Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
SURVIVOR SERIES 2007 PPV COVERAGE
by Buck Woodward
Survivor Series opened with a video putting over the history of the event, then focusing on the traditional Survivor Series match, the WWE Title bout, and the Hell In A Cell match.
Joey Styles and Tazz welcomed us to the show, as the ECW Title match is the first bout of the evening.
ECW Champion CM Punk vs. The Miz vs. John Morrison.
CM Punk came out first, then Miz and Morrison had separate entrances, each brandishing their WWE Tag Team Championship belt. At the bell, Miz and Morrison worked over Punk in a corner. Punk managed to kick Miz in the head, then rolled Morrison into a sunset flip for a two count. Morrison catapulted Punk into a corner, but Punk jumped onto the ropes and launched into a bodypress on Miz. Punk kicked Morrison in the head, then threw both men to the floor. Punk hit Miz and Morrison with a tope. There was a "CM Punk" chant. Punk put Morrison in the ring and set up for a springboard, but Miz hooked his leg from the floor and Morrison nailed him with a punch. Morrison and Miz hit a double suplex then worked over Punk with punches. Morrison then set up for a springboard kick, but Miz knocked Morrison off the ropes, sending him in the floor.
Miz gave Punk a back suplex for a two count, then put him in a camel clutch. Morrison got on the apron, but Miz knocked him down. Punk gave Miz an enzugiri, then Morrison gave Miz a slingshot kick to send him to the floor. Morrison hit a backbreaker, then a STO for a two count. Morrison applied a cobra clutch on Punk, but Punk fought out of it and hit some kicks. Morrison poked Punk in the eyes and threw him out of the ring. Punk grabbed the ropes, but Miz yanked Punk to the floor. Miz got on the apron and Morrison suplexed him into the ring for a two count. Miz came back with a legsweep for two, then hit his clothesline through the ropes in the corner for a two count. Miz ran into a Morrison kick, and Morrison hit a split legged corkscrew splash. Punk broke up the cover. Punk hit Morrison with some chops, then gave Morrison a top rope rana. As Morrison flipped off the ropes from the rana, Miz grabbed him and powerbombed him. Punk broke up Miz' cover with a dropkick to the face.
Punk hit a series of kicks on Miz, then a jumping knee in the corner. Punk bulldogged Miz for two count. Punk gave Miz a double underhook backbreaker, but Miz kicked out at two. Morrison rolled up Punk from behind and hooked the trunks for two. Punk hit Morrison with a series of kicks to the head, then went for the GTS, but Morrison grabbed the top rope and pulled himself to the apron. Punk hit Morrison with forearms. Miz went to hit Punk, but Punk moved and Miz knocked Morrison off the apron and to the floor. Punk scooped up Miz and hit the GTS for the pin at the eight minute mark.
Winner: CM Punk.
Michael Cole and JBL welcomed us to the show, and discussed the MVP-Matt Hardy situation from this past week on Smackdown. Backstage, Anastasia interviewed MVP and asked him why he turned on Matt Hardy. MVP said that Matt Hardy would not be competing tonight, and that he couldn't walk without a crutch. MVP said Matt's whole career was based on having a crutch, either his brother Jeff or MVP. MVP said he is better than every wrestler in the building and ripped on the crowd as well.
Beth Phoenix, Layla, Jillian Hall, Melina & Victoria vs. Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, Torrie Wilson & Maria.
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler got to call this one. Each woman had their own separate entrance. Melina actually slipped off the apron during her trademark leg split. She actually laughed it off, then went back on the apron and did the split again. Kelly and Michelle went for the cheap pop by wearing Miami sports jerseys (no, not the Dolphins). Michelle started with Victoria, hitting a Northern Lights suplex, for a two count, then hitting a boot to the face for another two. Torrie tagged in and hit a clothesline and pair of forearms on Victoria. Victoria came back with a fireman's carry into a side slam for a two count. Layla tagged in and kicked Torrie in the gut. Layla missed a spinkick and Torrie suplexed her for a two count. Kelly tagged in, but so did Jillian. Jillian kicked Kelly in the gut, then smothered her with her breasts. Jillian went for a handspring elbow, but Kelly kicked her in the back and rolled her up for a two count.
Maria tagged in and kneed Jillian in the gut. Maria hit a handstand kick, but Phoenix got a blind tag and powerslammed Maria. Layla tagged in and rammed Maria into the mat, then Melina tagged in and poked Maria in the eye. Melina missed a straddle attempt on the ropes. Mickie James got a hot tag and gave Melina a Thesz Press, and also worked on knocking opponents off the apron. Phoenix grabbed James from the apron, but Torrie & Michelle clotheslined her away. The women started fighting on the floor, except for Mickie and Melina in the ring. Mickie gave Melina a kiss, then hit a back heel kick for the pin at the four minute mark.
Winners: Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, Torrie Wilson & Maria.
