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On this day in history in ....
1920 - Paul Bowser defeats Billy
Schoeber in Newark, Ohio for the American Middleweight Title.
1939 -
Octavio Gaona, recognized as World Middleweight Champion by EMLL, defeats
National Wrestling Association World Middleweight Champion, Gus Kallio, in
Mexico City, Mexico. Gaona became the first NWA World Middleweight Champion with
this win, which was upon EMLL's entrance as a member of the NWA.
1942 -
Marshall Estep defeats Steve Brody to win the Midwest Wrestling Association
World Junior Heavyweight Title in St. Joseph, Missouri. This began and ended
each man's second reign.
1942 - Bill Longson defeats Sandor Szabo in St.
Louis, Missouri to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title. This would be the first
of three title reigns for Longson.
1943 - Bill Longson defeats Bobby Managoff
for the National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title in Houston,
Texas, to begin his second reign.
1948 - Big John Studd is born in
Butler, Pennsylvania.
1948 - Wayne Martin wins the Southwest Junior
Heavyweight Title from Al Getz in Amarillo, Texas.
1954 - The Japan
Wrestling Association held an event at Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The results:
- Harold Toki and Kiyomigawa fought to a draw.
- Surugaumi defeated Kaichi
Nagasawa.
- Kokichi Endo defeated Bob Mumphrey.
- Bobby Bruns defeated
Toshio Yamaguchi.
- Masahiko Kimura and Rikidozan fought Ben and Mike Sharpe
to a 1-1 draw in a Two-out-of-Three Falls match.
1957 - Wilbur Snyder
wins the Chicago NWA United States Heavyweight Title in Chicago, Illinois from
Hans Schmidt. This made Snyder the first two-time champion.
1958 - Mr.
Moto defeats Sandor Szabo for the Alaska Heavyweight Title in Anchorage, Alaska.
1959 - Don and Luke (Bobby) Fields defeat The Corsicans (Jean and Joe) in
Chattanooga, Tennessee to end their ninth and final Mid-America NWA World Tag
Team Title reign.
1963 - Hiro Matsuda ends Eddie Graham's third Florida
NWA Southern Heavyweight Title reign in Tampa, Florida.
1966 - Bill Watts
defeats Kinji Shibuya for the San Francisco NWA United States Heavyweight Title
in San Francisco, California, ending Shibuya's second reign.
1968 - Former
World Heavyweight Champion George Hackenschmidt, who many consider to be the
first true "World Champion", passes away at the age of 90.
1968 - In New York
City, New York, the WWWF held its first event in the fourth and current
incarnation of Madison Square Garden. The previous Madison Square Gardens opened
in 1879, 1890 and 1925, respectively. The new MSG had opened officially two days
earlier. The results of the show were:
- The Magnificent Maurice defeated
Karl Steif.
- Virgil the Kentucky Butcher defeated Édouard Carpentier.
-
Victor Rivera defeated Hans Mortier.
- Dominic DeNucci and Prof. Toru Tanaka
fought to a draw.
- Miguel Perez defeated Gil Gordon.
- The Sheik defeated
Louis Cerdan.
- Earl Maynard defeated Luke Graham with a West Indian
backbreaker.
- Little Beaver and Little Jackie defeated Little Brutus and Sky
Low Low.
- WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Bull
Ramos by submission.
1969 - Gene Kiniski wins the Hawaii NWA North
American Heavyweight Title from Toru Tanaka in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1970 -
The Great Kojika defeats El Medico in Bakersfield, California for the Los
Angeles NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title.
1974 - Danny Doring is born
in Pepper Pike, Ohio.
1976 - Bob Geigel and Akio Sato defeat Ken Mantell
and Ron Bass for the Central States NWA World Tag Team Title in St. Joseph,
Missouri.
1978 - Maple Leaf Wrestling held an event at Maple Leaf Gardens
in Toronto, Ontario. The results were:
- Billy Red Lyons defeated Chris
Tolos.
- Stan Stasiak defeated The Wolfman.
- Dewey Robertson defeated The
Wildman by disqualification.
- AWA World Tag Team Champions The High Flyers
(Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) defeated AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick
Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan to retain the title.
- British Heavyweight
Champion Billy Robinson defeated Duncan McTavish to retain the title.
- WWWF
Heavyweight Champion Superstar Billy Graham defeated Édouard Carpentier to
retain the title.
- Angelo Mosca defeated Peter Maivia by referee decision.
- Dusty Rhodes defeated Ken Patera.
1978 - Stan Frazier and Terry Sawyer
defeat Dennis Condrey and Phil Hickerson to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Title
in Memphis, Tennessee. The title had been vacated after Norvell Austin and Bill
Dundee split up.
1979 - Mark Lewin and The Spoiler defeat David and Kevin
Von Erich for the NWA American Tag Team Title in Fort Worth, Texas.
1981
- Shawn Spears, also known as Gavin Spears in WWE, is born in St. Catharines,
Ontario.
1982 - Spike Huber and Wilbur Snyder win their second World
Wrestling Association World Tag Team Title in a possibly fictitious match in
Peoria, Illinois, from The Kelly Twins (Mike and Pat).
1983 - The WWF
held an event at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results:
-
José Estrada defeated Curt Hennig.
- Johnny Rodz defeated José Luis Rivera.
- Tony Garea defeated Charlie Fulton.
- Swede Hanson defeated S.D. Jones.
- Eddie Gilbert defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna.
- Big John Studd defeated WWF
Champion Bob Backlund by countout. Backlund retained the title.
- The Wild
Samoans (Afa and Sika) defeated Chief Jay and Jules Strongbow in a
Two-out-of-Three Falls match. The Strongbows were disqualified in the first
fall, with the second fall a double-disqualification. This gave the Wild Samoans
a 2-1 victory.
- André the Giant, Salvatore Bellomo, Rocky Johnson, Pedro
Morales and Jimmy Snuka defeated Mr. Fuji, Superstar Billy Graham, Don Muraco,
Buddy Rose and Ray Stevens in a Three-out-of-Five Falls match, 3-1. Fuji pinned
Bellomo, Bellomo pinned Fuji, Snuka pinned Rose, and André pinned Rose. This was
the first 10-man tag team match at the Spectrum.
1989 - The WWF held an
event at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. The results were:
- Paul
Roma defeated Jose Estrada.
- Koko B. Ware defeated Nikolai Volkoff.
- The
Blue Blazer defeated Danny Davis.
- King Haku defeated Jim Powers.
-
Brutus Beefcake defeated Rick Rude.
- The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and
Tully Blanchard) defeated The Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels).
-
Greg Valentine defeated Jim Neidhart.
- Andre the Giant defeated Jake
Roberts.
1990 - The WWF held an event at Madison Square Garden in New
York City, New York. The results:
- Tito Santana pinned Buddy Rose after a
flying forearm. This match aired on the March 5 edition of Prime Time Wrestling.
- Earthquake pinned Ronnie Garvin with the Earthquake Splash.
- Rick Martel
defeated The Red Rooster by submission with the Boston Crab. The match aired on
Prime Time Wrestling on March 12.
- Brutus Beefcake and WWF Champion Hulk
Hogan defeated The Genius and Mr. Perfect, when Hogan pinned the Genius after
the legdrop.
- Bad News Brown pinned Jim Brunzell after the Ghetto Blaster.
- Dusty Rhodes (with Sapphire) defeated Akeem (with Slick) by countout after
Slick accidentally hit Akeem on the floor.
- Jim Duggan and The Rockers
(Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels) defeated Mr. Fuji and The Powers of Pain
(The Barbarian and The Warlord), when Jannetty pinned Fuji after Duggan hit Fuji
with his 2x4.
