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February 23rd
On this day in history in ....
1987 - WWF ran at Madison Square Garden in New York City with the following results:
- Paul Roma defeated Salvatore Bellomo.
- Demolition defeated The Islanders.
- Koko B. Ware defeated Sika.
- Tito Santana vs. Butch Reed ended in a double DQ.
- WWF World Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation defeated The Killer Bees.
- Outback Jack defeated Barry O.
- Jake Roberts defeated King Kong Bundy via countout.
- Honky Tonk Man defeated Pedro Morales.
- Roddy Piper, Junkyard Dog & Ricky Steamboat defeated Randy Savage, Adrian Adonis & Harley Race in an elimination match. Adonis & Dog fought to a double countout. Race pinned Steamboat when Savage turned them over as Steamboat had Race pinned with a small package. Piper pinned Race after Savage accidentally hit him. Piper pinned Savage with a small package after Savage missed a top rope elbow. This was Piper's final MSG match before his Wrestlemania III retirement.
1990 - WWF broadcast their third (and last) prime time Main Event special on NBC from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, earning a 12.8 rating. The broadcast featured two matches, and ended up having a major monkeywrench thrown into the works when Mike Tyson, scheduled to referee the Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage match, lost the World Heavyweight Title to Buster Douglas in Tokyo. Tyson pulled out of the appearance, and WWF managed to sign Douglas to take his spot.
- WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Randy Savage with a legdrop. After the match, Savage shoved Douglas, who knocked out Savage with two punches.
- Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior defeated Dino Bravo with a press slam and splash. After the match, Earthquake attacked Warrior, but Hulk Hogan came out to even the odds.
1992 - WWF ran at Madison Square Garden in New York City with the following results:
- The Berzerker defeated Jim Brunzell.
- The Nasty Boys defeated The Bushwackers.
- The Warlord defeated Chris Walker.
- Sid Justice defeated Hercules with a powerbomb in less than 30 seconds.
- Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper defeated Repo Man.
- Undertaker defeated Davey Boy Smith.
- Rick Martel defeated Big Bossman.
- Sid Justice won a battle royal by eliminating Hulk Hogan. Justice was actually eliminated by Hogan, but the referee was knocked out. Justice knocked out Hogan from behind with Harvey Whippleman's bag, and rolled him to the floor. When the referee woke up, he saw Hogan on the floor and ended the match.
2002 - Ring of Honor held their very first event in Philadelphia, PA at the Murphy Rec Center. Here is Mike Johnson's original live report from the event:
I attended the debut of RF Video's Ring of Honor promotion on Saturday 2/23 in Philadelphia at the Murphy Recreation Center, which was as fine an independent presentation as you will find anywhere.
From the moment one walked into the show, you could see that RF had put time and money into the look and presentation of the show as they had purchased a ring and guard rails (which are different than the standard ones everyone uses these days), had a black and red color scheme in mind, and had ROH banners around the ring and building. They weren't running a show just to run, they had a battle plan in mind.
The show had an entirely different feel to it than most wrestling shows in the area, having been built around the concept of respect in the ring and the honor of being victorious. There were no chairshots, no guys being tossed into guard rails, and no ref bumps at all on the show, which is apparently going to be the modus operandi for the promotion.
All of the matches concluded with showings of mutual respect, which got over with the audience to the point that when Scoot Andrews teased not shaking hands with Xavier, the crowd turned on him until he did it. When Chris Daniels actually walked out of the main event after not showing respect to Low Ki and American Dragon, it got him over as a heel, despite the fact the audience loved his work in the ring.
The idea here is to build around wins and losses with the storylines revolving around what goes on in the ring, similar to All Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1980s. Now that RF has a direction they want to go in, it's going to be interesting to see how they can build a following for it and how they can expand it past a monthly event, although they are in no rush to do so.
Ring of Honor was booked and put together by several members of the RF Video staff. Gabe Sapolsky, who was Paul Heyman's top assistant in ECW days, handled much of the booking and laying out of the matches. Doug Gentry was running around like mad filming promos and interviews for the show's eventual video release. Rob Feinstein was overseeing everything, but at the same time, not overstepping the boundaries. At one point in the show, the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission's Frank Talent took to the ring (on his own) to sing the praises of how well the show was run and presented and asked Feinstein to come to the ring. Feinstein refused as he doesn't want an "on camera role" so to speak. When most would have taken the moment to mark out for themselves and be the center of attention, Feinstein was being smart enough to let the workers be the ones in the spotlight. Many of the RF staffers you wouldn't normally hear about were at the show working. It must have been the best staffed independent show I can recall.
THOUGHTS ON THE MATCHES
At 7:30 on the dot, ring announcer Stephen DeAngelis came to the ring to open the show, but out came the Christopher Street Connection who do an effeminate gimmick, with valet Alison Danger. CSC announced tonight wasn't the Ring of Honor but the Ring of homosexuality (hey, they said it) and began kissing. The Hit Squad hit the ring and destroyed them, with Mafia pinning one of CSC with a brutal looking burning hammer. Hit Squad did mic work afterwards saying that tonight the fans could "kiss sports-entertainment's ass goodbye." They superbombed Danger through a table with the CSC on it. The idea here was to bury gimmicks, outside interference, and tables, etc. as the promotion is going to build around athletic wrestling. The angle worked. The Squad was over huge.
The Amazing Red defeated Jay Briscoe in a strong second match. Red is simply phenomenal as a flyer. Briscoe has grown in a long goatee and actually showed more charisma and presence here than I can recall seeing before. His brother Mark was at ringside during the match, but didn't get involved. After several minutes of back and forth fast paced action, red hit a twisting splash off the top followed by a standing moonsault for the clean pin. Crowd loved the match.
Xavier pinned Scoot Andrews in a good ground based match, which saw Andrews blow several chances to defeat Xavier after arguing with the official, only to lose. Andrews was upset and didn't want to shake Xavier's hand but eventually did. Very solid.