Backstage, William Regal and Jonathan Coachman were smirking, while Hornswoggle paced the floor, looking concerned.
They showed a pre-taped interview with Randy Orton, who claimed that by taking away the superkick, he took away Michaels' "only chance at survival". We then heard from Shawn Michaels, who said that Orton had made his family suffer, so tonight he was going to take the WWE Championship.
World Tag Team Champions Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes.
As Holly & Rhodes came out, they showed how they earned the tag title shot by winning a Triple Threat match over the Highlanders and Brian Kendrick & Paul London. They noted that Rhodes was about to get the win, but Holly tagged himself in so he could give Robbie McAllister and get the pin.
Rhodes started off with Cade, who grabbed a side headlock, then hit a shoulderblock. Rhodes leapfrogged Cade, but Cade reversed a hiptoss attempt. Rhodes hit a dropkick and grabbed an arm wringer, then hit some elbows to the arm. Cade went for a backdrop, but Rhodes hit a sunset flip for a two count. Rhodes grabbed a side headlock. Cade shoved it off and missed an elbow, but caught a Cody bodypress and hit a backbreaker. Murdoch tagged in and slapped Rhodes across the back. Murdoch went for a back suplex, but Rhodes floated over and slapped Murdoch in the back. Holly tagged in and hit a back elbow, then chopped Murdoch in the corner. Murdoch grabbed Holly's trunks to ram him into the turnbuckle, then tagged in Cade.
Cade ran into a Holly boot, then Holly hit a kick to the gut and clotheslined Cade to the floor. Murdoch ran in, and Rhodes threw him out of the ring, onto Cade. Holly threw Cade back into the ring, and there was a chant for Holly. Holly hit Cade with some chops, then dodged a charge after Cade reversed a whip and rolled him up for two. Cade managed to make a tag and grab Holly in a reverse atomic drop, and Murdoch followed it with a boot to the face for a two count. Murdoch worked over Holly in the corner. Murdoch slammed Holly, then tagged in Cade, who dropped Murdoch into a legdrop on Holly. They kept with the quick tags, and Murdoch applied a overhead wristlock/chinlock combo on Holly.
Holly fought out of it, blocked a Murdoch suplex, and hit one of his own. Murdoch tagged Cade, who tried an elbowdrop, but Holly moved out of the way. Cade was able to hit a clothesline, then tagged Murdoch for the legdrop move again. This time Holly moved and Cade dropped Murdoch to the mat. Rhodes got the tag and cleaned house, sending Cade from the ring. Rhodes backdropped Murdoch, then hit a bulldog. Rhodes hit a top rope dropkick, but Cade broke up the cover. Holly clotheslined Cade, and both men fell to the floor. Rhodes grabbed Murdoch, but Murdoch reversed positions and gave Rhodes the Code Red/Canadian Destroyer/flip powerbomb for the pin at the eight minute mark.
Winners: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch.
Holly yanked Rhodes up off the mat rather firmly, then said something to him and patted him on the shoulder before leaving the ring.
The three announce teams discussed the Survivor Series elimination match. They noted that Matt Hardy was injured, and that Triple H's team would go in one man down.
They interviewed Triple H's team. Jeff Hardy said MVP had painted a huge bulls-eye on him. Rey Mysterio said he wasn't worried about it being four-on-five, as he said he is always an underdog. Kane interrupted, and said he is never an underdog. Kane then brought up that Triple H once accused him of being a murderer, then had sex with a mannequin he pretended with his dead girlfriend. Triple H said "Sorry". Jeff Hardy noted that Triple H once sent him to the hospital. Triple H said "My bad". The comedy continued, with Triple H saying Survivor Series was the one day a year where people who have done terrible things to each other could get together to do terrible things to someone else. That seemed to unify the team.
Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy (injured, not participating), Rey Mysterio & Kane vs. Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, MVP, Big Daddy V (with Matt Striker) & Finlay in an elimination match.
Each wrestler had their own entrance. All three announce teams are calling this one together. Rey Mysterio started off with Kennedy. Kennedy took Rey down with a waistlock and applied a front facelock, but Rey reversed into a hammerlock. Kennedy went into a wristlock, but Mysterio flipped out of it, only to be hit with a Kennedy forearm. Kennedy missed a clothesline, but hit a shoulderblock. Rey hit Kennedy with a boot to the face, then hit a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Rey slid under Kennedy's legs and gave Kennedy Trevor Murdoch's finisher move, but only got a two count. Jeff Hardy tagged in to a pop, then jumped off Mysterio's back into a leg lariat on Kennedy in the corner. Hardy went for a Twist Of Fate, but Kennedy shoved it off and hit a clothesline for a two count. MVP tagged in and pounded Jeff Hardy on the mat. MVP kicked Jeff in the back, and acted like his knee was hurt. Big Daddy V tagged in and knocked Hardy to the mat. Big Daddy V headbutted Jeff, then hit a forearm to the chest. BDV stood on Jeff's chest. Big Daddy V chopped Hardy, but Hardy stopped himself as BDV whipped him across the ring and tagged Kane. Kane ran in, and BDV hit a belly to belly suplex. Kane kicked out at two, then hit some right hands. MVP ran in, and Kane gave him a side slam. Kane went to the top rope and hit BDV with a clothesline. Kane called for a chokeslam. Finlay ran in, and Kane chokeslammed Finlay. Big Daddy V grabbed Kane and hit a Samoan Drop, then splashed him for the pin at the six minute mark.