1992 - Longtime Memphis wrestler and manager Tojo Yamamoto
commits suicide with a handgun at age 65. Yamamoto had been suffering from
kidney problems and diabetes, which had forced him out of wrestling several
months earlier. Friends said Yamamoto had become extremely depressed about his
failing health.
1994 - The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Ray and Tom
Prichard) defeated The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton)
for the SMW Tag Team Title at a Midwest Territorial Wrestling event in Taylor,
Michigan. This began the Bodies' second reign and ended the Express' sixth.
1994 - Vicky Carranza and Briosa defeat Pantera Sureña and Martha Villalobos
for the Mexican National Women's Tag Team Title in Xochimilco, Mexico City,
Mexico.
1994 - Two of West Coast Championship Wrestling's three titles
change hands in Cloverdale, British Columbia. The New Canadians (Johnny Canuck
and Mike Starr) defeat The Billionaire Boys' Club (Mike Roselli and Randy Tyler)
for the WCCW International Tag Team Title, and Dillon Powers wins the WCCW
Mid-Heavyweight Title from Al Tomko.
1995 - WCW held its fifth-annual
SuperBrawl pay-per-view event at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland,
before 13,390 fans. The show got a 0.95 buyrate. The results:
- Alex Wright
pinned Paul Roma after a roll-up after a dropkick from behind.
- Jim Duggan
pinned Bunkhouse Buck (with Col. Robert Parker and Meng) after a running
clothesline after knocking Parker off the apron.
- Kevin Sullivan (with The
Butcher) pinned Dave Sullivan with a roll-up and grabbing Dave's tights after
ramming Dave into The Butcher on the apron.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions
Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray (with Sister Sherri)) defeated The Nasty
Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) by reverse decision to retain the title.
Knobbs had originally pinned Stevie Ray after Sherri accidentally hit him with
her loaded purse, but referee Randy Anderson came to the ring and informed match
referee Nick Patrick that Sags threw Booker from the ring over the top rope soon
before.
- The Blacktop Bully (with Col. Robert Parker) pinned Dustin Rhodes
when Parker grabbed Rhodes' leg as he tried to suplex the Bully into the ring.
Parker then held Rhodes foot down for the cover.
- Randy Savage and Sting
defeated Avalanche and The Butcher, when Sting pinned Avalanche with a crossbody
off the top.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan (with Jimmy Hart)
defeated WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Vader by disqualification to
retain his title, when Hogan attacked Ric Flair, who interfered.
1995 -
Koji Kanemoto ends Norio Honaga's third IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title reign in
Tokyo, Japan.
1998 - The Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance
Heavyweight Title changes twice in Alexandria, Virginia, as Lance Diamond ends
Cueball Carmichael's third reign, then loses the title to Jimmy Cicero.
1999 - AAA held its first-annual Reina de Reinas (Queen of Queens) Tournament at
Arena Puebla in Puebla, Mexico. The tournament featured 16 women in 5 four-way
matches. The results were:
Semifinals:
- Xóchitl Hamada defeated La
Fugitiva, Alda Moreno and Venus.
- Miss Janeth defeated Lady Discovery, La
Migala and Princesa Sujei.
- Rossy Moreno defeated Vicky Carranza, La Nazi
and Linda Starr.
- Esther Moreno defeated Briosa, Sahori and Martha
Villalobos.
Final:
- Xóchitl Hamada defeated Miss Janeth, Esther Moreno
and Rossy Moreno to win the Reina de Reinas.
1999 - Brian Adias defeats
Khris Germany to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title in North Richland Hills,
Texas, beginning his second reign.
1999 - The Ark Angels (Damon
D'Archangelo and Phoenix King) win the NWA New England Tag Team Title from The
House of Pain (Frank and Joe Gulli) in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Later the same
night, The House of Pain won the title back, beginning their second reign.
1999 - The Bushwhackers win the Allied Powers Wrestling Federation Tag Team
Title from The House of Kane in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, then vacated the
title right after. Also at that event, The Black Cat defeats Bad Bubba Brewer
for the APWF Heavyweight Title.
2000 - Chris Candido wins the vacant NWA
Jersey Heavyweight Title in Barnegat, New Jersey by defeating The Equalizer.
2000 - Ray González wins his 11th WWC Universal Heavyweight Title in
Carolina, Puerto Rico by defeating Carly Colón.
2000 - The Rock 'n' Roll
Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton) defeat Bad Attitude (Rick Michaels and
David Young) to win the NWA Wildside Tag Team Title in Cornelia, Georgia.
2000 - Mason Cage defeats Shane Black in Hazleton, Pennsylvania to win his
second WXW Cruiserweight Title, ending Black's third. At the same show, Sugaa
wins the WXW Heavyweight Title from Jak Molsonn, ending his third reign.
2000 - Jeff Peterson defeats Frankie Capone for the IPW Light Heavyweight Title
in Crystal River, Florida, to begin his second reign.
2000 - Cody Hawk
and Anthony McMurphy defeat Alexis Machine, GQ Masters III and Suicido in a
Handicap match in Hamilton, Ohio to win Machine and Brian Fury's HWA Tag Team
Title. Also at that event, Shark Boy becomes the first two-time HWA
Cruiserweight Champion by defeating Matt Stryker. Stryker won a battle royal
earlier in the night for the right to face Shark Boy for the title, which had
been stripped from Rory Fox for no-showing.
2000 - Dirk Ciglar and Scott
Venom defeat Armageddon (Rapture & Revelation) and Brian Anthony & Brandon K in
a three-way tournament final to become the first Pittsburgh Wrestling League Tag
Team Champions.
2000 - Alexander Worthington III defeats Dave Vicious for
the Eastern Wrestling Alliance Heavyweight Title in Lewiston, Maine.
2002
- WWE taped February 24's Sunday Night Heat and February 21's SmackDown! at the
MetroCenter in Rockford, Illinois. The results:
Dark matches:
- Albert and
Scotty 2 Hotty defeated Brock Lesnar and Ron Waterman.
- Leviathan (Batista)
and Mr. Perfect defeated Shelton Benjamin and Randy Orton.
Heat:
- WWF
Cruiserweight Champion Tajiri defeated The Hurricane to retain the title.
-
Test defeated The Godfather.
- Booker T defeated Val Venis.
- WWF
Intercontinental Champion William Regal defeated Rikishi to retain the title.
SmackDown!:
- Kane defeated Kurt Angle.
- Edge defeated Christian by
submission.
- The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt) and Rob Van Dam defeated The
Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) and Lance Storm.
- Billy and Chuck (with
Rico) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Spike Dudley and Tazz to win the title.
- Triple H and The Undertaker's match never got underway when The Undertaker
refused to wrestle.
2002 - Robbie Brookside wins his second European
Heavyweight Title in a tournament final in Yeovil, England. He defeated Justin
Starr. The title was vacated after The Flatliner suffered a broken leg.
2003 - Nick Dinsmore defeats champion The Damaja and Doug Basham in a triple
threat match in Louisville, Kentucky to win the OVW Heavyweight Title for the
seventh time.
2004 - Shiro Koshinaka and Takao Omori defeat Shinjiro
Otani and Masato Tanaka in Tokyo, Japan for the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team
Title, ending Otani and Tanaka's second reign. At the same event, Low Ki and
Leonardo Spanky (Brian Kendrick) defeat Ikuto Hidaka and Dick Togo to win the
NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Title.
2005 - Dan Maff and B.J.
Whitmer defeat The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero) at the Third
Anniversary Show in Elizabeth, New Jersey to win the ROH Tag Team Title.