The Boogie Knights defeated the Natural Born Sinners, Homicide and Boogalou via Disqualification. The story here was that the Sinners were absolutely out to hurt someone and the Knights were their victims. Homicide began beating them with a rubber chicken, which caused ref H.C. Loc to disqualify the Sinners in the only non-clean finish of the night. Homicide and Boogalou attacked Loc and bloodied him while the victorious Knights ran off to fight another day. The idea here was to get the Sinners over as monsters and it worked. The Knights are very green but there is talent there waiting to be molded. Homicide is easily the most underrated performer in the independents on the Northeastern seaboard.
In the Ultimate Aerial Challenge Elimination match, Quiet Storm emerged victorious from a group of competitors trained by Mikey Whipwreck, who worked as guest referee. Whipwreck's other students in the match were the SAT (Joel and Jose Maximo sporting new outfits) and Chris Devine. The lone non-Mikey trainee was Brian XL, who Whipwreck ribbed on the mic with series of Little Bow Wow comments. It was especially funny when Whipwreck began doing Bow Wow's rap from the Twix commercial, which was actually cast by ring announcer Stephen DeAngelis in his real life job as casting director. Whipwreck demanded Red joined the match and the crowd loved the surprise. This was a lot like a Lucha match with a ton of highspots and guys in and out of the ring so fast it was numbing trying to keep track. This was the one match on the show that probably went too long and lost a little steam. There was an angle where one of the Maximos eliminated Red, which caused dissension to set up a bout for the next show. Quiet Storm was the final winner.
After a ten minute intermission (which only lasted 10 minutes), Prince Nana pinned Towel Boy Eric Tuttle. Tuttle set up his appearance earlier in the show doing his old ECW gimmick of running around the ring with the towel in between one of the matches. When he came out to wrestle, DeAngelis the ring announcer sold it like he was shocked this was happening. Nana quickly pinned Tuttle, which I was told will set up a storyline between the two for the next show where Tuttle becomes Nana's servant to break into the business. This was perfect for where it was on the show, a short match to allow the crowd a chance to get back into the matches after they had taken a break.
Steve Corino cut a promo to announce that he was going to be the promotion's color commentator along with Eric Gargiulo, who does CZW's announcing. Gargiulo is a decent announcer and will probably get even better working here. Corino brought up that he wanted to retire in October last year (remember that?) and the response from the fans told him to wait because something better will come along now that ECW is done. That was his Zero-One deal. No, he didn't say that. He said that it was Ring of Honor and he was absolutely impressed with the performers who had worked and put over the double main event still to come. The crowd gave Corino a nice reaction and Gargiulo got a small pop and a "CZW" chant when he was introduced. I'm looking forward to seeing how they work as Corino is a tremendous talker and will mesh well with Gargiulo.
In the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy Challenge, Spanky and Ikaika Loa defeated Michael Shane and Oz. Spanky got the pinfall and the storyline was he earned a contract with ROH. He'll be in as a regular. Spanky showed a ton of charisma in the ring, almost like Trent Acid but on a more major league level and was great in the ring. Michael Shane hit a hell of a top rope elbow. Other than Spanky, no one else seemed to break out as a star, but the fans all appreciated the hard work. After the match a number of Michaels/Texas Wrestling Academy students and trainer Rudy Boy Gonzales got in the ring to congratulate everyone. There is talk of using more of Gonzales' students down the line, which is great as they are all well trained and solid workers. The Texas crew drove 30 hours each way to attend the show. That's dedication.
Super Crazy defeated Eddy Guerrero in their first ever meeting in the United States to become the first IWA Puerto Rico Intercontinental champion. Crazy got a huge pop coming out as it was his first match in Philly in a year. Guerrero played heel here. This was an awesome Lucha match with tons of American psychology tossed in as well. Nothing I write could do this justice.
Before the main event, Stephen DeAngelis ran down the scheduled matches and performers for the next event in the same vein that Howard Finkel would for WWF events in the 1980s. Nice touch.
In the main event, Low Ki defeated Christopher Daniels and American Dragon in a spectacular Three-Way Dance that was easily the best match I've seen in Philly in some time. There was a great sequence where Ki and Dragon took turns "showing each other" how to properly kick Daniels in the back before he finally had enough and begged off. There was another sequence where they were kicking him in stereo and Daniels finally had the sense to move, leaving them to kick each other in the foot, neutralizing the other. Ki pinned Daniels with the Ki Crusher. They did mic work (the only mic work of the night) where Daniels complained he could defeat each man in singles matches while Dragon challenged Ki to see who the better man was. Ki finally dared them both to compete in a round robin tournament on the next show, which the live crowd ate up. It ended with Daniels walking out on a mutual show of respect and Dragon finally leaving, with the victor, Low Ki, basking in victory.
ROH NOTES: For the debut of an independent promotion, one probably couldn't have asked for a better show. By the end of the night, Ring of Honor had brought a very adult, hard-hitting version of professional wrestling that was edgy without being X-rated or full of expletives on the mic, yet at the same time, got the classy idea of honor over inside the ring to the fans....The event started directly on time at 7:30 PM and was over at 10:30 PM. That's perfect considering how many shows I've been to that have run forever and ever....The makeup of the crowd was a very respectful, hardcore audience that wanted to see hard-hitting, stiff athletic wrestling. There were no disrespectful chants nor problems with any fans. While CZW has a handle on that "skater-esque" audience, RF Video is providing a forum for an older, hardcore audience to get the wrestling fix they have been missing since the days of ECW...The crowd chanted "Ring of Honor" after the main event concluded....For $5 you could purchase a program and a poster for the show....As you would expect, RF Video had their largest merchandise tables to date and made a killing selling books, videos, and action figures....The lighting and sound was done by New York based DJ Legacy, who can be reached at ECWLegacy@aol.com. They provide DJ services, light shows, an entrance, and professional sound for wrestling shows and parties. They are looking to expand to more Northeastern independent shows.
2003 - WWE held No Way Out in Montreal, Quebec with the following results:
- Rey Mysterio defeated Jamie Noble with a West Coast Pop. This match aired on Sunday Night Heat.
- Chris Jericho defeated Jeff Hardy with the Walls Of Jericho after reversing a top rope rana into a powerbomb.
- World Tag Team Champions William Regal & Lance Storm defeated Rob Van Dam & Kane when Regal pinned Van Dam after Kane, who had his mask turned around on him, accidentally chokeslammed Van Dam.
- Matt Hardy defeated Billy Kidman to win the Cruiserweight Title with a Twist of Fate off the ropes.