Kane is eliminated.
Triple H came in and went at Big Daddy V, hitting a facebuster on the knee, but getting knocked down by the big man. Umaga tagged in and gave Triple H a belly to belly suplex, then dropped a headbutt on him. There was a big Triple H chant. Umaga went for a second rope headbutt, but took way too long, and Triple H rolled out of the way. Mysterio was tagged in, and he hit Umaga with forearms. Rey tried to slide under Umaga, but Umaga stomped him. Umaga went for a sit down splash, but Rey dodged it and hit a dropkick to the face. Umaga kicked out at two. Rey tried a springboard rana, but Umaga caught him. Rey managed to double pump it and send Umaga to the ropes. Rey hit a 619 and a springboard senton, but Umaga kicked out a two. Rey went for a springboard bodypress, but Umaga hit him with a swinging side slam, then hit the Samoan Spike for the pin at the ten minute mark.
Rey Mysterio is eliminated.
Everyone looked like they were going to go at it (as Finlay kicked Rey to the floor), but the referee managed to get wrestlers back out of the ring. Kennedy tagged himself in off of Umaga. Jeff and Kennedy went at it, with Jeff going for a slingshot kick in the corner, but MVP pulled Kennedy out of the way. Hardy crashed to the mat, but grabbed the bottom rope to break up the cover. MVP tagged in and pounded Jeff, then put him in a chinlock. MVP switched to a sleeper, but Hardy broke out and they exchanged punches. MVP grabbed a fireman's carry and dropped Jeff to the mat. MVP missed the running kick and Jeff hit the Twist Of Fate for the pin at the thirteen minute mark.
MVP is eliminated.
Kennedy ran in and tried to get a quick pin on Hardy, but was given an enzugiri and Triple H tagged in. Triple H gave Kennedy a facebuster to his knee and a clothesline. Kennedy fought back, but was given a spinebuster. BDV ran in and tried to elbow Triple H, but he moved and BDV dropped it on Kennedy instead. Triple H then dodged a charging BDV and pulled down the top rope so he would fall to the floor. Triple H pinned Kennedy at the fifteen minute mark.
Kennedy is eliminated.
BDV pulled Triple H to the floor and pounded him. Hardy tried to jump off the apron, but BDV caught him and threw him into the post. Back in the ring, BDV put Triple H and Hardy in the corner and tried to avalanche him. They moved out of the way, and Hardy & Triple H gave BDV a double DDT. Triple H pinned BDV at the sixteen minute mark.
Big Daddy V is eliminated.
Finlay attacked Triple H, working him over with punches and stomps. Finlay went to the second rope, but jumped into a boot by Triple H. Jeff got tagged in and went to work on Finlay with punches and kicks. Hardy hit a splash in the corner, then a slingshot kick for a two count. Hardy rammed Finlay into a corner and hit some punches from the second rope. Finlay shoved Hardy to the mat hard. Hardy ended up on the apron, and Umaga blasted him with a kick to the face. Finlay hit a short arm clothesline for a two count. Finlay hit some elbows to the shoulder and headbutts, but when he went for a whip in the corner, Hardy climbed the ropes and hit the Whisper In The Wind. Umaga tagged in, and Hardy hit him with a mule kick. Umaga tagged Finlay and Hardy tagged Triple H. Triple H missed a clothesline, but hit a jumping knee. Triple H went for a backdrop, but Finlay kicked it away. Finlay ran into a Triple H spinebuster. Triple H went for the Pedigree, but Umaga stopped it with a kick to the face. Finlay knocked Jeff off the apron. Finlay went for the Celtic Cross, but Triple H floated out and hit the Pedigree for the pin at the twenty two minute mark.
Finlay is eliminated.
Umaga beat Triple H down in a corner, but missed a charge. Triple H made a blind tag to Hardy. Umaga charged Triple H, who kicked him in the gut and hit a Pedigree. Hardy followed it with a Swanton Bomb for the pin at the twenty three minute mark.
Umaga is eliminated. Triple H and Jeff Hardy are the survivors.
Triple H and Jeff Hardy celebrated in the ring, while Umaga stared at them from the floor, before leaving.