2005 - Taka Michinoku wins the Michinoku Pro Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Title
from The Great Sasuke in Iwate, Japan.
2005 - 3PW held its Third
Anniversary Show at the New Alhambra Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The
results:
- Amish Roadkill defeated Damian Adams.
- Mike Kruel defeated
Matt Striker.
- April Hunter defeated The Blue Meanie by submission.
-
A.J. Styles defeated Simon Diamond.
- C.J. O'Doyle defeated Rob Eckos.
-
Simon Diamond and Mike Kruel defeated Damian Adams and Monsta Mack to win the
vacant 3PW Tag Team Title. Gary Wolfe had held the title with Mike Kruel, but
was fired from the promotion.
- Matt Striker defeated Rockin' Rebel.
-
Slyck Wagner Brown defeated 3PW Heavyweight Champion Christopher Daniels to win
the title.
2005 - S.U.V. (Onslaught and Tiger Wylde) are named American
Championship Pro Wrestling's first Tag Team Champions in Wilmington, Delaware.
2006 - WWE held its eighth-annual No Way Out pay-per-view event at the 1st
Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. 11,000 fans attended the SmackDown! brand
show, which got a 0.56 buyrate. The show was headlined by The Undertaker vs.
Kurt Angle in what many consider to be one of the best matches of that year.
Buck Woodward filed the following PPV report:
Pre-Show
- Josh
Mathews and Steve Romero hosted the pre-show, and revealed that another inductee
to the WWE Hall Of Fame will be revealed tomorrow on Raw.
- In the Heat
match, The Boogeyman defeated Simon Dean with a powerslam. Dean cut a promo
before the match, saying he could beat anyone, then looked annoyed when
Boogeyman's music hit, even though it had been announced earlier that Dean vs.
Boogeyman was the Heat match.
- The rest of the pre-show was made up of
video packages and hype for the show.
No Way Out
No Way Out
opened with a video pushing the fact that Kurt Angle, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio
and Randy Orton are all traveling the "road to Wrestlemania" and fighting to be
the World Champion.
Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms vs. Scotty 2
Hotty vs. Paul London vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Sho Funaki vs. Super Crazy vs.
Psicosis vs. Nunzio vs. Kid Kash.
All of the wrestlers were in the ring
together, with the first pinfall or submission winning the title. Helms wouldn't
enter the ring at the start of the match, so the other Cruiserweights began
wrestling each other. London hit Nunzio with a top rope mule kick, and London &
Kendrick gave Scotty a double dropkick, but they were thrown out by the
Mexicools. The Mexicools gave Kendrick and London stereo pescados. Kash and
Funaki went at it in the ring, with Kash missing a moonsault. Funaki bulldogged
Kash, but Helms ran in to break up the cover. Helms stomped Kash, but he was
surrounded by all the other wrestlers, who stomped him down. The match then went
back to being a free for all.
London gave Psicosis a rana, but Crazy
caught London with a top rope dropkick. Kendrick missed a top rope dropkick, and
the Mexicools gave him a double rolling leg catapult. Funaki gave Nunzio an
enzugiri. Helms and London exchanged punches and kicks in a corner. Funaki
dropkicked Psicosis off the ring apron. Scotty gave Kash a back suplex. Helms
gave Scotty a fireman's carry into a facebuster on the knee. Kash and Helms
began shoving each other, and started exchanging punches. Helms backdropped
Scotty to the ring apron. Scotty then held the ropes open while Kash threw Helms
out of the ring. Scotty gave Helms a somersault senton off the apron. Kash
avoided a Psicosis powerbomb, then dodged a dropkick so Psicosis would fall to
the floor. Kash gave Psicosis a slingshot rana on the floor.
Nunzio gave
London the Sicilian Slice, but Kendrick broke up the cover. Kendrick and London
worked as a team against Funaki and Nunzio, sending them to the floor, then
taking out both of them, and Scotty with top rope dives. Super Crazy prepared
for a dive, but Helms cut him off with an elbow. Crazy avoided the Shining
Wizard by Helms and hit a dropkick for a cover, but Kendrick broke it up.
Kendrick gave Helms Sliced Bread #2, but Crazy broke it up and they went to the
floor. London gave Helms a top rope senton, but Scotty broke up the cover.
Scotty superkicked London out of the ring, then gave Helms the Worm, but
Psicosis broke it up. Psicosis covered Helms, but Kash broke it up.
Kash
went for a tilt-a-whirl on Psicosis, but Psicosis fell out of it. Psicosis went
for a German suplex, but Kash flipped out of it and gave Psicosis a brainbuster.
Kash covered Psicosis, but Super Crazy gave him a moonsault. Kash, Psicosis and
Crazy were all down, and Helms got in the ring and covered Psicosis for the pin
at the eleven minute mark.
Winner: Gregory Helms.
The
Cruiserweights that were on the floor during the pinfall chased Helms to the
back.
Booker T and Sharmell were complaining to Smackdown Manager
Theodore R. Long, saying Booker was still injured, despite the "miracle" that
occurred on Smackdown when his leg was fine. Long wasn't listening to their
excuses, so Booker and Sharmell got on their knees and begged Long to let Booker
out of the match. Long told Booker if he didn't defend the title tonight against
Chris Benoit, he would forfeit it.
Kristal was getting ready to conduct
an interview, when Fit Finlay interrupted her. Finlay said he came for a fight,
and if no one would give him one, he would go looking for one. Finlay then
picked up Kristal and carried her to the ring. Finlay put her down, and was
about to beat her up, when Bobby Lashley ran in. Lashley and Finlay began
brawling, and JBL's music hit. JBL, seeing Lashley at a disadvantage, ran from
his limo to the ring. However, by the time JBL got to the ring, Lashley hit
Finlay with a belly to belly suplex. Referees got Finlay away from the ring as
the bell rang for the scheduled Lashley-JBL match.
JBL, with Jillian
Hall, vs. Bobby Lashley.
They went back and forth at the start, with JBL
hitting a boot to the face, but Lashley returning fire with a backdrop and
elbowdrop. Lashley backdropped JBL again, and he went to the floor to regroup.
Lashley went after him, and JBL used Jillian as a shield and then cheapshotted
Lashley. JBL tried to ram Lashley into the ring steps, but Lashley blocked it
and rammed JBL into the steps. Jillian Hall hit Lashley with her clipboard, but
it had no effect. Lashley gave JBL and belly to belly suplex on the floor, then
a delayed vertical suplex in the ring. Lashley set up for the Dominator, but JBL
got around him and threw Lashley between the ropes and to the floor. As Lashley
got on the apron, JBL hit him with a boot to the face, knocking him back to the
floor.
JBL rammed Lashley into the ring steps twice, as the fans chanted
"JBL sucks". JBL tossed Lashley back in, and hit a top rope elbowdrop. JBL
dropped an elbow to the back as Lashley rose, then worked him over in a corner.
JBL hit a neckbreaker, then a second. There was a "Let's Go Lashley" chant as
JBL delivered a series of elbowdrops for a two count. JBL and Lashley exchanged
right hands, with Lashley getting the better of it. JBL applied a sleeper, as
Michael Cole and Tazz argued about whether Lashley had been building momentum or
not. Lashley slumped to the mat, and JBL went for a cover, but Lashley kicked
out. JBL stomped Lashley in the head and kicked him in the chest. JBL went to
the top rope, and dove right into a Lashley powerslam.
Lashley decked
JBL with a right hand, then hit a pair of running forearms and a clothesline.