- The Undertaker defeated The Big Show with a triangle choke.
- Brock Lesnar & Chris Benoit defeated Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas when Benoit forced Haas to submit to the Crippler Crossface.
- World Champion Triple H defeated Scott Steiner after hitting him with the title belt and giving him the Pedigree.
- Steve Austin defeated Eric Bischoff after three Stunners.
- The Rock pinned Hulk Hogan with a Rock Bottom after a chair shot and help from referee Sylvan Grenier and Vince McMahon.
2004 - During an edition of Raw from Omaha, Nebraska, Victoria defeated champion Molly Holly, Jazz and Lita in an elimination match to win the WWE Women's Title. Lita pinned Jazz with a DDT. Victoria pinned Molly with a rollup as Molly was going to pin Lita. Victoria pinned Lita with the Widow's Peak. Also on the show, Vince McMahon vs. Eric Bischoff ended in a no-contest after only a few minutes as Brock Lesnar attack special referee Steve Austin.
2007 - TNA released A-1 and Norman Smiley.
2007 - Ring of Honor ran Dayton, Ohio. Jer Evans filed the following live report:
2008 - ROH announced they were moving to the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. Here is Mike Johnson's original article on that announcement.
Ring of Honor announced this evening during their Sixth Anniversary show that the company would debut in the Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday 5/10 in New York City.
When asked for comment backstage, ROH's Gabe Sapolsky said, "I consider this the biggest venture in company history. I remember walking into Budokan Hall in Japan while it was empty and just getting this feeling of something enormous. You get that same feeling walking into the Hammerstein. I've seen some great shows there and now ROH will get to add to the wrestling history of that building."
The Hammerstein Ballroom, part of the same building complex in the Manhattan Center where ROH has been running events in the Grand Ballroom (the original home of Monday Night Raw) is best known for hosting the final two original Extreme Championship Wrestling PPVs before that company went out of business in 2001. World Wrestling Entertainment booked the the emotional ECW One Night Stand 2005 PPV and several events under WWE's revived ECW brand into the venue before dropping plans to run the 2007 One Night Stand there as they moved the ECW brand into its current direction.
"Obviously, this is going to be a huge undertaking for us," said ROH owner Cary Silkin, "but it's the right time to try and take this step. The Hammerstein has a lot of great wrestling legacy and we hope to add an entirely new chapter to that. We wouldn't be able to even try such a move without the support of our fans, so it's all thanks to them."
The Hammerstein will be one of the biggest venues ROH has ever run, seating 2,500 fans for professional wrestling.
2008 - ROH held their sixth anniversary event at the Manhattan Center in New York City. Mike Johnson filed the following live report:
Ring of Honor returned to New York City at the Manhattan Center for their Sixth Anniversary event last night. Quick results from the show saw:
*Zach Gowen pinned Pelle Primeau with a moonsault.
*Delirious vs. The Human Tornado ended up in a no contest after a quick match when the Age of the Fall attacked both. Crowd was really into Tornado's deal. Lacey was attacked and brawled to the back with Daizee Haze. The crowd chanted for a tag match and got their wish. The Age of The Fall's Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black defeated Delirious and Jacobs when Tornado taps out to Black's finisher, The End Time.
*ROH champ Nigel McGuinness came out to cut a promo where the basic jist was he was a heel to the crowd because he was putting his health first because if he gets hurt again, ROH won't have anyone to headline. Crowd crapped all over him. Nigel says he doesn't want to be a brain-dead vegetable and acts as if he's pulling out of the title match tonight. Bryan Danielson comes out and puts over the legacy of the title and says there's no way McGuinness is backing out. Danielson goes as far to promise he won't go after McGuinness head tonight and Nigel agrees.
*Brent Albright defeated El Generico after a referee's stoppage following knee strikes to the head.
*The Larry Sweeney Show featuring the returning Allison Danger as the guest. Sweeney said she was the first female in ROH, then goes on to act like she got everything from banging the wrestlers and being a whore. Danger cut a promo saying she helped start the women's division in ROH and didn't need to be disrespected. When she tried to walk out, Sweeney laid her out from behind. He pulled her to the center of the ring, rolled her over and spread her legs. He tried to tell Bobby Dempsey to take her because it was his best chance at ever getting any. Dempsey didn't want to, so Sweeney knocked him forward atop of Danger as if he was mounting her. Sweeney then announced he was going to be mounting a Hostile Takeover of ROH. I hated the segment for all the obvious reasons, but Sweeney is a hell of a talker.
*Kevin Steen forced Joey Matthews to tap out to a Sharpshooter.
*Austin Aries pinned Go Shiozaki with a brainbusters and a 450 splash off the top. The Age of the Fall all tried to recruit Aries after the match, which led to Tammy Sytch offering to manage Aries with lots of double entendres said. Aries said he was going to take his time deciding. The after-match stuff seemed anticlimactic after such a decent match.
*SHIMMER champion Sara del Rey defeated Daizee Haze.
*ROH Tag Team champs Davey Richards & Rocky Romero defeated Ruckus & Jigsaw. Although ROH teased Jigsaw would unmask if he lost, he refused. Kevin Steen & El Generico challenged the champs from the stage to face them. They teased a brawl but the champs powdered out of the ring before there was any contact. Solid match.
*In what I thought was the best match of the night by far, FIP champ Roderick Strong won a brutal three-way No DQ match after pinning Necro Butcher. Erick Stevens, wearing a big bandage on the side of his head, also had a good showing here. Lots of great stiff work here.
*Bryan Danielson defeated ROH champ Nigel McGuinness by DQ when McGuinness struck the referee early, so he turned heel. Of course, it was a false finish as every babyface in the company came out and refused to let Nigel leave unless he defended the title "with honor." ROH President Cary Silkin ordered the bout restarted. This was a good match, but in my opinion, not at the level of the Driven PPV last year. However, it was more about making Nigel a top level heel than anything else and in that aspect, it worked. McGuinness was busted open on the side or back of his head, although I'm not sure where. Nigel started using headbutts on Danielson and launches elbows at the eye that Danielson injured against Takeshi Morishima. Nigel wins when Danielson blacks out while in the London Dungeon. Danielson was carried out. Nigel is a full blown heel now.