Backstage, Hornswoggle was still pacing. Regal told him to sit down and rest his legs. Vince McMahon entered, and Hornswoggle hugged his leg. Vince asked Regal and Coach to leave. Vince talked about the reasons people said he made this match (he wants to see a trainwreck, he doesn't like Hornswoggle, etc.). Vince said he made the match because Hornswoggle is "a McMahon" and because of that, he would win. Vince said he was an underdog against Time Warner and against the government, and he won. Vince gave Hornswoggle a big pep talk, saying they had "grapefruits the size of the Grand Canyon". Vince said that McMahons "stick together", and Hornswoggle seemed confident.
Shaquille O'Neal was shown in the crowd.
JBL and Michael Cole were discussing Hornswoggle vs. Khali when Shane McMahon's music hit, and he came to the ring. Shane then introduced his fater, and Vince came to the ring. Shane and Vince hugged, then Shane introduced his "little brother" and Hornswoggle came out, looking motivated. Vince and Shane applauded him as he came to the ring.
Hornswoggle vs. Great Khali.
Khali came out, and stood in front of Vince and Shane, who slowly backed away and exited the ring. They took seats at ringside. Runjin Singh got on the mic, and said that since this is a sanctioned match, the referee should explain the rules. This allowed for another of those "Khali is a lot bigger than Hornswoggle" shots. Fans were chanting "We Want Shaq" as he had just been shown at ringside during the previous break. I guess he stood up, because the crowd reacted. Vince got on the mic and said it was "too damn bad" what they wanted, and said they needed to start the match. Hornswoggle got psyched up and took off his jacket.
Hornswoggle kicked Khali in the leg. Singh was yelling at ringside, so Hornswoggle ran over and kicked him in the head. Horswoggle went and kicked Khali a few more times in the legs. Khali yelled at Hornswoggle and he ran out of the ring. Hornswoggle, from the apron, spit green mist at Singh, then gave him a Thesz Press off the apron and hit some punches on him. Khali came to ringside and Hornswoggle went under the ring. Hornswoggle came out the other side with a shillelagh. Hornswoggle went to use it, but Khali grabbed it from him and threw it out of the ring. Khali slapped Hornswoggle to the mat. Khali called for the Vice Grip. Finlay ran out with a shillelagh and hit Khali in the leg with it, Hornswoggle was disqualified at the four minute mark.
Winner via DQ: The Great Khali.
Finlay hit Khali in the leg several more times with the shillelagh, dodging his attempted punches. Singh ran in, and was thrown down by Finlay. Finlay cracked Khali in the head with the shillelagh, then got Hornswoggle out of the ring. The fans popped when they realized Finlay really was helping Hornswoggle escape. Vince seemed annoyed, Shane confused, as they exited.
A video package on the WWE Title match was shown.
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels
- If Michaels uses the superkick, he is disqualified and will not get a return match.
- If Orton gets disqualified, he loses the title.
They locked up and Michaels grabbed a side headlock, then switched to a hammerlock, then a cravate. Michaels took Orton down to the mat with the hold and got a two count. Michaels snapmared Orton and maintained the cravate. Orton punched and tried to slam out of it, but Michaels maintained the hold. Orton backed Michaels into the corner to force a break. Orton hit a series of right hands to the head, then slapped Michaels and trash talked him. Michaels shoved Orton, then seemed to be poised for a superkick, but took Orton down instead and hit a series of punches. Orton shoved Michaels to the ropes and dropped down, but instead of jumping over him, Michaels dropped onto Orton and put on a rear naked choke with a body vice. Orton tried to stand up, but Michaels switched into a front facelock. Orton tried to stand up, but Michaels drove his knee into Orton's head. Orton got to his feet and tried to lift Michaels, but Michaels wouldn't release the hold and hit a series of knees to the head again. Orton managed to get his body under the bottom rope and went to the floor.
Michaels hit a baseball slide kick between the middle and bottom rope. He teased a pescado, and Orton ducked, but Michaels landed on the apron and hit an Asai moonsault to the floor. Back in the ring, Shawn Michaels went for a flying bodypress, but Orton rolled through it for a two count. Orton hit a forearm uppercut, then delivered another one. Orton went for a kick to the gut, but Michaels grabbed it and tripped Orton to the mat. Michaels applied the Sharpshooter. Happy Anniversary! The crowd reacted to the move being applied, but didn't boo it. Orton struggled in the hold, and made the ropes for the break. Orton rolled to the apron and poked Michaels in the eyes. Orton yanked Michaels' neck across the top rope and he dropped to the floor. Back in the ring, Orton stomped Michaels to the apron, and hit a series of punches. Orton hit a DDT with Michaels' feet hanging on the second rope. Orton scored a two count.