Lashley hit a quartet of overhead belly to belly suplexes, and JBL was bleeding
from around his eye. Lashley went for the Dominator, but JBL floated out of it
and went for a Clothesline From Hell. Lashley ducked and hit an Exploder suplex
for a two count. Finlay came in from the crowd, and threw ring announcer Tony
Chimel into the ring. Lashley gave JBL a clothesline in the corner. As the
referee got the ring announcer out of the ring, Finlay jumped onto the apron and
hit Lashley with the shillelagh. JBL followed that with a Clothesline From Hell
as Finlay left. JBL got the pin on Lashley at the eleven minute mark.
Winner: JBL.
JBL had a lot of blood and swelling around his eye.
Tony Chimel introduced "Tonight's special guest" and Batista, wearing a
suit, came out to a huge ovation. Batista got on the mic, and said it was the
"thrill of a life" every time he walked out the curtain. Batista said he was
there for three reasons. One, he wanted to see Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker.
Two, he missed the Smackdown audience, saying it was hard to watch Smackdown on
TV every week and hear the roar of the crowd. The fans chanted his name. Third,
was that his "torn tricep ain't torn anymore". Batista said that "sooner rather
than later" he would be back. Batista said it doesn't matter who the World
Champion is when he comes back, as he stated that he "will reclaim MY world
title".
Backstage, Kurt Angle was watching Batista on a monitor. Randy
Orton walked in, and said he would be World Champion when Batista returns from
his injury. Orton said maybe he would then get some respect from people like
Angle. Orton began to question Angle offering encouragement to Rey Mysterio, but
Angle told Orton that he is the World Champion, and he isn't even concerning
himself with Orton, as he has the Undertaker tonight.
JBL was shown in
the WWE.com area, talking about his win.
WWE Tag Team Champions MNM
(Joey Mercury & Johnny Nitro, with Melina) vs. Matt Hardy & Tatanka.
This
was a non-title match. The crowd wasn't very loud for the revelation that
Tatanka was the mystery partner. I guess there is a storyline reason here, as
MNM eliminated Tatanka at the Royal Rumble. Hardy started off with Mercury, and
Mercury pounded Hardy down to the mat. Hardy fought back with right hands and
gave him an arm wringer. Hardy dropped a leg on the arm and tagged in Tatanka.
Tatanka continued to work on the arm, and chopped Mercury to the mat. Nitro
tagged in, and Tatanka took him down with an armdrag. Hardy and Tatanka gave
Nitro a double backdrop and gave Mercury a double elbow and a double back
suplex. MNM regrouped on the floor.
Mercury pulled Hardy throat first
across the top rope as he teased getting into the ring, and Nitro went to work
with kicks to the back, then choked Hardy across the middle rope. Melina said
Hardy could have been on a "winning team" and slapped him. MNM went for a double
suplex, but Hardy floated over and hit a double neckbreaker. Tatanka tagged in
and went to work with chops on both opponents. MNM went to the floor, and
Tatanka followed Mercury, ramming him into the security wall and chopping him on
the floor. Melina raked Tantanka in the face with her nails, and Nitro hit him
with a dropkick off the apron. Nitro took Tatanka back into the ring and hit
some shoulderblocks in a corner.
Mercury tagged in, snapmared Tatanka
and delivered a kneedrop. Some "Boring" chants could be heard. MNM mocked
Tatanka's war cry and chops. Mercury choked Tatanka with the tag rope. Tatanka
tried to rally against Nitro, but MNM took him down with a double elbow. Mercury
put Tatanka in a sleeper, then hit a neckbreaker as Tatanka tried to fight out
of it. Mercury went to the top rope, but Tatanka caught him in a reverse atomic
drop. Nitro jumped off the top rope, but landed on his feet and Tatanka nailed
him with a clothesline. Tatanka made the hot tag to Hardy, who cleaned house and
gave Mercury a spinning side slam, and gave Nitro a bulldog, while clotheslining
Mercury at the same time.
Hardy gave Mercury a second rope legdrop, and
gave Nitro the Side Effect. Hardy went for the Twist Of Fate on Mercury, but
Mercury shoved him into the ropes and Nitro nailed him with a superkick. Hardy
came back with a double clothesline, then tagged Tatanka, who hit a top rope
chop on both men. Tatanka did the war dance, then gave Mercury the Samoan Drop
while Hardy gave Nitro the Twist Of Fate. Tatanka got the pin on Mercury at the
ten minute mark.
Winners: Matt Hardy & Tatanka.
A video package
on the events leading to Booker T vs. Chris Benoit was shown.
Coverage
continued on next page.
U.S. Champion Booker T, with Sharmell, vs. Chris
Benoit.
Booker got on the mic before the bell rang. Booker said he had
made up his mind, and that there would not be a U.S. Title match tonight. Booker
called out Theodore R. Long. Booker said he could beat Chris Benoit when he is
healthy, but he isn't healthy tonight. Booker said he would make it official,
and forfeit the U.S. Title. Sharmell appeared to be pleading with Booker, and
Booker started to walk away. Benoit got on the mic and started a "Coward" chant
at Booker. Benoit said he would not accept the title by forfeit, and told Booker
to "take defeat like a man". Sharmell said this was all Benoit's fault, and
slapped him repeatedly while yelling at him. With Benoit distracted, Booker ran
back into the ring and ambushed Benoit from behind. The bell rang, and Long
confirmed to the announcers that this match was on and was still for the U.S.
Title.
Booker hit a back elbow, but Benoit came back with some punches.
Booker missed a side kick and Benoit unloaded some chops. Benoit knocked Booker
to the floor, then followed him out and kneed him in the head. Benoit gave
Booker a chop, then tossed him back in. Booker got the advantage in the ring,
kicking Benoit in the gut. Booker went for a suplex, but Benoit blocked it and
delivered a snap suplex. Benoit gave Booker a back suplex for a two count, then
chopped him in the corner. Booker tried for a double leg takedown, but Benoit
rolled through it and pounded Booker on the mat, then kicked him to the floor
with a baseball slide.
On the floor, they exchanged blows and Benoit
whipped Booker into the ring steps. Booker went shoulder first into the steps,
but Booker started grabbing his previously injured groin. Booker told the
referee to back up Benoit because he was hurt, but it was a ploy to allow Booker
to grab Benoit's tights and yank him into the ring steps. Booker tossed Benoit
back into the ring, and hit a superkick to the chest for a two count. Booker
applied a top wristlock, but as Benoit fought up, Booker took him down with a
waistlock and rode Benoit on the mat. Every time Benoit got up, Booker would
bring him back down. Benoit tripped out of it, but Booker applied a full nelson.
Benoit tried to get out, but Booker put Benoit in a hammerlock. Benoit escaped
the hold and hit Booker with a German suplex.
Benoit jumped onto Booker
and tried for a Crossface, but Booker rolled through it and hit Benoit with a
spinkick. Booker got a two count, then applied a sleeperhold. Benoit went down
to one knee, and the referee checked his arm, but Benoit fought up and escaped
using a back suplex. Booker T caught Benoit with a Hot Shot, then delivered a
vertical suplex. Booker hit a second vertical suplex for a two count. They
traded chops, and Benoit got the better of it, but was caught off as he charged
into a Booker boot to the face. Booker set up for the ax kick, but Benoit dodged
it and fired off some chops and a pair of running forearms. Benoit hit the Three
Amigos suplexes for a two count. Benoit hit some right hands, but Booker
reversed a whip and hit a spinning leg lariat.
Booker T went to the top
rope, but Benoit cut him off with a chop and a slew of headbutts. Benoit
delivered a top rope superplex, but Booker kicked out at two. Benoit hit some
punches, but Booker caught him with a spinebuster. Booker went to the top rope
and went for the Harlem Hangover (forward flip into a legdrop), but Benoit moved
out of the way. Benoit delivered three consecutive German suplexes, then called
for the top rope headbutt. Sharmell got on the apron, which distracted Benoit
and Booker T was able to crotch Benoit on the top rope. Benoit fell into the
ring, and Booker hit the ax kick, but Benoit kicked out at two.