Quick Notes: They announced a 5/10 return downstairs at the Hammerstein Ballroom. They must have something big planned (or I hope they do) because it's a huge undertaking for them....Tonight's show wasn't called a sellout on the house much and there seemed to be less fans in the GA areas. They easily outdrew the TNA show in Manhattan, but TNA in Westbury wins the war for the most fans at one show....WWE star CM Punk was backstage visiting as he was in the area for some promotional appearances....One thing I noticed was that while just about every act in the company was over, this was hardly the "die hard wrestling audience" that wanted five star matches. There were more chants with curses at any ROH show I can ever recall ever, mostly towards Nigel McGuiness, and a HUGE pop for the simulated molestation of Allison Danger. Talk about what a difference six years make and I don't know that's a good change, either....The promotion has released a really kickass looking Necro Butcher shirt.
2009 - World Wrestling Entertainment announced that Manu (Afa Anoa'i, Jr.), son of Afa the Wild Samoan, has been released from the company. Manu was signed to a developmental deal in late 2006. He was brought up to the Raw brand last year to second Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes as part of a second generation unit. There had been some unhappiness about his work and look in comparison to other members of Legacy, which led to his removal from group. Manu hadn't been seen in several weeks after being broken off from the Legacy storyline with the last tease sort of being that he and Sim Snuka would have some sort of partnership.
2009 - WWE broadcast Raw. Richard Trionfo filed the following TV report:
Last week we saw the fourth wall knocked down with a large sledgehammer as Triple H appeared at the end of Raw to come to the aid of his wife and Raw General Manager Stephanie McMahon who suffered the most devastating RKO ever. He was also there to help out his brother-in-law Shane McMahon who got his head kicked through the uprights by Orton. Edge told everyone that they were wrong and then John Cena told Edge that he wanted a title match. Last week, Bradshaw and Shawn Michaels challenged the Undertaker at Wrestlemania to try to end his undefeated streak. They will meet tonight to see who faces Undertaker unless it has already been given to Vladimir Kozlov. Will we find out any more matches for Wrestlemania? Will any more inductees for the Hall of Fame be announced? Which legend will Chris Jericho make fun of and/or insult? Will Legacy be able to keep Triple H away from Randy Orton?
We start off with a look back at last week’s Shane McMahon versus Randy Orton street fight with people in the building. We then see the rest of Legacy show up despite Orton’s comments to the contrary. Then we see Shane get kicked from forty-three yards out. Stephanie McMahon comes out and she gets RKOed. This brings out Triple H who apparently is married to Stephanie McMahon.
We are live from Nashville, Tennessee and your announcers are Jerry ‘Bye Bye Babu’ Lawler and Michael ‘Hell in a Grand Canyon for Wrestlemania 26’ Cole.
Vickie Guerrero is in the ring and she excuses herself a few times. Vickie says that due to the unfortunate incident involving the McMahons, the WWE board of directors have officially named her as the interim General Manager for Monday Night Raw. Vickie thanks the fans for her support and she wishes the McMahons nothing but the best. Vickie says that she will carry out the commitment to Raw in the same way she does for Smackdown.
John Cena comes out and he says that this is not right. Cena comments on the decision of the Board of Directors and he suggests that they bring Mike Adamle back because he was funny when he screwed up. Cena then comments on Michael Cole’s commentary. Cena says that he would have a hundred people before Vickie but he is not going to fight City Hall and congratulates her on the position. Cena says that she does not want Vickie to lie to them because she does not care about the McMahons or the fans. He says that Vickie only cares about her husband. Cena reminds Vickie that he has a rematch clause and he says that he is going to cash it in tonight.
Edge comes out with the Big Show and he wants to know who Cena thinks he is. Edge says that Cena can’t come out and threaten his wife. He asks Cena if he thinks he is Randy Orton. Edge says that it is time that Cena feels intimidated. Cena tells Edge to be a man for one time in his life. Cena says the match is going to happen and Cena says that Edge has no reason not to defend the title tonight. Edge says that he has a reason and that is that he does not answer to Cena. Edge says that he feels bad for Cena because he wants to be this generation’s Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, or Steve Austin. He says that Cena wants to be the guy who every loser fan wants to be. Edge says that it is impossible because he is not going to let it happen. Edge says that it is because Cena exists in the same era as him. Edge says that he is tougher, more talented, and smarter than anyone who has held this title before. Edge tells Cena that while he exists, Cena cannot be the guy that everyone wants him to be. Edge says that it is a shame because people are losing jobs, getting divorced, and failing tests at amazing rates. Cena is the beacon that they reach for. Edge suggests that Cena hold this off because when they meet and when Edge beats Cena, all of the people will be left with absolutely nothing.
Cena tells Edge that it was a fine speech, but Edge is talking tough because he is standing in the ring with a barbaric, disgusting four hundred pound beast . . . and the Big Show too. Edge tells Cena that he cannot disrespect his wife. Cena says that Edge is a champion and Cena is a former champion, but he is one match from being a future champion. Since Vickie Guerrero is the general manager, he should step up and do the right thing.
Show tells Cena to show some respect for his general manager. Cena says that Show does not fit in the equation. Cena says that he figured it out. Show was hired to ‘take care’ of Vickie. Cena suggests that Edge has some shortcomings in the bedroom.
Vickie tells Cena to excuse her. Vickie says that Edge is her family and Big Show is her friend. Cena is neither. He is her subordinate. She tells Cena that he will have a match against her friend or her family. Cena says that he will be slaying a giant or walking out of here as the new World Heavyweight Champion.
A car pulls into the arena and The Legacy arrives. They rush into the building so Hunter does not get them. Cody is left to park the car.
We go to commercial.
We see the official Money in the Bank briefcase above the ring.
Match Number One: CM Punk versus Miz versus John Morrison in a Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
They look at the briefcase and the match begins. Punk points first, followed by Miz, and Morrison brings up the rear. Miz and Morrison corner Punk but Punk with kicks to Miz and a punch to Morrison. Punk with an inside cradle to Miz. Miz and Morrison with a double gutbuster to Punk. Morrison holds Punk for Miz to kick him but Punk fights back for a moment until Miz connects with punches. Morrison punches Punk and then Miz with an Irish whip but Punk moves when Miz charges but he does not see the forearm from Morrison. Punk gets choked in the corner by Miz and Morrison. Miz charges into a boot and Punk with a clothesline to Morrison. Punk tries for the Go To Sleep on Miz but Miz grabs the rope and then Punk kicks Miz off the apron. Morrison with a clothesline that sends him and Punk over the top rope to the floor. We go to commercial.