Orton applied a rear naked choke and a body vice. Michaels fought to his feet, broke out, and hit a chop. They traded chops and punches. Michaels got the better of it, and hit a flying forearm. Michaels kipped up and gave Orton a reverse atomic drop. Michaels hit a series of punches, but Orton avoided another reverse atomic drop and hit a standing dropkick for a two count. Orton went for another dropkick, but Michaels avoided it and rolled up Orton for a two count. Michaels slammed Orton twice, then went to the top rope. Michaels hit the elbowdrop, then started stomping in the corner. Instead of a superkick, Michaels grabbed Orton with a small package for a two count. Michaels went for a sunset flip, but Orton sat on him to get a two count. They got up, and Michaels took Orton down with an arm-trapped crossface. Yes, the old Crippler Crossface. The crowd reacted to that one too. Certainly didn't expect to see that move again this year on a WWE show. Orton made the ropes to break the hold. Michaels went for it again, but Orton rolled through it and hit a clothesline.
Orton hit a side backbreaker, then measured Michaels for the RKO. Orton then changed his mind and set up for a kick to the head. Orton went for the kick, but Michaels caught it and put Orton in an ankle lock. Hi Kurt! Orton went for the ropes, but Michaels pulled Orton back into the center of the ring. Michaels added a leglace to the ankle lock. Orton managed to turn in the hold and kick Michaels in the head to escape the hold. Orton went to kick Michaels, but Michaels caught the kick and tripped Orton. Michaels went for a spinning toe hold, but Orton kicked Michaels away. Michaels went over the turnbuckles and hit his head on the ringpost. Orton went for an RKO, but Michaels shoved Orton away. Orton went to lift Michaels for a slam, but Michaels floated over and was about to go for a superkick, then stopped himself. That hesitation allowed Orton to hit the RKO for the clean pin at the nineteen minute mark.
Winner: Randy Orton.
Orton started to leave the ring, then went back in and pulled Michaels up off the mat and propped him in the corner. Orton slapped Michaels and said he wanted Michaels to say he was the best. Orton kept bragging, and slapping Michaels. Orton then went to pick up his title belt, and when he turned back around, Michaels decked him with a superkick. Michaels then rolled out of the ring, leaving an unconscious Orton in the ring. Eventually, Orton got up, was announced as the winner, and left.
One of those "Save Us" videos aired. It looked like it will be revealed tomorrow on Raw (in case you didn't know).
Batista was shown in the back, as they began lowering the Cell. They then aired a video package on the main event.
World Champion Batista vs. Undertaker - Hell In A Cell.
Batista grabbed a headlock at the start, then hit a shoulderblock and a clothesline. Taker hit some punches, but Batista returned fire. Batista missed a shot and Taker went for a chokeslam, but Batista elbowed out of it. Undertaker hit a clothesline for a two count. Fans seem to be behind Taker more than Batista. Taker kicked Batista in the head and hit an elbowdrop, then rammed Batista into a corner. Undertaker threw Batista into another corner and hit Snake Eyes, then delivered a big boot that flipped Batista over. Undertaker got a two count, then went under the ring for a chair. As Taker got into the ring with it, Batista hit a spear. Batista charged Undertaker with the chair, but Taker booted it into Batista, then hit a clothesline for a two count. Undertaker went for a triangle choke, but Batista quickly avoided it and rolled to the floor. Undertaker rammed Batista into the steps and hit some punches on the outside.
Undertaker raked Batista's head against the steel fence. Undertaker put Batista in the ring and hit the apron legdrop. Undertaker put a chair under Batista's chin and rammed him into the ringsteps. Batista grabbed at his throat and had blood flowing from his mouth. Taker then jabbed Batista in the ribs with the chair and threw him back into the ring. Undertaker scored a pair of two counts, pushing on Batista's throat on the cover. Undertaker rammed Batista into a corner, then hit some short arm shoulderblocks. Undertaker went for the Old School rope walk, but as he jumped off the ropes, Batista caught him and hit a spinebuster. Batista crawled onto Undertaker for a cover, but he kicked out. They traded punches, with Batista getting the better of it. Batista hit a clothesline for a two count. Batista hit some shoulderblocks in the corner, then a clothesline in the corner. Batista hit a running powerslam for a two count.
Batista threw Undertaker out of the ring and rammed him into the ring steps. Batista threw Taker into the steel fence, then nailed him with a clothesline on the floor. Batista went for a whip, but Undertaker reversed it and sent Batista into the ring steps. Undertaker kicked Batista, then put him over his shoulder and ran him headfirst into the steel fence. Batista was busted open. Undertaker hit Batista in the head with a chairshot. Insert joke about Vince telling CNN they wouldn't be doing those anymore here. Undertaker rolled Batista into the ring for a two count. Undertaker went for the rope walk again, but Batista knocked Taker down on the top rope and set up for a superplex. Batista nailed it, but as he went for the cover, Undertaker grabbed him with a triangle choke. Batista grabbed the ropes and the referee called for a break. The announcers wondered what the referee could do, seeing as he couldn't disqualify anyone. Undertaker jumped through the ropes to the floor to give Batista a bodyblock. Batista was a bloody mess.