Booker
chopped Benoit and went for a sunset flip out of the corner, but Benoit rolled
through it and went for a Sharpshooter. Booker kicked it off, and Benoit fell
into the ropes, knocking Sharmell off the apron and to the floor. Booker went
for a side kick, but Benoit ducked it, grabbed Booker's legs and applied the
Sharpshooter, to a big pop. Booker struggled in the hold, and Benoit then
switched from the Sharpshooter into the Crippler Crossface. Booker tapped out at
the nineteen minute mark.
Winner and new U.S. Champion: Chris Benoit.
After Benoit left, the fans chanted "You tapped out" at Booker.
Backstage, Rey Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, Theodore R. Long, Pat Patterson, and the
babyface Cruiserweights congratulated Benoit on his win. Chavo Guerrero and
Vicki Guerrero congratulated Benoit as well. Benoit then told Rey Mysterio he
needed to go win it for Eddie. There was a slight "Eddie" chant from the crowd.
A video package on the events leading to Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton were
shown.
Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton - Winner receives World Title match
at Wrestlemania 22.
Rey came out to his music, and was wearing a Rey
Mysterio shirt. No lowrider (the entrance ramp wasn't really conducive to that
kind of entrance). He did have the "EG" armband on. Rey's daughter was shown at
ringside. There was a loud "Eddie" chant as the bell rang. Orton backed Rey into
the corner on a lockup, and grinned at him. Orton took Rey down with a waistlock
and applied a front facelock. Rey made the ropes to break it, and Orton slapped
Mysterio in the back of the head. Mysterio kicked Orton in the gut and took him
down with a side headlock. Orton tossed Rey towards the ropes, and Rey reversed
a hiptoss into a bodyscissors into a bulldog. Rey hit some punches in the
corner, ducked a clothesline, but missed a springboard bodyblock, crashing to
the mat as Orton ducked.
Orton stomped Mysterio's back, then pounded him
with forearms. There was a "Randy sucks" chant as Orton hit Mysterio with a
kneedrop. Orton slapped and shoved Mysterio in a corner, then whipped him hard
across the ring into the opposite turnbuckles. Orton covered Rey for a two
count. Orton hit a forearm to the back, then mocked Eddie Guerrero as the fans
were chanting "Eddie". Orton hit Rey with an uppercut, but Mysterio came back
with a kick to the head and a tilt-a-whirl headscissors that sent Orton to the
floor. Rey jumped off the apron for a rana on the floor, but Orton caught it and
swing Rey side first into the ringpost. Orton got back in the ring and posed as
Rey held his arm on the floor.
Orton went to the floor and threw
Mysterio back into the ring, where Orton applied an armwringer on the hurt limb.
Orton turned it into a hammerlock, but Mysterio elbowed out, slid under Orton's
legs and kicked him from the mat. Orton scooped up Mysterio into an over the
shoulder backbreaker, then dropped him with a neckbreaker for a two count. Orton
then went back to the arm, locking in a hammerlock again. Orton threw Rey into
the ropes, and Mysterio caught him with a rana, but couldn't capitalize on it
due to his arm hurting. Orton tossed Rey to the floor and rammed Rey's arm into
the ring steps. Orton put Mysterio back into the ring for a two count. Orton
continued to work on the arm, wrapping it around the ropes.
Orton put
Rey in an over the shoulder backbreaker again, but Mysterio armdragged out of
it, and Orton rolled to the floor. Orton got back in, and Mysterio hit him with
a flying forearm. Orton charged Rey, and Mysterio gave him a drop toe hold into
the turnbuckles. Mysterio climbed the ropes, slowly, but Orton caught him and
went for a second rope electric chair, but Rey turned it into a sunset flip
style powerbomb for a two count. Mysterio hit a spinkick, then did the Eddie
Guerrero dance and dropkicked Orton's leg out from under him. Mysterio hit a
springboard senton, then a rolling neck snap for two. Orton developed a cut
between his eyebrows. Orton tried to stop Mysterio with a slam, but Mysterio
floated over and kicked Orton. Orton went to lift him again, but Mysterio drove
Orton backwards to the mat and covered him for a two count.
Orton poked
Mysterio in the eyes, but Rey kicked Orton as he charged him. Mysterio went to
the top rope, but Orton dropkicked him in the gut as Mysterio jumped off. Orton
measured Mysterio for an RKO, but Mysterio caught him with a dropkick. Orton
fell to the ropes in 619 position, and Rey went for the move, but Orton ducked
under the 619, then cradled Rey for the pin, grabbing the ropes to get the three
count at the eighteen minute mark.
Winner: Randy Orton.
Randy
Orton went to the stage, as Rey was visibly upset in the ring. Orton stopped
before leaving, got on the mic and announced that he was going to the main event
at Wrestlemania. Orton then posed and smiled on the stage before leaving. They
kept the camera on Rey in the ring for a long time, but there wasn't much
reaction from the crowd as he left. The announcers played up what was going
through Rey's head over what had happened.
They went backstage, where Rey
cursed and began profusely apologized for letting the Guerrero family down.
Chavo told him to pick his chin up, that he didn't let anyone down, and that if
he tried his hardest, nothing else mattered. Vicki told Mysterio they all still
loved him. They all hugged, then Rey walked off. Rey walked past the babyface
cruiserweights and Lashley, who mostly stared at him, except for Super Crazy,
who started to say something (it would appear, trying to console Rey), but
Psicosis stopped him. The camera followed Rey as he walked down a hallway alone,
stopping to hit a wall.
A video package on the events leading to Kurt
Angle vs. The Undertaker were shown.
World Champion Kurt Angle vs. The
Undertaker.
Angle tried a waistlock at the start, but Taker kept his
feet and Angle went to the floor to regroup. Taker applied a side headlock, and
Angle shoved it off, but Taker hit him with a shoulderblock. Taker went after
the arm of Angle, then rammed his arm into the turnbuckle. Undertaker lifted
Angle off the mat by his arm, then dropped a leg on it and applied a short arm
scissors. Undertaker started to climb the ropes for the Old School rope walk,
but Angle stopped him with right hands. Taker stopped a whip and flipped Angle
to the mat by the arm. There were dueling chants for Undertaker and Angle.
Undertaker delivered the Old School rope walk and forearm, then gave a charging
Angle a faceplant for a two count.
Undertaker gave Angle Snake Eyes, but
missed a boot to the face and Angle tossed Taker with a German suplex for a two
count. Angle stomped Taker in the corner, then hit some shoulderblocks. Taker
reversed a whip and hit a running knee in the corner, but missed a boot to the
face and ended up on the ring apron. Angle charged Taker, knocking him off the
apron and into the security wall. Angle went outside and rammed Taker into the
wall again, then jumped at him from the apron, but Taker caught him and rammed
Angle into the ringpost. Taker stretched Angle across the ring apron and drove
an elbow into his chest, then hit the ring apron legdrop.
Taker rolled
Angle into the ring and got a two count, then measured Angle for a chokeslam.
Angle kicked Taker's leg to escape it, but Taker decked him with an uppercut.
Undertaker missed a clothesline and Angle clipped his knee from behind. Angle
stomped Undertaker's leg, then rammed it into the ringpost twice. Angle applied
a ringpost figure four, breaking it as the referee counted four. Taker was
limping on the floor, and Angle put Taker's bad leg on the ring apron and
elbowed it several times. Back in the ring, Angle kicked at the leg some more,
then punched Taker in the head. Angle dropped all his weight on the leg as it
was stretched on the bottom rope, then did it a second time.