We are back and Morrison with a side head lock and he has the arm isolated. We see footage from during the commercial when Punk hit a cross body onto Miz and then Morrison hit a shooting star press off the apron that accidentally hit Miz instead of Punk. Punk with a leg lariat and hip toss to Morrison followed by a back kick and a kick to the chest. Punk with knees to Morrison and an Irish whip followed by a running knee into the corner. Miz stops the bulldog with a clothesline into the corner and Morrison is out of the ring. Miz kicks Punk in the head followed by a snap suplex and a near fall. Miz with a reverse chin lock. Punk with forearms to get out of the hold and then he kicks Morrison. Punk with a back body drop and then he hits a head scissors head lock take down on Miz and Morrison. Punk with a knee to Miz in the corner and a bulldog to Miz and a clothesline to Morrison. Punk with a power slam on Morrison for a near fall. Miz punches Punk in the head.
Miz has Punk on his shoulders and Morrison with a springboard spin kick. Morrison kicks Miz to break up the cover. Miz and Morrison square off and Miz and Morrison exchange punches. Morrison is sent to the apron and Miz with a knee and then he tries to suplex Morrison into the ring. Punk catches Morrison on his shoulders and he gets Miz out of the ring and hits Go To Sleep on Morrison for the three count.
Winner: CM Punk
We go to commercial while Punk points to the Wrestlemania sign.
We are back and Did you know that people still watch Raw after fifteen years.
It is time to take a look back at Triple H’s sit down interview with Jim Ross.
Triple H has joined Jim Ross and he is asked about his thoughts. Hunter tells Jim Ross that Randy Orton has walked a fine line for a long time. Last week on Raw, Randy put his hands . . . Hunter says that a lot of people might not like his father in law, a sixty-three year old man. Randy hid behind doctors and lawyers. He did the same thing to his brother in law Shane, and then he put his hands on his wife. Hunter tells Orton that he crossed the line and it is one he cannot come back from. He says that Stephanie is the mother of his children. Hunter gets up and leaves the interview.
Todd Grisham is outside the Legacy locker room and Cody and Ted walk out. Cody says that they see how it is being presented and it is not right. Cody says that Shane made the challenge last week. Stephanie is the one who confronted Randy. Ted says that he will not be a prisoner on his own show and Randy will address everyone tonight. Ted says that if Hunter shows up, they will be ready.
Beth, Santino, and Rosa are walking in the back and they are not sure about their partner. They see Dolph Ziggler and Santino introduces Beth and Rosa to Dolph. Dolph introduces himself and then he comments on Dolph’s abs. We go to commercial.
We are back with WWE Rewind: Melina defeating Beth Phoenix to retain the title.
We see the garage and Todd Grisham is getting ready to interview someone if they show up.
Match Number Two: Melina and Cryme Tyme versus Santino Marella, Beth Phoenix, and Dolph Ziggler with Rosa Mendez
Beth and Melina start things off and Melina with an arm bar and she works on the ribs. Beth with a hip toss. Melina punches Beth and then kicks her in the leg. Beth with an Irish whip and running back elbow. Melina with a kick and then knees to the midsection. Dolph tags in and JTG enters. They lock up and Dolph with a take down. They lock up again and JTG with a waist lock and hip toss. JTG with an X Factor in the corner for a near fall. Dolph sends JTG into the turnbuckles and then he slams JTG to the mat. Dolph with a kick and then Dolph with a leaping elbow drop for a near fall. Dolph with a reverse chin lock. JTG with an uppercut to Ziggler and then Shad is tagged in and he clotheslines Ziggler. Shad tosses Dolph into the air and face first into the mat. Shad tries for the Money elbow but Dolph gets up and Santino is tagged in. Santino charges at Shad after getting psyched up and Shad with an STO for the three count.
Winners: Cryme Tyme and Melina
Shawn Michaels is walking in the back as we go to commercial.
We are back and John Cena is in his locker room. Time for a look at 12 Rounds, otherwise known as The Marine is Cop waiting to be a Crossing Guard.
Match Number Three: John Bradshaw Layfield with JBLimo versus Shawn Michaels without his big JBL Industries Severance Check in a Who Will Try to Stop the Streak Qualifying Match
They lock up and Bradshaw backs Shawn into the corner and he connects with a knee and punch. Shawn with a take down and punches. Shawn with another double leg take down and punches. Bradshaw with a shoulder and a near fall and a forearm to the back. Bradshaw with a swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Bradshaw misses an elbow drop and Shawn with a chop. Shawn works on the arm but Bradshaw with a punch to the jaw that knocks Shawn to the mat. Bradshaw with a boot to the head. Bradshaw with punches in the corner and the referee has to pulls Bradshaw out of the corner. Shawn with a kick to Bradshaw followed by chops. Bradshaw with a hard Irish whip.
Bradshaw with knees in the corner followed by an Irish whip but he charges into a boot and Bradshaw goes down to his knees. Bradshaw with a punch that knocks Shawn out of the ring. Shawn sends Bradshaw into the ring post and both men are down. They return to the ring and we go to commercial.
We are back and Bradshaw with a forearm to the back followed by a knee to the midsection. Bradshaw puts Shawn on the top turnbuckle and he punches Shawn before trying to go up for a superplex. Shawn pushes Bradshaw off but Bradshaw kicks Shawn off the turnbuckles to the floor. Bradshaw with a short arm clothesline for a two count. Bradshaw continues to work on Shawn’s back and he puts Shawn in an abdominal stretch and he pulls Shawn’s leg off the ground. Shawn with a chop and then he hits the flying forearm. Shawn with a kip up and then he hits the reverse atomic drop followed by a chop and another reverse atomic drop. Shawn with a slam and then it is time to go to the apron for the elbow drop and he hits it. Shawn gets ready for Sweet Chin Music. Bradshaw avoids Sweet Chin Music. Shawn does the Michaels flip in the corner and then Bradshaw tries to throw Shawn over the top rope but Shawn skins the cat. Bradshaw with a big boot but Shawn gets back up and hits Sweet Chin Music for the three count.
