1993, a special stipulation was added to the Royal Rumble match. The winner of the Rumble would become the instant #1 Contender for the World Championship and compete for it in the Main Event at that year’s Wrestlemania, which is the WWF/WWE’s biggest annual event.
Jul 20 2008
1. Miz and Morrison vs. Hawkins and Ryder vs. Jesse and Festus vs. Finlay and Hornswoggle
Fit Finlay rules. He carried most of the match until he made the hot tag to Hornswoggle and then Jesse tagged into the match after Hornswoggle went wild for about 5 seconds. Festus then went um, dumb? and Hawkins (or Ryder?) pinned Jesse after tripping him off the top rope. Hawkins and Ryder are the new Smackdown tag champs. Good opener, even if it was fairly quick.
Winners: Hawkins and Ryder by pin fall.
2. Matt Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin
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