Angle
continued to stomp the leg, but Taker grabbed Angle by the singlet and pulled
him through the ropes and to the floor. Taker followed and hit some kneelifts to
Angle. Taker put Angle on the apron again, and kicked Angle in the side of the
head. Taker went for the legdrop on the apron again, but Angle caught it and
applied an ankle lock on the floor. Angle broke the hold and rolled into the
ring at seven to break the count, then rolled back out and reapplied the ankle
lock for another seven count, then broke the count again. Back in the ring,
Angle dropped some elbows on the leg, then applied a leglace. Angle continued to
work on the leg, twisting it and dropping elbows on it. Undertaker broke out of
a leglace by using his good leg to legdrop Angle's face.
Angle took
Taker down with a double leg takedown, then punched Taker, but Undertaker
grabbed his arm and applied a triangle choke. Angle got his foot on the bottom
rope to break the hold. Angle rolled to the floor, and Taker followed, ramming
Angle head first into the security wall. Undertaker tossed Angle into the ring
announcer and chairs at ringside. Taker worked over Angle with punches on the
floor, then kicked him in the face. Undertaker started to clear off the
announcers table, then rolled into the ring to stop the count. Taker went back
outside, but Angle caught him with an Angle Slam, putting the Undertaker through
the Spanish Announce table.
Angle rolled into the ring, as Undertaker
slowly recovered on the floor. Undertaker was about to be counted out, but Angle
stopped the count (using quite a bit of profanity, which was bleeped) and said
he wanted to beat him in the ring. Angle went outside and worked over Taker with
punches, kicks and elbows. Angle went for a whip on the floor, but Undertaker
reversed it and Angle went back first into the ringsteps, then as he fell, he
caught his throat on the edge of the Announcers Table caver, which had been
thrown to the floor earlier. Undertaker tossed Angle back into the ring, then
went to the top rope, but Angle crotched him with a few punches. Angle went for
a superplex, but Undertaker blocked it and punched Angle to the mat. Undertaker
went to the top again, but Angle ran the ropes and delivered a belly to belly
superplex for a two count. Taker rallied, hitting Angle with a boot to the face
for a two count.
Undertaker measured Angle for a chokeslam, but as he
lifted him, Angle turned it into a bodyscissors and rolled into an ankle lock.
Taker rolled over, but Angle stuck with it and maintained the hold. Undertaker
rolled again, and locked Angle in a triangle choke, but Angle reversed it again
and reapplied the ankle lock. Undertaker rolled out of the hold and kicked Angle
away. Undertaker caught Angle with a chokeslam, but Angle kicked out at two and
a half. Undertaker went for the Last Ride powerbomb, but Angle flipped over it
and into a sunset flip, which he then turned into another ankle lock in the
center of the ring. Undertaker struggled for the ropes, but Angle pulled him
back into the center of the ring. Undertaker rolled over and kicked Angle off of
him. Taker got to his feet, missed a right hand, and Angle hit the Angle Slam on
Undertaker for a near fall.
Angle screamed in the ring and pulled down
his straps. At the same time, Undertaker sat up and then got to his feet. They
traded right hands, then Undertaker whipped Angle into the ropes and went for a
tombstone piledriver. Angle reversed it, going for a tombstone of his own, then
Undertaker reversed it back, but Angle slid out of the hold, hooking
Undertaker's ankle. Angle applied an ankle lock, and added a leglace this time.
Undertaker appeared on the verge of tapping, but rolled over and kicked Angle in
the face repeatedly until he released the hold. Undertaker got to his feet, but
Angle grabbed him with another Angle Slam. Angle went to advance on Undertaker,
but Taker locked him in another triangle choke. Angle struggled in the hold, and
then fell limp. The referee checked his arm twice, but Angle kept it up on the
third time. Angle got his feet under him, and flipped over the Undertaker,
cradling him into a pinning position while still trapped in the triangle choke.
Angle got the pin at the twenty nine minute mark.
Winner: Kurt Angle.
Undertaker thought he might have won, until the referee gave the belt to
Angle. Undertaker lifted Angle to his feet, then put him in a corner and said
"I've got your number, I'm not through with you yet". Taker and Angle stared at
each other as the show came to an end.
2006 - New Japan held an event at
Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The results:
- Koji Kanemoto defeated GENTARO.
- Gedo, Jado and Jushin Liger defeated Badboy Hido, Tetushiro Kuroda and Kintaro
Kanemura, when Gedo pinned Hido.
- Takashi Iizuka and Naofumi Yamamoto
defeated Togi Makabe and Toru Yano, when Yamamoto pinned Yano.
- El Samurai
and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Hirooki
Goto and Minoru to win the title, when Samurai made Minoru submit.
- Tiger
Mask IV defeated NWA World and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Black Tiger IV
(Rocky Romero) to win both titles. This began Tiger Mask's third IWGP reign.
- IWGP U-30 Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Yuji Nagata.
- IWGP
Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Akebono and
Riki Choshu, when Lesnar pinned Choshu.
- IWGP Tag Team Champions Masahiro
Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Giant Bernard and Manabu Nakanishi to retain
the title, when Chono pinned Nakanishi.
2006 - Keith Loughman and Robbie
Morrisey defeat Justin Bred and Danny Butler for the NWA Ireland Tag Team Title
in Bray, Ireland.
2007 - Former ECW World champion Mike Awesome passed
away as a result of a suicide. Awesome, real name Michael Alfonso, was 42 at the
time of his passing.
Mike Johnson penned the following when Awesome passed
away:
A Florida native, Awesome was trained by Steve Keirn and was a
tremendously agile performer. Standing well over 6 feet, Awesome looked like any
other monster performer at first glance, but was well beyond your average
muscle-bound bruiser, gifted with tremendous agility. It was nothing for Awesome
to hit topes and dives like a Cruiserweight before powerbombing his hapless
opponents through tables en route to victory.
Like many wrestlers during that
era, Awesome broke in making some appearances in Memphis, TN for the USWA and
did some independent work in Florida as well as enhancement work. He truly began
making his name when he began working as the facepainted Gladiator for Atsushi
Onita's Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling in the early 1990s. The forerunner to
ECW and the hottest promotion among tape traders at the time, Awesome teamed
with Horace Boulder and often worked with or against Sabu, Onita, Hisakatsu
Ooya, Mr. Pogo and Mr. Gannosuke among others. The styles was physical with
crazy bumps, barbed wire, and lots of explosion matches.
While he was well
known overseas, at the time Awesome was only known to the most hardcore fans in
the United States. He made sporadic appearances in the early days of NWA Eastern
Championship Wrestling, including an early 1994 match in ECW where he decimated
JT Smith before losing to him at the Night the Line Was Crossed).
Within the
United States, Awesome was best known for his storied feud with Masato Tanaka,
which began in FMW in Japan and later moved to the United States in ECW,
including a memorable match at the promotion's Heatwave '98 PPV in Dayton,
Ohio.
After suffering a knee injury, Awesome sat out for a year following
surgery. He didn't return to FMW, instead doing a tour of All Japan Pro
Wrestling when he returned. In September 1999, Awesome joined ECW full-time as a
surprise, immediately winning a Three-Way Dance to capture the promotion's World
championship from Tazz at the Anarchy Rulz '99 PPV in Chicago. The storyline was
that Awesome had crashed the match, upset that ECW was using footage of Tanaka
defeating him to build up Tanaka as a challenger. Tazz offered him the chance to
enter the match, and was pinned within a minute, shocking everyone. Although it
was well known Tazz was on his way out of the company, no one could have
predicted a one minute loss for ECW's monster badass champion.