Winner: Shawn Michaels
After the match, Vladimir Kozlov comes to the ring and Cole says that Kozlov will meet Shawn next week for a shot at the Undertaker. They stare down and then Shawn punches Kozlov but Kozlov with a choke slam to Michaels.
The Legacy are in the locker room and they are talking strategy. We go to commercial.
We are back with a look back at Wrestlemania 24. Did you know that Ric Flair was going to retire if he lost to Shawn Michaels?
Jamie Noble is in the ring and he says that he lasted only fifteen seconds against Kane, but if he lasts longer tonight, he will go to Wrestlemania.
Match Number Four: Jamie Noble versus Mike Knox
Noble kicks Knox but Knox pushes Noble away. Noble with kicks to Knox but Knox with a bicycle kick and the corkscrew DDT for the three count.
Winner: Mike Knox
Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler talk about the Hall of Fame and the newest inductee is about to be announced: Ricky Steamboat. Ricky will be inducted by Ric Flair.
We go to commercial.
Michael Cole has made his way to the stage to bring out Ricky Steamboat. Cole congratulates Steamboat. Ricky says that it is the greatest honor that happened to him. He talks about being at Wrestlemania III where he won the Intercontinental Title. He says that it is the highlight of his career. Ricky thanks everyone. He says that without them, he could not have achieved this honor.
Chris Jericho comes out to talk to Steamboat. Jericho tells Steamboat that he wants to thank him. He thanks that Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Mickey Rourke lost and he is a loser and a washed up has-been just like his movie character. He says that Mickey reminds him a lot of the losers in the business like Flair, Piper, and Steamboat. Chris calls Steamboat a loser. Chris says that he is a man of truth. While Steamboat was having his classic matches in the NWA which the WWE never acknowledged, he was known as Ricky Steamboat. Then he came to the WWE where he sold his soul to become ‘The Dragon’ to sell headbands. Then Ricky came to the ring with a komodo dragon spitting fire. Then Steamboat retired and he was down on his luck with a dysfunctional family. Steamboat would have returned to the ring like Flair and Piper, but he went through the back door. Now the loyal dog gets his bone. He tells Steamboat to enjoy his time with the hypocrites because he is the biggest one of them all.
Steamboat asks Jericho if he understands the meaning of hypocrite. He remembers signing an autograph 20 years ago for Chris. He also remembers how Chris said that he admired him and he was his hero. Steamboat reminds Chris that he wrote that in his autobiography. When Chris came to the WWE 10 years ago, he turned on the fans. In less than a year, he embraced the fans and called them Jerichoholics. Then Jericho would turn on them and then embrace them. Steamboat says that is a hypocrite. Steamboat says that from his first day in the ring until he retired, he did not change. He gave the fans the respect that they deserved every time he came through the curtain. Steamboat says that him, Flair, Piper, and the other legends know who they are. Coming back to work for the WWE to help the young talent and teach them and pass the torch. That is not selling out. He did it because he loves the business. Steamboat says that he does not care what Jericho thinks of him because he is not a hypocrite or a sell out. He is something that Jericho will never be and that is a Hall of Famer. Jericho hits Steamboat with the mic and then he sends Steamboat into the wall of the stage.
We have an Earlier Tonight Moment when Vickie tells Cena that he might be facing Vickie’s friend or family.
We go to commercial.
We come back a bit too soon and see the arena get ready for the next segment.
We are back for real and did you know that men like watching Raw.
It is time to see Todd Grisham in the parking garage and Triple H is not in Nashville yet.
Vickie Guerrero comes out and she excuses herself a few times and says hello to John Cena. Cena will not get his rematch tonight. Cena says that he did not see that coming. Cena says that he tried to be patient and he knows that Vickie is testing him. Cena says that he is going to follow Vickie wherever she goes. He will be at Smackdown and if Vickie comes back to Raw, he will see her again. They will see each other a lot until she gets her rematch. Vickie tells Cena to concentrate because she will face a member of her family or her friend. Cue the Chavo music.
Match Number Five: John Cena versus Chavo Guerrero
Chavo with punches but Cena with a clothesline and then he hits the Blue Thunder Bomb. Time for the Five Knuckle Shuffle and then it is Attitude Adjustment time for the STF and Chavo taps.
Winner: John Cena
We see Ted and Cody leave the Legacy Locker Room. The coast is clear and it is time for Randy Orton to emerge and walk to the ring. Randy shows the IEDHammer.
We go to commercial.
We are back and we find out that Vladimir Kozlov will face Shawn Michaels for the chance to face Undertaker at Wrestlemania.
Randy Orton comes to the ring with the rest of Legacy, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, and Son of GameHammer. Orton says that he has been waiting for Triple H all night so he might as well wait for Triple H in the ring. That is if Triple H shows up tonight. Orton tells everyone that if they think that Triple H will come out to avenge his wife, then he is just like a McMahon. He is arrogant, out of touch, and just plain stupid. Orton says that Hunter thinks that Stephanie is the victim because he is the victim. Orton says that he wanted to continue with his career, but the McMahons would not get out of his way. Orton says that Vince insulted his family a few weeks ago and then he lost control and kicked Vince in the head. Orton reminds us that he has IED. Orton talks about the match against Shane McMahon at No Way Out. Then Shane challenged him last week, but he kicked Shane in the head and put him in the hospital next to his dad. Shane pushed him until he pushed back. Then there is Stephanie. The last time she got in his face, she slapped him. If Triple H’s wife thinks she can do what she wants because of her last night. She got in his face again and instinct took over. Orton says the people in the crowd judge him. They have no idea what he goes through. They have no idea what it is like to be at the top of their profession. They despise him because they can only dream about what he does. He talks about being scrutinized by the media and he says that they do not know the pressure he is under. The McMahons know this.
Orton tells Stephanie that she should have known better. He says that he can only hope that Triple H’s children were watching last week so they can learn from their mother’s mistakes.
Triple H has arrived at the building and he has the GameHammer with him.