Undertaker picked up a section of ring steps and went to hit Batista with them, but Batista kicked the steps back into the Taker. Batista rammed Undertaker head first into the ringpost, then hit him twice with the steps in the head. JBL earned a bonus by saying Taker "may have hurt his hand" when Taker, in clear view of the camera, reached into his glove (presumably to get a blade). Batista rolled a now bleeding Undertaker into the ring and stood on the second rope and bit him. Taker pulled Batista off the ropes and powerbombed him for a two count. Undertaker then delivered a chokeslam for a two count. Undertaker called for the tombstone. Batista floated over it and hit a spinebuster for a two count. Batista hit another spinebuster, then went under the ring and pulled out a table. He slid it into the ring and set it up near a corner. Batista went for a powerbomb, and hit it, throwing Taker through the table. Batista had to pull Taker away from the wreckage of the table to cover him, and Undertaker got his shoulder up just before the three count.
Batista brought a section of the ring steps into the ring. Batista set up for a powerbomb, but Taker backdropped him onto the section of ring steps. Undertaker covered Batista, but Batista grabbed the bottom rope to stop the count. Undertaker lifted Batista and hit a tombstone. Batista got his shoulder up before the three count, and Undertaker's eyes bugged out. Undertaker gave Batista a tombstone piledriver on the ring steps. Undertaker covered Batista, but the referee was pulled from the ring by Edge, (who apparently was masquerading at a camera man or was under the ring all night). Edge entered the ring and hit Undertaker with a television camera. Edge then took Undertaker and put his head on the ring steps. Edge then took a chair and hit a Conchairto, sandwiching Undertaker's head between the steps and chair. Edge then took the unconscious Batista and put him on top of Undertaker. The referee had no choice but to count the pin at the twenty two minute mark.
Winner: Batista.
Edge exited, and Undertaker was starting to get up, so Edge went back to the ring and blasted Undertaker in the head with a chair. Edge started to exit again, and started at Undertaker, who was slumped against the bottom rope with his eyes rolled back. Batista was still unconscious, and the announcers wondered why Edge targeted Undertaker as the show ended.
Last night WWE put on a very good PPV that didn't fall into any of the traps that WWE's monthly offerings seem to fall into. It was not a "one match show" with a single great bout trying to make up for a lackluster undercard. The three hyped matches for the event all delivered strong bouts and were given time to develop. The undercard matches were kept short, but were solid. The things that could have been disasters were kept VERY short, and didn't detract from the show. While there weren't any title changes, the end of the show saw a big return, so it wasn't a case where "if you missed the PPV, nothing is any different now". Also, the show actually ran two hours and fifty minutes, which is something I like to see when throwing down my money for a PPV. If you are a WWE fan and enjoy their product, then you enjoyed this PPV. There were things to criticize (and there always are), but there was also a lot to enjoy here.
The ECW Title match was a nice opener, an eight minute fast-paced bout that was all about CM Punk staying one step ahead of his opponents. After having Punk start off hot, they moved into Miz and Morrison overcoming the champion with double teaming, only to turn on each other and go for the win. Morrison's split leg corkscrew splash looked great, and as Punk mounted his comeback there was the awesome spot with Punk giving Morrison a rana into Miz' powerbomb. For the finish, we went back to the formula from the start of the bout, which was Punk staying one step ahead and outsmarting his opponents for the win. A nice win for Punk and a strong opener. We'll see what they do with Miz and Morrison now, but WWE should beware that there is no way the "odd couple" partners storyline will work with these two the way it did with MVP and Matt Hardy.
At this point we were told Matt Hardy would not be on the show as a result of the (excellent) angle on Smackdown this past week. I have mixed feelings on this. Hardy was attacked and it makes sense that he was too injured to compete. At the same time, I kept expecting him to come out during the Elimination match and try to get at MVP. He didn't, and the babyface team wasn't given a substitute partner either, which would have been a great way to give the rub to a mid-carder. I'm sure a few Matt Hardy fans were annoyed they didn't get to see their hero either. Now, all that said, I am also glad that Matt and MVP's big showdown wasn't part of a multi-person tag match. They deserve the spotlight to themselves the first time they start slugging it out. MVP's "crutch" promo was well done, and he is just a fantastic heel.
The Divas tag match was, thankfully, kept short. With only four minutes, there wasn't enough time for the lesser wrestlers in the bout to really stink up the joint, and that's a good thing. Melina botching her entrance, then laughing it off and doing it again, was a funny "live TV" moment, although some would argue that since she is a heel, she should have scowled instead of smiling. The babyfaces trying to get cheap pops with Miami sports gear was weak, although you notice no one had Dolphins gear on! Mickie James got a big pop for her tag, and with her getting the win, it would appear things are set for her versus Beth Phoenix (who was kept strong since it took two women to knock her out of the ring).
Randy Orton's promos sound so scripted (probably because they are) and ridiculously forced. He comes off like a comic book villain, not a real person. Shawn Michaels, on the other hand, comes off intense and believable. Obviously, there is a huge experience difference here, and Michaels has a lot more creative control of his stuff, but when you put the two segments next to each other, you can't help but notice the differences between the two when it comes to delivering a promo.