Awesome
defeated Tanaka as well in the process, so their feud was once again off to the
races. During his reign as champion Awesome defeneded the title against New
Jack, Tanaka, Spike Dudley, Kid Kash, and Tommy Dreamer, among others. Managed
by Jeff Jones, Awesome also briefly held the ECW World Tag Team championship
with Raven as well. Tanaka and Awesome traded the ECW title back with a win for
Tanaka in Nashville, TN and Awesome regaining it in White Plains, NY. The ECW on
TNN episodes featuring the changes were among the highest rated for the series,
falling on Christmas eve and New Year's Eve for that year.
The plan at the
time was to build to ECW's top babyface at the time, Rob Van Dam chasing Awesome
for the belt. Just after an angle was shot to begin the chase, Van Dam broke his
ankle working a house show and would be out for several months. During that
timeframe, Awesome (who had claimed publicly to have been under an ECW
contract), signed a deal to jump to World Championship Wrestling without
dropping the ECW World title belt.
Rightfully fearful of Awesome (who had
possession of the title belt) would debut on Monday Nitro and desecrate it,
ECW's legal team went into overdrive. Awesome was immediately vilified by those
loyal to Extreme Championship Wrestling, although the bottom line was he had a
chance to make a great deal of money for his family in one shot and took the
chance. ECW did gain an injunction against him appearing and negotiations were
made that Awesome would appear, would not have the championship with him (but
WCW would name him as champion, then plug a title defense in Indianapolis -
which WCW didn't do), and appear in street clothes (to mask his physique and
dilute his debut). When Awesome's title change wasn't plugged, the legal battled
raged again briefly with ECW feeling they were doublecrossed, before all sides
came to settlement terms.
In the end, an agreement was made for Awesome to
return and drop the ECW title, which he did, losing it to then-WWF star Tazz in
Indianapolis, Indiana in the historic first-ever WCW vs. WWF bout (taking place
inside an ECW ring no less). ECW refused to allow Awesome into the locker room,
so he waited at a nearby hotel, met with Tazz and Tommy Dreamer to go over the
bout, then came through the crowd. After Awesome lost the belt, he left again
through the crowd.
The match aired in edited form on TNN but if you've
never seen the Fancam version and heard the crowd reaction to the Tazz return
and title win, you've never truly experienced the moment. In many ways, the
departure allowed for a "happy" final appearance in ECW for the Tazz character,
who signed with WWE after losing the belt and never truly got a sendoff in the
same vein that other ECW stars did.
Once signed by WCW, Awesome was yet
another victim of WCW's political turmoil, ever-changing storylines, and poor
creative direction during the Vince Russo regime, morphing from a monstrous
table smashing killer to a comedic undercard character that was lost in the
1970s and traveled in a takeoff of the Patridge Family bus. He was later saddled
with a gimmick where he was (seriously) a "Fat Chick Thriller" and was also a
member of Team Canada alongside Elix Skipper and Lance Storm. He may have been
making the biggest amount of money ever in his career, but artistically, Awesome
had never been less of a player for any company and was never booked worse.
When World Wrestling Entertainment bought out WCW in early 2001, Awesome's
contract was among the assets purchased. He became the first "WCW" wrestler to
compete in the WWF and in Madison Square Garden, attacking WWF Hardcore champion
Rhyno backstage and pinning him as part of the storyline where the now defunct
championship could be defended anytime, anywhere. When WWF revived ECW as part
of the Invasion storyline, Awesome become one of many faces lost in the crowd as
a member of the Alliance, was considered to not be a strong performer by WWF
veterans who buried him (and many others) politically and was later released in
September 2002.
Awesome made several appearances for Total Nonstop Action
Wrestling during their weekly PPV event run in Nashville, TN.
Awesome also
competed for Court Bauer's Major League Wrestling in 2003, winning the MLW
championship from Satoshi Kojima, only to lose it several minutes later to Steve
Corino. Awesome would make several more appearances for the company against
Masato Tanaka and Samoa Joe, among others. He did another brief run for Jersey
All Pro Wrestling, tagging with Vader in a feud against Samoa Joe and Danny Maff
in a main event feud.
Awesome quietly disappeared from the business before
being booked for the 2005 Extreme Championship Wrestling One Night Stand PPV in
New York City in 2005. The original plan was for Awesome to appear as a surprise
alongside Eric Bischoff, playing off the WCW jump in 2000 but creative
directions changed and Awesome was announced as facing long-time foe Tanaka. The
PPV was among the most emotional and memorable of the year, with Tanaka vs.
Awesome tearing apart the Hammerstein Ballroom for what was undoubtedly the best
match on the show (and of the entire ECW rebirth). Awesome blew out his knee
during the bout, which he won following an Awesomebomb to the floor through a
table and a splash.
Awesome never wrestled again after the first ECW PPV.
He was working in real estate at the time of his death.
2007 - WWE held a
live RAW and taped WWE.com Heat at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, California.
The results were:
Heat:
- Chris Masters defeated Eugene.
- Super Crazy
defeated Mike Wellington.
- Cryme Tyme (JTG and Shad) defeated The World's
Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas).
RAW:
- Umaga (with
Armando Alejandro Estrada) pinned WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy after
the Samoan Spike to win the title. This ended Hardy's third reign.
- Carlito
(with Torrie Wilson) and Ric Flair defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, when
Carlito pinned Murdoch after the Backcracker.
- Edge pinned Rob Van Dam after
a spear to qualify for WrestleMania 23's Money in the Bank Ladder match.
-
Melina pinned WWE Women's Champion Mickie James with a roll-over countered from
a hurricanrana to win the title. This ended Mickie's second reign.
- The
Great Khali defeated The Highlanders (Rory and Robbie McAllister) in a Handicap
match by pinning Robbie with one foot after a tree slam.
- World Tag Team and
WWE Champion John Cena defeated Randy Orton by disqualification when Edge
interfered and speared Cena as he had Orton up for the FU. Edge and Orton went
for a Conchairto on Cena with Shawn Michaels making the save.
- In a dark
match after Raw, World Tag Team Champions - WWE Champion John Cena and Shawn
Michaels defeated Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton) to retain the title.
2008
- WWE broadcast ECW on Sci Fi. Mike Johnson filed the following TV report:
Welcome to this week's coverage of ECW on Sci Fi, which is on a tape delay of
about 25 minutes from the Smackdown/ECW taping San Diego, California.
Joey
Styles welcomed everyone to the show. Ric Flair came to the ring. Tazz met him
in the ring and said that he's been in the business for 22 years and from the
day that he started, the one name everyone respected was Flair. Tazz
congratulated him on being named the first member of the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame.
Flair thanked Tazz and all the fans. He said that being inducted was a huge
honor and that it was something wrestlers only dream of. He said that being the
first active wrestler inducted may be the biggest honor of his career. Flair
said that his induction was a symbol that he was getting ready to retire,
because he would be forced to retire is he loses, but said it's not to happen.
Flair began to talk about how WWE was the greatest company in the world, Elijah
Burke came to the ring and said he had three words for Flair, "Jim Crockett
Promotions." OK, he didn't, but that's what I was thinking. Burke really said
that he was a fan of Flair growing up and wanted to be the first to welcome
Flair to "his house, ECW." Burke said he was hand-picked by Vince McMahon to
lead the New Breed of ECW.
Shelton Benjamin's music hit and he came to the
ring. He then said he had three words for Flair. "Mid-Atlantic Wrestling." OK,
that didn't happen either. He said that he had the same idea that Elijah did.