Hunter enters the arena and he has Gamey in his hand and he is ready for Orton. Hunter walks to the ring.
Orton tells Hunter to wait because he knows that Hunter would bring out his friend. Orton says that someone will be hurt. Orton points out that it is three on one and they put down the sledgehammers and resolve this like men. Orton drops the sledgehammer and Hunter does too. Hunter takes off his jacket and The Legacy surrounds Hunter. Orton gets in Hunter’s face and then Hunter pulls another GameHammer from behind his shirt. Hunter chases Orton and DiBiase to the back and they try to leave but the door is locked. Hunter has them cornered by they get into a locker room. Orton and DiBiase cannot get out and they barricade the door. Hunter makes it into the room and they are cornered again. Hunter hits DiBiase in the back of the neck and he has Orton trapped but Hunter misses. Orton and DiBiase escape and Hunter follows after them. Orton grabs a pipe but they finally get out of the arena and Cody is ready with the LegacyMobile. Hunter breaks a window and they drive away. We go to credits.
2010 - The ABC affiliate in Raleigh-Durham, NC reported that Ric Flair was recovering in the hospital following the alleged assault perpetrated on him by his wife on Sunday night. The alleged assault led to her being arrested. The report said that no weapons were used in the attack that occurred in their Charlotte, NC home (which according to a local real estate agency has been up for sale for over a year now). The report stated that Flair suffered minor injuries but refused treatment at the time that police arrived on Sunday.
2010 - WWE NXT debuted on the SyFy Channel. The episode also doubled as the official WWE debut for Daniel Bryan, David Otunga, Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and Michael Tarver. Richard Trionfo filed the following TV report:
We are live on tape from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and your announcers are Josh ‘Am I the rookie or mentor’ Mathews and Michael ‘Vintage Mentoring’ Cole.
We see the rookies in the back in their ring gear. The Miz walks by and he looks at the rookies and then he turns his attention to his mentee Daniel Bryan. Miz tells him that he is the Unified Tag Team and United States Champion and he mentions that Daniel is an internet star who dominated the minor leagues. Many say that Daniel is ready for the WWE. Miz tells Daniel that you need to expect anything. He tells Daniel to introduce himself to everyone in the crowd and show personality and charisma. He wants Daniel to give everyone a reason to watch him every week. Miz tells Daniel that he can go out to his music but Daniel doesn’t want to. Miz says that Bryan’s personality is as dry as the Mohave Desert compared to him and if Bryan doesn’t show personality, he will slap some into him.
We have a third member of the announce team and it is Matt Striker, who is the host. Matt says that he jumped at the opportunity for the ability to be involved with the show so we can see into the development of the wrestlers.
We go to the ring where Daniel Bryan has made his way to the ring. Daniel thanks everyone for the reception since his ‘pro’ is the Miz. Daniel gets a good laugh at that. He tells all of his fans that he has two words ‘I’m Sorry’. He says that he wishes his pro was William Regal. Daniel introduces himself and he says that he has been wrestling all over the world for the last ten years and now he has his chance in the WWE. He says that NXT is the next evolution in the WWE and he . . .
is interrupted by the Miz. Miz says that this is going to be a lot of fun and his work is cut out for him. He does not like what Daniel said and questions his charisma. Bryan tells Miz to be careful or he will submit him right now. Miz says that Bryan might be a submission machine but where is the charisma. Daniel says that he will go on a reality show, get a fauxhawk and act like an idiot, but that has already been done. Miz wants Daniel to give him a catchphrase. Miz says that everyone knows who he is when he says ‘I’m awesome’. He says that you have two options in the ring, you tap or you snap. The fans appear to like that catchphrase. Miz asks if the crowd thinks that Daniel showed personality and charisma. He asks if Daniel deserves to be in the same ring as him and the Miz says that he doesn’t and that Daniel failed. Miz slaps Bryan and leaves the ring.
Bryan tells Miz that there will be a time that he slaps him back. We go to commercial.
We are back and Matt Striker talked to Daniel Bryan moments ago. Matt asks how he felt about being slapped. Daniel says that he doesn’t feel embarrassed. He just figures that he will get to slap Miz. Matt says that WWE is about respect and Daniel says that he has been in the business longer than Miz. Matt tells Daniel that he will have to listen to the Miz to be a star.
Carlito comes out with Michael Tarver and he says that with his mentoring, Michael Tarver will be the next WWE star. We have a video package where he says that he is known as Mr. 1.9 since he can knock anyone out in 1.9 seconds. He talks about how his father trained with Mike Tyson. He says that it doesn’t matter how big you are, when you knock the head off, the body will fall. He says that this is the way he can prove what he can do. He says that he has a lot of ability for the world to see. He tells the other rookies to bring their A Game. He says that this is his destiny.
We see a video package for Heath Slater. He calls himself the rock star without the instruments. He says that he showboats a lot. He says that he has wanted to be a WWE superstar since he popped out of his mother’s womb. He says that it is important to be a WWE Superstar because that is all he wanted to be. He says that you have to feel the moment. He says that there were some who said that he couldn’t make it, but he is motivated to prove them wrong. He says that he is the one to watch and he is about to blow your mind.
Match Number One: Carlito and Michael Tarver versus Christian and Heath Slater
Carlito and Slater start things off and Slater with a rollup for a near fall. Carlito punches Slater and sends him into the turnbuckles. Tarver tags in and he punches Slater in the ribs. Tarver with an Irish whip but Slater with a cross body off the turnbuckles followed by a clothesline and arm drag into an arm bar. Tarver with a drop toe hold into the ropes and then the referee pulls Tarver away which allows Carlito to kick Slater. Tarver gets a near fall. Carlito tags in and he punches Slater and hits a neck breaker and gets a near fall. Carlito with a rear chin lock. Carlito slams him down to the mat and then tags Tarver back in and he has Slater in a rear chin lock with his knee in the back. Slater with a power slam but he cannot make the cover. Christian and Carlito tag in and Christian with punches followed by a running forearm and missile drop kick from the turnbuckles for a near fall. Christian tries for the Killswitch but Carlito counters. Christian blocks a springboard back elbow and tries for another Killswitch. Christian with a sunset flip for a near fall. Carlito with a punch and he tags Tarver back in. Carlito with an Irish whip and Tarver sends Carlito into an elbow. Christian with a kick and then Slater pulls Carlito to the floor. Christian with a back elbow from the turnbuckles and then Christian hits the Killswitch on Tarver for the three count.