The World Tag Team Title match probably had the least heat of anything on the show, but that shouldn't come as any shock, since it was the least pushed match on the show. Again, this was the perfect length, as going longer than eight minutes would have probably lost the crowd, and there were fans who liked Holly & Rhodes. Cade & Murdoch did a good job with their double team spots, and are actually a very good unit. They're just in the wrong era, as being a strong tag team doesn't mean much in 2007 WWE. Murdoch's finisher is awesome when you consider he is much bigger than Amazing Red, Petey Williams and Rey Mysterio. The "tough respect" storyline with Rhodes and Holly continues along, and we'll see if WWE continues to follow up on this.
Last week in an Elite Audio hotline, Dave Scherer and I talked about WWE not acknowledging Triple H's past with Kane and Jeff Hardy in putting together the Survivor Series teams. Well, WWE did acknowledge it, with a wink and a smile, and while some fans probably groaned at the second Katie Vick reference in a month, I got a chuckle out of it. Sometimes you just can't take everything too seriously in pro wrestling (a crime I am often guilty of committing myself).
I've always been a big fan of the traditional Survivor Series match, so I was looking forward to seeing what WWE would come up with here. While I predicted Triple H being a survivor, they did a good job of not making the eliminations totally predictable, which is the key in putting together a match like this. Let's go through the match one elimination at a time.
- After a nice back and forth with Mysterio and Kennedy (including Mysterio using Trevor Murdoch's finisher, which surprised me), Jeff Hardy got beaten down by MVP and Big Daddy V to set up the Kane-BDV face off. Finlay ran in and ate a chokeslam from Kane before BDV hit the Samoan Drop and splash for the pin, so Kane was "distracted" while Big Daddy V got to eliminate him. For better or worse, looks like that feud will be continuing.
- After brief bit with Triple H versus Big Daddy V, Umaga took down the Game, setting up the tag to Rey Mysterio. Mysterio and Umaga put together a nice series of spots here, and I like that Michael Cole referenced Umaga attacking an injured Rey months ago. As I wrote in my Smackdown Thoughts on Saturday, Mysterio has totally regained his form and then some, and he made Umaga look fantastic here, which is not to take away from Umaga's own efforts. The swinging side slam prior to the Samoan Spike and pin looked awesome.
- With the babyface team down to two-on-five I wondered if they would have Jeff Hardy get eliminated and leave Triple H to "battle the odds". Instead, we had Kennedy and MVP working over Hardy, and Jeff getting the surprising clean pin on MVP with the Twist Of Fate. Now, given MVP's momentum going into this match, I can understand some fans questioning this spot. However, WWE can follow this up in a number of ways. MVP lost to "Matt's move" and was pinned by "a Hardy" that can be played up. They can also use this pinfall as a reason for MVP to be forced to wrestle Jeff in a singles match, allowing Jeff to try and gain further revenge for his brother. Of course, they could also not follow-up on it at all, in which case the elimination will be forgotten by next week.
- Kennedy's elimination came quickly after MVP's as a result of Big Daddy V's mistimed elbowdrop. Other than the opening segment with Mysterio, Kennedy really didn't seem to shine much in this match. Ever since he lost out on being "Vince's son", Kennedy has seemed a bit directionless. It will be interesting to see what they do with him on Raw tonight.
- The Big Daddy V elimination was done perfectly. Because it took both Jeff Hardy and Triple H to take out the big man, he stayed protected, while at the same time the fans got to see a pinfall elimination, and not some lame DQ or countout bit. A pleasant surprise here.
- With the match down to two-on-two, we got a nice six minute segment of Hardy & HHH vs. Finlay & Umaga. Other than taking the chokeslam, Finlay hadn't had much to do in this match, so it was cool to see him working with Triple H for the first time. This little mini-tag bout ended with Triple H avoiding the Celtic Cross and hitting the Pedigree for the pin, putting the babyface team at a man advantage for the first time in the bout.
- I liked that they followed up the Finlay elimination quickly with Umaga's, rather than dragging out the heel being at a disadvantage (you don't want fans feeling sympathy for the bad guys). Umaga taking both a Pedigree and a Swanton Bomb before being pinned made him look strong in defeat, Hardy got the final pinfall, and Triple H (as Tazz pointed out) got to be the unselfish guy who let his partner have the pin. Since I expected Triple H to win, it was nice to also see Hardy left standing as well.
The announcing for the Survivor Series match was handled by all three announce teams, although I don't think Joey Styles ever spoke unless Big Daddy V was in the ring. Maybe he was told to only talk when an ECW wrestler was in the ring. Jerry Lawler didn't seem to contribute much here either. Tazz really shined here, as it was the first time in months that he had more than a eight minute match to call on PPV, and he was fantastic switching back and forth between Jim Ross, JBL and Michael Cole. Compared to the "fighting and bickering" style, I think Ross, Cole, JBL and Tazz showed you can do an effective multi-man announce job by letting everyone have their chance to speak and just concentrating on the action.