Benjamin said that Flair was the gold standard for wrestling and introduced
himself as the new gold standard of professional wrestling. He said that Flair's
time was over.
Flair said he was struggling with their level of sincerity,
and said that if they wanted to talk about gold, he wanted to remind them that
no matter what they have accomplished or will accomplish, it will never mean
more than the 16 World titles held by Flair. He's shooting! They attacked Flair
and CM Punk made the save.
They aired a great No Way Out PPV recap video
package.
Backstage, Elijah Burke and Shelton Benjamin were hot over CM Punk
getting involved. Armando came up to them and said that they were both nuts for
going after Flair, but thanked them for trying to get revenge for Terry Funk
after all these years. OK, he really told them they were wrestling Flair and
Punk later tonight. That'll be the first time Punk and Flair have ever teamed.
Kofi Kingston vs. Jason Riggs
Kofi controlled the match early. Riggs cut off
the momentum and cinched in a rear chinlock. Kofi fought his way out of it. Kofi
tipped up and nailed a jawbreaker. Kofi cleaned house with his unique kicks and
punches. Kofi followed up with a Russian Legsweep, his boot boot boot legdrop
and the Jamaican Buzzsaw (great nod to Tajiri and WWE should steal that nickname
and trademark it) kick for the pin. Kingston is really unique. He reminds me of
a young Sting mixed with a young RVD, very charismatic and raw.
Joey Styles
interviewed Kofi Kingston. Kingston said ECW was like paradise for him and if
there's ever trouble in paradise, Kofi will take care of it. I really like Kofi
thus far.
They aired a video feature on the great Hornswoggle angle last
night. They announced he may have bleeding on the brain.
The Miz vs. Colin
Delaney
Tommy Dreamer and John Morrison were in the corners. Miz killed Colin
early. He kept killing him. Dreamer rallied the crowd. Delaney actually nailed a
few shots, but Morrison interfered. The referee tossed Morrison out of ringside.
Delaney rolled up Miz, who kicked up. Miz cut him off with a clothesline and
nailed the Reality Check for the pin.
Your winner, The Miz!
Miz kept
working over Delaney so Dreamer attacked him. Morrison attacked Dreamer and
nailed his corkscrew neckbreaker. They laid out poor Mikey. Delaney actually had
a bloody lip as they went to commercial.
They aired clips of Beth Phoenix vs.
Maria last night.
They asked Kelly Kelly about Maria's Playboy shoot. She
said Maria always wanted to do Playboy and that's something Kelly has always
wanted to do as well. They announced there would be footage of Maria's photo
shoot on Raw.
Stevie Richards vs. James Curtis
Before the match, they
aired clips of the great Stevie interview from two weeks back. Richards nailed a
drop toehold on Curtis, then nailed a kick to the chest. Curtis came back with a
clothesline and went after Richards' throat. Curtis applied a side chinlock.
Stevie came back with a neckbreaker, the hit a running clothesline in the
corner. Stevie drilled him with the Stevie-T for the pin.
Your winner,
Stevie Richards!
We went to the Raw Rebound. How many times are we going to
show what happened last night in an hour?
They show Flair and CM Punk walking
the halls in the back exchanging "Woos." That was cool.
Ric Flair & CM Punk
vs. Elijah Burke & Shelton Benjamin
They showed a sign that said "I paid to
see CM Punk" as Punk came to the ring. The sign had the ROH logo on it, which
cracked me up. Can someone explain to me why the BABYFACES came to the ring
first? Joey Styles noted that because it was a tag team match, Flair's career
was not on the line.
Punk started with Burke. Punk controlled him early and
tagged in Flair. Flair worked over Burke with chops in the corner and covered
Burke for a near fall. Burke nailed him with a thumb to the eye. He went to the
top, but Flair, remembering all the times this strategy failed for him, caught
and slammed Elijah off the top.
When they returned, Benjamin was working over
Flair. Flair finally made the hot tag to Punk. He cleaned house on Benjamin and
hit the running knee into the corner but was shoved off when he attempted a
bulldog out of it. Burke tagged in and peppered Punk with punches, then nailed a
suplex for a two count.
Burke and Benjamin worked over Punk. Benjamin went
for a running powerbomb into the corner and something went wrong because Punk
just fell over the ropes and to the floor. Punk returned to the ring and they
tried again, but this time Punk escaped as planned and kicked Benjamin in the
mush.
Punk tagged Flair, who unloaded with chops on Burke. Punk hit the
Cactus clothesline on Benjamin. Burke missed the Elijah Express and was caught
with the figure four. That was all she wrote.
Your winners, CM Punk and Ric
Flair!
A decent main event. You just know all three were having fun getting
the chance to work with Flair.
2008 - The Tampa Tribune reported that the
presiding judge in Nick Hogan's criminal case stemming from his August 2007 car
wreck has ordered a pre-sentencing investigation into Nick's family background
and personal life. As mentioned earlier today on PWInsider.com, this is usually
done while taking a plea bargain into account. The Tampa Tribune noted that Hulk
Hogan's son, could qualify from a sentence ranging from probation up to five
years in prison. Nick's lawyer, Kevin Hayslett, told the Tribune that Hogan
hasn't been driving (which is good, considering his license was revoked) and
that he is working on ways he can do community service to try and create
something positive out of the situation. Hogan ended up spending several months
in prison.
2009 - While doing press in Hong Kong for his Disney movie "Race
To Witch Mountain", Dwayne Johnson responded to a question about returning to
World Wrestling Entertainment by stating "I retired five years ago. That was a
character I loved playing. That gave me the great opportunity to move on and to
transition. That created a platform for me that can never be duplicated.
2009
- In a case of real life imitating art Scott Siegel, the actor who appeared in
Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" playing a drug dealer that provides Mickey
Rourke's Randy the Ram with steroids in a memorable scene, was arrested tonight
in Upstate New York following a lengthy car chase and charged with distribution
of steroids and assaulting an officer.
Siegel was apprehended after a
dramatic car chase where he rammed several police vehicles during a chase
through several areas of Westchester, New York. He was finally caught in
Eastchester after abandoning his SUV and attempting to flee on foot. Full
circumstances of the chase and arrest have not yet been released by authorities.
According to an interview Rourke gave on Jimmy Kimmel Live several months back,
he and Darren Aronofsky discovered Siegel in a club and offered him the role
despite having no previous acting experience. Rourke claimed in the interview
that Siegel's work had led to two additional acting roles since "The Wrestler."
In his scene with Rourke, Siegel plays a drug dealer that hooks up Randy the Ram
with steroids in a gym locker room.
2010 - TNA signed Shannon Moore.
2010
- Hulk and Nick Hogan settled the lawsuit that was filed against them on behalf
of John Graziano, who was seriously injured in Nick's 2007 car crash.
2010 -
Ezekiel Jackson, the final ECW champion in the WWE version of that entity, was
moved to Smackdown.
2010 - WWE ran a Supershow in Chicago, IL. Gregory Davis
filed the following results:
Allstate Arena was 99% sold out. Justin Roberts
was the ring announcer. Kelly Kelly was the guest hostess.
1. Mickie
James, Eve Torres, and the Bella Twins defeated Michelle McCool, Maryse, Beth
Phoenix, and Alicia Fox
2. Primo defeated Chavo Guerrero
3. Ezekiel
Jackson defeated Goldust
4. Show-Miz defeated MVP and Mark Henry to retain
the Unified Tag Team Championship
5. Kofi Kingston defeated Carlito
6.
Drew McIntire vs. Kane for the IC Championship went to a double countout.
7.
John Morrison defeated CM Punk w/ Luke Gallows
8. John Cena, Edge, and the
Undertaker defeated Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Batista
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