Winners: Christian and Heath Slater
After the match, Christian tells Slater to acknowledge the crowd after the match.
We see Darren Young in the back with the Straight Edge Society. We also see R Truth with David Otunga as we go to commercial.
We are back and Wrestlemania is one day closer.
The Straight Edge Society comes out and they are joined by CM Punk’s rookie Darren Young. Punk does not look happy with his rookie and Punk keeps Serena away from Darren.
We go to comments from CM Punk. He says that he doesn’t know why he is on the show. He doesn’t know who Darren Young is. He mentors Luke Gallows and Serena. He says that if Darren Young wants to be mentored, he needs to adopt the Straight Edge.
We go to comments from David Otunga. He says that he is going to win. He says that he is a touch above since he is from Hollywood. He mentions that he is the fiancée of Jennifer Hudson and he has been to Hollywood parties and has been to the White House. David says that he has no flaws. He compares himself to The Rock, Triple H, and John Cena. He also mentions that he went to Harvard Law School. He says that he doesn’t care what the people think about him. He says that he is not going to fail. He says that he will be the next WWE Superstar.
Match Number Two: David Otunga versus Darren Young
They lock up and Young with forearms and a back elbow for a near fall. Young misses a short arm clothesline but Otunga with a forearm and a spinebuster for the three count.
Winner: David Otunga
After the match, CM Punk and the rest of the Straight Edge Society leave the ring without Darren Young.
We have an Earlier Tonight Moment of Daniel Bryan and The Miz from earlier in the show.
We are back with the Raw Rebound.
Cole says that he is Josh’s mentor and Josh points out that Cole is still being mentored.
Match Number Three: Chris Jericho with Wade Barrett versus Daniel Bryan with The Miz
We are back and we are told that Justin Gabriel will be doing more than standing in the back next week when his mentor Matt Hardy shows up.
Chris Jericho says that he doesn’t want Savannah to introduce him. He wants Wade to introduce him.
Wade says that he is Europe’s number one bare knuckle fighter and he says that it is an honor to be paired with Chris Jericho. He says that he doesn’t care where anyone has been because Chris Jericho has been there first. Chris tells Wade that he just wants to introduce him. Wade does the introduction.
Byran offers his hand to Jericho and Jericho slaps it away. Jericho has something to say to Bryan and Bryan listens to him. Jericho pushes Bryan away and then he pie faces him but Bryan with a slap and drop kick. Bryan with a running forearm into the corner followed by a kick. Jericho with a thumb to the eye and a drop kick followed by punches and a belly-to-back suplex. Jericho punches Bryan followed by a snap mare and chin lock. Bryan punches Jericho and gets a near fall with a rollup. Jericho with an enzuigiri and gets a near fall. Jericho slaps Bryan in the head and then he connects with a forearm.
During the match, Matt Striker asks Wade Barrett what he is learning. He says that Jericho is quality and that he is learning how to be the best in the world.
Back to the match, Jericho misses a charge into the corner and hits the ring post. Bryan with a kick and a dragon screw leg whip and a Shining Wizard for a near fall. Bryan with a knee and then flips over Jericho and hits a flying clothesline for a near fall. Bryan with a forearm and a running forearm that sends Jericho to the floor. Bryan waits for Jericho to get up and Bryan hits a suicide dive but Bryan is sent into the announce table. Bryan tries for a springboard move but Jericho catches him and tries for the Walls of Jericho but Bryan counters with an ankle lock but Jericho makes it to the ropes. Jericho hits a Codebreaker out of nowhere and both men are down.
We see the other six rookies in the back watching on the NXT Monitor.
Jericho puts Bryan in the Walls of Jericho and Bryan taps.
Winner: Chris Jericho
After the match, The Miz comes into the ring and he punches and kicks Bryan. Miz slams Bryan’s head into the mat and he tells Bryan that you don’t disrespect him because he is a champion. He reminds Bryan that he is the rookie.
Matt Striker is in the back with the other six rookies and he says that they will make history
2011 - WWE ran Quito, Ecuador. Efrain Quillen filed the following live report:
It was a very lively crowd welcoming Raw superstars to Santiago, Chile, in what I think was the best house show I ever attended here in Santiago (after attending back in 2008 and 2009). Movistar Arena was about 80% full, with some empty spots close to ringside.
The card ran down like this:
- R-Truth defeated Primo in an OK match.
- Mark Henry defeated Tyson Kidd with the World's Strongest Slam.
- The Nexus (Michael McGillicutty & David Otunga) defeated Santino & Kozlov, after Santino got distracted with Mason Ryan on the apron and McGillicutty rolled him up.
- Eve Torres was about to defend her Divas title against Alicia Fox, when we were graced with the Raw Anonymous GM chiming in, to grace us with a dance-off contest before the match. Eve won after hitting a Spinning Neckbraker.
- The Miz cut a promo in Spanish about him being awesome (he was quite decent actually)
- The Miz retained his WWE Title against Randy Orton with the Skull Crushing Finale, after Alex Riley hit Randy with his briefcase (what does he carry in there anyways?). After the match, Miz and Riley tried to hit Orton with a chair, only for Orton to hit both of them with an RKO. Crowd went crazy.
- Daniel Bryan (w/ Gail Kim) retained his US title against Ted DiBiase (w/ Maryse), using the LaBell Lock. Back and forth, fast paced, really good match, the crowd was really into it.
- John Morrison beat Sheamus in a Street Fight, with a running knee to the head after Sheamus landed awkwardly on a chair. Huge pop for Morrison throughout the match, and specially when he insulted Sheamus in proper chilean.
- John Cena beat CM Punk with a SUPER Attitude Adjustment from the third rope. Incredible match that saw both superstars kick out of each others' finishers. Crowd was VERY excited throughout the whole match, with the usual "Let's go Cena/Cena sucks" antics.
Biggest pops:
John Cena
John Morrison
Randy Orton
Biggest boos:
Sheamus (after being insulted by Morrison)
CM Punk
Raw GM
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