I was dreading Hornswoggle vs. Great Khali, and Vince McMahon's "pep talk" didn't make me feel any better about it. I did laugh over the fans chanting "We Want Shaq" during the pre-match festivities. Given that Shaq is one of the few people who could look Khali eye-to-eye, I think fans were hoping to see the two big men standing face to face. Too bad that wasn't the plan, and Vince had to improvise to get things back on track. I figured Hornswoggle would get a cheap shot in on Singh (since Coach wasn't out there), although his green mist didn't seem to be quite as effective as Kabuki, Muta or Tajiri's. Then Khali slapped the little fella, and just when I was ready to groan, Finlay hit the ring and chopped down Khali with the shillelagh, saving the day for Hornswoggle and wrestling fans by ending the segment. They took a segment I wasn't looking forward to, and made it enjoyable by referencing the past with Finlay & Hornswoggle, keeping it short, and giving us a finish we weren't expecting. Hopefully they don't job Finlay to Khali this week on Smackdown.
Shawn Michaels once again pulled a good match out of Randy Orton, which shouldn't surprise anyone. They played up the "Shawn can't use the superkick" aspect in a big way, but they really didn't do anything with the "If Orton gets disqualified, he loses the title" stipulation. I was expecting at least one spot where Orton went for a chair or belt shot, then realized if he did it, he would be disqualified. That never happened. So, instead we got a long match based around Shawn Michaels going for submissions. Early in the bout, it was the cravate and a rear naked choke, as it appears Michaels has become an MMA fan. I actually loved the subtle stuff Michaels was doing to maintain the hold, but I don't think the average WWE fan is big on the heavy grappling stuff. From there it was back and forth. Orton used his elevated DDT, but Michaels pulled out a Sharpshooter (which got quite the reaction). Come on, did you really expect the ten-year anniversary of Montreal to go by without seeing it? Orton used his great standing dropkick, Michaels pulled out a Crippler Crossface. Got to say, that really surprised me. At some point, I figured someone would use a crossface variation again, but I really did not expect to see someone use it in 2007. Orton went for RKO attempts, and Michaels used an ankle lock. It was during this last exchange that the crowd really seemed to come alive, which led to the finish of Michaels "instinctively" going for the superkick, stopping himself, and being caught in an RKO for the pin. So, we had a really good, enjoyable match, but the silly "no superkick" stip ends up costing Michaels the match. I guess this was WWE's way of giving Orton a pinfall win, while keeping Michaels strong. The post-match superkick sent fans home happy, and I have to wonder what they will do next (if anything) with this feud.
Going into the last match of the evening, I had really enjoyed the show, and if Undertaker and Batista had a match that was half as good as their previous battles, this would be a thumbs up PPV. That said, I was a bit annoyed that we hadn't seen Edge yet, since it meant he was either interfering in the main event or would be attacking someone after it. I think it would have been cool to throw a red herring out there and have Edge clobber Kane (the man who injured him) backstage with a chair or something. Just to show that "Edge is back" and not make it obvious he would be involved in the main event.
Batista vs. Undertaker delivered, again. No one understands how to put a "big man match" together better than the Undertaker, and when Batista is motivated, he is great (and he is always motivated when working with Taker). The crowd was more behind Taker than Batista, which wasn't surprising. They went right at it with the big clotheslines and slams before going out of the ring and using the cage and chair. Undertaker using the chair on Batista's throat was nasty, and Batista grabbing a spinebuster out of the Old School ropewalk was a cool spot. I was surprised to see a chair shot to the head, since Vince McMahon was just telling CNN that they stopped doing those. Undertaker using the Triangle Choke didn't get much of a reaction, which makes me think a lot of fans didn't see (or don't care to remember) Taker using it to beat Great Khali a few weeks ago. I was glad the announcers pointed out that the referee really couldn't do anything if Taker had refused to break the hold on the ropes. The juice started flowing, and the big spots came out, with both men kicking out of the other's finishers. The fans were popping huge for the near falls from the Last Ride and the chokeslam by Undertkaer and the spinebuster and powerbomb through the table by Batista. Then they teased the powerbomb by Batista on the ringsteps, only for Taker to escape it and tombstone Batista. The fact that Undertaker allowed Batista to kick out of the tombstone says a lot about Undertaker's thoughts of Batista. He doesn't let many kick out of that, folks, and believe me, Taker is the one that makes that decision. Then Undertaker tombstoned Batista on the steps, and obviously had the match won, when Edge attacked. Edge's brutal beatdown of Undertaker was well done, and was a great way to immediately thrust him into the top mix on Smackdown. So, Edge is back as a top heel, Undertaker "had the champion beat" and Batista still has the title. So, Smackdown has three top guys again. I'm really looking forward to Edge's promo this week, and where they go with Edge-Undertaker-Batista in the coming weeks.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
